Jace nearly slammed into the closing door as he burst into the Lupin House hallway, his boots skidding slightly on the polished stone floor. His lungs worked like bellows, chest heaving, but it wasn't from exhaustion. It was from nerves and maybe a little guilt that remained with him like burrs on a wolf's pelt.
He barely made it halfway down the hall when the heavy door to room G25z creaked open. Out spilled Arlo first, his wild curls bouncing as he turned, and his face was bright with a kind of inappropriate joy. Behind him came Dmitri, looking like a grim reaper in cargo pants, and finally Radek, who walked like the world owed him money.
"There you are," Arlo said, grinning. "She's safely tucked away." He clapped Jace on the back with enough force to rock him on his feet.
"For now," Dmitri added, arms crossed over his chest with unreadable eyes beneath dark lashes.
Radek shrugged, the lines of his lean face drawn tight. "She's in the room. We better go discuss this mess before it gets out of hand."
They turned in unison like predators sensing blood, but Arlo's gaze snagged on Jace's pants and lingered and stared.
"Why do your pants look all rumpled all of a sudden?" he asked, brow arched in a teasing concern. "Did you wrestle a bear on your way here or…?"
"Hope he hasn't gone to do shit in such little time," Radek sneered, a smirk already curling the corner.
Jace's shoulders tensed. "I didn't do anything."
"You sure?" Radek stepped forward, chest puffed, tone baiting. "'Cause you look like you've been dragged backwards through a brothel and came out smiling."
Why, that son of a bitch!
"That's enough," Arlo said, stepping between them like a man who broke up fights for sport. He placed a steadying hand on Radek's shoulder and gave Jace a warning glance. "This is not the time for dick-measuring contests."
Radek sniffed and pulled away, muttering something about fleas and mongrels.
Jace forced his breathing to even out, fists clenched at his sides. Why was Radek always like this? Always circling him like a rabid wolf waiting for weakness. To Jace, Radek was perfect.
Everything had already been set for him. He had the perfect lineage, his family's name alone could do almost anything, and he didn't need to do too much unlike the rest of them. Unlike him who needed to study overtime to get a perfect grade because his Family needed to climb the numbers, he needed to always remain the best to qualify his family for more.
But Radek had everything served to him on a platter of gold, and yet, that perfection of his always came with a stormcloud of spite.
But what Radek didn't know… what none of them knew was that Jace saw him. He saw the way he was always pulsing green with jealousy, especially when the spotlight veered toward someone else. What a bitter-lucky boy!
He's jealous of me. He's always jealous of me.
Without another word, the four of them headed toward the east wing, to their spot at Lupin House. It was a tucked-away chamber lined with dark wood, luxury armchairs, and old war flags. No one entered without an invitation. Even the cleaners stayed out.
The heavy oak door groaned open and Arlo flicked the lights on with a slap to the wall switch. Soft amber light bathed the room, revealing shelves of old books, a stash of alcohol, and a single long table where many a bad plan had been born.
Radek threw himself into the largest armchair like he owned it. His posture was sharp, shoulders tense, eyes burning. "My father must not find out she's my mate. Not that she's human. And definitely not that she's…" he grimaced, "…a prostitute."
"I don't care what my father or anyone thinks," Arlo groaned, pacing and swinging his arms. "I have a girlfriend I love. If this gets out, it jeopardizes everything. It can ruin my relationship."
Jace winced inwardly at the word "love." That thing that always seemed just out of reach. For Arlo, love came with light. For Jace, it came with bruised knuckles and secrets he didn't know how to bury.
He narrowed his eyes. "As if your wolf even wants her now."
Arlo stopped pacing, turning slowly like a storm about to form. "What?"
Jace pressed on, albeit, in a calm tone. "Don't act like we all don't feel it. I hate the hypocrisy. I hate how we all are acting as if we truly want to get rid of her when in fact, we are scared of how much of her we want close. And shut up about Naya, Arlo. You don't even want her right now."
Dmitri let out a low whistle. "Damn."
"Tell me I'm wrong," Jace said, arms crossed.
Arlo's jaw flexed. "You don't get to talk about my bond."
"I think we're all realizing it's not a bond anymore if it's not with Wren," Jace muttered.
"Oh really? And your wolf's just chilling? Calm? Content?" Arlo snapped.
Jace's lips twitched in annoyance. "My wolf wants her too. That's the whole point."
Radek barked a short and sarcastic laugh. "Wants her? Mine's ready to burn down Lupin House for a whiff of her hair."
Everyone paused. Of course, when Jace confesses to a thing, Radek must create his own better version of it.
Dmitri sipped water and deadpanned. "Mine tried to crawl out of my damn spine when I snapped her neck. So yeah, I guess we're all cursed now."
So fucking cursed because right now, they were all just FATED to her. None of them had completed the process and marked her yet.
However, they already felt such strong connections to her. Now, imagine them mated.
Arlo ran a hand through his curls, frustrated. "What the hell is she? She's not even a wolf, and yet…"
"She feels like one," Jace murmured. "Like something we shouldn't want, but can't help it."
Radek rolled his eyes. "Speak for yourself. I don't want her."
"Your pants said otherwise when she leaned on you," Arlo muttered.
"Shut up."
"Tell me I'm lying."
"You're lying."
"You're lying about me lying," Arlo said with a grin.
Radek hissed under his breath, color high in his cheeks.
Jace shook his head slowly. "Look at us. We're walking powder kegs. She's like a match with legs."
"A prostitute with legs," Radek muttered, but with much less venom now.
"Still doesn't change the fact that our wolves don't care about her past. They've already chosen."
And it was high time they all started considering that instead of just shoving it off like the desperate ache for a feel of Wren's skin didn't exist. The earlier they acknowledged it, the better.