CHAPTER 10

JASMINE

The room erupted into chaos. Everyone shot up from their seats, the chairs screeching as we hurried towards Spencer. Caine led the way, getting to Spencer before the rest of us.

“What happened?” He asked, helping him in. I checked outside the door to confirm there was no one else out there. It was clear.

“The diner,” Spencer choked on his blood.

“He needs to be attended to. Clear the table,” I assisted Caine to carry him. The rest stood, looking at me to confirm if I was actually dishing out orders to them.

“You heard her!” Caine barked as we hurried across the room carrying Spencer. Imani and Jojo cleared the table, giving me the opportunity to get down to a work I had learnt on my own and practiced with Bryan.

“Take his clothes off,” I told Jojo before rushing to get a bowl of water.

After my mother moved in with her new family, her whole attention focused on them, I found ways to defend myself. I learnt how to stand up for myself, defend myself and treat my wounds.

I wasn’t always successful when it came to defending myself. Especially when I encountered the street thugs. They preyed on young ladies, had sex with them and threw them in the bin by the road.

I almost fell victim that particular night before I was saved by Bryan.

I mixed some supplements present in the kitchen which had healing abilities and helped myself with a thread. Imani presented the first aid box to me.

“I believe this would help,” she muttered, taking a stand beside Jojo and the rest who were staring in agony.

“Keep your eyes on the door,” Caine instructed them. I took the scissors and a cloth lying beside it.

“I’ll want you to bite down on this, Spencer. It’s going to hurt,” I said, loving the sound of that. Even if I wasn’t the cause of his injury, and regardless of the fact that I was the one treating him, I so much enjoyed watching him cry like a child.

This was karma,and he was the first to taste out of it.

Spencer’s scream filled the room the moment I began stitching the wound. His flesh squelched, oozing a lot of blood which made me fear that he wasn’t going to make it. Yet, I chose to continue.

After a few minutes of stitching and screaming, the tension in the room died, leaving a long dwelling silence. I could literally see the fear in their eyes as they stood holding each other and watching.

Caine was with Lucy who seemed to be the most frightened. The way she clung onto him made my heart leap. They were so close that I could feel the heat between them. I snapped myself out of that thought, realizing it was creating a different picture about my best friend in my head.

“He’s lost a lot of blood. He needs rest,” I muttered, washing my hands before making my way out of the room.

What was supposed to be a peaceful, noisy dinner turned into a blood-painted room.

*****

One thing I didn’t mention was the trauma seeing Spencer in that manner had caused me. A memory I thought had taken full control of. I wasn’t a doctor, neither was a nurse. Yet, Bryan and his pack members looked up to me as one.

The very day I was to put all that hope and respect to its best turned out to be the day I lost a young child in my arms. He’d gone hunting in the woods with his family when they got attacked. He was rushed to the house, where I got down to work on him.

I guess luck wasn’t on my side that day. I shut my eyes, letting the cool night breeze blow against my face as tears streamed down my eyes.

“That was…one hell of a show,” Caine’s voice snapped me out of my thoughts. I hurriedly wiped the tears from my eyes and sulked in. Never was I going to appear weak before him or any of those spoilt brats who bullied me.

“I brought you water,” he offered.

I glanced at the glass of water in his hand. I wanted it, but accepting it was like proving to him that I wanted him around. So I refused.

“I’m doing great, thanks,”

“You don’t sound like it,” he objected.

“You know what? Why don’t you just leave me alone, Caine. The last thing I’d want is Lucy thinking there’s something going on between me and her boyfriend,” my voice went off with a raised pitch which was still moderate enough to not have drawn any attention to us.

Caine burst into a silent laughter, moving in an unpatterned box until he came to a halt.

“Ohh…Jaz!” He exclaimed with a breath.

“What? Or are you two not dating?” I asked him.

Silence followed after my question, and I was expecting a negative response. One part of me wanted to hear him deny being in a relationship with Lucy. The other part, didn’t care much.

“We are,” he blurted, and I rolled my eyes away in order to hide my disappointment. Even if he wasn’t dating Lucy, was I going to make an approach towards him?

I’d rather go back to Jamal than make Caine think there’s still a part of me that loves him or wants to chase after him.

“Then I believe she should set boundaries. Four feet apart when discussing with any girl who isn’t her,” I stated judging based on the Lucy I knew six years ago.

“Caine?” Lucy’s voice chirped in. “I was searching for you down stairs,” she said, eyes flicking from Caine to me. She kissed him on the lip and placed his hand around her waist before turning to me. “That was so incredible, Jaz. You’ve…really changed,” she smiled.

I returned the smile, hiding the jealousy that sparked in my nerves after I saw them kiss.

“It’s late, I should head home now. My father must be worried,” I lied. That was a man who must have traveled round the world of dreams by now, snoring his sorrow into the night.

“Okay, cool,”

“No, it’s not safe,” Caine refused. There was a weird glare between the two of them for a second.

“Look, guys, I don’t mind. I can take care of myself,” I forced a smile. “Thank you, for dinner,” I added. Lucy and I shared a hug before I set out into the night.

‘Caine was right after all’, I thought to myself after walking a few meters away from the pack house.

The pack wasn't as safe as before. Whosoever attacked Spencer must have been part of those who attacked my father and killed his mate. I clung onto my purse, forcing my cold feet as I walked through the night.

My phone rang in my purse, alerting my mind from its thoughts. It was my father. I didn’t expect him to be awake by now. I reached for my phone, answered the call but was unable to place it on my ear.

A hand snatched it from me, punched me in the guts and crashed my head with something strong.

“The night just began, medium rare,” the voice echoed in my head before I went blank.

******