CHAPTER 18

CAINES POV

The metallic scents of Jojo’s blood filled the air as I placed him on the table, applying pressure on the wound by his side. His breaths were shallow, his face pale and the blood gushing out from his torso wasn’t slowing down.

Imani hovered around us, her hands wringing in the air. “What do we do? He’s losing so much blood! I don’t want to lose him,” she cried, sounding like she was about to have a panic attack.

“Harper, get towels, Imani, boil some water!” I barked, my alpha instincts kicking in. For once, they didn’t question me or argue. They rushed off, doing as I instructed.

Jojo groaned, his head tilting to the side. “It’s okay…I’ve seen worse. Just let me…”

“Shut up!” I pressed harder on the wound, causing him to scream in pain. He ended with a chuckle, grabbing my hand as he shone his blood-stained teeth in a smile.

“It’s too late,” he whizzed, coughing more blood on me.

“No, it’s not,” I whispered.

Not like I knew what I was doing, these were things I’ve seen the pack healers and doctors do whenever someone was badly hurt. A bullet or a cut to a vital part of his body. I remember feigning from those practicals which had to do with blood and flesh.

Now here I was, fighting to save my friend's life. I checked my phone to see if I’d gotten any text from my dad whom I texted a few minutes ago. There was no new mail or message.

“Siri…call dad,”

“Are you sure about this? Aren’t we supposed to like…be taking the billet out of him?” Imani cried, biting down on her fingers.

“We can’t touch anything in him, Imani. We might just screw him up. None of us knows how to handle a scissors or a surgical blade,”

“But we’ve got claws,” Harper objected. He made sense, yet that a also a risk.

“My father will be here soon,” I said, hoping that would ease the tension in the room.

After a few minutes, my father’s car pulled up at the garage. He raced into the room, rolling his sleeves up without wanting to know who and who was present.

That's unlike him, though.

“Did you get all I asked for?” He asked, picking up the surgical blades.

“Yes, we did,” I answered.

He was calm, handling Jojo's body like there wasn't a pool of blood before him. Imani, Harper, Spencer, and I stood watching from a distance. My father’s back was on us, and all we could see was the way his hands moved swiftly, yet calmly.

My heart skipped a beat when Jojo took a deep breath, one that didn’t send out any air later on. Was he dead? Was my friend dead?

I swallowed, trying to hide the fear that was glaring on the faces of the rest, What would they do if they found out I too was just as scared as they were? It is not more.

“Dad…he’s stopped breathing,” I said softly, walking closer to my father. He washed the blood off his hands and turned to me.

“The boy needs rest. He’ll wake up in a few hours. And I don’t expect any of you to cut his resting period short else that would affect him and you’d be responsible for …his death,” my father answered, his gaze flicking from one person to another,

“Thanks, Dad,” I said, contemplating if I should hug him or not. My father wasn’t that kind of person, and he just had to prove me right.

“Don’t thank me yet, Caine. We’ve got to talk,” he said, walking to his car ahead of me.

*****

“What were you thinking? The initiation is tomorrow night. And now this?” My dad tried to keep his voice down. I noticed his anger with the way his hands were wrapped around the steering, squeezing its frame.

“I’m sorry Dad,”

“Club 9! Of all places! I warned, Caine. I warned! That club was built jointly by me and some other supernatural beings. We never considered the dangers that would arise, that’s why I warned Rib to stay away from it,”

“I did!” I interrupted him, ready to speak and stand for myself. “I stayed away from it for as long as you asked. I only went there yesterday with my friends…”

“Your friends. It’s always your friends!” He cut me short, I sighed, leaning back into the chair and looking away, I couldn't stand his gaze. He didn't only warn me about Club 9 but also about my friends.

He didn’t like them and believed they were the reason I was labeled the school’s playboy back then. Lucy was the only one he found interesting. Something he mentioned about her lifestyle made him prefer her over the rest.

What I never mentioned was that it was my father's friendship with Lucy that made me take a new turn. Not entirely though.

He wanted me to be the next alpha, so he used her to get to me. From pretending to change, I found myself taking a new turn. And now I was here, playing the role of daddy to my friends.

“There are new students, Caine. New students. They need coaches. They need an alpha leader who would teach them to be the best of themselves and harness the powers of their wolves, Not someone who goes partying hard all night,”

“It was just this once Dad,” I blurted nonchalantly because it was obvious he wasn’t paying any attention to me at all. He was just here to scold me like he always does like I’m no adult of my own.

“And this one has got me reconsidering the alpha position. Your step brother might just be a percent alpha,”

“You can’t. Dave is only seventeen,” I objected.

“I was only eighteen when I took on the position. This might just be history wanting to repeat itself,” he returned. Silence fell between us, leaving me pondering on his words. “Your friend will be fine by morning. Use the night to get yourself ready for tomorrow. I want no disappointments, understood?” He asked.

Tomorrow?, ooh! The initiation.

That isn't really my problem…

The two most important girls in my life were missing, and I had to find them tonight.

“Caine?”

“Understood,” I replied.

As he opened the car, I stood by the side, and watched him drive off. The moment his car was out of sight, Imani and Harper raced down to me.

“What did he say?

“Jasmine and Lucy are missing. That’s all that’s important now”.

*****