CHAPTER 20

JASMINES POV

Snarls and growls echoed through the dark woods, a primal battle unfolding before my eyes. Eric’s wolf was nothing compared to Caine’s. My heart hammered as I watched the two wolves clash, their sharp teeth snapping and claws tearing into each other.

For a second, they vanished from my sight. Moments later, I heard the don’t rustle of leaves ahead of me. Caine emerged from the down part of the hill. His clothes were torn, body was covered in black smoke and sand.

“Let’s go,” he said to me. I was numb until we arrived at the car. The glimpse of his chest which I caught before he walked past me registered in my head, refusing to accommodate any other thought.

The journey back to the pack house was a silent one. I kept reeling through the thoughts of what happened back in the woods when Caine broke the silence.

“Did anyone harm you?” He asked, stealing a glance at me.

“No, I’m fine,” I answered. I had questions for him too. Like how he knew I was in the woods and that I was in danger. But I chose to stay quiet.

“I deserve a thank you, at least,” he said, breaking the next silence that followed my answer.

A sigh escaped my mouth instead of words. Was he expecting a heartfelt message of gratitude?

“What were you thinking by the way? Joining the students to go to a bonfire?” He asked a question that triggered my attempt to stay quiet.

“I was taken from my bed. Abducted! Kidnapped!” I said the words one after the other, eyes glaring at him agitated.

“And you couldn’t fight them off,” he said. I rolled my eyes away, finding no words to respond to him with. My body was weak and I needed to rest—not pick a silly fight with Caine. “Since you won’t say it…thank you,” he said after seconds of silence.

I scoffed. “How petty,” I said, my voice lower than whisper. He asked to know what I said, but I ignored him, keeping my eyes on the road as he drove us back home.

We arrived at the pack house and I was the first to leave the car. I was on my way to the staircase when I caught a glimpse of the blood in the room. I followed it, my heart thudding with every step I took until I arrived at the scene.

Jojo was lying on the steel table, bandages lying carelessly around him. Spencer was on the table beside him. His condition wasn’t as bad as Jojo’s, but…

“What…happened?” I turned to Caine, asking.

“Club 9 happened,” Jojo answered. He stepped away to make a call and returned a few minutes later. Imani was sleeping on the couch and Caine woke her up,

“Let’s get here cleaned before the students arrive. I called the pack team to disrupt the bonfire and send them back to their rooms,” he said to us as he began the work.

I joined them in cleaning up the room and in a few minutes, we were done. I halted at Jojo's side, examining the cut to his side. My eyes darted around the table until I spotted the squashed metal lying on a plate.

My hands deceived me into believing I could pick it up. The moment it came in contact with my hand, I winced, dropping it immediately, and watched that part of my skin burn without fire.

“Silver,” Caine said, approaching. “He was shot with silver,”

“Will he make it?” I suddenly became afraid.

Caine didn’t answer immediately. His eyes lingered on Jojos’ body for a while before he made a nod

“He’s strong. Of course, he will,” he answered.

“And Lucy? Where’s she?”

The rest of the group stopped their activity, exchanging glances. Caine was taking too much time to give me an answer, so Imani did.

“Lucy was taken,”

My heart dropped and my blood began to boil to the point that I thought my flesh was going to get burned.

“What do you mean, taken?”

But she didn’t give me any more replies. Her eyes traveled to Caine, sending mine to him as well. “Taken by who?” I asked him.

“We were attacked in the club. And the men who attacked us took Lucy with them. But Harper has gone to find her with the help of the rest. They’ll be back before we know it,” Caine assured.

I looked for a reason to believe him, one that would make me not think about Lucy’s disappearance. And Caine gave me one.

“Come, tomorrow’s the swearing-in. There’s a lot you still haven’t learned,” he said, walking ahead of me into a room beside their floor.

****

“Dad,” I whispered his name after unsuccessfully ringing his line three times.

“Jasmine? How are you? I haven’t heard from the Alpha’s son. He said he’d call in every two days to check up and keep me updated on your progress. How’s it going? Any progress so far?”

“Dad,” I had to interrupt his series of questions. “It’s just been a day. What did you think this is? A military school?” I asked, exhaling a long-held breath of frustration. I felt his apology from his breathing—he didn’t have to say anything,

“The swearing-in is tomorrow. Will you be there?” I asked. There was silence over the phone, and I knew what was coming next.

“Er…sweetie. You know I…” the door opened and Caine returned, carrying a book.

“You know what dad? Don’t bother. Good night” I hung up the call and returned to the center of the library.

“Here, contains all the names of the packs, their alphas’…”

“Wait,” I cut him short. “We went through this shit back in high school. Do I have to do this again?” I asked, flipping through the familiar pages of the book.

“We all did to get to where we are now,” Caine answered.

“And how would it help me get control?”

“You can hand it back if it’s going to be a big deal for you,” he cut me short. “Look, I know I might have told your father that I’ll train you. But that ball depends on who your coach tomorrow night would be. If he’s someone who won’t let me get acres to you, then you’re stuck with him and his rules,” he added.

His statement threw my mind into a puzzle. What did he mean by ‘depends on who gets assigned to me tomorrow?

“Wait…the coaches can be changed?”

Before Caine could answer me, the reviving of a car outside drew our attention, its headlamps illuminating the wall library. Caine rushed outside, and I followed him. It was Harper.

“Where’s she?” Caine asked, hurrying to the car.

Harper lifted a blood-stained sweater above his head. I recognized it to belong to Lucy. My breath hitched in my throat, my thoughts painting the ugliest scenarios in my head.

“This is all I found,” Harper said.

******