CHAPTER 32

CAINES POV

“What script?” Jasmine asked. My heart sank into my stomach, my mind racing with thoughts of what answer I should give. I have never been in a situation where I had to cook up some lie to save my ass. With Jasmine’s gaze, it only got more difficult.

“It’s nothing,” I said after much difficulty, forcing a smile. “They’re just trying to stir a drama. Don’t give them that,” I whispered. But Jasmine wasn’t buying that shit. Her narrowed eyes and crossed arms told me she wasn’t letting it slide any time soon.

“Drama?” She blurted. I rolled my eyes and pulled her away from the table after taking their orders. I didn’t stop until we were behind the counter. “What happened to revenge?”

“What happened to the script you’re supposed to play?” She fired. I exchanged glances with my friends who were sitting at the table, watching us. “Are they in on something involving us?”

“You’re overthinking this. Have you suddenly forgotten the people you are dealing with?” I tried to shift the focus. I saw the doubt in her eyes, one I believed would make her waive the topic aside.

Her jaw tightened, and for a moment, I thought she was going to push further. Instead, she sighed and started taking out the cups.

“Whatever Caine. Are you ready for this?” She asked, trying to hide the smile that was playing around her lips. With a final glance at my friends, I nodded, reaching for my pocket and taking out a bottle filled with bane powder.

“Wolf’s bane?” Jasmine gasped, reaching for my hand, but I switched the placement of the bottle.

“No touching. Let’s get down,” I smiled, helping her arrange the cups as we filled them with smoothies. Their plates of fries just arrived and arranged them orderly in the trays before ducking behind the counter.

“Who’s first on your list?” I asked her.

She pulled the paper out of her skirt and unwrapped it excitedly. “Harper,” she whispered. A bottle hit her on the head, shifting her attention from me to over the counter.

“Oops! Not my fault Jasmine. Our order just seems to be taking a lot of time,” Jerry mocked. The group chuckled amongst themselves, clearly enjoying the stunts he pulled. Jasmine’s fist clenched, and I sensed her wild getting angry.

I grasped her hand and shook my head. “Don’t,” I muttered.

In a few seconds. I was done mixing the wolf’s bane with the smoothie. I washed my hands, picked the trays up, and went to serve them.

“What’s wrong with you guys?” I said with gritted teeth as I placed the drinks before them. Instead of Harper, I placed the special smoothie before Jerry.

“We just thought you might have forgotten the deal. You’re now hanging around with her a lot. I bet Lucy isn’t comfortable with that,” Imani replied. I passed her plates of fries to her before leaning closer to the table.

“I was given a long-term unbeaten and uncomfortable dare. How I carry it out shouldn’t be any of your concerns. All you have to do is watch my back and hope I don’t get the “red-haired syndrome,”. I said, pretending to like the joke Jerry always made about Jasmine.

They burst into subtle laughter, pulling their meal together while I returned to the counter and watched. Jasmine was holding her phone and making a record. She looked excited and anxious to know how well it would play out.

“Our bait today might not be Harper,” I broke the silence between us. “I gave Jerry the drink,” I added. Her brows corked for a second like she was trying to read my reasons. But they were clear. “He deserves it after the stunt he pulled just now,” I helped her out.

Her camera redirected to Jerry, who was enjoying the gist around the table. Jasmine's camera stayed steady, her lips curling into a sly grin. “Let’s see how long that grin lasts,” she whispered.

It was exciting to see her so animated, even if this entire plan was like treading on dangerous grounds. I know my friends better than anyone. They never forgive completely.

“Careful, this could backfire if they catch on,” I muttered, but she ignored me, eyes glued on them. Across the counter, Jerry took a long sip of the smoothie, smacking his lips loudly.

“Not bad,” he muttered, taking another gulp. The jokes were still going around, their laughter filling the room until it started. Jerry froze mid-laugh, his expression twisting into one of confusion. “What the hell!” He groaned, rubbing his throat.

“What’s wrong?” Imani, who’d been busy tapping her phone, asked immediately. Jerry grasped his throat with both hands, scratching it aggressively.

“My throat, it’s burning!” He croaked, his voice strained as he struggled to stand. Panic spread across the table as they all stared at the drink like it was laced with poison—which in a way, it was.

“Relax, Jerry,” Harper reached for the water. “Maybe you’re just allergic to something in it. A fruit, perhaps…”

“Guys…it's wolf's bane,” Jojo drew their attention. Jerry was wailing like an animal who was being castrated. For a second, I enjoyed the view.

“How much bane did you put in it?” Jasmine asked, her expression mixed with excitement and fear.

“Half of it,” I replied. The effect it was having on Jerry started getting worse. His throat was emitting heat like he was a vampire placed under the sun. The table went into chaos, and soon, a medical vehicle pulled up at the front.

“This way, hurry,” I told Jasmine. We went in through the back of the counter and quickly changed our clothes. My wolf hearing ability became active, and I heard Imani reporting Jasmine to the team. She was planning on coming back in for revenge.

“Imani isn’t happy,”

“She shouldn’t,” Jasmine replied, coming out of her changing room. We tossed the clothes in the machine and made our exit through the back door. As we burst out in the backyard, I heard a gun cock.

My heart leaped, my legs seizing instantly as Jasmine and I froze on our spot.

“It’s got to be one of you,” an unfamiliar female voice said. I tried to turn, but the gun corked again, and I knew whosoever it was meant business.

“You have the wrong person,” I said, lifting my hands in surrender as I turned.

A grin tore across her face, her finger wrapping around the trigger with so much force.

“A wolf was spotted on the outskirts of town, and all the trails led me to the diner. I’m sure there’s about a hundred of you here in town. But one of you killed my family, and there’s only one way to find out,” she said, placing her second hand on the gun as she aimed at Jasmine.

Her scent was pure…human. And the scent coming from the gun was a rare familiar one. Silver.

A wolf hunter!

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