Chapter Three

The sky had darkened considerably as Jane looked through the windows of the classroom. Her phone was in her locker and she couldn’t even call for help. Was her mother wondering where she was? Blinding, hot tears gathered in her eyes when the door suddenly opened and she fell backwards, her head hitting the floor with a thud.

“Whoa … are you okay?”

Jane’s eyes opened and she looked up into a smiling face. “Uh … yeah, I somehow got locked inside.”

The boy smiled and held out a hand to help her to her feet. “Lucky for you I came back for the notebook I forgot on my desk. Mr Pathnil will skin me alive if I don’t complete my homework.”

Jane smiled too as she nodded her head. Their teacher was a drill sergeant. “I’m Jane. Jane Winters.”

“Sebastian Howell.”

He was quite handsome in the whole sand, surf and sun kind of way with his sun-kissed blond hair that was a bit too long and his deep, blue eyes that felt like it could see right through her. He pulled his hand from hers, the one she hadn’t noticed still holding hers, and smiled at her.

He walked to a desk in the back of the classroom and picked up a book. He stuffed the book into his backpack and walked back to where she still stood by the door. He looked questioningly at her and then it seemed that he had figured out whatever he’d been thinking about.

“You’re new right?”

“Yeah, what a nice surprise to be locked in a classroom on my first day.”

His eyes seemed to flicker to an even deeper blue for a few seconds as he sniffed the air. He blinked, his eyes returned to their normal colour, and laughed. “Sorry, my wolf’s been restless for a while since I haven’t found my mate yet. You have an intriguing scent, Jane.”

Jane smiled then as she looked at him. Sebastian was tall and broad shouldered, just a smidgen shorter than the twins. His jaw was square and she thought that if he cut his hair, he really would be a handsome man.

“I have a few days before that frenzy takes over. My mother’s already dreaming about what my mate will be like.”

Sebastian grinned. “Oh yeah? When’s your birthday?”

Jane blushed a little. She liked the way Sebastian was looking at her, giving her his undivided attention like she mattered. “The day after tomorrow.”

Sebastian scratched the back of his neck and looked sheepishly at her. “Who knows, maybe we were meant to meet like this.”

Jane laughed at his sheepishness. Sebastian wouldn’t be a bad match. He was good looking, kind and he seemed very nice. “Like you said, who knows.”

“Come on, the parking lot’s empty so I’m guessing your ride has already left. I’ll take you home.”

Jane walked with Sebastian and true to his word, the parking lot was empty. A lone truck sat in a spot near the front door of the school building. Sebastian opened the passenger door for her and she smiled as she climbed inside and he closed the door.

“So … where am I going?”

“Oh … right, sorry. I don’t know the actual address but I can direct you.”

Sebastian chuckled then as he started the truck and they drove out of the parking lot. Jane directed him with left here and turn right there. Sebastian’s demeanour changed a little as they drove through the gate and around the fountain in the driveway.

Jane turned towards Sebastian with another smile. “Thanks for the ride home.”

“No problem.”

Jane frowned slightly and saw that Sebastian was looking at something else, or rather, someone else. Reid stood by the front door, his arms crossed over his chest and a scowl on his face. Jane grabbed her bag and closed the truck’s door.

She had barely stepped away from the truck when Sebastian reversed it out of the driveway and sped away. ‘Well that was weird,’ she thought to herself.

Reid still blocked the front door and Jane stopped and crossed her arms as she glared at him. His scowl deepened as he looked at her. “Where have you been?”

“You think it’s funny? Locking me in a classroom? You and Ryan are both so immature and … and stupid!”

Reid’s scowl turned into a frown as she pushed past him and walked into the house. She rushed up the stairs and locked her bedroom door behind her. She was such an idiot to think that they’d stop their childish ways now.

In her bathroom, Jane splashed cold water on her face and wiped the angry tears away. Who the hell did Reid think he was? How dare he scowl at her and Sebastian. If it hadn’t been for Sebastian she’d have had to walk home!

Ten minutes later, Jane sighed as she walked into the dining room, the one with the stupid round table, where she had to sit between Reid and Ryan. Kyle winked at her the moment she sat down and her mother smiled at her.

“Jane … sweetheart … is everything alright? You’re back home very late.” A look of concern crossed over Sarah’s features.

Jane glanced at Reid who didn’t look at her. “Sorry, I guess I’m still getting used to everything and getting home.”

Kyle looked sharply at the twins. “You didn’t drive Jane home after school?”

“She wasn’t there, we thought she’d joined a club or something and forgot to tell us.” Ryan looked so earnest and Kyle nodded his head. Jane’s mouth opened as Ryan smirked at her and she gripped her fork tightly.

“How was your first day, Jane?” Kyle asked her after giving Ryan another glare.

Jane looked up from her plate and food and swallowed the bite of mashed potatoes she’d just taken. “It was okay. I made some friends.”

Reid stiffened next to her and she felt his leg move until it touched hers. She glanced over at Reid who didn’t seem to notice that their limbs were touching under the table. He didn’t move his thigh away either and if she moved her legs to the other side, she’d touch Ryan’s thigh.

“That’s wonderful, sweetie!”

“Who are these new friends? Maybe Reid and Ryan knows them.”

“I doubt they know Freya. She’s a bit on the academic side.”

Kyle grinned then as Ryan fixed a glare on her. “Are you saying we’re stupid?”

“Ryan.” Reid’s voice was a hiss but clearly heard by everyone.

“If the shoe fits,” Jane whispered but she knew that both Reid and Ryan had heard her because Ryan was glaring at her again.

The next ten minutes were spent in silence as cutlery scraped against plates and everyone ate their dinner. Jane had suddenly lost her appetite and she pushed her plate away. Her mother gave her a worried look but she shook her head and smiled.

She didn’t want to ruin things for her mother, but she wasn’t sure how much longer she could put up with Reid and Ryan. Sarah looked so genuinely happy and if Kyle could make her mother glow like that, then who was she to come between them? Her mother deserved to be adored, pampered and treated like a Queen.

“Sweetie, Kyle and I have been talking about your birthday. If you want we can throw you a birthday party and you can invite your new friends.”

Jane looked up at Sarah and Kyle, who were both smiling at her now. “Thank you, I appreciate the gesture, but I’d actually prefer to just spend my birthday like I always do.”

Ryan smirked as he looked at her. “And how do you always spend your birthday? Drinking Kool-Aid at the math club?”

“Like you’d even know where the math club is,” Jane retorted.

“Ryan Heiden! That was uncalled for!” Kyle scolded and Ryan rolled his eyes.

Why couldn’t Reid and Ryan just leave her alone? Barely an hour ago they had locked her inside a dark classroom. If Sebastian hadn’t come back to get his book, she might have been locked in there for the whole night. Did they want to torture her? Did they want her to break?

Jane looked at her mother questioningly and the look on her face told Jane everything. There’d be no birthday dinner like last year. Her father had actually made an appearance last year and Jane missed him so much.

“Jane …” Sarah frowned at the look on Jane’s face.

Jane jumped up from the table and ran out of the room as blinding tears gathered in her eyes. She ran up the stairs and into her bedroom, slamming the door closed behind her. She threw herself on the bed and screamed into the pillow.

She never wanted to spend her eighteenth birthday with those two annoying brothers. She wanted to see her father and she just needed a break from all the tension in that house. She hated all the memories of them plaguing her dreams and she wished they’d just go away.

“Jane? Sweetheart, are you alright?” Jane heard her mother’s voice through the door. The door opened and Sarah closed it softly behind her and walked towards the bed and sat down next to Jane.

“Please tell me Dad’s coming for my birthday.” Jane turned to look at her mother. “I texted him last week and he promised me he’d be here.”

“Sweetie …” Sarah’s hesitation told Jane everything. Her heart was thundering in her chest and she knew what was coming.

“What’s his excuse this time?” She felt those same angry tears threatening to spill down her cheeks. She was tired of holding everything in.

“He has a meeting out of town.”

Jane bit her lip and nodded her head. Ever since her parents got divorced, her father had only once joined them for their traditional family dinner on her birthday. She’d been so excited to see him that she’d suffered through the twins abuse.

“Fine, it’s just another normal day, right?”

Sarah wrapped her arms around Jane, hugging her tightly. “I’m always here with you. I know it’s not the same but Kyle and the twins are our new family now. We can still have a family dinner, just like you want. I promise, sweetie, it’ll be great.”

Jane nodded because she felt out of her depth. There was no way she could tell her mother the truth, no way she could break her heart. Sarah squeezed Jane’s hand and kissed the top of her head before leaving the room.

She didn’t want the twins to be her family. They were mean and rude and she didn’t like them. She had no idea how she could get out of that stupid family dinner. Jane would rather walk over hot coals or lick the school trash cans.

She lay in bed for what felt like hours that night, her phone beeping a few times. She finally turned towards the nightstand and grabbed her phone.

Daddy – I’m so sorry my angel. I wish I could be there for your special day.

Jane didn’t know how to respond to his message and felt fresh tears in her eyes. She had no idea why they’d gotten divorced in the first place. She hadn’t wanted to pry and her father had just told her to speak to her mother about it.

She wished for her old life, when she was Daddy’s little girl and sat on his knee as he told her stories. She missed waking up to her mother humming in the kitchen and baking something. They had always laughed so much that she found it hard to think of how it could have just ended.

Jane had no idea what time she eventually fell asleep but when she woke the next morning her eyes felt swollen and gritty.