Chapter 31 Julian
Chapter thirty-one
Julian
My sight wavered as I stared at the computer screen. It’d been hours since I’d taken a break, but I couldn’t force myself to stop. If I stepped away from my work and had a moment to myself, a moment to think about everything that had happened, I’d go mad.
Eventually, I didn’t have a choice. I dragged my glasses off my face and rubbed my eyes, leaning back in my chair with a long-drawn-out sigh.
Things had gotten out of control. This mission was supposed to be a simple one. Watch over Jack while she searched for the rebels.
Now, it had turned into a test on my restraint.
Seeing her every day with those two — having to watch them touch and kiss her, it was too much. My jealousy burned so hot, I feared I’d combust.
When she found out information about the rebel meeting, I wouldn’t deny she was doing her job, even with the distraction of those two, no matter how much it pained me to accept it.
Jack’s reaction to my interaction with Abigail had been surprising, and I had quickly realized it was not unwelcome. Even with the vampire and werewolf all over her, she still wanted me. Still cared who I was spending my time with.
It shouldn’t have made me happy, but it did. It pleased me to no end that she was struggling as much as I was with my attraction to her.
If I wasn’t her superior, if we were still just working side by side, then maybe we could have eventually gotten together in an official capacity.
I might have even been able to look past her family ties.
As it was, seeing her every day, watching her put herself in danger, was a slow torture that I couldn’t stop.
Now, it was somehow worse. Seeing her with those two. Smelling their scents all over her.
My fist slammed on the table. I almost threw them out of my class earlier this week, the stench of sex all over her, and I knew without a doubt that the vampire — so smugly sitting there — was leaking out of her, stinking up my class with his claim.
If I’d had a stake, I’d have killed him right then and there in the middle of class.
I’d already had my suspicions about the vampire and his wolf. Anyone who got close to Jack was a potential enemy, someone to be dealt with later. Then the vampire had to go and attack me in my very office.
I’d never seen a power like that before. It was something I’d have to check with the guild about. My hand rubbed my neck where he’d choked me with some black, shadowy rope. I was reluctant to admit it still ached to swallow sometimes, even days later.
That vampire, Kyren, he was a problem. One that was now getting in the way of Jack from doing her job. I was glad that I’d put in a request for intel on him after his attack.
Now, I was counting down the days to get his background check back to me. Maybe then I’d feel better about her being near him.
She’d still be distracted.
I scoffed and closed my eyes, head back. “Distracted my ass. She was probably getting railed into next Tuesday and didn’t bother listening for her alarm.” My words sounded bitter, even to me.
The Jack I knew wouldn’t have been distracted so easily. She wouldn’t even have needed to set an alarm. She’d clear her day and wait nearby for the rebels to show up for the meeting.
For all I knew, those two were part of the rebel group and were working on keeping her away from the meetings. They could be using her. Perhaps they even knew who and what she was.
The idea that they were lying to her, possibly hurting her, swirled in my chest. I hated to think of her being heart broken by them, but I couldn’t deny the pleasure I’d get having them no longer near her.
My phone rang, and one look at it made my stomach drop. President West. He would want an update on the meeting.
Training my voice not to give away anything, I answered the phone. “Fawley here.”
“Julian,” Tristen’s cheerful voice answered. “How’s my favorite hunter doing?”
I snorted. “Don’t lie to me. We both know I’m hardly your favorite.”
“You’re right, Jack is, then quite a few others, but you’re in the top ten. Swear.”
The laughter in his voice made me shake my head. “Did you need something, sir?”
Tristen cleared his throat. “Right, down to business. Your last report told us about a meeting that was supposed to happen this week. How did that go?”
I thought back to the other day and Jack’s admission. Protocol told me to tell him the truth, that Jack had been compromised. The mission was teetering on a thread, and their main asset was too busy getting fucked two ways to Sunday by their enemies to do her job.
Yet, no matter how angry I was at her, how jealous and possessive seeing her with them made me feel, I couldn’t do it.
“Unfortunately, the intel we had was wrong. The meeting didn’t happen.”
“Oh,” Tristen huffed an unhappy sound. “Well, that’s unfortunate. But I’m sure that you two will find something you always do. You’re two of the best hunters I’ve got.”
“Of course, sir.” I nodded again, forgetting he couldn’t see it.
There was a long pause before I asked, “Was there something else, sir?”
Tristen let out a breath. “Yes, but it’s of a sensitive nature.”
My brows rose, curious to what he could have to tell me that he’d be so reluctant to share.
“You recently put in a request for a background check to be done on a vampire living there on campus.”
“Yes?” I answered, trying to keep the eagerness out of my voice.
There was some clacking on his keyboard before Tristen finally told me. “It was good instincts on your part to ask about this one. Kyren O’Brian. Born in the 1800s, he became a vampire during the Spanish American war by a vampire named Kleon.”
My brows furrowed. That name was so familiar. Then my eyes widened.
The world narrowed down to that one singular name. Kleon.
“That’s…”
“Yes,” Tristen breathed out, the one word sounded painful even through the phone. “That’s the vampire Jack’s mother killed back when Jack was little.”
“The vampire who kidnapped her.” The words barely came out of my mouth before I was standing, shoving my chair back against the wall. “Permission to kill him, sir.”
Tristen chuckled sadly. “I wish I could let you, but just because his sire hurt our girl doesn’t mean this Kyren will do the same.
But I do want you to keep an eye on him.
If possible, keep him away from Jack, this would just…
” He trailed off, emotion filling his voice.
“Let’s just say it would bring up unfond memories for her. ”
“I understand, sir.” My voice was hard, barely restrained in my rage.
Tristen sighed. “I look forward to hearing some good news soon, Fawley.”
“Of course.” I hung up the phone and stared hard at my desk, my phone tight in my grip.
Saying that Jack would be upset was putting it lightly. While Kyren hadn’t been the one who had orchestrated her kidnapping when she was ten, the mere fact he was related to the vampire who did would send Jack into a panic.
Knowing what I knew of Jack and Kyren, this information wouldn’t just upset her — it would devastate her. Not only was the fledgling of the vampire who caused her so much trauma in the school, but she was dating him.
Kissing him.
Fucking him.
The first instinct about this information was to bury it. Pretend I never learned it.
What good would telling her be? She’d freak out. Shut down. Blame me for telling her in the first place.
My foot tapped a restless rhythm. I paced back and forth across my office. My emotions swirled and twisted in my gut.
Telling her would do more harm than good. And yet, my job was to guide her and protect her. But which category did this fall into?
Learning this information would destroy her, and that was the last thing I ever wanted to do.
Frustration and indecision tore at me. Tension pulled at my neck as I fought with what to do. The phone in my hand weighed heavy in my hand, like the decision I had to make.
“Fuck!” The word ripped through my throat, raw and visceral. The phone smashed against the stone wall of my office.
I dragged a hand through my hair, breath shaking.
I had to tell her. If it was me, I’d want to know. Protecting her from this information would only make it hurt more later, when she found out from someone else. Even more so if she found out that I knew and didn’t tell her.
As I knelt and picked up the pieces of my phone, I prayed to whatever deity out there that this wouldn’t be the end of us.