Chapter 49
FORTY-NINE
LAUREL
I swung my legs and sipped my virgin margarita as I tried not to let my foul mood show on my face.
This birthday sucked major balls. I was trapped in the stuffy VIP suite, sitting at the end of a long table while Father was droning on about business.
Everything in my life sucked right now. I glared at Jule, who was seated by Father at the other end of the table.
He hadn’t even glanced at me once the whole meal.
I shouldn’t be surprised; this was the new Julius.
One who didn’t have time for his sister.
“Psst,” came a voice behind me, and I turned around to find Prince peering around one of the columns.
My heart fluttered in my chest as I looked into his blue eyes. He’d claimed his aura earlier this year, and he’d grown into his frame. Before, I couldn’t look at him and not think of him as a gangly twelve-year-old talking about snot, but he’d grown up now and was…kinda hot.
Heat came to my cheeks as he smiled at me and beckoned me over.
I looked around carefully, but the only one looking at me was Jule, who frowned slightly.
I flipped him the bird as I slipped away.
As if he got to have a say in what I did anymore.
I wasn’t going to brush off the only person who was nice to me.
“Hey,” I said as I came up to Prince. Goose bumps prickled on my arm as he took my hand in his, leading me around columns and curtains until we got to a private booth.
“Happy birthday,” he said, and I grinned as I saw he’d prepared a low table for us, with glasses of something sparkling and a bouquet of roses.
“Oh!” I said, sitting down on the lush couch and picking up the roses. He followed me, closing the curtains. “Is all this for me?” I asked, my voice a little breathless.
“Of course,” Prince said, his voice low as he moved closer to me. I looked up at him, barely able to breathe as I took in his face. The way he was staring at me made the entire world disappear. “I thought I’d rescue you from that boring dinner.”
“Thanks,” I said, and he shifted closer. We opened the chocolates and drank the fizzy liquid that made my head spin a bit.
“Is this champagne?” I asked, and he winked at me. “Prince! I’m fifteen!”
“Yeah, but you’re mature for your age,” he said.
I preened at the praise. He was only two years older than me, but sometimes that gap felt so big—I mean, he was graduating this year. But it felt nice for someone to be taking me seriously. I was dismissed most of the time.
“I’ve got another present for you, too,” he said, leaning close to me.
“What is it?” I asked.
His lips crashed against mine, and it seemed like every nerve in my body lit up. He pressed close to me, cupping the back of my neck. My hands curled into his black T-shirt.
“You’re so pretty,” he whispered as we pulled apart, making my cheeks heat. “I’ve been wanting to do this for so long.”
His head dipped again, and I felt myself melt against his lips, but his hand didn’t tangle in my hair this time. Instead, it trailed down my neck. I shifted on the couch, pulling away as he cupped my breast.
“What’s the matter?” Prince whispered, pressing closer. “You’ve done this before, right?”
I hesitated, not wanting to tell him the truth. I didn’t want to come off as some silly, naive fifteen-year-old, not when he’d just said I was mature.
“Yeah, of course,” I said, pasting a smile back on my face.
He started kissing me again, and soon I was panting beneath him.
It felt good, but it was so much…and he wasn’t slowing down.
How far would he go? He kept moving further forward until I was leaning back and he was practically on top of me.
He’d know I couldn’t go all the way with him, not when I was a beta, right?
“Fuck, Laurel, you taste amazing.” He groaned, and I shifted again, my nerves building as his hand pushed the skirt of my dress up.
“Wait, wait,” I said, pushing it down, anxiety lancing through me. “We can’t—we’re in public.”
“Don’t worry,” he said. “No one’s going to come back here.”
He started kissing down my neck, his hand pushing back under my dress.
“I’ve, uh, gotta pee,” I said, scrambling off the couch and standing up. Prince scrubbed his fingers through his hair. “I’ll be right back,” I promised, my cheeks heating.
He sat up to look at me. “Be quick. You know it’ll start to hurt if you leave me too long like this, right?”
My scalp prickled and my stomach lurched. Oh, shoot. I hadn’t known that.
“Yeah, I’ll be quick,” I said, pushing my way out of the booth to the washroom in the corner.
I peed, then washed my hands, staring at myself in the mirror.
I splashed some water onto my heated cheeks.
Prince had been so nice and got me flowers and everything.
And it had felt really good to kiss him, so what was I worried about?
I couldn’t be acting like a silly baby on my birthday, after all.
I fixed my hair and reapplied my lip gloss before steadying myself with a deep breath. Then I walked out of the bathroom and crept back toward the alcove, my stomach fluttering with nerves again.
I tugged aside the curtain, but Prince wasn’t there. I chewed on my lip, frowning, then heard a rustling noise to my left. As I approached, the sounds of heavy breathing got louder. I pulled aside another curtain slightly, peering inside—and froze in shock.
Prince was there, all right, but he was with Jule. He had Jule backed up against the wall, and Jule started kissing down Prince’s neck. Jules eyes flicked up and met mine, and I saw them darken for a second.
I took a step back, tears welling in my eyes before I turned and fled, running to the only safe space I knew—our hangout. I pulled my hair out of its painful updo and threw off my heels before clambering into the crawlspace and to our little nook.
I collapsed onto the blankets and then sobbed.
My eyes felt swollen and achy when I heard the sound of someone making their way toward me. Julius dropped onto the floor, his blond curls messy and his shirt buttoned wrong.
Jule paused as he saw me, as if he wasn’t expecting me to be here. He swallowed and shifted on his feet. The smell of him and Prince mixed together was pouring off him, making my stomach churn.
“Look, I—” he started, but I wasn’t having any of it.
“Stop,” I hissed, balling my hands into fists. “Just don’t.”
“Laurel, please. It’s not what you think,” Jule tried again.
“Not what I think? It wasn’t enough to be an asshole to me or drive Jade away, now you had to take away the only person who’s nice to me?”
He stared at me, looking stupidly pathetic.
“I fucking hate you!” I hissed and pushed past him, not looking back as I left him behind.