Chapter 34 Rune
rune
. . .
After Pops grilled me about Darian in front of Dimitri, we came out of the simulator to find Slater, Zuko, and Koa lounging against the wall, clearly waiting for us.
“Took you long enough,” Slater said, pushing off the wall with a really sexy grin.
Zuko smirked, orange eyes flicking between me and Dimitri. “So, Rune, whose bed are you warming tonight? Mine, obviously.”
Slater shoved him in the shoulder. “I may not have her name tattooed on my dick, but it’s still my turn.”
“Oh, please.” Zuko barked a laugh. “She wouldn’t pick you over the orgasms I can give her.”
“I can give her just as much,” Slater grumbled, pouting before looking at me. “Right, venom baby?”
“Yeah, you’re right.” I bit back a giggle.
Koa fell in step with us as we started back down the path toward the houses. “Why don’t you all just sleep together and save the drama?”
Slater and Zuko shared a look before looking at me with a heated gaze.
“I’m lying under you,” they both said together before turning and growling at each other.
Dimitri muttered low under his breath, just loud enough for me to catch, “Maybe we should focus on training instead of…whatever this is.”
But, of course, Zuko and Slater kept bickering as we rounded the side of the academy. The canal glimmered with that potent magic beneath the bridge ahead, catching the last light of day.
We walked over the bridge and cleared the gate when Jesper appeared, like he’d been waiting on the other side for a while. There was a small bundle in his hands and an unreadable expression on his face.
“Jesper?” My eyes widened.
I’d been trying desperately not to think about him. Not after finding out he was Darian’s fucking cousin.
Still, Darian never made my heart swell the way Jesper did.
“I, uh…made this,” Jesper murmured, offering it to me like a peace treaty. The smell of warm herbs and spices curled through the air.
I couldn’t help but perk up at the scent. “What is it?”
“Garlic noodles.” He blushed.
Zuko’s nostrils flared. “Fates, that smells amazing.”
Koa leaned closer. “Those spices are insane. From scratch?”
Jesper nodded, his brown eyes glued to the offering in his hand.
I took the container cautiously. “Thank you,” I said, but I couldn’t help side-eyeing him.
Food from Darian’s cousin just after finding out Darian was intentionally trying to poison me? Not the smartest move. Still, with my squadmates with me, I knew I wasn’t unsafe right now.
I opened it and was immediately hit with the delicious garlicky scent. I drooled.
Reaching into my bag, I grabbed the powdered poison I kept for emergencies and sprinkled a faint dusting over the noodles.
“Is that poison?” Dimitri sighed. “Again?”
Jesper’s eyes widened. “Wait—”
I grabbed a noodle and slurped it up without hesitation. I chewed slowly, letting the flavors coat my tongue along with the bite of poison, then smiled. “I like my food spicy.”
“By spicy, she means poisoned,” Koa told him.
“Same thing.” With a shrug, I sealed the container again and shoved it in my bag for when I could get a fork back at the house. “Thanks, Jesper.”
Jesper ran a hand over his face, muttering, “I didn’t mean for you to use it to poison yourself.”
“It fills my reserves,” I said, softer this time.
“Oh. I guess that makes a lot of sense.” He nodded, but then his expression shifted, as if something heavy weighed on him. “For the record…Darian might be my cousin, but we are nothing alike. His mom’s great, a saint, honestly. Just like my mom. I don’t even know how she raised someone like him.”
Before I could reply, April appeared as if she’d been waiting for her cue, practically glowing as she rushed up beside him.
“Jesper! There you are. I finished my new mission briefing summary!” Her gaze flicked to me, lips curling into a sneer.
“Oh, did you tell her? About how Darian cheated on her the entire time they were together?”
The words landed like a slap.
I froze, blinking at her, before moving my gaze to Jesper.
His wince was confirmation enough.
“Wow.” I laughed, sharp and humorless. “Guess it’s a good thing I was never that into him.” I shrugged even though heat pricked at my chest.
Darian’s betrayal was way worse than I’d thought. If he was cheating, why was he so far up my ass when we were together? When did he get the time?
Zuko’s hands rested on my hips as he stepped close behind me. “Well, of course you weren’t. He couldn’t make you come twenty-three times in a night.”
My face burned hot. “Zuko!”
“I thought it was twenty-seven?” Slater furrowed his brows. “I can give you more tonight, though.”
“Bullshit.” Zuko rolled his eyes. “I can give her more than you.”
“Bet?” Slater’s red eyes twinkled with a challenge.
My core clenched, and I knew my arousal soaked the air.
Jesper nearly choked. “Oh.”
My face was on fire as I turned to Jesper with a sheepish smile. “Jesper, um, have you always been good at cooking?”
Jesper nodded as he rubbed the back of his neck. “Cooking is something I picked up from my mom. It feels like home.”
I couldn’t hide the smile that spread across my lips. “You’re very good at it.”
April, though, wasn’t smiling. She stood stiffly at his side, eyes darting between us with thinly-veiled jealousy. Okay, not very veiled at all, to be honest. Her hand inched closer to his arm as though staking her claim, but she never made contact because he shifted a step away from her.
“Rune…” His brown eyes met mine finally. “I want you to know that I’m not like him.”
I bit down on my bottom lip, searching his gaze for any hint of deception.
“Of course he’s not,” Zuko scoffed before turning to me. “The thought of Jesper and you together doesn’t piss us off.”
“Yeah,” Slater agreed; it made me wonder when they’d had that conversation. “The thought of Darian makes us murderous, though.”
“Valid.” Koa nodded, and I saw Dimitri nod along with him out of my peripheral.
Knowing these guys felt the same way about Jesper’s innocence made my heart flutter.
“I know you’re not like him,” I whispered, tiptoeing and pressing a soft kiss to his cheek.
A deep flush crept over Jesper’s face, but a smile spread across his features, causing his brown eyes to crinkle. “G-Good. The last thing I want is for you to associate me with him.”