Chapter 38
Icrawled out of bed, the morning light was an unwelcome guest, stabbing at my eyes as I stumbled towards the bathroom. I needed a shower to wash away the sleep and frustration – Griffin had dropped a bomb on me last night, telling me that Orlando and Harper had mated and bonded. Fucking great.
On the one hand, I was happy. This just solidified the fact that Harper was our central, the one we”d been searching for. But on the other hand, I felt this insane jealousy gnawing at my gut, like a rabid dog tearing me apart from the inside. Why the hell did she bond with him before me?
”Damn it,” I muttered under my breath, turning on the water and letting the hot spray pelt onto my skin. As the steam filled the small space, I tried to shove down the envy that threatened to overtake me. Harper was ours - all of ours - and her bonding with Orlando didn”t change that.
Lathering the shampoo between my fingers, I scrubbed at my scalp, the suds cascading down my face like a waterfall.
”Fuck,” I muttered under my breath, wiping the sting from my eyes. Why hadn”t she bonded with me first? My wolf had told her we were mates, and she knew Griffin felt the same goddamn pull towards her. But Orlando? He hadn”t shown any signs, and he”d been suspicious of her from the start, convinced she was hiding something.
Maybe that”s what she likes about him, a small, traitorous voice whispered in my head. Maybe she wants someone who challenges her, instead of just blindly following their instincts.
”Shut up,” I grumbled aloud, rinsing the shampoo from my hair. The jealousy gnawed at me, a ravenous beast threatening to consume me whole if I let it. I couldn”t help but feel like I”d somehow missed out on some cosmic lottery, while Orlando hit the jackpot without even buying a ticket.
”Get your shit together, Dante,” I told myself as I reached for the body wash, slathering it over my chest and arms.
But underneath all the bravado and posturing, a tiny shard of doubt remained lodged in my heart. No matter how hard I tried to ignore it, it festered there, a constant reminder of the one thing I wanted more than anything - and the one thing that seemed just out of reach.
”Alright, enough wallowing in self-pity,” I muttered, shutting off the water and stepping out onto the cold tile floor. As I wrapped a towel around my waist, I caught a glimpse of myself in the fogged-up mirror.
The reflection was a stranger to me - raw emotion, the green-eyed monster glaring back. I shook my head and forced myself to focus on the task at hand. I needed to get dressed and join the others for breakfast. My new uniform lay neatly folded on a chair nearby.
”Fuck it,” I muttered, grabbing the shirt and pulling it over my head. The fabric felt smooth against my skin, and I couldn”t help but appreciate how well it fit. No more looking like I”d raided someone else”s closet.
I slipped on the pants and buckled the belt, feeling somewhat more composed as the clothes settled around my body. With one last glance at my reflection, I took a deep breath and strode out of my room, ready to face the world and claim what I desired.
”Morning, Romeo,” Griffin greeted me sarcastically as I walked into his room. He was just crawling out of bed, his dark hair tousled and sleep still clinging to his eyes. ”How”s your heart holding up?”
”Shut up,” I snapped back, not in the mood for his teasing. He grinned lazily and disappeared into the bathroom, leaving me to stew in my thoughts.
Plopping myself down on the bean bag, I let out a frustrated sigh. Just as Griffin disappeared into the bathroom, Orlando strutted into the room, looking smug in his new uniform. He didn”t waste any time before popping his head into Griffin”s bathroom.
”Hey, you two,” Orlando said with a smirk, ”want to come walk to breakfast with us?” He was referring to him and Harper, of course.
”Fuck off,” I snapped back, bitterness seeping through my words. ”Why need a third and fourth wheel already?”
Orlando just smiled at me like he knew some juicy secret I didn”t. ”You jealous, pup?” he asked, his voice dripping with amusement.
”Fuck you,” I growled, unwilling to deny it. My heart twisted with jealousy.
”Alright, alright,” Orlando chuckled, raising his hands defensively. ”No need to get your panties in a bunch.”
”Fine, I”m jealous. Happy now?” I threw my hands in the air, glaring at Orlando. He softened at my admission, his eyes losing their teasing glint.
”Hey, I get it,” he said, sitting on the end of Griffin”s bed. ”Honestly, I thought you and Griffin would have mated with her first. It just... happened, you know? Not that I”d change it, but it wasn”t planned.”
”Was it all they say it is?” I asked, unable to contain my curiosity. My heart ached with envy, but I needed to know.
Orlando”s face lit up with a smile, his eyes dancing with happiness. ”It”s so much more than they say, Dante. And she”s so powerful. She doesn”t even know the amount of power she holds.”
”Seriously, though,” I said, raising my brows at Orlando. ”How the hell did Harper grow up human with parents who had three levels of power? I can”t wrap my head around it. She just slipped under the radar?”
”Beats me,” Orlando replied, his expression thoughtful. ”There”s definitely something going on that we don”t know about.”
As if on cue, Griffin walked back into the room, fresh from the shower. ”I”m calling Mom today,” he announced, running a towel through his dark hair. ”I want to find out if our parents knew Harper”s parents. They all would”ve grown up together, right? And they would”ve served in the army together during the war twenty-two years ago.”
”Great idea,” I agreed, nodding my head. ”Something”s off here, but I do believe Harper was kept in the dark about everything.”
Griffin nodded in agreement while Orlando sighed. ”She was definitely in the dark. Now that we”re bonded, she can”t hide much from me.”
”Alright then,” I said, standing up from the bean bag and walking towards the door. ”Come on, fuck faces. Let”s go collect our girl for breakfast.”