Chapter 29 Jack
Chapter twenty-nine
Jack
I woke up not in Kyren’s house but back at the academy in Tate's bed. I groaned and shifted to get up.
Kyren might have healed with his blood, but my body still felt like it had gone ten rounds with a Mack truck. Since I’d been up against eight what I could only assume were supernaturals, it wasn’t that far off.
The bedroom door opened, and Tate stepped in carrying a drink holder and a paper bag. His eyes found me, and he quickly sat his stuff down and came to my side.
“Hey, you shouldn’t be up.” Tate pressed a hand to my shoulder, urging me to sit back down.
I gave in because it hurt to breathe, not because he was making me. “How’d I get here?”
“Kyren called me.” Tate frowned, busying himself getting the drinks and fast food bag.
Suddenly I knew what was coming. The fact that I was here and not in Julian’s bed made me wonder if Tate had told him yet.
“Does Julian know?” I asked, not even pretending that Kyren hadn't ratted me out to our boyfriend.
“Yes.” Tate sat back down on the edge of the bed and handed me one of the to-go cups of coffee. “I called him after I made sure you were safe.”
“You called him?” I arched a brow. “When did you get his number?”
Tate held his cup in both hands, leaning on his elbows. “He found me when you didn’t text that you’d made it home, hoping maybe you’d changed your mind and was with me.”
“When I told him you weren’t with me, we exchanged information while we searched for you.” He stared hard at the ground before turning his glare onto me. “We searched for you for hours, Jack. Do you have any idea how we felt not being able to find you? No idea where you were?”
“Tate, I—” I reached for him, but he pulled away.
“No.” He stood up beside the bed, his hand squeezing his cup until it squished, the hot liquid spilling out onto his hand.
“Tate,” I gasped, trying once more to reach for him.
Tate shook his hand off, wiping it on his pants. “You know, Jack. I love you. Julian loves you. Your family loves. Fuck, even Kyren loves you. And you still lie. You still keep going at it alone.”
I swallowed hard, staring down at my hands in my lap.
I couldn’t argue with him. He was right. I kept doing this. Taking all the responsibility onto myself instead of asking for help. It was just like Julian said. I had been reckless and almost died because of it.
Tate sighed and sank back onto the bed's edge. “Just tell me why, princess? What are you trying to prove? That you’re indestructible? Because you’re not.”
My head snapped up. “I know that.”
“Then stop acting like it, damn it.” He cupped my face between his hands, his eyes full of despair. “There are so many people who don’t want to lose you. Don’t make us lose you, Jack.”
“I…” I tried to swallow down the emotion that had risen in my throat. “I’m sorry.”
Tate leaned forward and placed his head on my lap, wrapping his arms around my waist. “I can’t lose you.”
“You won't,” I told him, smoothing my hand over his back. “I promise. No more going it alone.”
We were quiet for a long moment before Tate sat up.
“Is Julian pissed?” I asked.
Tate sighed. “He was upset and worried. Just like I was. You have no idea the thoughts that ran through our mind, even after Kyren called me.”
“He didn’t hurt me, if that’s what you’re thinking.”
“I know. Kyren told me what happened. How he found you on his doorstep and he healed you with his blood.”
My skin warmed. The memories were murky mixed with the blood loss, but I remembered a lot of what happened between me and Kyren. Not all of it had to do with healing.
“Julian was here earlier,” Tate continued, opening up the fast food bag. He offered me a burger, and I took it, even though I couldn’t think about eating right now.
“Is he coming back?” I found myself wanting to see him. I needed to explain myself. As someone who always had my back, even before this mission, I owed him the biggest apology.
Tate bobbed his head. “Yeah. He had to go to the headmaster's office.”
“The headmaster?” I frowned. “What for?”
Those dark orbs lifted to lock onto mine. “Your dad is here.”
“My dad?” I blinked at him and then blinked again, not quite understanding what he meant. “Which one? Why?”
“Your phone kept saying it was out of service.”
“I lost it during the fight,” I interjected.
“I figured that happened. But, at the time, we didn’t know what else to do.
Julian couldn’t find a GPS location on you with your phone out of service.
We had no clue where you’d gone.” He pulled on his lip ring a few times.
“Antoine is waiting for you to wake up then he wants to see you in the headmaster's office.”
There was a bad feeling building in my stomach. I’d already wanted to talk to my dad before, but he hadn’t answered the phone. Now it looked like he was coming to deal with me face to face, but not for the reason I expected.
“Guess it’s too late to pretend I’m still sleeping.” I let out a nervous chuckle.
Tate gave me a pointed look. “I can give you a little more time before letting them know you’re up, but I don’t think he’s going to wait long.”
With Tate's help, I got out of bed and into clean clothes. He then walked me from the Vampire's Crypt all the way to the headmaster's office.
I winced and sat down in one of the waiting chairs. Tate took the seat next to me, his hands hanging between his legs.
“You don’t have to stay with me,” I told him, placing a hand on his back. “I’m sure you want to check on Kyren or have classes.”
Tate shot me a dry look. “And risk you getting hurt again? I don't think so.”
I sighed, letting my hand slide off his back. Clearly, my latest reckless action has given me permanent bodyguards. I supposed that was better than being pulled out of the academy all together.
A few minutes later, the office door opened, and Julian stepped out. He looked down at me for a long moment before walking away without saying anything.
“He’s really mad, huh?”
“I think he’s more upset you got hurt than anything,” Tate said, helping me to my feet.
I stared after where Julian had gone, a fist squeezing around my heart. I hated that I worried them, especially Julian.
He was always on my case about being reckless, doing things outside of protocol. The fact that he wasn’t in my face yelling at me or telling me I told you so told me how he felt so much more than any words he could say.
“Jaquelynn,” a stern voice called to me through the open doorway.
My eyes locked with Tate’s, who gave me a sad smile.
“I’ll wait here for you,” he said, releasing his hold on me.
Sighing heavily, I turned to face the consequences of my actions.
The headmaster’s office — which I’d never been to — was eerily similar to the one Antoine kept at the house.
Heavy brocade drapes covered the windows.
Someone had lined up shelves of books around the room, giving it more of a wooden, homey feel than that a castle.
An unlit fire place sat to one side and, in the middle of the room, sitting behind a large oak desk, were two of my dads.
Antoine with Darren at his side.
“Have a seat,” Antoine instructed, his face as smooth and expressionless as a piece of marble.
“I’m surprised mom isn’t here,” I commented, moving further into the room.
“Your mother is beside herself, and it took everything in me to convince her to stay home,” Antoine explained with a cool tone. “As did the others. So as not to feel like we are ‘ganging up on you,’ so to speak.”
I nodded and winced with each step until I reached the chair in front of the desk, then eased myself down into it. My gaze flickered up to Darren’s. He had as much of a poker face as Antoine did the majority of time, except in this instance, his brows furrowed slightly, concern written in his eyes.
“I’m fine,” I offered him a weak smile. “Just a bit bruised.”
“While that is certainly good to hear, that does not negate the reason you are here,” Antoine began, lacing his fingers in front of him on the desk.
“I know.” I grimaced, shoulders up by my ears. “I’m sorry to make you all worry so much.”
Antoine’s pale gaze narrowed on me. “The fact that you are apologizing at least tells me you know what you did was wrong.”
“I know.”
“Reckless.”
“Yes.”
“Unbelievably stupid.”
I winced at each word, sinking further and further into the chair. Rarely had I ever been on the receiving end of one of my dad’s lectures, but every time I had, I felt worse about disappointing him than about whatever it was that I’d done to get in trouble.
This time was no different.
Blowing out a breath, I gripped the arms of my chair. “Yes, I know. I shouldn’t have left on my own without back up. It won’t happen again.”
Antoine straightened in his seat, Darren shifting at his side. “No, it won’t. At least we can agree on that.”
“What do you mean?” I stared at him for a long moment, not liking his tone of voice.
Darren fidgeted, which he rarely did, before speaking. “Jack, please understand, this isn’t a punishment. We’ve all agreed, and this is for your own good.”
It was never a good thing when someone told you it was for your own good. It meant they were taking your life into their hands and making decisions for you that you’d never have made yourself.
Having my dad say these words, I knew they were about tell me something I wouldn’t like.
My expression hardened as I bit out the words. “What did you do?”
Antoine’s brow arched at my tone. “I have been filled in on all the activities you have been a part of during this little experiment. Mister Fawley was very forthcoming on each and every time you’ve gone off on your own without back up or without checking in with him first. Which tells me, tells us, that you are not trustworthy in the field. ”
I snorted. “I hardly would call going to a bar to listen in on conversations a dangerous situation.”