Chapter 114


    Ten: Joselin


    Joselin''s P.O.V.


    Tobias had sat in the corner of the room, watching me for hours. Only this time, it didn''t bother me. I


    forced myself not to think about him even though I could feel him.


    I was so focused for a while that I forgot he was even there until he stood up, making me jump. I


    nced over my shoulder, watching as he moved with purpose to the door before pausing and turning


    back to me.


    ''Josie,'''' He started, and his voice made me swallow hard. His sudden shift in treatment toward me, the


    touching and flirting, made my name sound all the sweeter on his lips.


    I resented it.


    ''I''m going down for dinner. Would you like toe?"


    I knew he wasn''t inviting me on a date. He would just walk me down to the dining hall, and we would go


    our separate ways to eat among the pack. Still, my heart beat faster at the invitation.


    "No, thank you. I''m not hungry." I stared down into the bowl with the small amount of blood I was able


    to pull from the ring. It should have been enough, but something was blocking me from taping into it.


    While the challenge was intriguing, I was tired of struggling to find the answers I needed over the past


    few months without digging through book after book. Then again, if it was easy, the people we were up


    against wouldn''t be considered threats.


    I wasn''t mad at him about Rona. I knew he was telling me the truth when he said he didn''t touch her or


    encourage her. She was a crazy bitch, and how she spoke to me after I walked into the room was


    obviously an attempt to antagonize me.


    "About this morning in the gym," he started, and I tensed as I waited, peeking up at him from beneath


    my eyshes. "I''m sorry that I made you ufortable. After what happenedst night, it has been so


    fucking hard not to touch you today, not to drag you back here and finish what we started. I thought you


    were enjoying us sparring together."


    I scoffed, lifting my head as I pursed my lips. "It wasn''t about us training, Tobias. You only want to touch


    me now because I said I was done throwing myself at you. I don''t appreciate that. Find some other toy


    to y with. You had your chance."


    He let out a low growl, and I lifted my hand in his direction as he took a step forward. "You are not a


    toy."


    "Don''t, Tobias. You''ve been ying with my emotions for months now because you enjoyed me giving


    you my attention. Now that you don''t have it, you are suddenly interested in me? Like I said, find


    someone else to y with. Don''t be cruel." As I finished speaking, my voice started to crack, and I


    gritted my teeth together.


    His eyes widened, and he opened his mouth to speak, but I wasn''t in the mood for his back and forth.


    He didn''t want me until he couldn''t have me. That wasn''t going to fly with me.


    "I really don''t have it in me to argue with you right now. Please don''t make me kick you out of my tower.


    Go eat your dinner. I''m going to be working for a while." I looked back down at the ring. My long white


    hair fell over my shoulder, shielding me from being able to see him, but I released the breath I was


    holding when I heard the door shut and his footsteps retreating.


    Even when he wasn''t here, he was still a distraction. I was second- guessing sending him away even


    though I knew it was the right move for me.


    I needed to focus on figuring out what Rona was up to.


    There had to be a way for me to tap into her through her blood. I had done it before with others. The


    fact that I couldn''t do it to her either meant that she had figured out a way to block me or I didn''t have


    enough blood.


    I was going to try everything I could, even if it took hours, and it did.


    I had sealed myself in my tower for most of the night and the next day. No one was allowed in, and I


    refused to leave until I had no other option.


    I sighed as my tower grew dark for the second time since collecting the blood. It would be easy to


    return to it againter, but the sooner I found out who was involved in the darkness afoot, the better.


    Whatever shield she had on her blood felt impossible to get through, but I would break it or her


    eventually.


    I scowled at the bowl before locking the sample away in my vault with my other valuable collections. It


    had already been preserved, so I knew it would stay warm and liquid to work withter.


    The clock on the wall told me I only had a few minutes, and I changed quickly before racing down to


    the kitchen. I didn''t debate teleporting for a second. It was too mentally draining. Going into a ce I


    wasn''t sure I would make it out of, had no idea what was in there or who had sampled my blood, was


    exhausting.


    A tray of brownies was sitting on the counter with foil over them, and I smiled widely. This was precisely


    what I needed. I smelled them as soon as I hit the hallway.


    I tapped my nails on the counter as I looked at the time once more. Killian was only a few minuteste.


    I was sure they would be down soon. Based on what I had seen of their rtionship, which had been


    far too much, they were probably fucking one out beforeing down.


    There was no need to grab tes. I doubted the food wouldst long enough between us to need


    them.


    Therge ind was cold, sending a shiver down my spine as I slid onto the hard surface. My eyes


    kept dropping down to the tray of brownies as I waited, but I resisted the urge to dig in without them. He


    said they would be here.


    ''You must be the famous Joselin." The unfamiliar voice made me turn, but I didn''t bother getting off the


    counter. If needed, I could easily deal with him with a flick of my wrist.


    The man was leaning with his shoulder against the door frame, his arms crossed over his chest as he


    eyed me curiously. His short blonde hair was wild as if he had run his hands through it several times,


    and the lightyer of scruff along his chiseled jaw seemed almost out of ce.


    Between the white button-up shirt and the ck dress pants, he looked like he was going to a meeting.


    My eye dropped down to his sleeves, where he had rolled them up to expose his forearms.


    While he seemed smaller than the Lycans, he was still pretty toned for a wolf.


    ''Then, you must be one of my adoring fans," I whispered before looking out therge bay window


    behind the sink. He was handsome, but he looked a bit young to me.


    "It would be a lie to deny that now that I''ve seen you." His shoes barely made a noise as he walked


    quietly toward me. "What brought you down here sote?"


    I turned to look at him as he leaned back against the counter to my right. His gaze locked on the


    window to see what had captured my interest. All of it did, and from the faint smile on his face, it also


    seemed to catch his.


    The dark, looming trees had shing specks between them as torch bugs danced in the cool night air.


    The sky was illuminated with more stars than any one person could count, and the moon was only a


    faint crescent teased by thin lines of fluffy clouds.


    ''It is beautiful," He stated when I didn''t answer him. Even with me sitting with my legs crossed up on


    the counter, I could tell that he was taller than me.


    I looked back at the clock, scowling, when I realized it had been over an hour and a half that I had been


    waiting for Killian and Natalie before the stranger showed up. Surely, they weren''t going to be joining


    me.


    The disappointing realization made my shoulders drop, and my hands tightened on my knees before I


    gave in and went for the dessert that I knew was waiting for me. The foil was loud as I pulled it off the


    pan, and the smell of freshly baked brownies grew stronger.


    I grabbed one of the leftover pieces before turning to see an amused look on our guest''s face. "Did you


    want one?"


    His smile grew wider, revealing his white, straight teeth. "Were you going to eat them all by yourself?"


    I nce down at the pan. There were only six left. Emotional eating was something I excelled at. "Yes, I


    was."


    He let out an infectious, deep bellyugh that only made me feel happy for a moment before it faded


    away. I wanted to go up and burst into Killian''s room, demanding an answer. But I was also done


    pushing myself into people''s lives when I wasn''t wanted. If they wanted me around, it was their turn to


    put in the effort.


    "Then, I will only take one. I''ll be a gentleman and leave you the rest." He lifted the chocte dessert to


    his mouth, taking arge bite before sending me a wink.


    "Your name?" I demanded, and his amusement only seemed to grow.


    "Holden,"


    I nodded as the name rang a bell. "You''re Natalie''s half-brother, right?"


    Holdenughed again, the fingers of his empty hand moving up to unbutton the top button of his shirt.


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    "Yes, that''s right."


    "Hm, a little young, aren''t you? Isn''t it past your bedtime?" The corner of my mouth twitched as I spoke,


    but I kept myself together.


    "Eighteen is not too young for you, though, is it? You''re what, twenty-four?" He tilted his head to the


    side, taking anotherrge bit of his brownie as he inspected me more thoroughly this time.


    "Twenty-six."


    ''That''s not a big difference. But it is past my bedtime, so maybe you should take me to bed," Holden


    wiggled his eyebrows at me, and I smiled at him for the first time. He looked almost stunned to get that


    reaction out of me.


    ''Hm. As appealing as that sounds, I''ve never been a fan of sleeping in car shaped bedframes. So, I''ll


    just turn into my bed for the night." I hopped off the counter, grabbed the tray of remaining brownies as


    I did so, and held it tightly as I walked around him.


    Holden didn''t move, forcing me to brush against him as I passed. He smelled wonderful, and I kept my


    gaze averted as I escaped.


    "Joselin, I''ll be staying here for a while to get to know my sister, but I look forward to getting to know


    you. You are the most beautiful creature I have ever seen."