Page 99 of His To Claim

After the seemingly endless shower I take, I head into my room and bury myself under the comforter. Just as I turn and gaze at the window beside my bed, I hear the door to my bedroom creak softly. I close my eyes, not ready to hear whatever Jade has to say.

“You can’t pretend you’re asleep. I was in Stella’s room, I heardyou come in.” I stay silent, not bothering to answer her. “I don’t know why you felt the need to sneak out last night. I know you’re pissed at me. I am the one who suggested you break up with Drake and start dating Ace. It’s been almost a month now. I just want to say you don’t have to continue to hide your relationship from me. I get it, we don’t like him, hell I’m not even sure if you do. It’s hard to tell how you feel where he’s concerned. But if it’s too much, I get it if you want to…”

“Stop,” I shout, interrupting her as I sit up and turn to face her. Her eyes are wide at the sound in my voice. “Just stop. I don’t have the energy to get into it with you today. I am with Ace now, whatever the reason maybe, it’s done. I have to see this through. Not only for you and Chaz and Roman, but for myself as well. Last night I found out things I’m terrified to believe are true. And worst of all, I still don’t understand how I fit into it. Or what Lilith’s role is in all of this.”

Jade walks over to the bed and sits beside me reaching out to grab hold of my hand. “What happened last night, Scarlett?” she asks, a glimmer of fear overshadowing her curious eyes.

“That’s not important, Jade. What I meant was I have to get to the bottom of this. And that means when Ace calls, I follow. He wants to see me tonight, so, I don’t think I’m gonna be able to go to dinner for Jax’s birthday.”

“That’s fine, Drake’s obviously coming and well, things have been rocky. Sometimes I feel Jaxon’s more pissed at you then the dragon himself.”

“He’ll have to get in line. I’m fairly sure after all this is over, there will be plenty of people who feel the same.”

Her eyes widen at my comment. “You scare me when you talk like that, Scar. I don’t know whether to think you’re joking or if you’re being one hundred percent honest with me,” she admits, fear in her eyes as she speaks.

“Just don’t worry, Jade. If this life has shown me anything, it’s that things are better done when I’m in it alone. You all are tooimportant to me, and I can’t risk anything ever happening to you guys because of something that I could have prevented. For that reason alone, I will always choose to sacrifice myself and my happiness. You all deserve the best life from here on out. After last night, I’m not sure if I do.”

“December thirty-first, two thousand eight. Eleven fifty-nine p.m. Do you remember what we swore to each other as midnight struck ringing in the new year?”

I close my eyes replaying the exact moment in my head. It was New Year’s Eve 2008, Chaz and Lilith weren’t home, obviously. Roman had just left, and Jade and I were utterly alone. We made a pact to always be there for each other no matter the reason, no matter the consequences. It was just us two from there on out. Sisters. Allies. Soulmates. Two souls intertwined, tied together with an invisible string.

“Always and Forever,” I say, uttering the words spoken that night. A solemn tear falling upon my cheek, knowing well enough this lie is going to cost me so much more than I had imagined.

I waketo the sounds of cheerful laughter coming from outside my bedroom door. Their loud laughs and conversations echo in the hallway, and I can’t help but smile. I’m glad they’re at least happy here. I look over to the clock on my bedside table and see it’s nearly six o’clock. Ten hours. I was out for ten hours.

Mind you, I was drugged and nearly raped last night, so I think the sleep is well deserved. I walk over to my closet and pick out a pair of dark skinny jeans and a burgundy cropped sweater. I quickly dress and slip on my black combat boots, securing my hair into a high ponytail.

I find myself nervous about seeing Ace once again. Lately we’ve been on edge, and I don’t know what to make of it. A couple weeks ago I almost believed that our relationship could be somethingreal. If you’d asked me then, I’d have said that maybe I wasn’t faking it after all. But then he started acting suspicious and secretive.

It’s also why I was so curious when Agent Servite asked me to follow him. I had known he was hiding something, but I would have never imagined that this would be it. Now I don’t know what or who to believe. I don’t know what caused his mood to change. He acted distant but then the way he reacted to Macallan putting his hands all over me, taking advantage of me, it almost made me, once again, believe he genuinely cares.

Almost.

I walk out into the hallway and see the door to Stella’s room is slightly ajar. I go toward it knocking gently and Stella instantly yells for me to come in.

“Scarlett, wow you look so put together. I mean compared to this morning,” she says laughingly.

I look at her questioningly and notice a row of liquor bottles lined up on her dresser.

“Wow, someone’s started the party early. If I didn’t know any better, I’d say Jade’s alcohol problem has rubbed off on you, Silver,” I say jokingly, and she twists her head toward the bottle.

“Oh no, that’s just. I mean, I just needed some…”

“Liquid courage,” Jade says, laughing. “Stella’s nervous because Kai’s obviously coming tonight. So, I gave her a little something to loosen up. You know how uptight our girl can be.”

Stella huffs annoyed. “I’m not uptight.”

“Honey, uptight is your middle name. Not saying it’s a bad thing, but neurotic is Kai’s first, middle, and last name. That combo is lethal.” I laugh at Stella’s reaction, which is to take a swig of the vodka bottle.

“Sweetie, vodka is a no, no,” I say, grabbing a bottle of whiskey from the dresser. “You need the good stuff, whiskey, bourbon. Any more of that vodka and you’ll be the neurotic one.”

“Enough about me and my drink choices. Where are you heading tonight?” she asks.

“Ace asked me to meet him down by the beach house. Something about showing me something, I don’t know. Figured I’d skip tonight’s festivities either way…”

“You don’t have to justify why you’re going to see him, Scarlett. He’s your boyfriend. I totally get it,” Stella says.

“Yeah, so I’ll see you guys later tonight. I’m gonna head over before the guys show up. Not in the mood for that fallout.”

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