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“Mate?” Steph cuts in, and I flinch back an inch.
I haven’t told her about this part, yet.
“Oh, didn’t Eden tell you?” Jasmine asks, unable to completely hide the sneer in her tone. “She and Jesse have a mate-bond. Their souls are bound, and they can’t survive without each other. Literally.”
I keep my eyes on Steph the whole time Jasmine speaks, and I don’t miss the shock that flashes across her expression before she quickly masks it with a bright smile. Her gaze flicks to Jesse before landing back on me.
“That’s so romantic,” she says, pressing her hand to her chest as she sways on her feet.
“Isn’t it, though?” Jasmine adds, her lip curling up on one side in disgust.
I feel like I’m in some kind of alternate universe where nothing makes sense, and my best friend is suddenly the world’s biggest idiot. Can’t Steph feel the danger radiating off her new friend in waves? Can’t she see Jasmine’s youthful face and body are just a façade? That underneath that pale, creamy, unblemished skin is a viper coiled and ready to burst free at any given moment?
“Steph, let’s go,” I demand, finally finding my voice as anger melts my shock and disbelief.
Jasmine is doing this to fuck with me. It’s a clear warning, that she can––and will––hurt Steph to hurt me. And she knows I know it, if the violent grin spreading across her face is any indication.
“But I’m still hungry,” Steph whines, and I wave her forward impatiently.
“Bring the chips.”
Jesse hasn’t spoken other than that one, dark word, but I can feel the tension radiating off him as he watches his sister. If she makes one wrong move toward Steph, he’ll be on her in a millisecond. But we are several feet away from them, and with Jasmine’s own vampire speed, I’m not positive he’d make it to them before Jasmine could land a fatal blow.
“It was nice to meet you, Jazz,” Steph says sullenly before grabbing the bowl of chips and walking toward me.
“The pleasure was all mine,” Jasmine says, her green eyes sparkling with dark humor. “I’m sure we’ll be seeing much more of each other while you’re here.”
As Steph approaches me, I reach out and hook my arm through hers, dragging her from the kitchen and away from the threat of Jasmine’s machinations. I know there’s no such thing as “out of earshot” in this house other than inside one of the soundproof bathrooms, so I don’t even wait until we reach the stairs before I start to scold Steph.
“What were you thinking, wandering off by yourself like that?” I whisper-hiss as I drag Steph along with me.
“I was thinking I was hungry and my best friend was nowhere to be found,” she snips, trying to tug her arm free from mine. When I refuse to release her, she huffs. “What’s the big deal, anyway? Everyone knows I’m your guest, and as Jesse’s mate, your protection should extend to me.”
The way she stresses the word “mate” lets me know she’s pissed I kept that little tidbit from her, but I’m not going to let her turn this around on me. The possible ramifications of her carelessness far exceed my reticence.
“I don’t even wander around here by myself, Steph,” I say impatiently as we trudge up the stairs to Jesse’s rooms. “It’s too dangerous. There’s a lot more going on around here than you know.”
“Like what?” she asks flippantly, but when I look over at her face, I can see true interest in her gaze.
I look over my shoulder at Jesse behind us, but he doesn’t give any indication of what he’s thinking. He trusts me to not give away too much, to keep his secrets even from the one person besides him to whom I’m the closest.
“This is the king’s manor, Steph. There are vampire politics at play at all times, and if someone here thinks they can gain an advantage by hurting Jesse, they won’t hesitate to use me––or you––to do so. Please, just don’t wander off like that again.”
“Fine,” she says, then I feel her body soften next to mine. “I’m sorry, Eden. I really thought a trip to the kitchen would be fine. Since you weren’t in your room, I honestly thought I’d find you on my way there.”
Jesse darts around us once we reach the landing on his floor, reaching his bedroom door first and holding it open for us to enter. Once we’re all safely inside, I release Steph’s arm and turn to face her.
“We were in the bathroom,” I say, ignoring the heat blooming in my cheeks. “It’s the only place in the manor where vampire ears can’t reach.”
“Oh,” she says, then looks down at my still-inside-out shirt. “Oh.”
That second one comes out deeper, her eyebrows hiking up as her lips curl into a grin.
“Shut up,” I say on a laugh, shoving her playfully on the shoulder. My anger dissipates, and I shoot her an apologetic smile. “I’m sorry I got so mad, but it was based in fear and love. You really can’t be too careful around here, Steph.”
“And you should stay away from Jasmine,” Jesse adds, chiming in for the first time. “My sister is clever and conniving, and she despises humans. Don’t let that sweet, youthful face of hers fool you. If she acts friendly toward you, there’s a reason, and it isn’t a good one.”
The skin around Steph’s eyes tightens for a beat, then smooths out so quickly, I almost think I’ve imagined it. She gives Jesse a repentant look and nods.
