No matter how optimistic Ian tried to be, when Jesse was gone, his distraction went with him and he was forced to admit he couldn’t see any of this ending well.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Jesse stalked down the corridors, then stopped dead halfway down the stairs.
You absolute wanker, Jesse.
He’d been with Ian all last night and all day today; everyone would smell it on him. After glancing around, he took a sniff of his arm, trying to see how obvious it was.
“Really, Jesse. I thought you’d started to read more.” Peter appeared on the landing below, casting a withering look in Jesse’s direction.
Jesse rolled his eyes. Of fucking course he’d run into Peter. He seemed to be everywhere he wasn’t wanted lately. “What are you doing creeping around out here? Finished your beauty sleep?”
Peter raised an eyebrow but didn’t comment. “I’m on my way down to the kitchen for a snack, and lucky for you I was.” He glanced around them, then waved at Jesse’s arm, the one he’d been trying to sniff, then whisper-hissed, “You should know a human’s scent changes once they become a vampire. You don’t smell like human Ian, trust me. How do you think Lys and I have been going about our business without anyone stopping us?”
Oh.He had a point.
“These first few days, he’ll smell enough like you that others won’t notice.”
Jesse yawned, lack of rest catching up to him. No wonder he was making stupid mistakes. “Yeah, I forgot.”
“Evidently.” Peter walked up the stairs to meet him and slipped his arm through Jesse’s before he could move away. “Come on, I’ll escort you to the kitchen so you don’t make any moremistakes.”
“How do you even know that’s where I’m headed?”
“Oh, please,” Peter scoffed. “Like you’d leave your room for any other reason. And you look hungry and tired, so it wasn’t hard to guess.”
Jesse tried to yank his arm back, but Peter’s grip was solid and Jesse was suddenly too exhausted to fight him. “Apparently Raph’s been asking after me.”
Peter stiffened. “Oh?”
“Yeah, Lys told me. Thought I’d better make an appearance.”
“Hmm. A good idea.”
They reached the kitchen and Jesse took the first opportunity to wriggle out of Peter’s grip. Finally free, Jesse nodded to Liam and Tom, who were just leaving, and headed to the fridge.
“Ah, Jesse.” Raph’s voice, usually a welcome sound to Jesse’s ears had the opposite effect now, setting him instantly on edge. “I was beginning to think you were avoiding me.”
Jesse turned and leant against the worktop as Raph entered the kitchen. Peter stood off to one side, watching them both with keen eyes. As nervous as Jesse might be, he took comfort in the fact that Peter must be twice as bad. “I’ve been doing some reading.”
Raph’s smile was warm, trusting, and Jesse felt the guilt start to creep in. “Yes, I saw you’d taken one of the old books out of the library.”
“Was I not supposed to?” A minor infraction in the grand scheme of things, but Jesse hated disappointing Raph.
He’d forgotten how much.
“No, it’s fine.” Raph’s smile widened, and Jesse wanted to die. “It’s good that someone’s reading them.” He walked over to Jesse and clasped his arm. “It makes me happy to know you’re interested in our history. Those books hold a wealth of knowledge, some of which I’m sure we’ve forgotten over the years. I’ll be keen to discuss it with you when you’re finished.” He gave Jesse’s shoulder a squeeze and met his gaze.
Somehow Jesse knew what was coming and wished he were anywhere else.
“I’m sorry things turned out the way they did with Ian,” Raph began. “But I do appreciate you doing as I asked. I know it can’t have been easy to walk away.”
Jesse inwardly cringed.You have no idea.
“It was necessary for the safety of our coven,” Raph finished.
Jesse couldn’t help but glance at Peter, wondering what exactly he’d reported back to Raph. Peter’s expression gave nothing away, but Raph caught Jesse looking over.
