Chosen Fool (Forever Evermore #5) (7 page)

His stare stated:
Stay the fuck away from the Prodigy Shifter.

I nibbled on my bottom lip and feigned dry humor that I wasn’t feeling. “Our conversations are so stimulating, don’t you think?”

Without one syllable spoken, he turned and slipped outside the tent.

I waved my purse where he used to stand, pretending he was still there. “It’s always a pleasure, Elder Merrick.” I whacked the air once for good measure.

Chapter Eight

Not at all in the mood—and that would be an understatement—I glared at King Collins where we sat at the dinner table. I had skipped lunch with everyone, but I had managed to make it for this fun-filled meal. Although now I had to deal with King Collins, who held one of my earbuds in his left hand after rudely yanking it from my ear.

I lowered my fork, ignoring the fact everyone at the table had gone mute, and glowered into the brown, scowling eyes of my King. “Do you mind? I was listening to that.”

“Take these out,” he demanded quietly, tugging a bit. I quickly slapped a hand over the other earbud still in my ear, keeping it steady. “Others have been trying to speak with you, and you can’t hear them.”

I raised my brows, stating dryly, “That’s the point.” There was only so much I could take after Sin’s departure. I jerked on the cord to my stolen earbud. “Give it back.”

An incredulous expression passed over his features—I had never blatantly refused him or been flat out rude to him in public. He quickly schooled his features, ordering me even more quietly, “Caro, take them out now.”

My lips began to curve. I was more than pissed with my fucking life. “Or what?”

I was pretty sure no one at the table blinked.

King Collins took a very slow breath in through his nose, his eyes never leaving my face as they scanned each of my features, and just as steadily his eyes began to narrow. “What you want right now, Caro, what you’re pushing for…” He bent, placing his sharp gaze directly in front of my glaring eyes. “It won’t solve your problems. Cut the shit out and do as you’re told.”

I gritted my teeth, my jaw muscles clenching and unclenching as I breathed in shallow pants. I eyed his unwavering, unforgiving eyes, feeling downright irrational and violent, but a flash of sanity returned and I knew without a doubt…he was right.

I lifted my left hand and took the other earbud out, glancing down to turn the music off. Keeping my trap shut, I pulled the other one from his now slack fingers and tucked both earbuds into my top. Raising my fork, I waved my other hand at everyone else as I stared at my plate, muttering, “The drama’s done. You can quit staring.”

The conversation was sluggish to resume around the table.

One of the people I seriously wanted nothing to do with right now, asked, “Caro, you disappeared during the shopping trip. Did you find a store to hoard as your own?”

I snorted at my plate, taking another bite of my mashed potatoes. I calmly chewed, then I wiped my mouth before I peered up to Mrs Damon. She sat directly across from me, her husband to her left and Leric on her right. I stated, “No shops held my attention. Instead, I had the most enlightening conversation by myself, and I decided a bit of solitary reflection was in order afterward.” A smart-ass, I was.

Leave me alone, Satan-mom.

Her head cocked and she still pushed. “I’ve often found inspiration comes where you least expect it.” She sipped at her glass of white wine. “Did your alone time of reflection produce any results?”

I teetered my head, actually thinking that question through for a moment, then I nodded. Without blinking, I stated bluntly, “Yes, I came to the conclusion my romantic life is an enormous fucked-up mess, and the only thing I’m halfway decent at is being the cold-hearted, criminal bitch my upbringing taught me to be to survive.” My mouth just wouldn’t shut up with this woman—she crawled under my skin that badly. Silence had overcome the table again as I spooned my mashed potatoes. “Well, you know, that was my conclusion, after as much answer-searching self-reflection that a childish twenty-three-year-old can have.”

King Collins was choking beautifully on his drink. “Maybe you should put the earbuds back in.”

I blinked up at him, innocent. “Did I say something wrong? Others had questions, and I’m answering them.” I smiled sweet as pie. “And I’m answering honestly.”

He gritted his teeth and glanced at Mrs Damon. She was obviously shell-shocked, so he asked her something mundane; it was too boring to even listen to.

I went back to eating my food peacefully.

My munching was wonderful until our waitress stopped behind my chair.

She bent as she slipped an envelope over my shoulder. “This came for you, Ms Jules.”

Eyebrows puckered in confusion, I quickly wiped my hands and thanked her. The envelope was void of any markings except for my name written on the front. The handwriting appeared vaguely familiar, but I couldn’t place it immediately. That was odd enough and I felt my eyes narrow. I leaned back on my chair to open it so King Collins and Elder Farrar next to me couldn’t see. And barely slipping the sheet out of the envelope, I felt myself go cold inside, that cold-hearted bitch I had mentioned only two minutes before now invading my entire being.

There was only one word written on the lodge’s simple stationery.

It read:
Jasper
.

I pushed the sheet back into the envelope, placing it in my purse, and stood casually from the table. Gently resting a hand on King Collins’s shoulder, I whispered against his ear, “I’ve got a call I need to take at the front desk. I’ll be back in just a second.”

He nodded, paying hardly any attention, deep in his conversation with Mrs Damon.

I quickly turned, my eyes instantly scanning my surroundings and the people within the restaurant. The exit was my destination, but I stalled as my head swung to the right…

There he was, resting casually against the far wall between two massive pots of shrubbery. I had no idea how long he had been there for, watching from the depths of the room. Golden eyes twinkled at me, with a showy tooth-filled grin, before he reached behind him and opened a glass-paneled door to the lodge’s back patio, slipping outside.

I inhaled bit by bit while fury and apprehension churned inside my gut. I skidded by a server and slipped behind a partition separating the room from a swanky bar, to trot to the other side unseen. With deft movements, I glided out the patio door into the waiting moonlight with a gun in each hand hidden behind my legs, ready with the safety switches off.

I kept my guns hidden as I passed the revelry drinking and chatting, heading for the most secluded location on the side of the building. I was careful where I walked as I stepped on the snow. I turned the corner and raised my guns.

My voice was empty of emotion while I narrowed my sights on the Mage standing twenty yards away. “Hello, Jasper.”

His teeth flashed in the moon’s glow, almost as frightening as the twin guns he had aimed on me. “Hello, Caro.” His head cocked, his golden eyes were steady. “Miss me?”

“Like a pesky spider. You just keep showing up no matter how many times I try to kill you.”

He chuckled softly, the sound snaking on the light breeze. “God, how I truly miss that mouth of yours.” His eyebrows waggled suggestively. “Would you care to give me another demonstration of how you slipped away that last time?”

Unbidden, my own lips twitched. “You always wanted it, so I gave it to you.” My own brows lifted. “If I remember correctly, you weren’t too upset when I escaped on your watch for the first time.”

Again he snickered, the sound quiet and intimate. “No, I wasn’t.” A full minute passed by in silence as we eyed each other, possibly both of us remembering that night years ago when we had actually had a civil conversation. I had then taken full advantage of the situation, or him, using a bit of feminine persuasion and wiles. Jasper’s guns, though, never waved. Mine didn’t either. He stated with a cool tone, “He wants you back.”

“Is that what this is about? You’re coming to do his damn bidding?” I barely withheld my anger at the intrusion. “Are you fucking kidding me, Jasper? You don’t even have anything to hold over me. Why in the fuck would I ever go back to him?” I shook my head. “Do you even know who I am now?”

“He knows who you are,” he stated calmly, his guns still steady on me. “And he doesn’t give a shit. We all know with that protection over you, if you didn’t want to be found then you wouldn’t be, so your current position isn’t an issue.” His eyes indicated…something. I just couldn’t grasp what. “
Think
, Caro. You’re being watched, as he does with all of his favorite pets. He knows Sin left you. It’s only a matter of time before he catches him.” A pause, then, “He actually wants him, too.”

I growled quietly under my breath at hearing him state that so factually. “Sin can take care of himself now, and you all goddamn know that.” I started backing away. “We’re done here, Jasper. In the future, don’t bother with the empty threats or I will blow your goddamn head off, no matter the fact I like you.”

His teeth flashed again. “The day you try that, Caro, is the day I’ll blow your goddamn head off, no matter the fact I like you, too.”

“Goodbye, Jasper,” I muttered.

He winked. “Goodbye, Caro.” His eyes flashed bright gold.

Jasper disappeared, returning to the asshole I would never again let rule my life.

Gritting my teeth in aggravation and fury, I stopped. I holstered my weapons and glanced about, suddenly feeling like I was being watched. Scrubbing my face and seeing no one close by, I moved to turn the corner…and almost tripped over Tristan lying on the snow, his white fur blending with it perfectly, his black stripes hidden in the shadows. Only his blue eyes glinted in the moonlight; even his diamond collar was muted in the shadows.

Barely catching myself from tumbling on my ass, I braced my hand on the side of the building. “You were watching the whole time, huh?”

Tristan stood, shaking the snow from his fur, then he yawned wide in my direction.

“Yeah, I thought it was a boring attempt, too,” I mumbled, scratching his soft furry head. “Let’s go inside. I can’t stand all this slippery shit under my feet.” I held onto Tristan’s collar as we made our way carefully through the snow then even more carefully past the idiot drinkers wanting to pet him.

No one gave me a second glance as I sat down at the table with Tristan by my side.

Except for Leric.

He was resting casually on his chair, sipping from a tall glass of vodka—straight from the looks of it. “I see you found my Tristan.”

I grabbed a roll from the middle of the table, my plate having been taken. “Actually, he found me.”

Leric sipped from his drink again, his silver eyes skimming my face over the edge of his crystal glass. “You look a bit winded. Did you go outside?”

I tossed a small piece of bread into my mouth. “I did for a few minutes.” I waved a hand at my hair, which felt messed up. “There’s a breeze out there.”

King Collins’s head tilted in my direction. “I thought you had a phone call at the front desk?”

I nodded once. “I did say that, but I did step outside for a moment.” I popped another sliver of bread into my mouth. “The air’s nice and crisp tonight, and with the moon shining, it’s very picturesque. You should take a walk and enjoy the evening after this.”

“I just might.” He patted one of my hands. “And I’m glad to see you’re in a better mood.” I barely kept from laughing. My spirits were lifted from drawing weapons on someone and having them drawn on me in return, a bit of ‘sadistic normalcy’ returned to my life. He leaned down, his eyes scanning my face before he whispered, “Was that Sin on the phone?”

“Mm.” I munched on a larger portion of bread. “I’d rather not talk about it.” I patted his own hand softly, keeping my face down. “You understand, of course?”

“Of course,” he stated, squeezing my hand before peering to King Zeller.

They resumed their conversation.

Only just withholding my eye-roll at how easily King Collins fell for pitying me, I tore off a large chunk of the roll and bent, feeding Tristan. But I froze with Tristan eating carefully from my palm, my eyes unmoving on Leric across the table…who had my damn envelope in his hands, reading the content of the letter with one eyebrow raised. My eyes narrowed as I straightened, realizing he had used his powers to steal from me.

Leric tapped the letter back into the envelope, not even bothering to speak quietly. His silver eyes pierced mine. “I could have sworn I knew all the men and women trying to get in your pants.” I flinched when in clear aggravation he flicked the envelope straight at me across the table, hitting me squarely in the chest. It fluttered down onto the table. His eyelids quickly hooded his gaze, but I had seen the quiet fury there before he tried to mask it. “Who the fuck is Jasper?”

My lips pinched, and my instant blush was almost painful as everyone’s eyes fell on us. I barely grabbed the envelope before King Collins did, stuffing it back into my purse. With my attention still captured by Leric’s, I stated slowly, “It’s not what you’re thinking.”

A sardonic brow lifted. “What I think is that you just blatantly lied about your damn whereabouts to your King, after receiving a fucking letter from a man named Jasper.” He slammed his elbows on the table and everyone’s glasses shook, clinking chaotically, as he steepled his hands and touched the tips of his fingers at his lips. “Is my thinking incorrect?”

My nostrils flared and I felt my chin tilt upward. “No, that statement isn’t incorrect.”

He tapped his fingers on his lips as his eyelids hooded his gaze even further, only a bit of silver showing through their slits. His eyes were dimly glowing, he was so pissed. He rumbled on an ominous purr, “Ah, so it’s like your rendezvous today inside that vendor’s tent?”

My mouth went completely dry, my heart hammering up to my throat. My eyes flicked to Brann, but Leric slammed his left palm down on the table, the whole fucking thing shaking. I jumped in my seat, my attention swinging back to his furious gaze.

He hissed, “He didn’t tell me shit, in case you’ve forgotten
again
who the fuck I am.”