Collecting the Pieces of the Shandhi Sword (Book 2 of Mark Series)

Chapter 30

I grabbed some food and walked over to the table where Samuel was already seated. I frowned and watched as the other members of my new group were joking about something, and Sameul looked bashful and uncomfortable for some reason. "What's going on?" I asked and raised an eyebrow while I looked at them. "What happened?"

Carter looked at me and grinned, innocently. "Oh, nothing," Carter teased while he winked at Samuel, teasingly and I rolled my eyes and scowled, annoyed.

He slung his arm around Samuel's shoulder and I looked between the two of them while Samuel looked uncomfortable. "It's just that Samuel is being such an amazing person and trying to tell me what to do."

I looked at Samuel and raised an eyebrow while I sat down, putting my tray in front of me. "Oh?" I asked and looked at Carter. "And what is he trying to get you to do? I thought Adele was happy with what you wrote already."

Carter shrugged. "Oh, she did," he said and leaned back in his seat while he folded his arms across his chest. "Samuel looked at it again and tried to correct me on some of the information that he didn't agree with."

I bit back an annoyed sigh and shook my head, silently wondering what I had gotten myself into. "Samuel, knock it off," I said while I looked at him through narrowed eyes. "If Adele is fine with whatever Carter wrote, then it is good and done. Leave it alone. You worry about doing your own stuff and let him worry about that."

Carter smirked and looked at Samuel. "Ha," he said before he turned his attention back to me and grew serious. "Now, are we going to go after you are done eating?" he asked and raised an eyebrow in question.

"And when Malena and Cameron finish getting checked out and are done eating," I replied while I tucked into my food, and Carter and Chase looked at each other with equal nervous looks on their faces.

I paused, scowled, and narrowed my eyes in warning. "What?" I asked, my voice holding a little threatening tone in it because I did not like the look on their faces. "What is that look for?"

"Are you sure that you want Malena with us?" Carter asked while he looked at me with a raised eyebrow. Concern filled his eyes, and again, I couldn't help but wonder if he "cared" about her. "She almost died."

I held back an eye roll and bit back a small scowl. "Because of him," I said and gestured to Samuel, and Samuel sank into his chair, looking nervous and guilty. "He is not coming, so she should be fine."

""Should,"" Carter said, putting air quotation marks around the word "should." "That is the key word there, Princess."

I held back another eye roll but sighed and shook my head. "She'll try to follow us if I tell her, no," I said. "It'd be in our best interest if we know where she is so that she doesn't follow us and accidentally gets herself killed."

"Aren't you afraid that I'll follow you all?" Samuel asked, his voice barely above a whisper, and I paused in eating my food and stared at him with a look that almost symbolized his death.

Samuel's face grew pale, and he hesitated before he cleared his throat and shook his head, looking at his hands. "N-N-Never mind," he said, his voice barely above a whisper before he cleared his throat again while he shifted in his seat. "I don't think I want to do that."

"Good, Boy," I said, and Samuel instantly looked at me and scowled while he narrowed his eyes.

Carter snorted and tapped my foot with his. "Be nice," he said, and I looked at him with the same scowl on my face. His grin grew wider, and amusement flashed through his eyes. "There is no need to act like that in front of him, Jaz."

I didn't respond and took another bite of my food, and Carter cleared his throat to hide a chuckle before he grew serious.

"So, is Cameron almost done?" he asked while he raised an eyebrow in question, changing the subject. "Or do you even know?"

"I am done," Cameron said, walking over to us before I could say a word with Malena following behind him. He sat down beside me and placed a small kiss on my cheek while Malena sat down beside him.

I grunted and closed my eyes slightly. "Eat, both of you," I said and looked at Cameron while I slowly blinked. "We need to make sure that you get food in your system before we leave again."

"But that means that I have to get up again," Cameron said with a small whine in his voice, and I held back an eye roll while I scowled. "Can you go get some food for me?" He pouted teasingly while he cocked his head and slowly blinked. "Please?"

"No," I said with a small grunt in my voice while Malena stood again. "And Malena isn't going to get it for you either." I looked at Malena when I said that, and Malena bit back a small smile while she bowed her head, silently telling me that she wouldn't do it but was hungry as well.

Cameron raised an eyebrow in question, and amusement filled his eyes. "Oh?" he asked while he raised his eyebrow higher. "And why won't she?" He looked at Malena when he asked that, and Malena shrugged.

"Because I don't want to," she replied, and the group snorted. "We should go ahead and get the food, though, because I am sure that your mate is getting antsy. We have to collect the rest of the swords before we can get to the packs."

She hesitated before she looked at me. "Right?" she asked and raised an eyebrow in question.

I nodded in confirmation while I grabbed my fork tighter, my heart aching some more, and I set my jaw. "Correct," I said before I cleared my throat and shifted in my seat. "We will be getting the rest of the swords before we collect the rest of my pack."

"Our pack," Cameron said while he placed his hand on my shoulder. He squeezed it reassuringly, and I grabbed his hand with my other hand while I set my jaw tighter. "We are going to collect the rest of our pack after you get the rest of your sword."

I didn't say a word and started to eat some more of my food, feeling Samuel's gaze on my face. I ignored him and wondered if he was going to try to do something or say something because I knew that he caught the way that I acted.

Carter cleared his throat and leaned back in his seat. "So, will they accept you as their Alpha?" Carter asked and raised an eyebrow in question while he looked at Cameron.

Cameron shrugged and grimaced. "I don't know," he admitted before he cleared his throat and shifted in his seat. He hesitated while he looked at me before he raised an eyebrow in question. "Will they?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

I sighed and moved a hand across my face before I shook my head and grimaced. "I don't know, Cameron," I admitted before I cleared my throat and shifted in my seat, growing serious. "I don't know if they will accept you as their Alpha or not."

"But if you accept him..." Carter trailed off and raised an eyebrow in question.

If you accept him as your Alpha, then they will follow...

I pressed my lips into a thin line before I bit the inside of my lip. "They might," I said coldly before I nudged my mate's arm. "Now, go ahead and get some food, both of you. We will need to be leaving here shortly."

"Ok, Jasmine," Cameron and Malena said while they nodded and with that, they stood and walked away to get food, and Cameron's whole body was tense and filled with hurt and sadness.

As soon as Cameron was out of ear shot, Carter turned to look at me with wide eyes. He didn't say a word, but I could tell that he wondered what that was about and why I didn't say that my pack would accept Cameron as my mate.

"Don't," I said and shook my head while I looked at Carter. "It's not time to discuss this, Carter."

"Then when?" Carter asked and raised an eyebrow in question before he cocked his head and studied me. "When will you talk about it?"

I shrugged while I grimaced and tucked myself back into my food, holding my fork tighter. "Don't know," I said, my voice barely above a whisper. "I don't know but soon."

And hopefully it won't be my end...