Paradigm Shift

One step forward

* * *
Dean

After telling Roman and Seth about my conversation with Frederick, Seth had insisted that he would get me something with Jasmine's scent on it and I didn't like the idea of Seth being around Jasmine when she was bleeding, no matter how in control he seemed to be. I decided to take Frederick's advice. If I stayed away from Jasmine and she left, I would only regret it. So I was making more of an effort to integrate myself into the friendship that she had already formed with Seth and Roman. Mainly I just sat and listened, but occasionally, when it was just the two of us in the room, I'd make light conversation with her. Occasionally glancing at each other when we thought the other wasn't looking. 

"What's with the change of heart?" She asked 

I frowned. "What do you mean?" 

"Well, you've gone from avoiding me to suddenly taking an interest. What's changed?" 

'Because I can't stay away from you' was what I wanted to say. "Roman and Seth seem to enjoy your company, so I reckon you can't be that bad. " 

She laughed "Thanks...I think" 

I stepped out onto the balcony for a smoke and she passed me on her way to the bathroom. I could hear her tread out onto the balcony with me, but I didn't turn around until she spoke.

"Those things will kill you."

I smirked as I flicked the ash off the end of my cigarette. "Not me"

She made her way back inside and mumbled idiot under her breath. She said it so quietly that she thought I didn't hear it and I suppressed a laugh until she was gone

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

A few weeks later, Roman, Seth, and I started moving our stuff into Frederick's house. We had all decided that living together would make sense. Plus, the house was perfect for what we all needed. It provided safety. It had a forest full of animals that (if we got desperate) we could feed on and it was big enough for the three of us to co-exist without getting underneath each other's feet. We quickly set up our combined gym equipment in the basement and filled the storage freezer and fridges with blood and meat. Once we'd finally moved in, Seth told us he was going to the performance centre with Jasmine to work out. Something about the situation didn't feel right to me. I couldn't relax and eventually Roman offered to go to the performance center to see what was going on. They were gone for almost two hours and when they returned, Seth made his way into the lounge and threw something at me. I was hit in the face with something wet and heavy and looked down at my lap as a blood-soaked towel fell into it.

Musk, sea salt, and iron with a slightly sweet undertone 

Her blood scent surrounded me and my mouth watered in anticipation. I looked at Seth. "What have you done?"

Seth stared back at me incredulously. "You wanted something with her scent on it? You've got it. You're welcome"

Roman made his way towards me as Seth disappeared upstairs

I looked back down at the sodden towel. There was so much blood on it. "What happened Roman?"

"When I got there, Jasmine and Seth were working out. There was a set of dumbbells behind the treadmill she was on and she stepped backwards and fell" Roman explained. "She hit her head and got busted open"