Unhappily Ever After

Chapter 45 - Don't Get Caught

The next day, I was woken by the sound of Jess taking a shower. I cracked my eyes open, stretched out my cramped muscles and jumped down from the sofa. And, shit, my head was throbbing. It was like a hangover, except worse, because I knew I could end it at any moment just by flipping a switch. I was wincing while I shifted back and wincing while I pulled my clothes back on.

I used the kitchen sink to splash cold water over my face, which didn't help much, but it did wake me up. I would have to get off the territory sooner rather than later, because I couldn't keep my scent off much longer. Jess came out of the bathroom just as I was turning off the tap, dressed in jeans and a hoodie. She had a towel over her shoulders and her hair was wet.

"Morning, sleepy-head," she said, far too cheerfully. "If you want breakfast, we'll have to be quick."

"Mm."

We had slept in — the sun was already halfway up the sky. I splashed more water over myself, making sure to get some down the back of my neck, and that woke me up the rest of the way. Jess led the way down the corridor after checking that no one was around, and then we descended the stairs. There was a faint smell of eggs and bacon in the air.

When we got to the lobby, we saw a man waiting there. That wouldn't have been unusual, except that I could tell he was human from his build alone, and there was something haughty about his posture that ticked me off.

"Jessica Thompson," he was saying to some random girl, louder than necessary. "I'm looking for Jessica Thompson."

Jess hesitated mid-step. One look at her face, one look at the conflicting emotions that were battling it out there — surprise, worry, disappointment — and I knew who the man was.

"Your mate?" I breathed.

She nodded reluctantly.

The girl he was harassing said something inaudible and tried to leave, but he grabbed her wrist and insisted, "Just point me towards her room, okay?"

Jess's jaw clenched. She quickened her step, probably to intercede before he could do anything else. When we were closer, I caught his scent and saw the side of his face and stopped in my tracks. Auburn hair, small eyes and a few wisps of facial hair. I recognised him.

It was Scott, whose car Eira and I had stolen weeks ago. It was enough of coincidence to bother me; thousands of humans lived in Snowdonia, and I happened to bump into the same one twice? The same one who happened to share my mate? The Goddess was playing games with us both.

I should have backed away. I should have ducked out there and then. But I was too stunned, too busy calculating the odds of it all, to do a damn thing. And by the time Scott turned around, it was already too late. He saw Jess first, and he didn't even crack a smile. Then his eyes fell on me and he let go of the girl as if she had burned him. She was gone in the blink of an eye.

"You," he spat.

"Me," I agreed with a sigh. This would not go well. If the hatred burning behind his eyes was any indicator, Scott knew how to hold a grudge.

"Do you two know each other?" Jess asked. She was glancing between us and chewing on her lip.

"In a way, yes," Scott said, his voice sickly sweet. "This man stole my car and held me at knifepoint. He's wanted by the police, so I suppose I'd better let them know that I've found him..."

"He what?" she breathed. Her eyes settled on me, eyebrows flicked upwards, and I could only shrug because it was all true.

Abruptly, Scott strode past us, heading for the landline phone beside the staircase.