Two

I TRIED TO stay away from the triplets for the rest of the day. I stayed locked in my room, trying to keep myself busy by editing some pictures. 

I surely did not want anything to do with those men. Apart from the fact that they were rude, they had the type of looks that your mother warned you about. 

I considered calling my mum, but I did not. 

Who knows what I might be interrupting? 

I laid face down on my belly, thinking of Toronto and Mum. I remembered the call I had with her some days ago when she told me about my step-brothers. 

"They're not… your regular type of guys, to say the least." That was what she had said. 

It was all making sense now. 

The golden brown eyes when he was aroused... 

Jason's comment about me, smelling like sex. He must have perceived the arousal I got from getting turned on by his brother.

Of course, they were not my regular type of guy… they must be fucking werewolves or something. But then, how would I know? I've never been out of the Coven.

I was still basking in my contemplation when the door opened without a knock and Jason filled the doorway. 

He glanced around the room but he faced me and said, "Come down for dinner." 

"I'm good. I'm not hungry." I said without looking up from my phone. 

"Get down, Cassandra." He repeated.

The way my name rolled in melody from his tongue made something deep inside me swirl. I squashed whatever it was and looked at him. "I am not hungry."

"We'll be waiting downstairs." He said like he didn't hear what I just said. "If you're not down in 5 minutes, we'll come up here and drag you." He turned and walked away. "A family that eats together, stays together." He called over his shoulder. 

I gave an exasperated sigh. 

Jared was right. 

This one is one bossy son of a bitch. 

I stood up and went to the bathroom to wash my face and pack my hair. Then I went out of my room and down the stairs. 

They were already seated. Jared smiled at me as he saw me coming down. He patted a seat next to him. I obliged and went to sit beside him. 

"Good." Jason said. "Now that you're here. We can eat." 

"You did not care to ask if I was a vegan." I said when I noticed only steak was being served. 

"Marilyn did not say anything about her daughter being a vegan." Jake spoke out. 

I noticed that their steaks were only half-cooked. 

"And trust me…" Jake continued with his mouth full. "With the way that woman talks, if you were a vegan, she would surely say it." 

I rolled my eyes at their provocative words, and carefully placed a steak on my plate then sliced it up. 

"So your father is a powerful wizard, eh?" Jason asked. I caught a tone of doubt in his tone. 

I nodded as I chewed. The steak was actually very good. 

"The strongest in the world." Jake laughed like it was a joke.

I glared at him, dropping down my fork and folding my arms. I replied haughtily. "Well, yeah, he's the grand magus of the world coven, but still…. There are a bunch of other powerful witches and wizards."

"What of you?" Jason asked. "Are you a witch or just a powerless human like your mother?”

"Leave her alone, guys." Jared asserted. 

"Keep quiet, Jared." Jason snapped to his brother. Then he turned to me. "So, are you?" 

What he just asked me was a sensitive question I tend to avoid since childhood, and I would rather not give a response but Jason looked like he wasn’t giving me a choice.

I shrugged. "I don't know. I mean, I have not exhibited any signs to show I have magic."

Jason nodded absently and continued his food. 

Jared was quiet but he kept throwing shady glances at his brothers.

I stared between them from the corner of my eye until weariness filled my whole being. I pushed my plate away gently. "What is this all about?"

Keeping a level, Jason locked gaze with me, he replied, "Listen," He chewed a bit. "We don't like your mother." He said bluntly without me batting a lid. "Neither do we like you…" 

"Speak for yourself." Jared muttered under his breath.

I was lost here, and I looked like it. 

"We don't like the idea of a puny female human, married to our father." He said. 

"Female human?" I scoffed. "Like you all aren't puny humans as well."

Jason stood up slowly, keeping our gazes locked, making me raise my neck up to look at him as he looked down on me. He gripped the table edge tightly. A vein was throbbing in his forehead like it was about to burst. 

He leaned over, slowly and growled, "Repeat what you said." I felt a hot chill run down my spine at the immense power his voice resonates. 

Okay. Maybe I lied about not showing any signs of magic. I had shown only one sign when I was born, but in the coven, that doesn't seem to count for much. 

But even my dormant magic state had not prevented me from trying to learn some magic spells even if they didn't produce any result. 

"Infernum brono!" I pronounced calmly, pointing my hand to Jason. And to both my shock as well as theirs, fire leaped from my hand, directly to Jason, who deftly leaped out of the way before the flames could get to him. Jake jumped over the table and tackled me to the floor. 

He held me there, as Jason walked over to me. His boot was near my face. "So you're not only a liar… but you're also a witch." He yelled and I squirmed under Jake’s grip. 

Jason tutted at me like I was a little girl. "This is not a time for fighting, dear little girl." He smirked evilly.

I tried to struggle but Jake had an iron grip on me. 

"What do you want?" I growled. 

He gave a laugh. "Now, that's more like it." 

Jared still sat at the table, unmoving. He refused to look sideways at what was happening. 

"What the fuck do you want?" I yelled and squirmed under Jake’s crushing weight. 

I had to keep them talking as I tried to remember a secret spell that my dad had tried to teach me. 

A spell that affected werewolves and Vampires. It sent high pitched sound waves that made them bleed from the ears. I pretended to close my eyes in pain but instead, I was trying to concentrate… and then I remembered it. 

If the infernun brono spell worked, I might as well try my luck with this other spell, even though this one was more complex. I muttered the spell as I exhaled and felt the unfamiliar rush of magic in my bloodstream. 

"Hey what is that noise?" Jared asked. The first time he spoke. "I think it's coming from outside…" 

"It's her." Jake let out. "She's doing a witchy thing." 

That was not the reaction I expected from them. Other regular werewolves would be bleeding through their ears and begging me to stop by now

My surprised reaction must have mirrored my face because Jason crouched beside me and said, "I've heard of that spell before… witch. It might have made werewolves dance to your tunes, but not us." 

"We are lycans." Jake snarled, squeezing my wrists even tighter and cutting of blood circulation 

They were lycans? Do lycans still exist? Didn't they go extinct a couple of decades ago?