Chapter 7

JAX:

I still have no clue what Wade meant when he said there was something that could bring me down. But the uneasiness that came with thinking about it made me have a rough ride on my way to my company.

There was no chance that he already found out about the mistake I made. I'm particularly sure I haven't felt the new bond that comes with having a new member of the pack so this means nothing has changed yet.

Still, I wanted to know if he was looking into me...

Wade and I have never been on clear grounds ever since we both found out about the tendency of one of us to be the next Alpha. Because like me, he also wanted the taste of power and that wouldn't be possible if another was preventing the other from getting it.

It was like a whole new stress on its own thinking about the rivalry between me and my brother. If I had a choice, I would sure be seeking a way to kill it off.

So many times the thought of calling it quits has crossed my mind. The only reason I'm still in the race is that I have tried convincing myself that it was all worth it in the end.

'Manuel?' is where my thought flows to as I try to reach out to my right-hand man. And this was most particularly after I recall that I haven't been in touch with him since I went to the pack.

This was the perfect time to actually get in touch with him because at the moment, I need a lot of information from him regarding my tracks. I can't have my brother sabotaging me that easily.

The frustration of being unable to reach him makes me stop the car abruptly in the middle of the road, earning a lot of blaring hoots from the commuters behind me.

It took me about a minute to get my head in order before I moved my car out of the road to a side meant for parking. From there I reached for my phone lying lazily on the passenger's seat.

I searched for Manuel's contact and found it in no time. If the mind link with him was not working, then I should reach him through his mobile device.

Unfortunately, no matter the number of times I tried to reach him via his line, it didn't go through and this got me a lot confused.

I was already uneasy since yesterday's happenings. But now, knowing I couldn't reach my right-hand man whom I put in charge of an affair that could most likely ruin me if taken lightly made me much more uncomfortable.

Has he been found out? Or did something go wrong? Is that why he's unreachable?

I try to calm myself down but the more I try to, the more uneasy I get. Questions and questions keep circulating through my mind as I move to figure out the next step.

Seeing that it wouldn't work by sitting in my car by the side of the busy road, I activate my sense of smell that I was certain would be reliable in tracking down Manuel and most importantly the human girl.

*****

ROZETA:

"I don't know what to do with you," Lauryn groans in a way that has me questioning myself for leaving the apartment in the first place.

Like the other day, I woke up in a hospital. This one was uncalled for because if I had listened to the instruction given to me, I would not be having this issue.

I couldn't bring myself to say anything just yet because it would only make Lauryn more upset than she already is. The only thing I could do was watch as she wallowed in frustration.

"Why don't you ever listen, Rozeta? You were simply asked to stay in. Why couldn't you just do that? It was an easy task,"

"I got bored," I admit while looking further away from her. Even the way I spoke was more like a mutter because I was not confident enough to speak out loud to a frustrated Lauryn.

"Is that even an excuse?" she demands to know.

I put my entire focus on whatever it is I was looking at without giving her an answer. Fortunately for me, passing out in the open didn't result in a head bump or I would most certainly be suffering from a concussion by now.

Honestly, I still think I'm suffering from one through the last accident I had. The fact that everything didn't feel right and with me passing out made it all look like it really wasn't.

"I asked a question, Rozeta,"

With a sigh, I turn my head to look at the clearly annoyed Lauryn. I try my best not to look all nonchalant about everything because I wasn't taking the situation as seriously as she is.

"What do you want me to say?" is what I ask in response.

"Anything other than ignore me,"

"Alright," I first change my sitting position, "I'm sorry about what I did. I know I should have listened but would you believe me when I say there's something not right with me?"

For some time she says nothing until she gives a response that makes me think she's on the same page with me: "Of course, I do."

I am suddenly whelmed with surprise. "You do?" I ask her.

"Yes," she nods. "I mean, isn't that obvious?"

It took me a while to process the information, but when I do, I realize she was judging my state of being from my physical feature.

I blink. "That's not what I'm talking about, Lauryn," I tell her while shaking my head.

"What do you mean it's not what you're talking about? If you were okay, you wouldn't be here, right? So, yeah, it's obvious something's not right with you."

I try not to roll my eyes after what she said. "I know, but that's not it."

"Then what are you talking about?"

She comes to take a seat by the edge of the bed after saying that. I had to shift a little just to ensure she was not sitting in a position that could make her trip to the floor.

To be honest, I was finding it difficult to put the right words to her. I didn't want her to think I was not in my right senses after I finish speaking because judging from her look, she just might not want to take me seriously.

A minute later and I utter, "I think I'm psychic."

At first, a confused look was etched on her face. In no time it switches to that of mockery but she was able to maintain composure. Possibly because of the fact that I had a glare mounted on my face to prove to her that I shouldn't be taken lightly.

She puts a hand to her face, two of her fingers going through to the sides of the bridge of her nose. "What do you mean psychic?"

“The other day before I passed out, I might have been able to hear the thoughts of the man I bumped into,"

"You might or you actually did?"

I shrug. "Well, the man made it clear that the utterances I thought I heard were from his head. And I think it might have been true."

No word is exchanged for quite a long time. Fortunately, the ward I was in was only occupied by me and this gave me the liberty to do things freely. Just like how free it was, it was also very quiet now that Lauryn hasn't dished a response to me.

She sort of looks away first before looking back at me weirdly. "Don't you think that you might have been dealing with a drunk person?" she asks.

"Drunk in the early hours of the morning? Does that even make sense?"

"Nothing seems to make sense today, so..."

"Are you indirectly trying to tell me that what I just told you made no sense?"

"That's not what I mean. But I won't lie that I don't find it entirely sensible. For one, how is it possible to read someone's mind? You know what, I'll give you a chance to read mine. So feel free to tell me what I'm thinking,"

"I don't know," I say. "You're probably thinking I'm crazy."

"Yes," she admits, "and that's because I'm giving you the look that you actually are."

Lauryn could be something else. If I didn't know her better, I would be infuriated that she was verbally attacking me on something I consider important.

In my defense, I say, "I didn't see the man's mouth move during all of that. Isn't that enough to make you believe me?"

"I think you're just having a concussion, Rozeta. Rest your head well while I go see the doctor,"

And immediately after she was off the bed and out of the ward. But not without muttering a bit loudly: "Psychic? Pfft."

It felt embarrassing that I was treated that way after giving my all in ensuring that she believes me. But then, what could I do? It was going to take a miracle for anyone to believe what I say. But I know what I did. There was no doubt about it that I did something extraordinary.

Subconsciously, my head moves in the direction of the window but I saw nothing there that caught my interest. For a moment, I thought I was being stared at through the window.