This chapter is dedicated to @Notinspired2 for guessing who would be at the door!!!
Hope you like this chapter! It's one of my faves <3
Also I've been planning this for like forever but I couldn't tell you guys!!!
Oh, and if you like this chapter remember to vote!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Saffron
"What's going on here?" Zara demands, stepping into the room. She's breathing heavily, as if she ran all the way here, and her gaze is moving from Jess to me and then back again.
"I caught Logan making out with her," Jess points at me, as if she still can't believe he'd want to kiss me. Then again, I'm an average-looking Rogue—while Jess is a hot pack wolf—so I can't say I'm surprised.
"You what?" Zara looks at me, her shock genuine. I guess she didn't expect Logan and I would ever hook up either.
"I..." I look down at my feet.
"Oh Jess," Zara's voice breaks, "she didn't know."
"I know she didn't know," Jess spits out. "Which is why I was warning her."
"So you're not mad?" Zara asks, eyeing Jess skeptically.
"Of course I'm mad!" Jess shouts. "How dare he go after her? She's been here less than a day!" Jess turns beet red. "How dare he try to hurt someone else? After what he did to me?" She stomps her foot. "Can't he just wait until he finds his mate and not break anyone else's heart?"
Jess's eyes well up and Zara looks at me for help. I consider backtracking out of the room, but before I get a chance to move, Jess breaks into tears. She somehow manages to sob, hyperventilate, and shake with some mixture of rage and frustration, all at the same time.
"Oh, Jess," Zara cries and rushes to hug her friend. I stop backing out of the room and stand there awkwardly, trying to figure out if I should say something or leave and give them some privacy.
As I watch Jess blubber all over Zara, I'm relieved that at least I'm not that much of a mess over Logan. Yes, I'm hurt, and yes, I want to see him again, but I can hold all those feelings in and not break down. Even if Logan is only hooking up with me to pass the time until he finds his mate. It shouldn't even matter to me, not when I plan to run away. So what if what we shared didn't mean anything to him? It's over now, or will be the moment I set foot outside the pack house and don't look back.
"I hate him," Jess whispers, her sobs quieting.
"I know," Zara tells her, patting her back. "I know."
Jess wipes her face with her shirt and slowly pulls back.
"I'm sorry, Soff," Zara turns to me. "If I'd known this would happen, I wouldn't have left you alone with him."
"You did what?" Jess turns on Zara.
"It's not like he was hitting on her or anything," Zara defends herself. "He was just being the Alpha's son, you know, supportive? He just wanted to help when he found out she couldn't link." Zara covers her mouth with a gasp, her lips forming a shocked 'o.'
"What do you mean she can't link?" Jess looks at me. "Everyone can link."
"I can't." I shrug. "Logan was going to teach me."
"I bet he was going to teach you," Jess declares angrily. "He was just using that as an excuse to get in your pants."
"He did not," I defend him. "He tried to teach me, it just didn't work. Then he walked me back to my room and, well..." I blush, skipping over the part where he cooked lunch and the part where he told me he liked me. Jess doesn't need to know that.
"Right." Jess rolls her eyes, clearly not buying my story.
"Hey, what happened to your shoes?" Zara changes the subject, looking down at my dirty bare feet.
"We, um, raced through the forest," I tell her. "I'll go back and look for the flats—"
"Forget the flats," Jess interrupts, grabbing my arm painfully. "Swear you won't see him again."
I nod, trying not to grimace in pain, but she doesn't let go.
"Jess!" Zara snaps, looking down at where Jess's pink fingernails are digging into my skin.
"Sorry." Jess lets go and plops on Zara's bed with a sigh. "I don't know what's wrong with me."
I rub my arm and cautiously sit down on my own bed, facing her. I get where she's coming from, I think, but I'm not entirely sure Jess is mentally stable.
I think Zara might agree, based on how she watches Jess carefully, worry marring her face. She stands like that for a while and then finally sits down next to me. "Why aren't you in class, Jess?"
"I skipped." Jess shrugs. "Good thing, too." She gestures at me, then turns to Zara. "Why are you home?"
"I wanted to make sure Sofie was okay," Zara smiles, "so I caught a ride home with Raj." She shrugs, then adds for my benefit, "He's on the team with Jasper." I'm not sure what team, but I nod anyway. "Oh, and I brought your stuff," Zara adds, pointing at my green backpack, which is lying in a heap by the door, along with her black bag and heels.
"Is Jasper here too?" Jess asks and then adds angrily. "You can't trust him, Z. He's just going to break your heart."
"It's not like that," Zara mumbles.
"It's exactly like that," Jess argues. "You're my best friend. You know I'm just looking out for you."
"I know." Zara sighs.
"You saw what happened with me and Logan. I don't want you to go through that."
"I know. I'll say goodbye to him tonight and..." she trails off.
It takes me at least thirty seconds before I figure out they're linking and having a silent, mental conversation. I think I only catch on because Zara looks at Jess pleadingly, and then Jess frowns at me. I try to concentrate, the way I did when I listened to my wolf, but I don't pick up a thing. So much for this afternoon's linking lesson.
I give up on listening in and look at Jess. She glares at me in return. If looks could kill, I'd fall to the floor and never wake up. I look at the door again, wondering if I should just get out while I still can. I glance back at Jess again, and find her glare has lessened by her gaze is filled with suspicion.
"She can't hear us," Zara says aloud, making me really, really wish that I could.
"You don't know that," Jess argues back, also speaking aloud so I can hear. "She could be faking."
"Well, if we tell her, it wouldn't matter if she heard us," Zara argues back. "Please, Jess?"
"Fine." Jess sights. "We can't just leave her here, anyway. She'd just end up getting her heart broken."
"So she can come?" Zara squeals and jumps onto the bed, hugging Jess. A second later, she rushes over to hug me as well.
"What's going on?" I ask.
"Can you keep a secret?" Zara asks me.
"Sure." I nod.
"Promise," Jess demands. "Even if the answer is no, you can't tell anyone. Promise."
"I promise," I tell her without hesitation. I would never tell her and Zara's secret. My new roommate is the wolf best friend I always wish I had. I'd never betray her.
"Okay." Zara takes a deep breath and stares at me intently. "Jess and I are running away tonight and we'd like you to come."
------------------------------------------------------------
Okay, so who else guessed Zara would be at the door?
And did anyone actually guess that Zara and Jess were planning to run away all along? I left hints, but I tried to be really subtle! Anyone know what the hints were?
And should Saf ran away with Zara and Jess? Or should she stay?
Oh, and you know how Zara and Jasper and totally in love, but tomorrow he finds his mate? Well... who do you think it should be?
I really hope you liked this chapter. If you did, please remember to vote! As always, it means a lot!