Page 22 of The Tribrid Princess and the Taste of Chaos (The Rossi Legacies #7)

Jayce

T he phone rings a few times before Mom’s face appears on the screen, a big smile on her face like always.

“Hey, Ma,” I say.

“Jayce! Finally, I missed you. How’s the new term going so far?”

“It’s good, yeah. How are you, Dad, and the rest doing?”

“We’re great, we’re all well. Katara’s here, Tara!”

“What is it, Mama?”

“It’s Jayce on the phone!”

“Urgh, what does he want?”

I smirk. “Guaranteed, she’ll be asking for something from me any second now.”

Mom nods in agreement as she settles back on the stool, holding the phone out as Katara comes into view. She’s 13 now and sassy as hell.

“Hey, old man,” she says, rolling her big, blue eyes.

“Hey, is that a spot?” I ask, leaning in. She glowers at me.

“No!” She covers her face, and I smirk.

“Damn, you’re getting ugly.”

“Please, I’m amazing, ok. Have you looked in the mirror? By the way, you said you’ll order me some American sweets and chocolates. Where are they?”

“I did. It’ll be there in a week or so. I didn’t forget.”

“Oh… ok. Well, there’s this makeup brand you can only get from America. I want you to order-”

“Katara, enough. You haven’t even asked Jayce how he is. Stop asking for things.”

“But he’s the only one who listens.”

“Oh yeah? Yet, you still don’t appreciate me,” I remind her mockingly. “That hurts.”

She snorts. “Puh-lease. Hurts? Dude, do you even have feelings?”

I smirk. “You’re right. So, I’m sure you weren’t asking Carter to order you some makeup before we left?”

“He said I’m too young for makeup.” She frowns deeply now. “He’s an ass-”

“Tara.” Mom frowns, and she huffs.

“Please, Jayce. I promise I’ll be nice the next time you come down!”

That promise never lasts…

“Alright, send me the links, and I’ll get you what you want.”

“She doesn’t need anything!” Mom protests.

“He said yes!” Katara shouts, running off. “I’m going to send you the links from Grandma’s phone and make sure you get the colours I ask for.”

“Yes, boss,” I say in a bored tone.

“You spoil her,” Mom scolds me lightly.

“I have one sister, let me spoil her. Besides, she spends far less than Theo, Carter and Ares.”

“That’s true.”

“Do you need anything?”

She tilts her head and smiles warmly. “No, thank you. You really are such a good boy, Jayce.”

I don’t like being called a good boy, but honestly, I’m not about to say that to her either. She’s getting emotional, too. I cock a brow. “Hey, we’re not that far. If you want any of us to pop down to visit, I’ll make sure all of us do. So, no tears,” I say firmly.

She wipes them away. “I know. It’s just the house is so quiet when you are all gone, and I don’t know... I just feel like, you know, life is short.”

I look down, knowing what she means. We don’t know who will die first, but inevitably in the war to come, many of us will. Only a fool would think that we’ll all make it. But if my family could all live, in return, I’ll willingly sacrifice myself.

“It is short, but even if we die, we will unite one day, right?”

She nods, but her eyes still glisten with tears.

“Let me guess, Dad’s away for work again, too, right?”

She nods vigorously. “Yeah, he usually is nowadays.”

I wish he didn’t have to. I’d take his place so he could spend more time with Mom, but he wanted me to complete my training. Holding the title of Alpha of the pack isn’t something I’ve cared for; the rest are competent enough to take the position. I’d rather be out there doing what’s needed.

“Once I’m done here, I’ll make sure you two get a lot more time together.”

She smiles at that. “That would be nice. So, you made Division Leader! You’re the youngest division leader they’ve ever had! Congratulations!”

“Thanks, but it’s just a title. We all do our part.”

She nods. “Absolutely, that’s how a team works. So, I heard Sienna is in your team. How is she coping?”

I suddenly feel as if she can see right through me, and I put on my mask of indifference. “Yeah, she’s fine.”

Mom raises an eyebrow. “Is she? I know she’s been struggling with her powers.”

Do we need to talk about Sienna?

“She’ll figure it out. So, new hair colour?” I ask, trying to change the subject.

Mom’s smile vanishes, now replaced with sharp curiosity in her two uniquely-coloured eyes. “Jayce, is everything alright? You aren’t being too hard on Sienna, are you?”

“No, I just don’t see why we need to talk about her.”

Ok, this is getting worse. Why is everyone asking me about her?

“Mmm… she is a pretty girl, isn’t she?”

I narrow my eyes. “I don’t know, never noticed.”

Mom sits back now. “You never noticed?” she asks with disbelief.

Renji… it has got to be that little shit.

“No.”

“Oh. You’re so observant, I would have thought you would have.” She smiles slyly. “Or are you saying you never noticed, meaning you have noticed?”

I smirk, sitting forward. “I guess it’s because no one’s beauty holds a candle to yours.”

She smiles fondly at me before shaking her head. “You are a sweet talker. I’ll let you off the hook this time.”

Thank the Goddess.

“By the way, do you like the purple?” She lifts the ends of her hair. “I was getting bored with the blue.”

“Yeah, it looks good,” I compliment her. Mom’s always loved dying her hair, and so did Grandma. “So is Grandad there, or out on work?”

“He’s here. We were thinking of having a little dinner. Obviously, in celebration of you becoming a division leader, which was your grandma’s idea.”

“You guys really don’t need to do that; it isn’t a big deal.”

“It is for me.”

I nod. “Then we’ll do it. We will be able to get an evening off, all of us.”

“Excellent, you just tell me when you can and we’ll work around you boys.”

She tells me how her day went, what they ate, what she’s been up to recently and a little about Katara before she realises the time and tells me to get some sleep.

We say our goodbyes before hanging up, and I look down at the messages sent from Katara.

There are links to several makeup products and the shades underneath, and I sigh.

This girl.

I order what she wants so it’s out of the way and then get to work, pulling up a translator on my phone, and taking a photo of the text on the page that surrounds the symbol I’ve been drawing.

But it keeps displaying ‘ERROR’ or ‘UNCLEAR’.

Who should I ask? Ahren, maybe? He has enough of his own shit to deal with.

How hard can it be? I pull up the Arabic alphabet and glance at the letters written on the page.

Well fuck, that ain’t easy either. It’s obviously not modern Arabic. My eyes snap to the wall to my left. Sienna…

Not happening.

Putting my head down, I get back to figuring it out. The incessant urge to find the answers I seek is only growing. It’s taking time, but I’ll get there. I’m determined to get there.

A few hours pass, the chatter and the sound of the TV fade away, signalling that everyone has retreated for the night.

Sleep is already gnawing at me, so gathering up my papers, laptop and book, I head to the lounge instead, hoping the change of surroundings shakes the sleep off.

I settle onto the sofa and get back to work, now on my laptop, zooming in on the photos I took and trying to figure out the words.

Another hour later, I massage my temples, deciding I should turn in. I have about eleven words I’m sure are correct; the rest is a mess. I won’t get far if I keep pushing myself. I’ll work faster when I’m not so sleepy.

I shut my laptop, closing my eyes for a moment, when I hear a door open.

I don’t bother paying attention, thinking it’s most likely someone for the bathroom.

But when I catch the whiff of cherries, my eyes snap open and suddenly all sleep vanishes.

My wolf stirs inside of me, growling within my mind as his eyes drink up the sight before us.

A sexy, curvaceous goddess.

She’s in tiny shorts and a matching top that doesn’t even cover her stomach fully. Tiny straps hold it up. Her outfit is white, with little cherries on it. Her long hair is open as she slowly makes her way to the kitchen area and opens the pizza box that contains the leftovers.

She definitely just tumbled out of bed, because her ass is swallowing those itty-bitty shorts right up. She lets out a soft yawn, stretching her arms above her head, her back arching sexily.

Fuck.

I don’t know if it’s the way I’m slouched on the sofa, but the view is way too distracting. Her ass jiggles slightly when she shakes her head in an attempt to move her hair off her face as she places two pizza slices on a plate and turns.

Her eyes suddenly snap to me, and she gasps, the plate slipping from her hand, but with quick reflexes, she catches it. Her breasts, not bound by a bra, almost spill out of her top at the sudden move.

What a fucking tease…

Now all I’ll see all night is her.

“Glad to see you finally decided to eat,” I say quietly, my voice thick from the lack of use over the last few hours.

She purses her lips and looks away. Is she ignoring me?

She tosses her hair over her shoulder and is about to saunter back to her bedroom when I speak again, “Are you not going to heat that up?”

She pauses and looks over her shoulder at me. By all means, look away. I’ll enjoy the view. Just the thought of her fucks with my head. And I know it’s wrong, she’s Ahren’s sister.

“I can eat it cold,” she says haughtily. I stand up, and her eyes widen as they dart to her bedroom like a little deer caught in headlights, not knowing which way to go to escape.

“What’s with the attitude?” I ask, now blocking her path and crossing my arms.

Damn, if I thought her ass was the best fucking view, then I didn’t look at her tits… She’s an 11 from all angles. I keep my eyes trained on hers as she frowns up at me. Her attitude surprises me, but it also intrigues me.

“You insulted me. I don’t need to talk to you,” she replies icily.

I cock a brow. Oh... so, it’s that…

“I might consider apologising if you continue to perform well in training,” I suggest quietly, my eyes flicking to her lips before I look back into her grey eyes. Grey or… they look different… not grey.

“As if an apology can fix what you said to me.” She glares at me, but that only makes me want to push her a little more.

“Oh shit, my bad, I didn’t realise the Rossi Princess got offended so fast.”

She narrows her eyes at me, and this time they glimmer a dark red.

“Keep talking and I’ll show you exactly how angry I can get,” she murmurs threateningly, her voice now a deeper, sexier tone.

One that makes every hair on my body stand on end.

The sudden hunger to have her talk to me in that voice intensifies.

It’s electrifying, seductive and enrapturing.

“Maybe that’s what I want,” I hear myself whisper, stepping ever so slightly closer. I see it now, the change in her hair, her eyes, the angle of her jaw, the way her body seems to glisten enticingly, and I feel myself throb.

Fuck.

Her heart pounds, but she doesn’t back down. Her eyes dip to my lips before she reaches up with her delicate hand with long, dark red nails, they’re thin yet sharp, and she drags one down my cheek, cutting into me, drawing blood.

It stings slightly, yet I welcome the hint of pain. It only results in drawing my wolf to the forefront of my mind.

I’m unable to pull away from whatever the fuck this is. “You should tread carefully because I don’t forgive easily,” she whispers.

What has she done to me?

“If I wanted your forgiveness, I would be able to get it,” I reply confidently, even though she’s consuming me entirely.

She arches an eyebrow. “I highly doubt that.”

She blinks and takes a deep breath, and her eyes have now turned back to normal. She takes another deep, shuddering breath as she looks around, and we both take a step back.

Her eyes flick to my cheek, and they widen even more, if that’s even possible.

“I… I’m-”

I press my thumb against her lips. “Don’t apologise,” I say quietly. Her heart hammers, her cheeks heating before she steps back.

“I wasn’t going to!” she hisses.

“That’s a lie, but sure,” I remark, looking back at where I was working on my laptop.

“What are you doing awake?” she asks, picking up one of the pizza slices and biting into it. I glance at her, but she’s curiously looking towards the papers and book I have on the table in front of the sofa.

It’s dark over there… can she see? I know Ahren could…

“Just working on some texts I want to translate. It’s in Arabic,” I explain, walking over to the fridge. “Want a drink?”

Her heart rate spikes again, and I smirk. Regardless of whether it’s just in surprise, I like that I effect her.

“Sure, but I’m still annoyed,” she reminds me. I grab a milkshake for her and a Coke for myself and walk over to her, holding the milkshake out to her.

“Yeah, we established that earlier,” I reply mockingly, walking over to the sofa again. This is my chance to ask her. We’re actually having a conversation… even though maybe I’m just delaying her leaving when she looks that hot…

“So, how good are you in Arabic?”

She’s quiet, and I turn to see her staring at the milkshake bottle. “If you want something-”

“How did you know I like this? That I’d choose this?”

Maybe cause I just do, and I got them specifically for that reason.

“Good guess.” I shrug, sitting down. “So, Arabic?”

She frowns slightly before she walks over to me, my eyes raking over her killer legs. Now that’s a girl I wouldn’t mind having on my lap every day…

I sense her watching me, her cheeks a pretty red.

Did she see me checking her out?

“Are we doing this?” I ask, cocking a brow and picking up the book.

“Doing what?” she asks, her eyes widening.

I lean forward. “Translating. Unless, of course, you had something else in mind. Do share, I’m all ears.”