Page 52 of The Tribrid Princess and the Taste of Chaos (The Rossi Legacies #7)

Jayce

M y heart is pounding relentlessly, and I’m unable to calm it the way I usually can. What I saw… No. No, I’m not going to think about it. Everything feels suffocating as if my lungs are collapsing, destroying my airways, and I can’t fucking breathe.

I know what this means. Something terrible is coming. Something I can’t even let my mind shape into words.

Just the thought of it shatters me, like my heart is being crushed by cold, merciless hands, squeezing it until it bursts. It fucking hurts.

I’m on the rooftop of our “brothers” place, trying to find some kind of centre to rein in the storm that is threatening to consume me, threatening to devour everything around me.

I can’t even voice this shit to anyone. I won’t. What isn’t said cannot become a reality. It fucking isn’t real. I twist my fingers into my hair, trying to calm down, but nothing I do is helping.

Not even a run or a workout or anything will take away this storm of pain. I feel fucking useless. Sienna texted me a little while ago, but I was unable to reply; I simply reacted with an emoji. I rock back and forth, trying to breathe evenly.

Dante! He has to know something. He has to tell me I misunderstood what I saw. I call him, my hands fucking shaking as I find his name and hit call.

Pick up, man, fucking pick up…

I haven’t talked to him; I don’t even know if the message I was told to pass on even reached him. Dante, come on, man.

“The person you are calling is not-”

I cut the call, snarling in frustration as I slam my head back against the wall, biting back the roar that threatens to escape me. Nothing happens to her, nothing can fucking happen to her. I’ll protect her.

My eyes sting, but I refuse to think about it. Maybe it’s not what I’m assuming. Fuck…

The phone rings, and I look at it. Dante.

I answer quickly.

“Dante.”

“Hey, what’s up?”

I take a deep breath to calm my emotions. “Did-did you get the message about the man we ran into?” I ask, trying to think of something else, anything but what I saw, as I try to even my voice, not wanting him to hear how fucking broken I feel.

“I did, this morning. So, he’s made his appearance. I wish he had come directly to me, but I don’t think that’ll happen for a while. I’m glad you and Sienna are ok. I heard you came into your power. Congratulations, you are the third…”

Normally, hearing that and knowing that when the fourth ruler comes into power that all hell will break loose, would unnerve me.

We know that with every ruler that comes into power, we are coming ever closer to the greatest battle mankind may ever face.

But today, I have bigger issues. In front of it, nothing else matters.

“Yeah, and with that, my intuition has become stronger. Earlier, when I was with Raihana after she performed the spell to view the battle…” My throat feels like there’s a huge fucking lump in it.

He’s silent, either simply waiting for me to continue, or he knows something.

“And I saw something… You know what I mean, don’t you? ”

It fucking hurts.

A soft sigh, one weighted with something more, comes through the phone. He doesn’t speak, and it feels like fucking forever. “Say something,” I whisper hoarsely. Even if his silence spoke louder than his unspoken words, I still need to hear him.

“Yes, I do know what you mean.” His voice is filled with regret and sorrow, and I close my eyes.

“How? How do I stop it?”

“The future isn’t set in stone, Jayce. Every single day, it shifts.

Our actions, every single person’s actions, alter the ever-changing path.

If you ask me if we will win this war, I can’t say because I don’t fucking know.

Sometimes our odds are stronger, other times they are weaker.

” I open my eyes and stare at the heavens. “But there are some things that don’t-”

“I need to prevent it,” I whisper, cutting him off.

“You can’t mess with the hands of time or the path of destiny. There is a price; I know it because I’ve paid it,” he says, his voice soft as if he’s speaking to a fucking child. Anger bubbles through me.

“You paid it! And I’m fucking willing to pay it too. Do you expect me to just stand aside and let it happen?”

“That’s what I’m trying to say. There are some things that don’t change in every single possible future, just like Chris’ death. In every future, I saw him die.”

My vision blurs as I stare out at the training grounds of the Academy.

“So, you’re saying if I intervene, it won’t help?”

“Exactly. We carry on as we would. We protect those we love. We make sure they stay on the right path, we guide them, we protect them, but we can’t share what we saw because all it would do is hurt them.”

I’m not one to cry, but right now, even I can’t deny the tears that are silently falling down my face.

“I want to forget what I saw then,” I whisper, distraught.

Dante is quiet, and I know even if I wanted to, I wouldn’t allow anyone to wipe my memory, not when I can try my best with what I know.

I cut the call, letting my phone drop to the floor as I stare unseeing ahead.

Selene… Zeus…

I call on the gods who may favour me, and pray for their help.

Let the future be altered. I never want to lose her. I can’t lose her.

Please…

Jayce!

My eyes snap open and I realise, at some point, I must have fallen asleep. I feel feverish. I’m a werewolf, though. I’ll recover quickly. It feels like I’ve been fucking run over by a train or two.

Renji?

Where are you, man? Sienna’s fucking worried. You should have been here by now.

Fuck. I look at my Schattensicht; I should have been there ages ago.

I run my hand through my hair.

Jayce, are you ok? Renji’s voice is filled with concern.

Yeah, I just need to shower first… where are you?

At the venue, get here, man. What should I tell her?

Say something came up, but I’ll be there soon, I answer quietly as I get up and pick up my phone. I slip it into my pocket. I have no energy to even look at the messages.

But I have to be there for her. I promised her that.

Returning to the empty dorm, I enter the bathroom, strip out of my clothes and step under the shower, letting cold water rain down on me. I don’t move, staring at the white floor of the shower.

Dante’s words sting, and it fucking hurts.

Somehow, I manage to get changed before I head outside.

Theo, can I use your car? The loss of my beloved bike doesn’t seem like a big deal anymore, either.

Sure thing, Renji has a spare key. He said it’s in his room in his safe, you should know the passkey – his words. Get here, man. That Beta-to-be of Ahren’s is eyeing Sienna, and your girl is dressed to kill. I might have checked her out.

I frown, but right now I have no will to say anything. Everything feels… irrelevant.

Jayce, you ok, bro? Theo asks, picking up on my lack of a response.

Yeah. I’ll see you soon, just getting the keys.

I cut the mind-link before getting the key from Renji’s safe, and then head out to Theo’s car.

I know I’m not meant to leave alone, but right now I don’t really care what the repercussions are.

The security at the gate knows me. So when I flash an old approval of leave in front of them, they let me out with a nod, without paying proper attention, and I’m glad it worked.

Only because there’s a party, otherwise, I doubt we’d be allowed to leave.

Zooming down the winding path, the same thing keeps playing and replaying in my mind. The roads are a blur, the cold wind from the open windows whipping through my wet hair.

Pull it together, Jayce, for her. It’s her eighteenth birthday, but for the first fucking time in my life, I’m unable to pull myself together. Power is a blessing and a curse…

I reach the venue shortly after, trying to focus on putting all my emotions into a box on a shelf in my mind. I inhale and exhale slowly, schooling my face into an expression of cold indifference.

Maybe it’s for the best that I won’t get to be by her side through the night. I don’t want to ruin her night, nor can I ever tell her what I saw.

I enter the venue after passing security. Shoving my hands in my pockets, and stepping inside the hall, my eyes sweep the room as I’m hit with a hundred scents, loud flashing lights and the buzz of people enjoying the evening.

The extravagant decorations are something you will always find at a Rossi celebration, specifically, Rafael Rossi’s line. Looking at the huge balloon arches and the extravagant flower displays, I notice just how different our financial state is.

We’re not struggling; in fact, we are living comfortably. At eighteen, Theo was able to buy a second-hand sports car, which was still pretty expensive, and he’s worked on it over the last year and a half, restoring it.

However, when you compare that to a Rossi, it just shows the huge difference.

Ahren has an entire fleet of cars, all customised to perfection.

Just like these flowers… I’ll never have that kind of money to buy this kind of luxury for her.

Sienna will never have any need for the rows of flowers, nor will she ever get to admire each one, but it’s something she’s grown to know.

I know my emotions are fucking with my head. I know I can keep her happy even without the luxuries of the Rossi Empire, but right now I need a distraction.

Where is she anyway?

I spot Ares talking to two girls to the side. Theo is having a drinking competition with Tatum and a few other boys, but I can’t see Carter or Renji.

Where’s Sienna? I ask Theo and Renji through the mind-link.

You finally made it! Renji sounds relieved.

A tad late, bro, she seemed upset a while ago, and her power was rising, so Ahren took her out of here for a bit of fresh air or some shit, Theo answers.

Is she alright? I make my way through the crowd, scanning the doors that lead off from this place.

Which way?

The door at 3 o’clock from where you are, Renji answers this time.

Thanks.

Guilt rushes through me, and I wonder if I’m the reason she’s upset. After promising her everything, I didn’t even show up for her.

I’m sorry, Sienna.

I push open the door, and it leads to a much quieter hallway, which contains two doors. One of them stands ajar, and I can hear Ahren’s voice speaking quietly.

Do I go in, or not?

I pick up on her emotions: chaotic, anguished, worried, sad…

I should have been here.

I head over and knock on the open door, my eyes falling on the siblings.

Ahren is hugging her, and all I can see is her hair that I swear looks slightly redder than the last time I saw it and…

fuck… She’s wearing a pair of killer mesh sparkly boots that cover her legs and a tiny red skirt that leaves little to the imagination, leaving her gorgeous thighs-

Ahren clears his throat, and I look up into sharp, grey eyes that are narrowed at me, a look of displeasure on his face.

Fuck, he just caught me checking her out.

Our eyes meet as Sienna turns, her heart pounding fast. Why the fuck was she crying? Worry fills me, my frown deepening as I gaze at her.

“What happened?” I ask.

Ahren chuckles, but it’s filled with anything but amusement. “Isn’t it odd? You’re asking that when I’m her brother, and I’m right here.” His tone is as icy and hostile as his eyes.

But he just chose the wrong fucking time to mess with me.

I tilt my head, my eyes flashing blue. I know I shouldn’t take the bait. I know I’m fucking it up, but my wolf is at the forefront of my mind, and he needs a way to unleash the emotions that storm within him.

“Yeah, you are.” I step closer, looking him straight in the eye. My voice is a low snarl. “But when it involves my girl, I have every fucking right to know why there are tears in her eyes.”