Chapter 93

Jack

Jack watched from the shadows in the hallway, his jaw clenched in frustration. The air hung thick with tension as his sister and Alyx laughed as they walked side by side. They were close, closer than he'd ever seen Celeste with anyone before. And it irked him.

He had always been protective of Celeste. He had to be because of what she could become. But this... this was different. Alyx was different. He was charming, intelligent, and seemed to genuinely care for Celeste. And it was driving Jack insane.

But he couldn’t do shit about it. He was the one who had come up with this plan and he had to see it through. Because if he was right, if what he suspected was the truth, Jack was going to burn the campus and everyone in it to the ground.

As he pushed himself away from the shadows, Jack's thoughts raced. He had to find out where Matt stood in all of this. Matt, his best friend since childhood, had been acting strangely ever since the ball three months ago. Jack wasn't stupid; he could sense when something was amiss.

Their friendship had always been built on trust and shared experiences. They'd weathered storms together, and Jack was determined to weather this one too. If Matt had feelings for Celeste, Jack needed to know. It was a matter of principle, a test of their friendship, a test of the promise Matt had made to him.

If it did turn out that Matt had feelings for Celeste, he would have to kill him. Simple as that. If Celeste found out, Jack knew there was nothing he could do to keep her from running into his arms. She loved him that much.

Jack’s lips pulled back into a sneer. The students in front of him scattered, fearful of getting in his way, but he ignored them. He would give his plan another week. If Matt didn’t try anything, Jack had to assume he was wrong.

Then he would have to find some way to drive Alyx away. The fucker had never once been scared of him. But if he was facing the barrel of a gun, he might feel differently.

Jack would do whatever it took to protect Celeste. He had to. It wasn't just his responsibility as her brother. It was also his responsibility as a member of the Schreiber family.

And unfortunately his father would be no help. To say that he had been surprised by his sudden appearance was an understatement. He had been old enough to remember what his father looked like so he was able to recognize him when he kidnapped Celeste.

However, Jack, like Celeste, had thought their father was dead. The emotions he had gone through after he was able to process it had been mentally exhausting. Right now, he was just angry.

Angry that he had to be the man of the house. Angry that he couldn't have a normal fucking childhood. Angry that he couldn't just be a big brother. He hated the fact that he had to restrict Celeste so much. She deserved so much more than the cards she had been dealt.

Jack felt like he was going to explode. And he knew that if his best friend betrayed him, there would be no going back. He would definitely do something he would come to regret later.

Once this whole rogue werewolf nightmare was over, Jack was taking Celeste far away. He didn't care where they went. But it would be some place without werewolves and the Schreiber family breathing down their necks.

Jack focused on that dream, letting the hopes of a better life calm him down. He would get what he wanted. He always did. But first he was going to have to have a little chat with his sister.

As Jack and Celeste entered their home, he grabbed her elbow and steered her toward the couch before she could disappear into her room. He towered over her, his arms crossed and his eyes cold.

She wouldn't look at him. Instead she started picking on the sleeves of her hoodies, careful to keep her head down. Jack pressed his lips together in a thin line. He wanted nothing more than for them to have a normal relationship.

But this is what they were stuck with. Him being a controlling jerk and her being too afraid of him to fight back. Sure, she had her moments of rebellion here and there, but she never really stood up for herself. And he was the one who had done it to her.

"Is there something you want to tell me?" Jack asked, his voice hard. He watched her tense and she finally looked up at him, eyes wide with fear.

"No…I don't think so," Celeste answered, her voice wobbling slightly.

Jack took in a deep breath. Why did everyone insist on lying to him? "Really? So you weren't seen holding hands with Alyx today?"

Celeste froze and he could practically see the gears in her head turning. She was trying to come up with something that would explain it other than the obvious. When she couldn't, her eyes filled with tears.

Something in Jack broke just a little. He let out a frustrated sigh and sat on the couch, taking her hands in his.

"Look, Celeste, I know I've been really hard on you. Especially after the whole Matt thing. But you've looked so happy lately. And I know it's because of Alyx. So…if you want to go on a date with him, you can. You don't have to hide it from me."

Jack didn't think her eyes could get any wider, but she proved him wrong. She stared at him, her mouth hanging wide open. He couldn't resist reaching over and closing her mouth by putting his finger under her chin.

"Don't look at me like that. I'm not a total control freak," Jack muttered and almost laughed at the look on Celeste's face. She wanted to snap back at him so badly, but she was holding herself back like she normally did.

"But we do need to have a talk before you go on your date," Jack said and he did not relish the conversation he was about to have. He never wanted to have it. This wasn't supposed to be his job.

Celeste cocked her head at him, but said nothing. She was probably too much in shock to form words.

"You are absolutely, under any circumstances, allowed to go to bed with Alyx," Jack spit out and he could feel his ears burning.

Celeste's face turned bright red. "I would never do that on a first date!" It seems like she finally found her voice.

"Good. Because I swear that if anything happens, you will never see the light of day again," Jack said, taking on his authoritative, overprotective older brother persona again. It came so easy to him now and he wondered if it was already too late for him to be himself.

Jack left the living room before Celeste could say anything else. Hopefully their first date would be this weekend. If anything were going to happen, it would be then. He'd only agreed to the date in hopes that it would trigger Matt into acting.

His reasoning was that Matt would see them together, in the open, and wonder why Jack had allowed it for Alyx, but not for him. Jack was hoping Matt would be angry enough to reveal himself. And if Jack was wrong, then no harm, no foul.

He'd be breaking Celeste's heart again, but her safety was worth it. Jack couldn't bear to lose another family member. Celeste was all that he had left.