Braving the Elements (Darkness #2)(29)

“Boss, it’s damn hard to learn when that stupi—when the teacher won’t actually teach. At least I basically know the structure of the chants, but Sasha doesn’t even know that much. She spends the whole class blowing things up, shooting them out of the room, or, like today, creating monsters for us to take down. Though, I have to say, that giant plant monster was actually—“

Stefan hardened his gaze, cutting off the other man immediately. “Are you telling me that Darla is withholding information? Why didn’t you come to me with this?”

Charles shrunk into his shirt. “Sasha didn’t want to tattle because she, quite rightly, figured Darla would just get vindictive.”

“So, you’re telling me—a wasted month later—that Sasha has learned nothing?”

“Well, she’s learned plenty, and some things will probably be extremely useful, but nothing that’s on the class agenda.”

Stefan took great pains to control his facial expressions. Darla had become the biggest nuisance of his life. She’d been pestering him for blood constantly, and if not that, a formal mating, and if not that, sex. He’d never had a firm fondness for her, but he’d always been able to tolerate her, especially when she spread her legs. Now the thought turned him off entirely.

“How close has Sasha gotten to Jessiah?” Stefan stepped away to the corner of the library and threw up a voice diffusor, his tattoos glowing so faintly, no one would be the wiser.

Charles stuck his hands in his pocket. “He’s trying every trick he’s got, and she’s buying it about a fourth of the time. He’s a sniveling little jerk, but he does have game; I have to give him that. I don’t trust him, though. He’s uncommonly frustrated…like he has an ulterior motive. He’s trying to get her to trust him rather than just getting in her pants, but he is nowhere near sincere. That’s not normal.”

Charles stared at Stefan, trying to do the mental deduction in his head. He thought with his dick often enough, but making sense of that with the head was still beyond him.

He tried again. “Okay, like, a guy that waits for sex either really likes the chick and will endure the blue balls to make her smile, or he wants something. Jessiah doesn’t really like her. I’ve pulled his angle a million times. He’s after what’s between her legs, and something else…”

Charles’ voice dropped away, his eyes widening at whatever he saw on Stefan’s face.

Stefan realized he’d stopped breathing. He smoothed over his face and unclenched his fists. “So you think he wants something, and she’s buying into him at least part of the time?”

“Like I said, he’s got game. Plus, she misses that Jared kid, and she’s lonely. I probably would’ve had a chance if I waited. I mean, she’d probably buy into anyone who was nice to her. Want me to beat him up? It’d be my pleasure…”

“Where is she now?”

“I sent Adnan to get her. You gotta keep your eye on him, Boss. Adnan, I mean. That kid can fight! If he can keep his magic up, he’s a shoe-in.”

Stefan, voice low, growled out his next words. “Instead of going yourself, you sent a half-trained child to retrieve my—to bring back Sasha?”

Charles’ eyes snapped shut and his easy-go-lucky attitude dried up. He’d just realized how serious this conversation was, and he was late to the party. In a rush, he said, “It’s only Jessiah and they were headed out to the woods. I came to get you while he went and got her. I got a text from Adnan—she got food a short while ago and headed off to her room. She thinks I talk too much for some reason, so half the time she tries to ditch me. Kind of mean, actually, but she’s okay.”

“What makes you think she won’t hook up with Jessiah knowing you’re gone?”

Charles shrugged, his eyebrows dipping in confusion. “She knows not to reveal her sleeping whereabouts…”

“It doesn’t mean he won’t have her in his.”

Stefan couldn’t help his rough voice. It killed him to imagine another man touching her. Stefan had no claim on her. He was spoken for; his duty clearly mapped out to choose a mate. When a person became leader, he had to give up certain things. His path was set, and Sasha needed to find someone else and be happy.

A vase shattered against the wall. Everyone in the room turned to him with shock or fear written plainly on their face. He probably shouldn’t have thrown it.

“What do I do, Boss?” Charles asked quietly from five feet away, not daring to take a step closer.

“If he is using her, keep him away from her. Break him if you have to. I will not see her hurt.” He swung a fierce gaze across the spectators, daring anyone to mutter the term pet. He’d snap them in half, no guilt or remorse in his wake.

As Charles took off, Stefan set his sights on Darla and started walking. She not only hindered Sasha and Charles with her pettiness, she hindered his whole clan. She would be dealt with.

He found her in the library, na**d and riding on top of Thaos, a younger man with pale orange power. As her h*ps swiveled over him, having him moaning and rolling his eyes back in his head, she sucked at his wrist, drawing deep, having used her body to steal what she could of his power.

This is what he would be mated to. This is who Fate had mapped out for him; the best option of the bunch.