Jovan’S POV.
I have been threatened, battered and humiliated by both Jayce and his sidekick called Reed. I hadn’t even recovered from the shame of being severely trashed by Jayce last night, but my luck just had to run out and that made me bump into Reed this morning.
I tried to act like nothing was wrong with me, but the bandaids on my face sold me out.
I can bet my life he knew about Jayce’s plan to have me beat up. He was in on it.
When Lloyd told me Jayce had summoned me to his office, I had no idea what I was getting myself into. I thought we’d just have our usual sibling banter and he’ll let me go, but I was wrong. The first thing he did when he walked into his office was throw me against the wall.
That hurt.
That hurt so bad, I thought I cracked my spinal cord.
Last night, during our very brief, but intense encounter, I learned four things about Jayce.
First, the only reason why he never fought back in the past when I hurt him was because our father asked him not to.
Second, he had been waiting for the day he’d have me trashed.
Third, Alora is the last person I should mess with in this castle. He can kill for her.
And lastly, my Alpha abilities are nowhere close to his. He is an Alpha indeed.
I saw him move at the speed of light. One second he was at the door and the next he was throwing me against the wall and catching me mid-air before I could reach the ground. He held me up with one hand. My feet were literally suspended in the air.
That speed. That strength. That rage.
All that terrified me even more than the beating I got.
I am no match for him.
We had never gotten into a fight before, that’s why I thought I could stand a fight with him, but I just realised how wrong I was.
Jayce is a beast.
“Jovan!” My mother’s worried voice comes dancing into my bedroom and I sigh heavily.
I’ve locked myself in here all day just so she wouldn’t see me. She’s going to get all worked up when she sees my condition.
“I’ve tried ringing your cell phone multiple times, but they keep telling me it’s switched off. What’s going on?” She walks over to my wine bar.
“Mum, sometimes when you call a person and they seem to be unreachable, it means they want to be left alone.”
“All the more reason why they shouldn’t be left alone.” She stands by my side. “What’s going on with you?” She still hasn’t seen my face.
I turn to look at her and her face goes pale when she sees mine. She gasps in horror and her hands fly over to her mouth to prevent the scream in her throat from flying out. I shake my head and take a sip of my whiskey.
“What happened to your face? Who did this to you?” She asks worriedly. Her eyes are already glittering with tears. She holds my head and turns my face so she can take a closer look at my injuries. Her lips are trembling as tears start streaming down her cheeks.
Tsk.
Mum and drama.
“Tell me what happened before I lose my mind.” She scolds and my ear itches from the loudness of her voice.
“Mum.” I shake my head out of her trembling hands. “It’s no cause for alarm.”
“Bullshit! What do you mean it’s no cause for all? Your face is completely ruined. Your handsome face has bandaids all over it and you’re telling me it’s no cause for alarm? If you don’t tell me what I want to hear this instant, I’m going to cause a scene in this castle. You know I can do that.”
“Mum!” I angrily slam my glass on the counter and cast her a glare.
If mum says she’s going to cause a scene, she’s going to do just that, so I have to start talking.
“I had an altercation with Jayce last night and that led to a little fight between us.”
“With the bruises I see on your face, I hardly think it was a little fight. And what the hell did you guys fight about? By the way, Jayce knows better than to touch you. Your father…” Her voice trails off when she realises something. “Your father is dead. There’s no one to keep Jayce in check. He can do as he pleases with you now.”
“Exactly.” I say, nodding my head. “He beat me up like he had been planning to do so all his life. I can’t feel anything right now.” I shamelessly confess to her.
I can show my weakness to my mother. I can tell her anything without feeling ashamed and humiliated because I know she will never laugh at me or judge me. Instead, she’ll feed me words of encouragement and remind me of the fact that I’m the best. That’s why everyone needs their mum by their side no matter how grown up they are.
“I will be right back.”
“Where are you going?”
“To see that Jayce of a man. He’s going to explain to me why he had to beat up my baby boy.” I let out a heavy sigh of exasperation and watch her bolt out of my bedroom.
Now, Jayce is going to think I’ve sent my mum to fight my battle for me.
The humiliation never ends.
***********************************************
“Alpha Jayce, Jovan’s mother is here to see you. Should I let her in?”
I chuckle lightly and nod my head.
Jovan really has no shame at all. He sent his mum to come and fight his battles.
Pathetic.
The clicking sound of Linda’s heels resonates throughout my office as she walks into it, frowning like someone who’s lunch pack was stolen. I lean on the backrest of my chair and swivel it around as I watch her in amusement.
She hasn’t changed.
When Jovan and I were kids, she would always scold me if Jovan got hurt when we were playing. That always irked my mum and because of that, they were always on each other’s throats, each person defending their son.
My mum always knew how to put Linda in her place.
God bless her soul.
“I saw what you did to my son.”
“Don’t you think Jovan is a bit too old for you to fight his battles for him?”
“I am his mother, it’s my duty to fight his battles regardless of how old he is.” She sneers. Her voice is filled with so much animosity that it makes me wonder what I ever did to make this woman hate me as she does.
She once told me my existence is her greatest nemesis.
I was five.
“Too bad my mum isn’t here to fight mine for me.”
“Yes. Too bad.” She takes a firm pose across from me. “You are not allowed to touch my son.”
“And who are you to give me orders?” My muscles relax. My features lose their tension. There’s no need for me to be under any sort of pressure in her presence. She’s nothing.
“I’m warning you…”
“No, I’m warning you and your son. Stay away from Alora. Your fight is with me. Leave her out of it. One more attempt on her life and I will wipe both of you from the face of the earth and nothing will happen to me. I’m not bluffing.” She’s shaking with rage as she casts me a deadly glare. “If that glare is meant to scare me, it’ll interest you to know that it doesn’t. I know what you and your son are planning. To take me down so he can become the Supreme Alpha. I’m going to tell you the same thing I said to your son last night; The battle line has been drawn. I know how badly you want to take me down. I won’t tell you not to. Instead, I wish all the best. I’d love to see you try.” Her face is masked with darkness by the time I’m done talking.
She’s so angry that she can’t even talk or shake from her spot. She’s breathing like she’s about to have an asthma attack.
I mindlink one of the female guards to come over and in less than no time, two of them show up in my office.
“She looks too terrified to move on her own. See her out, will you?” The girls nod and go over to Linda. They try to grab her arms, but she swings them out of their grasps and bolts out of my office.
I spin my chair around, chuckling like an evil drug Lord who just aced a big job.
The way they react whenever I use that line on them is refreshing.