117. Jealousy

Juliet

Mateo was standing across from me. Fully manifested werewolf… in the arena of the Coliseum we had built. Since Marcus knew we all could fight. He had been training with us… I didn’t ask him, and I didn’t know what would happen in the ring. But I was moving forward. He had taken over, and his training was much better than ours could ever be.

Kubra was giving us directions. We had all our attacks planned, coordinated, and practiced. We could use weapons, and we all had our preferred choices. Training at the house was tedious, and when the werewolves said we could practice against them, we didn’t hesitate.

Our fight with Ahasuerus would be right there. The environment would help us a lot if we could utilize it. We were going to have to use the walls to corner him.

Everyone had come to watch us train. A part of the stadium was full of everyone we knew. Other seats were filled with soldiers from the barracks that were interested… Women and men. We made our way out of the main gate when we were done. There was a group of woman soldiers… just talking. Louis and Marcus were in front of me. They were walking past… The one woman turned when she saw Louis and greeted him. Such a smile, though. She was a little shorter than me. Brunette. The total opposite. Cute round face and the girl next door.

At first, I thought nothing of it. Louis turned to her, and they talked. He introduced her to Marcus. He introduced all of them to Marcus… They weren’t going to bow even though they knew who he was. But they were swooning.

The brunette was strong, and you could see in her mannerisms that she definitely wouldn’t have made it on En- gannim. Louis was speaking animatedly to her. They were talking about the fight and the living conditions. I hadn’t had that much time to get to know everyone that had come and was training. Interested in changing. Becoming stronger.

With Michael at the house, I had gotten preoccupied with being there. Louis and I tried to leave only when it was absolutely necessary. Marcus was also back, and we had been spending time together.

My gaze traveled from her outstretched arm to Louis’s face. She had grabbed Louis’s wrist and turned it around to inspect the gashes that Mateo had left. Louis was smiling and flicked her on the forehead.

I disappeared immediately.

Everyone had known I was there… And when I vanished, Louis, Marcus, and all the women in the group that were flirting with my two husbands glanced my way. The women liked the fact that I had an ability. Louis actually got a smirk on his face. I was thinking about how I would kill her… and how I would kill him… It had been a long time since I needed to disappear. Or use it to run away from something I couldn’t handle. I had thought that I was past it… At that moment, I was so angry that I couldn’t control myself.

“What’s wrong with her? Can’t she control her ability?” The brunette asked, sneering at me. Louis snickered. Marcus had no clue what was going on… I stood there… watching her. They were laughing at me and when I came back. I was manifested, and my eyes weren’t black. And I didn’t have my plate on. Marcus was the first to step in between the women and me. Louis had pulled the brunette back in behind him, shielding her.

I instantly came back to reason... The gesture hit home… and hit hard. I stopped my manifestation and walked past them. Sometimes I had control.

I could handle a lot of things. But number two on my list was them cheating on me… All I saw was her and Louis… Months together when I was pregnant. They were so familiar with each other. I remembered the comment he made about the pretty vamps. Or should I say tramps that came from the prisons? It must be her… I had even made a joke that he should introduce me.

Marcus stopped me halfway down the corridor. When he swung me around, I disappeared again. I had never asked Marcus if he and Ahasuerus had an agreement with the women on En-gannim… I just assumed he wouldn’t… take a wife. But maybe he did sleep with her. Just to get back at me.

He took a step back. “I’ve not seen you disappear like this, Julie. And I have no idea what’s going on.”

I came back. “I’m jealous and can’t control my ability. Did you ever sleep with that girl… or get married? For a first wife.”

“What! Jealous of me? Juliet, how could you ask me that? Of course not. I wouldn’t be here otherwise… Have my kisses not changed? Are they not what they were before I left?”

“You never told me how angry you were. Did you consider it? That night?”

In my mind, I begged him to say no….

I watched him, and he nodded. “I was so angry. Thinking about that night. But I would never have just to get back at you. It was only because of Michael… Julie, what was one more woman if you could walk out with him…? You have us all?”

“Says the guy who can’t get over Soren,” I whispered. My gaze traveled to Louis. “I can’t control my jealousy... Louis let her touch him. He flicked her forehead… It’s a very intimate thing for him to do.”

The girl had grabbed Louis’s hand by then. She was dragging him down the corridor away from us. Probably to the infirmary. I would have taken care of that.

“Let’s kick him out.” I laughed lightly. “He obviously doesn’t know how this works….” Marcus picked up Louis’s chains around my neck and let them fall again. “And what did you say… “that if one of us leaves, they are in love, and you will let them go. I won’t mind being the last man standing.”

My airway closed off. I couldn’t breathe. I felt so small. Just thinking of Louis loving someone else. After everything… I got too much for him in the end. I looked at Marcus. If he cheated any of them. What was wrong with me? “Do you think he’s in love with her?” We both watched Louis down at the bottom of the corridor. The girl was talking, and he was listening.

“It depends… when last did he want you?” Louis’s head snapped up at us… just before they disappeared down the hall.

I couldn’t remember when last Louis and I had sex let alone have a romantic… anything. “I don’t think my weakness is my mouth at all… Your all going to get tired of me.” Marcus wanted to say something, but I was walking away. He fell in step next to me, taking my hand. I gripped his so tightly.

We walked to the car, and we drove back to the compound. We went into the heavily guarded gates. Parked the car. He opened the door for me. I didn’t feel like talking. I went into my room and closed the door in Marcus’s face. I walked to the door between our rooms and closed that one too. It really didn’t matter. He could get to me if he wanted to.

I heard Michael coming out of his room and talking to Marcus.

“What happened?”

“Louis is talking to another girl.” Michael drew in air through his teeth. I opened the door again.

“See, even he understands.” I pushed past them, walked to Michaels’s bar, and sat on a stool. Marcus sat down next to me, his elbow on the counter. Resting his head on his hand regarding me. Michael was making us all a drink… The yard quickly filled up with people.

Everyone that had watched us practacing went to sit on the patio. My dad came walking over… “Hey, did you see Louis and the girls…” I laughed lightly. My dad walked over, and Michael handed him a beer. He sat down next to me. Marcus’s eyes didn’t leave me. He was actually smirking.

“So she did… Is he moving on?” My dad quipped.

“Juliet disappeared… The girls mocked her… She manifested, and Louis dragged that same girl in behind him….” Michael and my dad drew in air through their clenched teeth. My head landed on my bent elbow on the counter, burying my face in the crook.

Louis cleared his throat from the door. I couldn’t look up. Not ready for him to want an open marriage.

“She’s my cousin.” He stated.

Everyone burst out laughing.

I got up and ran to him and flung myself around his neck. He carried me hanging on him to the bar. Michael gave him a beer.

“Oh yeah, Liam, did you know Louis is Qadir's Cousin,” Marcus said.

“You’re an Ahmed?” Michael and my dad asked at the same time.

“So much for Qadir being an inbred fascist,” Louis said.

“We’re all going to inbreed soon. Your cousin?” I snorted. I clung to Louis. Not letting go. He sat down, and I was on his lap on the couches. “You have yet to get me pregnant.”

His hands gripped my waist.

“But you’re on birth control….” Michael said from the bar.

Louis’s nails dug into my sides. I gripped him tighter. “Baby… You’re on birth control?”

I nodded in his neck. “I’ll go off after Ahasuerus.”

“For a moment. I forgot about the fight. Just the thought of a baby.” Louis kissed me.

There was no way I would get pregnant again for some time. And we would actually need to sleep together for that to happen. I thought while kissing him.

“I understand.” He flashed his eyebrows… He wanted to get up, but Jessy stood at the door. Louis read his thought. Louis swore loudly. He was going to take me to bed. The peaceful moment was short-lived. He lifted a hand. It meant Jessy needed to give him a minute.

***

Marcus

I didn’t know what was going on half the time. There was a language between everyone. Everyone could read between the lines. Knew how feelings worked. I would have to learn… Louis had a way with people. Where Jessy would bend a knee to talk to me. He just had to think about it, and Louis knew. He seemed troubled seeing Jessy. Juliet was still hanging on to him. Louis tapped her shoulder. She reluctantly let go and sat down next to him. Jessy closed the door. Louis turned to the room, and his eyes came up to mine. “Soren is here.”

I thought that I didn’t have emotions until I was angry. It was why I was always careful with Juliet. Self-control for days until I pictured them together. Funny enough… Louis, I was okay with. The three of us I could handle. Like it was supernaturally okay.

She got up and walked over to me. My eyes were closed, and the hurt kept coming back. I didn’t know why it was such a big issue. Even Michael was an issue… He understood her. There was a friendship that we might never have. Just like with her, Carl… or Charlene. Jealousy was the one thing we both could not handle.

“Why don’t I go and wait in the room, and you and the guys sort it out. Maybe he didn’t even ask for me.” Juliet’s gaze traveled to Louis.

“She is right, Marcus. He didn’t ask for her. He’s here to see you. Well, you and me.”

“Don’t come out, Julie… I swear.”

“I won’t? I know how you feel.” My eyes warned her… She left kissing me. I was immediately cold and didn’t kiss back. When I heard her room door close, I took another shot on the bar counter. Jessy brought Soren in, and I could see something was wrong. I might not have EQ, but I could read his facial expressions. I hoped it wasn’t about the branding.

“Hi Soren, how have you been?” He and Louis hugged. And I didn’t understand Louis… Soren greeted us. Held out his hand, and I reluctantly shook it. Louis introduced Soren to Michael. His eyes needed to drift up but not as much as mine... Michael didn’t say anything but shook his hand.

Soren wasn’t really in the mood nor cared about Juliet’s first husband. He sat down with his hand in his unstyled hair. Back to compound Soren. We waited. “It’s about my sister. I know I don’t have the right to ask, but I was hoping we could go to En-gannim and find her.”

Louis glanced at me. It would be my choice. I was considering leaving Juliet. I did have a past with Soren. I had known him since he was small. I remember him and Juliet. The relationship they had on the compound. How easy it was for them to just click and be happy together. I took another shot. Michael kept them coming. He took a few himself. I wasn’t leaving again.

Liam was there, playing with the cat, regarding me. Challenging me to do better. “I’ll go if Louis and Juliet go with me.” Liam smiled and nodded. “Sleep here tonight, Soren. There is an open room next to Michael’s.”

Everybody’s eyes shot to mine. Seemed like I had more say than I thought. Or snakes growing out of my head.

“We leave first thing in the morning.”

I left for next door. Louis didn’t follow. I was going to sleep with my wife.

***