12

"I still can't believe you thought Caspian was an Alaiser," Taylor muttered and Trevor slapped him on the back of the head.

The three were there after the conversation with Caspian was over. They were waiting for me outside. Lined up, hands deep in pockets. They couldn't hear what was happening inside. All the walls were jinxed that the words spoken inside were not heard in the next room. With our super hearing, we would otherwise only be distracted, or something.

The three had looked at me worried and it wasn't played. I had once again wondered where that came from. Now we were sitting in the cafeteria and I watched Grayson get something to eat.

"What?" Taylor asked contritely. "Say something, Tara!"

"Shut up," Trevor hissed.

"I think it's cool. We Alaister's are powerful, aren't we Tara? say you feel it We're the greatest."

I just shook my head and pulled away from Grayson, who was flirting with a black haired beauty.

"Why not?" Taylor asked, hurt. "I mean, everyone feels that Caspian is more powerful than an Alpha. Only you didn't realize it."

"What do you mean by that? Do you feel he's more powerful than an Alpha?" I asked back. Yes, Caspian exuded something. Power too, I suppose, but it didn't let me distinguish him from other Alphas.

"You're his equal as his Erasthai, maybe you take it differently than we do," Grayson replied, placing his tray on the table next to me.

How did he get here so quickly? Behind him was the black-haired woman I just saw him talking to.

"This is Esme," he introduced her briefly, sliding into the seat next to me and she sat down next to him. Trevor and Taylor looked at him questioningly, as did I. I just didn't know if they had the same question as me or if it was because of that Esme.

"What's an Erasthai?" I asked Taylor, ignoring Grayson. I was annoyed that he brought her here, but Taylor seemed fascinated by her. I glanced at her and saw bright green eyes behind raven hair. The opposite of me and definitely beautiful.

"A Lycan's soulmate," Esme answered me instead of Taylor, smiling politely at me. The boys, on the other hand, grinned at each other like it was the dumbest question they've ever been asked.

"Is that something else?" I asked back, although I didn't want to talk to her. I looked her way but she was eyeing Taylor. Was there distrust in her eyes?

"What do you think?" Grayson pushed his tray away and sat back.

"I mean we wolves have a mate?!" I almost choked on my last word and I was sure no one at the table had missed it because now all four of them were looking at me.

"And?" Grayson asked dryly.

"There can only ever be one soul mate, right?" The triplets looked at each other in silence. Far too long, they kept talking without me. Great.

"A Lycan only ever has one soulmate, but they call him Erasthai," Esme replied again.

"If your soulmate is a wolf, then he also has a mate and can choose between him and the Erasthai. In theory, if he's had a chance to meet both, which is very unlikely."

"Very unlikely," I murmured her last words.

"I'm Esmeralda Black, by the way." She passed her hand over Grayson and I took it.

"Black?" I didn't know any Black pack in the States. "Your accent is from the island."

"Yup," she answered curtly.

"The Blacks?" I asked, amazed.

"I don't know which one you mean exactly," she giggled.

"The ones that have the largest coven of witches in Europe on their territory?" I asked.

"Er, yes that's us." My eyes widened and so did the boys'. She now had my full attention.

"A lycan's life is more closely linked to that of their soulmate than ours is to our mate. Their death is inevitable when they die. If their Erasthai dies, they die," she switched back to the old topic. She clearly didn't want to talk about herself.

"Simply that way?" I now asked my question directly to Esme since the boys had opted out.

"I don't know, to be honest. I suppose only after the marking, like ours. No lycan would live that long otherwise. Their Erasthai could be history a long time ago, I mean King Caspian is over a hundred years old."

"I have no idea," I said. I accepted. I had never dealt with him. I didn't even realize who he was until just now. My thoughts got stuck on the word death. I hadn't died with my mate. I should have at least gone insane, right?

"What was it about exactly? Are you King Caspian's Erasthai? It was quite obvious that he is very interested in you."

"What?" I hastily asked back. "No!" I quickly threw after him. I didn't even realize Esme was in my class, if she asked that then who knew?

"Don't lie to Tara!" Grayson growled next to me, looking at me seriously.

"Better late than never. You really didn't know, did you?" Taylor now chimed in again.

Grayson fixed me again with his clear brown eyes. They mirrored my every move and it was harder for me to lie when I looked at him.

"It doesn't matter. I'll win this stupid game, then he'll leave me alone, that's our deal," I answered defiantly.

"Unlikely," Esme murmured. "If you are his Erasthai, he will never leave you alone." When did I admit it was true?

"He's done that before."

"You know each other?"

"No," I mumbled, and I didn't mean to. If it was up to me, we would never see each other again.

"Still, I'm surprised he chose you for his fox. You could die," Esme murmured, now looking at Taylor who was shifting nervously in his seat. She almost pierced him with her gaze and he grew more and more restless.

"It's never happened before," I said, continuing to watch what happened between Esme and Taylor.

"Nevertheless, he puts you in danger," Esme shook her head, not taking her eyes off Taylor, who was now avoiding her gaze.

"Look at you, you're definitely going to die," Grayson's voice thundered across the table. My head snapped towards him, but his expression was blank. He was still leaning back in his chair and hadn't touched his food yet.

"Shut up, Gray," Trevor snapped at him. "That's why we're here, we won't let it come to that. It doesn't matter what she decides."

"What do you mean?" I asked back. "What else can I decide?" Trevor looked at me nervously. He'd said something he shouldn't have said, Grayson almost killing him with his gaze.

"Well, you can opt out of Caspian and we're here," Taylor said hastily.

"He may be the king, but he can't influence your ultimate choice for him," Esme added.

"Enough. We have to go to the next course," Grayson stood up and looked at us, his eyes betraying that he wouldn't take no.

"May I see the necklace?" Esme pointed her fork at Taylor, who was rubbing his shirt. I saw a glint of gold chain around his neck and a pendant was visible under his shirt.

"No," he growled at Esme.

"Why not, you all wear the same chain, why?" Esme didn't give up.

"That's a brother thing," Trevor replied hastily.

"Well, I grew up around witches, I know what I'm looking at."

"Fine, then we don't need to explain, Esme. Stone, we're going." Grayson's voice was just a low growl, but it left no questions unanswered. For him the conversation was over.

"What are those chains?" I slid up to Esme, ignoring Grayson.

"Something personal, Stone. Esme, shall we go?" he turned to her. Her gaze was still on Taylor, who tried to ignore her, but then got up and followed Grayson.

The day couldn't get any stranger. I watched after Grayson and Esme as I picked up my tray and stood up. Taylor was still sitting at the table and Trevor gave him a shove that made him gasp but then got up as well.

"What's the next class?" Taylor asked as he caught up with me.

"Self defense," I ground out.

"You're great there?"

"Tongue maybe," I heard Grayson mutter in front of us. Man, what was he always up to? Even though what an Alaiser said wasn't supposed to hurt me, it did.

"Then let's change that," Trevor nudged me from the right and I had to quickly balance my tray so it didn't land on Grayson and Esme in front of me.