Chapter 2 2

JAXSON

By nine that night, the penthouse barely looked like the same place.

Music blasted through the speakers, the bass vibrating through the marble floors and rattling the enormous glass windows overlooking the city. Every corner was crowded with college students, most of them people I knew from Aurelius University and the football team.

My teammates had practically taken over the living room.

A few of the offensive linemen were gathered around the massive kitchen island, laughing loudly over bottles of beer while arguing about something that had happened during practice. Two of the running backs were competing over who could do more push-ups while their friends filmed them on their phones.

Near the floor-to-ceiling windows, a group of girls in tiny dresses danced to the music, their laughter mixing with the pounding beat.

Someone had already turned the private bar into a battlefield.

Bottles of whiskey, vodka, tequila, and expensive champagne covered the countertop, while red plastic cups were scattered across almost every available surface. Someone had spilled a drink near the couch, but nobody seemed interested in cleaning it up.

I leaned against the kitchen counter with a beer in my hand, watching the chaos unfold until two guys approached me. 

“Callahan!” A tall guy with blonde hair slapped my shoulder in greeting before leaning against the kitchen island. “What's up? You've been acting weird since the party started.”

My answer was immediate. “No, I haven't.”

“Yes, you have.”

A low groan escaped me when my best friend and team captain, Zeke, appeared by my other side. He reached for a drink from the kitchen island before winking at another girl who passed us. 

I glared at him. “You know, you eye-fuck girls way too much for a guy that's supposed to be dating my cousin.”

Zeke grinned unapologetically as he pushed his hands into his pockets to lean on the island. Girls were always all over him whenever they had the chance and I didn't blame them. He was very good-looking and had the kind of effortless charm that made girls gravitate toward him without even trying.

Unfortunately, my cousin was one of them.

“Bro, your cousin refused to come to the party because she wants to get enough sleep for her freshman orientation tomorrow. Her words, not mine.”

I shot him a glare that clearly said his excuse was not going to save him tonight. As far as I knew, Zeke truly liked my cousin, but I knew how easy it was to be carried away with the campus football fame. 

Zeke finally threw his hands up when he saw how serious I was about this.

“Fine,” he relented. “I'll keep my eyes to myself. It wasn't like I was touching anyone anyway. What's got your granny panties in a twist?”

The other guy interjected. “Yeah, you've been acting weird. You refused to leave the kitchen no matter how many guys have found you to play beer pong or how many girls came to flirt.”

I let out a low grunt before pretending to drink my beer. Up to this moment, I had done a spectacular job of hiding the fact that I had a roommate upstairs. The submissive wolf had done a good job of obeying my order, but I didn't want to take any chances. 

Because if my friends saw her, they would immediately investigate why I was staying with her. And then, they would find out that the secret I had been struggling to keep since the semester began. 

My dad had officially pulled out his financial support, and it was not just for the semester.

He had cut me off completely.

My apartment, the car, my tuition, everything had been paid for through the Callahan family account. The moment I turned twenty last month, my father had made it clear that he was done funding what he considered my pointless football career.

According to him, I had already wasted enough time playing college football when I should have been preparing to take over as the next Alpha of the Blackthorn Pack.

So, I had decided that I would complete the remaining two years without asking him for a single damn thing. I still had my grandfather's trust fund to survive on, but there were spending limits, so I had to stay here for now.  

My other friend shared a look with Zeke when he thought I wasn't looking before nudging my shoulder gently. 

“Is everything good, man?”

“I'm fine, Kaiser,” I replied, struggling to keep my face neutral even though every part of me just wanted to call off this party. “I've just been under a lot of stress lately. The classes, football...”

Zeke slapped a hand around my shoulder. “We get it, man. I know it's a lot...”

I rolled my eyes when both guys shared a knowing grin and fist-bumped, knowing what was coming next. 

“...but it's always worth it.”

The urge to groan again nearly left my lips, but I managed to suppress it. The guys were only here to celebrate the fact that we had a ranked match coming up at the end of the semester, and I was ruining it for them. 

Before I could reply, a loud scream tore through the entire penthouse. Everyone's heads instantly snapped to the source of the sound, their eyes glued to the upper floor. 

Kaiser and Zeke turned to me. 

What the hell was going on?

My feet started moving before my brain could process it. My legs ate up the stairs in a matter of seconds and then I found myself on the top floor. 

I heard a couple of footsteps followed me from behind, but I didn't care. I rushed straight to Simone's room first, but I didn't find her. Then I heard a faint whimper down the hallway and froze. 

“Tamara?”

She didn't answer me. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she stood at the doorway. My wolf growled at her obvious distress, prompting me to close the distance between us. 

That's when I saw it. 

My younger brother, Evander, was lying naked on top of another woman. 

“What the hell is going on?” I demanded, my voice a low growl.