Chapter 639

Jesse grins at Daphne as they reach his floor. “Good. Do you want to hang out then?"

"Of course," she says, grinning at him and starting towards the familiar Sinclair doorway.

But Jesse reaches out a hand and puts it on her shoulder, stopping her. "Actually," he says, turning his head a little, a small smile quirking at the corners of his mouth. "Do you mind if it's...a smaller party tonight? Rafe and Jacks just found out they have a draft tomorrow and they want peace and quiet in the room - they're stressed as hell."

"Oh," Daphne says, her eyebrows going up as she looks at the door and then back at Jesse. "Um, sure. Did you have something else in mind?" A hesitant smile arches across her face.

"Yeah," he says, taking a step closer to her and dropping his hand from her shoulder. "I've got an idea of where we could go. You just...wait here, all right? For...fifteen seconds?"

"But I'll be all lonely," she says, twisting her face in mock disappointment.

Jesse laughs and raises a hand, a little shadow kitten forming in it immediately and making Daphne squeal with joy to see it. "Here, Mittens will keep you company," Jesse says, laughing and tipping the kitten into her arms.

Daphne laughs, petting the kitten's barely-there fur and peering down into its adorable face, completely distracted as Jesse moves towards his room. Distracted enough to miss the fact that Jesse stands at his door for a few seconds longer than he needs to before he opens it, just watching her, his eyes crinkled with joy. He only starts back into motion when his wolf gives his heart a sharp bite inside - telling him to hurry the hell up.

Jesse grins and presses open his door, moving fast towards his cousin and Jackson, sitting across from each other on the sofa and talking seriously about plans for the draft.

"Whoa," Rafe says, looking up at Jesse in surprise. "I thought you were going to the library?"

"Change of plans," Jesse says, dropping the note in Rafe's lap and Ariel's bookbag at Jackson's feet. Then he ignores their questions, heading immediately for his bed and reaching behind the headboard for the contraband hidden there.

“Okay, so,” Jesse says, ducking through the wide sixth-story window and stepping out onto the ledge. “Just come out here with me, and then –“

"Jesse,” Daphne groans, leaning away from the hand he extends to her. "I'm not - I don't want to jump out a window -"

"It's just a little jump!" he says, grinning at her and keeping that hand extended. "Honestly, just like, a mini leap. Barely a hop."

"Jesse," she sighs again, but

somehow her hand is already in his, and he tugs her out onto the wide ledge with him. When she sees the drop below them, though, Daphne gives a squeak of fear and slams her eyes shut, turning hard to bury her face in Jesse's shoulder. Thate this.

I hate you."

"No, you don't," he murmurs, wrapping a warm arm around her. "you're perfectly safe, Daph. And it'll be so worth it! Just...I do need you to open your eyes for the next bit."

"No," she groans, "I wish to meet my death blind."

"Daphne!"

"Respect my final wishes, Sinclair!"

Jesse bursts out laughing and raises a hand to her cheek, giving her a little pat. "We seriously have to take one step to the left. My dad took me here when I was a kid - before they had five replacements for met Do you think he would have risked me if it wasn't safe?"

"I don't know, Jess," Daphne says, looking up into his face with wide blue eyes. "I don't get the impression that you were the most likeable kid.”

He bursts out laughing again but

et

turns away from her, dropping his hand from her face and taking a single leap - a hop, really - down onto a balcony just a few inches away, holding onto her hand the whole time.

"All right, you next," he says, holding his hands up to her.noveldrama

"I can't believe you left me up here," Daphne says, pressing her back to the outer wall of the stone castle, squeezing his fingers hard in her hand. "Just jump -"

"I hate you,” she whispers, but then she presses her eyes shut and turns towards him and gives a frightened little leap. Jesse catches her, of course, and easily sets her on her feet, smiling the whole time.