The Seduction of Jac Frost (by Tatienne Richard) novel Chapter 39

Exploring The Town Part I

Jacqueline was in her room at the ski lodge on the edge of

the quaintest and most idyllic little Christmas town she’d ever

seen and wondered what on earth she was doing here.

It was everything made–for–tv movies centered plots around small–town romances with big city girls and local tree

farmers and she personally found it gag–worthy. The urge to punch things as she slammed her makeup bag on the

counter of the vanity in the bathroom was overwhelming.

She stared at her reflection in the mirror and grimaced. The blue streak in her hair mocked her and as she lifted her

hands to brush it away, she caught sight of how blue her fingers were. She knew why she was angry.

Jacinta looping her arms through Wilder and Rafferty’s as they’d entered the lodge and pouted up at them demanding they meet her downstairs for a drink after made her want to shriek with rage. Neither man had pushed her aside and instead of shutting her down, Wilder made an excuse about taking Wraith to check in at his rehabilitation center and Wraith mentioned needing to make phone calls for work.

How hard was it to say no outright instead of letting her think

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it was appropriate to put her hands on them? They didn’t like it when Wraith flirted with her, but Jacinta was allowed to flirt

with them? Hell no. It did not work that way.

Throwing her hands away from her hair she marched to her bags which had just been delivered and dug through them.

She found a chunky hat, some warm mitts and stomped into

a pair of winter boots. She slipped the winter coat on and

then tucked her room key into her pocket with her cell phone

and a small amount of cash and decided she was going to go

explore the town.

She was halfway down the stairs when she heard the annoying lilt of Jacinta’s voice in the lobby of the lodge. She caught sight of her parents and siblings sitting around in a

semi–circle around a fireplace and Jacinta’s voice carried.

“I’m sure we need to give her time but it’s blowing my mind

how ungrateful she is. She doesn’t appreciate the fact you came here for her. She simply stomped away, Daddy.” Jacinta

whined loudly, “she is a brat. I mean it’s not her fault. She

was raised like a heathen in a system which left her almost feral. Its going to take a lot of time for her to learn to royal

etiquette.”

“If royal etiquette is talking shit about people and making 2/6

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<Exploring The Town Part I

them seem like they aren’t good enough, count me the fuck out,” she called out from across the room. “You’re a snake,

Jacinta. If they are too blind to see how devious you are, that’s on them, not me. I don’t trust you. Stay away from me and keep my name out of your mouth.”

“Oh sister, I was simply explaining to our parents why you are

so reluctant.”

“No, you weren’t. You were painting me in a negative light to

diminish my real fears and concerns about your wretched

behavior. The fact your family can’t see how shady you are is

a testament to their complicity in your bitchiness. They raised

you to be the demon you are.”

“Jacqueline,” Winika protested softly. “Why don’t you come

and sit, and we can get to know one another.”

She pointed to the door of the lodge, “on any given day, I would rather eat glass than engage in personal conversations with strangers and yet, I would rather go out those doors, introduce myself to every single townsperson

and become their best friend before I sit down with her.”

“You’re being a brat.”

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“Thanks Jack. I’d like to take this opportunity to formally rescind my agreement to have you as my big brother. You know when you said you’d protect me. I didn’t realize it didn’t

include people who want to do harm to me in your family. Under your care, she’d probably poison me or freeze me to

death because kidnapping me all those years ago didn’t give

her the desired outcome.”

“Jacqueline those are serious allegations.”

“Don’t worry. I have no intention of pursuing them. Just stay the fuck away from me. All of you.” She held her father’s gaze and saw the sadness there but pushed it away. She had no use for the emotions of grown people who thought she owed it to them to lay down and let them walk on her.

She exited the lounge and rolled her eyes were Jack immediately fell into step with her.

“You need to come back and talk.”

“Go to hell brother,” she muttered as she yanked her hat onto

her head.

He pulled it off, “you don’t need that. You’re a Frost.”

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“I will look like a freak if I’m out in temperatures which freeze,” she pointed to a frozen lake in the distance.

“I know you’re upset.”

She turned and shoved his chest, “she put ten cuts into my flesh, Jack, while your mother kept me pinned there. She hurt me. Physically. Then she insulted me. She has not stopped insulting me since. Her words are veiled as concern, but they are cruel and I have no use for anyone who would be friends with someone I consider an enemy.”

“She is your sister! She is not your enemy. She took a bash to the head when you were taken.”

“Yeah. I see the scar on her forehead. About an inch long. Not big enough to actually mar her features but enough to prove she was wounded. Funny how the nurse got hit on the back of the head, but her cut is to her forehead. She got pushed down onto the table, but why would someone hit the nurse from behind but then push her until she stumbled onto a table. Funny how that is.”

“Jacqueline.”

She lifted her middle digit and was surprised to see it wasn’t 5/6

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only blue, but it was glowing brightly. The strangest urge to flick ice directly from it at his face filled her and she went with it. A shard of ice, sharp and pointy grew and she immediately knew how her back ended up with the little slices. She flung it at him, and he easily batted it away and she shrugged carelessly and began walking down the hill towards the town.