CHAPTER 174: BIRTHDAY GIRL

For the past five nights, Jayden had been hunting relentlessly in the city’s forest—never letting himself rest for more than a few hours at a time. He kept it discreet, slipping in and out of the forest under the cover of darkness. He didn’t provoke packs or drag fights out.

No. He hunted like a shadow.

The moment he locked onto a target, it was over before the beast even knew it was being stalked. A flash of claws, a telekinetic slam, a quick puncture to the throat—kill, store, move on.

Swift, clean, and silent.

The fear worked in his favor. Word—or whatever passed for communication between beasts had spread since the time he defeated the winter wolf. The beast’s didn’t challenge him anymore. Their eyes would widen, they’d hesitate, some even bolted the instant his scent carried on the wind. But those who fled were often the first to die.

He’d learned to capitalize on that fear, striking before they could scatter.

Still, as good as his progress was, it wasn’t enough. He had a target.

Level 15. Before the end of the month.

That meant two more levels in just a handful of days—a push that would require him to find stronger prey. F and E-rank kills wouldn’t cut it. He’d need to start targeting beasts that actually fought back. And this would require him to go to the forests in other cities.

He exhaled, closing the system interface, and mentally mapping out the dens and territories he’d scouted over the last few nights. He already had a plan—three D-rank Howlers in the west ridge, a tremor gator deep in the marsh, and maybe, if he was feeling reckless, the lone frostfang bear he’d been avoiding.

Jayden’s reflection smirked back at him in the mirror. He was going to get hunt and keep hunting, getting stronger and more powerful by the day. No matter what it takes.

But for now... he had a birthday girl to please.

The warm scent of cinnamon and fresh-baked pastries greeted Jayden as he stepped out of his room and descended the stairs. The sound of laughter and clinking cutlery carried from the dining room, light and cheerful.. yet there was an undercurrent in the air he could already feel.

Jessica’s favorite breakfast was spread across the long table... fluffy pancakes stacked high, dusted with powdered sugar and drizzled with golden syrup, plates of fresh fruit, scrambled eggs, and sizzling strips of bacon still steaming from the pan. At the center sat a modest cake, its pale pink frosting piped into delicate swirls, candles sticking out like tiny, colorful spears waiting for their moment.

The entire family was gathered—Harleen, Jacob, and Tasha each with their own unique brand of morning energy. Jessica was in her usual spot, dressed in a soft cream sweater, hair tied in a loose ponytail, eyes brighter than usual. But when Jayden’s gaze met hers across the table, there was a split-second flicker.. an almost imperceptible reminder of the moment they had earlier. She looked away first, busying herself with rearranging the strawberries on her plate.

"Happy Birthday, Jessica. Mummy loves you!" Harleen’s voice sang above the chatter, a wide smile on her face. "Alright, everyone, let’s do this right!"

Jacob struck up the birthday song in his deep baritone, the others joining in. Jayden sang too, his tone calm, steady, never breaking eye contact with the candles in front of her.

Jessica smiled faintly through the singing, though her glances toward him were brief, quick like she was testing if he’d look away. He didn’t.

When the song ended, everyone clapped and cheered. Jessica closed her eyes for a moment, leaning slightly toward the cake.

"Make a good wish," Tasha teased with a smirk from the opposite end.

Jessica opened her eyes again, inhaled deeply, and blew. The tiny flames wavered before vanishing into a curl of smoke.

"Woo!" Harleen clapped, quickly pulling the cake closer to cut the first slice.

The gift-giving followed... Harleen handed her a new set of designer sneakers, Jacob gave her a sleek new holo-tab, one designed specifically for playing games. Tasha presented her with a luxury makeup kit.

When it came to Jayden’s turn, he simply nudged his gift forward without a word—it was the blue-wrapped game disc from the earlier before. She’d had forgotten it in his room during the whole sexual tension.

Jessica accepted it with a soft, almost unreadable smile.

"Thanks," she said, her tone light but clipped. He nodded in return.

Conversation flowed easily between everyone else, but Jayden could feel the way her focus slid past him, how her laughter at Tasha’s jokes was just a little louder than usual. The tension wasn’t overt—it wasn’t the kind anyone else would notice, but it was there, quiet and deliberate.

After breakfast, plans were made. They were headed to the arcade for the day—Jessica’s pick, of course.

The arcade was a riot of flashing neon, electronic jingles, and the hum of competition. Jessica moved from game to game with almost childlike excitement, challenging Tasha to racing games, laughing when Harleen destroyed her in air hockey. Jayden hung back at first, but she dragged him into a co-op shooter, their avatars moving in sync through a hail of pixelated bullets. They didn’t talk much, but their teamwork was effortless—years of knowing each other bleeding into instinct.

By the time evening rolled around, the group was tired, hands sore from button-mashing and arms aching from skee-ball. They grabbed snacks from a fast-food restaurant on the way home, splitting off at the house to finish off the day with a feast.

.......

Later, after dinner – 8:02 PM

Jessica’s room was bathed in the soft amber glow of the led lights on the walls. She stood in front of the full-length mirror, adjusting the strap of her midnight-blue dress. The fabric clung to her curves in all the right places, the slit along the thigh a bold touch that hinted at confidence—and maybe just a little mischief. Her hair spilled in soft waves over one shoulder, and her lips were painted in a deep shade of red.

On the bed, Tasha sat cross-legged, idly scrolling through her phone, but her eyes flicked up every so often to watch. A smirk tugged at her mouth.

"That’s enough, Cinderella." she teased. "You don’t wanna be late to your own party,"

Jessica arched a brow at her reflection. "Or what?"

"Or you’ll have Cassie hunting you down in those ridiculous heels she’s wearing tonight. And trust me, you don’t wanna deal with that wrath," Tasha replied with a laugh.

Jessica rolled her eyes. "Maybe I’ll just decide not to go at all."

Tasha grinned wider. "You wouldn’t dare. Cassie will end you." she giggled.

Jessica hesitated for a second before letting out a quiet sigh, muttering under her breath. "You’re right... she did go through all that trouble." she chuckled.

She turned from the mirror, posing with one hand on her hip. "Well? How do I look?"

Tasha set her phone aside and gave her a slow, appraising glance. "Like you’re about to ruin a dozen guys’ nights... and make a dozen girls jealous."

Jessica’s lips curved into a smile. "Good. That’s exactly the energy I’m going for."

She reached for her small clutch purse, checking its contents quickly before stepping toward the door. Then she paused, looking over her shoulder.

"You sure you don’t wanna come?" she asked, her tone softer this time.

Tasha shook her head. "I’m sure. Sorry, Jess. I’ll make it up to you."

Jessica shrugged lightly. "It’s fine." She opened the door, hand still on the knob.

"Have fun," Tasha called after her, smiling.

Jessica returned it with a small wave. "I will."

And with that, she stepped into the hallway, the soft click of her heels echoing faintly against the polished floor. She walked the short distance to Jayden’s room, the dim light from the hallway glinting off the silver doorknob. She knocked twice, her knuckles tapping lightly against the wood.

"Jayden?" Jessica called, voice pitched just loud enough for him to hear.

There was a beat of silence, then faint movement inside.. footsteps, something shifting. The lock clicked, and the door eased open to reveal him standing there, still adjusting the collar of his dark shirt. He looked... surprisingly put together. Black fitted shirt, sleeves rolled just enough to show his forearms, dark jeans, and a faint trace of cologne drifting out of the room.

His eyes flicked over her outfit, a subtle raise of his brow. "So... you’re planning to make half the party forget their names tonight?"

Jessica smirked. "Is that supposed to be a compliment? If yes, then you suck at it." she giggled.

She let her gaze sweep over him just as shamelessly. "You clean up pretty well yourself. Didn’t think you owned a shirt without claw marks on it."

Jayden gave a short laugh. "You’re still mad about this morning, aren’t you?"

"Yes I am," Jessica replied, stepping closer to peek past him into the room. "So... we leaving, or are you planning to stare at me till dawn?"

Jayden leaned on the doorframe, one corner of his mouth twitching upward. "I was just making sure you’re ready to go. And maybe admiring you a little."

Jessica scoffed. "Maybe? Are you kidding me?"

"No." Jayden gave a quiet chuckle and stepped back. "Come on. Let’s get going."

Jessica entered with a scowl, brushing past him deliberately, her perfume curling in the air between them. Jayden reached over to grab his jacket from the chair, slipping it on in one smooth motion.

"Balcony exit?" she asked, already knowing the answer.

Jayden glanced at her with that familiar smirk. "Of course. We don’t want mum and dad asking questions, do we?"

Jessica chuckled. "Damn, Jayden. And I thought I was the baddie. You’re clearly the notorious one here." she giggled.

Jayden smiled wryly. "You were the one who said that the first night we snuck out. I was only emulating what you told me."

Jessica smirked. "Sure you were." she muttered, dragging Jayden with her.

They walked side by side toward the sliding balcony door. The night air rushed in as Jayden slid it open, cool and crisp with the faint smell of the city beyond. Lights twinkled in the distance, and the low hum of traffic reached them from far below.