“Don’t you have an issue with the fact that your daughter is a werewolf?” I snapped. This was the first time I had seen her since I was bitten, and she looked … happy about it. Freakin’ happy! I started to shake with hot anger, and I glared at her. “You want me to give myself to some guy to use me as he chooses? Seriously, Mom, I think you and Dad need therapy or parenting classes or something. This is not something to be happy about.”
I might as well have slapped her across the face. She certainly looked like my words had hurt her just as much, and a rush of guilt washed over me. Her eyes misted up, and she took a few breaths before she was able to look at me again.
“Jade, Aidan is not Ray,” she said in a shaky voice. “I won’t have you speaking about him that way in my house. Use you as he chooses.” She shook her head and made a tsk sound, clearly disappointed. “He’s not a monster. It’s just the way of the pack. He’s the leader. You need to show your respect. And besides, once the games …”
The front door opened and slammed shut. Mom looked up and I watched as the blood drained from her face and her complexion turned to a sickly gray. I didn’t need to look to see who it was; his scent hit me hard and fast.
“What games?” I asked, fighting to ignore his presence. “What were you going to say?” I may have been too freaked out to ask Jared, but Mom was a totally different story.
“Nothing, honey,” she said in a rush, still looking over me at Aidan. “Better hurry, you’ll be late for school.”
I jumped up and my chair rocked back, crashing to the floor. “School! Really? I’m not going. It’s not like I need an education now. I’m never getting out of this stupid hick town.”
“Jade!” Aidan barked from the doorway. I spun around; anger sparked over my skin, and I met him straight on. There goes playing nice, I thought. What was it about him that made my blood boil and my heart melt at the same time?
His eyes flared with that dangerous warning that shook me to my core. The sweet Aidan was gone, replaced by the alpha that scared me to death. I tried to hold his stare. I fought for the control and the authority I had had only days before. The command that had made this man trembled under my stare.
His scent hit me again, strong and sweet and powerful. It pulled at me, making my body convulse with the effort to stay standing. His gaze hardened and he nodded in my mother’s direction. “Apologize.”
It wasn’t a request. There was no mistaking the tone. I wanted to tell him off and kick him out of the house just as much as I wanted to tell him that I was his if he still wanted me. But I couldn’t do either. The words lodged in my throat. “Now, Jade,” he said tightly, and he closed the distance between us. He took my chin in his hand with surprising gentleness, and forced me to meet his eyes.
“Aidan, please ...” My bottom lip trembled as I spoke. His eyes were wide, glowing yellow, and his scent thickened in the air until I could hardly catch my breath.
“You need to learn,” he said, and I was sure I heard a hint of regret in his voice.
“I’m sorry,” I whispered. I didn’t want to whisper, but my voice just wouldn’t work. I was lost in his eyes, in his scent, and my world was crashing down around me.
Aidan held me in place for another long moment before he dropped his hand from my face. I sagged against him almost instantly. Without his hand supporting me, my knees began to shake and they refused to hold me upright. His arm snaked around my waist, holding me close, and my heart hammered in my chest, thrilled and terrified of the man that I was falling for. He spoke to my mom, but with his scent so strong, I felt as if I was drunk. His voice was garbled and slurred in my ears.
Aidan took my hand in his and led me out of the house. I vaguely registered the smirk on Jared’s face, and his team of enforcers standing behind him, watching me as I got into the car. A moment later, Aidan jumped in and backed out of the driveway. He didn’t say anything to me, and his brain numbing scent was hardly noticeable now. His jaw was tight, twitching as he clenched and unclenched it.
“I don’t mean to be so, um, difficult …” I started. He snorted, and gave me a quick sideways look that made me want to giggle. “Okay, maybe I do mean to be. But really, you’ve been a bit of a jerk.”
His hand clenched the steering wheel, and his knuckles turned white. “Jade, when you walked out that door and shifted with us, you chose the pack. With that choice, comes rules. You may not care about the rules, but I don’t have that luxury.”
I was certain I heard the regret return to his voice. Silence stretched awkwardly between us. This was a side of Aidan that I had never imagined. He’d always seemed so carefree. So confident. I had never pegged him for a rules kind of guy.
“I need a freakin’ handbook,” I muttered under my breath, breaking the silence.
He chuckled softly, and the velvety sound made my heart flutter. “Did you have a nice time sneaking out last night?”
“I … I … needed to shift,” I said softly. “You were right.”
He grinned. “I told you I was smarter, Jade,” he said with a confident sounding chuckle. “I told you not to leave the house without asking me. Did you really think the enforcers weren’t going to tell me?”
CHAPTER 28
~ JADE ~
Aidan didn’t take me to school.
He left me sitting in the sterile looking, white waiting room of the pack’s headquarters. The smell of bleach and various lemon scented cleaners were overwhelming, and they were seriously making my head hurt. I would have preferred school.
I’d never been inside their headquarters before. But then, I hadn’t even known they had one until today. Really, what could a bunch of werewolves need with a headquarters? It seemed … stupid and it also reminded me again that I had so much to learn about the pack. Number one on my list was to figure out what the rules were that Aidan had been talking about. Again, I found myself seriously wishing for a handbook.
For the last three and a half hours, I’d been sitting there watching the door to Aidan’s office. After he had deposited me in an uncomfortable, bright orange plastic chair, he gave me a stern warning not to move, and then he went into his office and closed the door. About ten minutes after that, Beck, one of the enforcers, escorted a sobbing Marcy and a furious Dominic into the room.
They didn’t even look at me as they went by, and I wasn’t sure if it was because they didn’t notice me, or because they didn’t want to see me. I wouldn’t have blamed them if that were the case. It was my fault that they were in this mess, but the idea of them hating me burned anyway. I had started to get up to talk to them when Beck focused his golden gaze on me, and mouthed, ‘Not a word,’ and I froze.
Beck was about Aidan’s height with the same kind of thick and muscular build, but unlike Aidan, he was kind of scary. He was a lot like Jared in the no patience department, and since I had pissed him off more than a few times before, I didn’t want to risk pushing it. Not with the vicious warning that burned in his eyes. Damn, I hated the enforcers.
About thirty minutes after the three of them went in, and Beck never came out, I thought I was going to lose my mind from nerves. If Aidan was keeping one of the enforcers with him, it probably wasn’t a good thing. I snuck over to the door and I pressed my ear against it, trying to hear the conversation. The door must have been reinforced with something, because even with my enhanced hearing, I couldn’t make out anything. Not even a second later, the door flew open, and I tumbled into the room.
I didn’t even get a peek at Marcy or Dominic before Beck scooped me up. He carried me back over to the waiting room and set me down. “If I catch you moving again, I won’t be this gentle,” he growled, and then he vanished back into Aidan’s office, slamming the door behind him.
I hadn’t moved an inch since. My butt was tingly, my feet were pins and needles, and my back was throbbing, but I refused to move. I could deal with Aidan — kind of. I was pretty sure he wouldn’t actually follow through on his threats, but Beck … there
wasn’t a doubt in my mind that Beck would.
The sound of shoe-clad feet slapping against the white ceramic tiles down the hall drew my attention. As soon as my eyes found the source, I shuddered. Jared was coming toward me.
Jared was shirtless, and his gray track pants hung low on his hips. He had a small white towel wrapped around his neck, and his sculpted abs and chest glistened with sweat. Even though they were resting at his sides, the roped muscles in his forearms and thick biceps seemed as if they were flexed. His short black hair was messy and damp, and when his eyes, which were such a dark brown that they looked black, met mine, a one sided grin twitched at his lips.
“Hey, little girl,” Jared said, closing the distance between us and taking a seat beside me. “You in shit again?”
I shrugged my shoulders because I really didn’t know if I was or not. “How many times do I have to ask you to stop calling me little girl,” I said, and rolled my eyes, in an attempt to make him think that his closeness wasn’t at all nerve-racking. He had started calling me little girl back when I was in seventh grade. He had been in grade nine then, and I had a horribly stupid crush on him. Right then, I wished I was back in seventh grade when he didn’t scare the crap out of me.
He chuckled. “Will you relax,” he said. “I’m not here for you. I was at the gym.” He nudged me in the ribs playfully and winked.
I tried to relax, but with him beside me, it wasn’t an easy task. I hadn’t really spoken to him since seventh grade, and I had avoided him at all costs when he became the head of the enforcers. Just like when Dominic had joined the pack, Jared had turned cold. Heartless. Ruthless. But then, Jared had always been a little cold.
“Who’s he with?” Jared asked, nodding toward the closed door. He stretched his long legs out in front of him and draped an arm around the back of my chair.
“Dom and Mac,” I said, leaning forward a little so it didn’t feel like his arm was actually around me. After last night, I didn’t want to give him a single reason to think I was interested. “They’re in shit for helping me.”
My palms were starting to sweat, and I wiped them on my jeans roughly. A pulse of sugary sweet power hit me; not like Aidan’s scent which made me think of nothing else but ripping off his clothes, but it was strong enough to make my heart hammer against my ribs. My breath caught. I heard it, and so did he. His chuckle gave it away. The pulse turned into a trickle and then to a stream. “He’s not the only one who can speak to your inner-wolf, little girl,” Jared said. “You’re strong. What you crave is the power, not him. I can give you what you need.”
I sucked in breath after sweet, sweet breath. My inner-wolf clawed at my stomach like a crazed lunatic. It was a weird feeling, nothing like the passion that Aidan brought out in me. This was vicious. It filled me with something that resembled anger and made me feel like a savage beast. I fought against it. Hated it. Needed it. Wanted it. And really, really feared it.
My own scent changed, ramping up, and swirled around us. The stronger it got, the more stable I felt, and after a moment, my inner-beast settled — a little. “Jared, can I ask you something?” My voice was a throaty whisper. I looked over at him, meeting his glowing yellow eyes.
He arched an eyebrow, looking at me as if he was waiting for me to do something. When I didn’t do whatever he had expected, his scent slowly dissipated and his expression turned stony. “Shoot,” he said, coating the word with a growl.
I shivered. I didn’t know if it was his growl, or the lack of the mouthwatering smell, that made my insides freeze, but whichever it was, I didn’t like it. I opened my mouth, then closed it, and cleared the prickly lump in my throat before I asked, “Why did you give me a choice last night? I didn’t think you guys did that. Like ever.”
His hand clasped my arm, and he pulled me back into the chair, draping his arm securely and a little possessively around my shoulder. I fought the urge to jump away from him, terrified of what he might do if I did. “You’ll be more fun to me alive,” he said, his voice husky. “You ready to give up yet?”
“Give up what?” I asked, and a chill ran up my back, forcing my spine to jolt and straighten. He knows, a voice in my head hissed. He knew what Aidan was hiding. Everyone knew. My mom, Jared … Right then I bet the whole freakin’ pack knew. I didn’t know whether to freak out or feel hurt. Both seemed like a viable option right then.
He chuckled, and pulled me closer. “Step down from the games, little girl. I’ll be more entertaining than the alpha. Promise.”
“What games?” I asked. He ignored my question, leaned into me, and nuzzled at my neck. “Keep your hands off me,” I snarled. It burst out of my mouth before I could stop it. His touch felt wrong and cold and forceful. It made my skin crawl and heat up at the same time. My inner-wolf stirred again, and a low growl rumbled from my throat and I tried to wiggle free of his arms.
He didn’t let go. His arm wrapped tighter around me, pulling me closer. “Mmmm, love that fire, but I’ll have you purring like a kitten in no time,” he whispered in my ear, and his hot breath played with the fine hairs on my neck. “Give up. Let Tiff be his mate.”
All the hints and warnings that I had received over the last few days played through my mind in a blast, fighting over each other to be heard. Stay away from him. She’s treating you like an alpha. Don’t back down from him. I can’t live with my alpha hating me. Packs have alpha pairs. Two alphas. One male and one female. He’ll be mine. When you lose the alpha games …
“Tiff’s the last one fighting for him?” I asked. The frost I heard in my voice was bittersweet. He really is a jackass, I thought, as all the pieces slid together. My body began to shake, and I hardly felt Jared’s arm around me anymore. Red-hot fury blazed through me. The bastard had me fighting for him! He’d been playing me all along. Was I a werewolf because of him? Was it his idea to ruin my life and then sic his wolves on me? Would he have even cared if they killed me? I’d seen the murder in that dirty-gray wolf’s eyes. And because of a stupid crush, I had walked right into his games. At that moment, I thought I hated myself even more than I did him for letting myself care about a stupid dog.
Jared’s arm slipped to my waist, and he yanked, pulling me onto his lap. I gasped, and my hands flew to his chest, pushing him away. “Hands off, Jared,” I snapped, but he didn’t let go. He pulled me against his chest, placing a trail of hot kisses down my neck.
“Mmmhmm, it’s just you and Tiff,” he said against my neck. “You don’t want to be an alpha. With your fire, you’d make a great enforcer. We don’t have to play by the rules.” I pushed at him harder, and he pulled me closer, pinning my arms between our chests. “Jade,” he murmured into my ear, “I know you want me. I can smell it.” He flicked his tongue against my earlobe.
I gasped and every muscle in my body went rigid. Tight knots twisted in my stomach and a nervous laugh slipped out. I tilted my head back, trying to move away from his kisses. “This is not happening,” I snarled, pushing away as hard as I could.
CHAPTER 29
~ AIDAN ~
“Answer my question,” I said with a lethal note in my tone. I was on edge. Even with the door closed, I could smell her. That sweet scent slid through the crack under the door and wafted around me. Her inner-wolf was calling me, seeking me out, and begging me to claim her. I needed this to end. Now. Before I completely lost my mind.
And Beck wasn’t making it any easier. It had been just over three hours now, since I had him drag Marcy and Dominic in, more than enough time to make Jade believe that they were actually in deep shit. But for the last three hours, Beck had lounged in one of my leather chairs with his feet up and eyes closed, making comments about what pack member we should stick Jade with when she lost.
“Yeah, he called,” Beck said, keeping his eyes closed. “Talked to him last night while Jared was playing with your newbie.” He cracked one eye open and smirked at me.
“Beck,” I growled a clear warning. I leaned forward, placing my palms
on the oak desk. Dominic gripped my shoulder before I could stand up, holding me in my chair. The enforcers had their own set of rules they played by. It was supposed to keep some balance in the pack and gave them the authority to deal with alphas that didn’t follow the rules, or punish those who needed it. And Beck seemed to be intent on reminding me at every turn.
He chuckled softly. “Easy alpha, I’m not your enemy.” He clasped his hands, lacing his fingers together, and stretched his arms over his head. “If she doesn’t win, Jared would be a good match for her. He’ll tame her. Or we could always do what we do best. Jade’s broken more than a few rules.”
I growled. It ripped out of me before I could stop it, and Beck laughed. He was toying with me. He had been since he came into the room, seeing how far he could push me before I snapped. I knew they had no plans to take Jade down for the rules she’d broken. While she was in the games, she had a free pass for most of them.
Beck was about my height and build, maybe slightly bulkier, but not by much. And he carried himself just like the enforcers from my father’s pack. They all had the same air about them. Confident. Cocky. They knew they could get away with pretty much anything. Without them to carry out and enforce the rules, most packs would crumble. They didn’t just keep the wolves in check, but they kept alphas from abusing their power.
“Beck, cut the shit,” Dominic snapped. He gave my shoulder another squeeze before letting go. “What did Jeff say?”
Beck chuckled, and I let my alpha scent trickle into the air. Enforcer or not, he still had to obey me to some extent, and right then, I was out of patience. As soon as I did, his eyes hardened and he fixed a burning glare on me. “Bruce is sending him out on a recruiting mission,” he said through gritted teeth. “There was an accident and they lost the last of their females. He says Bruce doesn’t know about you, and the cougars Trevor ran across were a fluke.”