LOGIN“Oh, he’s going to pop an artery, no doubt.” Jace rocked back on his heels, his grin widening. “But he can’t do jack shit to me.”I side-eyed him. “Because of what you have over him?”Jace cracked a full, too damn cocky smile, looking way too hot to be standing this close to me. Fuck my life. Seriously. “Absolutely,” he replied.I crossed my arms, tilting my head. “I really want to know what it is that’s so major it keeps Darius in check.”Jace studied me for a beat, his gaze tracking the line of my jaw before he smirked. “And why do you want to know so bad?”I shrugged. “Maybe so I can use it against him myself.”He chuckled low, then draped an arm over my shoulders, leaning in until his breath was warm against my ear. “Let’s see how this goes first,” he murmured. “Then maybe—maybe—you might get lucky.”I huffed, shrugging him off to hide the sudden spike in my pulse as he led me toward the doors.Inside, the place was exactly what I expected. Dark, smoky, and buzzing with low chatte
I took my sweet time getting dressed, shuffling through the ridiculous pile of clothes he’d brought, settling on black ripped jeans and a hoodie that I was pretty sure wasn’t even mine.It smelled entirely of him. Like something dark, rich, and dangerous, threaded with the faint traces of smooth whiskey and the deep, wild forest outside.I yanked it on anyway.By the time I stepped out, Jace was leaning against the doorframe, arms crossed, his gaze evaluating me from head to toe.I scowled. “What now?”“Just thinking,” he replied, his lips twitching. “If you’re gonna start stealing my clothes, at least wear them properly.”I flipped him off again, just for good measure.He grinned, pushing off the frame. “Come on. Let’s get out of here.”I snorted, inching closer to inspect it. “Baby?” My fingers brushed over the smooth leather seat, trailing down to the sharp, clean edges of the frame. My pulse stuttered as I ran my hand along the side. “A Ducati Superleggera V4,” I murmured, my voic
I was cocooned in what felt like a thick, cloudy dream. Between sleep and wakefulness, I caught a quiet, persistent crackle. I almost forgot where I was until the scent of burning wood and something vaguely familiar reminded me of the cabin.Deciding to give in to the warmth, I burrowed deeper and stretched lazily. My limbs ached, sore in places I didn’t want to think about. My mind remained deliciously hazy, as if my body refused to acknowledge the shitstorm that had landed me here in the first place.Then something heavy cut off my air. My arms shot out as I thrashed against whatever covered my face, realization hitting me that I was just wrestling a pile of clothes, completely shattering the dreamlike state I’d been clinging to.“What the fuck?” I snapped, shoving the fabric off with a groggy scowl.Jace grinned down at me, arms crossed, thoroughly enjoying my misery. “Wakey wakey, princess.”I bolted upright too fast, and that was my first mistake.The sudden movement jerked the b
“Well, I…”Bloody hell, he had a point. I wouldn’t have even entertained the idea that he was innocent if it weren’t for that passing comment Hunter had made about it.“Besides, wouldn’t you retaliate if someone kept trying to beat the shit out of you for something you didn’t do?” His gaze dropped to my lips. “I’ve been on your side since day one.”I shoved hard against his bare, solid chest, but the bastard didn’t budge a single millimeter. “Have you ever been chased by an army of angry chickens, Jace?”And right there, his brooding act completely evaporated. He fucking smirked.“What is so fucking funny?” I demanded, my irritation rising.“You,” he replied, his grin widening. “Out of everything, the chickens bother you the most.”I scowled up at him. “Have you ever been pecked on the leg by a damn chicken? It hurts.”His laughter rumbled through his chest, a deep, warm sound that I entirely hated myself for enjoying. It was exactly the kind of sound that made an unwanted flush creep
The couch was a joke. It was tiny, narrow, and barely big enough for a toddler, let alone a grown person. I wasn’t about to take my chances trying to sleep on that leather brick.Instead, I beelined straight for the bed, throwing myself onto the mattress before Jace could open his mouth to claim it. The plush layers practically swallowed me whole. I curled inward, pulling the fluffy cloud of a blanket tight around my body like a protective cocoon, burying my face into the pillows so that only my eyes peeked out.Jace shot me a dry look from where he knelt at the stone hearth. “Really?”“Really,” I muttered against the fabric, closing my eyes to seal the deal.He let out a low huff, muttering something under his breath that sounded suspiciously like, “Guess we can just share.”I was way too exhausted to unpack the potential dangers of that statement, let alone snap back a retort. A moment later, the sharp crackle of firewood filled the room, and the heavy chill in my bones began to mel
Elise. There was no way to describe how painfully aware I was of the fact that I was pressed flush naked against an equally naked Jace as he carried me through the woods.The bastard was warm. Unreasonably so. His bare chest radiated heat like he’d swallowed the sun. And since my limbs felt like they’d been wrung through a meat grinder, I wasn’t exactly in a position to push him away. My strength had abandoned me somewhere between pissing off Darius and making my grand escape. Jace had simply been there to scoop up what was left of me when my legs finally gave out.I did, however, have enough energy to glare at him, even if he couldn’t see it. My cheek was squashed against his collarbone, my arms limp over his shoulders, my legs held up beneath my knees with his one arm, more out of necessity than willingness.I should’ve cared more about this ridiculous situation. Should’ve fought. But I had spent the last hour using every ounce of willpower I had to get away from Darius, and there
Jace. “You’re not doing enough, Jace.”I pinched the bridge of my nose, barely resisting the urge to bash my head against the marble countertop. “I’m. Doing. My. Best.”Damn it. As much as I tried to keep my tone composed, it still comes out angry and clipped. Thankfully, he didn’t seem to catch i
Darius went utterly still. For a long, drawn-out second, he just stared at me, his lips pressing into a firm line. Then he let out a slow, measured breath, like he was choosing to control himself.“It’s called an alpha and a future alpha working together,” he said smoothly, but there was an edge to
The restraints bit into my wrists, but I didn’t stop fighting against them. The second Darius had pushed me into his room like some unruly fucking criminal, I knew I was in for it. And now—after his rough hands had forced me down into this godforsaken chair, my arms tied behind my back—I knew I had
I didn’t move. Didn’t flinch.But my fingers curled into fists beneath the table.He leaned forward, his voice dripping with venom. “I have had it with your insubordination,” he seethed. “You act like you’re untouchable, but let me remind you, Elise, I can take everything away from you in a heartbe







