First Taste of Ice

I clutched my bag tighter and hurried down the dark hallway toward my new room, the sound of rain still pounding against the tall windows like a warning I should have listened to long ago.

A strong hand grabbed my arm and yanked me sideways before I could even reach my door. I stumbled and nearly fell.

"Where do you think you're going so fast, little Omega?" Jax's deep voice rumbled right next to my ear. His grip was like iron.

I gasped and dropped my bag with a thud. My back slammed against the cold wall. Jax towered over me, blocking out most of the weak hallway light. Shadows cut across his sharp face and the dark tattoos that climbed up his neck. He looked dangerous. And he knew it.

"Let me go," I said, trying to keep my voice steady even though my heart was racing.

He smiled slowly. There was nothing kind in that smile. "Or what? You gonna scream? Go ahead. No one here cares."

Jax stepped even closer. His big body pressed right up against mine. One of his thick thighs pushed between my legs, forcing them apart. I could feel the solid heat of him through my still-wet clothes. His hand moved down my side, slow and deliberate, until his fingers dug hard into my hip. Hard enough that I knew I would see bruises tomorrow.

"Stop," I whispered.

"Let's see if you feel as worthless as you smell," he said in that low, rough voice. His mouth hovered just above my neck. His hot breath brushed my skin and sent an unwanted shiver running through me.

I hated my body in that moment. A small whimper slipped out before I could hold it back.

Jax chuckled. The dark sound vibrated from his chest straight into mine. "Hear that? Your body already knows who's really in charge here, Avery."

"Jax, please," I said, my voice shaking. "I just want to go to my room and dry off. I did nothing to you. Nothing at all."

"Nothing?" He squeezed my hip tighter and rocked his thigh against me. The pressure made my breath catch. "You walked into our house like you belong here. That's more than enough, sweetheart."

His fingers moved higher up my waist. They brushed the side of my breast through the damp fabric of my shirt. My breath hitched sharply. I pushed at his chest with both hands, but he did not move even an inch.

"You think you're tough?" he asked, his eyes gleaming in the low light. "That's cute. Most girls in your position would be crying by now. Begging. But you... you make that sweet little sound instead. Very interesting."

"I am not crying for you," I shot back, glaring up at him. "And I am definitely not interested in whatever sick game you are playing."

Jax laughed again, softer this time, but still full of menace. "Game? This is not a game, Avery. This is me showing you exactly where you stand in this house." He leaned in until his lips almost touched my ear. "Scentless. Weak. Nothing. But damn, you feel good right here against me."

He pressed his thigh higher between my legs. The firm pressure sent heat rushing through my belly. I bit my lip hard to stop another sound from escaping.

"Get off me," I said, pushing at his shoulders with everything I had.

"Make me," he whispered, his voice dropping even lower.

I shoved harder, my palms flat against his solid muscle. Jax finally eased back half a step. But his eyes stayed locked on my face. His chest rose and fell fast. For a moment I thought he was going to kiss me anyway. The air between us felt thick and heavy.

Then another voice cut through the darkness like a knife.

"Having fun, brother?"

Ezra stepped out from the shadows further down the hall. He held my cracked phone in his hand, turning it slowly between his fingers like it belonged to him now.

Jax did not look away from me. "Just welcoming our new stepsister properly."

"By pinning her to the wall like that?" Ezra asked. He sounded amused. He walked closer and stopped right beside us. "Cute. But I have something much better."

He waved my phone in front of my face. "You really should use a stronger password, Avery. I got inside in less than thirty seconds."

"Give that back right now," I demanded, reaching for it.

I have no idea how he got my phone. 

Ezra pulled it away easily, smiling. "Not yet. I read some very interesting things while I was in there. All those messages from your old school. The ones calling you worthless. Broken little Omega. Useless without a wolf. Sounds like you were already having a pretty rough time before you showed up on our doorstep."

My face burned with shame. I felt exposed in a way that was worse than Jax's hands on me. "That is private. You had no right."

"Private?" Ezra laughed softly. "Nothing is private anymore. Not in this house. Not with us watching. We own everything now. Including you."

Jax crossed his arms and watched us, still standing way too close. His body heat still pressed against me. "She makes the prettiest noises when she's scared and turned on. You should try it sometime, Ez. Really gets the blood pumping."

"Shut up," I snapped at both of them. "You think this scares me? I have dealt with worse than you two."

Ezra raised an eyebrow. "Have you really? Let's test that theory then."

He tapped the screen a few times and turned the phone toward me. A new message lit up the cracked display.

Unknown number: They will destroy you. Run before the Blackthorns sink their teeth in.

Below the words was a clear photo. My mother and Victor sitting at a fancy desk signing papers. In the corner of the picture, I could see my full name printed on the documents. It looked like some kind of official contract.

My stomach dropped. My blood turned cold.

"What is this?" I asked, my voice barely louder than a whisper.

Ezra leaned in closer, his breath warm on my cheek. "That is the real question, isn't it? Someone out there really wants you gone. Or maybe they want you for themselves. Either way, you just became a whole lot more interesting to all of us."

Jax reached out and brushed a wet strand of hair away from my face. His touch was almost gentle this time, which scared me more than when he was rough. "See, Avery? You are already in deep. And we have not even started playing with you yet."

I snatched the phone from Ezra's hand. My fingers would not stop shaking as I stared at the message and the photo again and again.

"Stay away from me," I said. But my voice came out weak and unsteady.

Both brothers smiled in the dark hallway. Their eyes looked almost hungry.

Ezra tilted his head. "Too late for that kind of talk. Welcome to the family, little sister."

I bent down quickly, grabbed my heavy wet bag from the floor, and rushed the last few steps to my room. My hands fumbled with the door handle. I finally got it open, slipped inside, and slammed the door shut behind me. I turned the lock with a loud click.

My heart was hammering so hard I could hear it over the rain still beating against the windows. I leaned my back against the door and slid down until I was sitting on the cold floor.

I could still feel Jax's thigh pressed between my legs. I could still hear his dark chuckle vibrating against my chest. My hip ached where his fingers had dug in. And that photo kept flashing behind my eyes.

My own mother signing papers with my name on them.

What had she done?

I hugged my knees to my chest and tried to steady my breathing. The room was small and plain, nothing like the luxury I had seen in the main part of the house. Just a bed, a small desk, and one window that showed the storm outside.

But even in here, I did not feel safe.

I could still hear their voices echoing in my head. The way Jax had spoken to me. The way Ezra had smiled while going through my private messages. They wanted to break me. They had already started.

And now it looked like someone else was coming for me too.

I was trapped in this huge mansion with three men who hated me. Three powerful Alphas who saw me as nothing but a toy.

I touched my hip where Jax had gripped me. The skin was already tender. A small part of me hated how my body had reacted to him. The heat. The shiver. The whimper I could not hold back.

I whispered to myself in the dark room, "You have to be stronger than this, Avery. Do not let them win."

But deep down I knew the truth.

This was only the beginning.

And the Blackthorn brothers had no plans of letting me go.