Chapter 11

Nina Hayes POV

Squirt….

Little bi’ch…

That smirk on his face…

Just when things couldn't get worse, I attained another level of pleasure, but in Aiden's face, embarrassment.

Really?

Squirting!

My forehead twisted with disgust as I walked down the corridor of the Brooks’ house.

A hand slid over my face, shielding me from the view of everyone else. At that moment, it felt like everybody could see I was being used by Aiden.

“Maybe you're overreacting,” my wolf whispered to my thoughts.

What would she know? She couldn't even stop my body from that sort of embarrassment!

“I'm not. I'm calm! Get it together!” I whispered back.

I had moved past the door of the packhouse and was about to slide into the back when suddenly, I heard my name.

“Nina!”

I froze, my head turned without my consent. Who could have recognized me under all this hoodie?

My eyes wandered in the crowd of maids and guards to find a familiar frame.

“Jace.” I gasped.

What was he doing here??

I paused. What a stupid question to ask.  This was his house after all. Wasn't I the one who wasn't supposed to be here?

Jace hastened to me, running from the other end of the hallway up to me.

My legs wanted to leave, but I was stuck. I struggled until he eventually reached me.

“Hey…” Jace greeted me with a gentle pat on my back.

His huge hands on my skin sent me back to a day ago, under the rain. How he held me there.

“Hey.”

“What are you doing here?” He breathed. 

Jace was in comfy sweats and a hoodie of his own. It had the sign of the same confraternity my brother belonged to.

Blood bros or whatever it was called.

“I came for…ugh, I-I came for…” the words slurred harder than someone with a brain defect.

I was never good at lying, especially not on the spot. Everyone knew that about me, but Jace wouldn't. He was new around here.

“I came to get an apology note from Aiden to my brother. About the school fight. Aiden asked me to come get it for Killian. He figured Killian wouldn't want to talk to him.”

Jace’s face was bland. He lifted a brow at some point while I was talking. I could tell he thought I was talking crap.

“My brother, Aiden?”

“Of course.” I blurted out breaths and short laughs, “I don't think there's another Aiden that lives here. Of course, it's Aiden.”

His doubt didn't leave. He folded his hands across his chest, his eyes still pinned on mine.

“The Aiden I know would never apologize to anyone, much less to a guy who'd almost knocked his tooth out. Are you sure you're here for Aiden?”

I felt my argument weakening. What was I thinking lying about a brother to ANOTHER BROTHER! 

Of course, he knew they were brothers!

“It's definitely Aiden. He called me here because he wanted to apologize to Killian; he wrote him a letter, he had me do it.”

Jace shrugged, “Mind if I see the note?”

I pulled my arm away so fast, lightning had nothing on me.

“No.”

“Why?”

A knot formed at the back of my throat. “Nothing. Just no.”

Jace retreated gently, he raised his hands a little above his torso. “Fine. Whatever Aiden does, don't trust him. Believe me when I tell you he always has an ulterior motive.”

If only Jace knew what I had gone through today.

“You're telling me?”

“Oh.” Realization knocked him hard at his side. “I guess you already know that.”

An awkward silence took over. The bustling of the hallway didn't seem so loud anymore. After a few breaths, Jace broke the silence.

“You know, today is the start of your deal?”

“What deal?” 

His eyes darted across mine, “Don't give me that. You know the deal I'm talking about. The thirty-day deal. The one where you said you'd let me love you, if at the end, you love me back, you would be my mate.”

A fake realization spread on my face.

“Oh. Yeah. That one. Now's not the time to ask me for favor, I have a class tomorrow, I gotta go.”

Without a response, I forced my feet to move. Luckily, they didn't disobey me. One step forward and with another, I was out of the alpha's mansion in no time.

I found the first vacant bus heading back to town. Inside, I got comfortable, took a deep breath, a push back to the headrest, I closed my eyes.

“Aiden’s contract is for a year.” My wolf reminded me. “You better get comfortable, this is going to be happening for a full year.”

A low grunt escaped my lips, but there was nothing I could do about it; she was right. There was no fighting it.

No need to get mad. Whatever I was doing, I'd be doing it for a full year with a man I hated.

The paper in my hand flapped with the wind immediately the bus started moving.

I opened my eyes, my grip tightened on the side. I needed to take a look at the contract I'd just signed.

“Says here I need to satisfy his needs to the fullest,” I muttered to myself as my eyes ran through the first few lines.

It was a two-page contract. Two pages of instructions on what I was going to do and not do.

“The things I do for my family…” I swallowed hard, my eyes still running through the first few paragraphs.

The fourth rule. Aiden mentioned having sex with him four times a week.

I choked on air. 

“Four times?! What does he think I am!”

My voice was loud enough to turn heads when I realized, I apologized with the same tone.

Gradually, heads turned, the silence of the bus ride began. I resumed reading the contract again.

I was down by the last rule when a hand flashed out of nowhere and snatched the contract off me, taking it to his eyes.

My heart jumped in horror. I got up to see who had taken the piece of paper from me.

None other than Jace.

Jace fucking Brooks followed me on the bus ride, and now he had my deepest secret dangling from his fingertips.

“Is this a contract? Hey, did you get a job or something?”