Jax’s fingers were fisted in Lola’s hair, and he slightly tugged her head back. His lips hovered over hers as he allowed her a breather before he once again claimed her lips. He grabbed her waist, and in one swift motion, he had her pressed against the wall. His hand slid under her shirt, and his fingers dug into her waist as he felt her warm skin.Lola’s lips parted. Their tongues caressed against each other. Her body heated with lust, and Jax’s hands were unwillingly taking it slow and easy as they slid up against her front.She dragged her fingers through his hair and pulled him closer to her body. He leaned down and kissed her neck. His tongue slid over her collarbone, and he pressed a kiss on her shoulder. He looked at her neck. His wolf was stirring within him, wanting to mark their mate.He knew he couldn’t,

Jax drove down the underground garage and parked.The mall was only open for a few more hours, but everyone was out of school and work now, which meant it would be packed.They walked through the garage, the smell of fuel and metal more prominent than anything else. On the escalator, they saw a little girl holding a balloon, asleep in her father’s arms.Lola smiled and looked lovingly at the girl’s closed eyes and pouted lips.“This way,” Jax said when they reached the first floor. He turned around the cotton candy stand at which Lola looked and drooled. Her favorite thing about the mall, whenever she came with Melissa, was the food.Further down, they had a stand operated by an older man who sold caramelized almonds. That was the first thing Lola b

The air swirled around them, and the breeze that before felt like an appreciated caress was now beginning to sting against their skin.“Say something,” Lola begged after Jax had stood stoic for over a minute.“You’re a Doe,” he whispered into the wind.“So you’ve heard of them?” she asked.“Only in fairytales as a child. Nobody ever spoke of them as something in existence,” he replied.Lola chuckled. “You mean like werewolves and vampires?” she said jokingly and raised a brow, but Jax was not amused.“Lola, do the vampires know?”She gulped and nodded. “Yes.”He ran a hand over his face. “That’s why they’re here, why they’re after you.”She nodded again.“How?” he asked, and his hands fell to his side.Lola took a deep breath and prepared herself. She would tell him everything now, the whole truth and leave nothing out. After she was done, he would do with the information as he pleased, and the control would be out of her hands. She was quite literally putting her fate in his hands.“

The door opened up into the dark room. Lola had been restless, laying on the bed for the past two hours, waiting for Jax to return with news.All the ways that this could unfold were paved out in her mind. If her blood worked, it meant that she could not only heal vampires but also other supernatural creatures. Jax now knew she withheld a piece of the truth from him, and with the latest attack on Ember, she began counting her days in Wild Cliff.Jax walked in. His shirt was seared with blood, and his face had fallen in front of his tired face.He marched over to the bed with heavy steps and slumped down on it. Jax turned his body. He grabbed Lola’s ankle and pulled her to him, he moved her legs, so she was positioned on top of him, straddling his waist. He buried his face in her chest, and she wrapped her arms around him.Jax was, for the first time, vulnerable around her. Her heart was beating out of her chest in anticipation. Had it not worked? Had her blood made it worse and sped u

By the end, Melissa was sitting on the floor with her back leaning against the closet, and her eyes were the size of saucers.Lola stood a few meters away. She was chewing on her fingertip and picking off flakes of dead skin in nervous anticipation of Melissa’s reaction. Lola dropped her hands and fiddled with her robe. Her hair fell over her shoulder, and she started pulling at the strands.“Please, please, please say something,” Lola said, dropping her hands and begging for words from Melissa. Any words would suffice right now.Melissa leaned forward and brought her legs to her chest. “Vampires are real,” she said, her voice was hoarse.“Yes,” Lola said.“Werewolves are real.”“Yes.”“This house is filled with werewolves, and their neighbors are… werewolves.”“Yes.”“The Blackwoods are werewolves.”Lola winced and nodded. “Yes.”“You have magical blood that heals them, and it heals the vampires.”“Yes.”Melissa looked up at Lola, finally making eye contact. “And you killed your fami