All Chapters of Justice in Bloodlust: Chapter 21 - Chapter 30

Justice POV:"Hey, we're here," Niko told me softly. I rubbed my eyes as I looked around, noticing the faint scent of fresh linen and polished wood. The hotel in front of us looked luxurious to say the least. The valet stood patiently beside the car, his head bowed in polite greeting, waiting for us to exit, and the bellhop stood with a solid-gold cart at his side, his eyes never leaving the ground. "Any luggage, sir?" he asked with a hint of an accent. "No," Niko told him without ever looking his way.I unbuckled my seatbelt and grabbed Niko's outstretched hand. I felt a little out of place in my old sweats, but I did my best to play it off. I followed beside Niko, a little surprised when he didn't even stop to check in at the front counter. The young lady sitting behind the desk didn't even look up or say a word as we passed. She looked nervous about something."Did you already check in?" I questioned Niko curiously once we entered the elevator."No need to," he told me with a shru

Niko POV:I reached the border, expecting the presence of warriors, but nothing. There was not even a faint scent of any. The only scent lingering was of a set of rogues, but it wasn't fresh. So, the girl was telling the truth so far about the pack not being safe. Why would he not have patrols out? He should know better than that. I don't care if he has changed or not. He knows the enemies he's made over the years. It's as if he wants to hand the pack over to another alpha. I crossed over, not worried about leaving my own scent behind. Thanks to my dear friend, I don't have a scent at all right now. I grinned as I made my way deeper into pack territory. Not once have I even so much as heard anyone else out here. How pathetic they had become. You would think the members would have risen up against him and demanded a new leader. My steps slowed before coming to a halt. I crouched down behind a bush and watched as a group of three men walked through the woods back toward the pack. I w

Niko POV:The silence of the hallway pressed in on me, a suffocating blanket after the storm that had erupted within. She was gone. Vanished like smoke, leaving behind only the lingering scent of her arousal and the bitter taste of my own confusion. I nursed the beer, its cold bite doing little to quell the gnawing unease. She couldn't be my mate. The logic was undeniable, the wolf’s instinct screaming a falsehood. Yet, the ache in my chest, the restless pacing of my wolf, argued otherwise. Was it possible? Could the fated bond be so… unglamorous?I threw the empty bottle against the wall, the shattering glass a small release of the tension that coiled in my gut. She was a distraction, a fleeting amusement. That was all she was meant to be. My primal urges, the raw need to claim and possess, were just that – primal. They didn't signify destiny. This human, with her soft sighs and wide, trusting eyes, was a creature of a different world, a world I was meant to dominate, not connect wit

The screech of Uber’s tires as it pulled away was the only sound that cut through the oppressive silence that had fallen over me. I stood on the curb, the familiar city lights blurring into streaks of color as a wave of confusion washed over me. Niko’s abrupt departure, the cold efficiency with which he’d dismissed me, felt like a physical blow. He’d laid claim to me, whispered promises into the charged air of his strangely alive apartment, and then… this. It was a whiplash of emotions, a dizzying descent from the intoxicating heights of shared vulnerability back to the harsh reality of his unpredictable nature. I clutched his card in my hand, the plastic cool against my clammy palm, a silent testament to the power he wielded even in his absence.My steps were hesitant as I walked into the dimly lit diner. The scent of stale coffee and fried food was a jarring contrast to the intoxicating aroma of sandalwood and nightshade that still clung to my senses from Niko’s place. I slid into a

 His jaw tightened, a muscle twitching at the corner of his mouth. The hint of respect I’d glimpsed had vanished, replaced by a glacial determination. He took a slow step towards me, his gaze never leaving mine, and for a terrifying moment, I thought he might lash out. But instead, his hand, the one that had traced my jaw so gently, rose again. This time, it didn’t stop at my lips. It cupped my cheek, his thumb stroking the skin just below my eye. "You are a fire, Justice," he conceded, his voice a low rumble that vibrated through me. "And I am the storm that will either consume you, or learn to dance with you. But make no mistake, you are mine to weather." The possessiveness in his tone was still a brand, but now, beneath it, I felt a tremor of something new. It wasn't quite