The wolf inside growled... Mine.
If Jace was being honest, he hated being back home. It had been years since his father had died now. A man that he barely knew. Now, a new battle was brewing and he was glad that he was home for it. It didn't matter what he wanted anymore. He had to protect the pact. This was his pack and his home. He had come back home and settled into his role as the Alpha. He didn't get it right away but he was doing his utmost best.
What he wanted to do now was marry this little princess and become the leader that he knee himself to be. It would be a sacrifice on his part but it would ensure his survival. All of their survival.
When you were caught between death and hell, you had no choice but to seek rescue from the big, bad wolf. With a quiet click, the door to the small cupboard closed.
"Hailey Rambeaux," she introduced herself and she tried hard not to tense her shoulders.
Alone. I'm with him. The footsteps of the werewolf echoed throughout the room. She kept her chin up, knowing he could smell her anxiety. She despised being terrified. Hailey had no qualms about mating with this male and staying with him for the rest of her long life, but every vamp in lower echeleon knew it was prudent to tread carefully around Jace McCain. He hadn't gained the label of alpha by being a good guy. No, he'd earned it by savagely slaughtering his opponents and left their slain bodies in his wake.
On some days, a bride is simply fortunate.
"I didn't think the vamps were going to accept my deal."
His voice sounded more like that of a beast than that of a man. Deep. Rumbling. He leaned against the wall in front of her and folded his strong arms across his chest. His dark eyes, nearly black in appearance, skimmed over her once more. With a shake of his head, he mumbled, "A true fucking princess. I'm going to be damned."
Probably. They'd be all of them. That's why they were monsters in the first place. Though she hadn't had much of a choice because she was one of the rare vamps who had been born to the blood's call.
She swallowed her saliva and cleared her throat. "At first, the Council had no intention of accepting your...ah...offer." Jace's suggestion had not been well received by the Vampire Council, the area's most powerful vamps.
The game had changed, though, when their guards began to turn up dead, courtesy of the demon bastards who'd arrived in town.
Once upon a time, all supernaturals lurked in the shadows, content to exist only in people's nightmares. Why do you want to be the center of attention? Persecution and death would be the only outcomes. All of them had learned this from the witch trials.
Vampires have never, and still do not, want attention.
Yes, wolves could get a little wild, and there had been some legends about them, but they'd also remained very quiet throughout the decades.
But the demons—those jerks fleeing hell in ever-increasing numbers—weren't in the mood for peace. They'd gathered in Soux falls and were preparing for a bloodbath.
But first, they wanted to prove they were the biggest, toughest prey in the night.
So they were eliminating their supernatural competition.
A war was coming. No, it had already started. Vampires versus Werewolves. Witches versus wolves.
The enemy of my enemy is my husband.
"The witches and demons want to wipe us out," she said. "You want them stopped as much as we do." He still hadn't moved. Just stood there with his arms crossed. But at least there was no sign of his claws, not anymore. "You were right. The best way for us to end this battle is to team up."
He smiled, but it was only a half-smile, and it didn't brighten his face. It only added to his menacing appearance.
He emanated danger in a way she'd never seen before. A physique covered in dark tan, golden skin was firm and muscled. Jace towered over her, being at least six feet three or four feet tall. He wasn't attractive; his face was far too ferocious for that. His shoulders were brushed by his long, dark mane of hair. He had a harsh, strained appearance.
It's not attractive. But…sexy. Sexy in a way that would make any woman lose it.
Wolves have a certain animal allure. She wasn't expecting that appeal to work on her. She'd made a blunder.
"It appears that the wolves are holding their own..." He lowered his arms as he neared her.
"So far," she murmured. That would change in time. When the demons focused all of their forces on them.
"You know, we've got to identify and close the doorway that's letting these demons out of hell." They'll take over if we don't."
It would be a nightmare for them to come out to the humans. His gaze was drawn to hers. Morgan stood firm when he took another step toward her. She had a public persona to uphold. A vampire cannot quiver in the presence of a werewolf.
However, the wolf's nostrils flared slightly, indicating that he was taking in her scent and, no doubt, picking up on her fear. Great.
She tensed as his hand approached her.
"It's just a touch," he muttered, "easy, princess."
Right. And if they followed through on their agreement, he'd be doing a lot more touching.
What one life is worth compared to the fate of your people? The Council's main pitch to her had been that. Make a self-sacrifice. Everyone else must be rescued.
Go be food for the big, evil wolf...because he's the only one who can save our arses.
"My name is Hailey," she said huskier than she meant, but his hand was on her face, caressing the flesh, and she wanted to tremble.
Don't. She couldn't show that weakness. His hands were hard, but his touch felt whisper-soft. "Hailey, Aria Rambeaux." She said, reinforcing her tone.
There was pride in the words because she was named after the first pureblood vampire ever to be born, Aria La Fey.
The first, but not the last.
Her face was overtaken by his stare. "I can't believe what I'm hearing... "Would they truly trade...you?"
She took a breath and swallowed. It wasn't about the Council in the end. It would not be their lives that would be on the line. "It's all up to me." His fingers delicately brushed over the pulse that surged beneath his touch as his hand slid down her throat.
Her heart continued to beat. She took a deep breath. Despite what humanity believed, she wasn't dead. Vampires are born as purebloods. They simply stopped growing older around the age of twenty-five. I stopped aging and gained a bloodlust.
Those who had been carried over by the bite, on the other hand, did die, but only for a few moments. They returned, stronger than before, and as they drew their first breath of air as adults, their hearts began to beat anew.
"So you're willingly offering yourself to me?" The wolf inquired, his voice harsher than usual. The weight of his fingers against her throat was too much for her to bear. Wolves were always gigantic, perhaps too colossal. Their claws might appear in a fraction of a second, ripping away their foes. And when they started working a full shift...
We require their fortitude. "I'll marry you if you help us vanquish the monsters." Vampires and wolves would be inextricably linked.
Any supernatural who wanted a piece of them would form an unbreakable partnership. Unbeatable.
Jace burst out laughing. The sound was menacing and oddly seductive. Morgan couldn't stop shivering this time, and she knew he sensed it.
"It doesn't work like that." His head leaned in close to hers, and his lips brushed against hers.
"You want the demons taken out, then you give me what I want first."
What he wanted…
"Marry me, bond with me, and you'll have your own personal guard who'll tear apart anyone who comes near you."
She licked her lips. "It's…ah, not just about me." She wasn't doing this to save her own skin. "It's about all the vampires in my nest. They all need protection. Your pack has to give to all—"
"You are my concern." He shrugged. "But if they matter to you, then they can have pack protection. We'll take out the demons and leave a bloody trail to warn all others never to fuck with us again."
Yes, he excelled at this type of trail.
The vampires had gotten, well, too civilized over time, according to some. They'd started sipping blood from small plastic bags that came in handy. They tied the knot with humans. They were practically indistinguishable from the rest of civilization.
Because there were so many of them who wished to be human. Hailey had wished for it as well. Then she noticed how quickly the humans perished. She now desired to be strong. An assailant.
The vampires were succumbing to the demon horde far too swiftly. The wolves, on the other hand, seemed to last longer. Because they've grown in strength. The vampires needed the wolves by their sides if they were going to stop hell.
"Marry me…" Jace's whisper was thin and inviting.
She knew she'd do anything, but a loud impact shook the wall before she could say anything. She jerked to his feet. "What exactly is—"
He encircled her shoulders with his arms and hoisted her up, forcing her to look him in the eyes. "You were pursued by demons tonight."
"No, that's not possible; I took precautions—"
"They're being torn apart by my pack right now."
If only it were that simple. But, unfortunately, she'd realized that killing a demon wasn't easy. Its head had to be severed, and cleaving through demon flesh wasn't simple. While the flesh of a demon resembled that of a human, it was more difficult to penetrate than any armor she'd ever seen.
"Do you agree with me? You're going to marry me right now?" Why did she like the rumble of his voice so much? Hailey nodded. Another thud shook the wall, and she was pretty sure she heard a scream. Or two.
"Good." A growl escaped his lips. The wolf then did something she hadn't anticipated. Her mouth was taken by his. His tongue plunged into her mouth when her lips parted in astonishment. He didn't have the flavor of a vampire or a human. She'd dealt with men like that before. But, Jace. He had a wild flavor to him. Hot.
As she drew him closer, her arms tightened around his neck.
When she sucked his tongue, a snarl rose in his throat. Oh, absolutely, she enjoyed it. Vampires have a bad reputation. It was cold and stiff. Unfeeling. She'd never been that way before. She'd always wished for it. Needed.
Maybe he'll be able to provide me with what I'm looking for.
Her nipples were firm and stabbed into his chest, moistening her sex. According to legend, wolves were difficult to love.
They weren't going to take a short tumble in the dark. Instead, there was hours of sex.
Hours.
"We regret for you to make this sacrifice..." murmured the Council elder, his countenance pained.
To her, it didn't seem like much of a sacrifice.
It was just white-hot passion.
Her fangs began to grow longer. What will the taste of his blood be like?
She was ecstatic to learn out.
His hands were now on her ass, supporting her and protecting her from the hard bulge of his arousal. That ferocious swath of flesh was not to be missed. The wolf was massive in every way. Yes.
Jace carefully lifted his head and put her to the ground, only after he tasted her once more. "I wasn't expecting that."
He was still in her mouth.