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Chapter 14

Jax

IT TOOK LONGER THANI was proud of to collect myself enough to go to Tannin’s room.

Nothing I did worked to alleviate the arousal that haunted me after the princess left. I tried meditating and clearing my head, then when that failed, I imagined all sorts of off-putting things. But with her smell still clinging to my fingers and her taste still filling my mouth, it was pointless.

So, I gave in to my crippling need and stroked my cock furiously until the demand subsided, letting myself imagine all the ways I wanted to ruin and worship her sexy little body. Even after coming the first time, my damn erection wouldn’t go away, so I did it all over again.

This girl was so deep under my skin that I was certain I’d never be the same again. And I didn’t want to be. I wanted to be her monster that pinned her to the wall and made her scream. But after the way I’d treated her... I’d made so many mistakes, I wasn’t sure I could fix things now.

With her or Tannin.

But I had to try.

I cleaned myself up in the adjoining bathroom, scrubbing her scent from my body until I could finally breathe. Then I ventured to Tannin’s door like a pup with my tail between my legs. I knocked twice, then waited.

Nothing.

I knocked again. “Tannin? We need to talk.”

Silence for a moment.

“I have nothing to say to you,” his voice finally said on the other side of the door.

“Perhaps not, but I have plenty to say to you,” I said, swallowing the lump in my throat as surely as my pride. “Including that you were right.”

There was shuffling inside, the sound of feet padding toward the door. “And just what was I right about?” he asked just on the other side of the thick wood.

“Everything,” I conceded with a sigh. “You were right about everything.”

The deadbolt clicked, and the knob turned, the door opening to reveal Tannin standing with one hand braced against the doorframe and the other on his hip. A resentful yet intrigued expression hung on his features.

“Come in,” he said with a reluctant tone.

I strode into the room and sat on the edge of his bed while he closed the door and walked toward me, arms folded obstinately over his chest.

“Forgive me, brother,” I began, humbling myself before him. “I was a fool before.”

“Tell me something I don’t know,” he said with a roll of his eyes.

His tone grated at me, but I let it slide.

“I thought eliminating her was what was best, for us and our pack,” I went on. “But I couldn’t do it either. And I’ve realized now that I’m not supposed to be able to do it. She’s my mate—our mate—and it’s our job to protect her.”

He arched an eyebrow at me. “What happened?” His nostrils flared and his shoulders bunched with hostility. “Did you hurt her?”

“Calm yourself,” I soothed, holding up my hands in reassurance. “No, I didn’t hurt her. I couldn’t.”

“Then what happened?” he demanded.

I pursed my lips, not wanting to tell him what had transpired between the princess and me. Mostly because I knew it would wound him. And after all I had done already today, I didn’t want to cause him further pain.

He stormed toward me, clenching his fists at his sides. “What did you do?”