Page 4

The urge to kill Malcolm is immediate, visceral, and all-consuming. My wolf is pacing, clawing at the edges of my control, demanding retribution for the fear I saw in Jaslyn’s eyes and the way her body flinched before Malcolm even raised his hand. She’s been through this before. That much is obvious, and the thought settles in my chest like a live grenade.

But I can’t kill him. Not here. Not with Wiley lounging against the wall like a smug little snake, watching everything with that smirk, I want to rip off his face. I take a slow, deliberate breath, reining in the rage threatening to tear loose. Malcolm’s weakness isn’t strength; it’s greed. And if I play this right, I won’t need violence to walk out of here with Jaslyn.

“You’re stalling, Malcolm,” I tell him, keeping my tone smooth and cold as I cross the room to stand over him. He flinches slightly, then covers it with a forced sneer. “We both know what this is about, so let’s cut the theatrics. I’m here to make a deal. Either name your price, or I can come back here with my pack and you won’t end up with a dime.”

His face twists, anger warring with the greed I see flickering behind his beady little eyes. “I already told you,” he snaps, though there’s a slight tremor in his voice. “She’s not for sale.”

“Everyone’s got a price,” I counter, letting my voice drop just enough to send a ripple of unease through the room. “Even you.”

Wiley snorts from his corner, pushing off the wall with a lazy grin. “Don’t take it personally, wolf. Father’s just sentimental about his favorite toy.”

Malcolm stiffens, shooting his son a warning glare, but I catch the slight twitch in his jaw, the crack in his confidence. Good.

I lean forward slightly, lowering my voice so only Malcolm can hear. “Sentimental doesn’t pay debts, Malcolm. But I do.”

That lands exactly where I want it to. Malcolm’s eyes flicker, the barest hint of panic flashing across his face. He returns to his chair, and his fingers tighten around the armrests as he avoids my gaze. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Don’t you?” I counter, straightening and stepping back just enough to give him room to squirm. “Because I’m fairly certain I know why you’re entertaining buyers at all, Malcolm. Gambling debts are a nasty habit. And from what I hear, yours are piling up faster than you can handle.”

Malcolm’s face goes pale, and his mouth opens and closes like a fish out of water. I can practically see the gears turning in his head as he calculates just how much I know and how much I’m bluffing. The truth is, I’ve heard enough whispers to pose a danger to him, but I don’t need to know every detail. His reaction tells me everything I need.

“Let’s make this simple,” I continue, cutting off whatever pathetic excuse he’s about to stammer out. “I’ll pay you double what you’d get from any other buyer. Right here, right now. Enough to clear your debts and then some.”

Malcolm hesitates, and his eyes dart toward Wiley, who shrugs and gives him a look that says, Why not ? I hate him even more for it.

“You’ll pay double?” Malcolm repeats as if he can’t quite believe it.

I nod once, keeping my expression calm even as I feel my wolf clawing to the surface. “Cash. Immediate transfer. All you have to do is sign her over.”

Malcolm glances at Jaslyn, who hasn’t moved or spoken since this whole exchange began. She’s standing perfectly still, her shoulders tight and her eyes fixed on the ground like she’s trying to disappear. The sight of her like this—beaten-down, silenced—fuels the fire already raging in my chest.

“Fine,” Malcolm says at last, though the word is heavy with reluctance and greed. “You’ve got a deal.”

Relief flickers in me, but it’s quickly doused by the seething anger that I can’t quite push away. He should be groveling for what he’s done to her, not haggling like she’s some piece of furniture he’s outgrown. But I hold it in, because this isn’t about him. It’s about her. And getting her out of this hellhole is all that matters.

The transfer is as sickening as I imagined it would be. The paperwork is quick, transactional, and thoroughly dehumanizing. Malcolm smiles far too much during the process, and Wiley lingers nearby, watching with barely concealed amusement. I keep my focus on the pen in Malcolm’s hand, counting down the seconds until this is over.

When it’s done, Malcolm leans back with a satisfied grin, sliding the papers across the table toward me. “Pleasure doing business with you, Alpha.”

I don’t dignify him with a response. Instead, I tuck the papers into my coat, turn on my heel, and make my way toward Jaslyn. She doesn’t look at me, but I can see the tension in her frame as I approach.

“Come on,” I tell her quietly, keeping my voice as gentle as I can.

She hesitates for a fraction of a second before stepping forward.

We make it out of the house without incident, though I can feel Malcolm and Wiley’s eyes burning into my back the whole way. The second we’re outside, Jaslyn pulls away, putting several feet of space between us as she rounds on me.

“What the hell are you doing here?” she snaps. “Do you have any idea—”

“Saving you,” I cut in, turning to face her fully. “That’s what I’m doing.”

She lets out a bitter laugh, crossing her arms over her chest. “Saving me? That’s rich. Where was all this heroism ten years ago, Gray? Oh, wait… you were too busy banishing me to care.”

I step closer, lowering my voice. “I didn’t have a choice then.”

Her eyes narrow, and her voice rises with every word. “You always have a choice. Don’t stand there and act like—”

“Keep your voice down,” I warn, glancing back toward the house. The last thing we need is Malcolm or Wiley overhearing this.

“Why?” she demands, her voice shaking with anger. “Afraid they’ll realize what a hypocrite you are? That the great Alpha Gray Reed has a thing for ruining lives and then swooping in to play the hero when it suits him?”

“Enough,” I bark.

She flinches slightly, and guilt slams into me. She’s been through enough. The last thing she needs is me barking at her.

I take a breath, forcing myself to calm down. “I know you’re angry. You have every right to be. But right now, the only thing that matters is getting you out of here.”

Her glare could cut steel, but she doesn’t argue. Instead, she storms past me toward my truck parked at the edge of the property. I follow without a word, quickening my steps as I send one last glance over my shoulder.

We’ll talk later. We have to. But first, we need to leave.

The silence in the truck is deafening, broken only by the crunch of gravel under the tires and the occasional internal snort from my wolf, who’s just as agitated as I am. Jaslyn sits stiffly in the passenger seat, staring out the window like the scenery holds the secrets of the universe. Her arms are crossed, and her entire posture is screaming stay away .

We’re not even fifteen minutes into the drive when I notice her shifting in her seat and her eyes darting toward the door. I’ve been an alpha long enough to know when someone’s about to make a move, and we’re coming up on a red light.

“Don’t even think about it,” I warn, not bothering to take my eyes off the road.

She stiffens, and her lips press into a thin line. For a moment, I think she’s going to listen. Then, out of the corner of my eye, I see her fingers brush the door handle.

“Jaslyn,” I say, slamming my hand against the lock button. The click echoes in the cab. “You’re not jumping out of a moving truck.”

She glares at me, and those green eyes are blazing. “Watch me.”

Before I can respond, she lunges for the handle again while she pushes the unlock button with the other. This time, I swerve the truck sharply, and she’s thrown back against the seat with a yelp.

“What the hell is wrong with you?” I growl, steering the truck back onto the straight road.

“Let me go!” she spits, twisting in her seat to glare at me. “I don’t want to be here with you. I didn’t ask for your help!”

“No,” I acknowledge as my grip tightens on the wheel. “But you needed it.”

She huffs and turns back toward the window, muttering something under her breath that I’m sure isn’t flattering.

I should’ve known it wouldn’t end there.

The second we stop at a gas station, she tries again. I barely turn my back to the truck when I hear the door creak open. By the time I whirl around, she’s halfway out with her bare feet slapping against the pavement.

“Jaslyn!” I bark, grabbing her arm before she can bolt.

“Let me go!” she shouts, twisting and kicking at me like a feral animal. Her elbow catches me in the ribs, and I grunt, spinning her around to face me.

“Enough!” I thunder in my full-on alpha voice. She freezes, and her chest heaves as she glares up at me with defiance blazing in her eyes. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?”

“Getting away from you,” she snarls, jerking her arm out of my grip. “I don’t need your charity, Gray. I never did.”

My patience snaps. “Charity?” I repeat. “You think this is charity? I just got you out of that hellhole, Jaslyn. I just did you a favor.”

“A favor?” She laughs bitterly, and the sound is sharp enough to cut glass. “You think taking me from Malcolm is a favor? At least with him, I knew where I stood. At least with him, I wasn’t being dragged back to a pack that abandoned me.”

Her words hit me like a punch to the gut, and for a moment, all I can do is stare at her. “You’d rather be with Malcolm? After everything he’s done to you?”

Her lips curl into a bitter smile. “What’s the difference, Gray? Malcolm owned me outright. You just bought me under the guise of being my savior.”

“I’m trying to help you,” I counter, but even as I say it, the guilt rises in my chest like a tide I can’t control. “You’re angry because I banished you. I get that. But—”

“Get that?” she cuts in, her voice trembling with rage. “You don’t get anything, Gray. You have no idea what it’s been like, what I’ve had to survive because of you.”

She’s right. I don’t know. I’ve thought about her over the years, but I always imagined she’d landed on her feet. Jaslyn was resourceful, tough, the kind of person who could claw her way out of any mess. That’s what I told myself. That she was fine, that she didn’t need me, that banishing her hadn’t ruined her life. But seeing her now, hearing the raw anger in her voice, it’s clear I was wrong. Painfully, unforgivably wrong.

Seeing her in Malcolm’s hands was bad enough. Knowing I played a part in putting her there? It’s a hard pill to swallow.

I take a slow breath, trying to rein in my emotions. “You’re right,” I say at last. “I don’t know what you’ve been through. But I’m trying to make it right. I’m trying to give you a chance.”

“A chance for what?” she snaps. “To go back to the pack that hated me? To prove myself to the people who treated me like I was nothing? No thanks.”

I square my shoulders, meeting her glare head-on. “You won’t just be going back to the pack,” I tell her. “The truth is, we need your help, and I can promise you things will be different. You’ll be reinstated as a full member of the pack. As a witch. In a position of authority.”

She blinks, caught off-guard for the first time, but it doesn’t last long. Her expression hardens, and she folds her arms across her chest. “Oh, so I’m just supposed to forget everything? Forgive you for throwing me out like garbage?”

“No, but I’m asking you to give me a chance to prove that I’m not Malcolm. That I’m not the same alpha who made that call.”

Her jaw ticks, and for a moment, I think she’s going to argue again. But instead, she turns away and climbs back into the truck. She doesn’t say another word, but the tension between us is so thick, I can barely breathe.

As I slide back into the driver’s seat, I glance over at her, hoping for some sign that I’ve gotten through. But she just stares out the window.

This is going to be harder than I thought.