Page 70 of Captivated By Alphas 1, Fated (The Blood Moon Chronicle #4)
CARMICHAEL COUSINS
Eli’s scent hit Jace like a freight train—winter jasmine cutting through champagne and polite small talk. His panther exploded inside his chest, claws raking his ribs as it fought to break free.
Mate, his panther growled, every instinct screaming at him to move, to claim, to possess what belonged to them. There. Go to him now.
Jace’s eyes locked on Eli weaving through clusters of guests, silver tray balanced in his hands with that unconscious grace that made Jace’s mouth water.
Those marks decorating his pale throat—evidence of last night’s claiming—sent molten satisfaction straight to his gut.
His beast rumbled with smug pleasure at the visible proof of their possession.
Still marked. Still ours. But need more marks. Deeper claiming.
The memory sucker punched him—Eli pressed against the car door in the moonlight, those soft sounds escaping his throat as Jace’s mouth worked against his skin, the way he’d melted so perfectly despite his sharp tongue and sharper wit.
The recollection made Jace’s body tighten with renewed hunger that had jack shit to do with the elegant hors d’oeuvres being passed around.
He’s still wearing our marks, Jace projected through the pack bond, unable to hide the primitive satisfaction that surged through him.
Adrian’s voice filtered back immediately, thick with artistic appreciation and barely contained lust. Not enough of them. He needs more. A proper composition.
Patience, Cole cautioned, though his tone carried its own edge of hunger. We agreed to take this slowly.
Thirty years of patience, Jace’s panther snarled, raking phantom claws down his spine. Enough waiting. Need to claim what’s ours.
Jace forced the beast back through sheer will, though the effort made sweat bead at his temples despite the air-conditioning.
After decades perfecting his public persona in Hollywood’s unforgiving spotlight, he’d mastered containing his panther’s demands.
But never had the creature fought him this violently, this desperately, with such single-minded focus on one goal.
Then Michael Huntington entered the room like a storm cloud on a perfect day.
The rival alpha’s scent slammed into Jace—territorial aggression and barely contained violence wrapped in expensive cologne. His panther went absolutely berserk, smashing against his control until gold bled into his vision, his carefully maintained human facade threatening to crack entirely.
Rival, his beast snarled with murderous intent. Threat to mate. Kill him. RIP HIS THROAT OUT.
Jace’s hands clenched into fists as Michael’s predatory gaze tracked Eli’s movement through the crowd with obvious interest. His panther hammered against his barriers, demanding release, demanding blood, demanding the right to defend what belonged to them.
Control, Jace ordered himself through gritted teeth, fighting to maintain his human appearance while his beast clawed for freedom. Public setting. Humans everywhere. Can’t shift here.
Then Michael intercepted Eli near the windows, deliberately placing his hand on Eli’s arm in a gesture that was pure territorial challenge. The contact lasted only seconds, but it might as well have been hours for the explosion of rage that detonated through Jace’s system.
MINE, his panther roared with such violence that Jace nearly doubled over from the force of it, the single word echoing through every cell in his body like a battle cry.
Mine, Jace snarled through the pack bond, the word vibrating with his panther’s fury and his own protective instincts merging into something dangerously close to homicidal.
We see it, Adrian responded immediately, his usual detachment replaced by sharp focus. North corner. You’re closest.
I’ll handle this, Jace promised, already moving through the crowd with predatory purpose that made humans instinctively step aside without understanding why.
His panther drove him forward with relentless determination, muscles coiling beneath his designer suit like steel cables under tension.
Humans moved out of his path without conscious thought, their primitive brains recognizing the apex predator stalking through their midst despite his carefully maintained smile and polite nods.
Faster, his beast demanded, vision sharpening as his pupils began to dilate. He’s still touching what belongs to us.
By the time Jace reached the windows, his control was hanging by threads so thin they might snap with the next breath.
His canines had partially extended behind closed lips, his fingernails lengthening into claws he kept carefully curled against his palms while maintaining the perfect facade of Hollywood charm.
“Everything alright here?” he asked, his voice carrying just enough edge to make Michael’s hand drop from Eli’s arm like he’d been burned.
Michael released Eli immediately, recognition flashing in his calculating eyes—one alpha acknowledging another’s superior claim and territorial rights. Jace’s panther howled with vicious triumph at the show of submission, though it demanded much more permanent solutions.
Weak rival. Knows our strength. Still need to destroy him.
The beast wanted more—wanted Jace to grab Eli, throw him over his shoulder, and carry him somewhere private where he could erase every trace of Michael’s scent with his own.
The image was tempting even to Jace’s civilized side, especially when he noticed the way Eli’s pulse had accelerated, his scent spiking with a mixture of relief and unmistakable arousal at Jace’s protective intervention.
Instead, he settled for placing his hand on the small of Eli’s back, a touch that managed to be both protective and possessive while appearing perfectly innocent to human observers.
The contact sent electricity racing up his arm, his panther purring with deep satisfaction at finally touching their mate again.
More contact needed. Skin against skin. Need his taste again.
“I believe Duncan was looking for you in the kitchen,” Jace said smoothly, giving his mate an escape route while maintaining his territorial staredown with Michael. “Something about the dessert wine service.”
“Right. Yes. Kitchen. Duncan.” Eli’s voice pitched slightly higher than normal, his pulse racing visibly at his throat in a way that made Jace’s mouth water with remembered taste. “Excuse me, gentlemen.”
Jace remained in place as Eli retreated, his eyes never leaving Michael’s face in a challenge. Alpha to alpha, predator to predator, with the unspoken understanding that only one of them would walk away from any serious confrontation.
Michael’s lip curled in what might have been amusement or contempt. “Staking a claim on the help, Carmichael? How refreshingly… pedestrian of you.”
Kill him now, his panther suggested with cold, calculated fury. Rip his throat out for the insult to our mate.
“Careful, Huntington,” Jace warned, his voice dropping to a register that made nearby humans instinctively step back without understanding why their fight-or-flight responses had suddenly activated. “You’re a guest in my family’s territory. It would be unfortunate if you forgot your manners.”
“For now.” Michael smiled, though the expression never reached his calculating eyes. “Though I hear your family’s claim on this region isn’t quite as secure as it once was. Times change, after all.”
Challenge. Direct challenge to our territory and our mate. His beast’s rage nearly shattered Jace’s control entirely, his vision edging with gold as his eyes began to shift.
“Enjoy the party, Huntington,” Jace managed through clenched teeth, turning away before his control slipped completely and he did something that would require extensive cleanup. “While you still can.”
He rejoined his cousins near the fireplace, every muscle in his body trembling with the effort of restraining his beast’s violent demands. Adrian handed him a glass of whiskey without comment, understanding flickering in his dark eyes as he took in Jace’s barely controlled fury.
“Huntington’s getting bold,” Cole said quietly, his own eyes tracking the rival alpha’s movement through the crowd. “Testing boundaries.”
“He can test all he wants,” Jace growled, downing the expensive liquor in one swallow that would have made the distiller weep. “He’s not getting anywhere near Eli again.”
Find mate now, his panther insisted with renewed urgency, somewhat calmer but no less focused on their ultimate goal. Check for rival’s scent. Replace with ours. Mark deeper.
Jace agreed completely with his beast’s assessment. The need to find Eli, to ensure Michael hadn’t left any trace of his scent, burned through his veins like liquid fire demanding immediate action.
Time to make our move, he projected through the pack bond, already planning his approach. Separately. Don’t want to overwhelm him with all three of us at once.
Yet, Adrian added with wicked intent that promised creative solutions to their current predicament.
I’ll take first round, Jace decided, his alpha nature demanding priority in claiming what belonged to all of them.
You just want first taste, Adrian accused, though his tone carried amusement rather than genuine complaint. Greedy bastard.
Alpha privilege, Jace returned with shameless satisfaction, his panther preening with territorial pride. First rights. Strongest claim. Deal with it.
Jace tracked Eli through the reception rooms, his enhanced senses locked on to that unique winter-pure scent that called to something primal in his DNA.
When Eli ducked into a side hallway, clearly seeking a moment’s respite from the social chaos, his panther surged forward with hunting instincts honed by millions of years of evolution.
There. Alone. Perfect opportunity.