Page 18 of Jace’s Mate (East Coast Territory #1)
“I won’t be looking for you, Jace,” she said defiantly, folding her hands neatly in front of her to keep them from shaking.
He chuckled, stepping forward to block her view of the rest of the room—and his betas. “I like that you think you can challenge me, Anikka,” he murmured, voice low and rough with amusement. “It’s a turn-on.”
She stared up at him, unsure how to respond. “You wouldn’t do anything to me,” she whispered. Her voice was mostly confident. Well… kind of confident.
Okay, maybe not confident at all.
She’d only met him yesterday. Despite the long, meandering conversation they’d shared through the night, she barely knew him. And yet… she felt like she’d known him forever.
That thought alone startled her.
“Feel it?” he asked, his voice now velvety smooth.
“Feel what?” she asked, even though something deep inside her already knew. She did feel something. A pull. A hum beneath her skin. A heat that built with every breath he took.
She tried to tamp it down. Reminded herself again that he was a stranger—an infuriatingly attractive, dangerously compelling stranger—but still someone she wasn’t sure she could trust.
“I feel nothing,” she lied.
He laughed softly. “Liar.”
His hands slid gently up and down her arms, and she was instantly grateful for the hideous, long-sleeved dress she still wore. If he’d touched her bare skin, she might have melted right there.
Why hadn’t she gone home to change? She’d woken up tangled against his body, realized where she’d been all night, then bolted, hiding in the kitchen as if she could bake away her confusion.
Her uncle’s likely fury at her absence hadn’t even entered her thoughts until hours later—and even then, she hadn’t left.
Hadn’t gone home to check on him or to grab clean clothes or get away from the intensity that was Jace.
Instead, she’d stayed. Sweaty. Disheveled. And completely unprepared.
Still, she couldn’t help the flicker of interest when Jace mentioned the run again. What did he mean by that? How was it different from yesterday’s chaotic sprint through the city?
It sounded… exhilarating. Tempting. A thrill she wasn’t sure she could resist. The thought of going for a run made her feel itchy and impatient to do it.
Jace must have caught something in her expression, because he leaned closer, his eyes locked on hers. “Can you hold on just a little longer? You need to feel it. Running in the woods—it’s different. It’s safer at night.”
“Run at night ?” she repeated, startled. “But it’s not safe to be outside after dark.”
She felt the betas’ surprised glances land on her, their expressions unreadable but clearly amused.
Jace’s brow furrowed. “Is that something else your uncle told you? That the night isn’t safe?”
“Yes.” Her voice was quieter now, wary. She looked between the betas then back to Jace. “Are you saying that it is safe? That there aren’t people out there who would hurt someone just for stepping outside after sunset?”
One of the betas actually chuckled. Jace, meanwhile, reached for her, drawing her gently into his arms. His embrace was warm and protective—and for some reason, it irritated her even as she snuggled closer to all of those delicious muscles.
She didn’t want gentle. She didn’t want to feel safe in his arms.
And yet, she did.
Confused by her own reaction, Anikka stepped back, and thankfully, Jace let her go.
“Jace, this is a lot to take in,” she said, wrapping her arms around herself. “I think I need to just… sleep on everything. Process what you’ve told me.”
The betas snorted, but looked away.
She ignored them. Her gaze stayed locked on Jace. “How about I head home tonight, and I’ll come back tomorrow? That’ll give me a chance to clean up, grab some clothes, think things through. I’ll probably have more questions for you then.”
He was shaking his head before she even finished.
“Anikka, there’s no way in hell I’m letting you go back to a man who’s hurt you.
” His voice was still gentle, but there was steel in it now.
“If you need privacy, I’ll arrange a separate apartment for you.
Or a hotel. But I’d rather take you to the forest tonight.
You’ll understand more once we’re out there.
The run will answer questions you haven’t even asked yet. I promise .”
She huffed and crossed her arms. “And what about the fact that I need time? You’ve thrown a lot at me. And my uncle—he’s going to be wondering where I am.”
“Ragnor has already sent someone to bring your uncle to me,” Jace said calmly. “We’ll get everything sorted out once he and I have had a chance to talk.”
Anikka’s eyes narrowed, anger flashing to the surface. “The matter , I’m guessing, is me ?”
“Of course,” he said without hesitation.
Her foot began tapping against the floor, the subtle tick of fury she hadn’t even noticed. “And I suppose you’re going to keep me out of that conversation?”
Jace tilted his head, watching her with a flicker of concern. Maybe— maybe —he’d overstepped. “These discussions are better left to the men, Anikka.”
She let out a sharp, incredulous snort. “Oh, hell no . I’m leaving,” she snapped, turning on her heel.
“Then you don’t want to run with the pack tonight?” he asked, voice deceptively mild.
She paused. The word run had her heart doing a curious flip. Her body wanted it—craved it, even though her brain protested.
Still, wasn’t it dangerous? Her uncle had always said it was never safe to be out after dark. But then again… her uncle said a lot of things that she was slowly learning were untrue. Also, nothing her uncle had ever offered her made her hum with anticipation with just one word: run .
Maybe she could just watch. What if she simply observed from a distance?
Get a sense of what they meant by this whole "pack run" thing without actually joining in. It wasn’t like she was in shape for that kind of thing anyway. She wasn’t out of shape, but her uncle hadn’t exactly encouraged freedom or physical activity.
Most of her days had been spent inside, cooking or cleaning.
She took a breath. “Fine. I’ll go. But I’m not running.”
For a beat, there was stunned silence in the room.
Then—laughter. Not mocking, but amused. All three betas chuckled, clearly holding back their full reactions out of respect for their Alpha. None of them dared correct her, but their smirks said enough.
Jace didn’t laugh. He only smiled and stepped closer, placing a warm, confident hand at the small of her back.
“We’ll see about that,” he murmured.