Page 25 of Jace’s Mate (East Coast Territory #1)
S tartled, Jace caught Anikka easily, wrapping his arms around her as she launched herself at him. Her fists pummeled his chest, her breath hot with anger and pain. She was fierce and trembling and furious—and still, somehow, heartbreakingly soft in his arms.
Tears streaked her flushed cheeks, and every one of them carved through his gut like a blade. He didn’t flinch from her blows. He just held her, steady and unyielding, letting her burn through the storm.
He knew what this was.
Mating heat—untouched, unfulfilled, and inflamed. The bond had awakened, and now it roared through her blood with no place to land. She didn’t even understand what was happening yet. Her inner wolf was lashing out from the denial, the ache, the confusion. It was primal. Raw. Necessary.
But it wasn’t about hurting him.
If it had been—if she’d truly wanted to do damage—she would have shifted. Those soft human fists would have become claws, and he’d be bleeding.
Instead, she stayed in his arms, wild and human and wrapped around him with everything she had.
Her legs locked around his waist, thighs pressing into his sides as if she couldn’t bear to let go even as she tried to fight him off.
Jace groaned softly and slid one large hand beneath her bottom, anchoring her against him with easy strength.
His body ached too. The need thrummed through him like a struck chord, vibrating through muscle and bone. She smelled like heat and honey. He buried his nose in her hair, breathing her in as she pounded weakly against his shoulder.
“You’re killing me, sweetheart,” he murmured.
Her body shook with silent sobs now, the fury melting into anguish. She sagged against him, and he cradled her closer, one arm around her waist, the other cupping the back of her head. She was soft and vulnerable and entirely his, and he hated that she didn’t understand what was happening to her.
Jace growled softly and pressed his lips to her temple. “I got you,” he whispered, stroking her back with long, steady passes of his hand. His fingers tangled in the silky waves of her hair. “Let it out, honey. I’ve got you.”
Anikka’s face was buried against his neck, her sobs muffled against his skin. Every tremor in her body echoed through his chest. She was unraveling in his arms—and he couldn’t stand it.
“I’ll fix it,” he promised, voice low and firm. “As soon as we get back to the city, I’ll make it better. I swear to you, Anikka. I’ll take care of everything.”
His words must have slipped past the chaos inside her because she suddenly jerked back, glaring up at him as she disentangled from his hold. Her eyes were huge and wet, her cheeks streaked with tears. She looked like a storm about to break.
“I’m fine,” she snapped, voice hoarse with emotion. She scrubbed at her cheeks with trembling hands. “I don’t need your help. There’s nothing you can do to make me feel better, so just… just take me back to the city.”
He didn’t argue. Not yet.
Instead, he eased her back gently, hands firm around her waist until he felt her find her balance. She stood on shaky legs, her arms folding tightly across her chest as if trying to hold herself together.
“We’re heading back now,” he said quietly, more to ground her than anything else. “Are you okay for the drive?”
“I’m fine,” she said again, sharper this time.
Jace nearly smiled. She wasn’t fine at all—but damn, he respected her grit.
He didn’t push. Not yet. She was hanging on by a thread, and he wasn’t going to be the one to cut it. Not when he had a plan.
He needed to get her home, then he’d explain everything.
And after that?
He’d finish what nature had started.
But not until she was ready.
Jace turned toward the car, his mind already shifting into Alpha mode. He had messages to send. Orders to give. Intel to gather. Whoever had dared to tamper with his ships, his people—his territory —was about to learn what happened when you crossed the wrong wolf.
But first, he’d make things right with Anikka.
“Let’s go then,” he said, pressing the key fob to unlock the doors.
She stomped toward the sedan, but he reached it first and opened the door for her. Jace nearly groaned as Anikka slid into the passenger seat, her long, slender legs making his pulse throb with urgency. She was so damn beautiful—and she smelled divine.
With a sigh, he closed her door and moved around to the driver’s side.
They drove in silence for about half an hour before she finally spoke.
“What’s the alliance?”
Jace’s head jerked toward her. “Excuse me?” he snapped, his voice edged with surprise.
She didn’t look at him, her gaze fixed on her hands clenched in her lap. “The alliance,” she repeated quietly. “You were thinking about updating the alliance.”
She turned her face toward the window. “If you don’t want to tell me, that’s fine. I don’t really care.”
He studied her for a long moment, then shook his head slightly. “Sorry. This mind-sharing thing is going to take some getting used to.”
Try being in my shoes, she thought, clear as a bell.
It startled him how clearly he could hear her.
She snorted. He chuckled. “Yeah, I get that you’re trying to process way more than just someone reading your thoughts.”
Her head whipped around. “Stop doing that!” she hissed.
“Can’t,” he replied. “And it’s only going to get stronger the more our bond intensifies.”
She narrowed her eyes but kept her voice calm. “The others can’t read each other’s minds in wolf form?”
“Some can, but not all,” he answered, merging into heavier traffic. “And not as clearly as you and I can. Most just pick up on emotions or instincts. Full conversations like this? That’s rare.”
Traffic thickened as they approached the city—morning commuters piling into their lanes. In another hour, the highway would be at a standstill or inching forward in painful progression.
“So… can you hear the others?”
“Yeah,” he said, glancing at her before returning his focus to the road. “But I don’t think any of them can hear you. Most pack members can sense intent or emotion, and they can definitely smell feelings. But hearing thoughts? That’s different. You and I have a much deeper connection.”
“I couldn’t read minds before now,” she said flatly. “And no one’s ever heard mine. Just you.”
He nodded. “That’s going to be both good and bad.”
She raised a brow, wary.
“Every time you cuss me out,” he said with a grin, “I’ll hear it—and I’ll get to punish you for your insolence.”
Anikka snorted. “You’re not punishing me for anything. I’m my own person.”
“You’re a member of my pack. I’m your Alpha now. You’ll obey me like the rest.”
Fat chance, she thought.
He laughed, nodding. “Challenge accepted, my dear.”
Out of the corner of his eye, he caught the flash of heat in her expression, and his body clenched. Damn, he liked that about her. She wasn’t scared of him. He’d always wondered if his mate might be timid, overwhelmed by his dominance. But Anikka? She was a firecracker.
Still trembling with unresolved need, still glaring at him like she’d claw him if he got too close—Anikka was intoxicating.
He reached over, took her hand, and kissed her fingertips. “Soon, Anikka,” he murmured.
The fire that lit her dark eyes was enough to make him groan. Feisty. He hadn’t thought that was his type until her.
Her chin lifted in defiance and he nearly growled with the urge to take her right then—to show her exactly who was in charge.
Instead, he pulled into the underground garage and parked the sedan in its usual space. Getting out, he walked around to open her door.
Anikka was already stepping out, flinching slightly as her bare feet touched the cold concrete floor.
But Anikka was still in a stubborn mood.
“I don’t know what you think you’re promising, Jace,” she said stiffly, “but I don’t think I’ll take you up on the offer.”
He didn’t correct her. For now, he needed to focus on the personal side of their connection.
That didn’t mean he was letting her challenge go unanswered.
In one swift move—so fast she couldn’t have dodged even if she’d tried—he wrapped his arm around her waist and hauled her flush against his chest. Her full, soft breasts pressed against him, testing his control. But Jace held firm. Barely.
“You don’t understand what’s happening between us, Anikka. But don’t defy me.”
Her eyes sparkled with mischief, but he felt her soften against him, her body yielding even as her expression taunted. Her hips shifted—subtle but unmistakable—rubbing against the hardness she had to feel.
She was his. Even if she didn’t know it yet.
And damn, that felt good.
“What will you do if I do?” she asked, her tone flirtatious and defiant.
He grinned, heat flickering in his gaze. “I’ll show you later.”
With that, he released her—but kept hold of her arm until he was sure she was steady.