Chapter 22
Chapter 22
Kali
Jack’s fingers dig into my waist, his breath hot against my neck, but I refuse to let him think he has the upper hand. My eyes burn with fire as! glare at him, my jaw clenched so tight I can feel the tension in my bones. How dare he?
How dare he act as if he wasn’t the one who sent Fury after me—who ordered him to bring me back by any means necessary, or else face death?
Normally, I wouldn’t have cared. Fury was just another warrior from Blood Fang, someone I would’ve left behind without a second thought. But the moment I looked into his eyes, something shifted. There was something there–something familiar. And the thought of him dying because of me… it didn’t sit well.
That’s why I came back. Not for Jack. Not for this pack.
And certainly not because of this damn mate bond.
I take a steadying breath, forcing my lips into a tight smile. “My lord. Your greatest Alpha.” The words taste like venom on my tongue. “Can we talk for a minute? Alone?”
Jack doesn’t even blink as his silver eyes darken. “No. Let’s tal-”
I don’t let him finish as I grab his wrist, plastering on a sweet, obedient smile as if I were just another submissive she wolf eager to please her Alpha. The pack warriors at the border shift uncomfortably, pretending not to listen, but I can feel their curious gazes tracking my every move.
It’s obvious–no one has ever dared to ever drag their Alpha like this. Least of all a woman.
Too bad. I don’t care.
Jack doesn’t resist. He doesn’t say a word. His body stiffens in shock, and for a moment, I swear his hand turns ice cold in mine.
I weave through the pack lands, leading him with sure steps, ignoring the murmurs and stolen glances from passing wolves. They don’t know what I am to him, but after this, the rumours will spread like wildfire.
Let them.
I remember the way to the pack house–the mating room, in particular. The place where I was forced to stay, which reeked of a bond I never wanted. The place I had thought I escaped from when I rejected him, and I swore I would never return.
When we reach the door, I shove it open and push him inside with a force that surprises even me. Or maybe it’s just my anger fuelling me. Either way, Jack stumbles back a step, his silver eyes flashing with something unreadable.
Shock.
Annoyance.
Amusement?
I don’t care.
He catches himself quickly, but I see the flicker of something raw–something dangerous.
I slam the door shut behind me, chest rising and falling in sharp, uneven breaths.
Then I turn to him.
“I don’t belong to you, I snap, my voice sharp as fire. “Or to anyone else in this world. I belong to myself.”
1/3
Chapter 22
Jack says nothing, watching me with eerie stillness, as if waiting for me to
keep going.
“I didn’t come back because of you,” I spit out. “I still reject you. I didn’t want to humiliate you in front of your pack and make them question your precious authority, but let’s get one thing straight-“I step closer, jabbing a finger into his chest. “I will never be yours.”
Jack stares at me. Stunned.
His expression shifts–just barely. It lasts only two seconds before he collects himself.
And then he smirks.
Smirks.
God, I want to punch that look off his face.
“Then why did you come back?” He asks smoothly, tilting his head, studying me like I’m a puzzle he’s just dying to solve. “I gave you the opportunity to walk away from me.”
I roll my eyes so hard I nearly see stars. “Don’t act dumb, Jack. We both know you sent Fury after me with strict orders. He was either bringing me back, or you were killing him.”
His smirk fades. Just a fraction.
Bingo. I know I hit a nerve.
I press forward. “I didn’t come back for you,” I say again, my voice dripping with venom. “So leave me the fuck alone.”
Jack exhales sharply, but there’s something different in his gaze now–something darker. Something calculating. His voice drops to a slow, deliberate murmur. “Then why did you call for me through the bond?”
My stomach twists.
No.
He leans in.
“Why did you call for me?” he repeats, his voice smooth and predatory, unravelling me one syllable at a time, “If you wanted me to leave you the fuck alone?”
I swallow hard, stepping back instinctively, but there’s nowhere to go. My back hits the door.
Trapped.
Jack cages me in, his arms bracing on either side of my head, his scent overwhelming my senses.
“I heard you call for me, Kali,” he murmurs, his voice laced with something dangerous. Something possessive. “No matter how hard you fight this… no matter how much you resist… you’ll give in and submit to me, your alpha and mate.”
I suck in a sharp breath, my heart hammering against my ribs. I had been weak. Desperate. I had called for him–wished for him to save me–even when t swore I wanted nothing to do with him.
Jack’s lips hover inches from mine, his silver eyes/burning.
“It’s only a matter of time,” he whispers, his lips brushing against my ear. “And I have all the time in the world.”
His breath is hot against my skin, his scent invading my senses, making me lightheaded.
“And when you’re finally ready to submit,..” His voice is nothing but a ghost of a whisper now, full of wicked promise.
2/3
Chapter 22
“I’ll be right here. Waiting.”
Anger surges through me, shoving past the unwanted pull of the mate bond.
“You think I’ll give in to this-“1 gesture between us, sneering. “-just because you kissed me? The bond between us means nothing, Jack. Just because ! called for you once in a moment of weakness doesn’t change anything.”
His jaw clenches.
I press on, fuelled by the heat rising between us. “Just like my first mate, you also mean nothing to me.
The moment the words leave my lips, the air shifts. Jack’s silver eyes darken into something feral.
And then-
Crack.
His fist punches through the door beside my head, wood splintering under the force of his fury.
His body cages mine in, muscles taut with barely restrained anger.
“I’m not your first mate,” he growls, his voice vibrating through my very bones. His silver eyes burn into mine, daring me to deay it.
He doesn’t care about anything else I said. Only that?
AD
