into my hip, but it wasn’t so much a warning to me as him trying to get control of his emotions.
Ding. The cheery little sound pierced the tense silence of the car, and then the doors slid smoothly open to reveal the rooftop. It was dusk, the purple sky slivered with clouds. I looked over the flat square space that must have once been meant for entertainment. A few decrepit chairs hinted that my supposition was correct. The snow had been cleared away, probably so Sven’s sentries could do their jobs.
Damian slid his arm off my waist and grasped my hand. He was the first to step out, and tugged me out with him. The chill of the air crawled over me, burrowing deeply. I shivered. Mari followed. Adulfo took over guarding Jarred since he had an actual gun as opposed to Mari’s tiny blunt finger.
“You’re throwing your lot in with them?” he asked her bitterly.
“You would, too, if you weren’t so stubborn. We’re all of the same cloth, my boy.”
“Are we?” he bit out. “I think not. You betrayed me.”
“I am still your loyal friend, Jarred, but grief has hardened your heart. What did you plan on doing with Damian?”
“He stole her.”
“She chose him.” Mari shook her head, her pity evident. I couldn’t imagine why anyone would feel sorry for Jarred. “I’m doing this for you.” She patted his shoulder, which made him flinch. Then she scurried ahead of us, her eyes lifting to the darkening sky above.
Jarred sent me a bleak look. “I will find you, Kelsey.”
“Don’t bother,” I said.
For a fraction of a second, he looked shocked. Then his features smoothed out, and he was the same implacable, robot-faced Jarred. I realized I didn’t know the first thing about what was unfolding right now. Obviously, Damian and Jarred shared a history—and I felt the cut of betrayal deepen. Whatever Jarred’s purposes for me or for Damian, I couldn’t believe them benign.
“If you knew the truth of it all, you wouldn’t be so charmed by him,” said Jarred.
“But she would be charmed by you ?” Damian turned and pulled me to his side. Then he pulled down the blouse’s collar. He brushed aside my hair, and let his fingers trace the bite mark. “It doesn’t matter what either of us wants now, does it?”
“Bastard. You don’t even want her!” choked out Jarred. “Will she pay the same price for your selfishness that Anna did?”
Damian went white. His whole body tensed and I realized he was seconds away from socking Jarred in the jaw. I held firmly to his arm. “That’s enough,” I said quietly. “I don’t know what’s going on, but I feel like a steak being fought over by two starving dogs.”
“My apologies,” said Jarred swiftly.
I ignored him. “He’s trying to anger you,” I said to Damian. Fury made his eyes glint like shards of green glass. “He’s distracting you from leaving, delaying us until Sven arrives.”
“Come on!” yelled Mari.
“Adulfo,” said Damian, “I believe Dante needs a nap.” His grip on my hand tightened, and then he spun on his heel and started to walk away, me in tow.
“Damn it,” yelled Jarred. “Wait.”
Damian stopped so abruptly, I stumbled. We both turned.
“Dr. Ruthers gave her the serum.”
“And you accuse me of trying to harm her?” Murder gleamed in Damian’s eyes, and this time, I didn’t think I’d be able to stop him from breaking Jarred’s neck. Then again, did I want to? Jarred had admitted to giving me some kind of drug. More surprising, however, was that Damian knew about whatever this serum was—though he seemed genuinely outraged I had been given it.
“You bit her,” said Jarred, sounding like a little boy denied the cookie jar.
“To mark her,” snapped Damian. “To keep her from you . No shifter will dare touch her now.”
For the first time ever, I could feel a whisper of emotion from Jarred: desperation. “You arrogant asshole! Your bite infected her with werewolf DNA. If we hadn’t given her
Ding. The cheery little sound pierced the tense silence of the car, and then the doors slid smoothly open to reveal the rooftop. It was dusk, the purple sky slivered with clouds. I looked over the flat square space that must have once been meant for entertainment. A few decrepit chairs hinted that my supposition was correct. The snow had been cleared away, probably so Sven’s sentries could do their jobs.
Damian slid his arm off my waist and grasped my hand. He was the first to step out, and tugged me out with him. The chill of the air crawled over me, burrowing deeply. I shivered. Mari followed. Adulfo took over guarding Jarred since he had an actual gun as opposed to Mari’s tiny blunt finger.
“You’re throwing your lot in with them?” he asked her bitterly.
“You would, too, if you weren’t so stubborn. We’re all of the same cloth, my boy.”
“Are we?” he bit out. “I think not. You betrayed me.”
“I am still your loyal friend, Jarred, but grief has hardened your heart. What did you plan on doing with Damian?”
“He stole her.”
“She chose him.” Mari shook her head, her pity evident. I couldn’t imagine why anyone would feel sorry for Jarred. “I’m doing this for you.” She patted his shoulder, which made him flinch. Then she scurried ahead of us, her eyes lifting to the darkening sky above.
Jarred sent me a bleak look. “I will find you, Kelsey.”
“Don’t bother,” I said.
For a fraction of a second, he looked shocked. Then his features smoothed out, and he was the same implacable, robot-faced Jarred. I realized I didn’t know the first thing about what was unfolding right now. Obviously, Damian and Jarred shared a history—and I felt the cut of betrayal deepen. Whatever Jarred’s purposes for me or for Damian, I couldn’t believe them benign.
“If you knew the truth of it all, you wouldn’t be so charmed by him,” said Jarred.
“But she would be charmed by you ?” Damian turned and pulled me to his side. Then he pulled down the blouse’s collar. He brushed aside my hair, and let his fingers trace the bite mark. “It doesn’t matter what either of us wants now, does it?”
“Bastard. You don’t even want her!” choked out Jarred. “Will she pay the same price for your selfishness that Anna did?”
Damian went white. His whole body tensed and I realized he was seconds away from socking Jarred in the jaw. I held firmly to his arm. “That’s enough,” I said quietly. “I don’t know what’s going on, but I feel like a steak being fought over by two starving dogs.”
“My apologies,” said Jarred swiftly.
I ignored him. “He’s trying to anger you,” I said to Damian. Fury made his eyes glint like shards of green glass. “He’s distracting you from leaving, delaying us until Sven arrives.”
“Come on!” yelled Mari.
“Adulfo,” said Damian, “I believe Dante needs a nap.” His grip on my hand tightened, and then he spun on his heel and started to walk away, me in tow.
“Damn it,” yelled Jarred. “Wait.”
Damian stopped so abruptly, I stumbled. We both turned.
“Dr. Ruthers gave her the serum.”
“And you accuse me of trying to harm her?” Murder gleamed in Damian’s eyes, and this time, I didn’t think I’d be able to stop him from breaking Jarred’s neck. Then again, did I want to? Jarred had admitted to giving me some kind of drug. More surprising, however, was that Damian knew about whatever this serum was—though he seemed genuinely outraged I had been given it.
“You bit her,” said Jarred, sounding like a little boy denied the cookie jar.
“To mark her,” snapped Damian. “To keep her from you . No shifter will dare touch her now.”
For the first time ever, I could feel a whisper of emotion from Jarred: desperation. “You arrogant asshole! Your bite infected her with werewolf DNA. If we hadn’t given her
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