Page 97 of Primal Bonds

“He wasn’t working with a night fae then,” Jace returned.

“It’s almost dawn. The night fae will have to go underground. Corban will be forced to deal with me alone.”

Jace blew out a breath. “You’re the alpha.”

Something had been niggling at him ever since yesterday when he, Evie and the others had walked to the park. “Remember when we were teenagers and we tried to track your cousin in Druid Hill Park—but we never could?” Corban would disappear for hours, and he was so good at hiding his scent that even Adric couldn’t find him.

“Hell. You think he has a lair in there somewhere?”

“Makes sense.”

“We went through the park once already, but it’s worth another pass. I’ll head up there at noon when that fucking night walker will be sleeping. If Corban’s somewhere nearby, just seeing me may draw him out. If not, I’ll go over every square foot. If he has a lair, I’ll find it.”

“Don’t go alone.”

“I won’t. So here’s the plan—Horace and Sam are to stick with you, Evie and Kyler. I’ll tell Beau to stay with Suha—she’s valuable enough that Corban may try to strike at her—and I’ll take Zuri and Marjani to the park.”

“Marjani? You think that’s wise? She’s so close to going—”

“Feral? I know. Believe me, I know. But then again, this might be what she needs—someone to protect. She’s been better ever since I asked for her help with this whole Corban mess. Maybe I made a mistake, coddling her this long.”

Jace rubbed his lower lip. “She needed time to heal. But I agree, maybe it’s time to bring her back on duty.”

Marjani had been one of the clan’s best soldiers. What had happened to her could’ve broken anyone—male or female—but it must have been a special hell for a woman who’d never taken any shit from anybody. To be violated in such an intimate way, made to feel so helpless. Like Takira. Jace swallowed harshly.

Adric was speaking. “I’ll contact Zuri, tell him what’s up. You bring Horace and Sam up to date.”

“I will. And Ric? Thanks—for Evie and Kyler.” Because he was wrapping the protection of the clan around the two humans.

“Hey, you’d do the same for me. Besides, I like your Evie and the kid. They’re good people.”

“They are.” He cut the connection.

A moment later, he heard Zuri speaking to Adric. “On my way,” he said. Jace glanced in his room to see the other lieutenant was already up and pulling on jeans and a T-shirt.

“I’m going to spread the word about Corban,” Zuri told Jace, “to those who don’t have a smartphone, and then I’ll head over to Adric’s.”

Jace nodded. Not everyone could use the new technology—it was one of the glitches they still had to work out. “Watch his back. He thinks he’s fucking invincible.”

“Don’t worry,” Zuri replied, “I will.”

Jace nodded and continued down the hall to wake up Sam and Horace. He brought them up to date with a few terse sentences, before heading for the shower, his plans for making love to Evie tabled. He didn’t even want to get near her in this frame of mind.

He knew Corban had to die, but it still left a bad taste in his mouth. It was so fucking senseless. The Darktime was supposed to be over. He was sick and tired of the infighting, of pointless deaths. He wanted to build things—not kill. To be free to explore this thing with Evie and maybe someday, have a cub of his own with her.

His heart squeezed at the thought of a sassy little girl with Evie’s bright hair and dark brows.

And if the clan had a problem with a mixed-blood, well, he’d make his own den with Evie and Kyler and any offspring the gods blessed them with. Adric would support him. Hell, Adric had accepted Merry, the only granddaughter of the night fae prince himself.

But if Corban had his way, it wasn’t going to end until Adric and every last one of his lieutenants was dead.

Jace slammed the heel of his hand against the tiled wall. Then he stood under the shower head and turned it to full.

Chapter 29

It was the fae lights that woke Evie. She’d been on her side with Jace spooned around her, both of them naked. He’d been lazily caressing her, and she had a smile on her lips as she came awake. Then Jace had left the bed, and she’d rolled onto her back and dozed off again.

The next thing she knew, something stung her arm. She swatted it away, but a moment later she felt another sting to her shoulder, and then another to her face. She jolted awake to find the fae lights swarming her—and a tall man dressed all in black staring down at her.

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