Page 70 of The Tracker's Rage
I buried my face in my hands. There was no point trying to talk to Jake about this. He would never understand. He had been indoctrinated since childhood to believe that vampires were his mortal enemies, while I had grown up befriending every Skew I ever met. I always fit in better with them, and, growing up, some of my best friends were vampires.
He laid a hand on my back and rubbed up and down. “It’s okay. I don’t think you killed him. He looked dead, but don’t they always? You acted in self-defense and used a new skill probably on instinct. No one could blame you if he’s dead. Once you figure out all your new abilities, you’ll be able to gauge better how to use them. I bet you will.”
I peeled my hands away from my face and blinked up in surprise. “Who are you? And what have you done with Jacob Knight?” I demanded.
“When I couldn’t get to you, I thought...” he didn’t finish and was silent for a moment. Then he said something random, “You were there.”
I frowned.
“At the repair shop when werescuedStephen.” He smiled sadly.
“Oh, yeah, you figured that out.”
He nodded. “Your wolf is beautiful. I realized it when I saw you fight.”
Tenderly, he started caressing my jaw with his thumb. My eyelids fluttered at his touch. I closed my eyes and enjoyed the caress, knowing full well that I shouldn’t, that I should pull away and put some distance between us. He was not only engaged. He had a pact to uphold, a promise that, if broken, could lead to his death.
That thought sobered me up, and I leaned away from his touch. “You should leave. It’s not a good idea for you to be here.”
“I know, but I don’t want to leave. I want to stay here with you to talk and kiss and make love.” His eyes trembled with emotion.
A lump got caught in my throat. “You shouldn’t say those things.”
“Only because they are true.” He pressed his forehead to mine as he resumed caressing my face, his thumb running over my eyebrow, cheekbone, and finally my lips. “I don’t know how, but I’ll find a way to be with you, Toni. I promise you.”
I shook my head, rubbing my forehead against his. “It was a promise that got you in this mess to begin with, so don’t.”
“It was thewrongpromise,” he said. “I realize now that it was unfair of my father to ask me to continue the family legacy when he knew I’m more suited to be a lone wolf, at least until I met you. And it was even worse for my grandfather to maneuver me into this situation. I don’t want to be a pack leader. I don’t care for Allison Blackridge. I don’t even like her, but Walter doesn’t give a shit about that. He only cares about restoring the pack’s previous grandeur, even if he steamrolls my happiness in the process. There’s nothing more important to him than the Knight legacy.”
“Jake.” His name left my lips in a hot whisper as I pressed my hand on top of his and leaned into his touch, my eyes closing of their own accord. His warmth seeped into me like morning sunshine.
My heart was melting. Jake had never talked to me this way, with such honesty and openness. And as I measured the weight of his words, I realized I owed him the same.
“I’m a mess. My emotions, my body. My abilities are out of control, and I have no idea where any of it will lead. When this is all said and done, I may not be good for you. I may become the biggest mistake you’ve ever made.”
“No. That’s impossible. I already know what my biggest mistake was. I should have never left you, Toni. I should’ve stuck by you and kept you all to myself.”
My heart did a flip worthy of a ten-point score.
Overwhelmed with emotion, I took his face in my hands and leaned in for a kiss. To my surprise, he pulled back, his gaze filling with regret.
“I can’t,” he said. “I know that if I kiss you now, I won’t be able to stop. I will take you and make you mine in every way I know.” His voice was husky and full of meaning.
I pressed my thighs together as a thrill ran straight through my core, making me want him more than ever.
“It wouldn’t be right,” he continued. “Not with this engagement and pact hanging over my head. As much as I hate it, I gave my word to Allison.” He pulled away from me, looking embarrassed.
Maybe knowing that insipid blonde had a promise from Jake should have broken my heart, but instead, it made me proud of him, made me see his integrity and strength of character. He wasn’t some weak man who compromised his honor for anything. And when he became mine it would be with a clean slate, with nothing to hold him back. I couldn’t be angry with him for that. In fact, I admired him.
I scooted closer and teasingly nudged his shoulder with mine. “I totally get it, and guess what?” He glanced at me sideways. “I’ll wait. However long it takes, I’ll wait for you.”
He faced me, took off his leather bracelet, and proceeded to put it around my wrist. “I want you to have it.”
I ran my finger over the metal arrow motif. “It’s pretty.”
“The arrow... it represents you.”
I glanced up, surprised. “Me?”
