Page 107 of Unclaimed Bonds
“Okay. Come back with me to the hotel, and I promise we can talk first before I bury myself inside of you for the next forty hours,” I tease, trying to lighten the mood. I hate seeing her fight some internal turmoil.
She shakes her head. “I’m staying, Liam.”
I frown. She never turns me away. What the hell? No point in arguing with her or cajoling her into coming with me. I know my girl, but I also know one way to convince her.
I step closer and grab the front of her dress. Part of her red bodice peeks out beneath the fabric. “ I change my mind. I’m going to take you to the hotel, rip this off you, burn it like those panties you were wearing, and then bury myself inside of you for the next two days.” With my hand in her hair, I expose her neck and lick from the base up to her ear. “You can tell me everything that’s been going on as I ravish your body and pump my hard cock in and out of that sweet pussy of yours.” I press my body against hers.
She tugs both of my wrists, and I immediately let go. “No, Liam. I’m staying,” she repeats softly, no fight behind her words.
I step back to allow her some space. “Okay. Then, we’ll stay.” Reaching for her again, she retreats. She pretends to fix her dress and hair. Slow tendrils of fear weave their way along my spine.
We’ve been here before. She behaved this way when she chose someone else. Not just anyone, my former best friend. I close my eyes, forcing the thought away. My fear of losing her makes me paranoid.
“Baby, talk to me. Don’t push me away. We can stay, or we can go. I don’t care. I just want to be with you. I’m here for you.” I tip her chin, forcing her to meet my eye.
She covers her forehead with a hand. “Liam,” she breathes my name, and her face crumples. “Alpha Agnus passed. She named me her successor, but that’s not the worst part. The seventh territory comes with the title.”
I inhale sharply. As a female successor, she must be mated to keep her position as Alpha. It’s a common tradition but rarely implemented due to so few female Alphas named. A young female Alpha like Jessica, especially in the LS territory, will be forced to mate, or she will be challenged to the death for her position. The Whitemore pack is small. No one would make a big deal if their Alpha is unmated. No one would really care, but adding the seventh territory into the mix—shifters have fought and died over that territory.
There’s a reason why it remains vacant, why it’s been protected for years by the Alpha King. Her life is in danger more now than it ever has been.
Thinking back on her performance, she did that on purpose. Fear couples with panic, clenching my chest in a vise. A flurry of different possibilities race through my mind. I involuntarily step back, as if someone punched me in the gut.
A flicker of hurt crosses her features. She thinks I’m rejecting her. She turns and says more forcefully, “I’m staying here.”
I grab her arm. “Wait. You didn’t give me a chance to?—”
“What were you thinking, Exposing yourself like that?!” We both pivot toward the booming voice at the entrance of the alleyway. I step in front of Jessica as Luke stomps toward us. His nostrils flare, no doubt smelling our recent coupling still lingering in the air.
Jessica tries to come around me, but I grip her arm, holding her back.
“Is he the one you’re with?” he snarls, eyes flaring wide, his face reddening. He glares at me now, but I refuse to move.
I peer over my shoulder at Jessica. She won’t look at him. Her cheeks flush.
“You selfish bastard, still stringing her along after all this time?” he spits.
My head jerks forward to face him. This is long overdue. We might have entered a short truce between us for Emily, but I’ll never forgive him for what he did. He took Jessica from me. “Stringing her along? We would still be together if not for you!” I accuse.
“Together?!” he shouts. “I had nothing to do with what happened. You had an obligation, a responsibility to your pack that you ran from.”
I cut off his bullshit. “There are no rules that forbid us from being together. If you want to talk about rules, how about we review the legal documentation that states you’re her older adoptive brother. But that hasn’t stopped you! As soon as you got rid of me, you made your move.”
He closes the space between us, getting in my face. “You had your chance to come back for her, to write to her, call her, text her. You’re the one who chose to ghost her. I stood by andwatched her fall apart, waiting for you to return. I’m the one who?—”
“Enough!” Jessica yells, forcing her way between us.
“Did you tell her why you never came back?” Luke sneers.
I issue a low warning growl.
He barks with laughter. “You never told her. Did you?”
I glance down at Jessica, her hand resting on my chest. The electricity crackles from her palms, but it’s nothing compared to the pain wrapped around my heart.
She asks, “Tell me what?” I don’t answer her right away. “Tell me what, Liam?” Her hand trembles. I can’t bring myself to say it. She turns toward Luke. Motherfucker actually has the balls to look remorseful. “Tell me!” she shouts, sending small shocks into my body.
“He’s betrothed, Jessica.” More shocks shoot from her hands, and he clears his throat. “The invitation to his mating ceremony is dated for one week from today.”
