Page 117 of Pack Frenzy
Something passes between the three of them—a look I can’t read.
“Blake’s a manipulator,” Rowan says carefully. “He knows exactly what he’s doing.”
“Bastard won’t come near you again.” Cassian’s hands are curled into fists.
“Cassian—” I start, but he’s already between me and the room, positioning himself so I’m behind his shoulder. Cassian mirrors him on my other side, wide stance, quiet fury. Eli’s still seated, but his voice carries steel.
“So this is your…pack?” Blake’s voice cuts through the hum, silk over steel.
“You’re done here, Blake,” Rowan says. “Unless you want to take this outside, and then we’re all up for it.”
Cassian takes off his jacket, rolling up his sleeves.
But Blake smirks, tips an invisible hat, and disappears into the crowd.
The tension doesn’t ease right away. The noise of the room returns in fragments—laughter, glassware, the clink of forks.
But the air around us feels colder.
Eli leans in close enough that only I hear him. “You all right?”
I nod. “Just surprised me.”
Rowan doesn’t buy it. He stays where he is, body a shield, eyes fixed on the entrance until he’s sure Blake’s gone.
When he finally looks at me, the anger in him’s gone quiet. “You did nothing wrong.”
“I know,” I say, but it comes out too soft.
Eli reaches across the table, fingers brushing mine. “Eat,” he says gently. “We’ll finish the rest of this circus and get you home.”
Home.
That word lands somewhere deep, steadying.
I pick up my fork again, pretending I can taste the food, pretending the shadows under my skin haven’t started whispering questions I don’t want to answer.
You remind me of someone.The words loop through my head, low and unshakable. Maybe Eli’s right, and it was just a pickup line, but my gut says Blake didn’t mean to say that part out loud.
It couldn’t have been Meredith—I’ve seen her photo on Eli’s screensaver. Blonde, curvy, sunshine where I’m all edges and shadows. So who did he mean?
And for the first time, I’m afraid of the answer.
CHAPTER 28
JESS
The taste of dessert and expensive perfume clings to the back of my throat when a Nexus aide approaches our table. Silver badge, neutral smile.
My stomach twists—not from the food, but from the careful neutrality in her expression. I’ve seen that look before. It never means anything good.
“Mr. Hale. Mr. Douglas. Mr. Mercado. Ms. Mancini.” She gestures to a set of glass doors near the back of the ballroom. “If you’ll follow me, the evaluation rooms are ready.”
Eli gives a short nod. “Of course.”
Cassian mutters something under his breath that sounds likeready for what, exactly,but he stands anyway. His hand finds mine for just a second—a quick squeeze before they take me away.
Rowan’s hand presses low at my back, a quiet promise. And Eli kisses my cheek as they separate us in the hallway.
