Fatal Temptation: Between Two Alphas
Chapter 43

Chapter Forty-Three

JACE

"You won't make it past the first ward without me, Jace."

Morgan has her hands on her hips and she's glaring at me. Or, well, she's trying to. Ever since she confessed about wanting my protection and me realizing that she could've decimated my packmates and chose not to, I'm feeling decidedly affectionate toward this woman.

So even though she's pissy and trying to be a hardass with me, I'm kind of past seeing her that way. "You're a marshmallow, Morgan."

She sucks in a breath like I just called her the most vile insult known to humanity.

I stalk her across my bedroom. I came up here to pack to leave for California and she followed, making twenty different arguments for why she should go and I should stay.

"Did you just call me a marshmallow!?"

I drop my duffel bag and grab her hips. I can feel the bones and I let my hands drop lower to where her thighs fan out. I flex my hands there. "Yeah, that's what I said. You're soft," I squeeze again. "And sweet." She sputters.

I drop a quick kiss on her mouth because I'm a sucker for those lips...

"Jace, wait. Seriously. You don't know what you're getting into. This is a multibillion dollar corporation and the security is state of the art. That's before we get into our magic failsafes. I helped lay those foundations. I wove those spells. I'm not being arrogant here. You want to get in and make it out alive...I'm your best shot at making that possible."

I consider what she's said.

My brother's still mixed up with Alpha MacPhearson and there are way too many enemy wolves on site for me to take any sizable contingent of men.

For that matter, pharmaceutical security is going to need skills more in Jacob's or Mia's wheelhouse, and much as I'd love to have Mia help, Cam's not going to let her out of his sight, let alone across the country onto Eric's range.

"Just admit it," she says. "You need me."

I do need her. Just for things beyond reconnaissance or breaking and entering.

I tilt her chin up and kiss her again. I linger this time. Drawing her thick bottom lip into my mouth and running my tongue across it.

When she shimmies up against me, I wrap my arms around her and drag her close. I could drown in this woman. My wolf is obsessed and for me, I want her more than I want to draw my next breath.

I understand it more now, this madness that is a mate bond.

I never put much stock into it.

It's...intense.

Her breasts press against my chest. Her nipples are hard. The scent of her skin has changed. I'd bet my right arm her panties are damp. She makes some little sound that's pure pleasure as rubs against me. I keep kissing her. She makes that little mewling sound again and I want to do a thousand different things to her just so I can learn her every reaction.

But If I want a chance at a life with this woman, we first need to fix the problems she created for my pack.

I draw back and kiss her forehead. "We have to save Merilee, Morgan." She's never seen the 'other' side of me. The one as Enforcer.

I've hunted.

I've killed.

I've tortured and maimed.

I've been the spear of our armies for the better part of my life. I haven't always agreed with orders, but I've followed them. I can be ruthless, cruel, as vicious as any other alpha who'd make a decision and not give a damn about the consequences.

I hope she never has to see that side of me. But she needs to know that it exists. I like to think of myself as reasonable, but when push comes to shove- "I'll do whatever it takes to save my niece." Her hands cup my cheeks. "You're a good man, wolf."

I snort.

She's teasing me. But... "I'm not, Morgan. I've done things I'm not proud of."

She pats my face. "Talk to me after you've swindled your best friend out of her afterbirth." She shudders.

I laugh. I can't help it.