Mel's POVI stop dancing and stare at him in shock, my jaw dropping to the fucking floor. “Are you fucking serious right now?” I blurt out before I can stop myself.His eyes widen, and he quickly shushes me. “Shh! Come outside with me for a second,” he mumbles, grabbing my hand.As he pulls me through the crowd toward the foyer, I can feel several eyes drilling into my back. I know Dad is watching us for sure. Maybe Mom, too. And Kaylee, probably thinking I’m trying to steal her man. I grimace at the thought.Never. Jaxon drags me past the double doors into the dark woods, and we walk for a while, far enough that Dad can’t pick up our conversation. Jaxon abruptly turns, causing me to smack right into his muscular chest. “Oh fuck, sorry,” I mumble, catching my balance. “You didn’t bring me out here to kill me, right?” I don’t know why, but being alone with him makes me nervous. Maybe it’s because I don’t trust myself not to fall for his charm.Amusement dances in his eyes, but he does
Jaxon’s POVI can’t stop myself from watching Melanie walk away and join her friend. A part of me wants to grab her right now and take her far away from here, somewhere her father could never find her. I think back to when Alpha Damon mind-linked me in the woods:Good boy. Continue gathering all the evidence you need against her before Friday. The more everyone sees her alone with you, the more believable it will be.Yes Alpha, I simply replied. I figured that if he actually believes I’m planning to get rid of Melanie, he wouldn’t take matters into his own hands.I don’t know what he’ll do if he finds out before the ceremony that I picked her as my Beta. She doesn’t need to be in any more danger than she already is, but I’m hoping her being a high-ranking werewolf will guarantee her safety, at least for a while. He won’t be able to lay a finger on her without getting through me first.As I make my way back to the table, I notice that Kaylee’s seat is empty. I can still pick up her scen
Jaxon's POVI’m seething as Mom opens the back door and straps Ava into her booster seat. Then, she sits down beside me. Once she closes the door, I push-start the engine and start heading home.“Is everything okay?” Mom asks after a long stretch of tense silence.“Yeah,” I mumble, staring at the road ahead. The trees along the roadside blur past in the darkness, the car’s headlights casting long shadows.“Really? Because the steering wheel might disagree.”I glance down and see the color has drained from my knuckles from gripping the steering wheel so tightly. “Sorry.” I immediately relax my hands.“You’ve been so on edge tonight. Is it about becoming Alpha on Friday?” she asks gently, reaching over to rub my back.“Yeah, I guess you could say that.” Actually, the man who has been grooming me to be his successor the past seven years is a monster, I just found my girlfriend banging some random dude in the bathroom, and for some reason, I can’t stop thinking about Melanie.Which reminds
Jaxon's POVWhen I return downstairs, I find Melanie and Moon sitting on the couch across from Mom. Moon looks terrified as she clings tightly to her sister. I feel so bad for her, she probably has no idea what’s going on. I sit down beside Mom, and she begins speaking.“Melanie, Jaxon hasn’t given me many details as to why you need Moon to stay here. I do feel like it’s important we know what’s going on, especially if we’re going to be involved.”Melanie’s eyes dart towards me, seeking reassurance. I give her a subtle nod.Melanie’s teeth graze her bottom lip. “I understand why you are concerned. I…I just fear for her safety. My dad’s anger has been explosive lately, and I just don’t want my sister around that,” she explains, her voice shaky.I clench my fists. I know she isn’t telling the entire story. If he’s willing to kill her, that means he has no problem putting his hands on her or any of the girls in the house. All I want to do is hold Melanie and tell her everything will be ok
Mel’s POVI can’t believe what just happened. How can I kiss him and actually enjoy it? How can I actually feel desire for him—My rival, my enemy? Sure, I’m grateful he appointed me as his Beta, but he owes me that much. Maybe my dad would’ve considered me as his successor if his dad hadn’t died, leaving him the opportunity to swoop in.I quickly undress and head to the bathroom to wipe the makeup off my face and shower. The hot stings slightly against my skin, but I don’t mind. These days, nothing bothers me anymore. I just need to make it to the ceremony, then figure out how to keep Moon safe and away from our dad. As long as she’s protected, I don’t care what punishment he has planned for me.After I finish washing up and turn off the water, I grab the robe hanging on the wall hook and slip it on. The room feels cozy and warm—much more inviting than my own home has felt for years, thanks to my dad. I lie down and try to focus on falling asleep, staring at the clock on the wall. Ten
Mel's POVMorning birds are chirping as I sit up and rub the sleep from my eyes. I feel a lot more relaxed thanks to last night’s…session. I throw on a pair of shorts and a T-shirt from my bag, then go to wake Moon up for school. But as I walk towards Ava’s room, I notice her scent is faint. My heart clenches with dread. I fling open the door to find the bed empty. A menacing growl rumbles from my throat. Where is she? Did Dad find us and have his men take her away from me? “Moon? Moon!” I shout, running back downstairs, where her scent is stronger but still faint. She must have left hours ago. Jaxon, Elinda, and Ava’s scents are also weak. Are they in the dungeon, waiting to be punished or exiled because of me?Panic starts to cloud my mind as I burst through the front door. I immediately sense movement to my right and drop into a defensive stance. If Dad thinks he can send his men to ambush me, he’s terribly mistaken.But then I breathe as sigh of relief as Jaxon steps out of the f
Jaxon’s POVI stare out the window as Melanie drives toward the packhouse. There was no way I was letting her go alone, not when I know Alpha Damon’s intentions. Intentions I can’t tell her about until after the ceremony.It’s nice to be alone with her again. I can’t stop replaying last night’s events in my head. Not only did we kiss, but after I left, she pleasured herself thinking about me. Yep, I heard the whole thing. I forgot to mention that the guest room wasn’t soundproof because it used to be Ava’s room when she was a baby. She was our first “guest,” and I only remembered the lack of soundproofing when I heard her soft moans through the door. As I was about to knock, the sound of her screaming my name froze me in place.Should I bring it up? I want to tell her how hard it made my dick; how it took all my strength to resist throwing open the door and fucking her until she could barely walk.“You’re such a slow driver,” I comment, trying to hide my smirk. “We would have been ther
Jaxon's POVI shiver at the newly unsuppressed memory. That was the first time he made me watch him kill someone, but it wasn’t the last. As the years went by, he even forced me to participate, calling it a part of my “Alpha training.” I can only be grateful that he never made Melanie go through that.“Jaxon, you okay?” Melanie asks softly, ripping me from my thoughts.I clear my throat. “Of course. Let’s see what he wants.”We walk across the marble floor to his Alpha’s office. I knock softly on the door before entering. He sits in his brown leather armchair behind a massive desk. His cold gaze meets mine before shifting to Melanie behind me.“Melanie, you never returned home last night,” Alpha growls, clicking the pen in his hand with an irritated rhythm. “Where is your sister?”I sense her tense up, but she keeps her composure. “We’re staying at Bliss’s house for the week. I thought you and Mom would enjoy some time alone during your last week as Alpha,” she replies with a convincin