“She is nothing like Nora!” His muscles tightened to vault up from the couch. He quelled the movement just in time. His response had been too quick and too harsh. Too emotional. It would not do.
He forced the tension from his body.
“Who’s Nora?” Elsa asked.
Deagan ignored the youngling and gave him a tight smile. “Tomorrow is the full moon. She could be in your bed within twenty-four hours.”
He forced a smile to his lips. “She will be. She has information Arcuro wants. I am to obtain it.”
A touch of sadness entered Deagan’s gaze. “Obtain it and then what?”
Jared held his hand out to Elsa. She came to him quickly, eagerly, and while she had need in her eyes, it was nothing like the need he had so often seen in Nora’s. Nora had a need to take and conquer. She knew who she was, who he was, and she treated him like her equal even though he was so much more powerful than she.
He gripped Elsa’s hair. Her eyes dilated. She licked her lips.
“Then I am to humiliate her,” he said. “I am to discard her in such a way that she will not breathe a word about me to her pack. I will break her. Hurt her. Disgrace her.”
Elsa’s breasts rose and fell rapidly. She pulsed with the desire to be bitten by him.
Deagan’s shoulders slumped. He shook his head. “Don’t do this, Jared. There are some things not even I can pull you back from.”
“I do not want to be pulled back.”
“You’re in love with her.”
A sharp, visceral pain cut through Jared’s stomach. His eyes locked on Deagan, then he shoved Elsa hard.
“Take her away,” he ordered. “I do not want to see either of you again. You are fortunate I do not send you out now with so little time left before dawn.”
“Fourteen minutes,” Deagan said. “If you truly want to get rid of me, then do so. I prefer greeting the sun to seeing you like this.”
“Then go!” Jared shot to his feet. “Get out!”
Terror flashed across Elsa’s face. She fell on the floor, scrambled away from him, from his fury and the raw power he had unleashed into the room. Tears flooded her eyes.
In contrast, Deagan stood before him as if he had not uttered a word. “Shall I call Nora and tell her you’ve found a replacement?”
“You will get out of my sight,” he snarled.
“Of course, but Nora—”
He flew at his scion, shoving him with so much power he toppled over the couch. Jared was on top of him before he could rise. He brought his fist down. The bone beneath Deagan’s left eye cracked.
Jared hit him again. Brought his fist back up. Deagan had plenty of time to react, but he did not move, not even to defend against a third punch.
“Fight me, damn you!” Jared roared.
“Never. I am your friend. I will pull you out of your hell for as long as I’m alive. You want to remain as you are? You know what you must do.”
Jared shook him, hitting the back of his head against the floor. “I will do it!”
“I am waiting, my lord.”
His lifted fist clenched so hard it shook.
“Don’t let Arcuro win. You have a chance to beat him. I know you’ve reached out to a coven. You and Nora—”
“Shut up!” Jared snarled. “Shut up! You will not say her name again! You will not remember her existence!”
