Although he didn’t say a word, Jason’s jaw tightened as he looked at Selene, his gaze raking over her forehead, nose, and lips with barely contained repulsion.
She reached a trembling hand out to Jason’s clenched fist. He jerked away from her, but she gently gripped his wrist and wrenched open his fingers. He was still clenching the Primary’s fang. She slid the artifact from his palm and carefully returned it to the box. She gathered the pelt that Jason had cast aside when he awoke, folded it carefully, and returned it to its place among the other artifacts, checking and double-checking that everything was where it belonged before closing and locking the sacred chest.
“You don’t have to do this,” Jason said. “You could refuse. My brother wouldn’t deny you, especially if you asked Artemis to back you up.”
“Why would I do that?” Selene said, meeting his gaze. “You need me. I can help you.”
Jason stepped in close, his body blocking the window and casting a dark shadow over her. “You don’t want to live with me, Selene.” His finger landed on her chest and traced the smear of blood that remained there from the ritual. “It’s not safe. I’m a bad man with a vice. You’re a woman. You wouldn’t want to put yourself at risk, would you?”
Narrowing her eyes, Selene squared her shoulders, lifting the box from the bed in such a way that it banged into Jason’s stomach. He took a step back with a resoundingoomph.
“I don’t believe for a second that you are capable of hurting me. And if you even think about taking your vice out on me, think again. I may be a woman, but I’m not as defenseless as I seem.”
“Every woman has her vulnerabilities.” His threatening tone made her spine tingle.
Exhausted from the ritual and in no mood to argue, she leaned forward and whispered into his ear, “Just remember, I saw into your soul. I know what you did with Nickelova… and other things. I know who you really are, Jason Flynn. Before you even think about messing with me, you’d better consider your own vulnerabilities.”
8
On the way back to his condominium, Jason had half a mind to drive directly to the security office of the Bachman Building and tell them that Silas, who trailed a car length behind him, was a stalker. He’d enjoy watching some half-trained, underpaid, overcaffeinated human in a blue uniform interrogate his big brother. Unfortunately, all it would take was a direct alpha command from Silas and life could get even worse… fast.
One word, said with the right inflection and eye contact, and Jason would be forced to obey or face the consequences—namely a body that burned as if he had acid in his veins. There’d been rumors of alphas throughout history punishing their wolves by making them kneel on concrete until they bled or forcing them to take a hammer to their own hand. Silas had never done anything like that, but he was capable of it. Most people didn’t realize it, but the guy had anger issues. Darkness lay beneath the buddy-cop exterior.
Silas would do anything to protect his pack, and that included torturing his little brother. Jason had no choice but to go along with this ridiculous plan. Or else.
It wasn’t the program itself he was dreading. It was Selene. Giving up sex would be difficult, both physically and mentally, he was sure. He’d lied before to Laina about going two weeks without it. It had been years since he’d gone more than two days. But Selene… Selene, with her perfect skin and her holier-than-thou attitude… Her fucking virtue was a constant reminder of everything he wasn’t. And now she was in charge.Sesame Streettwenty-four hours a day.
He appreciated her saving his life. He did. And part of him regretted not thanking her for that particular service. But how creepy was it that she’d seen and felt the depravity going on inside his brain. She’d likely never allow him to forget the filth he was. How he was dark to her light, tainted to her clean, unworthy to her admirable. And she’d be right there to watch him squirm as his vice tortured him from the inside out.
“Get out.” Silas knocked on his driver’s side window, looking peeved.
Jason turned off the ignition and crawled from the car. “How about a nice hospital stay? There’s a rehab institute in Arizona where a popular pro golfer found some success.”
“No. You need Selene. She understands the difference between a human addiction and a werewolf vice.”
“And so do you, Silas. You know I won’t be able to give it up permanently. My wolf will go mad.”
Silas said nothing. They stepped into the elevator and Silas pressed the button for the top floor: Jason’s penthouse.
“It’s not like I actually have a problem. I understand you need me to prove I can go without sex. You want to be sure I can say no to Nickelova, but this isn’t like snorting cocaine or shooting up heroin. I can’t give up sex any more than I could give up eating or drinking. Not long term. My wolf needs it to survive.”
Wordlessly, Silas stepped off the elevator, waiting patiently for Jason to unlock his door.
“It was the curse that caused all the trouble. Not my vice,” Jason said. “I don’t have a problem, just a manageable condition. I can stop on my own anytime I want. I don’t need Selene.”
Silas closed the door behind them.
“Have you listened to a word I’ve said?” Jason stared at his brother in frustration.
“You have a different woman every night of the week but couldn’t get a date for your sister’s wedding,” Silas said matter-of-factly.
“It wasn’t a convenient time—”
“We schedule our family events around yoursessionsbecause you are intolerable to be around otherwise.”
“Understandable, I’d say, given that I have a metaphysical need for sex.”
Silas rubbed the base of his neck. “You couldn’t turn down the woman who almost killed us… almost killed me… just a few months ago.”
