“What?” Jason and Selene asked together.
Selene cleared her throat. “The program doesn’t require my full-time care. I believe it can be accomplished with a half-day session three times a week.”
Silas shook his head again. “It’s too risky. We need someone monitoring him twenty-four seven, just in case she returns.”
“Silas!” Jason pleaded. “What are you saying? You’re assigning Selene as my babysitter?” He gaped at his brother in horror.
“More like your warden. She’s proven herself more than capable of protecting you against Nickelova’s magic. I want Selene to stay with you, full time, until your vice is completely cured and there’s no chance of the curse activating again.”
Selene cleared her throat, holding up two fingers to get the alpha’s attention. “But I live in Sanctuary at Rivergate Manor. ThePreotkawon’t allow it.” Selene’s heart raced. Surely Silas wasn’t suggesting she actuallylivewith Jason all day, every day. After all, the man looked as if he wanted to kill her at the moment.
“PreotkaArtemis will be receptive to your assignment when she understands the safety of the pack is at risk.” Silas clasped his hands together. “I assume Jason can’t stay with you in Sanctuary.”
“No.” She chuckled softly. “Males are not allowed.”
“Then you will stay with Jason at his penthouse until he’s better. Do we all understand each other?” Silas looked between Selene and Jason.
Selene nodded, a knot of anxiety balling within her. If the alpha commanded it, she would do it. But no part of her felt ready for this level of solo responsibility and commitment. She swallowed down the fear lodged in her throat.
“You can’t do this to me. I have work. I have a life.” Jason bared his teeth and planted his hands on his hips.
“The faster you’re cured, the faster you can have both of those things back,” Silas said.
“You fucking bastard.” Jason’s wolf rose to the surface. Selene gasped as his eyes changed color and the hair along his arms lengthened. Without warning, he lunged and swung at Silas’s head. Silas caught his fist, palm slapping knuckles loud enough to make Selene tense away from the crackle of testosterone in the room.
“Back down, brother, or things are going to get worse for you. Much, much worse.”
Jason lowered his fist and wrestled his wolf into submission. He turned and paced the length of the room.
Silas never took his eyes off him as he said, “I’m going to step outside the door for a moment to call Artemis and make sure we’re on the same page about Selene. I’ll meet you out front and escort you back to your condo. Selene, take your time getting your things together. I’ll wait with Jason until you can join us.” He nodded his goodbye.
“I need to find Kyle,” Laina said, hoisting up the skirt of her wedding dress and following after Silas.
Gerty gave one last empathetic glance toward Jason and said, “You can do this. I believe in you,” before making her own exit.
Selene was left alone in the cottage with Jason. Although he didn’t say a word, his gaze raked over her forehead, nose, and lips with barely contained revulsion.
She reached a trembling hand out and clasped Jason’s fist, which had been clenched since he’d woken from her ritual. He jerked away from her touch, but she slowly and gently gripped his wrist and wrenched open his fingers. The Primary’s fang rested in his grip. She slid the artifact from his palm and carefully returned it to the box, then gathered the pelt and folded it carefully, returning 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 murmured. “You could refuse. My brother wouldn’t deny you, especially if you asked Artemis to back you up.”
“Why would I do that?” Selene shot him a glance. “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’re capable of hurting me. And if you try, you should know 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 looked him dead in the eye and said, “Just remember, I saw into your soul. I know who you really are, Jason Flynn. Before you even think about messing with me, you’d better consider your own vulnerabilities.”
ChapterTen
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. 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 were the stuff of nightmares. 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.
