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 his vice for sex was difficult, both physically and mentally. It had been years since he’d gone this long without it. But Selene… Selene, with her perfect skin and her holier-than-thou attitude… Sweet, kind, virtuous Selene 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 head? 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 climbed 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.” Jason tried to convey everything he was feeling to his brother in one dark look. “It’s possible my wolf will go mad. That wasn’t me who took a swing at you. That was a beast who’s been denied too long, a beast who’s been cursed and suppressed using dark magic.”
Silas said nothing. They stepped into the elevator, and Silas pressed the button for the top floor: Jason’s penthouse.
“Not her, Silas. There’s got to be another way. I could… I could hurt her.”
Wordlessly, Silas stepped off the elevator, waiting patiently for Jason to unlock his door.
“I was doing all right before Nickelova’s curse. I’d gone weeks.”
Silas closed the door behind them.
“Have you listened to a word I’ve said?” Jason stared at his brother in frustration.
Silas rubbed the base of his neck. “Want a drink before Selene gets here?”
Blowing out a deep breath, Jason nodded. “I’d love one.” A crawling feeling had started under his skin, and his suit felt heavy and constricting. He removed his jacket and unbuttoned his top two buttons.
Although Jason kept a large variety of liquors stocked in the bar next to the fireplace, Silas went straight for the bourbon, pouring two glasses of Pappy Van Winkle. Jason didn’t waste a second. He tossed the stuff back like it was lemonade and held his glass out for another. Silas obliged.
“Selene will be here soon. There’s something I want to talk to you about.”
“What?”
Silas made eye contact and held it. “You will not leave this apartment without Selene’s permission.”
It was an alpha command. The words sifted through Jason’s cells and formed a heavy weight over his heart as his body processed the command. He snorted derisively. “You bastard.”
“I didn’t like the way you looked at her in the cabin. Almost like you hated her. You need her, Jason. Don’t fuck this up by pushing her away.”
“You don’t know what you’ve done.” Jason slammed the glass down on the counter.
“Jason—”
“I’m going to bed.” He turned on his heel and headed for his room, leaving Silas standing by the bar.
* * *
Goddess,he was an asshole. Locked in his room, Jason stared at the ceiling, the cruel ache of unfulfilled need gathering like a two-ton weight between his thighs. He’d heard Selene arrive and Silas leave, but instead of welcoming her or thanking her for saving his life, he’d stayed locked in his room, brooding over his predicament.
Why he’d thought he could sleep, he wasn’t sure. His cock had an entirely different plan, and the long, thick length of him was currently pitching a tent in his covers. He stroked a hand over his sunken abs and palmed that sucker, stroking himself slowly from base to tip. It was a small reprieve, like a sip of air to a drowning man, but he’d suffered under his vice long enough to know the relief would be short-lived. Self-gratification tended to sate his inner beast for a short time, only to be followed by an increased desire for sex. It was like putting out the fire with gasoline.
As he arched his back and rolled his hips, pumping harder and faster, the build of pleasure felt like a roller coaster chugging toward that first major drop. He went over the edge, free-falling down the other side with a clear view of the broken track ahead.
And thenshewas there. It wasn’t his hand but Nickelova’s moving against him. He rolled onto his side and bounded from the bed, just barely making it to the bathroom before self-loathing turned his stomach. He heaved but there was nothing inside him to purge. When he was done, he checked his room, under the bed, in his closet. Thankfully, Nickie had been a figment of his imagination this time. Even the thought of her made everything feel tainted.
He turned on the shower and let the heat build. Stripping out of his pajamas, he stepped into the scalding water and scrubbed. His wolf was already revved up again, and as predicted, the edge of his need was sharper than before. He scrubbed harder, trading the need for pleasure for the sting of pain. Nickelova was on the edge of every orgasm, it seemed, curse or not. As he tipped his head back into the spray, he swore. He would not let her win. No fucking way.
