She’d agreed with the rich alpha who had the power to put her in prison with a snap of his fingers. Whose house she was staying in... whose food she was eating... whose life she’d tried to end because she’d bought into a calculated lie.
“You didn’t think you had a choice,” I echoed, appalled.
But she shook her head almost violently.
“No, I mean... I thought itwaswhat I wanted.” She picked at the cuff of her shirt, not making eye contact. “It’s the only thing that makes sense, you know? It’s not fair to Heath to make him stay mated, and it isn’t as though I wanted to be bonded to someone who has so many reasons to hate me.”
Heath had been standing frozen, almost statue-like during the exchange. But at that, he came to life. “I told you; I don’thateyou, Jez. I was angry. I’mstillangry, but I also know now that you were a victim, too. You hurt Knox. You also saved me, back at the silos. And I don’t know where that leaves us—but whether you let surgeons cut out a part of your body isyourchoice, not mine.”
Jez’s jaw, which had been hanging slightly open, clicked shut.
Heath sighed deeply. “I know it’s still complicated as hell.” He turned to me. “And I’m about to make it even morecomplicated. Tony and I want to pursue a relationship. I’d like to make him part of the pack.”
Gage looked smug. “Bout time,” he muttered.
As for Tony himself, he looked like if he tried hard enough, he might be able to sink through the floor and disappear.
“I have no problem with that,” I told him, gentling my tone as much as I could. “You’re welcome here, Tony. Sorry about the non-stop batshit insanity lately. Believe it or not, it isn’t always like this.”
That startled a snort from him. “Um... thanks. And good to know, I guess? Now, if that’s out of the way, would anyone object if I disappeared back to my apartment so I can rock quietly in the corner for an hour or two with no interruptions?”
Heath looked like he wanted to object, but he caught himself. “Whatever you need. You’ll let me know if there’s a problem, though?”
Tony’s dark eyes softened. “Yeah. Sorry—I’m used to dealing with stuff on my own. Well... aside from inconvenient dead bodies, anyway. It’s going to take some adjusting, is all.”
“For him, too.” Gage hooked a thumb at Heath. “Don’t worry, though. We’re going to get this figured out and make it all work. You’ll see.”
Tony mustered a smile. “I know better than to disagree when you make a prediction about something, big guy. Jez, are you okay here?”
Jez still looked more like someone staring down the gallows than someone staring at a tastefully decorated bedroom, but she nodded.
“I’m fine,” she said.
I made a mental note regarding how quick she was to lie about her own emotions. That was something I should’ve pegged sooner, even though I hadn’t exactly been at my best for the past few days.
“Okay,” Tony told her, accepting it. “You know where to find me if you need me.”
I waited until he’d left, before catching Heath and Gage’s eyes. “I think it would be best if I had a word alone with Jez.”
Gage looked at her. “That all right with you, kitten?”
She nodded, and I took comfort in the knowledge that Gage would be able to tell if she was lying.
He turned back to me. “I know we made things even more complicated by mating last night, but I ain’t gonna apologize for it. You don’t throw away your scent match just because things are difficult.”
He grabbed Heath’s arm and propelled him toward the door. Pausing, he leaned down and pressed a kiss to the top of Jez’s head.
“Remember... we aregoingto make this work,” he told her. “Promise.”
She didn’t look like she believed it, but she did paste on a wan smile for him.
He and Heath left, leaving the door open behind them. I saw Heath shoot an unreadable glance over his shoulder before the pair disappeared down the hallway.
Alone with my would-be murderer, I let out a sigh, crossed my arms, and rested a hip against the heavy dresser.
“I think I steamrolled you before, and I didn’t even realize I was doing it,” I told her. “I have no idea how you and I are supposed to navigate this situation, but that’s not an excuse for forgetting what a power imbalance looks like.”
She hesitated for a moment. “It didn’t make sense for me to keep my gland. I was ready to get it cut out in a back alley. It’s what anyone would expect me to do.”
