“Fuck,” Jake cursed softly as realisation dawned. He clutched my hand tight.
“I’ve already spoken to Alpha Frost,” Xen said, surprising us both. “He’s on his way.”
Fucking hell.
“If he comes in here and sees this—” I waved a hand around the grim state of the room. “—there’s a good chance he’s going to lose control of his wolf, and then we’re all in trouble.”
“He knows.” Xen was calmer than he had any right to be, and my own wolf stirred, uncomfortable.
Dread crept up my spine at the realisation that Jake and I were missing vital information. By rights, Xen should’ve called for reinforcements, at the very least his beta should be present if a pissed-off alpha was on his way here. But he hadn’t reached for his phone once since we’d arrived, and I got the feeling that no one else from our pack was on their way.
I also got the feeling that mine and Jake’s arrival wasn’t welcome either.
Andoh fuck, the reason Elliot had called us to the pack house the other night came back in a flash. Xen had been reading about the old laws.
No. No. No.
“You’ve already made a deal, haven’t you?” I hoped to the Goddess I was wrong, but instinct was a bitch sometimes.
Xen took exception to the accusation in my tone, a warning growl filling the room.
“Careful, Max,” he snarled, gaze hardening. “You might hold a position of authority within the police force, but that doesn’t extend to your pack. Know your fucking place.”
I bit back the words on the tip of my tongue, because as much as I hated to admit it, he was right.
“Have you made a deal?” Jake asked. His tone was a lot more respectful than mine, but the tension in his body told me how much it had cost him.
Xen stiffened, and I didn’t like the way his gaze flicked between the two of us.
“Alpha Frost and I have come to an arrangement.”
I bristled. “And what’s that?”
“I’ve told you once already to watch your tone,” Xen snarled. “I won’t tell you again.” He pointed at Jake’s dad, who’d started to show signs of regaining consciousness. “I did what I had to do in order to save John’s life.” He looked at Jake again. “But I won’t force you to do anything, Jake. Frost will accept either John’s death or you taking the place of his dead beta and marrying his daughter.”
Silence filled the room.
A stunned silence on my part as I struggled to comprehend what he’d said.
Surely I must’ve misheard him, because I could’ve sworn Xen had just proposed an arranged marriage between Jake and someone who sure as fuck wasn’tme. “You can’t—”
“If I agree,” Jake cut in, strong fingers curling around my wrist, “what happens to my dad?”
I glared at him, opened my mouth to protest again, but he gave a short sharp shake of his head. Was he really considering this? “Jake,” I pleaded.
Xen looked between the two of us, his gaze dropping to my throat and then Jake’s. “No claiming bite.” He nodded to himself, and my heart stopped. I’d never regretted anything as much as I regretted not staking my claim on Jake when I’d had the chance.
I’d thought we could take our time.
I’d thought we had forever to take that step.
“Good.” Xen breathed in deep, eyes narrowing. I knew what he could smell. “If you do this,” he said to Jake, and I thought I detected the barest hint of regret in his voice, “then whatever’s going on between the two of you ends tonight. You can’t fuck him or anyone else. Any physical interactions will be limited to what is acceptable between members of our pack.”
Nooo.
We’d only just got together.
Getting to know each other on a whole new level had been within touching distance, and now it was in danger of being ripped away and there was nothing I could do.
