Chapter 24 - Jace
“Ow,” I groan as she crashes into me. But even as I say it, I’m smiling, relieved to be in her arms. Relieved to have her in mine.
For a moment, it doesn’t matter that Marcus is standing there, and that I have to face what he’s done.
Nothing matters except her, against me, her scent in my nostrils, and her soft hair tangled in my fingers.
“Are you ok?” I whisper, pulling her back so I can see her tear-stained face. I brush my thumb over her cheek.
She nods. “I am now,” she whispers.
Marcus moves toward the door, and Miles blocks his path. “You’re not going anywhere, Marcus. Not until you answer for what you’ve done,” He demands.
I step away from Mira to face Marcus.
“What happened?” my father asks, eyeing the blood on my shirt.
“Marcus tripped the security system. Over and over again. He messed with it, and when it didn’t get him what he wanted, he hired a man to tamper with the sensors around the perimeter.
The man we saw today. And when I chased that man down, five wolves were waiting for me in the forest. Wolves who sided with Marcus when the pack divided. ”
Marcus grimaces, pulling his mouth tight and not saying a damn word.
My father and Lexus stare in shock.
“I killed two of them, injured one. The other two ran, too scared to try and fight me. But the injured one couldn’t run. And when I questioned him, he spilled everything. He told me everything, Marcus,” I snarl, stepping toward the man, wanting to kill him.
“He's lying,” Marcus stammers.
I scoff, laughing bitterly.
“There never were rogues in the area,” I explain.
“But we found the camp,” Lexus says, confused.
“We found a staged camp. A camp set up by some of our own guys, which explains why we struggled to find a foreign scent. The only unfamiliar scent in the forest was the outsiders Marcus hired to help the guys from our pack he was working with,” I explain.
Miles huffs, “Also, the team we dispatched to help Jace tonight managed to capture the two guys who got away from him. They confirmed the same story, after we had some words with them,” he explains. “They admit they were working for Marcus.”
“The whole thing was staged?” Jeremy stammers, glaring at Marcus. “Our pack was in turmoil over a fake Rogue pack that you created. How can you ever think that was the best thing for the pack? Controlling through fear and lies?” Jeremy is furious.
Marcus backs into a corner. He’s done for, and he knows it.
He snarls angrily, baring his teeth. “I had to do something to save this pack from this psychotic new Alpha. He is going to destroy us all!” he shouts.
“Miles, take him to the cellar. We will decide what to do with him later,” I demand.
Miles and two other trained forces step forward and grab Marcus.
He kicks, screams, and snarls as they drag him away.
Jeremy’s face is traced with worry. “We had no idea, Jace. We had no way of knowing,” he says, strained.
“It’s ok, Dad. I know. No one could have guessed he would do this,” I say, reassuring him. “I’m just glad it’s over. I’m sure we figured it out before something terrible happened.”
Mira moves to my side and gently places her hand over my wound. “Jace, we need to get this seen to,” she says.
I slip my arm around her, smiling down at her.
“It’ll be healed by tomorrow morning. You can clean it up for me and bandage it at home.”
She shivers as a surge of emotion rushes through her, and she fights tears. “I thought I lost you,” she whispers.
“I’m not going anywhere,” I tell her, holding her tighter.
***
Back at our cottage, Mira is fussing over me and taking care of me. I’m sitting on the edge of the bath and she’s kneeling on the floor.
She has the full first aid kit spread out around us and is making a huge mess of things as she tries to disinfect the gash in my side too many times and wrap it in too many bandages.
“Mira,” I laugh, taking her hand by the wrist and stopping her. “Little wolf, I don’t need all of this. I’m perfectly fine.”
I smile down at her where she’s kneeling between my legs. She scowls up at me. “What if it gets infected?” She huffs. “What if it starts bleeding again?”
I chuckle. “Look at it, the edges are already healing,” I explain, lifting my arm and pointing. “I’m an Alpha. I heal faster than other wolves.”
She bites at her lower lip, looking stressed.
Reaching down, I pull her onto my lap. She sits curled in my arms and starts crying.
“I was so scared, Jace,” she blurts out.
“I know, little one. I know,” I whisper, stroking her hair. “I was scared, too. It’s why I ran after that guy. I was so angry that he tried to hurt you. I realized I could never let anyone hurt you, ever, because I can’t live without you.”
Mira looks at me with wide eyes.
I grin, gently touching her cheek and wiping away a tear. “I love you, Mira,” I whisper.
Her eyes grow wider and her lips part in shock. She gasps softly, her face flooding with emotion. “You love me?” she murmurs.
“More than the moon and all the stars,” I tell her. “Almost more than I can bear,” I smile.
“I love you too,” she says, cautiously. As though saying the words will wake her from a dream.
“I don’t know why it took so long for me to say it out loud. Jux has been screaming it since the first moment we ever saw you,” I chuckle. “He knew, and I knew, but I thought…”
“It doesn’t matter,” she smiles beautifully. “Only this moment right now matters. Only what we do from here,” she says.
“From here, I want to spend eternity with you. I want to share my life with you in every possible way. You are my everything for all time, Mira.”
“And you are mine, Jace. You are my world, my heart, the air I breathe.”
I pull her mouth against mine and kiss her. Standing up, I lift her in my arms, ignoring the pain in my side, and I carry her to bed. My love. My moon. My everything.