42. Chad
CHAPTER 42
Chad
"What the—Jenny?" I stammer, my voice raw, incredulous. I can barely speak, let alone comprehend why she’s here, why she just knocked Dean out cold.
She steps closer, her eyes gleaming with something wild, something dangerous. "You said I was too beautiful to be alone," she says, her voice unnervingly calm, “it’s because I was waiting for you; you were never meant to be with him. With them.”
My blood runs cold.
Every part of me wants to rush to Dean, to shake him awake, to make sure he’s okay. But my body refuses, locking me in place as I’m pulled between the searing heat clawing through me and the icy stab of fear. I feel trapped, helpless.
“Waiting for me?” I manage, my voice coming out ragged. “What the hell are you doing here?”
Jenny laughs, soft and almost playful, like this is all some twisted game. “I came to save you, Chad. Don’t you get it? They’ll ruin you. You’re better than this. Better than them.”
I stagger back a step, the bathroom tiles biting against my bare feet. “You’re out of your mind,” I snarl, battling the dizzy haze of heat and panic. “Get the hell out of my house.”
But she doesn’t flinch. Instead, she kneels beside Dean’s still form, her fingers brushing through his hair with a disturbing kind of gentleness. “They’re not worthy of you,” she murmurs, her voice thick with a strange, possessive adoration. “They never were.”
My pulse hammers in my throat, my whole body quaking—not just from the heat but from the sheer wrongness of this moment. Jenny, standing here in the middle of my house, her twisted need for whatever she thinks this is leaking through every word, every movement. None of this was ever supposed to happen.
I try to turn, to move toward the door and out of this nightmare, but my body’s at war with itself, and I stumble, caught between the overwhelming need gnawing at my core and the ice-cold realization that my own instincts might just betray me. I swallow hard, forcing myself to keep some semblance of control, even as she watches me, her gaze dark and unfathomable, as if she’s planning her next move in a game I never wanted to play.
The ache within me grows sharper, clawing its way up, twisting through me with an urgency I can’t ignore. My whole body is screaming for relief, for contact—for the kind of touch that only an alpha can give. But even through the haze of my heat, I feel a strong, defiant core fighting back, grounding me. I am not going to let her be the one to take advantage of me, not now, not ever.
But Jenny just stands there, watching me with an unsettling calm, as if she’s waiting for the inevitable. Her eyes flick over me, pausing at my cock, reading every shudder, every barely contained tremor, her mouth curling with a smug satisfaction that sends bile to the back of my throat.
“Chad,” she says, voice low, coaxing. “You don’t have to suffer. I’m right here. I’m exactly what you need, and you know it.”
My jaw tightens, and I shake my head, clenching my fists, trying to hold onto the last sliver of control I have left. “No. I don’t need you. I don’t want you.”
“Oh, but your body says otherwise,” she murmurs, her tone filled with cruel amusement. “I can smell it, Chad. You’re practically begging for it.”
A shiver runs through me, and I hate that I can’t hide it, can’t mask the effect she has on me when I’m like this. My body might be betraying me, but I grit my teeth, determined to hold my ground. “I’d rather suffer than let you touch me.”
She laughs softly, the sound grating against my skin. “We’ll see how long that resolve lasts. The heat always wins in the end. The body knows what it needs, Chad, even if your mind is too stubborn to accept it.”
I press myself against the sink, slowly edging for the door, desperate for any distance between us. Every inch of me is tense, caught in this battle between instinct and willpower. I feel the sharp pulse of my own heartbeat hammering against my skin, urging me to give in, but my mind clings to Dean’s presence, to the feel of his lips wrapped around me only minutes ago.
“Get out, Jenny.” The words are raw, torn from the back of my throat as I brace against the ache tightening my chest. “Now. Don’t come back.”
A shudder rolls through me, and before I can stop it, a soft whimper escapes my lips. I clench my fists, struggling to hold onto any shred of defiance left.
Jenny just tilts her head, watching me with that disturbingly calm, predatory gaze. She takes a slow, deliberate step closer, her voice low and syrupy. “You know you can’t keep this up, Chad. Eventually, you’re going to surrender to it. And when you do,” she murmurs, “I’ll be here, waiting to give you everything you’ve been denying yourself.” Her voice drops to a barely audible whisper. “You won’t need convincing—you’ll come to me begging for it.”
A shiver races through me as she steps over Dean, her gaze never leaving mine. She reaches out, her fingers grazing my chest in a slow, possessive path downward. I tense, but my body betrays me again, heat flaring at her touch, my pulse thundering with a mix of need and revulsion. I try to turn away, but her hand slides lower, her grip possessive, claiming.
A traitorous moan slips from my mouth, low and desperate, betraying everything I’m fighting to hold back.
The room fills with Jenny’s laughter, light and delighted, but it sounds wrong here—like it doesn’t belong. Her scent thickens, a dark musk that creeps into the air, sharp and overpowering. To my senses, it’s bitter, like something burnt and acrid, a stark contrast to the warmth and sweetness of Dean, Mason, and Lakelyn. Every inhale only reminds me that this isn’t right, that she isn’t supposed to be here. Even as I press into her touch, silently begging for more.
My body pulses with a heat that defies reason, my instincts clawing for relief even as my mind recoils. I’m caught between the cold sink pressing into my back and the unbearable pull forward, a need surging through me that I can’t push down.
“Don’t fight it,” she murmurs, her breath hot against my neck.
Her scent overwhelms me, sharp and bitter, seeping into my skin. She leans closer, her nose brushing my jawline, and I feel a pang of nausea. I try to turn my face away, but my movements are sluggish. My thoughts scatter, unraveling under the pressure, and it takes everything I have to focus on one thing: not her. Never her.
Her laugh is soft, almost pitying, as the fingers of her other hand drift down my chest, each touch scraping against my skin like nails on glass. “You can pretend all you want, Chad, but this is what you were made for,” she says, her voice dripping with false sweetness.
I barely feel it anymore. My head spins, vision blurring, my own need fogging out reason entirely. I can’t think—don’t want to think. But just when I feel myself slipping, the sharp sound of movement pierces through the haze.
Dean.
His shadow looms, sudden and fierce, a flash of pure fury in his eyes as he takes in the scene. He lunges, and in one swift motion, he’s on her, yanking Jenny away from me with a strength that makes her stumble, a surprised yelp slipping from her lips. She recovers quickly, squaring herself between us, a dangerous glint in her eyes as she crouches slightly, possessive and animalistic—like a lioness standing guard over her prey.
“Get away from him.” Dean’s voice is a dark, dangerous growl, raw and full of a threat that sends a shiver down my spine, as if his words alone have reached out to claim me.
Yes. Him. I want him, need him.
I take a shaky step toward him, but Jenny’s hand slams against my chest, halting me in place. Her nails dig sharply into my skin, cutting through the haze in my mind just enough to remind me of her presence, her hold.
Dean’s eyes blaze with a feral intensity, every inch of him radiating primal energy. The moment he sees Jenny’s hand on my chest, it’s as if something deep within him snaps. He lunges forward, no longer the composed alpha I know but a creature driven by instinct, raw and unfiltered.
“Get away from him!” Dean’s voice is a thunderous growl, echoing in the small bathroom, reverberating through my very bones. It’s a command, a declaration that leaves no room for defiance.
Jenny freezes, eyes wide with surprise, but her smirk quickly returns, a mix of amusement and contempt. “What are you going to do, Dean? Protect him? You’re too late.”
Without waiting for a response, she pushes me back again as if I’m nothing more than a pawn in her twisted game. But Dean doesn’t hesitate. He closes the distance between them, his body coiling with tension like a predator ready to strike.
“You’re not worthy of him,” Dean snarls, his voice dripping with a venomous protectiveness. He steps forward, a force of nature, each movement radiating authority. It’s a side of him I’ve never seen—more animal than human, fueled by a fierce instinct to claim and protect.
Before I can comprehend what’s happening, His hand wraps around Jenny’s bicep, ripping her away from me with a strength that seems almost effortless. She gasps, surprise flickering across her face, but it quickly morphs into anger.
“Let go of me!” she screams, struggling against his grip. But Dean only tightens his hold until she yelps, his gaze never leaving mine.
“Chad,” he says, voice low and steady, “are you okay?”
His eyes lock onto mine, grounding me amid the chaos. For the first time, I feel a sliver of clarity pierce through the fog of my instincts. I nod, even as my heart races.
I’m safe. I’m with him.
Dean’s focus sharpens, narrowing back on Jenny, who continues to squirm against his hold. “You’re done here,” he growls. There’s a promise in his tone, a threat that sends a shiver down my spine. “We’ll deal with you appropriately soon.”
“Don’t think you can just take him from me, Dean,” Jenny hisses, her composure faltering.
“I’m not taking anything,” Dean retorts, a fierce growl rumbling from deep within him. “You’re the one who doesn’t belong.”
With that, he drags her from the bathroom, her protests fading as he pulls her away. I slump against the sink, my body shaking uncontrollably, the aftermath of fear and my full-blown heat still swirling in my veins.
I don’t know how long he’s gone. There’s a little commotion, flashing lights, maybe, then silence.
When he returns, he’s alone, and my breath catches at the sight of him. His expression is a mix of anger and concern, eyes scanning me as if making sure I’m truly okay. Without a word, he wraps a plush towel around my shoulders, the softness contrasting with the turmoil I feel inside.
“Come here,” he says, voice low and soothing. He draws me into his arms, the warmth radiating from him washing over me like a balm. I melt against him, seeking the safety he offers. I can feel his heart beating against my chest, strong and steady, grounding me in a way I desperately need.
“Let’s get you back to the nest,” he murmurs, his voice thick with unspoken emotions. He lifts me effortlessly, cradling me against him as he carries me from the bathroom. The world blurs around us, and I can only focus on the sensation of being held by him, the solid strength of his body providing an anchor against the storm raging within me.
As he carries me, I press my face into his neck, inhaling the familiar scent of him—a mix of forest and earth that is uniquely Dean. It comforts me, reminding me that I’m safe. I feel the tension in my body slowly easing as we reach the nest.
Mason and Lakelyn are still asleep, blissfully unaware of the chaos that has unfolded. But I can’t focus on them. All I can feel is the burning desire coursing through me, amplifying my need for Dean and erasing even the memory of Jenny. My instincts roar to life, overwhelming every rational thought, leaving only a primal craving in their wake.
As Dean gently sets me on the bed, a surge of need propels me to reach for him, pulling him down alongside me. He groans in surprise, then gives in, pressing against me, igniting a fire in my core.
“Chad...” he murmurs, a warning laced with desire in his tone. But I’m too far gone, too lost in the haze of desire to care about the consequences. I want him—need him—now more than ever.
I tangle my fingers in his hair, drawing him closer, my heart racing as I feel the heat radiating off his body. “Don’t fight it,” I whisper, echoing her words but meaning them in a completely different way. “Just… be with me.”
The intensity in his gaze sharpens, a flicker of something raw and primal igniting within him. He presses his body against mine, and my breath hitches as I feel the undeniable connection between us. It’s electric, a magnetic pull that thrums with urgency.
“Chad, we shouldn’t—” he starts, but I cut him off, capturing his lips with mine.
The kiss is desperate, filled with all the longing I’ve kept locked away. He responds immediately, deepening the kiss, our mouths moving together with a fierce need. I can feel him yielding to my desire, his body molding against mine, the world outside falling away as we lose ourselves in each other.
In this moment, nothing else matters.