39. Thirty-Nine
THIRTY-NINE
H arley
“Lock the door after we leave,” Jax says, tucking my hair behind my ear.
“I will,” I assure him.
“If you need me, just open the window. I’ll run by periodically to make sure it’s closed.”
“I won’t need to,” I promise, smiling up at him. “Now get out there. You’re gonna end up getting left behind.”
“Okay,” he says, breathing out a heavy sigh. “Don’t wait up for me.”
“Go,” I say, giggling at his dramatics. “Nothing is going to happen. I will be fine.”
Jax cups my jaw and kisses me. I part my lips, granting him access to my mouth without a second thought. Our tongues tangle in a kiss so perfect I feel it down to my toes. Placing my hand on the center of his chest, I pull back. He drops his forehead to mine, his heart pounding beneath my palm.
“Didn’t realize it’d be so hard to walk away from you. Even if it’s just for the night,” he murmurs.
My heart tightens in my chest. “It’s just for the night,” I repeat.
“Okay, okay. I’m going,” he whispers.
I laugh softly, shaking my head. “You’re a total sap, Zayden Stone.”
“Don’t tell anyone. It’ll ruin my reputation,” he says, winking at me as he takes a step backward.
“I thought I did that with your pink hair,” I tease, following him to the door.
“Everyone loved the pink hair.”
“And the playlist?” I ask in a hushed tone as he opens the door.
“They all knew it was you the moment it started to play,” he tells me with a satisfied smile.
“Oh, sweet potatoes. I’ll have to remedy that situation,” I state.
“Jax! Hurry up!” Ross calls from the field.
“That’s your cue,” I say.
He kisses me one last time before continuing to walk backward across the patio. “Door, Harley. I mean it. And?—”
I cut him off, rushing out, “Open the window if anything is wrong. I know, Zayden. Nothing is going to happen!”
“Could you two stop being disgustingly adorable? The sun is about to completely set and I’m starting to crawl out of my skin here!” Alicia yells.
Keeley barks out her agreement. I notice Ross’s hand twitch once in her direction, almost as if he can’t resist reaching for her. Even still, his arms hang loosely at his sides. Keeley stands between him and Alicia, her tongue hanging out of her mouth as her eyes track Jax.
Laughing, I close the patio door and flip the lock while Jax is still looking at me. He taps his ear twice and then his nose right before the pack starts to shift into their wolf forms. Turning his back to me, he strips his clothes off and shifts mid run.
The very second the entire pack has four paws on the ground, Jax points his snout to the sky and howls. The rest of the pack follows suit and goosebumps cover my entire body. The sound of their synchronized howls makes my heart swell in my chest.
I may have only taken Jax’s mark, but tonight my family will run with the rise and fall of the full moon. There’s no place I would rather be as I watch them all disappear into the tree-line. Jax stops right at the edge, turning his head to look at me.
Lifting my hand to my lips, I blow him a kiss. His ears flick, picking up on every sound his pack makes beyond the trees. With an exhale that creates a cloud of condensation, Jax bolts into the trees, taking my heart with him as he goes.
I jolt up right in bed when I hear the creak down the hall. The curtains are cracked open, showing the moon still high in the night sky. I hold my breath, waiting to see if I hear anything else.
When all I hear is the erratic thrum of my heart in my ears, I carefully slide from beneath the covers. I move to the window and pull the curtains to the side. I scan the backyard, not seeing any movement in the trees or the grass. Glancing down at the patio, my stomach rolls at the sight of the sliding glass. From this angle, it looks to be left wide open.
Jax and the pack were supposed to come in through the garage. Not only that, there’s no way any of them would have been able to shift back into their human forms yet. On top of everything—I locked that door.
Reaching up with a shaky hand, I flip the latch on the bedroom window. As slowly as I can, I inch the window up until it’s completely open. Even if it’s a false alarm and nothing is actually wrong, it’s better to be safe than sorry.
Tip-toeing from the bedroom, I make my way down the hall. I don’t see anything out of place. Glancing over the banister, I examine the entryway. My breath stalls in my lungs when I see a shadow moving closer to the door coming from the direction of the patio.
I take a step back, grabbing the closest thing to a weapon I can find. When my hands land on a ceramic vase, another shadow falls over me. Tracking my eyes up from black shoes, I meet the gaze of the last person I expected to see in the Stone mansion.
“Arthur?” I whisper.
“I’m really sorry about this, Miss Thomas,” he clips coldly.
My brain attempts to catch up as he lifts his hand and points with what looks a lot like a gun. He pulls the trigger, and two electric probes shoot out. A scream leaves my throat just before I feel the pinch of a needle puncture my neck.
The paralytic enters my system, my body instantly collapsing to the floor. Two faces stare down at me. One that I’ve spent my entire life trusting, and one that terrifies me.
The man standing next to Arthur?
Leroy Sanchez.