Betrayal and Blood

Betrayal and Blood
Emily’s POV
The warm sunlight streamed through the kitchen window, casting a golden glow across the counters. The fridge hummed softly as I opened it, the cool air a sharp contrast to the heat of the room. My hand hovered over the shelves until it landed on a chocolate chip cookie. Just one, I told myself. One would be enough.
But with each bite, a strange pull gripped me, a hollow craving that deepened with every chew. By the time the box was empty, I did not even realise how much time had passed. The emptiness lingered, gnawing at me.
I stood up, reaching for another snack, but as soon as I straightened, a sudden wave of dizziness hit. My vision blurred, and I grabbed the counter to steady myself.
“Maybe I just stood up too quickly,” I muttered, trying to dismiss the unease crawling in my chest. But the dizziness lingered, tugging at me like a weight I could not shake.
Needing air, I turned toward the door, but before I could take a step, a hand shot out, grabbing my wrist with startling force.
I gasped, my body slammed against the wall, and before I could process what was happening, Jace loomed over me, his grip tightening on my arms. My pulse surged, confusion and fear spiking through me.
I could not believe it. Jace. Months since that night at the black ball. Months of silence. And now, here he was, dark and overwhelming, as though he had materialised from nowhere.
“Jace…?” My voice trembled. I did not understand. Why was he here? What had changed?
His eyes were cold, darker than I had ever seen. The intensity in his gaze was suffocating, and his grip bruised my arms. “You think you can leave me for my brother?” he growled, low and dangerous. Each word dripped with betrayal.
My heart skipped a beat. I had no idea what was going on, but one thing was clear. This was not the Jace I knew. Fear gripped me.
“Jace…” My breath hitched. Panic clawed at me. “Let me go. We were never together. You knew that.”
His face contorted with rage, his grip tightening like a vice. “I am not some pawn to make my brother jealous, Emily. I have never lost to him, and I am not starting now.”
He stepped closer, voice low and venomous. “You are mine.”
I recoiled. “Jace. I was never yours. Not now. Not ever. Let me go.” I screamed, thrashing, but it only seemed to fuel his fury.
His eyes burned with jealousy, possessiveness flashing in them. “What does my brother have that I do not? I can make you feel things Jason cannot even dream of.”
Before I could react, his face pressed against my neck. His breath was hot, stifling. His lips brushed my throat, violating every boundary I had tried to set. His hand cupped my breast. The other slipped beneath my dress. Every instinct screamed at me to fight, but fear rooted me in place.
Tears blurred my vision as I twisted, struggling beneath him, fists pounding weakly against his chest. “Let me go!” I screamed. But it was like shouting into a void.
“God, you are so beautiful,” he murmured, voice a mix of lust and cruelty. “Jason knows how to pick them, does he not?”
Adrenaline surged. With every ounce of strength, I kneed him in the groin. He groaned, stumbling back just enough for me to break free. I ran, heart pounding, but he lunged, yanking me back with brutal force.
“No!” I screamed as my body crashed to the ground. I kicked and clawed, but he was relentless.
His voice was dark, filled with malice. “Let me show you how much better I can make you feel than my brother ever could.”
“I hate you,” I spat, rage and terror shaking my voice. But Jace did not stop. His hands roamed, invasive, as though my body existed for his pleasure.
“Amara was mine,” he sneered. “So why can't you be? You are just his replacement, Emily. But me? I can give you the world.”
He leaned in to force his lips on mine, but I turned my head, spitting directly into his face. His expression faltered for a moment, then rage consumed him.
“You will regret that,” he growled. “Guess you want it the hard way.”
Terror shot through me as he began unbuckling his pants. I fought with everything I had, kicking, clawing, screaming, but he was unyielding. Just as he was about to overpower me,
Crash.
Jason’s voice cut through the chaos, low and furious. “Get the hell away from her.”
In a flash, Jason yanked Jace away, throwing him against the wall. His chest heaved as he faced his brother, breath ragged, rage palpable.
“How dare you?” Jason growled, fist colliding with Jace’s jaw. Blow after blow followed. Each punch carried a weight of fury I had never seen. Primal, raw, almost inhuman.
“I am going to kill you!” Jason roared, voice breaking through the haze of my panic.
I pushed myself to my feet, trembling with adrenaline. “Jason, stop!” I screamed. “He is not worth it. You are going to kill him!”
Jason froze mid-punch. His gaze flickered to me, softer, fleeting. Then he turned back to his brother, expression hardening again.
Jace, defiant even bloodied, coughed, then let out a bitter laugh. Teeth stained red. “What is this, huh? You think you are her knight in shining armour? She will never love you. You do not deserve love.”
Jason’s jaw clenched. Without hesitation, he pulled a gun from his waistband, cold metal gleaming. “Say another word, Jace. I dare you,” he said, eerily calm.
Jace’s eyes widened, colour draining. “You would not,” he whispered, disbelief shaking his voice.
Jason chuckled darkly. “You stopped being my brother a long time ago. Try me.”
I opened my mouth to scream, but before I could, Lucas stormed in, voice slicing through the tension.
“There is trouble, Jason,” he gasped, eyes flicking to the gun.
Jason did not lower it. “Handle it yourself. I have my hands full.”
“Jason,” Lucas pleaded. “Put the gun down. There is something more important.”
Jason ignored him, fist coming down again. Gun steady.
“It is Aurora,” Lucas said, voice strained. “She has been taken.”