Chapter 14: Tensions Boil Over

All of this wore on Jake, and even the simplest of actions felt like a bother. And while his body, to a very large degree, had healed from the tranq effects, the psychological impacts of the ambush still lingered in the reeds of his mind. Lena had broken him once. She could do it again. And with Lisa and Max summoning their enforcers out, danger to him and to Zane had never been nearer.

But Zane wasn't going to leave the battle to catch them off guard.

Every night, he disappeared for hours, only coming back when the first glimmer of sunrise crept over the horizon. Jake wasn't a fool—he knew exactly what Zane was doing.

Training.

And not that sort of training. He was training to fight.

Zane's Midnight Training

The gym was empty this late at night. The perfect place for what Zane needed.

His own t-shirt stuck to his chest, wet with sweat as he threw another punch into the bag, his already bruised knuckles aching from the punishment. The bag snapped back from the force of his blows, the chains complaining with a creak. He wasn't doing sparring drills—this was vengeance.

Faster. Harder. Stronger.

Lena had broken into their room previously. He hadn't acted quickly enough to stop her when she'd poisoned Jake. That was not going to happen a second time.

Snarling with gritted teeth, he shifted into battle mode, his wolf fighting to get out from under his control. Pushed to it, pushed just one more step by Lisa, Max, or Lena, he was not going to hold back this time.

Mia's Regret

Cowering behind a row of bushes in front of Lisa's mansion, her chest bursting with terror. Caught, she'd be a dead woman.

But she had to know.

Weeks she'd just let Lisa have her way, foolishly believing she was saving Jake. But now? She knew Lisa was what she really was.

In the mansion, Lisa paced back and forth in and out of her large office, speaking in hushed tones with one of her enforcers.

The cold metal in her hand, every word hostage.

"If he's not coming in quiet, then we bring him," hard-as-nails Lisa. "He's still my child. He is ours."

Mia's stomach twisted. She was not going. She was coming back stronger.

The enforcer hesitated. "And what of Zane getting involved?"

Lisa's expression hardened. "Then we kill him. Good and dead."

Mia couldn't breathe past the fear knot in her throat. She needed to do something to get them to leave.

Tom's Frustration

"Jake, make the bull stop!"

Jake startled as Tom pounded his fists on the table, his voice ringing in the tiny study lounge. Some students looked up, but Tom didn't care.

Jake massaged his temples, releasing a slow breath. "Tom, for the love of God, just shut up—"

"No!" Tom shrieked. "I'm not going to play stupid. You've been lying to me for weeks, and now I'm just supposed to shut up?"

Jake moved his head back and forth. He did not want to do this. To lie to Tom, to shut him off—to be unable to do it was not an option he was open to. But how in the world was he going to tell him? How was he going to tell him that his mom essentially put a price on his head? That his best friend of all time became a druggie? That his boyfriend was about to start an all-out war?

Tom shook his head, his voice lower but no less intense. "I don't care how bad it is, Jake. I just want you to tell me the truth."

Jake's throat constricted. "I can't."

Tom's face dropped. He stared at Jake like he was a stranger.

"Then I don't know you anymore."

And with that, he turned and walked away.

Jake sat there, staring after him, feeling like he had just lost something he couldn’t get back.

Lena’s Game

Jake and Zane stood in the clearing just beyond campus, their training session already underway. The late afternoon sun filtered through the trees as Zane positioned himself across from Jake, arms raised in a defensive stance.

"Come on," Zane urged. "Hit me."

Jake hesitated. "You’ll just dodge it."

Zane smirked. "Then hit me faster."

Jake gritted his teeth, and moved forward, striking into Zane's ribs. As might be expected, Zane deflected sideways, parrying with ease and slipping a rapid jab into Jake's shoulder. Jake growled, but didn't back up. He moved forward again, this time quicker, harder.

Zane deflected the attack, a smile on his face. "Better."

Jake was about to throw himself into another onslaught when the smell of lavender and blood came familiarly by.

"Now this is worth something."

Lena.

Jake and Zane were turning, their heads. She was sitting on a limb of one of the little trees, her smile mirroring theirs.

Zane moved between Jake and the voice automatically, muscles tense. "Leave."

Lena grinned, skipping along effortlessly. "Ease up, lover boy. I'm not looking at anything except you two being cute a couple. Seriously. It's enough to make one think there's really such a thing as true love."

Jake's fists were clenched. "What do you want?"

Lena tilted her head to one side, golden blond hair shining in the sun. "Just to talk."

Zane's eyes were cold. "You lost that privilege when you broke into our dorm."

Lena played it cool. "You're still upset about that? I was trying out a theory."

Jake scowled. "What theory?"

Lena smiled even more. "That you're vulnerable."

Jake's breath caught.

"Oh, play dumb," Lena continued, pressing on. "You needed to be rescued by Zane. You would have been killed if he hadn't shown up. Let me ask you, Jake, how do you sleep at night when your precious Alpha has to baby you like a fragile little bauble?"

Jake's fists cracked into his palms. She was trying to get into his mind.

Zane's fangs were bared. "You need to leave. Now."

Lena lowered her gaze to him. "And if I don't? You gonna hit me? Impress Jake with how tough and capable you are?" Her voice lowered, heavy with sarcasm. "Or are you afraid I'm right? That he'll realize he's better off without you?"

Zane departed so abruptly Jake didn't even catch a glimpse of him.

In a split second, Zane had Lena pinned against a tree, his forearm against her throat.

Her smile never wavered.

"Oh, Zane," she breathed. "You just made my point."

Jake's frown turned cold, his gut twisting. She had invited this sort of reaction.

"Let her go," Jake snarled.

Zane didn't move. His wolf was on him like a feral beast.

Jake moved in. "Zane. Let her go."

And then, with a harsh, savage gasp, Zane released her and stepped away.

Lena pushed herself back. "Well. That was nice."

She shot a last look over Jake's shoulder, then dissolved into the woods leaving behind only questions.

Zane's hand halted Jake's arm. "She is attempting to play games with you."

Jake nodded after the fact.

What if she had been correct?