Chapter 72 A Dangerous Assignment
Jace’s POV
"I need you to seduce someone." Ally said.
My brows arched as the words left her mouth, waiting for her to realize what she said, but she just looked at me like I was the only one who noticed that nothing about her statement was right.
"So what do you say?" She asked, "you did say that you wanted a challenge to know if your skill is intact, I think this is perfect."
I didn't think about it for long, it was a terrible idea, one that would probably end with me losing my head but with the look on her face, I knew she wasn't going to take no for an answer so I agreed and she agreed happily, dragging me towards the main room and I let her.
It was still surprising that she forgave me that easily, although I never bullied her, I didn't stop it and I was going to spend the rest of my life making it up to her. Ryder, even though he was my Alpha, was an idiot for letting her go.
He'd chosen my sister but that didn't make it any different about him being an idiot.
"Where are we going?" I asked, not missing the look the pack members shot at us, wondering why their Luna was dragging a man twice her size but they didn't dare ask.
" You'll see." She murmured.
I was certain that Ryder was going to lose his mind if he ever sees her again. She wasn't the same girl who allowed people to walk over her. The woman in front of me knew how to carry herself. And after everything she went through in our pack, she deserved to be happy and Alpha Zayne, who was probably planning my death, was showing her exactly that.
Before I could ask where we were going for the second time, she came to a stop in front of a door.
"Stay here." She ordered, as she disappeared inside the room, leaving me standing alone and confused.
She returned barely two minutes later, a wide smile that I now know meant trouble, played on her lips as she opened the door wide enough for me to enter.
The room, compared to the one where I was staying, was way bigger and well decorated. My eyes scanned the room briefly before finally landing on the girl on the bed. And despite the dark circles under her eyes, she was fucking beautiful, her hair was packed in a messy bun, giving me a clear view of her face and for a few seconds…maybe minutes, I couldn't take my eyes off her…until Ally pushed me.
"You're supposed to seduce her, not the other way around…" she paused. "Actually, I think that's better."
"That's your brother?" The girl asked, her voice came out hoarse like she hadn't spoken for a while. Her gaze met mine and it felt like time paused, something electric passing between us.
"Yep." Ally nodded. "He doesn't look his best now but it's nothing a quick shower and makeup won't fix."
I turned to glare at her, "I don't need fucking makeup." I murmured but she just shrugged while my wolf chuckled.
"You really do not need make-up." The girl said, her eyes trailing over me in a way that made my skin warm. I didn't miss the hint of appreciation in her gaze, and my eyes immediately snapped to hers, a slow smile appearing on my face.
I didn't care what was happening right now. Normally, I was in total control when it came to flirting or relationships, but something about the way she looked at me made me forget every calculated move I'd ever made.
"Before you continue giving each other this look," Ally continued, pointing between us. "This is Aileen…or Leena. She's one of my best friends."
But I was barely paying attention, as she went on to explain that Aileen just got out of a relationship and was finding it hard to return to her normal self. She barely left her room because she was scared of running into the guy and his mate.
"My Spidey sense is telling me that she needs something exciting and you're perfect."
"You're a wolf, not a spider." I reminded her.
She just shrugged, "I can be many things." She replied. "And I should probably tell you now that she's Zayne's only sister…make do with that information."
It was certain that my life was on the line and for several reasons, part of which included introducing my fist to whoever was behind those dark circles under her eyes.
"I'll leave you two to talk." Ally said, placing emphasis on 'talk' before excusing herself while I focused my attention on Aileen, who looked like she was going to break if I said the wrong thing.
"I'm sorry about her," Aileen said, a slight blush creeping up her neck. "She thinks I'm wasting precious time wallowing in my room while I can easily enjoy my life because apparently, life is too short to not live well."
It was definitely something Ally would say. "She's not wrong," I replied, walking towards her with deliberate slowness, watching her pulse quicken at her throat. "Shit happens, but we don't let that stop us from having the best time."
"That works well, if you didn't spend more than half your life being in love with the said person." She took a deep breath, her eyes following my movement as I got closer. "Then he finds his mate and everything is over like it never happened."
I sat down on the edge of the bed, close enough that I could smell her perfume—something sweet and floral. My eyes still not leaving hers. "Or maybe it's the universe's way of telling you that there's something better out there. Someone who actually deserves you."
"You're talking like you've experienced it before," she observed, her voice softer now, almost intimate.
"Which is why I'm telling you that it doesn't get better unless you let yourself be happy," I said, leaning in slightly. "And that takes conscious effort. Maybe a little risk."
"You sound exactly like my brother would if he's trying to be encouraging." But the way she bit her lip said she didn't mind at all.
"We don't want that, do we?" I asked, my voice dropping lower, watching her breath catch.
"Definitely not." Her cheeks flushed pink.
Our conversation flowed smoothly from there, we spoke about everything and nothing in particular, but I found myself leaning closer with each laugh, each shared look. She tucked a stray piece of hair behind her ear nervously whenever our eyes held for too long, and I couldn't help but smile at how she tried to hide the effect I had on her.
For some reason, being here with her made me feel different than I had in months. The air between us felt charged. I pushed away the thoughts about it being just because apart from mindless sex with some pack members, I haven't met anyone who could hold an interesting conversation—but deep down, I knew it was more than that.
"I can't believe she got drunk…she always preferred reading," I said, when Leena finished telling me about Ally getting drunk. I shifted closer under the pretense of getting comfortable, our knees now touching.
"I can be very convincing," she said with a playful smile that made my heart skip.
"Is that so?" I challenged, my eyes dropping to her lips for just a moment before meeting her gaze again. "I'd like to see you try."
The blush that spread across her cheeks was worth everything. "Maybe I will," she said, her voice barely above a whisper, but there was a spark in her eyes that hadn't been there before. "Though something tells me you're not as easily convinced as Ally."
I leaned back slightly, giving her a slow, lazy smile. "Depends on what you're trying to convince me of."
"To stay," she said suddenly, the words tumbling out before she could stop them. Her eyes widened slightly, like she was surprised by her own boldness. "I mean—to keep talking. You're... not terrible company."
"Not terrible?" I repeated, placing a hand over my chest in mock offense. "Here I thought I was being charming."
"You are," she admitted, looking away for a moment before meeting my eyes again. "That's the problem."
"How is that a problem?"
She pulled her knees up to her chest, wrapping her arms around them in a gesture that was both vulnerable and self-protective. "Because I'm supposed to be heartbroken and miserable, not sitting here feeling..." she trailed off, biting her lip.
"Feeling what?" I pressed gently, shifting so I was facing her more fully.
"Alive," she whispered. "I feel alive for the first time in weeks, and we just met. That doesn't make sense."
I reached out slowly, giving her time to pull away, and tucked that stubborn piece of hair behind her ear again. My fingers lingered near her jaw for just a moment. "Maybe it makes perfect sense. Maybe you just needed someone who sees you for who you are now, not who you were with him."
Her breath hitched. "And who do you see?"
"Someone beautiful," I said honestly, watching her eyes widen. "Someone strong enough to survive heartbreak but soft enough to still feel things deeply. Someone who deserves to be chosen first, not settled for."
"Jace..." she breathed my name like a prayer, and I loved the way it sounded on her lips.
And only one thing came to my mind as I stared at her,
“I'm fucked."