Page 18 of Jackal's Pride

I dropped the cloth, leaning out of the tub and resting on my knees. I might have teased him but that was it. It stung a little that he assumed I’d wash lower. I was a bitch, but I wasn’t someone to take advantage of someone that was a virgin, even to try to get him to leave. He wasn’t a sexual creature, I reminded myself. It wasn’t me—or him—really. This entire need to fight with him turned everything awkward. What if he sensed my brief arousal—a momentary reaction to his body? The thought had mortification seeping through my veins.

I waited for the urge to lash out or be angry from his reaction, but oddly, nothing came. Just uncertainty. Which was strange. My sin was out of whack, and apparently so was I. “At least let me wash your hair.”

With hazy, darkened eyes, Jackal nodded. I leaned over him and grabbed the shampoo, poured some in my palm, and set the bottle down before rubbing my hands together.

“Bend your head down some.”

He complied immediately, probably to get it over with quicker. I placed my palms in his short hair, spreading the shampoo all over his head. I dug my fingers into his hair, massaging his scalp in the process. His head raised slightly, green irises observing me quietly, yet intently. I ran my hand behind his ears and he closed his eyes, leaning into my touch.

I smiled. “Does that feel good?”

They reopened. “I am not sure.”

His words surprised me and I froze. What did he mean by that?

He must have noticed my stunned expression because his gaze rounded in equal shock like he was surprised he said it.

How did he not know if it felt good?

He pulled away from me hurriedly. “I can finish.”

“Close your eyes as you rinse the water,” I said quickly. I was ready to be done with this entire endeavor. In the process of making things uncomfortable for him, I did the same to myself.

Chapter 4

Payne

“Wait… What?” I couldn’t stop the contents of my drink from spewing out and hitting Barron’s boots. I knew better than to speak and swallow at the same time, but what he told us took me by surprise. Barron’s eyes clamped shut. I could tell that thin thread of control of his was being tampered with. He fought not to look at where my drink had hit him, instead choosing to breathe deeply through his nose with his arms crossed over his chest. Danger emanated from him as his restraint slowly unraveled.

“It’s okay, Barron.” Sebastian placed his hand on his brother’s shoulder making everything worse—no one touchedBarron when he was on the fringe of raging out. Sadly, Sebastian was trying to help in the only way he knew how. “Breathe in and out.”

“Are you trying to make him rage out?” Prudence sat on the couch in the family room, crossing her long legs and focusing on Sebastian.

Barron opened his eyes and dragged them toward Sebastian. “I can’t kill Payne since he isn’t immortal, but I can and will kill you,Sloth.” Barron really had a knack for making a guy feel incompetent for not being immortal around a bunch of eternal idiots—I meantentities.

Sebastian shook his head and sighed. “What a ray of sunshine you are.”

“Back to what you were saying,” I interrupted Sebastian before he tried to poke the beast some more. “Maureen found Jackal?” Taking a deep breath, Barron’s scowl vanished, and he nodded.

“I never brought up we were searching for Jackal,” Sebastian’s brows furrowed in the middle. “How did she find out?”

The question seemed to make Barron’s temper worse. “She made a bet with Gavin.”

Sebastian swore, and I understood why. The vamp had been trying to get with Maureen for as long as I could remember. He was a shady demon who couldn’t be trusted. Problem was Maureen never turned down a challenge or bet. I figured it had something to do with the curse of pride but couldn’t be sure since I didn’t know how the curses affected all the siblings—just Barron and Sebastian since theirs was the easiest to see. “She’s still betting down at The Den?”

“You say it like she can stop herself,” Prudence added. Silence filled the room as we silently acknowledged Maureen’s sin. Something we did a lot.

“I thought Barron would have killed him already,” Sebastian admitted, casting a dark frown at his brother.

Barron’s jaw jumped. “You know it’s not that simple with Maureen. You can’t just interfere with her problems even if sheknowsit’s a problem.”

Sebastian lowered his head. “You’re right.”

“How did she even find him?” I steered the conversation back to where it was meant to go.

“She hangs out with a pretty powerful warlock named Newt,” Barron informed us. “He probably helped her.”

“He managed to find someone even we couldn’t find?” Sebastian tilted his head. “Maybe we should recruit him as a Reaper.”