Page 49 of Jackal's Pride

But I saw the murder in his eyes and hurried to untie myself from the bed. “Don’t!” I hissed. “Take this collar off my neck! He’s mine to kill!” And I meant it, my battered pride would only be satisfied if I was the one to do it. But Jackal stopped listening to me. My voice had no more power to it than the collar that used to be around his neck. Claws tore through his skin transforming his hand into an oversized paw. With one swipe, the talons stabbed Gavin’s chest and ripped out his vampire heart. In a blink of the eye, Gavin crumpled to the floor.

I sat on the bed in stunned silence as Jackal’s chest rose and fell in rapid pants. His eyes landed on me, drinking me in. It took me a moment to recover. When I did, I yanked at the collar, but it wouldn’t budge even with Gavin dead. Enraged, I stood and jabbed my finger in Jackal’s chest as I yelled, “Who gave you the right? He was mine—”

I froze. This wasn’t about anger. Pride wasn’t raising her ugly head for a change. This was a knee-jerk reaction. I lowered my hand and touched my stomach. No stabbing pain there. How could this be? I was at peace, and I didn’t settle the score or kill anyone.

Better yet, I was okay. More than okay. I stepped back. Pride had accepted Jackal’s killing Gavin on my behalf. I was so baffled.Why?

“Come here,” Jackal’s deep voice summoned me. The collar demanded I listen. My anger returned when I realized what happened—Jackal inherited the collar from Gavin. Holy shit!

“You!” I snarled.

The moment I stepped in front of Jackal, his hands clasped around the collar, and he let it fall to the floor. Then he rubbed his giant hand over my neck. Once again, I was stunned into rigid silence until his eyes glazed over and out came his canines. Without notice, his fangs flexed into my neck, sinking into the spot where Gavin’s fangs had been just minutes ago. I hissed with every intention of pushing Jackal away.

He was claiming me, and I didn’t want to be claimed like some possession. I didn’t want any of this, but…sogood. I moaned and became putty in his arms, submitting to Jackal’s primal wants and needs. Only when he licked the new mark did I recover. Pushing away, I gave him a guarded expression. “I had everything under control. I didn’t need you to show up!”

We both knew it was a lie. Images of what could have been done to me burned into my mind. But I couldn’t tell him that I was thankful. I didn’t know how trapped I was in my curse—and pride pushed, never pulled.

It didn’t matter that I wanted to say, ‘thanks for saving me,’ I couldn’t. So I jerked out my pride and acted like I was invincible. It didn’t feel good—especially not when I knew how good he felt.

He didn’t call me out on it nor did he correct me. He kept breathing heavy, eyes on me, unnervingly so. Like he saw me, really saw me—the bullshitter that I was. Or was well on his way to figuring me out.

Both scared the shit out of me.

Then, my Reaper senses kicked back in, and I gasped. “I have to go.”

I had to do something about the small town’s impending fate. I’d never be able to get over it if those tornadoes struck. Somehow, we needed to save everyone. Staying here with Jackal wasn’t an option.

_________

Mom and Joy were lying on the ground, fighting off spasms when I got there. Dad was rising from his knees, skeletal being that he was—his essence flickered and burst back to life as he stood. I recognized that look of utter exhaustion. Isabella must be countering the tornadoes with her magic. Above me, Prudence struggled with a portal in the air. “One more,” she breathed out, completely spent but still standing strong.

“One more,” August agreed, jaws tightening as he stared beyond.

“Maureen.” Barron found me—his voice light,glad, but exhausted.

I faked a smile. “I got delayed, but I’m here now.”

Barron nodded. “Later.” It was a promise that I’d answer what happenedlater. I swallowed and turned to where the tornado was forming. “Last one, but it’s the biggest.”

“Let’s get it over with once and for all,” Sebastian panted, arms holding Isabella up. The tiny witch was paler than normal and weakened, but her brows were set in a stubborn line of determination.

“Two more—gonna need two more of you, at least for this last one.”

Shit.It did not feel good when Isabella came into contact with one of us. She had a touch of death, my brother Sebastian being the only one immune since they were supposedlyfated.Made for one another. Yada, yada. She siphoned the life from others—in our case, our very essence as well as our curses, with only the graze of our skin.

Barron pushed his shoulders back and moved toward the small witch. Despite his exhaustion, he was determined to be a sacrificial lamb just like our parents and Joy had done earlier. Honestly, I was a better choice. Grabbing his arm, I asked, “Will I be enough?”

Isabella lips pursed. “I don’t—”

“Take whatever you need from me,” Jackal said from behind me. I hadn’t even detected his presence thanks to the wind roaring around us masking everybody. Jackal surprised me. We exchanged a curious gaze as he stepped passed me toward Isabella and Sebastian.

Isabella nodded vehemently, then gave me a sad smile.

I sighed. My body tensed as I approached her. “Don’t ask, I’m coming.” I only said that because Mom was giving Jackal and me a peculiar expression.

I couldn’t focus on Jackal. Heat wafted from his massive body while his presence made me feel off. We stood side by side in front of Isabella waiting for her lethal touch. “I’m sorry,” she whispered while latching onto our fingers. Jackal and I fell to our knees simultaneously. I watched my orange essence flying up and into Isabella. Next to me, Jackal’s black essence did the same. The color reminded me of my father’s and Fear’s, proving to me that Jackal truly had been around since the beginning of time.

My head pounded. It literally seemed like bullets were ping-ponging around inside of my head. It was nauseating every time Isabella siphoned from me—the woman stole life from anyone mortal. There was no awareness when she latched onto you—you simply were trapped in a web of pain. I saw nothing but blackness and a blaring white flash every time the pain swelled inside my head. Holy fuck! It was like the popping going on inside my head was expanding, growing bigger.That’s it.My head was going to explode.