Page 69 of Jackal's Pride

His brows furrowed, lips thinning in confusion. “You said it yourself. The things I feel are mine alone, no one else’s.”

I hugged my arms to my chest and stepped back. “That was before I learned of your curse. Now I fear nothing will soothe the doubt I have that you aren’t who you appear to be.”

His jaw tightened, eyes turning to fury—or maybe resolve. It was so hard to know for sure when several emotions were running rampant in his essence. “Maureen.”

“I can’t trust your feelings.”Not when I know how real mine are.

“It’s not me you don’t have faith in, it’s yourself.”

Dropping my arms, I scowled. “What?”

“Your feelings for me are the most real you’ve ever felt for anyone. That’s what you don’t trust. It’s not about my yearning for you. This distrust is because you’ve always associated with fools who never deserved you. Instead, of giving yourself to me, you choose to push me away just to protect your pride.”

My glower dug deeper. “You think you know me, Jackal?”

“I’m going to spend an eternity figuring you out.” He stepped forward closing the distance, but I placed my palm against his solid chest, stopping him. “Jack, it’s Jack. The first true glimpse of myself was in the name you gave me.”

“I’ll call you what I want,” I said impudently.

“Oh, yeah?” I didn’t like the way my body responded to his. It hummed with desire, practically flourished with the need to fuck him. And he was so comfortable in his pursuit that nothing I said cracked his resolve.

We’ll see about that.

“Follow me.” Maybe actions would speak louder. Jackal thought he was so sure of his affection for me. Well, I’d show him the depths of lust. I’d show him his words were as hollow as I made them out to be inside my head. Grabbing him by the wrist, I faded us to a strip club in the human world. “This is the human world, so no powers,” I told him as I dragged him toward the strippers on the stage. Each corner of the dark room had a pole on a platform. A few of the dancers gave lap dances. The place reeked of sweat, weed, and body odor.

“Why are we here?” he grunted out as I pushed him forward. Jerking Jackal around, I winked at a stripper and got her attention. We talked for a minute before I found us a table and pushed him into the booth. The stripper headed our direction. Jackal, frowning, caught the wad of dollar bills I materialized. Despite feeling like a crazed lunatic, I slid in beside him.

“I’m the first woman you’ve been with,” I muttered, wishing I’d gotten us drinks. “I’m showing you how lust can be deceiving.”

The blonde stripper climbed on top of the platform and placed her hands on the pole. Although her makeup was applied too thick and her breasts were obviously fake, you could see she was beautiful. She bent over, her butt grazing the pole, and her pussy peeking out from the skimpy denim shorts. Jackal was getting a great view. His eyes dipped over every part of her as she moved, spreading her legs and glancing over her bare shoulder. Acid burned in my throat. The longer he watched, anger and mortification turned my face into a damn heater.

Pride was a bitch, and she liked to hurt me. I was already afraid of Jackal, but Newt’s betrayal only worsened those nagging doubts that I kept ignoring until I couldn’t anymore. Jackal saw me in a way no one else did. There was a lie in there somewhere. A betrayal waiting to happen. Pride wanted me to believe that. I wasn’t someone that succumbed to a man. I didn’t fall in love.

“Get closer,” I told her. “Hell, rub against him.”

Jackal curled his lip, glancing at me while she wiggled her ass in his face. I gripped the edge of the table and jerked my head the other way, only to force my eyes back. I tried to read his expression. He gave nothing away. I detected no hint of desire or lust as his essence flared around him. What I sensed was checked rage. I leaned forward and grabbed his crotch which was thick and long, but utterly soft. His eyes were like saucers as he glared at me. I removed my hand. Maybe he wouldn’t reveal anything if I was right here. I got up, ordered a drink from the bar, and observed him from a distance.

The stripper crawled into his lap and began touching Jackal. Her hands roamed over his shirt, stopping to tweak a nipple through his shirt. As long as he didn’t touch her, she could do whatever she wanted. My stomach hurt as I focused on his expression. He let her do as she pleased. It felt like I was winning, and my stomach soured some more. I didn’t know what I expected but this wasn’t it.

Maybe…

My pride tested his loyalty. Although it was what I thought I wanted, it didn’t make anything better. I felt worse. I watched her bring her lips down on his.What the hell?I didn’t think she’d do that. I understood how attractive he was, but for fuck’s sake, couldn’t she refrain from stealing his lips?

Slamming the glass down, I stood. When I reached the booth, they were gone. Suspicion and fear crept its way into my heart. My gaze darted around the room and in a panic, I never thought to seek him out through my mark on his chest. I pushed through the people dancing until some dude snagged me by the arm. “Hey, gorgeous.” Then he frowned. “What’s wrong?”

I jerked away without a word, resuming my search for Jack and the stripper until I found her at another table dancing for someone else. Where was he? I didn’t have to search any further. He stood a breath apart from me with his arms wrapped around the waist of a female that wasn’t me. She was shorter than me. I saw the need in her eyes for him to bend down closer, but his eyes strayed around and watched everyone else like he was studying them to know what to do.

“Dance with me, sad eyes.” It was the same guy from earlier. I turned around and hung my arms around his neck. He liked that. Cute Guy. He might be an inch shorter than me though. None of that mattered though. The Adonis next to me was all I was focused on, but I never glimpsed directly at him.

Jackal pretended not to feel me so close, but his body tensed every time Cute Guy brushed a hand over my back. Two could play that game. I pretended not to peek at Jackal every time the girl moved in his arms. Her body rubbed his too closely. Cute Guy pulled me closer, turned us, and then my eyes met Jackal’s. His gaze hardened and mine challenged.“See?”they said.

He didn’t like this game. I didn’t like it either.

He got rid of the girl, pushing her aside with ease as he came up behind Cute Guy and grabbed him by the shoulder. He turned around, and there were no words said. You didn’t argue with a guy like Jackal, you simply stepped aside and that was what Cute Guy did. Unwilling to give up, yet not willing to leave his side, I stood and crossed my arms like a child. He frowned likely not recognizing the behavior for what it was.

“Who’s next?” He pulled me close, his breath warm and angry against my ear as he bent down. “How many more do I need to see? How many more do I need to touch?” His arm snaked around my waist, pulling me into his steely chest. He tightened his hold, demanding me to peek up and so I did. “I’ve seen the flesh of a woman many times over. I’ve seen sex in all forms, even the kind without consent, Little Monster. I’ve never had any form of lust. I don’t feel anything when I see others together. I don’t feel the fire in my stomach when I smell arousal on any female, like the one that was leaking pheromones while in my arms earlier—”

I growled.