Deception (Dark Alpha #3) (5 page)

Neither of them spoke for the rest of the hour.

Jak held her hand until the very last moment of class… then reluctantly let her go.

“You have got to be kidding me!” Mace shouted into the phone.

Arianna flinched in the passenger seat next to him. He veered out of one lane and into a faster one. Their speed crept up, and Mace’s face turned red as the phone call progressed. She wasn’t sure who was on the other line, but it had to be someone from work.

Mace had been taking all kinds of work calls while acting as her guard this week. She knew he hated watching over her at school, but he was too stubborn to let anyone else do it without him. Or maybe too afraid someone else would make him look bad, on the off chance the bounty hunters came back and managed to capture his mate. It was already Friday, and Arianna was starting to give up hope that he would ever let her go to school without personally guarding her himself… although this morning, he sent Beck back to Red Wolf. Apparently, work was piling up on some project, and senior Mr. Crittenden was starting to complain about them falling behind.

“Well, call them back!” Mace shouted again, making a rude hand gesture to a nearby car as he swerved toward the exit to UDub.

Arianna gripped her passenger side door.

“Why the hell would you set up a meeting for this morning?” His voice was turning dangerous, and Arianna’s heart was pounding, both from his tone and the high speed they were taking the exit off the freeway. “You
know
I’m busy guarding Arianna. It’s on the damn calendar.”

They lurched to a stop at the end of the exit ramp. “Shit,” Mace said under his breath. He ran a hand over his face then glared at Arianna, which sent her pulse racing even faster. She shrank against the car door. “Okay, fine,” he said into the phone, his gaze holding her in a lock she couldn’t escape. When her alpha captured her like that with his eyes, she couldn’t look away. “No, I’ll be there.” He clicked off the phone and tossed it into the compartment under the armrest.

Arianna knew better than to say anything.

Mace growled, pounded on his steering wheel once, then rolled the car forward with the change in the light. Silence hung heavy as they wound their way toward the university.

Arianna waited, letting him sort it out.

“I have a meeting I have to go to,” he said eventually. It was half growl. “You’ll have to miss class today.”

Her heart sunk. “We’re already almost here. Maybe you could just drop me and Beck could pick me up later?”

“Beck…
I swear to God, I am surrounded by incompetent assholes!”

She wasn’t quite sure what that meant, but she zipped her lips shut. Mace took the turn-off to head into the university. She struggled to bat down the hope that he might let her attend by herself, maybe catch a taxi back home… she didn’t dare suggest that.

“Beck is in the same meeting,” Mace grumbled, the anger still simmering hot under his breath. “He was supposed to handle it himself, but that idiot promised the client I would be there.”

“I’m sure it would go better with you there,” she said carefully.

He grunted but still seemed pissed. “You’ll have just run in and get notes or something from the professor.”

“It’s a really big class.” She swallowed. Did she dare even suggest this? “The professor’s already said he won’t hand out notes. Or let us share. He expects us to attend.” Mace growled audibly, so she rushed to add, “Maybe there’s someone else who can pick me up? Maybe one of Gage’s wolves isn’t too busy?” She didn’t trust herself to say Jak’s name… and besides, that would only be suspicious. She held her breath, clenching her hands in her lap, hoping Mace would be willing to at least try.

He let out a long sigh but pulled into the Red Square parking garage rather than circling back toward the freeway. Once they were parked, he dug out his cell phone again and dialed.

“Yeah, it’s me,” he said into the phone. “Look, I’m at UDub, but I have a meeting. Do you have someone you can send to watch Arianna?” There was a pause. “Do you think I haven’t thought of that already? Beck’s tied up, and Alric’s off on a site visit. Do you have someone or not?” Another pause, then his voice dipped into sarcasm. “Fuck. That’s just perfect.” He sighed. “No, I’ll take him. But if he fucks up, I’m taking it out of his hide. Personally.” Another pause. “Right. We’re there now.” Then he hung up.

Arianna’s chest hurt from holding her breath so long. She tried to let it out calmly and without drawing attention to herself.

“Apparently, Gage and his idiot beta are on campus on some kind of site visit. He’s sending Jak over. I’ll drop you off at class, and he’ll bring you home.”

Arianna’s heart spasmed, and she could hardly believe she had heard him correctly. “Jak?” Her voice was whispery, and her eyes had gone wide.

Mace snorted. “I know, right? I’d be better off leaving you with Alric, for Christ’s sake.” He turned to her, and his face softened a little at her expression. “Look, I’m sure the bounty hunters are long gone. Jak’s an asshole, but even he can handle this.” Mace held open his jacket and showed her a gun he had holstered under his arm—one he’d apparently been carrying all week without her knowledge. Her heart raced at the sight of it, retroactively ramping up her fear for when Jak had snuck into her classroom. And the fact that they were about to go see him again.

“With this,” Mace said, “even an idiot like Jak can keep you safe, all right?”

She nodded rapidly and with what she hoped was enthusiasm. As they climbed out of the car, her fears and tremors settled a little.
She was going to see Jak.
Although, once Mace saw her and Jak together in the same room, she was afraid their sins would be written clear as day on their faces. How could Mace miss it? Her heart lurched again.

Due to Mace’s speeding, they were actually early for class. By the time they crossed the plaza and entered Kane Hall, there were only a few students trickling into the classroom. Mace lingered, keeping them out in the hallway, apparently waiting for Jak to show up.

When he appeared around the corner, Arianna did everything in her power to keep her eyes down and her face frozen. She was afraid to even look at him: she was just sure she would give them both away. But she couldn’t help peeking up as Jak’s hard-soled shoes rapped against the tiled floors.

He hurriedly stalked up to them, his face furious. “I have better things to do than take care of your business, Mace,” Jak said, his voice low but harsh.

“Apparently not.” Mace’s smile was gloating. “But I’ll tell you what,
beta
—you screw this up, and Gage won’t be able to keep me from tearing you into pieces.”

They were attracting some notice from the other students in the hall. Arianna was convinced she would have a heart attack at any moment.

Mace lowered his voice, his smile vanishing. “All you have to do is get her back in one piece.” He clapped a hand on Jak’s shoulder and dragged him closer. He lifted the gun from his hidden holster and jabbed it into Jak’s side, just under his coat jacket.

Jak’s face went hard.

Arianna couldn’t breathe.

“You fuck this up,” Mace said in a menacing whisper, “and I’ll be using this on
you.”
Then he turned the gun sideways and pressed it into Jak’s chest.

His face inscrutable, Jak took the gun and quickly shoved it into the back of his pants, hidden under the jacket. Arianna sucked in air and flitted glances around them. She didn’t think anyone had seen the gun.

“I’m not the fuck-up around here,” Jak said coolly.

“Keep telling yourself that, beta.” Mace’s sneer was back, but he turned his hard gaze on Arianna. “Call me from the house when you get back. I want to know whether Jak needs an ass-kicking or not.”

Arianna nodded, not trusting her voice to speak. Jak glared at Mace’s back all the way down the hall until he disappeared around the corner. Arianna didn’t dare move for several more seconds. Finally, Jak turned to her, a grin wide on his face.

“You. Are. Amazing,” he said, drawing out the words as he stepped close. Then he dropped his voice to a whisper. “How did you manage to arrange this?”

With Mace gone and Jak smiling, Arianna could finally breathe again. “I had almost nothing to do with it. What are you doing on campus?”

“Doesn’t matter.” Jak’s grin just grew. “The question is, what are
we
going to do with an hour on campus alone?”

“Jak.” She felt the heat rush to her face. “I have
class.”

He scoffed. “As much fun as it was to sit next to you in class, I have something a little different in mind.” Then he grinned wickedly, and with one last look down the hall where Mace had just left, Jak grabbed her hand and towed her in the opposite direction.

They quickly left Kane Hall and dashed a short ways to a majestic building with Gothic architecture. Its tall stone columns loomed over them, and the arched entranceways were topped with terra cotta figures that looked very scholarly.

“The Suzallo Library was one of my favorite places to hang out,” Jak said breathlessly as he towed her up the stone steps and inside the building. Stone staircases swept off to the side, and a reading room that looked like the inside of a medieval church filled most of the building, but Jak hurried past those to a help desk in the center.

Jak rained a sexy smile down on the short, rail-thin girl manning the desk. “Hi! My name’s Jak. I was hoping you might help me with something.” She had to be one of the students, and Arianna could tell she was dazzled by Jak’s trim suit, tailored to fit perfectly over his well-muscled shifter body, not to mention that gorgeous smile he was favoring her with. Arianna felt a small pang of jealousy, but more than that, she felt sorry for the girl. Whatever Jak wanted, she was sure the girl would happily give it up… but she’d never get what she hoped for in return.

“I, um, sure… what can I help you with?” The girl’s eyes grew wider as Jak placed a hand on her desk and leaned forward. Shifter pheromones worked best up close—and Arianna knew human females were even more susceptible to them than wolves. The girl had no chance.

“You see, I used to love going down in the stacks,” Jak said in a sexy half-growl. “All those old books, you know, the smell they have? It was like being absorbed into all the stories, all the great characters…”

The girl was nodding. Arianna rolled her eyes.

“But I hear they closed them down,” he said. “Restricted access only now.”

“Yeah, it’s really sad,” the girl said, leaning forward, entranced. “Only the staff are allowed down there these days.”

“That’s a terrible shame.” Jak bit his lip.

Arianna swore the girl was about to drool on her papers.

The librarian dropped her voice. “Sometimes I go down there and just pull a book at random and read.”

“I know, right?” Jak said. “I mean, everything’s a treasure. You never know what you can find.” He sighed. “I mean, I get it, you want to keep out the people who don’t understand. The ones who don’t
get it.
But the people like us, who really appreciate what’s down there…”

The girl was eating this up. Then she glanced at Arianna. She tried to put on her brightest smile but kept quiet, letting Jak work his magic.

“Look, I know this is asking a lot, but…” Jak glanced at Arianna and gave her a soft smile. Arianna
knew
it was all an act, and she
still
melted inside. Then he leaned forward to whisper in the librarian’s ear. Arianna couldn’t hear what he said, but the girl’s eyes went wide, and a small smile crept onto her lips. She flicked a look or two at Arianna, but mostly she bit her lip and grinned.

When Jak finally pulled back, the librarian smiled wide. “I don’t think it would hurt anything.”

“You’re the best,” he gushed.

Arianna had no idea what he had just told her, but two seconds later, the girl was fishing out her keys from her desk and beckoning them toward a special-purpose elevator. She keyed them in, and it was quickly apparent that they were heading down to the Restricted Access Only stacks.

It was all Arianna could do to keep her grin in check.

The girl stayed in the elevator when they stepped off. “Take your time. You don’t need a key to come back up, just punch the call button.”

Jak grinned and squeezed the girl’s hand lightly. “Thanks again. I really appreciate this.”

She smiled, and the elevator door closed, leaving Jak and Arianna in a giant room with dozens and dozens of shelves lined with books. Everything was a hundred years old by the musty smell, and the stacks stretched what looked like the length of the building. There wasn’t another soul in sight or signs of anyone down here with them.

“What did you
say
to her?” Arianna asked, her grin finally let loose.

Instead of answering, Jak swept her into his arms and kissed her thoroughly. She felt as dazed and light-headed as the librarian must have been by the time he stopped.

“I told her I wanted to propose to you, and I needed a very special place in which to do it.” His grin was wide. “Wouldn’t have worked at all, but she’s new.”

Arianna laughed as Jak towed her away from the elevator. “So you’re saying you’ve proposed to other girls before, down here in the stacks?”