Penance (Dark Alpha #5) (4 page)

Jak extended his hand, but Marco just scowled and ignored it.
“You
freed my sister?”

He clearly wasn’t buying this, and Jak couldn’t blame him. It wasn’t like he had brought Arianna along as proof.

“Yes,” Jak said evenly. He needed to win these boys over and, at the same time, take their measure. They were Arianna’s family, but as Jak well knew, that didn’t always mean much. He had to be
sure
they were capable of looking out for her. And even if they wanted to, he was starting to wonder if they would be savvy enough.

“Look,” Jak said, “I know you don’t know me—”

“No. I don’t know you.” Marco’s voice was clipped, and the younger one was still on high alert. “How about you clear out? I have a few things to discuss with Circe—”

He was cut off by the younger one batting his arm. Marco leaned over, and Kalis whispered in his ear. They both shot daggered looks at Jak. The hairs on the back of his neck stood up.

Marco straightened and growled out his words. But they weren’t directed at Jak. “Circe, what kind of witch trickery is this?”

She narrowed her eyes, and her voice went cold. “What are you talking about, wolf?”

Marco flung his hand out at Jak. “He’s
Red pack.
Did you expect us not to notice?” He snarled and tipped up his chin. “He was there when Arianna was captured, and now you’ve brought us here to meet with him? What is this, some kind of double cross? Are there more of them in the lobby? I thought you wanted Arianna free. Or was that just talk?”

Kalis had hauled out his phone and was yanking on Marco’s sleeve. Marco stilled his brother with a harsh look.

The tension evaporated from Circe’s slender frame. “No, you idiot.” She sighed. “I swear, if you wolves weren’t so sexy, I’d find the lack of a brain seriously unattractive.”

Marco growled in response. “We’re leaving.” He turned toward the elevators.

Jak rushed out, “Marco, wait.”

But he kept going, and Kalis was on his heels. The older one punched the elevator button then whirled on Jak as he approached. Both Marco and Kalis had their claws out and were snarling.

Jak put up his hands. He had maybe ten seconds before the elevator arrived. “Look, I would be suspicious, too. If I had a sister like Arianna, I’d tear apart anyone who looked sideways at her. But you have to believe me, I’m on your side with this.”

The snarling eased up, but only slightly. And their claws were still out.

Jak rushed the rest out. “I watched for six months as Mace kept her caged like an animal in that house of his. It tore me apart every single day. And then, one day, I actually got to spend time with her, and I realized… someone like Arianna was worth risking everything for. I couldn’t live with myself if I stood by while she slowly died—while everything good and beautiful about her withered away—all from being a dark alpha’s mate.”

Kalis was still giving him glares, but Marco’s claws had retracted into his hands.

His blue eyes, so like Arianna’s, were still squinted with suspicion. “What’s in it for you?”

Jak blinked, nonplussed for the moment.
What was in it for him?
Redemption for not saving his mother? A chance to be an alpha, a true protector? It was simpler even than that. “I’m in love with her.”

Marco’s gaze still drilled into him.  “Is that so?”

He could understand the skepticism. In the same position, with a sister like Arianna, he’d more likely go fang to fang than trust any wolf claiming to love her. Jak stood straighter. “I left my pack, betrayed my alpha, and risked my life all to get Arianna free.”

Marco lifted one eyebrow. “So that was you? She said someone helped her.”

Jak choked as he realized: Arianna had already spoken to Marco. She must have called them after he took off. “Yes, that would be me. I fought four wolves and betrayed my alpha to break her free of the estate. And now I’m prepared to do whatever I have to in order to break her free of the mating bond.”

Marco’s face opened with surprise before he shut it down again with suspicion. He threw a glare at Circe. “Did you tell him?”

The witch, for her part, looked amused. “No.”

Marco leaned back, appraising Jak. He looked to his brother, the fresh-faced Kalis, and they exchanged a wordless conversation of pointed looks and head shakes. Jak didn’t understand what it was all about, but the tension was ramping down. And when the elevator dinged and opened, neither of them made a move to board it.

After the door closed again, Jak asked, “Tell me what?”

Marco’s lips were pressed tight, and Jak could tell he was debating whether to come clean about something. It was then that he saw how young these wolves really were. Arianna was twenty, but Marco was nearly the same age—maybe a year older or younger. Would he really be able to care for her after Jak was gone? But Marco’s and Kalis’s fierce loyalty to their sister, the risks they had already taken, contracting with Circe and the bounty hunters to get her back… Jak had to trust that once they were reunited, they wouldn’t ever risk losing her again.

Finally, Marco looked to Circe, who nodded her encouragement. To Jak, he said, “We contracted with the witches to get Arianna back, but I’m not an idiot. I knew that wouldn’t be enough. We’re just two wolves, hardly even a pack. Against the Reds, we’d have no chance of keeping her free. The bond had to be broken or her mate would keep hunting for her… until eventually, he would find her. And then things would be worse than before. Much worse.”

Jak nodded, relief washing through him. Marco may be young, but he understood what was at stake. “Arianna would never truly be free. Even if you went on the run, you’d always be looking over your shoulder. All of you. Because Mace isn’t just any mate—he’s a bastard dark alpha. He’ll tear through anything and anyone who stands between him and what he wants, and he really doesn’t care who he has to kill to do it. And Arianna deserves better than to have the specter of him haunting her. She shouldn’t have to go on the run for the rest of her life. And knowing Arianna, she’d never be able to live with that. She wouldn’t want to bring that risk to
you.”

Marco looked surprised. “That sounds like something Ari would say.”

Jak smiled.
Ari.
It was a beautiful name, just like her. At the same time, it made his heart ache. He wasn’t going to get the chance to dream up his own nickname for her. “The things she’s been through with Mace… honestly, Marco, I’m not just in love with her. I’m kind of in awe of her. People like her—surviving the worst that life has to dole out, yet coming out as sweet and kind as she is, untouched by the darkness all around her—well, let’s just say, those are the kind of people worth fighting for. Worth dying for.”

Marco exchanged a glance with Kalis. “She needs someone like that looking after her.”

“She does.” Jak held Marco’s steady gaze, and he could see that internal debate raging again as they both studied each other.

After a moment, Marco gave a short nod. “The witch has a spell. It will draw out the essence of her mate from her blood.”

Jak glanced at the witch, who was keeping quiet. “I’m familiar with it.”

Marco tipped his head to Circe. “I contracted with the witch to break Arianna free, not just because she could find the bounty hunters to do the job… but because she could help me break the bond.”

Jak’s eyebrows hiked up on his forehead. “Wait…
you
were planning on doing the spell yourself?”

Marco held him with a steely gaze. “Yes.”

Jak hiked up one eyebrow and gave Circe a pointed look. “You know that spell will kill you, right?” This kid was either brave or stupid. Possibly both.

“Yes.” Marco swallowed. “The question is, who’s going to take care of her afterward? She would only have Kalis and our mother. But if you’re in love with her the way you say you are…” Marco tipped his head up to give Jak another skeptical look. “The question is, can I trust you to take care of my sister after I’m gone?”

Jak smiled, and the last of the tension drained out of him. This kid was definitely brave. And not at all stupid. Just like his sister. And clearly, he would do everything in his power to keep Arianna safe. He would protect her with his life. It was all Jak could ask for.

“You don’t have to worry about that,” Jak said to him. “Because you’re not going to do the spell… I am.”

A sea of emotions warred across Marco’s face. Finally, he settled on a frown. “You said that before, that she was worth dying for. You really mean that, don’t you?”

“I do. I’m just really glad she has a brother who understands what it will take to protect her afterward.” Jak glanced to Circe. “That’s why I asked the witch to bring you here.”

Marco nodded, and Jak could see the uncertainty sweep away. “You had to be sure. About us.”

“I had to be sure.” Jak took a breath. “If you weren’t up to the task, I’d have taken her on the run rather than do the spell. I couldn’t risk stranding her, all alone, with no one to protect her. She could have fallen into even worse hands than Mace. But now that I know… well, that you’re here… I can do what needs to be done.”

Marco’s frown carved deeper. “You really do love her.”

“I do.” Jak gave him a tight smile. “You can’t tell her about any of this, Marco. Not until afterward. She’ll never go through with it.”

Marco’s eyes widened slightly, and he nodded. “No, she wouldn’t. I wasn’t going to tell her myself until… well, until it was too late to back out.”

Jak breathed a sigh of relief. “So you understand.”

Marco shook his head. “No, I don’t understand. Why are you doing this? I mean, she’s my sister. I’d do anything for her. But you… you’ve just met her. You can’t have known her for very long. Even if you’re in love with her… it’s not that I don’t believe you. I’m just saying—I’m surprised.”

Jak dipped his head, then looked up. “My mother was a captive mate. Let’s just say I’ve been wanting a long time to right this particular kind of wrong.” He hesitated—it was clear that Marco was an alpha if there ever was one. The good kind. He could rise to this… already was, in fact. Jak shuffled forward and put a hand on Marco’s shoulder. He was talking to him brother-wolf to brother-wolf now. “I need your help in this, Marco. I need to know you’ll be smart about this. Even with the mating bond broken, you’ll need to move your whole family far away. So Mace won’t be tempted. You don’t know him like I do—he’s one vindictive asshole. You need to find Arianna a good, strong alpha for a mate. Someone worthy of her. Who can protect her. It shouldn’t be hard. She’s everything any alpha would want.” He paused, his heart breaking a little that
he
wouldn’t be that alpha. “All I need is to know that she’ll finally be safe. Can you promise me that?”

Marco’s eyes were wide, but he didn’t move away from Jak’s brotherly hold on his shoulder. “I promise.”

The kid was young, but Jak could tell this was a promise he would do everything in his power to keep. “And I need you to lie to her, just this once. Help me keep the secret of what the spell does until it’s too late to do anything about it. And then… afterward… she’s going to have a rough go of it for a while. But she’ll get over it.” He gave Marco a tight smile. “Like you said, she’s only known me for a little while.”

Marco nodded, still wide-eyed. “I won’t say a thing. You have my word.” Then, slowly, Marco lifted his hand and offered it to him. Jak took it, clasping him strongly, like a brother would.

“Good man,” Jak said, with a nod. “Now, I need to call Arianna. She’s not far away, and she’s probably going out of her mind, wondering what the hell happened to me and why I haven’t called.”

Marco gave a tiny smile. “Well, one thing you might not know about Ari is she’s not exactly the patient type. In fact, she’s on her way over.”

Jak arched up an eyebrow and laughed a little. “That’s right, she called you, didn’t she? I told her not to. Obviously that didn’t stop her.”

“Yeah, she doesn’t listen to me, either.” Marco smiled and released him from the handshake. “She did say she wanted me to meet the person who broke her free.” Marco dropped his gaze for a moment then met Jak’s stare. “I’m not sure I have the right words to thank you for this thing you’re doing for my sister.”

Jak smiled. “Hold up your end of the bargain, kid. That’s all I need.”

Marco gave a sharp nod. “You have my word.”

Jak glanced at the younger one, Kalis—he was all wide eyes, keeping quiet while listening in. It stabbed Jak a little that he wasn’t going to have the chance to get to know Arianna’s kid brother. But he looked like the kind who would be a comfort to her.

Circe, meanwhile, was downright misty-eyed. “Well, if this female wolf you all are so eager to die for is on her way, we might as well head out. No sense in bringing a mated female into the coven unnecessarily.” She tapped the elevator button to call it again.

Jak had no idea where she was planning on taking them. But wherever it was, he hoped it was a decent place to die.

Arianna’s nerves were stretched tight the entire short ride to the witches’ coven.

Sarra’s battered Jeep looked like it had been stolen from an army surplus depot—after a tour overseas—but it was rugged and roomy. She said she was out of the healer business now, but Arianna could easily picture the Jeep transporting more than one pack of broad-shouldered shifters. The shocks were shot, making the ride pretty bumpy, but it served to take them from Sarra’s down-and-out neighborhood to the sparkling towers of downtown Seattle. The address was for a place called Morgan Media, which sounded vaguely familiar. Mace didn’t talk much about work, but she knew that Red Wolf worked with lots of businesses in the area, both as clients and as partners. That was probably where she had heard it.