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Frankie had no doubt he would then. Cut his enemies down, that is. With his pack, his friends, Rock was amiable, considerate, but among his enemies he had a reputation that could only be described as fierce, ruthless. Any newfound packmaster had to be.
“But we’re not exactly friends either,” Jace offered, interrupting her thoughts. “Are we?” he said to Rock.
Amarok only smiled at that.
Now that she knew there was a history between them, Frankie supposed it made sense. She’d known Jace had been previously assigned out west, and until recently, when Rock taken over the last independent white wolf pack in Toronto, he’d been a valued mercenary for the Yellowknife Pack, a larger clan of white wolf shifters close to the Grey Wolves territory.
“Small world,” she said tersely.
She was eager to get the two men separated in any way possible, before this situation quickly went from bad to worse. Sticky. Tricky. No matter what adjective she used, she didn’t foresee this interaction ending well.
“Rock here was just telling me about your plans to move up your impending nuptials,” Jace said, immediately dropping a proverbial bomb on those plans.
“Mating ceremony,” Rock corrected.
“It’s all one and the same though, isn’t it?” Jace cut back.
“I suppose.” Rock took a sip of his drink, holding Jace’s gaze. “Either way, she’ll be my wife.”
Frankie watched Jace’s jaw tense enough she feared he might crack one of his own teeth, but he didn’t dare say anything, didn’t try to argue that she was his.
Frankie wasn’t certain why that...irked her.
She shouldn’t be disappointed in him that he didn’t fight for her, claim her as his. She had no right to be, but somehow, she couldn’t escape the feeling, though she didn’t dare show it.
“It’s something we were planning to discuss,” she said, quickly in a poor attempt to appease him, and also to get Rock in line. “We haven’t come to any agreements yet.”
“In any case,” Jace said, “my congratulations to you both.” The look he cast toward her then was cutting, his frustration barely leashed.
She hadn’t known he had it in him to be so...cold.
It was impressive, really.
And only reminded her that she was really just beginning to know him.
Despite the bone deep longing that coursed through her every time she looked at him.
“It’s good to see you made your way east again,” Amarok said to Jace, placing his drink on the table in a clear dismissal. “My old pack grew tired of evading you.”
Jace huffed, though he wasn’t amused, clearly. “No wolf has to evade me if you play by the rules. My job’s to protect humanity. That’s all.”
Frankie once would have debated him on that point, but now that she knew him, she knew it was true. For him at least. “Are you two done posturing here?” she asked. “I’m growing bored quickly.” It’s something she never would have said had she and Jace been alone, had she been allowed to be her true self, but they weren’t alone, and she had an image to maintain.
She’d never be her true self when she was here.
Only a more glittering vicious version of it.
“No posturing involved.” Rock smiled a genuine grin. “I’m actually quite fond of your friend, Jace.”
“The feeling isn’t mutual,” Jace dead-panned.
“Jace,” she said, a little colder than she intended. “Can you give us a minute?”
The glance he cast toward her then reminded her far too much of the man she’d met in that darkened alley. “It’s good to see you again, Amarok. I wish you both the best, truly.” Jace’s harsh eyes fell to her on that last word, and a shiver ran through her.
Amarok raised his glass toward him.
Then before she could get another word in, Jace was gone, having disappeared into the din of the club. He lived up to his reputation fully. Had earned her people’s fear. She needed to remember that.
