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I stare at him, looking for any sign of teasing, mocking, cruel intent because if he wants to torture me, I can do nothing much to stop him. “You serious, then?”
“Yes.” His voice gentles. “Yeah, Jax, I’m serious.”
I swallow hard. “You’ll… break me.”
“No chance of that. You’re one of the strongest guys I know.”
“No.” I give a slight shake of my head. “You don’t fucking know me.”
“I’ve seen enough to respect the hell out of you.”
That does it. I’m done, the last of my fury and energy leaching out of me. Mute, I let him pull off my soiled T-shirt, remove the bandage, prod and poke at the wound until I hiss a curse, then place a fresh bandage over it. I let him take off my pants and manhandle me onto the bed, lift my legs until I’m lying flat on my back, staring up at him.
What now?I think, dazed. What’s happening? He changed the bandage, put me to bed. He’ll go now.
And I don’t want him to.
The traitorous thought makes me clench my hands, dig my blunt nails into my palms. Why am I feeling like this? With him, and the other guys. Like I do with Mia.
The yank on my magic is instantaneous and vicious, making me gasp, then arch. No, what did I do? It pulls and pulls until I feel my joints start to shift and the pain is like fire.No…
“Jax. What’s going on?”
“The magic…” I hiss.
“But why? There’s no surge. Your nails are changing… Dammit, you’reshifting?”
“Fuck, no.” I struggle with the pull. “When I think of Mia… and you… something tugs inside my head, tugs on my power.”
“The enchantment? Is that how she’s controlling you?”
I strain on the bed.God.Tears leak from the corners of my eyes. Will today’s humiliation never end? “Go. Leave me—”
“No fucking way. How do you stop it?”
“When I think… think that Ophelia is good… for me.”
“Fucking hell,” he breathes.
But I focus on that. I have to. Ophelia is good. Helpful. I’m in love with her. It’s true. I have to believe it, she’ll save me, she’s the one for me…
Finally, the pull lessens. I lie on the bed in a pool of sweat, shaking.
Fuck.
Ashton is still there, hovering. “Jax…”
“Why don’t you fuck off,” I mutter, “and leave me to writhe in peace?”
He chuckles, the asshole. “I told you, no fucking way.”
“There’s nothing you can do.”
“I can be here with you. Listen… Don’t think about it. Don’t trigger her spell again. Relax.”
Easy for him to say, and when he touches me, I jerk. He’s only placed his hand on my chest, over my heart, but I’m jittery. “Ash…”
“You don’t want me to touch you?”
