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“Where is she?” Jules booms. “I swear to the wolves, if you’ve hurt her in any way, I will kill your family, and then kill you, slowly and painfully.”
His murderous tone makes me shudder.
The shapeshifter leans against the doorjamb. “That’s a bold threat for someone in your position.”
“Philip, where the fuck is she?” Jules growls.
Philip dramatically sighs. “Man, I forgot how moody you werewolves can be. Although, your princess doesn’t seem to carry the dog rage. She has more of a gentle quality to her, doesn’t she? So fragile. So innocent. So delicious.”
Pulling a disgusted face, I start to reach for a vase to fling at his head, when an ear-splitting growl causes me to freeze.
“Will you calm down!” Philip shouts. “You’ll wake the whole damn neighborhood up.”
“I’ll calm down when you give her to me,” Jules spats. “I need to know she’s okay.”
“So damn dramatic.” Philip steps back. “Fine, come see your precious princess. Just remember what I told you on the phone. She’s currently under my poison, which means, if I die, so does she.”
Another low growl thunders across the air, and then Jules steps through the doorway. His eyes immediately find mine and intense relief washes over his features. He strides toward me, his flaming violet gaze frantically skimming my body.
The violet glow throws me off again. So does his alarming panic as he assesses me.
“Are you okay?” he asks when he reaches me.
I nod. “Yeah, except for the whole poison thing and the annoying company, I’m just peachy.”
He offers me an apologetic look. “Cat shapeshifters are known for their annoying personalities, but Philip is the worst I’ve met yet.”
“I bet.” I stare at his eyes as the violet color enhances.
He must realize what’s going on because he blinks until his violet fades to blue.
I want to ask him why his eyes keep glowing violet, but now doesn’t seem like the right time. I make a mental note to do so, though, adding it to a very long list of things that are already confusing me.
“So, now that you’ve seen that she’s okay, it’s time for you and I to strike a bargain.” Philip plops down in a chair and gestures at the sofa I’m sitting in. “Please, Jules, make yourself comfortable. We’re going to be here for a while. That is, unless you want to try to take her and see how far you’ll make it before she dies.”
Jules’ lips twitch, but he turns around and sinks down onto the sofa beside me. “You have some balls, cat, using the princess as a bargaining tool.” He rests his knee against mine. “That’s basically like putting a target on your back.”
I move my leg away from Jules, and he flinches.
He shouldn’t take it personally. Before the werewolf attack, I wasn’t a fan of being touched. Then after it happened, I became even more closed off. The only exception is Legend. Although, when Jules had me on his lap in the club, I actually felt momentarily comforted.
So strange.
When Philip notes the space between us, he grins. “Your princess seems to have a distaste for you.”
Jules grinds his teeth, but he doesn’t offer a rebuttal. His silence makes Philip’s grin grow.
“Seeing this—her hatred for you—makes me extremely happy.” Philip slants forward with glee. “Tell me, Jules, what does having your alterum dimidium animae detest you feel like? Does it hurt? Does it make you hate yourself? Because it should. You don’t deserve to be happy for what your pack did to me.” He reclines back in the sofa, still grinning, as Jules opens and flexes his hands, that heartbreaking sorrow flooding his eyes again.
Okay, this cat is really grating on my nerves.
Raising my brows, I scoot closer to Jules, then reach over and lace my fingers through his.
Jules glances at me with his brows dipped. I almost expect him to pull away, but he latches on to my hand. My heart thunders in my chest from the contact, but I remain composed and smile sweetly at Philip.
“Detest, huh?” My words wipe the smile right of his face.
Philip frowns. “I know you’re acting. I can feel that you’re afraid of him.”
