Page 57 of Cursed Bonds: An Alpha's Destiny

Disgust roiled in my belly. “Ugh.”

The dress no longer looked beautiful. I folded it, shoved it back in the box, and put it on a table by the door, ignoring it while I went to work preparing dinner. A couple hours later, I was showered and putting the final touches on dinner. I’d managed to put Eren out of my mind, and when Jace knocked on the door, those same weird butterflies started up again. It both excited and annoyed me.

When I opened the door, I had to force myself not to gasp at the sight of him. Freshly showered, a clean button-up tight on his biceps, and jeans that showed off all his assets.

“Huh… uh… hi. Come on in,” I stuttered, stepping back to let him in.

“Evening,” he said, holding out a bottle. “I brought a little gift. Red wine? I wasn’t sure what you liked.”

“That’s actually perfect for what we’re eating.” I spotted the box on the table and knew I needed to tell him about it. I decided the earlier, the better. “I need you to do something for me.”

A hint of a smile played at his lips. “Do something. For you?” His sly joke, a play on words, was not lost on me.

For me, I thought. Not to me. Not yet, anyway, not if I can help it.

“It’s this,” I said, pointing to the box.

“What is it?” Jace asked, setting the wine bottle on the counter and turning to examine the box.

“It’s a dress from Eren. He wants me to wear it on our date.” I shuddered in disgust.

Jace went very still, almost like a statue. His eyes grew dark and stormy. Some strange aura surrounded us, but I couldn’t really explain it. I’d heard that alphas could subdue their betas with some sort of mental force, but I’d never thought a human could feel it. Or a witch, for that matter. It sent a spike of fear into me, and I stepped back, trying to put distance between us.

Jace tore his eyes from the box and looked at me, his face softening. “I would never hurt you. I’m just angry at Eren. He does this.” He waved a hand at the box. “Yesterday, we spoke on the phone, and that ass has…” He thought for a moment, then went on, “Thoughts on how a witch should be used. I’ll leave it at that.”

My own magic buzzed through me, echoing my fears about being used.

“Are you using me, Jace?” The words were out before I could stop them.

His face grew more somber. “No. Absolutely not. I would never do something like that.” He stepped close again, and I could feel the heat radiating from him. “Your magic is powerful. Useful? Yes, of course, but it’s yours to do with as you please. Not anyone else’s. I would never force you to use your magic for my benefit. Even if you said you didn’t want to help me with this curse, I would respect that.”

The sincerity in his voice comforted me. It also shamed me. In the short time I’d known Jace, despite him seeming like a dick at first, he’d shown himself to be honorable.

“Thank you,” I said.

Jace nodded, then reached down and grabbed the box off the table. “I’ll put this in my car and make sure this package is returned to Eren, along with a little message from me. I’ll be right back.”

Once he was out the door, I took a deep breath to steady myself and went back to the kitchen to toss the pasta into the simmering water. Jace returned a few seconds later.

“I’m sorry dinner started out like this,” I said.

“No need to apologize. It’s fine. Really. I’m just glad you trust me enough to handle it for you.”

“I figured it would mean more if it came from you,” I said. “I doubt Eren would be very intimidated by me, witch or not.”

“If I can tell you the truth, I’m kinda surprised you didn’t take care of it yourself. You appear really guarded. The type to take care of things herself.”

I groaned and stirred the pasta. “Great. I thought I’d gotten a little better. I’ve always been that way. It probably stems from my father. A junkie alcoholic isn’t the greatest influence. It made it difficult for me to open up to anyone, though I have one really close friend, her name’s Harley. She and Nana were the only people I’ve ever really been close to, and they’re the only ones I can open up to. Let the walls down, you know?”

“I do. I get it. I’m sort of the same. This curse has made it hard to talk to anyone. The only people who know are Waylan and Shayna. It’s tough keeping a secret so close to the vest.”

Wow. He did get it. He understood. And yes, it was the same sort of thing. The only difference was the secret I kept hidden was my true self and my feelings, not some magical curse that had ruined my life.

“I’m sorry about accusing you earlier, too,” I added. “I’m just so used to men using me for things.” I dumped the cooked pasta into a colander in the sink.

“You don’t have to worry about that with me. I promise.” He nodded at the sink and the steaming noodles. “What are we having for dinner, anyway?” Jace asked.

Turning, I opened the oven and pulled out the fried chicken cutlets I’d put in there to keep warm. “Chicken parmesan on angel hair pasta.”

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