Page 48 of Jackal's Pride

A chill rushed over my spine. My stomach tightened with unease. What was I doing standing here? I didn’t want to wait another second and watch as they saved people. I had to do something… No, Iwantedto, but what? Where was I needed? Was I needed anywhere? I was used to disease, death—it brought upon sadness. This was a destruction of another kind that brought upon the same familiar outcome.

Stop the cycle. With blood rushing to my ears, chest on fire, I realized I was so tired of the screams, the pain, the tears. I wanted peace for all those that were crying right now.

I caught sight of one of her sister’s struggling to hold off the storm with her barrier. What was amazing was the sheer amount of her green essence plowing against the force of the funnels. She was holding it back completely, but behind her the houses were completely exposed and at risk if it broke free. Her blonde hair swayed, and her hands shook in front of her. I sprinted and threw out my own power around the houses and helped her rebuild the barrier against the storm. She turned, gave me a trembling, appreciative nod as she glanced back in the window of the house we stood in front of. I froze as I listened, taking in the five fast-beating hearts on the inside. They were humans inside the basement. They could hear the chaos outside and probably wondered why it hadn’t hit their home yet. To be mortal… how terrifying that must be in a time like this.

Not one. Not two—my eyes widened as another funnel began to form. I’d never seen so many of them together like this. The human worldwasending and soon the Devil would reign. I didn’t believe it was true until now.

But that wasn’t what truly got me. It was the pain in my neck—the rapid fire burning into my veins, the very spot I had marked Maureen that sent me over the edge. The mark was being touched—messed with.Images flooded my mind of someone sinking their fangs intomymark on her neck.

More images—a collar, Maureen tied to a bed—hit me along with her anger.

Thankfully, the most important information of all came to me.

Her location.

Chapter 19

Maureen

“Feed from me and I promise, Gavin, it shall be your last.”

Gavin chuckled easily. Maybe he sensed my urgency after all. I could taste my own bruised pride in the air, and the way she tore me to pieces on the inside.

He got me. I’m weak, I’m weak. I wasn’t paying attention.

The stabbing pain in my stomach intensified with each weak thought. Pride tried to tell me I was wrong, but pride couldn’t help me right now either.

I yanked at the collar over and over. Each time I did, Gavin’s victorious laugh pierced my heart. The torment worsened when I thought of the man I collared. I took advantage of Jackal and robbed him of his free will.

No wonder he questioned me and my duty to help humans.

More than ever before, I hated Pride. Hated her. Hatedme.No, I fucking loathed my curse.

An agonizing wail threatened to escape my lips, so I clamped my mouth shut and looked to the ceiling. Tears pricked my eyes, but I refused to let them spill.

I had no right to judge Jackal for his past or for emotions he didn’t understand. Deep,deepdown, I knew I wasn’t a bad person, but the real me hid beneath Pride’s cloak. I thought the real me wasn’t there, but she was. Jackal and his unsullied emotions, his unchallenged heart reminded me of who I longed to be.

Pride bruised and crippled me. Unlike humans, I wasn’t oblivious to how Pride controlled me. I pitied them for not knowing. I pitied myself for knowing.

“Amazing,” Gavin murmured. “Your emotions are all over the place. I don’t think I’ve ever seen you so…crestfallen.”

I hated this situation. Hated myself for letting Gavin catch me off guard. I hated Jackal for making me lose my damn mind, and then the guilt overcame me for the hatred. I wasn’t entirely sure what was going on with my brain. I was drained all the way to my soul. I also felt foolish. How could I let a mere vampire make me feel this way?

Gripping beneath my jaw, Gavin lifted my neck and swiped his tongue over Jackal’s mark. Suddenly, a strange sensation—like I could taste Jackal’s anger on my tongue—fell over me, imprinting and weaving through my flesh and bones. More proof that I was indeed Jackal’s. Fangs stabbed into my neck, much smaller than Jackal’s, but the euphoria wasn’t the same. His sting left a dull throbbing between my thighs. No matter what Gavin did to my body, he wouldn’t get me hot. But the aphrodisiac in his bite—meant to calm prey—felt… Dare I say? Pleasing. Disgust took over. I didn’t want Gavin feeling victorious. Gavin groaned, and I jerked away.

“You can’t make me stop.” His eyes glazed over as he inhaled my scent. He wiped the blood from his chin before his eyes darkened. Then he lunged forward and tore into my neck. I cried out as the fiend ripped my flesh.

A shadow fell over the room. Through the pain and euphoria in Gavin’s bite, I couldn’t distinguish anything. Then the sensation hit me—menacing power bounced around me. I’d never seen Jackal draw in his essence. He always let it run rampant but not now. His power was poised and lethal—ready to lash out as his presence filled the room. His angry hot vibrations were like an invitation to me.

Gavin yanked his teeth from my neck and twisted around to see Jackal. The anger on the entity’s face was different from what I’ve seen before. His jade-colored eyes promised murder. Gavin’s eyes widened, and his gaping mouth trembled.

Deep satisfaction coursed through my mind.

“Tell him to stop!” Gavin hissed at me.

The collar defeated my will. I opened and closed my mouth repeatedly, puffing out air trying to deny its power. Finally, I squeaked out, “Stop.”

Jackal didn’t listen. He gripped the chipped and cracked collar around his neck, ripping it from his neck with a ping. There was something freakishly sexual about seeing him do it. Overcoming the collar in a few short days. Overcomingmywill with his own. It earned my respect.

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