Page 52 of Primal Bonds

Her claws slid out. “And if I say no?”

He locked gazes with her. He couldn’t risk Nika changing to her cougar. With her teeth and claws, she could do serious damage to a human within seconds. “You don’t want to play games with me.”

She snarled but gave in, conceding Jace the silent contest. As he’d suspected, he was several degrees dominant to her. She scowled and dragged off the quartz, setting it on the towel. He wrapped it carefully and stowed it in his pocket.

Nika wound the beach towel more tightly around herself and slumped in the chair.

Good. She wasn’t going to try anything without her quartz. She wouldn’t even attempt to escape. An earth fada could survive without a quartz, but no one would do it willingly. It was like having a vise around your chest. You couldn’t breathe as well, you had less energy. You could make do with another quartz, but finding the perfect match, a quartz that resonated with you on a magical level, could take weeks.

Jace leaned against the counter and examined his captive. She had red hair and unusually pale skin for an earth fada.

She stared back impassively. “You have sent for Lord Adric?” It was the longest sentence she’d said yet. For the first time, he realized she had a foreign accent—Russian or some other Slavic country. Where the hell had Corban found her, anyway?

“Yeah.” Jace glanced at the kitchen clock. “He should be here any minute.”

Fear etched her face.

“I see you’ve heard of him.”

“Of course.” She smoothed her expression, but he scented her rising dread. “He is well known.”

Jace nodded. Earth fada weren’t as prolific as the water fada; there were only a dozen clans scattered around the world. The Baltimore clan had come to Maryland about fifty years ago by way of Jamaica and the Persian Gulf. Adric might be the youngest alpha, but his reputation as a ruthless SOB had quickly spread.

“You entered Adric’s territory,” Jace said, “and attacked one of his own people. I’d say you were asking to meet him.”

She moved a shoulder, her gaze on the floor.

“And Nika?” He leaned closer. “Everything you’ve heard about him is true.”

She remained silent but a fine tremor went down her spine. He grinned evilly and came upright to find Kyler eyeing him with a mixture of horror and respect. He winked at the lanky kid over the top of Nika’s head.

Evie exited the pantry with a ball of clothesline. “Will this work?”

“Perfect.” Jace took it and turned to Nika. “Put your hands behind the chair.”

The cougar bit her lip. “Please. There is no need. I will not run—I swear it.”

Jace inhaled. She had the scent of truth. Beside him, Evie tensed and he caught a whiff of fear.

A spike of anger lanced through him—not at Evie, but at Corban and the life he, Jace, led. He knew damn well any headway he’d made with Evie tonight had evaporated the minute he dragged a naked and injured woman into her kitchen. His stomach hollowed.

And things were about to get worse, because he was going to have to convince her to leave town. Corban Savonett was a coldhearted bastard and Jace’s scent was all over Evie. If Corban couldn’t take down Jace, he’d go after her next. Grace Harbor was no longer safe for her or Kyler.

Evie dragged a hand over her cropped blond hair. “I know she attacked you, but she’s hurt.”

Jace swore under his breath but dropped the clothesline on the table. “All right,” he told Nika. “But one false move and I’ll smash your quartz into a hundred pieces. Are we clear?”

Her throat worked. She dropped her head so that her tangled red hair hid her face and gave a jerky nod. “Yes.” She touched the bump on her head. “Hurts.”

Jace didn’t trust her worth a damn, but the pitiful-me act worked with Evie. “Can I give her a glass of water?”

He sighed in defeat. “Sure. Why not?”

While Evie got Nika water, Kyler handed her an ice pack for her head. Jace hooked his foot around the bottom rung of the nearest chair and dragged it in front of Nika. He dropped onto the seat and crossed his arms. Not speaking, just making it clear she wasn’t moving an inch without his say-so.

Nika pressed the ice pack to her head and stared down at the floor. At least she was smart enough not to challenge him directly.

Evie touched his shoulder. “Jace?”

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