Page 1 of Jace's Mate
Chapter 1
“Saythatagain.”
Jace Ulfer’s voice dropped into a low, guttural snarl that vibrated through the room like a warning.His blazing eyes locked onto Ragnor—the leader of his betas and second-in-command—pinning him with a fury that made the air itself shiver.
The tension crackled like static as the three betas stood motionless, unwavering in their loyalty, but acutely aware of their Alpha’s barely contained rage.
“Three ships, Alpha,” Ragnor repeated, head bowed in submission.The gesture wasn’t just respect—it was survival.In shifter packs, the strongest led, but an Alpha was more than strength.There was somethinginherent, something bred into their bones.A power that couldn't be taught.A presence that commanded not just obedience—but devotion.
Still, strength mattered.Especially now.
Jace’s muscles coiled tight, barely leashing the storm inside him.Another threat.Another insult to the safety of his pack.
The air grew heavy.
In a wolf-shifter pack, words were secondary.Body language ruled.A flare of the nostrils.A clenched fist.The collective stillness as the room held its breath.The betas didn’t speak, but their postures conveyed everything: tension, readiness, deference.
The connection between Alpha and beta wasn’t polite.It was primal.A living force—dominance and loyalty in constant, silent conversation.
The stakes were rising.The storm, gathering.And it would only be unleashed at the command of their Alpha.
“Status,” Jace barked.
He turned abruptly, stalking toward his office.Then, pausing at the threshold, he raised one hand—a wordless command for silence.With a sharp pivot, he stepped into the security room.Whatever came next would be handled privately.
Fury radiated off him.
This wasn’t just an attack.It was a betrayal—cowardly and calculated.Whoever struck hadn’t done it face-to-face, as was proper, but had gone after his shipping lines.His territory.His pride.
Jace’s jaw flexed as he stepped to the conference table.His fists clenched at his sides, knuckles white.Every inch of him screamed control barely held in check.Battle-ready.Dangerous.
“Go ahead,” he said.
“All three ships are fine,” Ragnor reported swiftly.“Two are en route back to Baltimore.The third is continuing to Mumbai to pick up cargo.After that, the captain will rejoin us here.”
The words hovered like a fragile thread of calm in the midst of gathering fury.
Jace’s eyes narrowed as he delved into the details.
“Any casualties?”
The question hung in the air like a storm cloud, casting a heavy shadow over the room.The unspoken fear of loss rippled through the pack, threading itself into the collective pulse of every wolf present.
The silence that followed was thick, weighted with dread over what might be revealed next.
Ragnor’s head jerked up, as if he’d been struck.“Of course not, Alpha,” he snapped, his tone edged with indignation.
Jace masked his pride with a sharp nod.He was taller than his betas by a couple of inches—not enough to matter in a fight, but symbolic all the same.His authority didn’t rest on height alone.Strength, strategy, and an unshakeable will had earned him his title.
Any member of the pack could apply to become a beta.But first, they had to face Jace in combat.If he judged them worthy—if their strength, instincts, and loyalty held up under pressure—he’d accept them.So far, no one had dared to challenge the three who stood before him now.
Ragnor, Megin, and Ciaran were warriors.Loyal.Lethal.
Jace’s gaze shifted to Megin, his second beta.The look he gave was a silent command, and Megin straightened instinctively, shoulders tightening beneath the weight of it.Words weren’t necessary.Not between wolves.
Ragnor, Megin, and Ciaran—his core betas—formed the backbone of the East Coast pack.Their unity was unwavering, their readiness unmistakable.
Jace’s pride stirred again, deep and feral.They weren’t just subordinates.They were his.
