This Dark Wolf (Soul Bitten Shifter #1) - Everly Frost Page 0,89

She gestures quickly before the doors close. “Seventh door on the right.”

Alone again, Tristan leans against the other side of the elevator, seemingly prepared to continue in silence. When Danika and Iyana arrived, he told them we were heading out to see our territory today. Not his territory. I see my opportunity to ask him about it now that we’re alone.

“Our territory?” I ask.

He stiffens but relaxes as his gaze passes from my topknot to my boots, lingering on my curves. “A slip of the tongue.”

I ‘hmm’ lightly, sensing that I have to accept his answer for now. He said that we can sense each other’s strongest emotions, but not the feelings we cage. Right now, he’s a blank slate.

When we reach the garage, Tristan is all business. “Don’t worry about encountering humans,” he says. “The floors that are leased to businesses have their own elevators. The security pass I gave you will also allow you to come and go from this building.”

Jace waits for us at the side of the garage, next to the door with the exit sign above it. He appears as badly rested as Iyana and Danika. Unlike them, he doesn’t relax when he sees us, the tension remaining in his shoulders and narrowed eyes.

“Tristan.” He growls. “What the hell? You were unreachable for twenty-four hours. The pack nearly lost their shit.”

Tristan grips Jace’s shoulders, facing off with him, and I’m once again reminded of how much like an alpha Jace is, how equally matched both men are. Except that Tristan is reining in his wrath for once.

“Thank you for keeping them calm. I know it can’t have been easy.” He is unyielding. “But it was important.”

Jace’s fierce glare transfers to me, his scowl deepening before his expression suddenly clears and his eyes widen. He steps back quickly, shaking Tristan off. “What. The. Fuck?”

I’m not entirely sure what looks different about me today that has startled Jace so much. Maybe I should have taken more than a quick glance at myself in the mirror. I know I feel different, the most in control, the calmest, I’ve felt in my life.

Jace’s focus flicks rapidly from me to Tristan, back and forth, until he squeezes his eyes shut, shakes his head like an angry wolf, and backs away until he bumps into the wall. The thud he makes when he hits the wall is so fierce that I wince.

“You’re breathing in unison,” Jace growls without opening his eyes. “You’re reflecting each other’s emotions. Fuck, it’s making my head spin.”

I consider Jace warily. Danika and Iyana aren’t wolf shifters, so that must be why they didn’t react the way Jace is.

Tristan is unmoved by Jace’s reaction. “Tessa and I resolved our differences.”

“By tempting death,” Jace snarls, fists clenching as he opens his eyes. He jabs the wall at his side, an angry tap-tap. “Nobody survives The Melding. You could have died.”

“It was the only way,” Tristan says, still calm, but his chin is raised, his focus narrowing.

Jace launches himself off the wall, a threatening tower of muscle, his head lowered, eyes shifting to his wolf’s, claws extending. “Because fucking each other would have been a chore?”

Tristan retaliates, fast and aggressive. He launches himself forward, grabs Jace’s swinging fist, twists, and wrenches Jace’s arm behind his back. Forcing Jace to his knees, Tristan drops the weight of his knee onto Jace’s spine, making him curl forward, completely submissive. “Do not disrespect us, Jace. We’re melded and that’s the end of it.”

Jace thumps his free fist against the concrete. “You’re determined to kill yourself before your time! You forget there are wolves you’re going to leave behind.”

Tristan exhales into the ensuing silence before he releases Jace and steps back. I steer clear of both men, knowing this is something Tristan needs to deal with himself.

He waits for Jace to rise to his feet before he levels his gaze with Jace’s. “I’m showing Tessa around the city today. I need you to watch everything here. Can you do that? Or do we have a problem?”

The muscle in Jace’s jaw clenches, but he gives a firm nod. “I can do that.”

Tristan spins on his heel, strides to the exit, and holds it open for me. Jace squares his shoulders, his expression blank as I pass him by. I want to reassure him, but I’m not sure how. Anything I say will sound trite.

But that doesn’t mean I shouldn’t question Tristan about his choice to spend the day with me instead of with his