JACE.

I stiffened when I realized what I was doing and the position we were in.

Shit! I needed to stop.

I did not remove her from my lap, and she did not leave either, even after I stopped tickling her. Instead, she rested her back against my torso and slightly turned her body to the side so her cheek was resting on my shoulder, and her hair, which smelled of strawberries, pressed against my mouth.

We stayed still in this position until I heard her breathing slow down.

I let out a deep sigh before I spoke. "I should take you back to the dormitory."

"How far are we?"

"Thirty to forty minutes."

"I don’t think I can wait any longer. I want to sleep, and besides, the main doors are locked. I don’t want to ring the headmistress and be interrogated."

"You’re with me. She won’t argue with that, and besides, you shifted."

"I don’t want anyone to know I shifted."

"They will still smell your wolf."

"I should call Mom and let her know."

"They’re here tomorrow for my ceremony. You can tell them personally." I told her as I rested my head back against the tree, with my hands on the ground, gripping the dirt and earth. I wanted to keep my hands off of her.

I waited for her to reply, and when she didn’t, I tipped my head down to look at her.

She fell asleep. It was nothing unusual. Females usually pass out after they shifted.

Amara had lasted more than an hour running, which was already a record for females shifting for the first time, but then she was an Alpha Female.

‘And only sixteen.’ Zero growled in my head.

He was frustrated that he could not connect with Ice, so he kept snapping at me. But what choice did we have?

I adjusted Amara’s position and let her sleep comfortably in my arms. My stomach was growling. I didn’t have lunch or dinner, but I didn’t want to wake her up, so I sat still and closed my eyes. I would let her rest for a while.

"Jace…" A sweet voice woke me up from a deep slumber.

My eyes immediately snapped open, and my body jolted forward, making whoever was on my lap fall backward.

"Fuck!" I growled as I moved and tried to catch Amara, but she was already on the ground, laughing as she clutched her stomach.

My eyes went to her exposed thighs, and if she moved her arms up, I would see something I was not supposed to see.

Eyes on her face, Jace. I kept reminding myself.

My forehead creased as I leaned forward and pulled her abruptly up from the ground, and my grip might be so tight that she grimaced and scowled at me.

"Careful!" She snapped at me, tugging her arms away from my hold. "I forgot you were grumpy when you just woke up."

"You startled me," I told her as I brushed my hand over my hair. "We should head home."

"I can’t. It’s midnight."

"Packhouse is just a 10-minute run from here."

"Okay. I’ll shift back."

"Zero can take you on his back. Just hop on him. It’ll be faster than having Ice run with him."

"Grumpy old man." I heard her mutter under her breath, but I ignored her as I slipped the shorts off my body, folded them, and tossed them behind the bushes.

"Eyes up, Amara. Not on my ass." I told her with a voice devoid of any emotion.

"You have dimples on your ass." She giggled.

"I’d been told," I huffed as I crouched on the ground.

"Who told you? Your girlfriend, or girlfriends?" she asked, her voice mocking me.

Instead of answering, I shifted into my wolf.

Girlfriends? I never had one, and I would never have one.

The only one I would commit to is the one bestowed upon me by the Goddess. And I will wait for her, even if it takes forever.

Zero slumped his body down to the ground so it would be easier for Amara to climb.

"Of course, you will not answer." She huffed. "Mr. Alpha is always too nice not to talk about his females."

I could imagine her rolling her eyes as she climbed on the back of my wolf.

"You know you can tell me about your females. I can keep secrets, and maybe you can ask me about what a female wants in a relationship. Maybe I can help you." She kept talking as she leaned her body forward and wrapped her arms around Zero’s neck.

Amara.

Same old Amara. She would always dominate our conversations.

I smiled despite myself as Zero rose from the ground and prepared to run.

What made her think that a girl who just turned sixteen could give advice about females and relationships to an eighteen-year-old boy?

"I’m smarter than my age, just in case you forget." She added, and for a while, I thought she was hearing my thoughts.

But she was right, she was smarter than her age. I couldn’t argue with that.

---------------------

"You did not just walk in naked, with Amara almost naked beside you!" Austin’s voice rang around the entrance of the packhouse, and my hand immediately flew to the back of his head, slapping him before we ended up chuckling.

Austin was my cousin and would step in as the Gamma of the pack with me tomorrow night, or tonight, to be specific.

"Why the fuck are you still awake?" I asked, and my eyes darted to the big wall clock that read two o’clock in the morning.

"I just came home…" He winked at Amara, who had her arms crossed against her chest.

"You will have a ceremony tomorrow, and you went out partying?" Amara asked him.

"I have to be responsible starting tomorrow, so I went out and celebrated, which was the exact same thing you did. So you’re no good too." He smirked before turning serious and shifting his gaze between me and Amara. "So, did you two... cross the friendship line?"

"Fuck you. I’m not like you. I don’t bang everyone that wears a skirt." I scowled at him before taking Amara’s hand and tagging her along with me as we headed for the stairs on the back side going to the basement.

"Besides, I don’t wear skirts," Amara added, giggling.

I heard Austin laugh. "She just turned sixteen, Jace! Uncle Aeon will kill you."

Amara laughed beside me as we threaded down the stairs with our hands clasped together.

‘Amara shifted. She doesn’t want anyone to know yet. So stop spreading rumors, or I will cut your balls and give them as a gift to the last female you fucked.’

‘You’re fucking gross, man. But she shifted? At sixteen? Wow! She’s a fucking Alpha!’

‘Where have you been, man? Everyone knows she’s a fucking Alpha.’

‘I know. I just want to say it out loud. Anyway, I’m off to bed. I just want to remind you again, that she is sixteen years old, so if you have any thoughts of...’

‘Fuck off and sleep.’ I growled at him and cut off the mindlink at the same time we entered the laundry area in the basement.

"What are we doing here?" Amara asked.

"Here." I handed her the Tweety Bird pajamas that belong to Catherine. "So you can sleep better because I don’t know how many shifters have worn that shirt you’re wearing."

"Seriously? Is Catherine still wearing this? We went shopping last week for nicer nightwear."

"That will do for tonight. I had no plans on rummaging through my sister’s skimpy and sexy pajamas."

"Fair enough. So, can you turn around so I can change?"

"Nah, I’ll go and wait for you outside this room." I grabbed my sweatpants and walked out of the laundry area without waiting for her reply.

After I put on my pants, I went to the cupboard where extra toothbrushes and toothpaste were kept and took one set for her.

"Am I sleeping in your room?" She asked as I handed them to her.

I shook my head. "If we overslept, I’m sure it will not do us good."

"I used to sleep in your room."

"Yes, you did, when you were seven, and I’m ten. Not when you have boobs and periods already. The last thing I want is to have my balls cut off before I even find my mate."

She giggled softly before responding. "You’re no fun. I was just kidding. I can crawl into Catherine’s bed."

"You can take the guest room. She locks her room. Besides, if I’m grumpy when I wake up… You should know…"

"That Catherine is the devil when her sleep is interrupted." She finished the words, and we both ended up chuckling.

It had been a long time since I had a moment with Amara alone. And it felt good that being with her felt like there was no gap or missed time between us.

"Come now, kitten. You need to sleep. Or do you want to eat first? My stomach was growling the whole night."

"Of course eat! Is that even an option? I’m famished!" She playfully glared at me.

"Yup. Let’s go eat then!"

"Race you to the kitchen, rockstar!" She exclaimed, using the nickname she gave me when we were younger, before dashing off towards the stairs.

I couldn’t help but shake my head and cackle as I ran after her, but knowing fully well that I would just let her win this race like the old times.

ALMOST TWO YEARS AFTER.

JACE.

I climbed out of my four-wheel drive and adjusted my sunglasses before heading inside the packhouse. It was fucking hot this afternoon, and I wanted to dip in the pool.

I had our packhouse extended and rebuilt to make the indoor pool bigger, so I had a place to hang out with the Alpha Circle.

At this point in our lives, only a few of us were Alphas and the rest were still waiting for their fathers to hand down the title.

All of my friends were Alphas of the South. I was the only one on the East Coast, and because my territory was big and too far from the South, I refused to leave it for a while, as I didn’t have the luxury of time to travel back and forth just to see them. So instead, I forced them to see me from time to time and spend a day or two here so we could all catch up with each other.

I tossed my glasses and shirt, which I had pulled off my body on the couch, down the hallway of the large building that led to the pool. I wanted to jump in and cool down, only to be disappointed when I heard giggles ringing in the air. Someone got in there before me, but I wanted to check to see if they were done already.

I heard footsteps behind me before I could reach the extension to the pool. "Do you want to swim?"

I tilted my head back to look at my Beta, Tyler, and my forehead creased at the sight of him carrying two tall glasses of fruit smoothies.

"Catherine asked you again instead of the Omegas."

"No problem, man. I volunteered."

I just nodded my head as we swung into the corner and the indoor pool came into view.

Catherine was in the pool and immediately climbed out when she saw us. While Amara was standing there looking at her with her back to us. Her round ass was in my view.

She was wearing a white string bikini that hid almost nothing. I’d seen her many times in those bikinis, but this was definitely skimpier than the last one.

This one looked like a fucking string with just a little piece of cloth attached to it.

And I should stop staring.

"There’s my smoothie! What took you so long?" Catherine took the long glass from Tyler before mouthing a thank you to him.

"The omegas are occupied, so I had to do it myself."

"Aren’t you a sweetheart, Beta Tyler?" Amara said as she took a glass from him. "That’s why Catherine is taking advantage of you."

Of course, everyone knew that what Catherine wants, Catherine gets. She had an innocent smile and puppy eyes that could make anyone obey even her most absurd request. And Tyler wasn’t immune to it.

"Exactly." I shook my head before I faced Catherine. "How many times do I have to tell you, Tyler is my Beta, not your errand boy…"

Catherine swallowed as her eyes turned glassy, and I knew what would come next.

"It’s okay, Alpha. I’m not complaining. I’m done with my task, and…"

I raised my hand to stop him from talking. Growing up, this was the scenario all the time. Tyler always had her back, and she was taking advantage of it.

"I didn’t force him. I asked if he could... I didn’t order." Catherine stated as she looked at my Beta as if she was asking help.

"It’s okay. Seriously. Let’s move on." Tyler looked at me, and I knew this look was a plea to let it go.

"Are you done with the pool?" I asked instead, crossing my arms against my chest as my eyes shifted from my sister to Amara.

"Flexing your muscles won’t help you from throwing us out of the pool. We just started." Amara said.

"Why are you here anyway? It’s the weekend. You should be driving home." I asked her.

Amara was in her last year in the academy, and she would usually head home on weekends.

"Catherine wants to hang out," she answered back.

"And where are Amber and Cassidy?" The other two females with whom they spend the majority of their time.

"Cassidy is at the dorm. She needs to finish some project due on Monday." Catherine answered.

Among the four of them, Cassidy was the most serious when it came to studying. But all of them were doing so well at school that I had no complaints at all. So I just let Catherine do whatever she wanted since she was in good company.

"While Zach picked up Amber, and they’re heading home," Amara added as she bent directly in front of me to pick up her drink from the low table, and I was sure she hiked up her ass a bit so I could see it.

"You mean Amber demanded Zach pick her up, drive twenty-six fucking hours back and forth when she could have taken the train to head home or used her car to drive on her own?"

"Zach is gentlemanly enough to do it. Unlike you, who snapped at everything. Goddess, Jace, loosen up." Amara rolled her eyes at me before sipping her smoothies, and my eyes got stuck on her lips because of the way she was sucking the straw.

"Well, Zach wasn’t forced to pick her up. And I think he likes being Amber’s bodyguard." Catherine defended her.

"Like you self-proclaimed Beta Tyler as yours?" Amara teased her.

Tyler laughed, but he didn’t say anything. I knew my sister and him had been inseparable since birth, but I was not worried. Tyler was like me, he would never cross any lines with Catherine. And I would never trust Catherine with anyone as much as I trusted him with her.

Only my Gamma was a man-whore here, and I was grateful that he was my cousin, so all the females in the packhouse were his relatives.

"I’m the only one without a bodyguard." Amara huffed.

"You’re probably stronger than any warrior that will be assigned to you," Tyler told her.

"Except if he’s an Alpha." Her eyes locked with mine, and I saw the mischievousness flitting in them. "Would you like to be my bodyguard, Jace?"

"Alpha Jace, Amara." I corrected her.

"He’s so grumpy." I heard Cathrine murmur to Tyler.

"Nope. Not calling you Alpha. You can wish that to the Goddess, but it’s not happening. I’m an Alpha too."

"But you address Tyler as Beta, and Austin as Gamma Austin?"

"If that makes you jealous, then maybe you should step down and become a Beta instead."

I shook my head. It was a mistake to argue with Amara. I turned around and raised my hands in the air, ready to walk away from them. "I’m out of here. Have…"

I heard small and hurried footsteps behind me, and before I could figure out what was happening, my body was already flying towards the pool and creating a big splash when I landed.

"Mother fucker!" I growled the moment I surfaced out of the water.

I squinted my eyes and looked at the two giggling females by the side of the pool.

I usually don’t have time for this, but since I have no work on the line at the moment, maybe it was time for a payback.

I swam to the end of the pool and pushed my body up to climb out of it. Catherine and Amara shrieked, their eyes widening as they scrambled on their feet to run away from me.

"Mission abort! Alien on the loose!" Amara shrieked as she giggled loudly and ran away from the area, while Catherine dashed to where Tyler was. And my fucking Beta knew where his loyalty lies - to the females of my family.

He blocked my view of Cathrine, and I knew it was no fun arm wrestling with my Beta, so I chose the other option for revenge.

Find the little cat who thought she could toss me into the pool without facing any consequences.

"I’ll get back to you, stinky!" I pointed at my sister, my eyes squinting before I spun my body around and walked to the direction where Amara head off, not minding that I was dripping water.

"I don’t stink!" Catherine yelled before Tyler’s laugh erupted in the air. I knew Catherine would be pissed off. Well, she started this.

"I hate you, Jackson Galhart!" Catherine’s scream reached my ear as I rounded the corner.

It made me snicker. I had no reason to call her stinky, as Catherine was very high maintenance when it came to hygiene, but I just wanted to rile her up today.

Now, where the fuck did Amara hide?

Her sweet scent was so strong that even the chlorine mixture in the pool water didn’t keep me from tracking her. I climbed down the stairs to the basement and opened the empty built-in closet at the far end, near the laundry area. I found her on the top shelf, trying to fit herself in there.

"Seriously, Amara? Get out there!" My brows furrowed before I motioned with my hand.

"No. Not until you promise me you won’t throw your wrath at me."

"One!" My voice was slightly higher. "Two!"

"Go away, Jace!" She glared at me.

"We’re too old for hide and seek. Get the fuck out of there! If that collapsed, you will spend the next few days fixing it, and I will command everyone not to help you at all."

"You’re no funl!" She snapped at me before scooting her body forward so that she was now sitting on the edge with her legs hanging. "Catch me, I’ll jump."

"What? No way. You went up there on your own, now get back down…" I was not done with my words yet when my eyes widened and a growl escaped my throat.

Amara jumped out of the closet, which was just eight feet off the ground, but she jumped right in my direction, so I was left with no choice but to catch her in my arms.

"What the fuck were you thinking? We could have fallen and bumped our heads!"

She laughed heartily as her arms were locked on my neck and her legs wrapped around my hips, and I was very much aware she had a skimpy swimsuit. The tops of her breasts were flashing right before my eyes.

"And then we’ll die and go to heaven. Correction, I will go to heaven, and you will go straight to hell. End of our story. Too bad you didn’t even get the chance to meet the mate you’ve been waiting for all your life." Her last words were full of sarcasm.

I steadied my breathing as I tried to control myself.

I knew I said I would wait for my mate, but that didn’t mean females had never affected me. And Amara was so good at doing that.

But I kept praising myself for my self-control, but the position we were in was too much.

"You’re having a hard-on, Jace."

Shit.

My lips pursed into a thin line, and I smiled at her before I spoke. "So better get off me so it won’t get harder."

"No. It feels good here." She chuckled softly and wiggled her ass, rubbing my erection slightly.

"Amara…" I groaned. "I’m going to drop you."

"You can let go, and I’ll still cling in here. I’m good at that."

I swallowed hard, contemplating if I should drop her or remain in this position and just think of something else to calm my dick.

But my mind refused to go somewhere else.

"Cut it off, Amara. This is not funny anymore."

She giggled and scrambled out of my hold. I let her go and let out a deep breath. I was not sure if the sigh was out of relief or disappointment.

She placed a finger on my lips before she spoke, her eyes flitting with mischievousness. "Thank you for letting me get away without any punishment, Jace."

I raised my brows, but I remained silent. I just wanted her to get away from me. Which she would usually do when I refused to acknowledge her.

But it looked like she had no plans today. She removed her fingers from my lips and rose on her toes, and soon, her lips were brushing lightly against mine.

I should have stepped back, but I didn‘t. I remained frozen in my spot.

She was teasing me. Like she was doing for the last two years.

I wanted to close my eyes as her soft lips began sucking my bottom lip, but I didn’t. I knew if I closed my eyes, I would lose it. So I just let her do what she wants while praying she would not press her front against mine because my dick was already painfully hard.

Amara had never gone this far. She would hug and flirt with me, and she would steal kisses when no one was looking, but never this way.

And I was slowly losing control. But I knew I shouldn‘t.

If I thought she would leave because of my lack of response, I was wrong again. Her arms coiled around my neck as she withdrew her mouth from mine. Her hand went to my face as she trailed her fingers down my eyebrows and to the bridge of my nose.

"I don‘t know how you can control yourself so much. If I do this with other guys, I’m sure I’d already be pinned against the wall."

I cleared my throat before I smirked at her. "Perhaps that‘s why you enjoy doing this to me because I never budge."

"Maybe..." she said it seductively while her fingers were playing on my lips.

"I should ask for payment every time you steal kisses from me." I chuckled, trying to hide her effect on me. My eyes were just staring at her while she stared at my lips.

"Name your price, Jace. I saved up so much I’m sure I can pay you." She answered in a hoarse voice, and I was just about to counter her when all of a sudden her mouth crashed against mine.