Mated To The Alpha, Falling For His Brother

5

LANA

My back hit the wall the second the door shut behind us. Jace's eyes, those damn light grey eyes pinned me in place like I was a prey to him, maybe I was.

I could feel the mate bond burning just beneath my skin. It was a thunderous pull that had been tormenting me since Jude left after calling off the marriage, and I hated him for it. I hated that my body was betraying every ounce of pain my heart carried.

The moment Jace's eyes met mine, the ache inside me shifted into something else. Goddess, I should have left the moment I smelled him in the bar. But I didn't, and now? I was drowning in every forbidden feeling I'd tried to bury.

The bond surged between us, and I could smell him all over the room now. His scent was intoxicating, wrapping around me so that I couldn't resist anymore. The one person I shouldn't want was the one the Moon Goddess had tied my soul to.

He walked towards me slowly, like a predator testing the prey who might actually bite back.

“You want to punish him, don't you?” Jace growled, his voice dark. “If you want to forget him, then use me.”

I knew who he was talking about.

Jude.

His brother.

Yes, I want to forget him, I want to punish him for hurting me this way.

I should have slapped Jace. I should have pushed him away, but the mate bond was too strong. His scent was too sweet and intoxicating for me to resist.

“Yes,” I said, then kissed him.

The kiss wasn't soft nor sweet. It was reckless, raw, and broken. His hands gripped my waist, pulling me to him so tightly I couldn't tell where he ended, and I began. My fingers buried themselves in his hair, pulling him deeper, harder.

I didn't care that this could be a mistake or that I might regret this later. I just wanted to feel wanted, claimed.

His mouth left mine to kiss a bruising path down my jaw, then my neck. My breath caught in my throat when his teeth grazed the skin right where the mating mark would go.

“Jace,” I gasped.

He couldn't mark me. Not yet. Not when my heart still ached for his brother.

“Relax, I won't mark you,” he whispered in my ear, his tone sending a sweet shiver down my spine. “Not unless you beg me to.”

That was it.

Clothes hit the floor in pieces. I couldn't even remember removing mine. The only thing I knew and felt was his skin against mine. He laid me down on the bed like I was breakable, but the look in his eyes said he wanted to ruin me.

When he pushed inside me, I forgot how to breathe. Goddess!

I felt everything, every inch of him, every pulse of the bond, and every tremor in my soul that screamed mine.

I didn't want to love him. I didn't want to need him this way. But this felt like fate and the Moon Goddess laughing in our faces.

He moved with a desperate rhythm, each of his thrusts stealing the breath from me. My hands clung to his shoulders, nails digging into his back. Our moans filled the room, raw and needy like we were falling apart just to come back together again.

“Say it,” he whispered in my ear, his voice trembling. “Say you feel it.”

I turned my face to him and whispered. “I do feel it, and I hate that I do.”

I really hate that I couldn't control my wolf and the mate bond. I hated that the Moon Goddess had paired me with Jace instead of Jude, the man I loved, or maybe it was just a lie. Maybe this was just what I'd always wanted.

His lips crashed into mine, swallowing every lie I told myself. When I shattered, it was with his name on my lips, and I had dared to lie that I didn't want him.

He followed right after, groaning my name like a promise he wasn't allowed to keep, and for one night, I let myself pretend that I wasn't broken. That I hadn't just slept with the one man I could never have.

The one man who was mine but shouldn't be.

****

I felt a strong hand around my waist when my eyes peeled open. My eyebrows furrowed in confusion as I thought of where I was without looking down at who was with me in bed.

It was definitely not Jude.

Then, like a dam, memories of the previous night flooded my mind, and a stunned gasp escaped my lips as my eyes widened in shock.

I slept with Jace last night. I had asked him to f**k me to forget about Jude and as bad as the situation was, I wanted more of him.

Goddess!

Last night s*x was no doubt the best s*x I'd ever had. Was it because he was my fated mate?

I snapped myself back to reality, pushing down every irrational thought to the back of my mind.

Jace was Jude's brother and whether he was my fated mate or not, I shouldn't be doing this with him.

I couldn't shake off the feeling of guilt gnawing at my heart. I just slept with Jude's brother the same night he called off our wedding, without even waiting to see if he was going to change his mind.

I'd betrayed him.

My chest tightened painfully at the thought of the crazy mistake I'd made. What the hell went over me last night? I was sure it wasn't the alcohol because I wasn't drunk yet.

‘I enjoyed him though. You shouldn't feel guilty, he's our fated mate after all,’ my wolf's voice echoed in my head and the urge to snap at her overwhelmed me.

Why was this damn wolf so stubborn and wouldn't keep to her promise?

I hissed and lowered my gaze to move the strong hand wrapped around my waist, but my jaw dropped at the pair of beautiful grey eyes staring back at me.

My heart beat increased as our eyes met. Jace Sinclair.

“Let go of me, please,” I hated that my tone came out in a whisper.

I wanted to yell at him, but for Goddess' sake, I just couldn't. If anything, I wanted him more, over and over again.

I shut my eyes, drawing in my lower lip as a wave of guilt washed over me.

“Is that what you say to a man who satisfied your desires last night?” His deep baritone voice reached my ears and my eyes snapped open because of the sweet shiver his tone had just sent racing through me.

That damn bond, Goddess!

I rolled my eyes at him and he smirked like everything that had happened between us wasn't wrong. Like we hadn't just betrayed his brother, Jude.

“Don't you feel guilty?” I asked him, my tone dripping with anger.

I couldn't fathom why he was still acting carefree after what had happened. If Jude got to hear about this, things wouldn't turn out well. He'd think I had been cheating on him with his brother before last night.

Jace's eyebrows furrowed as he sat upright, freeing my waist. “Guilty? About?” He asked and my eyes narrowed.

“You don't feel guilty that we had s*x and betrayed your brother?” My tone was a bit louder now.

He shook his head. “Why should I? You are my fated mate, and Jude already called off the marriage yesterday. Aren't you aware of it?” He shot back at me, his voice strangely seductive despite the edge laced to it.

I sucked in a deep breath. Of course, I was aware Jude had called off our wedding yesterday. However, I still believed that he could change his mind later. No, he would. He had to. I still loved him and things couldn't end between us because he claimed to be out of love with me.

I would make sure I earn back his love once I return to the pack. I swung my legs to the edge of the bed and rose to my feet, ignoring Jace. I needed to return to the pack, to Jude.

“You have no business with that Jace,” I snapped. “And whatever happened between us last night was a mistake. It will never happen again.”

My wolf whimpered at my words, but I ignored her and made my way to the washroom, not minding how Jace was staring at me.