The Biker Alpha's Cinderella

Chapter 8

Jax’s POV

The engine rumbled beneath us as I gripped the handlebars, feeling Nova squirming wildly beside me like some kind of crazy cat. Her elbows jabbed at my ribcage; her hips turned every few seconds. The cold night air sliced through my clothes, but all I could feel was her skin against mine, her sweet smell that kept breaking through the cacophony ringing in my ears.

"Sit still, or we'll wind up off the road," I gritted out as I stared straight ahead down the black road stretching before us.

No use. Her tiny fist pummeled away at my arm. "Get me off this thing!"

My teeth ground together as I struggled to keep my bike in control. Her hand slapped against my chest; I felt the impacts rippling through me. My concentration was gone for half a heartbeat. "Quit it."

"Or what? I'm getting down!" she screamed.

I exhaled sharply. "How are you going to do that?"

She turned her face, and our gazes caught for a second. Then she went ahead and did it, pushing off and leaping to one side.

Instinct took over, reaching out to grab hold of the handlebars. But it was too late, and the bike wobbled out of control, causing me to reach out for her waist instead and pull her tightly against me as we fell to the ground.

The bike's metal shrieked against the pavement. The bike continued its journey down the lane without either of us as we rolled around, my shoulder scraping against the road first and then my back, shredding through flesh and clothing alike. Pain seared across my body in an instant, but I held fast to my grip on her head, protecting her as much as I could from the blows.

She got free instantly, crawling away from me on all fours before finally rising to her feet.

“Are you insane?” I snapped, getting to my feet slowly.

“Yes!” she bellowed, panting heavily. “I will never go with you again, not after what you did back there!”

I wiped a hand down my face, finding the grit and blood. “Not this again. I didn’t sell you out.”

“It sure doesn’t look like it.”

“Nova—”

"Don’t," she spun around, pointing a finger at me. "Don’t f*****g call my name."

I gazed at her. She was being an absolute b***h, driving me nuts in ways that only added to my irritation after everything that had happened in the warehouse. But I found myself following her down the deserted street anyway when she turned and started marching away.

"Don’t follow me," she snapped over her shoulder.

"Why?"

"I have to get away from you."

This wasn't going anywhere.

I made contact with Jordan through our pack link. Calmness radiated from me despite the burn on my back. "Jordan. You there?"

"Yes, Alpha."

"Good. Be at Cardinal Lane with the car. The bike is ruined."

I severed the link and continued forward. Nova strode ahead of me with stiff shoulders and feet thumping the asphalt as if she planned to outrun the night itself.

"Nova." I shouted after her.

She ignored me completely.

I increased my pace, closing the distance between us in three long steps before grabbing her by the wrist. A single turn and she faced me, eyes blazing. "Listen to me."

She pulled with all her might, trying to break my hold. "You’re hurting me. Release me."

"But only if you listen to me. I didn't phone your father."

"You really expect me to be naive enough to trust you?"

"I never lie."

Nova raised her eyes so far back that I almost missed my next line. "And I am the goddess of truth." She broke free from me, once I had released my grip by an inch. "Get someone else to fool around with, pretty boy."

"Don't patronize me, Nova. It's true, I know your father. But I won't be selling you out to him. Especially not since you are my mate."

Nova giggled at me with such venom. "Mate? For real? Maybe the wind got into your head, but if it ever came to that, I will choose death before choosing you as my mate."

"Why?"

"I don't care why," she said dismissively, shrugging her shoulders. "You are a criminal. Who needs cops following me everywhere because I'm associated with you and your gang? You are just like my father."

"Stop comparing me with him."

“Or what?"

I locked eyes with her. She was not an easy one to bend, and there was something about the way she defied me that made some animalistic need stir within me. I was not used to people resisting so fiercely. Most people knew when to back down. Nova did not fit into that category. The way she continued to resist seemed almost… fun. Almost.

"That's what I thought," she said, pushing past me.

Fenrir growled from inside my head. "She's got you cornered. Tie her down or you'll be sorry."

"I don't chain anyone to me. Ever."

"Then you'd better deal with the madness while I rip your insides apart. She belongs to us. We take what we want."

I shouted at her loud enough for her to hear. "Stop."

"Why do I have to tell you over and over again? I am not fond of being ordered around!"

"Neither am I."

With one swift movement, I was right beside her and picked her up again, placing her over my shoulder once more. She started screaming, kicking, and beating my back with her hands.

"Let me down, you giant oaf!"

Headlights shone bright ahead of us. Jordan and his other companions drove up in the black SUV. He opened the rear passenger door of the vehicle. I threw Nova into the seat and got into the SUV behind her. As soon as she made contact with the opposite door handle, I grabbed her wrist, yanked her body backward, and closed the door.

“Take us home,” I ordered.