Chapter 14
1179 Words
Nova’s POV
The way Jax looked at me after the phone call sent something cold slithering down my spine, because whatever softness had flickered across his face moments ago had vanished completely, swallowed whole by something darker.
He stood near the window with one hand clenched around his phone while the other flexed at his side like he was restraining himself from punching through the wall. Pale morning light cut across the scar over his brow, sharpening every hard angle of his face.
Something happened.
And somehow, I already knew it had something to do with me.
I slowly sat up straighter on the bed. “What?”
His eyes lifted to mine instantly. “Nothing.”
“Liar.”
A tense silence stretched between us before he slipped the phone into his pocket and started walking toward me, his heavy boots thudding softly against the polished floor.
“What happened?” I asked again.
“Eat your food and stay in this room.”
I blinked. “Excuse me?”
“I said stay here.”
“There you go with the orders again,” I snapped. “You know, for someone always claiming he’s nothing like my father, you sure act like a controlling psychopath.”
His eyes darkened instantly.
Actually darkened.
Gold flashed through them for half a second, something dangerous and animalistic pushing beneath his skin.
Oops.
But instead of exploding, he exhaled slowly. “You don’t know anything about me.”
“And you know everything about me?”
Then he moved.
Fast.
One second he stood across the room.
The next, he was directly in front of me.
I sucked in a breath as his hands landed on either side of me against the mattress, trapping me between his arms while heat rolled off him in waves.
“What are you doing?” My voice came out softer than I wanted.
His eyes searched mine slowly. “Keeping you alive.”
My pulse skipped.
God.
Why did he always have to look at me like that?
Like I was something precious.
Something dangerous.
Something he wanted.
“You don’t own me,” I whispered.
His gaze dropped briefly to my lips before lifting again. “Never said I did.”
“Then stop treating me like property.”
Something flickered across his face.
Hurt.
Gone so quickly I almost missed it.
He pushed away from the bed and turned toward the door.
Good.
Because another second with him standing that close and my brain might have melted.
“You still haven’t answered me,” I said.
His hand paused on the doorknob.
Then finally—
“Your father put a bounty on your head.”
The room went silent.
“What?”
“Two million.”
My blood turned to ice.
No.
No no no.
Actually… yes.
Of course he would.
My chest tightened painfully as memories crashed into me all at once.
Wanted alive.
I knew exactly what that meant.
Dragged back into those underground laboratories where the walls smelled like bleach and blood.
Back onto those freezing metal tables.
Back beneath glaring white lights while needles pierced my skin over and over again.
My breathing shortened.
Jax noticed instantly.
“Nova.”
I stumbled backward. “No.”
“Calm down.”
“No!” I snapped, panic clawing up my throat. “You don’t understand what happens if he gets me back.”
“I won’t let him.”
“You can’t promise that!”
My voice cracked.
The memories were hitting too fast now.
The chains.
The screaming.
My father watching everything with cold pride while scientists treated me less like a daughter and more like an experiment.
My knees buckled.
Jax caught me before I hit the floor.
Strong arms wrapped around me instantly.
“Easy,” he murmured.
I shoved weakly at his chest. “Don’t touch me.”
But the words lacked force.
Because somehow… his arms felt safe.
And that terrified me more than anything.
“You’re shaking.”
“I’m not.”
“You are.”
I looked away.
His grip tightened slightly. “I won’t let anyone take you.”
“You keep saying that like it means something.”
“It does.”
I laughed bitterly. “You barely know me.”
His gaze held mine steadily.
“You’re my mate.”
Damn him.
Why did he keep saying that word like it changed everything?
I stepped out of his arms before they became too comfortable. “I don’t care about mate bonds.”
A lie.
Even my stupid heart knew it.
Because every time he looked at me, something deep inside me reacted.
Reached.
Pulled.
And I hated myself for it.
Jax studied me silently. “There’s more.”
My stomach dropped instantly.
Of course there was.
“What now?”
“The bounty went public.”
I frowned weakly. “So?”
A humorless smile tugged at his mouth. “So every hunter, rogue, mercenary and psychopath in the underground now knows your face.”
Oh.
Oh, s**t.
I sat slowly on the edge of the bed because, suddenly my legs didn’t feel capable of supporting me anymore.
This was bad.
Very bad.
Jax crouched in front of me, his voice calmer now. “Nobody gets into this estate without my permission.”
“You sound very confident.”
“I am.”
“That confidence is going to get us killed.”
One side of his mouth lifted slightly.
“Us?”
Heat flooded my cheeks.
Damn it.
“I didn’t mean—”
“You did.”
“I absolutely didn’t.”
His smirk widened just enough to annoy me. “Too late.”
Wait.
Did Jax just flirt with me?
Before I could recover from the shock, a loud alarm suddenly blared throughout the mansion.
The sound was deafening.
Red emergency lights flashed across the walls instantly.
Jax’s entire expression changed.
Every trace of softness vanished.
His hand moved toward the gun strapped behind his back.
“What was that?” I whispered.
The bedroom door burst open hard enough to slam against the wall.
Jordan stormed inside breathing heavily. “Alpha.”
Jax stepped forward immediately. “Report.”
Jordan’s eyes flicked briefly toward me. “We caught one near the east gate.”
Jax went completely still.
“One what?”
Jordan swallowed. “A hunter.”
Ice flooded my veins.
No.
That was too fast.
Jax’s voice dropped lower. “Alive?”
“Yes.”
“Good.”
Jordan hesitated.
My heart started pounding harder.
“What?” Jax barked.
Jordan looked uneasy for the first time since I had met him.
“He said something before we restrained him.”
Jax narrowed his eyes. “What did he say?”
Jordan looked directly at me.
Then spoke.
“He said your father already found the traitor inside this house.”
The room froze.
Slowly… very slowly…
Jax turned toward me.
And downstairs—
A gunshot exploded through the mansion.
Followed immediately by screaming.
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