Mated To The Alpha, Falling For His Brother

7

Lana's POV

By the time I was done dressing myself up, Jace offered to drop me off at the airport, and I almost refused. However, when he said he was returning to the pack too, my mouth dropped to my stomach.

“Why?” I asked him sharply, glaring at him.

He had no reason to be in the pack, except that he just wanted to stir up trouble with his brother.

Jace shrugged his shoulders, his eyes locked on me. “It's my pack too, isn’t it?” There was an edge to his tone, despite how smooth he made it sound.

I swallowed the retort that sat at the tip of my tongue as my wolf stirred within me. This man was impossible. I muttered some inaudible words under my breath and made my way to the door.

“Lana,” he called out softly, his tone sending some sweet sensation coursing through me.

I shouldn't have responded. I shouldn't have looked back, but for some reason, I did, and I almost cursed at myself for losing control around him.

“What?” I snapped despite myself.

His gaze bore into me, causing the hairs on my skin to rise in a not-so-good way. Goddess! I wish I could change my fate right then and there.

A cocky smirk tugged at his lips as if he knew exactly what he was doing to me.

“Don't you want to get back at Jude?” He asked, his tone unexpectedly calm.

I didn't know how to respond to his question because I couldn't tell what he meant by that. Get back at Jude? That wasn't what I wanted. If anything, I wanted him to love me back just the way I loved him or even more than.

My eyebrows furrowed. “Get back at Jude?” I asked.

“Yeah. Don't you want him back?” He asked, and I narrowed my eyes at him in confusion.

What kind of game was Jace playing, and what was he driving at?

Of course, I do…

“I do,” the words slipped from my lips before I could stop them.

My wolf stirred angrily inside of me at my response. How did I just tell my fated mate that I wanted my fiancé back, one who had cheated on me and called off our wedding?

I expected Jace to be infuriated at my words. After all, he was my fated mate, and saying that I wanted another wolf back in his presence was a disrespect, a big one. However, he wasn't. If anything, he was amused at my words, and that got me confused further.

Wasn't he meant to be pissed off?

“What if I help you achieve that?” He asked, amusement glistening on his lips.

I froze in place, shock rippling through me. Did I just hear him wrong? He was going to help me get back with Jude?

A hysterical laugh bubbled out of my lips at the absurdity of his words. Jace wasn't the type to help someone for free, except he was going to get something out of it. I knew that about him from Jude.

He just stared at me like what he had just said was nothing.

“How are you going to do that?” I asked, despite myself. “You don't even have a good relationship with your brother.”

He moved closer to me, and my heart pounded so fast. My nails dug deep into my palm as I tried to steady my racing nerves.

“You don't have to worry about that,” he whispered, his tone dangerous as he closed the distance between us. “All you have to do is show him a side of you he has never seen.”

A shudder ran through me at how his tone sent a tingling sensation down my spine. He was too close, and his closeness made my wolf purr. I wanted to wrap my arms around him, to feel his skin against mine, but I had to remind myself that he was Jace, even if he was my mate. He wasn't the one I loved.

“A side of me he has never seen?” I repeated, acting like his closeness wasn't doing anything for me.

“Yes,” he whispered, leaning closer.

His eyes moved from my eyes down to my lips and stayed there for a few seconds before slamming his lips against mine.

Goddess!

I almost forgot how to breathe as he sucked on my lower lip desperately. Instinctively, my lips parted, and I kissed him back, fiercely with the same urgency.

My fingers tangled in his hair as my body betrayed me, aching for his touch. The sharp ringing of my phone brought me back to reality, and I pushed him hard instantly.

What the hell have I done again?

My cheeks flushed red in embarrassment as I gasped for air.

“See,” he shrugged his shoulders, smirking right at my face.

My jaw clenched at his reaction, and my palms itched to wipe off that damn smirk on his lips.

“That's how to get your ex-fiance back,” he muttered carelessly.

My mouth opened and closed, aghast at his words. I didn't even know how to respond to what he'd just said.

“We should leave now,” I mumbled, clearly tired of whatever game Jace was trying to play.

He didn't say another word or try to stop me as I opened the door and rushed out of the room like it was suffocating.

As Jace drove me back to the hotel to pack up my things, the kiss kept lingering in my mind. And as much as I hated to admit it, I loved it and craved more of it.

‘Get a hold of yourself,’ I snapped at myself inwardly.

The plan was to get back to Jude, not fall for Jace, because he was my fated mate.

Fuck the damn mate bond.

Fuck the Moon Goddess and her crazy pairing of mates.

Jace asked me if I was okay in the car, but I didn't respond to him. I knew he would eventually keep quiet when I ignored him and he did, or so I thought.

The moment I packed up my things from the hotel and slid back into his car, he kept talking and asking questions that I refused to answer.

“Are you always like this?” I growled at him when he didn't keep quiet for a second.

I thought the drive to the airport was meant to be peaceful, but with Jace, it wasn't. And I was already regretting why I accepted letting him drive to the airport. I should have just boarded a taxi or something.

“How?” He asked, acting like he didn't know his words and questions were pissing the hell out of him.

I decided to ignore him again, despite the fact that my wolf wanted him to keep communicating.

“Have you thought about my proposal?” He asked again.

My eyebrows furrowed as I stared at him. His proposal? What was he talking about?

“What proposal?” I shot at him.

“Didn't you say you wanted to get your fiancé back? Lana, the only way you can do that is to tap into your inner confidence. If you are still acting like an omega, Jude will never see you as worthy of being by his side. You have to let him know you aren't the same she-wolf he knew in the past. Let him think you've gotten over him and see how he comes back running after you.”

His tone carried a seriousness that made me reflect on his words.

Jude had said that I was boring and unattractive and that he needed someone better. What if I made myself better than the she-wolves he admired? Would he fall for me over again?

Even if I didn't want to admit it, Jace seemed to be right this time. Maybe I could follow his words and make Jude fall for me and chase after me instead of crying over him.

I nodded my head as a smile tugged at the corners of my lips. I knew how jealous Jude felt whenever other wolves in the pack flirted with me.

Jace was definitely right! I could get Jude to love me back again. Excitement bubbled inside of me at the thought. I was already thinking of the male wolf to flirt with when I returned to the pack, but there was none that I liked.

I never loved any male wolf in the pack apart from Jude. He was the only wolf I had ever loved.

As if Jace could hear my thoughts, he said. “I can be the one to help you make Jude jealous.”

My eyes widened in shock as his words sank in. He was willing to make himself used by me to seduce Jude, despite being my fated mate?

Was he being serious right now? Or did he have another plan?

As exciting as his offer was, I couldn't help but think that Jace wanted something in return. Something I couldn't give but I needed his help now. He was close to Jude and they even didn't like each other. So he was definitely the perfect candidate I needed, and I would make use of him, just as he wanted.