Table of Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Epilogue
About the Author
Also by Annabelle Jacobs
Bitten By Desire
By
Annabelle Jacobs
Copyright
Cover artist: Natasha Snow
Editor: Labyrinth Bound Edits
Bitten By Desire © 2017 Annabelle Jacobs
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED:
This literary work may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, including electronic or photographic reproduction, in whole or in part, without express written permission.
This is a work of fiction and any resemblance to persons, living or dead, or business establishments, events or locales is coincidental.
The Licensed Art Material is being used for illustrative purposes only.
All Rights Are Reserved. No part of this may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.
WARNING
This book contains material that maybe offensive to some and is intended for a mature, adult audience. It contains graphic language, violent scenes, explicit sexual content and adult situations.
Acknowledgements
Thank you so much to the following people: Jay, Garrett, Elin, Kirsty, Lily, and Nic. Your help with this book was invaluable.
Table of Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Epilogue
About the Author
Also by Annabelle Jacobs
CHAPTER ONE
Mark glanced in the rear-view mirror as he indicated to turn right, unsuccessful in trying to avoid his alpha’s gaze. Newell’s cold, grey eyes stared back at him—the disappointment and anger almost palpable. The last thing Mark wanted was to get out of that car and face whatever punishment Newell had in store for him, but one more right turn and they’d be back at their building. Quickly glancing forwards again, he focused on the road and told himself it wouldn’t be that bad. He’d done nothing wrong.
The journey from the Regent’s Park pack building had been filled with a tense silence. Even with the size of the SUV, it was a tight squeeze with Alpha Newell and two of his betas in the back. Maybe that was the cause of his discomfort?
Fuck, who am I kidding?
The meeting with the Regent’s Park pack had been a shit-show, and Mark had inadvertently made things worse. All because of that bloody jacket. Newell had been furious when Mark came back to the car without it, but since that moment, his alpha had been silent.
Wes, Newell’s other beta, sat in the front next to Mark. Every now and again, Mark sensed his gaze, but so far he’d managed not to look over and engage him.
The silence was getting to him. Nervous tension filled his body, making it an effort not to grip the steering wheel hard enough to crack it. And everyone else in the car would sense it: alphas and betas were far better at teasing out the subtleties of scent than Mark was. Dread settled in his belly like a stone as he made the turn into the underground car park for their building. They only had two pack buildings as their main base, and even those two weren’t as big as the Regent’s Park pack equivalent.
Mark switched off the engine, and the ensuing silence was deafening.
From experience, everyone in the car knew not to speak until they could properly gauge Newell’s mood. As an alpha, he had excellent control over his emotions. Pissing him off could easily result in some shitty job rotation for a month or a backhand across the face. Mark had avoided both so far. Being a lowly unit member, he had minimal contact with his alpha, and that was just the way he liked it.
Newell cleared his throat and Mark flinched. “Meeting room, now.” Before Mark had a chance to wonder if that included him, he felt a hand on his shoulder. Five claw-tips pressed through the light cotton of his shirt. “You too, Appleton.”
Fuck.
Newell’s flat took up most of the top floor now—two of the original flats knocked together to give him a huge place that Mark had never seen, only heard about. As a result, the pack meeting room had been moved to the floor below.
They trooped up the stairs, Mark bringing up the rear with his beta, Jason, in front of him. When they reached the room, Jason nodded for him to enter first. They’d had no chance to talk since everything went to shit at the R-pack building. Mark didn’t want to believe that Jason had anything to do with Alpha Harley’s accusations—he didn’t want to believe it of any of his pack—but Jason was his beta. His first point of contact for any issues he might have. The idea that Jason might have willingly sent him into that meeting, knowing it would put him in danger, left a nasty taste in his mouth and an ache in his chest.
The sound of a chair skittering across the floor grabbed Mark’s attention and his head snapped up in time to see Newell kick another chair across the room. It hit the far wall with a crack, splintered into pieces, and scattered all over the floor. The loud roar that accompanied it set Mark’s teeth on edge.
This was bad.
So very bad.
The urge to turn and run pulled at him, and only Jason’s firm hand on his shoulder kept him in place. A quick squeeze of his fingers sent a flood of reassurance through Mark and calmed him enough to stay his ground.
“That lying piece of shit alpha.” Newell stalked around the room. “Who the fuck does he think he is? Reporting me to the fucking alpha council when half his pack has been illegally changed. And what the fuck was Nathan Kohl doing there? If he’d been one of mine, he wouldn’t have lasted five seconds after giving an illegal bite. But no, his alpha rewarded him with fake papers and a fucking mate.”
Jason pulled Mark back out of Newell’s way while the other two betas kept to the rear of the room. They didn’t seem unusually bothered or surprised by their alpha’s behaviour.
Newell’s gaze landed on Mark, and he abruptly stopped.
The bond between an alpha and their pack was forged with a bite, strengthened and maintained with respect and trust.
Not the fear that seeped into Mark’s body when his alpha stalked forward two steps to stand directly in front of him. He tried to push it down, but everyone in that room would have sensed it. From the corner of his eye, he caught Wes’s smirk.
Newell put his hand at the base of Mark’s neck, his grip firm but not threatening. For now. “I hope I don’t have to tell you that Harley was lying. I’ve never tried to kill any of his pack or put them in danger.” Mark immediately thought about Nathan. Newell had been all too keen on using him as bait in the fight with the rogue pack. Mark kept that thought to himself as Newell continued to rant. “The fact that he chooses to take t
he word of a fucking rogue—one who attacked and killed members of both our packs—over that of his fellow alpha, is an insult that won’t go unchallenged.” He waited, expression expectant, and Mark struggled to think of the right answer to that statement.
“Yes, Alpha.”
A slight nod was all the response he got.
“And I will forgive your indiscretion regarding the jacket. This time. But in the future, do not discuss pack business with anyone outside our pack. Is that understood?”
Mark hadn’t realised telling Seb, R-pack’s newest member, about his new jacket was classed as discussing pack business. “Yes, Alpha. Thank you.”
Newell smiled, but it didn’t seem especially friendly. “I gave you and Will those jackets as a token of our gratitude as a pack. Whatever scents they had on them prior to that is nothing we could have foreseen or prevented. The fact that they triggered one of Harley’s pack to attack you is his problem, not mine. As the alpha council will see.” He paused, sparing a glance over at Wes. A look passed between them, and then Newell smiled again. “Who else have you told about them?”
“The jackets?”
Newell nodded.
“Um… no one, I don’t think.” They’d only got them that morning, and then he’d had to go straight over to R-pack.
“And Will?”
“I don’t…” Mark looked to Jason. How was he supposed to know who Will had and hadn’t told?
Jason stepped up beside him, his shoulder brushing Mark’s. “Will’s working at one of the clubs tonight. He’ll be sleeping now, so chances are he’s not had the opportunity to tell anyone yet.”
“Good.” Newell switched his focus to Jason. “Make sure he keeps it that way.”
“Yes, Alpha.”
“That goes for you, too.” When he looked at Mark, Newell’s expression changed from cold to… not warm exactly, but a little less harsh. “Not that I have anything to hide. It’s an unfortunate coincidence that yours carried some of the rogue’s scent, but luckily no harm was done.”
I was almost killed.
“Thankfully, at least one of Harley’s pack isn’t totally useless.”
Alec. He’d saved Mark’s life.
“The alpha council will want to talk to the whole pack. The fewer who know about this the better for all of us.” He turned his back on them, as good as a dismissal, in Mark’s mind.
Jason seemed to agree, and he steered Mark towards the door.
As Mark pulled on the handle, Newell added quietly, “Jason, see that Mark gets to his flat safely. I would think after today’s events he’ll be in need of a rest.”
Jason nodded. “Yes, Alpha.”
“And then I’d like you back here. We have a lot to discuss.”
Mark and Jason left the meeting room and made their way down the flights of stairs in silence. Even though the walls were soundproofed to a degree, the possibility of being overheard kept them both silent. Mark wasn’t sure what he wanted to say, anyway.
Mark’s flat was in the other building, and as soon as they got outside, Jason paused, glanced up and down the street, and only then did he relax. The tension in Mark’s shoulders eased a little. The fresh air was wonderful after the stifling atmosphere inside, but he had so many unanswered questions and doubts. At least there was no one around to hear if he could find the courage to voice them.
Jason started to walk towards their building, albeit a lot slower than they’d normally walk. “I don’t have much time; he’ll be suspicious if I take too long.”
Mark didn’t need to ask who, but… “Is it all true then? What Alpha Harley accused them of?” He used ‘them,’ refusing to lump Jason in with the others just yet.
Jason sighed and rubbed his temple. “I don’t know. Fuck, I’ve got a bad feeling about this. We shouldn’t even be discussing it, and for the safety of the rest of the pack, don’t mention this to anyone else. Okay?” He stopped Mark with a hand on his arm. “Not even Will.”
Mark swallowed. Will was his best friend, they told each other everything. “Okay.”
“One thing I can say is that if any of it is true, I want you to know I’ve had no part in it. You can trust me, Mark. I would never put you in danger.” He put his hand on Mark’s neck and tugged him close.
Jason’s scent enveloped him, a feeling of comfort and safety soothing his frayed nerves, such a different experience to when his alpha had done the same. Whatever doubts Mark had about everything else, he knew for sure that wasn’t right. He kept his thoughts to himself. “What do we do now?”
“You do nothing, except go back to your flat and stay there. As your alpha suggested.”
“But—”
“It’s the safest place for you right now. The alpha council will begin their investigations soon, and if there’s any truth to Harley’s accusations, they’ll find it. No one lies to the council.”
Mark shuddered. No, because if found out, it was punishable by however the council saw fit. Even death.
Jason left him at the door to his flat with a promise to stop by and check on him the next day.
The relief at being inside his own home left Mark slumped against the wall, and for the first time in what felt like hours, he relaxed fully. What a fucking day. The reality of almost having his throat ripped out slammed into him, and his hands shook until he clenched them tightly. The adrenaline had long ago worn off, and he’d managed to avoid thinking about it.
It’s not personal. That’s what he kept telling himself. The rogue shifter’s scent his leather jacket carried had forced Tim Walters—the normally placid R-pack doctor—into protective mode. It was a mate’s instinct; he’d been protecting Seb. Nothing to do with Mark.
Was it all an unfortunate coincidence? Newell could be a dick sometimes, and half the pack knew he was far from the perfect alpha by any means, but would he sacrifice one of his own pack like that? Mark didn’t want to believe it, but why would Alpha Harley lie? Why go to the alpha council if he didn’t have solid proof? They didn’t involve themselves in inter-pack affairs unless the accusations were serious, and false accusations were treated just as seriously. No one wanted to piss off the council. Knowing Jason wasn’t a part of whatever was going on was the only thing keeping him from freaking out.
His beta had his back, and the comfort of knowing that finally stopped his hands from shaking.
A knock on the door startled him, his heart setting off at a gallop before the scent of family hit him. Harry. Mark opened the door to find his cousin standing there; dark blond hair a riotous mess, blue eyes shining as he smiled, and holding a shopping bag in one hand.
Pulling him into a hug, Mark asked. “Shouldn’t you be at work?” Another scent curled around them and Mark’s stomach growled.
“Just on my way, but I needed to drop this off first.” He lifted up the shopping bag, grin widening. Thought you might like it while it was still warm.”
Mark reached for the bag and took a deep breath. His aunt’s apple pies were Mark’s absolute favourite dessert. He glanced up at Harry. “I’m surprised you didn’t eat it.”
“Get lost, I’m not like that.”
Mark laughed. It wouldn’t be the first time he’d done it.
Harry shrugged. “Besides, she made me two and told me she’d check you got yours next time she sees you.”
That was more like it. “I’ll be sure to tell her what a good cousin you are.” He stepped to the side and gestured for Harry to come inside. “Got time for a coffee?”
Harry sighed, looking regretful. “I would kill for a coffee, but I’m already running late, and I don’t want Wes finding out.”
Fuck no. Mark hated the fact that Wes was Harry’s beta, but there was nothing he could do about it. He tugged Harry in for another hug, then gently pushed him back. “You’d better get going, but give me a ring later and we’ll get together soon. I might even cook for you.”
Harry laughed as he turned to head down the hallway, calling back over his shoulde
r. “Okay, but I’m not sure that’s an incentive.”
After watching him disappear around the corner, Mark shut the door and locked it.
Despite it only being two in the afternoon, Mark yawned, his thoughts going straight back to Newell. Even though he just wanted to keep Mark from seeing anyone—and shit, he hoped no one found out Harry had popped by. He didn’t want him involved in any of this—Newell might have a point about Mark needing rest. Since he’d essentially been told not to leave his flat, he might as well make the most of it.
Setting his phone on his bedside table, Mark shoved his jeans off and crawled under his quilt. His head had barely hit the pillow when he felt the pull of sleep drawing him under.
Mark woke to the buzzing of his phone. Still half asleep, he reached out and grabbed it, not bothering to look at who the caller was. Few people had his number. If someone was calling him, then it was more than likely important. “Hello.” Rolling onto his back with the phone pressed to his ear, Mark yawned.
“Are you in bed?” Will’s voice sounded overly loud in his ear, so Mark pulled it away a little.
“Yeah.”
“You lazy arse.”
Mark yawned again. Afternoon naps always left him feeling shit for a while after he woke up. “Hey, this morning was fucking awful. I deserved a bloody rest.” The words slipped out before Mark realised what he was saying. Bollocks. Maybe Will wouldn’t ask.
“That’s why I was calling. I’ve asked a couple of people what happened, but no one seems to know. Usually you can’t shut Newell up when he comes back from a meeting with the R-pack alpha—”
“Shh, for fuck’s sake, where are you?” Newell would have him cleaning club toilets for a week if he heard him speak like that. And everyone hated that job. “Calm down. If you’d look at your monitor, you’d see exactly where I am.”
Mark glanced up at the security monitor on his bedroom wall. Sure enough, Will stood outside his front door, waving at the camera.
Bitten By Desire (Regent's Park Pack Book 3) Page 1
