Jace eased the pressure of his fingers around Broderick’s throat. Broderick’s Collar sparked once, jumping electricity into Jace’s hand, but Jace didn’t jerk away. He opened his fingers slowly and lowered his arm. Broderick remained where he was, not stepping back or rubbing his neck, which was imprinted with Jace’s finger marks.

Jace deliberately turned away from him. “Good idea,” Jace said to Ronan. “By the way, you fought a good fight out there.”

Ronan gave him a brief nod of thanks, but he moved himself solidly between Jace and Broderick. If they decided to go for each other again, they’d have to do it around the wall of Ronan. Jace might outrank Ronan in dominance, but there was no disputing that Ronan was huge.

Jace took a step back, showing he wouldn’t push it, and held his hand out to Deni.

He sensed Deni’s relief as she took his hand, but also her disappointment that another fight with Broderick wouldn’t ensue. She said nothing to Jace, only gave Broderick a final glare, and then Jace led Deni to the door and out into the night.

Deni started walking swiftly once they left the bar, moving faster and faster, until she was nearly dragging Jace across the empty lot and toward the streets of Shiftertown. In the middle of the dusty, weed-choked field, Jace pulled her to a halt.

“Hold up,” he said. “Tell me something—what the hell was that?”

Deni’s gray eyes gleamed in the darkness. “What the hell was what?”

“You.” Jace pointed his finger at her face. “Egging me on in there. Not Be careful, Jace, you don’t want to get yourself into trouble. More like, Go on, Jace. Kick his ass! You wanted to see me get taken down by that whole bar, did you?”

“No.” Deni clenched her hands, as though resisting the urge to nibble the end of his finger. “Broderick just pisses me off. And you wouldn’t have been taken down by the whole bar. I saw you fight—they’d have backed off.”

“Were you this bloodthirsty before your accident?”

Deni hesitated, her chest rising with her breath. “I don’t know.”

Jace put his hands on her arms, which were cold. The night was cooling, and her flesh, bared by the sarong, rose in goose bumps. “You said fighting makes you want to fight,” he said. “But we weren’t fighting in there. Not yet.”

“But you wanted to.” Deni rested her fingers on Jace’s forearms. “I sensed that loud and clear. You were ready to rip out Broderick’s throat. I can take his crap, but you couldn’t. Are you always this bloodthirsty?”

Not until today. He made himself grin. “Everyone at home thinks I’m reasonable and a peacemaker.” Good old Jace. He’ll calm everyone down.

“Yeah? Not sure I’d want to meet your family, then.”

“You would. You’d like my dad, and his mate.” He rubbed her arms. “Too cold out here. Let’s get you home.”

Deni shivered, as though realizing how lightly dressed she was. “Fine. Though I’m not sure about you sleeping on the couch. Liam might have room at his house. Or Spike might.”

She started to turn away. Jace thought about finding space in a dark house that didn’t contain her, and something kicked him in the gut.

Jace dragged her back to him. Deni landed against his chest, her gray eyes going wide. He felt her heart beating rapidly as he scooped her to him, slid his hand to the back of her neck, and pulled her up for a hard kiss.

Chapter Four

Their mouths met in a frenzy. Deni clung to Jace, her breath hot on his lips, her kisses wild, hungry.

Jace wrapped his arms around her. This woman, this delicious female, was awakening something he’d never felt before—need, primal and intense, which all Shifters possessed, but which Jace had only experienced dimly before this. Even the hormonal craziness of his Transition to adulthood hadn’t spiked the intense desire through him that kissing Deni did.

As her strong hands pulled him down to her, Jace realized she needed him in return. Needed him, Jace the man, not Jace the Shifter leader’s son—she hadn’t known who he was when they’d met. Nothing in her behavior, her scent, her voice had told him she cared where he was in the food chain.

She rose on tiptoes, running fingers through his short hair, kissing him as though she couldn’t get enough. Jace felt his frenzy reply—need, mate, don’t let go.

Deni pushed away from him with a suddenness that robbed him of breath. Cold air filled in where she’d been, and Jace felt suddenly empty.

Deni was staring up at him, her chest rising with her agitation. “Sorry. I can’t control—”

Jace’s returning breath hurt him. “It’s not control I’m looking for.”

“I am.”

Because of her accident, she meant, her fear it was making her go feral. “I get that,” Jace said. He clasped her elbows. “But that’s over, Deni. You survived. I won’t let you lose it when you’re with me—I promise.”

She shuddered. “I just wish—”

“Wish what?” Jace drew her closer again, running his hands up her arms to cup her shoulders. “Tell me what you want.”

“To be normal again. A year ago, I would have snatched up someone like you, taken you somewhere private, and not come out until we were done enjoying ourselves.”

Jace grinned down at her. “Me too. With you, I mean.”

“But now.” Deni shuddered but she didn’t pull away. “I’m afraid to let myself go.”