Star Cursed (Zodiac Wolves #2)(9)

“I want you to come to me of your own free will at the full moon," Jordan continued. "That’s why I want to talk.”

"Then let's talk," I said, taking a step toward him and letting the desire settle over me like a warm blanket. A new plan formed in my mind. If Jordan wanted me to come to him, to be his perfect mate, I could do that. If I made him believe that I trusted him and accepted him, or better yet, that I wanted him, he might lower his guard enough to give me a chance to escape. If he let me out of my cell once, he would probably do it again as long as I behaved. It would be tricky though. It would require subtlety I wasn’t entirely sure I was capable of, and worst of all, it would require me to put away my sharp tongue and pretend to swoon over him.

I looked up at him from under my lashes, taking him in. Damn, he was gorgeous. My body ached for him, my pussy pulsed with need. Okay, so the swooning part would be easy thanks to the mate bond. Maybe too easy. I had to reign this girl in before she got me in trouble.

"Come," he said. "I want to show you my favorite part of town."

He lightly touched my elbow and led me toward the gazebo on the edge of town surrounded by a lush garden. It was the complete opposite of the harsh land around it, and I wondered how it could survive this heat. He opened a small gate and we stepped inside, and it instantly felt cooler. I took a long, deep breath, smelling dozens of different plants and flowers in the air. They were thriving, despite some of them being clearly made for cooler climates.

Jordan strolled along the path toward a gazebo up ahead. "This garden was a gift from the Sun Witches. The temperature will always stay comfortable, no matter the weather.”

Wow, I thought. The Sun Witches really have been favoring the Leos. Had Dad known about this? Did the other packs? With the Sun Witches helping the Leos and giving them their blessings, they really could take over the other packs. That also explained why the Sun Witches didn't lift a finger to help the Cancer pack when the Leos slaughtered us, despite all their talk of how there was no fighting at the Convergence. Fucking hypocrites.

A bolt of worry went through me when I remembered Kaden saying he wanted to take down the Leo pack and all the others as well. What could he possibly do against the might of the Sun Witches combined with the huge numbers of the Leo pack? And if the Leo pack did manage to conquer the rest of the other Zodiac Wolves... I swallowed hard at the thought. I was beginning to realize that even if I did escape this place, I might never be safe from them.

We stepped inside the gazebo and Jordan directed me toward the bench and then sat right beside me on it. The mating bond urged me closer, begging for me to touch Jordan, but the part of me that cared for Kaden howled its disapproval. A war was quietly waging inside me, pulling me apart at the seams, tugging me in two different directions until I wanted to scream. All I wanted was to run back to my cell and hide, but I knew this might be my best chance to win Jordan over.

“What did you want to talk to me about?” I asked, tucking a piece of greasy hair behind my ear. I had to look positively revolting after being in a prison cell for so long, and I doubted I smelled any better, yet Jordan didn't seem to notice. Or if he did, he didn't care.

He looked up at the sky, his face contemplative. “My father used to rule the Leo pack with fear. He would physically abuse pack members to keep them in line, and none of us were exempt. Not even me, his firstborn son.”

I sat up a little straighter, no longer having to feign my interest. Dad had ruled with fear and brute force too, and I’d known that better than anyone. “My father was the same."

Jordan glanced over at me, his lips drawn tight in a grim line. "Maybe it's good they're both gone."

My eyebrows jumped up at his words. "Why is that?"

"Because it allows us to do things differently. My father wanted to wipe out or take control of all the other packs, effectively making everyone a member of the Leo pack with him as its king. I don't want that. I never have. I plan to let the packs keep their individuality, as long as they defer to me as their true alpha. With our pack leading the Zodiac Wolves, we can charge forward into a brighter future for all of us."

With the Sun Witches controlling all of us, I mentally added. It was hard not to say it out loud, but instead, I nodded slowly, as though I was agreeing with everything he said. "It might be tough to convince the other packs to accept you as their leader. Even with the Sun Witches behind you."

"That's why I need your help." He reached over and took my hand, making my blood race. "If the other Zodiac Wolves see that we're together, putting our packs' past rivalries behind us, they'll realize this is for the best. There's been fighting and scheming between the Zodiac Wolves for too long—it's time we were united in peace."

His words sounded too good to be true, and I had to remind myself this was all just a ploy to convince me to join him. He wanted to use me, just like everyone else. Especially now that he knew I had Moon Witch magic. "Do you really think that will work?"

"With you by my side, we'll be unstoppable." He turned toward me, his knee brushing against mine, sending a wave of burning need through me. “We’re meant to be, Ayla. The stars decreed it. Can’t you feel it?”

“Yes," I whispered. The lie came easily, and I wondered if it was a lie at all. With Jordan this close it was hard for me to think of anything but how much I wanted him. The mating bond drew us closer, impossible to resist, and I yearned to lean forward, to be the one to bridge the distance between us. But Jordan moved first.