Chapter 15


    AMARA.


    I had never changed clothes as fast as I did today. I knew how much Jace hated waiting, as Catherine


    told me about the many times he left her when they needed to be somewhere because she was taking


    time to fix herself.


    And as much as I wanted to look extra beautiful for our ‘first date’ I was left with no choice but just to


    apply a sheer lip gloss and put my hair down after slipping into regr jeans and a midriff top.


    As much as I wanted to show some skin today, I didn’t want to push my luck too far. It was enough that


    he was taking me out to eat somewhere.


    And that he picked up from school.


    And that he allowed me to call him my boyfriend — even if this was all an act.


    I rushed out of my room and bumped into Amber, who was about to head to the room she shared with


    Cassidy.


    "Hey! Why are you in a hurry?" She blocked my way, so I had no choice but to stop.


    "Jace is waiting."


    "I knew it. I saw his car. So are you heading to the packhouse? Can Ie?"


    "No. We will eat out!" I ced a soft kiss on her cheek and was about to go when she grabbed my arm


    and pulled me.


    "Can Ie? I hate eating dorm food." A mischievous smile yed on her lips.


    "No!" I red at her before she burst intoughter.


    "Oh, Goddess! You should see your face. Now tell me this is just a game, Amara Grace. Because I’m


    one hundred percent sure you’re crushing on Alpha Jace." She spoke in a hushed tone before letting


    my arm go.


    Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    "Whatever you feel, keep it to yourself. Like how you keep your feelings for Zach a secret." I kissed her


    cheek one more time before I walked and ran toward the stairs, not waiting for any response from her.


    "Curfew is at seven." She ran after me as if I didn’t know this.


    "I know. I got ample time to head back." I waved at her one more time before I disappeared at the stairs


    to rush out, only to see the daughter of the Moon Lake Alpha, Alice, also living in the dorm, talking with


    Jace.


    She was outside the car, and Jace just rolled his window down, but the way she was holding on to the


    window frame just ignited jealousy in me.


    I tilted my head up and smiled at the other females I met along the way until I got to where Jace’s car


    was waiting.


    "Hi, Alice!" I greeted her, but I didn’t look at her.


    I went directly to the passenger’s side and opened the door. I heard her say hi back then, but I didn’t


    acknowledge or look at her this time.


    "You’re back. That was fast." Jace smiled at me as I sat beside him.


    "Because I know you don’t like waiting," I answered him, as I buckled up.


    "Thanks." He said this before tilting his head to look at Alice again while turning his engine on. "Lady


    Alice, we have to go now."


    "Sure," she responded sweetly and stepped back. "We can catch up some other day, Alpha Jace."


    Jace just nodded his head before he rolled up his window and began maneuvering the car out of the


    dormitory ground.


    He didn’t say anything, and I wanted to show him that I was irritated with Alice, but I couldn’t keep


    myself from talking.


    "Do you like it when females address you as Alpha Jace?"


    "What’s with the question?"


    "Why have you never addressed me as Lady Amara?"


    He chuckled before he turned his head to look at me. His forehead creased, but a smile was written on


    his face. And for some reason, I was under the impression his good mood had something to do with


    Alice.


    "What’s with your weird question?"


    I didn’t answer.


    "Would you rather I call you Lady Amara than Kitten? Than brave heart? or simply Amara? I can do


    that… Although I like kitten better. It suits you better than Lady Amara."


    I rolled my eyes and kept my focus straight ahead with my arms still crossed on my chest. I had no


    right to be jealous, but I couldn’t help it. I was sure if I opened my mouth, I would sound like a brat, so I


    tried to shut it for now.


    "Hey, is my girlfriend jealous?" He asked after a while.


    And although a smile was tempting to crack on my face, I did my best to remain with a poker


    expression and ignore him.


    "Lady Amara… Nah, I don’t like the sound of it."


    Silence.


    "Come on, if you don’t talk with me. We’ll turn around, and I’ll drop you back to your dorm." He was still


    chuckling and having fun with this.


    "Kitten. Come here, purr at me."


    That was it, a smile slipped and curled on my lips, and no matter how I kept biting my bottom lip, I


    couldn’t help smiling.


    "There. That’s way better than a scowl."


    "I sound stupid here talking on my own. Don’t ignore me."


    "Sorry, I just don’t know what to say."


    "She came and knocked on my window. It’ll be rude if I don’t roll my window down."


    "Okay. I’m not even asking."


    "I’m telling. Otherwise, I might get dumped, and it’s not even twenty-four yet."


    I tilted my head to look at him, a smile ying on my lips. "You''re enjoying teasing me."


    "I never had a girlfriend, so I’m not used to handling jealousy."


    "Who said I’m jealous?" I red at him yfully, before chuckling softly.


    "Oh, my bad. I assumed."


    "Is there any reason I should be jealous?"


    "With her? No."


    "Got it. My onlypetition is your mate."


    "Amara…" He let out a sigh as if saying, ‘here we go again.’


    "Chill! I’m cool with that. Where are we eating?" I diverted the topic.


    "Do you like something fancy, or are you up for some grilled meat at a simple food ce?"


    "Let’s go to your favorite ce. I’m not a picky eater."


    "I know. That’s what I like about you. I don’t need to bring a red carpet when I go anywhere with you."


    Yeah. And yet not enough to make you like me.


    I wanted to say that, but I didn’t. Jace was giving me more than he should have. I should be happy with


    that.


    "We’re here." He said after a while, and it snapped me out of my thoughts.


    Great. A burger joint. Well, what should I expect? Jace enjoyed dining at simple ces such as this.


    I got out of the car the moment he stopped and watched as he fit his car into thest parking spot


    before jumping out.


    I walked ahead of him and pushed the door open, and the smell of grilled barbecue and hamburgers


    weed me and made me hungry. No wonder he chose this ce, the smell alone was appetizing.


    Someone whistled, and I knew I shouldn’t be looking, but it was toote to realize what my head was


    doing. My head was already tilted in the direction of a booth where four males and two females were


    seated, and from the looks of it, it was Joshua that whistled — one of the annoying jocks on the


    campus, and future Alpha of the Eclipse Pack, the pack next to my territory.


    "Amara… Amara. Damn, you keep getting sexier." He licked his lips, and he raked my body up and


    down.


    I rolled my eyes and prepared to ignore him so that he wouldn’t ruin my evening. But before I could


    walk away, the door behind me chimed, and I felt an arm circling my waist, pulling me closer to his


    body.


    "If you have nothing good to say, I suggest you keep your mouth shut," Jace spoke, and his deep


    baritone voice was so sexy that it was the only thing I could focus on.


    "So it’s true, you and Amara are dating?"


    "Do you have a problem with that?" Jace snapped back, and I could feel him rolling off his Alpha aura.


    "No." He raised his hands, but I could tell that he wasn’t at all afraid of Jace. He was cocky and


    arrogant, just like his father. "I just thought I’d say you’re lucky to snatch and fuck a female with a


    body…"


    In a matter of seconds, Jace vanished from beside me, and I just saw him in front of Joshua. His hand


    coiled against his shirt as he pulled him up from his seat.


    "One more fucking time you say something inappropriate to Amara, whether in my presence or not, I’m


    going to forget that I’m the Alpha of this territory, and I will fucking crush your face."


    The crowd inside this ce was already looking at them while I remained rooted to my spot. I was


    thankful Jace said that because Joshua had been annoying metely, sending me messages asking


    me to go out with him when he was dating females left and right. But of course, I knew what he wanted


    from the beginning — it wasn''t just me — he wanted my pack.


    And I was sure as hell that I didn''t want him anywhere near me or my pack.


    Joshua didn’t say anything while the males around him were trying to pacify Jace.


    Jace gave him a few more warnings before he let him go and left his booth. He then went back to me


    and held my arm, guiding me to the empty table at the other end.


    "Rx. I’m okay. I’m sure I can take care of myself." I told Jace as I slipped inside the booth and


    watched as he slid and sat next to me.


    "Was he always like that?" He asked, his forehead creasing.


    "He has always been cocky with me, but he has never said my name and fuck at the same time, so


    maybe it was triggered by the news that we are a couple."


    "I didn’t know he likes you."