Their Thief: Redemption

Chapter 5 (Part 2)

I flinched at his words. They lashed at me, the memory of blood and wet cracks of a whip adding weight to the fear his anger brought to the surface. The same anger that had once led him to shred my thighs bloody. That haunting emotion was reflected in his voice, in the twist of his lip, and in the flames that lit his eyes.

I only became aware that I had stopped breathing when Alec shifted, blocking Jace's line of sight. It freed me from the paralysis his angered attention had placed me under.

My knees threatened to buckle at the ghost of the numbing pain and warm blood I couldn't help but imagine on my thighs. While Alec took a step toward Jace, I stumbled back in an attempt to escape the clutches of trauma I had thought I already managed to get under control.

I had been doing so well, I can't let it all go to waste now, I screamed at myself as I clenched my teeth painfully. It distracted me, helping me distinguish reality from memories.

"Maybe you should sit down," Alec said to Jace. Though his words were worded as a suggestion, his tone gave the impression it wasn't a choice.

Yet, Jace still took it as one and remained standing in place. His bloodshot eyes narrowed on him.

"Maybe I should give the heartless bitch what she came crawling back for." He tilted his head, meeting my eyes over Alec's shoulder. His lips curled up in a smirk as a cruel glint entered his eyes with heat.

"I brought her back," Alec calmly corrected him.

Jace's eyes widened a fraction as they flicked back to Alec. Suprise had his features relaxing. "You did?"

It only took a few moments for his anger to return, only instead of focusing on me, it was aimed at his brother. Jace released a low growl as his lips curled to reveal his sharp fangs. They almost appeared like normal canine teeth, shorter than Vince's fangs that I had become accustomed to seeing here and there, but knowing what I did, I could never see them in that light.

The low growl kept building in Jace's throat until his snapped words cut it off. "What the fuck do you mean you brought her back? When did we decide this was happening?"

"You've been..." Alec's voice trailed off as he looked past Jace's shoulder to what we had walked into. A light snore sounded from the unconscious man as the woman focused on lining the powder on the table into thin lines. "...busy," he finished, using the word I had used to describe the scene earlier. "I made the call. It was time."

A deep, verberating growl erupted from Jace's throat in response. It sent a spike of fear shooting through me along with...

I pressed my thigh together as I shook my head in denial. For a moment, the throb between my legs had me considering if it would be worth it to drag up the memories I had worked so had to shove back only moments ago to banish the conflicting reaction. It would be the best way to remind my body why it was wrong.

"You don't get to make decisions regarding her without our say. You don't have a greater claim to her because you've marked her, brother," he hissed, the address holding a tone of mockery.

"But don't I?" Alec taunted.

He slipped a hand into his pocket casually as he turned to look at me. My mouth grew dry at his attention. The reaction Jace's scrutiny brought out was nothing compared to Alec's. My body heated wherever his gaze landed. When it reached the mark at my neck, I couldn't help but raise a hand to slap over it as his attention had it burning for him.

Jace snarled in response. I could see his anger building on the tip of his tongue but before he could get out another sound my lips moved to provide Alec with a reply. They were mistaken if they thought they could act as though they owned me.