Penance (Dark Alpha #5) Read Online Free Page A

brawl at a moment’s notice, but he was just a pup. Jak could take him with one hand tied behind his back. The older one would take a bite out of him before going down, but Jak was fairly certain it wouldn’t be much of a fight, either. He was seriously hoping it wouldn’t come to that.
    Circe arched her perfect eyebrows. “Marco and Kalis Stefan meet Jak Roberts. Jak is the wolf responsible for freeing your sister, at least in a physical sense, from Mace’s hold.”
    Jak extended his hand, but Marco just scowled and ignored it. “You freed my sister?”
    He clearly wasn’t buying this, and Jak couldn’t blame him. It wasn’t like he had brought Arianna along as proof.
    “Yes,” Jak said evenly. He needed to win these boys over and, at the same time, take their measure. They were Arianna’s family, but as Jak well knew, that didn’t always mean much. He had to be sure they were capable of looking out for her. And even if they wanted to, he was starting to wonder if they would be savvy enough.
    “Look,” Jak said, “I know you don’t know me—”
    “No. I don’t know you.” Marco’s voice was clipped, and the younger one was still on high alert. “How about you clear out? I have a few things to discuss with Circe—”
    He was cut off by the younger one batting his arm. Marco leaned over, and Kalis whispered in his ear. They both shot daggered looks at Jak. The hairs on the back of his neck stood up.
    Marco straightened and growled out his words. But they weren’t directed at Jak. “Circe, what kind of witch trickery is this?”
    She narrowed her eyes, and her voice went cold. “What are you talking about, wolf?”
    Marco flung his hand out at Jak. “He’s Red pack. Did you expect us not to notice?” He snarled and tipped up his chin. “He was there when Arianna was captured, and now you’ve brought us here to meet with him? What is this, some kind of double cross? Are there more of them in the lobby? I thought you wanted Arianna free. Or was that just talk?”
    Kalis had hauled out his phone and was yanking on Marco’s sleeve. Marco stilled his brother with a harsh look.
    The tension evaporated from Circe’s slender frame. “No, you idiot.” She sighed. “I swear, if you wolves weren’t so sexy, I’d find the lack of a brain seriously unattractive.”
    Marco growled in response. “We’re leaving.” He turned toward the elevators.
    Jak rushed out, “Marco, wait.”
    But he kept going, and Kalis was on his heels. The older one punched the elevator button then whirled on Jak as he approached. Both Marco and Kalis had their claws out and were snarling.
    Jak put up his hands. He had maybe ten seconds before the elevator arrived. “Look, I would be suspicious, too. If I had a sister like Arianna, I’d tear apart anyone who looked sideways at her. But you have to believe me, I’m on your side with this.”
    The snarling eased up, but only slightly. And their claws were still out.
    Jak rushed the rest out. “I watched for six months as Mace kept her caged like an animal in that house of his. It tore me apart every single day. And then, one day, I actually got to spend time with her, and I realized… someone like Arianna was worth risking everything for. I couldn’t live with myself if I stood by while she slowly died—while everything good and beautiful about her withered away—all from being a dark alpha’s mate.”
    Kalis was still giving him glares, but Marco’s claws had retracted into his hands.
    His blue eyes, so like Arianna’s, were still squinted with suspicion. “What’s in it for you?”
    Jak blinked, nonplussed for the moment. What was in it for him? Redemption for not saving his mother? A chance to be an alpha, a true protector? It was simpler even than that. “I’m in love with her.”
    Marco’s gaze still drilled into him.  “Is that so?”
    He could understand the skepticism. In the same position, with a sister like Arianna, he’d more likely go fang to fang