Denied by Destiny Trapped in the Shadows of the Mate Bond novel Chapter 290

~ Josie ~

Good cop, bad cop.

It’s always been that way with Jaxon and Jace growing up. We may be triplets, but for the most part they are known as the twins…because they are identical.

I look so different from them that in passing, you wouldn’t really think we were related. They are identical in the face and their build, but Jaxon has a darker look about him, whereas Jace has always had the sun’s glow on his side. Jace the summer to Jaxon’s winter.

For most of our youth, I seemed to be the only one that could tell them apart, even our parents struggling when they decided to play switch up for the day.

They took it in turns, the whole bad cop, good cop routine…on the pack…and on me. When it was a day both were on bad cop form, well it didn’t rain…it poured. Mostly their flying fists.

Then there was a shift, a change. They both organically maintained their roles, Jace the good cop, Jaxon the bad cop. Jaxon the eldest, the fiercest of them both taking on that responsibility as the eldest.

But I’ve never seen him like this. Never has he turned his aura on me like that…or attacked a friend to the brink of death.

Yes, death usually follows an injury this severe…the sheer loss of blood alone resulting in the internal organs starting to shut down. Even for werewolves. But Knox still breathes, his heart stills beats. His strength is remarkable…he almost has the healing ability of an…alpha bloodline.

His eyes remained on me as I dressed his wound, his hands gripping onto my hips as I straddled him to control his body from moving, from destroying my progress. It’s the hardest I’ve had to work in a long time, keeping my own mind in control from his touch…from his closeness.

The bleeding has completely stopped now and his body is in recovery as he sleeps. That was the easy part. Now his wolf needs to fight a potential infection.

I don’t leave his side, I watch his chest for hours for the sign of difficulty in breathing.

“You’ve been up all night?” His hand grips mine and lowers it, as he scans the room for others.

“Someone had to watch you, to make sure you didn’t break out into a fever. You wouldn’t go to the hospital after all.” I quirk an eyebrow at him before reaching to the side table for a pair of scissors.

“It wasn’t worth the issues it would cause within the pack…trust me.” Wasn’t worth…his words make me stop in my tracks before I snip at the tape keeping the bandages tight.

“You shouldn’t have got involved.” I start peeling away at the dressing, gently pulling it off to check the wound. Guilt washes over me as his body flinches from my actions.

“It worked didn’t it?” His charming smirks hides the grimace upon his face. A flash of irritation at his reckless behaviour causing me to not be as gentle as I had been throughout the night.