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    Cleo POV


    "But this is humannd..."


    "Well then it''s a good thing they don''t know what I am.” A smirk enters onto his face, arrogance.


    "They will if you continue to growl in public like you just did...and be too hands on with guests." I spin around, quirking an eyebrow at him.


    Maybe all alphas are as arrogant as the one before them, a trait that didn''te naturally to Jace.


    "Believe me, it''s not a regr urrence..in fact..." He stops himself, his eyes mming shut again as if something pains him.


    “He is a staff member and I have strict rules against staff and guests.”


    "Oh...I see." For once, I''m not buying his excuse. He acted out in the heat of the moment from protectiveness. I''ve seen it before from him. I suppose we were close growing up...


    I let my legs move at their own pace, as my eyes investigating every inch of therge living space before me.


    My eyes spot two doors, one must be a bathroom...the other his bedroom. The entire ce was designed to the highest of quality, even as my hands roam across the back of the white couch and brush against the nket that hangs on the back of it...I can feel from the lightest of touch how much money has been put into this ce.


    "I can''t believe you''ve been here all this time." I whisper out, my heart panging with guilt that I am the one that has found him, on a whimsical get- away.


    Whereas, Jaxon has an entire room dedicated to maps and CCTV footage print outs of possiblest sightings of the male standing before me. "Everyone was really worried about you." I turn to face him, expecting him to be still by the elevator doors but he has moved closer, his hands were resting on the back of his white sofa that I had just touched.


    Hands that currently had white knuckles from his tight grip on the fabric.


    "You mustn''t tell them, you must not let them know where I am."


    "Why?"


    "Just promise me Cleo, promise me you won''t say anything." He pleads.


    "That''s too much to ask of me Jace you know it is."


    "No, it isn''t you just don''t mention that you saw me. Easy as pie." He forces a fake smile, a smile that I can see right through.


    He has always been theic of the triplets, the one that lightens the mood...but sometimes that humour has served to hide something far deeper. What exactly I''ve never truly known.


    "I couldn''t do that to them not when..." I catch myself before I continue.


    "Not when what?" He starts to move towards me, his great alpha height threatening to tower over me. His alpha aura releasing and swirling in this grand apartment, yet suddenly it feels too small of a space for me to breathe.


    He doesn''t know. He has no clue of what the Dark Phantom pack has been through only minutes after he left for the second time.


    The heavy realisation dawns upon me that I could tell him but should I....


    Am I going to be the one to tell him?


    "It doesn''t matter, I''m not asking Cleo, I''m demanding that you don''t say anything." His aura takes on a more dangerous tone. "Demanding?" My wolf not appreciating his switch in character.


    "I think you should leave..."


    I''m scaring him off, I can see that. He''s preparing to run for the hills again, putting those solid walls up again.


    I can''t leave here knowing I might have ruined any possible chance of him returning to his family.


    For now I need to y along with hismand, I need him to think I have his back, which I do...always.


    "Wait..." I call out as he was already heading back to the penthouse elevator, calling it to open.


    Preparing to cruely kick me out...out of his life, once again.


    "I won''t say anything, I promise...please Jace....please don''t kick me out."


    His back turns, to reveal a tortured expression. No I won''t say anything, not until I get to the bottom of what is happening with him, why he left in the first ce.


    My wolf presses forward again as he moves, I can feel her watching him through my own eyes, she isn''t trusting him so easily.


    He moves to the kitchen area where he pulls a bottle of champagne out of the fridge.


    "So, you''ve finally turned 18 eh?" His eyes catch mine watching him as he pops the cork, grabbing two champagne flutes from behind him...his eyes managing not to leave mine once.


    "Yes, hence the girls weekend away." I move closer towards the kitchen area, stepping up to sit on a high stool at the kitchen ind. "Girls?"


    "Well, just Maya and me now. I suppose it''s a good thing Josie didn''t attend as nned, she pulled outst minute. Otherwise you really wouldn''t have revealed yourself to me."


    "Revealed...you make it sound like I''m in hiding."


    "Aren''t you?"


    "I suppose I am." That smirknds back on his face, yful Jace was back.


    "Knox marked her...she''s living at the training academy with him."


    "Yes, I knew they had marked one another but I didn''t know she had left the pack." He nods slowly, holding my gaze.


    "How?"


    "Triplet bond thing...I felt it when he marked her."


    "Really?" I always found their bond fascinating. Ares and I are as close as a sister and brother could be, but I don''t share a sibling bond with him like the triplets do. Something different to a pack bond.