As soon as Jace arrived at the Covenant, he spotted Jem’s motorcycle, then wondered who drove the red Mustang that was parked beside it. He cut the engine to his Jeep, then hopped out and hustled to get inside. The minute he opened the front door that led into the estate’s foyer, he was greeted by Tim’s bonded mate, Angel.

“Hello, Jace.” She smiled. “Everyone is already gathered in the library. I believe Tim and the others are waiting for you.”

For some reason, she reminded Jace of a younger version of the iconic, Crystal Gayle. Although, it could have been Angel’s dark, knee-length hair that made him think of the country singer. Regardless, both women, aside from Tessa, were like an artist’s rendition of the perfect woman. And he was pretty sure Tim would agree, when it came to Angel anyway.     

He nodded. “Thanks, Angel.” He started forward, then said, “Hey, you wouldn’t happen to know the person who owns the red Mustang that’s parked in front, do you?”

“Her name is Mia Blackwood. She’s your brother’s guest.”

Jace’s brows lifted high on his forehead. “Guest?”

Angel dipped her head. “Mia is going to be staying here for a while.”

“What for?”

“For safety reasons I was told. I only met her briefly. But I’m sure Tim will give you all the details during the meeting.”

“Uh, okay.” Jace looked at her with a puzzled expression. “Thanks.”

“You’re welcome, Jace.”

When Jace pushed open the library’s door, he looked toward the huge table with at least thirty chairs, expecting to find more occupants inside. Instead, there were only a few gathered. Tim sat at the far end, and seated next to him was his twin brother. Alongside Jem sat a beautiful raven-haired female he didn’t recognize. He figured she must be the woman Angel had referred to as Mia. She stared at him with odd colored eyes. The crimson color was almost hypnotic, but surely, they weren’t real. They had to be colored-contact lenses.

Tim motioned him over. “Have a seat,” he said, bringing Jace back to focus.  

Jace came forward and took a seat across from his brother. “So, what’s going on?” He averted his eyes from Tim, then looked toward Jem, and to the hot chick with raven hair. “And who’s your friend?”

As Jem opened his mouth to speak, Tim cut him off. “Her name is Mia Blackwood. She’s here under our protection.”

Jace frowned. “From whom?”

“Sebastian Crow,” Tim stated. “Miss Blackwood has brought us some information that puts her life at risk, so I’ve agreed to let her stay in the Covenant.”

“I’m guessing this also has something to do with Alexander Crest, am I right?”

Tim nodded at Jace. “We know which one of you is the chosen son.”

Jace raised his hands in a helpless gesture. “It’s me, isn’t it?”

The room went silent for what felt like an eternity, then Jem finally spoke out. “No, Jace. It’s me.”

Jace’s eyes rounded. “But…” He shook his head, completely dumbfounded. “H-How can that be? It can’t be you, Jem. There’s not a mean bone in your body.”

“It’s okay, brother.” Jem’s tone was reassuring. “Don’t worry. This doesn’t change anything. I’m still the same person I was before. And I don’t have any intensions of joining our fath—” He halted his words before he said the wrong thing, realizing Jace hated it when he referred to Alexander as their father. “I mean, Alexander.”

“How can you be so sure it’s you?”

“Because whoever was born first is the chosen son,” Jem explained. “So, technically, since I was born four minutes before you, that pretty much solves the mystery.”

“Who told you this?”

“I did.” Mia spoke out for the first time. “I’m a private investigator, and Sebastian hired me to find out which one of you were born first.”

Jace rose from his chair, staring coldly at Mia. “You’re working for that half-breed?”

“Calm down, brother,” Jem said. “Let me explain.”

When Jace eased back down, Jem continued, “Yes, Sebastian hired her, but he also threatened her life if she didn’t follow through with his demands. At the time, she had no idea why Sebastian was searching for this information.”

“I get the feeling there’s something more going on here.” Jace looked between Jem and Mia with a speculative brow. “What are you two?” He shrugged. “An item or something?”

Jem brought his arm around Mia, then turned toward her with a smile. “We’ve recently bonded.”  

“No way.” Jace looked at the couple bewildered. “You’re joking, right?”

Jem shifted his eyes back to Jace. “I’m very serious, brother.”

“Well…” Jace was momentarily lost for words. “That’s good news, I guess.” Then he directed his attention toward Mia. “So, I take it you’re a Breedline?”

“Not completely,” she said.

Jace smirked. “What the hell is that supposed to mean?”

Jem cut into the conversation. “Mia was raised in an orphanage. She had no idea she was born with the genetics of a Breedline. She grew up thinking she was a succubus, until we met a few days ago. And obviously since we’ve bonded, she must have inherited both genetics.”

“You mean,” Jace squared his shoulders, “she’s a half-breed?”

Jem shot Jace a warning. “Watch your tone, brother.”

“Listen, man.” Jace let out a frustrated sigh, then swiped a hand through his long hair. “I’m trying my best to keep an even temper here. You do realize what she’s capable of, right? If she drinks your blood, it can drive you mad or even cause your death. She’s a freakin’ Creeper, for crying-out-loud.”

Jem leaned forward and pointed a finger at Jace. “Don’t you dare call her that.”

“That’s enough,” Tim firmly said. “Let’s settle down before things get out of hand.”

Jace faced Tim. “I can’t believe you’re going to stand by and let this happen.” He threw his hands up in defeat. “You’re putting everyone in the Covenant at risk by letting her stay here.”

“I realize the risks,” Tim said. “And there’s something I need to confess. I should have said something a long time ago, but I wasn’t sure how everyone would react. The thing is,” he paused to clear his throat, “Angel was born like Mia.”

Jace’s eyes bugged. “What?”

Tim raised a halting hand. “Before you go off, let me finish. It is possible for a half-breed to resist the temptation to drink from the vein. Angel, and many others like her, have learned to adjust to alternate ways of survival. That’s why we have special blood banks set up for this very reason. It’s just unfortunate that not all will agree to use them.” He directed his attention toward Mia and Jem. “But if Mia accepts this way of life, both her and Jem can have a normal relationship. The longer they’re together, the easier it will be. For Angel, it only took a few months before it became second nature.”

“So, this can really work?” Mia asked.

Tim nodded. “If you want it to.”

Mia faced Jem. “I do. More than anything.”

“And it will.” Jem smiled, then reached for her hand.

“Okay, so there’s a good possibility this could work,” Jace commented, directing his focus toward Jem. “But what if it doesn’t? Are you willing to take that risk?”

“If it were Tessa, wouldn’t you?”

“Okay, I get your point.” Jace stood, then extended his hand. “Listen, I know we don’t always see eye-to-eye, but your happiness is important to me. And I trust your judgement.”

Jem got to his feet and took hold of Jace’s outstretched hand. “Thanks, brother. That means a lot to me.”

When Jace released his brother’s hand, he offered it to Mia. “Sorry we got off to a bad start. And I didn’t mean what I said earlier.” He gave her an apologetic smile. “I’m just looking out for my brother, that’s all.”

She rose, then accepted his hand and his way of an apology. “Thank you, Jace.”

“Now that the issue is finally settled between you two,” Tim chimed in, “let’s get back to the main topic on hand. We need to get a jump on Alexander Crest before he makes a move.” He focused on Jem. “He already knows you’re the chosen son, so that makes you a target. It won’t be long before he starts forming a plan to get at you. So, we need to be ready.”

“So,” Jace began, “what is our plan?”

Tim stood. “I’ve already assembled more security and contacted the council. But I have a feeling that’s not going to be enough. We need to stop Alexander on his own turf.”

Jem tilted his head. “How can you be sure he hasn’t already left?”   

“Drakon remains in contact with Alexander,” Tim replied. “And as far as we know, the guy’s still in Paris. He’s relying on Sebastian to do all the leg work before he decides his next plan of action.”

“Speaking of Sebastian.” Jace folded his arms over his chest. “How are we going to deal with him?”

Tim looked to Mia. “Is there anything you know that might lead us to his whereabouts?”

She shook her head. “I have no idea where he’s staying, but I do know he drives a BMW. It’s one of those new M8 Gran Coupes.”

“Is it black?” Jace asked.

“Yeah, why?”

“I knew someone was watching us.” Jace fisted his hands at his sides, then focused on Jem. “That had to have been his car. But what the hell is he after if he already knows you’re the chosen son?”

Jem furrowed his brows. “What are you talking about?”

“I spotted a black beamer parked at Tessa’s apartment building yesterday. It was there again this morning, but Tessa didn’t recognize it. There was something about it that didn’t set right with me. I felt like someone was watching us. The tinted windows were too dark to see inside, but I managed to get a snapshot of the tag number. I figured either Sam or Terry could do us a solid and get one of their police buddies to run the plates.”

“Send Jem that photo,” Mia suggested. “I’ve got a few connections. I’ll find out who the car is registered to.” 

When Jace nodded, Jem said, “I don’t get it? What would Sebastian want with you?”

Suddenly, Jace realized Tessa might be Sebastian’s new target. The bastard could be going after her for her Breedline blood. He looked at his brother with panic set in his gaze. “Oh, God, no…” 

“What’s wrong, Jace?”

“Tessa…” Jace painfully said. “What if Sebastian is after Tessa?”

Tim cut into the conversation. “How long has it been since you left her apartment?”

Jace glanced at his watch. “A little over an hour ago.”

“Call her.”  

Jace retrieved his phone from his back pocket and brought up his contacts. The second he found Tessa’s number he made the call. It rang and rang and rang, until finally, it went to her voicemail.

“Dammit,” Jace gritted out. “She’s not answering.”

“Leave a message for her to call you back,” Tim advised.

Jace left a message, then tucked his phone away. “Something just doesn’t feel right. I can feel it in my bones.” He reached into his front pocket for his car keys. “I’m going to go check on her.”

“I’ll go with you,” Tim said, then looked to Jem and Mia. “Under the circumstances, I think it’s best if you two stay put.”   

Jem appeared reluctant but nodded an agreement.

“Hey, wait,” Jem said as Jace started for the door. “Does Tessa know? I mean, about what we are?”

“Yeah, she knows. I told her everything last night.”

“So, I take it she took the news well.”

“Not at first,” Jace huffed. “But it didn’t take long before she accepted the truth. Besides, love conquers all, right?”

Jem smiled. “If you run into any trouble, I’m just a phone call away. And don’t forget to send me that photo of those plates.”

Jace answered with a nod, then followed Tim out the door.

To be continued. . .

Thanks for taking the time to read my chapter. I'm rewriting my first book, Sweet Chaos, and I'd appreciate your feedback. If you are interested in previous chapters, go to my profile and look up Revised Sweet Chaos/A Novel of the Breedline series. Have a blessed day and I hope you enjoy!