Page 21

21

JACOB

R eturning to Pack HQ after the verdict wasn’t something I looked forward to, but I needed to do it. Kelly was out with Emma again, even if I questioned that decision. While I wished she had stayed home, maybe fixing things with Emma would help her regain some confidence. I missed the happy girl I’d first fallen for. Seeing her so shaken made me wonder if she’d ever be okay again.

Her beast was dangerously strong at the moment. Heightened emotions and lack of solid training didn’t help. I could only hope what I taught her last night would be enough.

The blame was on me. All of it. But if anything happened to Emma while they were out? I’d never forgive myself. Moving forward, I had to make things better for Kelly, not worse. She needed to feel safe in her own skin.

I glanced over at Brax, who’d agreed to drive me again. I appreciated it, but damn, I wanted a new car. The odor from Brax’s truck wasn’t as potent this time, but not only did I miss driving, I craved the freedom of coming and going on my own time. That lingering unease from finding out the Pack knew about Kelly refused to disappear. I needed to speak with my Alpha.

No wonder Chad pushed me to go before the Council. He must’ve known everyone already knew. Damn it. Why didn’t he just tell me? It felt like betrayal except… maybe he was trying to keep me calm. That tracked. I hadn’t been the most stable, and he’d admitted he was worried I’d go rogue.

“Thanks for the ride, man. I owe you.”

“Nah, Jacob. Glad to help. If you need somethin’, just holler, okay?” He shrugged. “You’re awful lucky to be here. I was worried you might be gone forever.” He squinted at the road as we rolled up to a stop sign. “Actually, I’ve got somethin’ on my mind. Probably not my place, but… Everyone heard that voicemail you left your brother. And…” He cleared his throat before glancing in his rearview mirror. “No, never mind. Apologies.”

Brax rarely shied away from hard topics. Of course, he wasn’t a gossip either, which made this worse. If he brought something up, it mattered.

“What’s on your mind, Brax?” My pulse picked up, but I pushed the beast down. What the hell had I said in that message? Everything from our escape blurred together. My body fought tooth and nail with the drugs, but I was barely conscious. I lost.

He rubbed the back of his neck. His scent soured with anxiety before he eased back onto the gas. “It’s not my place,” he muttered, “but you were with someone. You used an affectionate name for ‘em. Did you… find someone there?”

I leaned my head against the headrest, breathing in the country air from the open window. The rural roads slid by. Everyone knew. If I lied, someone would call me on it. “Yeah.” I crossed my arms over my chest. “I was with a girl.”

From the corner of my eye, I saw his brows furrow. “Is… Is she okay? Did she make it out alive?”

My heart sank a little. Did he think whoever I’d been with had died? It wouldn’t have been a wild assumption, not with the hell I’d gone through. Trees stretched along the side of the road with wood fences dotted between them. “She’s alive. ‘Okay’ feels pretty relative after what we experienced.”

“I’m real sorry, man. Not my place to bring it up.” He drummed his thumbs against the truck’s steering wheel. “Just… you didn’t say anything about her before. You’ve got a lot on your plate, but don’t forget there’s folks who give a damn about you.”

The tension in the car was thick enough to slice with a claw, and I felt like an ass for letting things become awkward.

“I know, and it’s fine.” I blew out a breath. “That night… It’s a blur. They drugged me while I was trying to escape with her. I could barely function. Dialing Shane’s number was a feat.” No use hiding this. It’d come out eventually. Brax wouldn’t tell. I trusted him. “Kelly was unconscious. I tried to protect her, but even keeping my eyes open was nearly impossible.” I rubbed my damp palms over my jeans, the weight of the memory still heavy.

Brax was silent for a moment. “I’m sure you did what you could, Jacob. Hell, if anybody could claw their way outta there, it’d be you.”

Thankfully—or maybe not—we pulled into the Pack’s long-ass driveway. My stomach twisted with nerves. Everyone knew what I was hiding. How was I supposed to walk in there and act normal?

“I appreciate that. Thanks for the ride.”

I jumped out before the truck came to a full stop, not wanting him to see the emotions nipping at my heels. Weakness wasn’t a luxury I could afford around here.

As I reached the steps, the mansion door swung open. A platinum blonde woman stepped outside, freezing me in my tracks.

Alayna.

Her pale grey eyes widened when she saw me, and a smile brightened her entire face. “Jacob! I saw you at the trial. You left before I could say hi. I’m glad you’re okay. I was worried when I learned you were…” She tilted her head, searching for the right word. “Taken?”

I remained at the foot of the stone steps leading up to the mansion. Even with Alayna standing tall at the fourth and top step, our heights were almost even. I instinctively straightened to face whatever she was going to throw at me. “I’m fine. Thanks.” My gaze slid past her toward the door, wondering how many pleasantries she wanted. This needed to be quick. I had shit to do. Bet she’d heard the voicemail too. Fuck. I shoved my hands into my jacket pockets and balled them into fists, trying to look bored.

Her smile wavered, and she arched a manicured eyebrow. “Are you sure? You don’t seem fine.”

“I need to talk with our Alpha. I don’t have time for?—”

The door creaked open behind her. Zack and Jill, two mated Pack members in their mid-thirties, stepped onto the porch. The moment they saw us, their conversation stopped. Zack shot me a grin, then glanced at his mate. “Look who it is, honey. Pretty soon you two will experience the bliss of mated life too. Congratulations! You both deserve happiness.”

“Congrats,” Jill said, leaning into Zack’s side, as if to prove how content they were.

What the hell?

Alayna winced. Her back was to them, so they couldn’t see it, but her eyes flicked to mine in warning. She’d known. That meant my mother had already talked to her about this… before saying a damn word to me. Something in my face must’ve changed because she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, then mouthed, “Sorry.”

My mother wanted me mated to Alayna? So that’s what all the mate talk had been about. I shouldn’t have been surprised. She’d always wanted me with a born wolf, but the thought of waking up next to Alayna for the rest of my life soured my stomach. Something about her set me on edge and seeing her cuddled up with my brother at the verdict hadn’t helped.

I’d wondered if the two of them had something going on but never cared enough to ask. It hadn’t mattered. What Alayna and I had was functional, not special.

Zack wrapped an arm around Jill, pulling her closer. “Have you two picked a date yet? I mean, it must be pretty sudden with what you went through, Jacob, but having someone like Alayna in your life to care for you will get you past this trauma you faced, you know?”

Wisps of rage coiled tight within me. My beast rose up, peeking through my eyes, and my lips curled back in a silent snarl. I shifted my gaze from Alayna and locked it on Zack, unleashing the full weight of my fury. “No.” The hot sting of my power swept out like a wave.

Zack kept smiling ignorantly, glancing between Jill and Alayna, but Jill tugged at his sleeve, her body already wanting to retreat. She sensed the danger, even if he didn’t.

“You know, honey,” Jill said, her voice unsteady. The tang of her fear coated my tongue. “We might’ve interrupted an important conversation. Let’s go home. It’s been a long day.”

Zack frowned at her in confusion until he caught my wolfish gaze. His jaw dropped, and he instantly looked away. “You’re right, dear. Sorry for the disturbance.” He cleared his throat, then gave me a wide berth, ushering Jill along like a man who just realized I might lose it at a moment’s notice and attack.

For all the Pack knew, that could be true.

I squeezed my eyes shut and pressed my palms into my forehead. Did everyone think this pairing was a done deal? The thought infuriated me. My mother would get an earful the next time we talked.

“This isn’t happening.” I opened my eyes and motioned between us. “I will not be your mate. There’s nothing between us anymore.”

Alayna crossed her arms beneath her petite breasts and stuck out her lower lip. “I don’t think that’s up to you.” Her voice went sugary sweet and smug. “Besides, what else do you need in a mate besides hot sex? You don’t have many options. Unless you have a thing for MILFs I don’t know about… or your sweetheart isn’t from around here.” She scoffed, rolling her eyes. “There’s humans, but… Ugh.” Her words dripped with disdain. “Who would want to mate with one of them ?”

I couldn’t listen to this. If I didn’t get away from her, I’d really lose my cool. My control wasn’t at its best, but blowing up at another wolf in front of the Pack’s door might be the final nail in my coffin. “I’m not talking to you about this.” I pushed past her and reached for the door handle, only for her to grab my wrist.

Alayna was strong, but I was stronger. With a twist, I could’ve broken her hold, but I’d always prided myself on not hurting women.

“Get over whatever this is, Jacob.” Her voice went cold, calculating. “You’re not the same man you were before that lab. And that’s not a compliment.” She huffed. “If you’ve got a problem with our relationship, take it up with your mother. She came to me before you were captured, I’ll have you know. I’m still willing to mate with you, even if you’re acting like… this .”

Fucking hell.

“If you know what’s good for you, you’ll leave me alone.” My jaw clenched so hard a muscle ticked in my cheek. “Get your hand off me, Alayna.”

She was doing everything she could to provoke me. And if I wasn’t careful, I’d give her exactly what she wanted. We’d fought before. It never ended well. She did what she wanted and didn’t care how her actions affected others. Another reason I didn’t want her in my life.

“Is that a threat, Jacob? Then act on it, lover boy. Or is this a tantrum ‘cause you didn’t get your dick wet in that little cage of yours? Oh, you poor little pup. Boo-fucking-hoo.”

Rage boiled in my veins. My vision bled red.

Instinct overwhelmed all common sense. I grabbed both of her wrists and shoved her against the door, pinning her hands by her shoulders. “You’re looking less and less attractive by the second. If I didn’t want you before, I sure as hell don’t now.” My voice was a low growl, hardly human.

Her eyes widened, then she let out a sharp laugh. “Oh, really?” The faint scent of her arousal hit me. “You’ve got an interesting way of showing it, especially with the Pack watching us.” She arched her back until her breasts brushed my chest.

My fingers bit into her wrists, drawing a gasp from her. Pretty sure I’d leave bruises. Then I pushed off her… hard. The thought of being caught in that position, especially after she’d twisted it into something seductive, made my stomach churn.

I glanced over to see several wolves quietly watching from the driveway. My heightened emotions must’ve blocked out their presence. Usually, I was better than this. That just proved I couldn’t be near Alayna. She tested my limits, and I couldn’t afford to lose my composure.

Chad pushed through the crowd, raising an eyebrow at me like he wasn’t sure what he’d witnessed. “Show’s over. Move along.” The wolves lingered, then slowly meandered on their way. I was damn grateful Chad dealt with the onlookers. “Everything okay?” he asked, waiting on the third step.

Alayna shot him a syrupy sweet smile. “Of course it is. Jacob’s just processing the fact we’ll be mated. I think being locked up in the research facility sparked something wild within him.” She giggled like it was all a big joke.

The flicker of surprise in Chad’s eyes told me he hadn’t known. His gaze cut to mine, and he frowned. “I see.”

I clenched my fists at my sides, trying not to lose it again. Alayna was pushing her luck. Hard.

Shane appeared from the dispersing crowd, frowning as he looked around at the aftermath. He stopped a few feet from Chad. “What’s going on, guys?” He looked between me and Alayna. His gaze lingered on her, the faint scent of his arousal in the air, before he turned to Chad.

The urge to punch Shane warred with my desire to escape into the Pack’s mansion. Doing that might not win me any favors, and I needed to fix this shit. Time to see the Council.

I shoved past Alayna before she could block me again and walked inside.