Chapter 3
1113 Words
CHAPTER THREE
As quick as Ryan is, Jake is even faster. He steps out of the way, shifting into his own wolf form.
The desert air crackles with tension, the scent of brimstone and dust heavy as I watch them circle each other. Ryan's fur is standing on end, muscles rolling under his pelt like living earth. Jake, glistening silver like moonlight on river stones, paces with an untamed grace that pulls at something wild within me.
Their growls are a guttural symphony, primal and fierce. I can't tear my gaze away. Every snarl, every poised paw feels like a word in a language older than time.
"Ryan," I warn, my voice low, "don't do this."
He doesn't listen. With a roar that splits the silence, they collide, a flurry of claws and fangs. The pack forms a ring around them, but nobody dares to intervene – except me.
"Enough!" My own growl rips from my throat, surprising me with its authority.
They're two whirlwinds of raw power, but I jump between them, pushing with strength that belies my size. The others join in, pulling them apart, their bodies tense and eyes wide.
"Stop it!" I snap, panting.
We stand there, heaving, the taste of adrenaline like copper in my mouth. Ryan's eyes meet mine, betrayal and hurt swirling in their depths before he turns away, shifting back into his human form.
***
The communal building is more charged than a lightning-struck tree. The pack's eyes are all on Jake now, human again in torn jeans and a shirt that clings to his sweat-slicked skin.
"Speak," Ryan commands from the head of the room, his tone brokering no argument.
Jake's story spills out like water from a broken dam. A life several states away, a pack lost to choices too dark for him to stomach. Freedom, his new creed, rings out with every word.
I lean against a wall, trying to appear indifferent, but my heart beats a treacherous rhythm. Jake's tale of liberation is a siren's call to the part of me that hungers for open skies and uncharted paths.
"Is that all you seek?" Ryan probes, skepticism lacing his voice.
"Freedom," Jake reiterates, and our eyes lock. There's a promise in his gaze, an unspoken invitation that sends shivers down my spine.
"Freedom," I whisper to myself, tasting the word, the concept, like a f*******n fruit.
The room buzzes with whispers, weighing judgment. Eyes flick to Ryan, our Alpha, whose jaw muscles work with barely contained fury.
"Out," he snarls, pointing a rigid finger at Jake. "We don't harbor rogues."
A murmur of dissent ripples through the pack. I feel the weight of their stares, torn between loyalty and something else—gratitude.
"He helped with the fire," Marla says, her voice steady despite the aftershocks that shudder through us. She's our healer and midwife, her opinion valued.
"Without him, more could've been lost," adds Tom, his gaze on Ryan, challenging.
Ryan's eyes flash, a silent warning. But it's not enough.
"Let's vote," someone calls out. The suggestion catches like wildfire.
"Fine," Ryan concedes, teeth gritted. "Vote."
They do. Hands raise in favor of Jake staying. I keep mine down, a show of solidarity to Ryan, but my heart isn't in it.
"Seems you're outvoted, Alpha," Jake says, smirking as if he's already won more than just a place to stay.
"Temporary," Ryan bites out. "Guest quarters. And you," he locks his gaze onto me, "will oversee his stay."
"Understood," I reply, feeling the heat rise in my cheeks. It's what I want, isn't it? To be near Jake? But with every pulse that throbs in my veins, I'm also aware of the betrayal curling in my gut.
"Welcome to the pack," Tom grins at Jake, slapping him on the back.
"Pack?" Ryan growls, the word a loaded g*n. "He's no pack of ours."
"Of course," Jake corrects smoothly, "merely a guest… for a short while."
"Come on," I tell Jake, leading him away from the session hall. My skin tingles where I brush against him. He follows, a predator's grace in human form.
"Thank you," he murmurs, so close I can feel his breath fan my neck.
"Don't thank me yet," I warn, but the thrill in my blood sings a different tune.
"Is that concern or anticipation I hear, Lily?" His tone teases the edges of my resolve.
I don’t remember introducing myself to him. Which means he was paying attention when he heard others talk about me.
"Concern," I lie, but we both know it's not the whole truth.
"Ah," he chuckles. "I see."
We reach the guest quarters, and I unlock the door. He steps inside, the space suddenly too small for all the unspoken words between us.
"Any rules I should be aware of?" Jake asks, turning to face me, trapping me with his presence.
"Keep out of trouble," I say, struggling to maintain a professional distance.
"Trouble is my middle name," he shoots back, his smile dangerous.
"Then we might have a problem," I reply, my pulse quickening.
"Problems can be... interesting," he says, a step closer.
"Interesting isn't always good," I whisper, but do I move away? No.
"Sometimes it's exactly what you need," he counters, closing the gap until our bodies are almost touching.
"Jake," I start, but I'm cut off.
"Shh, Lily," he soothes, a finger to my lips. "Let's not worry about tomorrow."
"Tomorrow comes whether we worry or not," I manage, my words barely audible. “There’s a drought here in case you haven’t noticed. Packs are fighting for survival, too afraid to go into human towns after decades of being hunted.”
Just talking about it makes my hands curl into fists.
"Then let's make tonight count," he murmurs, leaning down.
"Jake, I—" The rest of my sentence is swallowed by his kiss, soft and insistent. My resistance crumbles like dry earth after a long drought.
And then I come to my senses. I’m Ryan’s fated mate, my whole life already spread out before me. Once this drought is over, once our pack has a better chance, we’ll move in together, start a family.
I can’t be kissing this rogue. Can’t be betraying my future like this.
Pushing him off of me, I step back. “That’s strike one.”
Something flashes in his eyes—regret?
Perhaps, because he looks away. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have done that.”
“No, you shouldn’t have. See you at dinner.”
I turn and stalk across the dry yard, but I can’t stop myself from touching my lips, savoring the spot where his f*******n kiss still lingers.
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