Chapter 151
The packhouse was quiet, the air heavy with the stillness of mid-afternoon. I wandered through the halls, my thoughts swirling with the events of the past few days. Tammy’s sudden disappearance, Joseph’s unsettling words, and Jake’s stoic indifference—it all weighed on me like a storm cloud that refused to break.
I tried to distract myself by spending time with the twins, but even their laughter couldn’t pull me out of the haze I was in. I didn’t know what I was looking for, but I found myself walking toward Jake’s office. Maybe I just needed to see him, to ground myself in something familiar.
The sound of muffled voices stopped me in my tracks.
“…you’re overthinking it,” Tammy’s voice, soft and sickly sweet, drifted through the partially open door.
I peeked inside, my heart sinking at the sight of her leaning over Jake’s desk. She was too close, her hand brushing his as she pointed to something on the papers in front of him. Jake didn’t move away, but he didn’t look particularly engaged either.
Still, the sight of them together made my stomach churn.
*Why is she always there?*
I stood frozen, torn between walking away and barging in. Before I could decide, Jake glanced up and spotted me standing in the doorway.
“Ayla,” he said, his voice steady but tinged with something I couldn’t place.
Tammy turned to look at me, her lips curving into a smile that didn’t reach her eyes.
“Oh, Ayla,” she said, her tone dripping with mock sweetness. “We were just going over some pack business. I hope you don’t mind.”
I didn’t respond. My eyes were fixed on Jake, searching his expression for… something. Anything.
Jake’s gaze shifted from me to Tammy. “We’ll finish this later,” he said, his tone dismissive.
Tammy pouted but nodded, gathering her things and walking past me with a smug look. I clenched my fists, resisting the urge to say something as she brushed by.
When the door clicked shut behind her, I finally stepped into the room.
“What was that?” I asked, my voice sharper than I intended.
Jake frowned. “What was what?”
“You and Tammy,” I said, my hands gesturing wildly. “Why is she always here? Always hovering around you?”
He leaned back in his chair, his expression unreadable. “She’s part of the council. She has duties.”
“Duties,” I repeated, laughing bitterly. “Is that what we’re calling it now?”
“Ayla—”
“No,” I interrupted, my voice rising. “You don’t get to brush this off like it’s nothing. I’m tired, Jake. Tired of this… this game we’re playing. I need to know what we are. What I am to you.”
His eyes narrowed slightly, and for a moment, I thought he might shut me out again. But then he stood, his tall frame towering over me.
“What do you want me to say?” he asked, his voice low and even.
“I want the truth,” I said, my voice trembling. “I want to know if this—” I gestured between us, “—means anything to you. Because I can’t keep doing this if it doesn’t.”
Jake sighed, rubbing a hand over his face. “Ayla…”
“Just tell me!” I snapped.
He stepped closer, his dark eyes meeting mine. “I don’t know,” he said finally, his voice rough. “I don’t know why the Moon Goddess gave me a second mate. I don’t know why she chose you. And I don’t know what to do with this.”
His words hit me like a punch to the gut.
“You don’t know?” I repeated, my voice barely above a whisper.
He shook his head. “I need time, Ayla. Time to figure this out. Time to—”
“I don’t need time!” I shouted, cutting him off. “I know how I feel, Jake. I know I’m in love with you. But apparently, that’s not enough for you.”
He flinched at my words, but he didn’t say anything.
I laughed bitterly, the sound hollow in the quiet room. “Maybe I should make it easy for you. Maybe I should just disappear. Wouldn’t that solve all your problems?”
“Ayla,” he said, his voice sharp.
But I didn’t let him finish. I turned on my heel and stormed out of the room, my heart pounding and my vision blurred by tears.
I didn’t know where I was going, but I couldn’t stay in the packhouse. The walls felt like they were closing in, suffocating me with every step. I found myself in the forest, the cool breeze a stark contrast to the heat burning inside me.
I sank to the ground, my back against a tree as the weight of everything came crashing down.
*Why isn’t this enough?*
I thought about everything we’d been through, the moments we’d shared, the connection I felt every time he looked at me. How could he not feel it too?
But then I thought about Jake’s loss, the pain he carried, and the walls he’d built around himself. Maybe I was asking for too much.
'No,' I thought fiercely. 'You deserve to be loved, Ayla. Fully and completely.'
By the time I made it back to the packhouse, the sun was setting, casting a golden glow over the grounds. I felt drained, my earlier anger replaced by a dull ache.
The sight of Tammy in the hallway only made it worse. She was leaning against the wall, talking to one of the pack members, her laugh grating against my already frayed nerves.
When she saw me, her smile widened. “Oh, Ayla,” she said, her tone dripping with false concern. “You look… tired. Is everything okay?”
I didn’t respond. I didn’t have the energy for her games.
She shrugged and turned back to her conversation, her laughter echoing as I walked away.
That night, as I lay in bed staring at the ceiling, Jake’s words replayed in my mind.
“I need time.”
I didn’t know if I could give him that. But I also didn’t know if I could let him go.
And as sleep finally claimed me, one thought lingered in my mind.
What if Tammy wins?
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