Chapter 152
It had been a month since Tammy and her father stormed into our lives, and the tension in the packhouse had reached unbearable levels. Every day felt like a test of patience, as Tammy hovered around Jake, playing the perfect lady in front of the council while subtly undermining me whenever she could.
Everyone in the pack, including me, expected Jake to kick her out as soon as the month was up. Yet, here we were—still stuck with her. And Jake? He was unreadable as ever, his thoughts locked behind that stoic expression. Was he really going to keep her around us? It's not like he was naive. Jake knew she was up to something ,he knew she didn't have good intentions ,but yet the girl was still here hovering around like an evil spirit. Despite me feeling sorry for her and whatever she was going through with her very suspicious abusive father, my wolf didn't like that Jake was tolerating her maybe a bit too much. He was my mate whether he liked it or not .
The suffocating atmosphere was getting to me. So, I decided to escape for a while, slipping out for some fresh air before I said something I’d regret.
The forest was my sanctuary. The moment I stepped under the canopy of trees, the tension in my chest eased. The sound of leaves crunching underfoot, the cool breeze brushing against my skin—it was exactly what I needed.
But of course, peace never lasted long.
“Well, if it isn’t my favorite slacker.”
I froze mid-step, my stomach flipping as I recognized the voice. Turning around, I found Adam leaning against a tree, his arms crossed and that familiar cocky grin on his face.
“Adam,” I said, trying to keep my tone neutral.
“My favorite student,” he teased, walking toward me. “Where’ve you been hiding, Ayla? Avoiding the gym? Or… avoiding me?”
I sighed, already regretting this detour. “Not everything is about you.”
“Hmm,” he said, pretending to think. “Are you sure? Because last I checked, you disappeared right after that night at the bar. Coincidence? I think not.”
I rolled my eyes. “I’ve been busy.”
“Too busy to train? Or too busy dodging me?”
Despite myself, I laughed. Adam had a way of getting under my skin, but his charm was undeniable.
“Believe it or not,” I said, “the world doesn’t revolve around you.”
“Ouch,” he said, clutching his chest dramatically. “That hurts, Ayla. Really.”
Adam was cute, but I didn't want to give him the wrong impression no matter how much I wanted to hurt Jake. That was why I was avoiding the gym like a plaque. Adam liked me and it was obvious . I had so many plans to hurt Jake using Adam but that would backfire. I would also be hurting Adam in the process and nobody deserved that kind of hurt. Nobody deserved to be used it just wasn't right. I just had to make it clear to Adam that we could only be friends that's how far this relationship would go.
We started walking together, the tension easing as we fell into an easy rhythm.
“So,” he said, breaking the silence, “are you going to tell me what’s been going on, or do I have to guess?”
“There’s nothing to tell,” I said quickly, too quickly.
He raised an eyebrow. “You know, for someone who’s bad at lying, you sure try a lot.”
I hesitated before sighing. “It’s complicated.”
“Complicated,” he repeated, nodding sagely. “Translation: there’s a guy.”
I shot him a look, but he grinned, unbothered.
“Am I wrong?” he pressed.
“No,” I admitted reluctantly.
“Well, that’s progress,” he said, nudging me playfully. “So, who’s the lucky guy?”
“None of your business.”
“Come on, Ayla,” he said, his grin widening. “You can trust me.”
“I can also ignore you,” I shot back, earning a laugh from him.
\---
As we reached the edge of the forest, Adam stopped and turned to face me, his usual playfulness replaced with something softer.
“For what it’s worth,” he said, “whoever this guy is, he’s lucky. Don’t let him make you think otherwise.”
I blinked, caught off guard by his sincerity. “Thanks, Adam.”
He grinned, his mischievousness returning. “Anytime.”
Then, to my surprise, he took my hand and pressed a light kiss to the back of it.
“See you around, Ayla,” he said, winking before heading off.
\---
As I approached the packhouse, I felt it—a presence watching me.
Jake.
He was leaning against the porch railing, his dark eyes locked on me like a predator sizing up his prey. The intensity in his gaze sent a shiver down my spine, but I refused to let it show.
“Enjoy your walk?” he asked, his tone calm but laced with something else.
“Yes, actually,” I said, meeting his gaze head-on.
His eyes flicked to my hand—the one Adam had kissed—and his jaw tightened.
“You’ve been busy,” he said dryly.
“Not as busy as you and Tammy,” I shot back before I could stop myself.
His eyes narrowed, and for a moment, I thought he might actually respond. But instead, he just stood there, watching me.
Smirking, I brushed past him. “Now you know how it feels,” I said over my shoulder, leaving him on the porch as I headed inside.
By the time I reached my room, my smirk had faded, replaced by a mix of satisfaction and confusion.
Jake’s reaction had been subtle, but it was there. The tightening of his jaw, the flash of something unspoken in his eyes—it wasn’t nothing.
Still, I couldn’t shake the nagging thought that I was playing with fire. Jake wasn’t the type to take things lightly, and while part of me wanted to make him jealous, another part of me wondered if I was pushing him too far.
But if he thought he could string me along while entertaining Tammy’s antics, he was wrong.
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