Chapter 180
I couldn’t shake the feeling of heat coursing through my body. It wasn’t the physical warmth of the sun streaming through the windows, nor the usual comforting embrace of the packhouse. It was something else—something stronger, deeper—that tugged at my chest, pulling me in a direction I didn’t fully understand.
I paced back and forth, trying to ignore the gnawing pull in my stomach. Jake was just outside the room. I knew he was nearby. There was no mistaking that forceful presence, the one that made my heart beat faster without me even trying. He was so close, and yet, he remained distant.
After everything that had happened between us, it still felt like there was so much left unsaid. Every glance we exchanged held unspoken words, desires left hanging in the air between us, but never spoken aloud.
My thoughts were interrupted by the sound of a knock on the door. My breath hitched as I turned to face it. I knew it was him. I had sensed him outside, his presence growing more intense, almost magnetic. I wasn’t sure whether I was excited or anxious. Maybe both.
“Ayla?” His voice was calm, but there was something raw and unrestrained in it that made my heart skip a beat. He knew it. He knew what his proximity did to me. It had to.
I nodded, my voice failing me. “Come in,” I finally managed to whisper.
The door creaked open, and there he stood, filling the doorway with his towering presence. Jake was effortlessly commanding, even without saying a word. He leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed, his eyes dark, intense, yet somehow soft. Those eyes seemed to pierce straight through me, as if he could see into the very core of my being.
For a moment, neither of us moved. I stood frozen, rooted to the spot by the magnetic pull between us. My body felt alive, alert to his every movement, every breath he took. I knew the bond between us was undeniable, but it terrified me. I didn’t understand it. I wasn’t ready for it, and yet I couldn’t fight it.
Jake stepped into the room, closing the door behind him. The tension in the air thickened as he crossed the distance between us with slow, deliberate steps. My pulse quickened as he neared. I swallowed hard, my throat dry.
“You’ve been avoiding me,” he said, his voice a low, gravelly sound that sent a shiver down my spine. “I can feel it. You can’t hide from me forever.”
I wanted to look away, to escape from the overwhelming heat that seemed to radiate from him, but I couldn’t. My body was drawn to him in ways I couldn’t explain. I was desperate for him, desperate for something I couldn’t quite define, and yet terrified of it all the same.
“I’m not avoiding you,” I said, trying to steady my breath. “I just… I just don’t know what to do with this. With you.”
Jake raised an eyebrow, his gaze never leaving mine. “With me?” he repeated, taking another step closer. “You know exactly what to do with me. Don’t lie to yourself, Ayla.”
My heart pounded in my chest, my thoughts racing. I wanted to deny it. I wanted to tell him it wasn’t true, but the words died in my throat. It was impossible to ignore the truth that had been growing between us since the very first moment we met.
I felt my chest tighten as Jake’s hand reached out to brush a strand of hair from my face. His touch was so gentle, yet it set my skin on fire. The simple contact made my body hum with awareness, making me feel as if I were on the edge of something much deeper, much more intense.
“You don’t have to be afraid of me,” he whispered, his lips close to my ear. His breath was warm against my skin, sending a shudder through my body. “I won’t hurt you. But I need you to stop pushing me away. I can’t fight this anymore, and neither can you.”
My hands trembled as I reached up, placing them on his chest, feeling the solid muscle beneath my fingertips. I wanted to pull away, to distance myself from him and the dangerous feelings swirling inside me, but I couldn’t. It was as if my body had a mind of its own, responding to him in ways I didn’t understand.
“I don’t know what to do,” I whispered, my voice barely audible.
Jake’s lips curled into a small, understanding smile. He reached down, cupping my face in his hands. His thumb traced my cheek gently, his touch tender and soothing, as if he were trying to calm the storm raging inside me.
“You don’t have to know everything right now,” he murmured. “All I need is for you to trust me. Trust that I’m here. Trust that I won’t hurt you.”
My breath caught in my throat. I didn’t trust easily. It wasn’t something I was good at. But with him, with Jake, it felt like I had no choice but to let go. His words, his touch, they had a power over me that was both intoxicating and terrifying.
I nodded, my voice barely a whisper. “I trust you.”
Jake’s eyes darkened, the weight of my words settling between us. There was no going back now. The bond was already deepening, and there was no way to escape it. Not that I wanted to. But at the same time, I didn’t know if I was ready to fully embrace it.
Before I could say anything else, Jake’s lips captured mine in a kiss that was slow, deliberate, and all-consuming. It wasn’t desperate, but it was full of unspoken emotion, a mixture of need, longing, and something deeper—something that neither of us could ignore.
My hands found their way to his neck, pulling him closer, deepening the kiss. His hands slid down my back, pulling me flush against him. I could feel his heartbeat beneath my fingertips, just as fast and erratic as my own. The heat between us was undeniable now, a fire that couldn’t be doused.
The kiss broke, both of us breathless. Jake rested his forehead against mine, his hands still holding me close.
“You’re mine,” he whispered, the words making my heart race even faster.
I closed my eyes, the weight of his words sinking in. I knew it was true. I could feel it in my bones, in the very core of my being. No matter how much I tried to fight it, the bond was real, and it was pulling me toward him in a way I couldn’t explain.
“I’m yours,” I whispered back, my voice soft but sure.
Jake kissed me again, this time with more urgency, as if the confession had released something inside both of us. The world outside faded away, and there was only the two of us, lost in the intensity of our connection.
For the first time, I felt a sense of belonging, a sense of home. With Jake. With my mate.
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