Chapter 186
The morning light streamed through the curtains, casting a soft glow over the room. I stretched slightly, feeling the warmth beside me before reality set in. Jake was still here. He hadn't left before I woke up like he usually did. My heart did an involuntary flip at the realization.
I turned my head slowly, trying not to disturb him, and took in the sight of his face, relaxed in sleep. His usual stern expression was gone, and in its place was something softer, almost peaceful. I had seen him vulnerable only a few times, but never like this—so unguarded, so human.
I swallowed hard, resisting the urge to reach out and brush my fingers along the sharp lines of his jaw. This was dangerous territory.
Before I could think too much about it, his eyes fluttered open, dark and sharp, instantly alert. It was fascinating how quickly he transitioned from sleep to full awareness.
"You’re staring." His voice was rough with sleep, deeper than usual.
I felt the heat rise up my neck and immediately rolled to my side, away from him. "I wasn’t."
His low chuckle sent a shiver down my spine. "You were."
I scoffed but didn’t turn back to face him. He had a way of reading me too easily, and that was the last thing I needed this early in the morning.
Jake shifted behind me, and before I could react, his arm slid around my waist, pulling me back against him. My breath caught in my throat.
"What are you doing?" I asked, my voice embarrassingly breathy.
"Testing something," he murmured, his nose brushing against the crook of my neck.
I shivered, my body betraying me in the worst way. "And what exactly are you testing?"
His arm tightened slightly, holding me still. "How long it takes for you to push me away."
A mix of emotions surged through me—annoyance, amusement, nervousness. I debated pushing him off, but something inside me hesitated. Jake wasn’t the type to play games. If he was doing this, it meant something.
After a long pause, I sighed. "I’m not pushing you away."
"Noted." I could hear the smirk in his voice.
A comfortable silence settled between us, and for once, it wasn’t awkward or filled with tension. Just warm. Safe.
Then, as if reality slapped me in the face, I stiffened. "Wait—why are you still here?"
Jake let out an exasperated breath. "Nice."
I turned in his arms, frowning at him. "No, really. You always leave before I wake up. I figured you’d be gone before sunrise, running away from…" I gestured vaguely between us.
He looked at me for a long moment, his expression unreadable. Then, he sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "I didn’t feel like leaving this time."
It wasn’t the most romantic thing in the world, but coming from Jake, it meant more than he probably realized.
Something warm settled in my chest, but before I could respond, a loud knock interrupted the moment.
"AYLA!" Sophie’s voice carried through the door, followed by an exaggerated sigh. "Are you decent, or is our dear Alpha still keeping you hostage in there?"
I groaned, burying my face in Jake’s chest while he chuckled.
"Coming!" I yelled back, but before I could move, Jake’s grip on me tightened for a second.
"Tonight." His voice was low, serious. "We’ll talk. No avoiding."
I swallowed hard, nodding. "Okay."
With that, he finally released me, and I all but jumped out of bed, grabbing whatever clothing I could find before throwing the door open.
Sophie and Fatima stood there, arms crossed and amused looks on their faces.
Sophie peeked past me. "Good morning, Alpha. I see you had a… restful night."
Fatima nudged her. "Told you she wouldn’t deny him forever."
I groaned. "You two are the worst."
Sophie wiggled her brows. "And yet, here we are, ready to whisk you away for some quality girl time."
Jake cleared his throat behind me. "She’s busy tonight."
I turned to glare at him, but Sophie smirked. "Oh, I’m sure she is. But for now, she’s ours."
Before I could argue, Sophie grabbed my arm, and they practically dragged me out of the room.
---
The day passed in a blur of teasing, training, and avoiding the very obvious fact that I would be alone with Jake later. My heart was an anxious mess every time I thought about it.
By the time evening rolled around, I found myself pacing in my room, waiting. I had no idea how this conversation would go, but one thing was certain—Jake and I had crossed a line. There was no going back to pretending.
A soft knock sounded at my door, and my stomach flipped.
I opened it to find Jake standing there, looking as composed as ever, but there was a slight tension in his shoulders.
"Hey."
"Hey," I echoed, stepping aside to let him in.
He hesitated for a moment before stepping inside, hands in his pockets. "I meant what I said this morning. I didn’t want to leave."
I nodded, unsure of what to say.
"I don’t know what to do with this," he admitted, gesturing between us. "I wasn’t supposed to… feel anything again. Not like this."
My throat tightened. "I know."
Jake exhaled heavily, running a hand through his hair. "But I do. And it’s messing with my head."
A sad smile tugged at my lips. "That makes two of us."
Silence stretched between us before he finally closed the distance, cupping my face with one hand. "I don’t want to hurt you, Ayla. But I don’t know if I can be what you need."
My heart ached at his words, but I placed my hand over his. "I don’t need perfect, Jake. I just need real."
For a moment, I thought he was going to pull away, but instead, he leaned in, resting his forehead against mine.
"You’re impossible," he murmured.
I chuckled softly. "So I’ve been told."
His thumb brushed my cheek, and for once, there was no tension, no walls between us. Just Jake and me, figuring this out one step at a time.
And for now, that was enough.
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