Chapter 187
The room was quiet except for the soft, rhythmic breathing of the twins. The dim glow of the nightlight bathed everything in a warm, golden hue, making the moment feel strangely intimate.
Jake was still standing close, his presence looming but not suffocating. For once, there was no tension, no sharp words or cold glares. Just him and me, existing in the same space without fighting it.
I exhaled slowly, brushing my fingers through Lily’s soft curls. "I don’t think they’ll ever be truly safe, Jake." My voice was soft, barely above a whisper. "Not when someone out there wants them."
Jake's jaw tensed, his arms still crossed as he stared down at the twins. "Then we make sure whoever’s after them never gets the chance to try again."
The protectiveness in his voice sent warmth through me, but I quickly pushed it down. I had to focus on the bigger picture.
I turned in my seat, looking up at him. "We still don’t know why they want them or who’s behind it."
His gaze flickered to me, the weight of responsibility making his expression hard. "Then we find out."
I nodded. "And until then, we keep them close."
For a moment, there was only silence between us. The kind that didn’t feel awkward, but full of unspoken words and questions neither of us was ready to ask.
I should have looked away, but I didn’t. Instead, I found myself searching his face, tracing the sharp lines of his jaw, the tired set of his eyes, the faint shadow of stubble dusting his skin.
He caught me staring.
I expected him to smirk, to tease me like he had earlier, but he didn’t. Instead, his gaze softened just slightly, his lips parting as if he was going to say something.
But before he could, Logan stirred in his crib with a tiny whimper. I turned immediately, smoothing my hand over his small back, whispering soft reassurances until he settled again.
When I glanced back, Jake was watching me with an expression I couldn’t quite place.
"You should rest," he murmured. "I’ll have guards stationed outside. You don’t have to stay up all night."
I hesitated, looking between him and the twins. "I’ll stay a little longer."
He nodded, stepping back toward the door. "I’ll be close if you need anything."
And then he was gone.
I let out a breath I hadn’t realized I was holding.
Something was shifting between us. It wasn’t drastic, wasn’t sudden, but it was there—a slow unraveling of walls neither of us had been ready to let down before.
But I still wasn’t sure what it meant.
\---
The next morning, I woke to the sound of tiny giggles.
Blinking the sleep from my eyes, I sat up on the couch I had dragged closer to the cribs last night.
Lily and Logan were already awake, babbling to each other in their own little language. Logan was chewing on the edge of his blanket, while Lily had somehow managed to toss her tiny stuffed wolf onto the floor.
"Good morning, troublemakers," I murmured, stretching as I got up.
Lily beamed at me, reaching her arms up, and my heart melted as I scooped her into my arms. Logan whined immediately, kicking his tiny legs until I picked him up too.
Holding them close, I swayed gently, inhaling their familiar baby scent. "Did you two sleep well?"
Lily gave me a drooly grin, while Logan buried his face against my shoulder.
A knock on the door made me turn.
Sophie poked her head in, grinning. "You’re up. Good, because I need to kidnap you for breakfast."
I frowned. "Breakfast?"
"Yes, as in food. As in, something you’ve probably forgotten exists."
I sighed, shifting Logan in my arms. "I don’t know, I—"
"Nope, no arguments," she cut me off, stepping inside. "Fatima is already with the kitchen staff making sure your favorite pancakes are ready. And before you say you need to stay with the twins, there are three warriors stationed outside, plus a full patrol circling the packhouse."
I hesitated.
"You’ll only be gone for an hour, Ayla. You need to eat."
I glanced down at the twins, pressing a kiss to the tops of their heads before reluctantly handing them over to the waiting nanny.
"Fine," I muttered. "But if anything happens—"
"It won’t," Sophie said firmly. "Now, come on before I drag you there myself."
\---
The dining hall was already buzzing with activity by the time we arrived.
Pack members moved about, gathering food, chatting in small groups. The atmosphere was light, filled with the comforting hum of normalcy—something I hadn’t felt in a long time.
Fatima was already waiting at our usual table, a plate of pancakes set in front of her. She waved us over, grinning. "You’re finally here. Eat before it gets cold."
I slid into the seat, my stomach rumbling at the sight of food. "You really didn’t have to do this."
Sophie huffed. "Yes, we did. You’ve been running on fumes for days. You can’t protect the twins if you collapse from exhaustion."
I opened my mouth to argue, but Fatima held up a hand. "Eat first, argue later."
With a sigh, I picked up my fork and took a bite. The warm, sweet taste melted on my tongue, and I hummed in satisfaction. "Okay, fine. This is worth it."
Sophie smirked. "Told you."
We ate in comfortable silence for a while before Fatima leaned in slightly. "So… what’s going on with you and Jake?"
I nearly choked on my pancake. "What?"
Sophie wiggled her eyebrows. "Oh, don’t play dumb. You guys walked into the pack meeting yesterday looking very… close."
I scowled. "We were not."
"You so were," Fatima said, sipping her juice. "And don’t think we didn’t notice how he kept looking at you."
Heat crept up my neck. "It’s not like that."
Sophie snorted. "Oh, honey, it is definitely like that."
I sighed, pushing my plate away. "Look, I don’t know what’s happening, okay? Jake is… complicated. He’s still grieving, still holding onto Prisca."
Fatima nodded. "That’s fair. But he’s also letting you in, even if he doesn’t realize it yet."
I swallowed hard, my chest tightening. "That doesn’t mean anything."
Sophie gave me a knowing look. "If you say so."
Before I could respond, a deep voice interrupted.
"You’re up early."
My head snapped up, and I found Jake standing there, arms crossed, his piercing gaze locked onto me.
My heart stuttered. "Uh… yeah. Sophie and Fatima kidnapped me for breakfast."
He glanced at my half-finished plate before looking back at me. "Good. You need to eat more."
I raised an eyebrow. "Are you… worried about me?"
His expression didn’t change. "I’m making sure you don’t pass out on me."
Sophie smirked. "That totally sounds like worry."
Jake shot her a flat look before turning back to me. "When you’re done, meet me in my office."
I nodded, watching as he turned and walked away.
Sophie leaned closer, whispering, "Yeah, you’re totally not falling for him."
I groaned, dropping my head onto the table.
Because deep down, I knew they were right.
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