Chapter 32
Jake had told me to wait for him upstairs while he attended to something urgent, but I wasn’t about to sit there idly, waiting for him to come and punish me or whatever. I knew whatever they were discussing downstairs had something to do with the thing I saw earlier, and I was determined to find out what was going on. My curiosity got the better of me, and as quietly as I could, I followed his scent.
As his mate, tracking his scent was effortless—it was like second nature, and honestly, he smelled incredible. After what seemed like ages climbing the stairs, his scent led me to two large oak doors, painted a reddish-brown color. I quickly ducked behind a nearby corner and focused on sharpening my hearing like Bryan had taught me. It was part of my werewolf training, though I hadn’t yet started learning how to control my magic. Some woman named Jenner was supposed to teach me, but she still hadn’t shown up.
Inside, the conversation was tense, and the first voice I recognized was Bryan’s. He was furious.
“How did he even manage to breach the perimeter without anyone noticing? Where was the patrol? Were they asleep on duty or what?” Bryan’s voice carried a deep sense of frustration. “This is ridiculous!”
Chris, ever the calmer voice, cut in, “Calm down, warrior. I don’t think this is anyone’s fault. What it does mean is that we need to increase security at the borders. He’s here for her. We knew this was going to happen eventually.”
Bryan let out a frustrated sigh. “So what’s the plan now? He’s obviously up to something. Why would he risk coming here like that?”
Jake’s voice, calm but authoritative, broke through the conversation. “I don’t care what he’s up to; I’m not going to let him anywhere near my mate. Chris, double the patrols at the border. And Bryan, I need you to keep a close eye on Prisca. I don’t trust anyone around her right now, not until we figure out a way to deal with this demon. His last message made it clear: he wants her coven wiped out.”
My heart dropped. Demon? A demon was after me—and my coven. The last remaining members of my coven were in danger, and I was just sitting around being protected. That wasn’t going to work for me. I had to do something, anything to help them.
I backed away from the door as quickly as I could without making a sound. My thoughts raced. I needed to talk to someone, preferably a witch who could guide me, but where was Jenner?
By the time I got back to the penthouse, my nerves were frayed. How could I just sit around knowing what was after me? I had to talk to Alpha Jake. There was no way I could stay on the sidelines while others were being hunted.
*******
When Jake finally came upstairs, I was waiting for him in the living room. He looked completely drained. His hair was disheveled, like he’d been running his hands through it repeatedly, and his normally sharp, silver-gray eyes seemed dull, almost lifeless. Dark circles shadowed his eyes, and the exhaustion etched into his face made me ache for him. My wolf stirred restlessly, sensing our mate’s exhaustion. He needed rest, badly, and I had to convince him to take care of himself.
“Hey, I need to talk to you,” I said softly as he sank down on the couch beside me, his body heavy with weariness.
He let out a long breath. “I’m guessing this is about what you saw earlier.”
I nodded, hesitating only for a second. “Yeah, what was that thing? Why was it following me?” I asked, searching his face for answers.
“That… was Zion. He’s the demon lord hunting your coven. He’s also been after my pack, trying to take control ever since my parents died. He thinks I’m weak,” Jake explained, a hint of anger flashing in his tired eyes. “But I won’t let him take my pack, and I sure as hell won’t let him hurt you.”
A shiver ran down my spine at his words. Zion, a demon lord, was after me. My heart pounded in my chest, but I tried to stay calm. “When is Jenner coming?” I asked, trying to shift focus. “I think it’s time I learn how to control my magic. It’s been restless for a while now. I feel like there’s something inside me that’s trying to break free. Like I’m holding back a scream.”
Jake nodded, running his hand through his hair again. “She should’ve been here this morning. Something must’ve come up. I’ll call her tonight.”
He was about to stand up, but I quickly grabbed his hand. “Will you stay with me tonight? I’m… scared.”
His gaze softened, and without a word, he pulled me up. “Of course. Come on.”
What was I doing? I tried to convince myself I was doing this for him. He needed rest. How was he supposed to fight this demon if he was running himself into the ground? If something happened to him… I didn’t even want to think about it.
We walked to his room together, and I took a moment to take it all in. His room was spotless, like someone with OCD lived here. The walls were painted white, contrasting beautifully with the black furnishings. There were paintings of wolves everywhere, one of a huge black wolf and another of a large lycan right above the king-sized bed. The bed itself was covered in black sheets, and the room had a pristine, almost sterile feel to it. Even the wooden floors gleamed with a polished shine.
“Are you planning on staring at the floor all night?” Jake’s voice broke through my thoughts, and I blushed.
“I—um—I’m just going to grab my pajamas,” I stammered, flustered.
He smirked and handed me a plain white T-shirt. “No need. Wear this since I destroyed your shirt earlier.”
I flushed even deeper, taking the T-shirt from him quickly. He disappeared into his walk-in closet, likely to grab something to sleep in, and I took the opportunity to change into the oversized shirt. It hung loosely on me, reaching mid-thigh, which was fortunate because I definitely wasn’t sleeping in my jeans.
When Jake reemerged from the closet, he was wearing only a pair of black basketball shorts, his muscular chest completely exposed. I froze, my eyes glued to his eight-pack abs, my mouth going dry. Every defined muscle seemed to scream for my attention, and I couldn’t help but stare. The mate bond was making it impossible to tear my gaze away.
“Are you drooling?” he teased, amusement dancing in his eyes.
I quickly wiped my mouth, mortified. “What?!” I squeaked in embarrassment.
He laughed softly. “Come here.”
“No, no, I think I’m going to head back to my room. This was a bad idea. I’m not scared anymore,” I rambled, mortified at the thought of sharing a bed with him after that.
“Prisca,” he said firmly, his voice brooking no argument. “Come here. I was just joking.”
Reluctantly, I climbed onto the bed, trying to put as much distance between us as possible.
“Don’t joke like that! It’s embarrassing!” I said, pouting as I stared at the ceiling, trying to act nonchalant.
Jake laughed again and pulled me into his arms, holding me close. “Where’s the fun in that?”
“You’re a total jerk,” I grumbled, though I couldn’t hide the smile creeping across my lips as I rested my head against his chest. His scent surrounded me, soothing my frayed nerves.
“I know,” he replied softly, his voice a comforting rumble.
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