Chapter 15
25 Points X
The screen door creaked shut behind them. Crickets chirped somewhere near the tree line, and the wind shifted, carrying the scent of pine and damp earth.
Lyle walked a few steps into the yard, arms crossed over his chest, his posture rigid.
Jake followed, hands shoved in his pockets, though his chin was lifted and his shoulders squared.
Lyle didn’t waste any time.
“So,” he said, voice low but firm, “you’re her mate, then?”
Jake nodded once. “Yes, sir.”
“What’s your intention here?”
Jake frowned. “My intention? She’s my mate. I intend to be with her.”
A long silence stretched between them.
“If you plan to reject her, I’d rather you do it sooner than later,” Lyle said, his eyes dark. Jake jerked back as if struck. “I don’t want to reject her. I don’t want to hurt her at all.”
Lyle scoffed. “But you’ve hurt her most of her life, haven’t you? She’s told me what she went through as a kid. How people made fun of her, taunted her, hurt her…” His voice broke, a rough sound catching in his throat.
“I never did that,” Jake said quietly.
“But you didn’t stop it either, did you?” Lyle shot back. “Your father came here every week, and you were too good to even wave hello. You sat in the car like you were above us.”
Jake had no response to that. His jaw clamped shut.
“All this pack ever did was hurt my children,” Lyle snarled. “Even your father, for everything he’s done for me, once tried to have my boy killed.”
“He’s spent his life apologizing for that.” The words escaped before Jake could stop them, though they rang hollow even to him. He had confronted his father only hours ago over that very act.
“I can forgive,” Lyle said, “but I won’t forget. And I won’t stand by and watch my daughter get hurt again.”
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He turned, pacing a few steps away, his hands pressed to the top of his head as he struggled to rein in his temper.
Jake waited, unsure what to say. After a moment, Lyle turned back.
“This morning I would’ve done anything to keep my kids in this pack. But now?” He shook his head. “Now I’m not so sure. I’d rather they leave than have her stay here and suffer as your
Luna.”
Jake flinched. The words cut deeper than he expected. “Does it really sound that bad?”
Lyle exhaled slowly. “It’s not you, so much as the pack. I know how they treated her mother when she came. I’ve seen how they’ve treated my kids. You think they’ll celebrate when you name her your mate?” He shook his head again. “They’ll tear her apart.”
“I’ll do whatever it takes to make them accept her,” Jake said, more conviction in his voice than he felt. “If she agrees to stay with me, I won’t let anyone mistreat her. Or Donovan. This has gone on too long. Maybe I was part of the problem before, but I want to fix it. I want her to stay. I want her to be happy here.”
“I hope you mean that.” Lyle gave him one last hard look before turning on his heel and heading back into the house, leaving Jake alone.
Jake stood there a moment longer, thoughts swirling like leaves in a storm. He meant every word, but wanting to change something and actually changing it were two very different
things.
He wandered toward the edge of the woods, raking a hand through his hair.
“Jake.”
He turned, surprised to find Lyra only a few feet away. Her dark hair lifted in the breeze, strands catching the last light of the setting sun. Her scars shimmered like silver and her eyes glowed, almost blue in the fading light.
She was beautiful. It struck him all at once, in a way that knocked the breath from his lungs. How had he never truly seen it before?
“Are you okay?” she asked gently, stepping closer.
“Your dad loves you a lot,” he said.
She gave a soft smile. “I know.”
She came closer, her voice quiet. “I’m a little surprised, though. Earlier this week, he was the one telling me I needed to let go of some of my anger. To forgive what happened with you
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Chapter 15
and this pack.”
Jake smirked. “Forgive but don’t forget?”
She blinked. “Yeah… He used to say that when I was a kid.”
Jake looked past her toward the trees. “Take a walk with me?”
Lyra hesitated, her gaze drifting to the woods. He felt the tension in her body.
“I… I don’t like the woods,” she admitted. “I don’t go in there. Not alone.”
“You won’t be alone,” Jake said, tilting his head. “I’ll be with you.”
She studied him, then took a cautious step forward. He reached out, giving her hand a chance to pull away. She didn’t. Relief flooded him as her fingers laced with his, and warm sparks shot up his arm.
He led her into the trees.
“Where do you let your wolf run if you avoid the woods?” he asked as they walked. He couldn’t recall ever seeing her wolf.
She swallowed. “I haven’t… My wolf…”
He waited patiently as she searched for the words.
“I haven’t shifted in a long time,” she said at last, barely above a whisper.
He glanced at her, concern flaring. “How long?”
“Three years.”
He stopped abruptly, pulling her to a halt and turning her to face him. “Three years?” His
you serious?” brows lifted. “Are
She nodded, color rising in her cheeks.
“That’s…” He looked away for a beat, then back. “That’s dangerous, Lyra. Even a few months without shifting is harmful. You could kill your wolf.”
“I know,” she whispered, withdrawing her hand and crossing her arms. “I used to let her out, but she nearly got caught in a hunter’s trap once. The human world isn’t safe for a werewolf. And we’re moving to Chicago. There’s nowhere safe for her there either.”
Jake rubbed his jaw. “You’re going to need to shift. Soon. Like within the next week.”
She narrowed her eyes. “Why?”
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Chapter 15
+25 Points
“Because you’ve got two paths, Lyra.” He stepped closer and gently took her hands, pulling her arms down. “One, you stay here with me. As Luna. That means shifting. My wolf will want to run with his mate. The pack will expect to see your wolf. That’s just part of it.
“Or two, we reject each other and you go live in the human world. But a rejection is brutal. Surviving one takes a strong wolf. And right now, yours is probably barely holding on. If you want her strong enough to protect you through that, you have to start letting her out. As often as you can.”
She stared up at him, her lips parted, her breath shallow.
“You don’t have to decide anything tonight,” he said, voice softer now. “But you can’t ignore this anymore. Whether it’s for the bond or for your own survival, you have to let her breathe again.”
Lyra looked away, her throat working as she swallowed. She didn’t answer, but she didn’t pull away either.
And for now, that was enough.
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Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.
