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Chapter 26
Jake had been about to leave, ready to go to Lyra’s house again and beg her to have dinner with him, when his father mindlinked. The last thing he wanted was to debrief that morning’s elder meeting, especially after learning what Lyra had told him: that his father had sent her mother to the witch who ultimately killed her.
But ignoring a summons from Christian would only prompt his father to hunt him down. And while his father had supported him in front of the elders, he wasn’t convinced Christian truly accepted his bond with Lyra.
Which is how he found himself walking into his father’s study, only to discover Drew already
there.
The evening had officially gone from bad to complete s**t.
“What’s going on, Dad?” Jake asked with a sigh, rubbing his forehead.
“I want to speak with you, Jacob,” Drew said stiffly.
It took everything in Jake not to tear the man’s throat out.
“I don’t want to speak with you,” Jake snapped. “Pretty sure I heard all your thoughts this morning.”
“Jake,” Christian warned, “we need to talk about Lyra. Drew’s concerned.”
“Oh, I heard the concerns,” Jake shot back. “All about how my half–breed mate is weak, dangerous, and probably can’t bear children.”
“It’s more than that,” Drew said, voice heavy as he dropped into a chair. “There are things about the Harts. Things you don’t know. Things that make them a threat.”
“Like how my own father sent Mary Hart to the witch who murdered her?” Jake growled.
Silence slammed into the room.
That wasn’t how he’d meant to bring it up. But he was too angry to stop himself.
“Who told you that?” Christian asked, his voice low and sharp as a blade.
“Lyra,” Jake said, locking eyes with him.
“This is what I feared,” Drew muttered, burying his face in his hands. “It’s been days, and she’s already turning you against your own father. Who’s next?”
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Jake bristled. “What the hell are you babbling about?”
Christian studied his son. “How did Lyra find out about the witch?”
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“She read about it in one of her mom’s journals,” Jake said. “She’s been reading them the last couple days. She showed me one.”
Christian and Drew exchanged a look.
“Mary kept journals,” Drew said, almost to himself, shaking his head.
“What else has she read?” Christian asked.
Jake frowned. “She read about finding out Lyle was a werewolf. Mentioned that you and Lyle used to be close.” He hesitated. “That’s all I remember.”
“Nothing else?” Christian asked, watching him too closely.
Jake paused. Flashes of golden–glowing words. Auras. Colored mist tied to emotions.
His stomach twisted.
Don’t tell them, Rome warned. I have a bad feeling.
Me too, Jake agreed silently.
“Nothing else,” he lied.
Another long, meaningful look passed between Christian and Drew.
“Why did you send Mary Hart to a witch?” Jake asked, eyebrows pulling together.
“She was afraid she was going to lose the pregnancy, Christian replied, rubbing his hands together. “Lyle was desperate. I thought I was helping.”
“But the witch poisoned her.”
Christian nodded. “I killed her for it. Not that it mattered. Mary still died.”
Jake’s voice was cold. “So you’re the reason Lyra’s mother died. You tried to kill Donovan as a baby. You caused Lyra to be attacked by a bobcat in the process. That about sum it up?”
“I’ve made my mistakes!” Christian roared. The outburst startled Jake. “You think I don’t know? You think I don’t feel it every single damn day? What I did to my best friend and his family…” His voice broke off, face flushed, eyes black with rage and grief. “Lyle is a shell of the man he used to be. Because of me.”
Christian’s chest heaved as he worked to rein in his emotions. Jake watched him closely,
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noting the flicker of vulnerability before his father smoothed it all away with the practiced calm of an Alpha.
Jake’s voice came softer, colder. “And now you’re trying to do the same to Lyra.”
Christian didn’t answer, but the tension in his jaw said enough.
Jake took a step back. “Don’t contact me unless you’re ready to respect my mate.”
“Jake…” Christian started.
But Jake was already walking toward the door.
Drew stood abruptly, blocking his way. “You don’t understand what she is. What you’re letting into this pack.”
Jake’s eyes burned black. “Move.”
Drew opened his mouth to protest.
Rome surged forward, a growl tearing out of Jake’s throat. His wolf wasn’t interested in negotiating.
“Move,” Jake snarled, pushing his Alpha aura through the words, voice laced with dominance neither man in the room could ignore. Power snapped through the room like a whip, and Drew staggered back.
“She’s mine. Say one more word against her, and I’ll make sure you regret it.”
Christian said nothing as Jake shoved open the door and left.
**
If anyone had asked Jake how he got to Lyra’s house, he wouldn’t have been able to tell them. He must have run the whole way. Sweat dripped from his face, his shirt clinging to his skin as he bounded up the porch steps and shoved open the door without bothering to knock.
Lyle startled from his spot on the couch. “Alpha?”
Jake didn’t spare him a glance. He followed Lyra’s scent down the hallway off the living room and pushed open the last door.
Lyra jumped when he barged in, leaping to her feet from where she’d been sitting cross–legged on the bed. A journal slipped from her hands, landing with a soft thud.
“Jake?”
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Her eyes widened as he crossed the room in a few long strides and grabbed her by the back of the neck, slamming his mouth onto hers.
It wasn’t a gentle kiss. It was raw, punishing, born of fury and rage.
Her hands pressed to his chest, trying to push him away, but he didn’t let her. He caught both her wrists in one hand and pinned her to the wall, her arms stretched above her head as he continued his assault on her mouth.
He pressed his body to hers, feeling how perfectly she fit against him. A low growl rumbled in his chest as he dragged his lips down her neck, licking and nipping at every inch of exposed skin.
“Jake,” Lyra gasped, “stop.”
He shook his head against her throat. “Never.”
“Jacob.”
He froze.
That wasn’t Lyra’s voice.
Her eyes were fixed on something behind him. Slowly, Jake turned his head and found Lyle standing in the doorway, his expression murderous.
“I know you’re the Alpha,” Lyle said, his voice low and dangerous, “but she’s still my daughter. You don’t get to come into my house and take advantage of her just because she’s your
mate.”
Jake released Lyra and turned to face him. Any other day, he might’ve tried to be respectful, to keep the peace, but not today. He kept his body between Lyra and her father, shielding her as he glared at the older man.
“What was special about your mate?” Jake asked, his voice barely above a whisper.
Lyle didn’t flinch. “Everything was special about her.”
“That’s not what I meant, and you know it.”
“Ask your father, pup,” Lyle growled.
“I’m asking you,” Jake snapped.
“I can’t tell you!” Lyle’s voice rose to a shout.
“I can command it,” Jake warned.
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“Jake!” Lyra pushed at his back, trying to get around him, but he blocked her. “Jake, what is going on?”
“Go ahead and command it,” Lyle said with a harsh laugh, the sound laced with something wild. “Let’s see if your Alpha command can override your father’s.”
Jake froze.
Lyra managed to slip past him, her face pale as she looked between the two men. “What on Earth is going on?”
Jake’s gaze flicked to her and he noticed the blood on her lip. Had he bitten her?
He turned back to Lyle. “My father used an Alpha command to stop you from talking about your mate?”
Lyle’s expression darkened, but his eyes… his eyes were full of grief.
“What?” Lyra whispered.
Jake blinked, stunned. “He said you were his best friend. He said he felt bad about what he did.” He shook his head. “But how could he say that when… when he’s the one who did this to you?”
Lyle’s eyes shifted to his daughter. “Did you find the answer yet? Did she write it in the journals?”
Jake went still.
It all clicked into place. Whatever Mary Hart had been, the pack leadership had seen it as a threat. They’d buried the truth. Silenced Lyle in the cruelest way imaginable. That’s why Drew had reacted so strangely to the mention of the journals.
Jake turned sharply to Lyra. “Where are they?”
She looked confused, glancing between him and her father. “I have some. Donovan has the
rest.”
“We need to hide them,” Jake said, urgency creeping into his voice.
“Why?” Lyra asked.
Lyle sighed heavily. “Because he told his father about them.”
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.
