Chapter 32
:
$25 Points
Juno had overdone it. Jake could tell as soon as they reached the clearing. She sagged and dropped into the grass with a hard thud. He felt Rome’s worry before he even started to shift.
Once he was dressed again, Jake walked over to where Juno still lay. He didn’t want to push her, even as the sky grew darker around them. Instead, he sat beside her, leaning into her slightly so he could run his fingers through her fur. She turned her head to look at him, but he said nothing.
They sat like that for a while, Jake leaning into her and staring up through the branches at the stars winking in the sky. He thought Juno might have fallen asleep until he felt the tug of a mindlink.
She’s not sure she can shift, Lyra said in his head.
I figured, he replied. I can wait until she’s ready.
She feels bad that you’re waiting.
He glanced down at Juno. “Don’t feel bad,” he said softly. “I enjoy your company. You don’t argue with me like Lyra.”
Lyra laughed in his mind. That’s only because she can’t talk to you. She’s more argumentative than me.
I doubt that.
Jake laid back, resting his head on Juno’s side as if she were a pillow. “When I was a kid, I didn’t want to be Alpha,” he said quietly. “My dad was always lecturing me about leadership. About sacrifice. He said choice was a luxury when it came to duty. That you had to give up what you wanted for the good of the pack. It sounded awful. That was never a burden l wanted.”
Juno shifted slightly under him.
“But lately,” he continued, “I’ve wondered what he gave up. What personal cost he paid.”
He exhaled slowly, his voice low. “When I found out Lyra was my mate, my first thought was that it was penance. For not standing up for her. For doing nothing when people were cruel. I was a coward.”
Jake rubbed his face. “I went to the academy with Russ. We weren’t close growing up, but we had to spend time together there. One day he started talking about Lyra, everything she’d been through, and it hit me how badly I’d failed her. I regretted it. I hated how I avoided their
1/5
< Chapter 32
house. How I cared more about being cool than being kind.”
+25 Points
He sighed. “So when I found out she was my mate, I thought it was the Goddess making me reckon with that. But I was wrong. She wasn’t punishing me. She was giving me something incredible. Someone who had always been strong and smart and beautiful. I just hadn’t seen it.”
Silence settled over them again, his words lingering in the air. Jake was nearly asleep when Juno finally shifted.
He sat up as her body began to change. “Are you ready?” he asked.
She gave a soft chuff, and he took it as a yes.
The shift began, bones cracking, skin rippling. But something felt off immediately. Jake stayed by her side, speaking gently, trying to keep her grounded.
Time dragged on, and panic gnawed at him. She wasn’t finishing the shift. He should have made her rest longer. Maybe they could’ve stayed out there in wolf form and slept until
morning.
But it was too late now.
Lyra was stuck mid–shift, her body caught between forms, writhing in agony. Jake couldn’t do
anything.
He’d only seen this once before. Early in his time as Alpha, a young wolf had been trapped like this. Someone had run for wolfsbane, a powerful poison that could sever the wolf from the body and force the shift. It worked, but the boy had been traumatized. He never wanted to shift again.
Jake almost reached out through the mindlink, Rome roaring in panic, but just as he did, the shift progressed. He cupped her face, whispering soft encouragement as her transformation finally completed.
Lyra collapsed on the ground, trembling and gasping. Jake pulled her into his arms, holding her tightly. His heart thundered as Rome settled.
“Jake,” Lyra whispered.
“I’m right here,” he soothed, brushing her damp hair away from her face. “You’re okay. I’ve got you.”
“Jake.” Her eyes fluttered shut.
He held her while she slept. Time slipped by unnoticed. Eventually, he laid her down gently
2/5
< Chapter 32
+25 Points
and dressed her without waking her. Then he scooped her up and carried her through the trees.
“Jake,” she mumbled, nuzzling against his chest.
“I’m here,” he whispered. “I’ve got you.”
The house came into view, and he stepped onto the porch, knocking awkwardly with her still in his arms.
The door opened, and Lyle’s eyes flared as he saw his daughter.
“What did you do?” he demanded.
“Juno overexerted herself,” Jake muttered, brushing past him. “The shift back was brutal.”
“Is she okay?”
Jake heard the concern in his voice and tamped down the instinct to bristle. “I think she’ll be okay with rest.”
He carried her to her room and laid her gently on the bed. Lyle hovered in the doorway, unwilling to give him space. Jake pulled off her shoes and tucked the blanket around her.
“Jake,” Lyra murmured.
“I’m here,” he said softly. “You’re home. Your dad’s here.”
“Are you staying?” Her voice was rough.
Jake hesitated, glancing at Lyle before turning back to her. “No, Lyra. I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
“Jake,” she whispered, “I know what your dad gave up. What he sacrificed.”
Jake’s brow furrowed. “What’s that?”
“His friendship with my dad. He gave up his best friend.”
Jake blinked, surprised. She was listening, even when he thought she wasn’t. He stroked her hair.
“Go to sleep, babe,” he murmured. “I’ll check on you tomorrow.”
Her fingers curled into the collar of his shirt. She pulled him down, eyes shining with emotion. He kissed her, soft and slow.
“I promise,” he whispered. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
3/5
< Chapter 32
She nodded, kissing him again. “Ok.”
+25 Points
He stayed a moment longer as her breathing deepened. Gently, he brushed her hair from her face and tugged the blanket snug around her shoulders before standing and turning toward the door, where Lyle waited silently.
Lyle stepped back, and Jake followed him into the hall. Donovan was waiting in the doorway to his bedroom, watching with a frown.
“What happened?” Lyle asked as Jake shut Lyra’s door behind him.
“I told you,” Jake said, his voice low. “Her wolf overexerted herself. She tried to shift but…” He trailed off, running a hand through his hair. “It was bad. One of the worst shifts I’ve ever seen.
”
“Come on,” Lyle muttered, nudging Jake toward the kitchen.
Donovan followed, quiet, as Jake dropped into one of the chairs at the table. Lyle sat across
from him.
“Will she be alright?” Donovan asked.
Jake nodded slowly. “She needs to rest. No training tomorrow. Honestly, she should stay in bed all day. She’s going to be sore and wiped out.”
“Shifting after a full day of training was too much,” Lyle said.
Jake let out a breath. “I should’ve seen it coming. I just…” He rubbed his eyes. “I feel like I’m racing a clock. Like if she doesn’t get stronger fast enough, I’m going to lose her.”
Donovan’s brow furrowed. “Lose her how? Why does she have to be stronger by some
deadline?”
“In case they reject each other,” Lyle said quietly, glancing at his son. “Jake’s worried she
won’t survive it.”
Donovan looked at Jake. “You’re going to reject her?”
Jake stared at the table. “No. I don’t want to. But she… she keeps bringing up Chicago. She’s scared you won’t be happy here. That you’ll never belong.” He looked up. “She thinks leaving is what’s best for you.”
Donovan blinked. “She’s seriously thinking about rejecting her mate for me?”
Jake nodded. “She loves you that much.”
Donovan looked down, his voice catching. “I knew she loved me. But I didn’t know it was like
4/5
< Chapter 32 … that.”
+25 Points
“Donnie,” Lyle said gently. “Everything she’s done since she left this pack has been for you. She’s sacrificed a lot to try and give you a life where you’d be accepted.”
Donovan leaned back in his chair, quiet for a long moment. Then he shook his head, his voice a whisper.
“That’s not right. That’s not how it’s supposed to be.”
“That’s how Lyra is,” Lyle said, looking at his son. “She’s been protecting you since the moment you were born. The scars she bears are proof of that. Why would you expect anything different of her?”
3
Comments
LUCK DRAW >
Vote
24
5/5
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.
