Chapter 6

Jeremy’s POV

The corridor outside Lisa’s cell was quiet, but not empty. As I rounded the corner, the scent hit me first—familiar, sharp, and wearing too much perfume.

Skylar.

She stepped out from the shadows like she’d been waiting all night. Her arms were crossed, expression tight with purpose. She’d always had that look when we were kids—when she’d caught me sneaking out or lying to the elders. But this wasn’t childhood anymore.

“I heard you brought something back from the woods,” she said.

I didn’t slow down. “It’s not your concern.”

She kept pace beside me, boots echoing on stone. “A rogue witch is everyone’s concern. You’re breaking protocol.”

“She’s not rogue.”

“Oh, so she’s tame? Is that what you’re calling her now?”

I stopped walking.

She blinked at my sudden stillness, thrown off. I didn’t look at her. Just stared straight ahead, jaw tight.

“She hasn’t hurt anyone,” I said.

Skylar snorted. “Yet.”

I turned to face her. “What do you want, Sky?

She hesitated for half a second. Then the real reason bled through her voice. “I want to know why you’re risking everything for her.”

I didn’t answer. Maybe I didn’t have one I liked. The truth sat too heavy in my chest.

“God, Jeremy,” she said, stepping closer. “You barely talk to the rest of us. You lead like you’re already halfway out the door. But now you’ve got some prisoner tucked away in the south wing and you’re… visiting her?”

I said nothing.

Skylar’s face crumpled. Not with anger—yet—but with something messier. Softer. “I’ve been here since we were kids. I have stood by you when everyone else questioned your choices. When you slept around, I didn’t say a word. I kept hoping you’d look at me the way you look at—”

She cut herself off.

There it was.

“I’ve always loved you,” she whispered.

I closed my eyes. Just for a second. Let the weight of it settle over me. Then I opened them again and stepped past her.

“You shouldn’t,” I said without turning back.

She didn’t follow.

I could still feel her eyes on my back as I walked away, burning with everything she didn’t say. Everything I didn’t want to hear. The air grew colder the farther I went.

Skylar wasn’t wrong—the protocol demanded I report the witch, let the council decide her fate. But every time I saw Lisa’s defiant eyes through the bars, something in me shifted. She wasn’t just a prisoner. She was a question I couldn’t answer.

*

*

*

By the time I reached my study, the fire was low and the weight in my chest had only gotten heavier. I didn’t even sit down before the door burst open behind me.

Skylar again.

This time her face was twisted in fury.

“You could’ve told me,” she snapped.

I turned slowly. “Told you what?”

“Don’t play dumb.” She strode inside, slamming the door shut behind her. “She’s your mate.”

The air left my lungs like a punch. I kept my expression neutral, but I knew it was too late.

She saw the truth in my silence.

Skylar’s mouth curled. “So it is true. She's a vampire.”

“Who told you?”

“That’s what you care about?” she laughed, bitter. “Not how everyone’s going to react when they find out you’re mated to a vampire? To her?”

I stepped forward. “Who. Told. You.”

She shook her head, eyes wild. “You think you can protect her forever? You think the others won’t see what this is?”

I flinched, just a little, but enough. Her words cut like they were meant to.

“She’s not like the others,” I said, voice low.

“No,” she spat. “She’s worse. She’s made you soft.”

I didn’t dignify that with a response. Instead, I moved past her to pour a drink. My hand trembled just enough to spill a drop.

Skylar stared at me with something like disgust.

“You’re throwing everything away.”

I set the glass down, untouched.

“I didn’t ask for this,” I said.

“No one asks. But they choose. And you’re choosing her.”

I didn’t say yes.

I didn’t have to.

Skylar’s jaw locked. “Then I’ll make sure the others know who she really is. They deserve that much.”

“Don’t,” I said quietly.

Her eyes met mine. “Try and stop me.”

She stormed out, and this time, I didn’t follow. Didn’t call after her. There was nothing left to say.

An hour later, I sat in the armchair by the fire, staring into the flames like they might explain something. Alex leaned against the wall near the bookshelf, arms crossed, watching me with a wary calm.

“So,” he said, “How do we make sure she doesn't talk?”

“No idea.”

He raised a brow and didn’t respond right away. Just let the silence breathe.

“I figured.”

“She’s going to tell the others.”

I rubbed my face with both hands. “She’s furious. Thinks I’ve betrayed the pack.”

Alex’s voice was even. “You haven't.”

I dropped my hands. “She’s not a threat.”

“She could be.”

“She’s not.”

Alex studied me a moment longer. “You’re sure?”

“Yeah.”

He nodded slowly. “Alright.”

I looked at him. “Just like that?”

“I trust you,” he said. “You are my Alpha before anything else and I respect your decisions.”

I shook my head. “That’s very good, but not sure how it helps matters now.”

“No,” he agreed. “But you could say thank you for a change.”

I leaned back and chuckled. “Someone’s talking. That secret was locked down tight. If Skylar knows, it’s only a matter of time before the council gets wind.”

“You think it was me?” Alex asked, not angry—just asking.

“No,” I said immediately. “I just don’t know who else it could be.”

We sat with that uncertainty. The fire crackled, casting shadows everywhere. I could still feel Skylar’s rage lingering, like a storm that hadn’t broken.

The pack wouldn’t understand. They’d see betrayal and weakness.