The shrill beeping of Kate’s alarm jolts me awake. I groan, my hand fumbling for the offending noise. I finally find the button and silence it. She does not even stir, still tucked into the blanket like she does not have a care in the world.I roll out of bed, rubbing a hand over my face before glancing back at her. Peaceful. Oblivious. Shaking my head, I grab a shirt from the floor and throw it on before stepping out of the room.The faint smell of coffee hit me before I reach the kitchen. Her mom stands at the counter, humming quietly as she flips through a magazine. When she sees me, her face lights up.“Jake!” she says with a warmth I have forgotten. “Oh, it’s so good to see you.”She crosses the room in a few quick steps and wraps me in a hug. I stand there awkwardly for a second, then pat her back.“It’s good to see you too, Mrs. Lauder,” I say, managing a small smile.“Oh, stop it with the ‘Mrs. Lauder.’ It’s Ellie.” She pulls back with her hands on my arms as she beams up at m
My eyes flutter open as I wake up, a soft groan escaping my lips. My body stretches out against the sheets, actually rested. It has been quite a while since I felt this rested. The light seeps through the curtains and covers the room in a muted glow.I blink at the clock beside my bed. The numbers blur together before they finally click. Oh shit.A jolt of panic shoots through me as I sit up too fast, my heart pounding. I’m late. Way too late.Adrenaline kicks in and I scramble out of bed. I yank on a loose hoodie without bothering to check the mirror. My shift at the diner. I was supposed to be there hours ago.I hurry down the stairs, my feet stumbling over themselves while I try to shake off the grogginess. When I reach the kitchen, I freeze in the doorway.Jake is sitting at the table, a plate of breakfast in front of him. My mum is chatting away, smiling like she has not seen him in years. Well, she has not seen him in months. My stomach twists, a strange mix of guilt and grati
I trace small patterns on Jake’s arm, my head resting on his shoulder. His hold around my middle is firm, reassuring, his body pressed against mine like an unshakable force in the chaos of my emotions.The tears have not stopped. They keep coming, each one dragging more guilt to the surface. Jake’s arms tighten around me as if he can somehow keep me together when I feel like I might shatter.I focus on the steady rise and fall of his breathing. I try to anchor myself in the warmth of his presence. As I cry, my heart aches for him too. He has suffered because of me, endured so much because of the choices I made. Each sob makes me want to apologize over and over, to take it all back, but I know I never can. The damage is already done. And yet, here he is, holding me, staying with me, despite everything.Something shifts in that moment. For the first time in months, I don’t feel completely alone. Jake’s presence helps me breathe through the pain, grounding me in the moment.Time stretc
I wake up slowly to warmth, my body curled against Jake’s. My head is nestled in the crook of his neck. His steady breathing soothes me and his arms are still wrapped around me. He holds me as if even in sleep, he refuses to let go. I don’t move. I don’t even think about moving. I stay there, sinking into his steady presence. I focus on the way his scent fills my senses and how his chest rises and falls under my palm.Memories flicker through my drowsy mind. I remember the last time this happened. The couch and the soft hum of the television in the background. I had fallen asleep like this and it was Allison who woke me up. Jake had been holding me then too, just like this. Like he never wanted to let go.The memory makes me tighten my hold on him, burying my face deeper into his neck. He’s here. He’s really here. Safe, warm, real. The relief is overwhelming. Now there is nothing pulling me away. There is no reason to leave this perfect warmth. Carefully, barely even breathing, I li
I walk through the crowded hallways, my bag slung over one shoulder. I am still floating from this morning. My skin is buzzing with warmth, a lingering trace of Jake’s arms around me. It’s ridiculous how much I missed him, how much lighter everything feels now that things are okay again. I find myself replaying the moment in my head over and over. The way his arms tightened around me, the way his lips brushed against mine so softly. I don’t think I’ve ever woken up feeling so content.Cora practically materializes at my side, looping her arm through mine in one fluid motion.“So,” she says, her lips stretching into a knowing grin. “I need to find a dress for prom.”I let out a short laugh, shaking my head. “And this is my problem because…?”She stops dead in her tracks, gasping dramatically like I’ve just insulted her entire family lineage. A couple of freshmen glance at her in alarm before scurrying past. “Katherine Lauder, do not tell me you’re not going.”“I wasn’t even thinking
I don’t move. I forget to breathe.Jake takes a small step closer.My pulse jumps. My fingers twitch at my sides, but I stay rooted in place. His golden eyes flicker with something unreadable in them and he pauses. Just for a second. Like he is hesitating. Like he is considering something.And then he makes up his mind.The space between us disappears and his lips brush against mine. Soft, tentative, almost careful. My breath catches. He’s warm, the scent of him wrapping around me. I don’t even think before kissing him back. My hands lift so that my fingers graze the sharp cut of his jaw and I melt into him.The moment swallows me whole. My mind flickers back to every time we’ve done this before. Kissing him on the couch at his cabin, that first stolen kiss that changed everything. The way I kissed him after the game back at my house, adrenaline and excitement still thrumming through me. The time we kissed on the football field, alone. I remember the smell of grass. And Jake. And then
The first thing I notice when I wake up is the warmth beside me is gone.My eyes snap open while my heart lurches in my chest. The bed is empty. The sheets are slightly rumpled where Jake had been, but he’s nowhere in sight.Panic flutters through me before I hear the soft sound of water running. A second later, the bathroom door opens, steam curling around the edges and Jake steps out.My breath catches.His damp hair falls messily over his forehead and droplets of water trail down his bare chest. A towel hangs low on his hips. Very low.When he sees me awake, a soft smile spreads across his face."Morning," he murmurs.Before I can respond, he crosses the room in two strides and climbs back into bed. He pulls me into his arms like he never wants to let me go. His skin is warm and fresh from the shower. He smells incredible."You okay?" he asks, his lips ghosting over my temple.I nod, relaxing against him. "I thought you left."His arms tighten around me, his voice turning serious.
I wake up and immediately know I’m in trouble.The light streaming through the curtains is too bright, too unforgiving. When I groggily reach for my phone, my stomach drops.“Oh, shit,” I groan, bolting upright.Jake, the smug bastard, is still lying in bed, arms folded behind his head, watching me like I’m the most entertaining thing he’s ever seen.“Something wrong?” he drawls, his voice deep and lazy.“I’m late, you absolute tosser!” I scramble to untangle myself from the sheets, nearly face-planting off the bed in the process.Jake just smirks. “You weren’t complaining about time earlier.”I throw a pillow at him. He catches it midair, still looking far too pleased with himself.I don’t have time to argue. I’m already halfway to the bathroom, muttering a string of expletives under my breath. The shower is the quickest I’ve ever taken. It’s just enough to rinse off before I hop out, towel barely secured around me as I rush to throw on the first outfit I gather. My shirt is wrinkled
Jake has never loved anything the way he loves her.From the moment he first saw her, mouth set in a scowl, calling Tyler an asshole for being a dick to Allison, he knew she was different. She wasn’t afraid of them. Of him. And when she nearly tripped in Art class, he caught her. His hands steadying her waist. That was when it hit him.Mate.He ignored it. Pushed it down. But he felt it, deep in his bones, something undeniable and terrifying all at once. He tried to stay away, tried not to look at her, but Kate was Kate. She was impossible to ignore. He remembers her at that party, wearing something that made his chest feel tight, the way she swung at Max without hesitation. He helped her clean up afterward.He remembers giving her his black leather jacket, the way she wore it like she was meant to, like it belonged to her more than it ever did to him. The way she clutched it around herself when she was cold, breathing in his scent like it was her favorite thing in the world. He rem
Emily jolted awake.Her heart was pounding. Her breath coming too fast as her hands clenched so tight in the sheets that her knuckles ached. Her chest heaved, lungs dragging in air like she’d been drowning in her sleep. Her alarm was blaring. For a moment, she couldn’t move. It took her a moment to register where she wasThe room was still dark, the faint glow of London’s streetlights seeping through the curtains.Her dorm. London. The familiar walls, the soft hum of city traffic outside her window, the faint scent of her vanilla candle still lingering from the night before.Not the cold ground soaked in blood. Not Jake screaming for help.She was finally home.Kate. Emily sat up so fast she almost knocked over the half-empty tea cup on her nightstand. Her fingers fumbled as she grabbed her phone, unlocking it with shaking hands.Did she die?Did Kate die?Her thumb tapped the Wattpad app, breath caught somewhere in her throat. The screen loaded slowly, the WiFi deciding now of all
The ground is cold beneath me. I feel it pressing against my back, the rough bite of dirt and leaves. But it doesn’t hurt. Nothing does. There’s just a strange and heavy sensation in my chest, like someone has reached inside and stolen the air from my lungs.I hear Jake before I see him.Not his voice. His snarl.It doesn’t sound human. It doesn’t even sound werewolf. It’s something deeper, darker, like the embodiment of every nightmare, every fear, every unholy thing clawing its way to the surface.And then. Blaire’s screams.This is different. This is fear. Raw. Terrified. Begging.“Jake. Jake, please! Wait—”The sound that follows is wet. A sickening crack. A choked gurgle.Then silence.I stare up at the sky, feeling the edges of my vision flicker. The stars look sharper than usual, like someone took a knife to the sky and carved them out. I wonder if that means I’m dying.Jake is there.I don’t even register him moving. One second, he was ripping Blaire apart. The next, he’s abo
The battle rages on around me, the scent of blood thick in the air and it mixes with the damp earth beneath my boots. My breath is ragged and my arms aching, but I keep moving. I have to find Jake.Gunfire cracks in the distance, each shot sending a sharp jolt through my body. The screams, the growls, the clash of metal against flesh. It all forms a deafening, chaotic symphony that threatens to drown me. I shove through the dense trees as my eyes dart between the shifting shadows. I squint my eyes when I see a figure on the ground.Bianca.My stomach drops. Blood pools beneath her, seeping into the dirt. I rush forward and fall to my knees beside her. Her breathing is shallow, her hands weakly pressing against the wound in her abdomen."Shit," I mutter, tearing at my gear, my fingers fumbling for the small vial of antidote Wes gave me.The forest blurs. The air thickens, the sound of battle dulls into something distant, something unimportant. In its place, I hear another voice. A me
The explosion tears through the forest, a burst of heat and fire erupting in the darkness. The shockwave slams into me like a physical force and knocks the air from my lungs. The ground trembles beneath my feet as flames roar to life, licking up the trees.The blast illuminates the night in an instant, casting flickering shadows. The pack scatters, dodging falling embers and diving for cover as smoke curls into the air.For a split second, there’s nothing but ringing in my ears. Muffled shouts. The distant snap of branches. The crackling of fire eating through the dry leaves.The sharp crack of bullets pierces the chaos, but the pack is ready. They move like shadows, weaving between trees and bushes. A hunter barely has time to react before Tyler slams into him and takes him to the ground with a growl.Jake’s hand slips from mine as he launches himself forward. I watch him transform as he runs to the nearest hunters. I stay low, keeping myself hidden behind the undergrowth. My heart
The pack house is buzzing with quiet, focused energy when Jake and I step inside. Every single person is here. Some are standing in tense groups while others are sitting with protective gear. The air is thick with anticipation.Across the room, Allison and Tyler are deep in conversation with a small group. Among them, Oliver and Bianca stand slightly apart, listening intently.Oliver notices me first. His gaze flickers in my direction and I give him a small smile, lifting my fingers in a wave. He hesitates before nodding back with a slight smile.Jake keeps walking, guiding me toward the far end of the room, where Wes is hunched over a makeshift lab setup. His hands move quickly, mixing liquids, analyzing samples. He is so focused he barely registers us approaching.“How close are you?” Jake asks.Wes exhales sharply. “Very.” He doesn’t look up, instead pointing to a row of vials in front of him. “I’ve narrowed it down, but I need fresh human blood to test the final component.”“Take
The drive to the pack’s hideout is quiet, the hum of the engine blending with the distant sounds of the night. The road twists through dense forest, barely visible from the main highway. It’s a place only a few know about, tucked away behind thick trees and old, winding paths. I do not think I would be able to find it again on my own. Jake drives with one hand on the wheel, the other resting lazily on my hand which is on his thigh. My thumb moves in slow circles and he has a soft smile on his lips. By the time we pull up to the hidden pack house, my heart feels heavier. Jake parks in a concealed spot near the pack house. I unzip the bag on my lap and take out Jake’s clothes before getting my own. I place the bag back on the ground, careful not to wrinkle my dress. It’s ridiculous, really/ Considering everything we’ve just done, you’d think I wouldn’t care so much about keeping it pristine. But I do.Jake just watches, his lips twitching in that quiet but amused way of his.“What?”
I sigh in content as I press my forehead to Jake, still catching my breath. His hands are steady on my hips. He is holding me like he’s in no rush to let me go.“All right,” I mumble, shifting slightly. “I should probably get off now.” Jake just hums, but he makes no move to help.I try again and pushes lightly against his chest, but my legs feel like jelly. Plus, the position is… not ideal for an easy exit. I let out a soft huff. “Jake.”He lets out a quiet laugh as his hands move from my waist and place them under my thighs. Then, with zero effort, he picks me up and moves me onto the passenger seat like I weigh nothing.“Show off,” I mutter, adjusting my dress.He smirks and runs a hand through his hair. “You were taking too long.”I just shake my head, but there’s a grin tugging at my lips. I glance down at my thigh before I grab a tissue from my purse.“Lovely,” I say flatly. “Thanks for that.”Jake leans his head back against the seat, watching me with that quiet amusement. “Y
We move quickly but quietly toward Jake’s truck, my heart pounding in my chest. The night air is cool against my skin, but it does nothing to calm the heat inside me. We hurry into the truck and Jake starts the engine before he maneuvers the truck toward the farthest corner of the parking lot.The moment he shifts into park, his lips are on mine again. I sigh into the kiss as my hand moves over his chest to settle on his neck. His hands roam my waist before he pulls me onto his lap, making me gasp.“Jake,” I scold between kisses, pressing my hands to his chest. “Be careful with the dress.”He chuckles, low and deep, his breath warm against my neck. “I’ve got you,” he murmurs, fingers tracing the fabric slowly before he lifts it just enough.A giggle escapes me as he shifts my underwear aside. His touch sends shivers up my spine. “I’ve never done this in a car before,” I admit, breathless. The space feels both thrilling and awkward, the newness of it making me giddy.“I’ll take care o