Ruby's POV
The car ride back from the council hall was silent.
Jake didn’t speak for the first ten minutes. He just sat beside me, one hand resting on my thigh, eyes trained out the window like a king surveying his kingdom,even though he wasn’t the Alpha. Not officially.
But he carried himself like one.
Especially now.
He finally spoke as the estate lights appeared in the distance.
“That went better than I expected.”
I turned slightly, pretending not to hear the flicker of self-satisfaction in his voice.
“You think so?”
“They stood,” he said, like it was proof of something sacred. “They welcomed you back. Corven even toasted you.”
“Mm.”
Jake’s fingers tapped softly against my leg, a steady rhythm that felt more like a warning than affection.
“I know you saw Niala watching you,
