Born Of Blood and Bloom

Chapter 30

JAKES POV (Continued..)

And the worst part?

He hadn’t wanted it to stop.

Jake froze.

His breath catching slightly.

That was the part that scared him.

Because even now—

Even knowing something was wrong—

A part of him remembered it as something… good.

Something intense.

Something he couldn’t quite name.

His instincts didn’t see it as danger.

They saw it as—

Connection.

His fingers curled into a fist.

“No,” he muttered under his breath.

That wasn’t right.

That couldn’t be right.

He looked up.

And that’s when he saw her.

Mia.

Standing at the edge of the room with Lilly, scanning the space like she was trying to find something—

Or someone.

His chest tightened instantly.

Reflex.

Instinct.

Recognition.

Everything in him reacted at once—

Step forward.

Go to her.

Check her.

Stay close.

Jake forced himself still.

Forced his body to ignore it.

Because if he moved—

If he let that instinct take over—

He didn’t know what would happen.

And that terrified him more than anything.

Their eyes met.

For just a second.

And it hit again.

That pull.

That awareness.

Like she could feel him too.

Jake looked away immediately.

Too fast.

Too sharp.

He turned his body slightly, putting distance between them—physical and otherwise.

Avoiding.

Blocking.

Containing.

Because he knew now.

Whatever had happened last night—

Wasn’t just hunger.

Wasn’t just feeding.

Mia hadn’t just taken from him.

She had touched something deeper.

Something that made him feel…

Exposed.

Open.

Connected to her in a way that didn’t belong to pack, or bond, or anything he understood.

Jake exhaled slowly, trying to steady himself.

“She’s not the same,” he murmured.

And neither am I.

Across the room, laughter continued.

Voices overlapped.

The world moved on like nothing had changed.

But Jake knew better.

Because whatever Mia was becoming—

It wasn’t just affecting her.

It was affecting everyone she touched.

And if he was right—

If that feeling was even close to what he thought it was—

Then this wasn’t just dangerous.

It was something no one in the pack was ready for.

UNKNOWN POV:

It's nice feeling invisible in a room filled with so many.

I move silently in the shadows.

I stop just before the group surrounding Jake and his friends.

Curious, the was his eyes are drifting towards Mia.

Why are they searching for her?

The thoughts crossing his face unhidden, showing how low his guard is.

Why are they all drawn to that girl?

What does MIA have that I do not?

So frustrating watching all these men drawn to her, this was supposed to be my time to shine.

I'll just have to level this playing field, this girl needs to learn her place.

The hold she has can be broken, no one can obsess over something they can't see.

Her time is coming, I'll just have to help it along.

Smiling, This will be so easy...

The Moon Ceremony will be my time.