Chapter 23
910 Words
Mia walked slowly down the hallway.
Her thoughts drifted, heavy and tangled, replaying everything—the museum, the feeling in her chest, the way her parents had looked at her.
Like they knew something.
Like they weren’t telling her everything.
Her fingers brushed lightly along the wall as she moved, grounding herself in the familiar path.
Just a few more steps.
Her door.
She reached for the handle—
Opened it—
And stopped.
Jake stood near her balcony.
Leaning casually against the railing like he belonged there, one foot propped up behind him. The evening air moved around him, carrying that familiar scent of wolf and warmth.
He looked over.
Smiled.
“Hungry?” he asked easily. “Your mom sent me.”
Mia blinked.
Relief flickered through her.
Normal.
Something normal.
“I just got back a few hours ago,” he added, pushing off the railing. “Figured I’d check in.”
He winked. “Brought your favorite.”
Mia smiled—genuine this time.
She stepped inside, closing the door behind her, kicking off her shoes and dropping her bag to the floor.
“Jake,” she said softly, walking over and wrapping him in a quick hug. “I missed you.”
He laughed lightly, hugging her back. “Missed you too.”
She pulled back, studying him. “How’s alpha training?”
Jake groaned immediately, dropping onto the edge of her bed. “Don’t even start. It’s just a bunch of guys trying to prove who’s stronger, faster, louder—”
“So… exactly what I expected,” Mia said, sitting beside him.
“Exactly,” he smirked. “You should see it. Half of them think they’re already alphas.”
“And the other half?”
“Know they’re not,” he said. “So they fight harder.”
Mia shook her head, smiling faintly.
For a moment—
It felt easy again.
Like before everything started changing.
Jake glanced at her, his expression softening slightly. “We’ll catch up more at breakfast, yeah?”
Mia frowned. “Why not now?”
He tilted his head, studying her face. “Because you look exhausted.”
She blinked.
“I’m fine—”
“Mia,” he said gently. “You’ve got shadows under your eyes. You need rest.”
She hesitated.
Then exhaled.
“…Yeah. Maybe.”
Jake shifted slightly, then tilted his head to the side—offering.
Familiar.
Safe.
“Go on,” he said quietly.
Mia smiled softly.
And leaned in.
The moment her teeth pierced his skin—
Everything changed.
The taste hit her instantly.
Warm.
Rich.
Alive.
Stronger than she remembered.
Her body reacted before her mind could catch up.
Heat. Her body was buring,
not just heat, Desire.
The ache started throbbing in her core.
Her grip tightened slightly as she fed, the steady rhythm grounding her—usually calming, controlled—
But not this time.
This time—
It pulled.
Deeper.
Stronger.
Jake let out a quiet breath, his body relaxing under her hold. “Yeah… okay,” he murmured. “Still your favorite, huh?”
Mia didn’t respond.
Because something was happening.
Something new.
Her feeding slowed.
Not stopping—
Changing.
Her hand lifted slightly, almost without her realizing it, pressing lightly against his chest.
Right over his heart.
And suddenly—
She felt it.
Not just the blood.
The rhythm.
The pulse.
The energy beneath it.
Jake stilled slightly. “…Mia?”
Her fingers pressed more firmly.
And the air—
Shifted.
Subtle.
But real.
Like something around her was bending, responding, folding inward toward that single point of contact.
Mia’s breath hitched.
She could feel—
Everything.
His heartbeat.
His strength.
The warmth that made him him.
It wasn’t just feeding anymore.
It was something else.
Something deeper.
Something dangerous.
“Mia…” Jake’s voice wavered slightly now. “That’s… different…”
She didn’t hear him.
Not fully.
Because whatever this was—
It was opening.
Inside her.
Pulling at something beyond blood.
One pulse.
Two.
Three—
“Mia.”
The voice echoed inside her head.
Commanding.
Immediate.
“That’s enough. Stop.”
Her eyes snapped open.
“Close the door—MIA, NOW.”
Something inside her—
Snapped.
Mia jerked back suddenly, her hand pulling away from Jake’s chest like she’d been burned.
She fell back onto the bed, breath uneven, heart racing.
Jake stumbled slightly, catching himself, his own breathing rough now.
“What—” he started, shaking his head. “What was that?”
Mia stared at the ceiling, her chest rising and falling too fast.
“I—” she swallowed. “I don’t know.” She whispered.
Jake rubbed the back of his neck, still trying to steady himself. “That was… intense.”
A beat.
Then another.
“…Wow,” he muttered under his breath.
He looked at her again—uncertain now, but trying to brush it off.
“Hey,” he said, forcing a small smile. “You should get some rest. Seriously.”
Mia nodded faintly, still not fully present.
“Yeah…”
Jake stepped back toward the door. “We’ll talk in the morning, okay?”
She nodded again.
He hesitated for just a second—
Then left.
The door closed softly behind him.
Mia lay there.
Still.
Breathing.
The room felt different now.
Warmer.
Charged.
Her skin tingled, that same pulse beneath the surface—but stronger now.
Wider.
- Writer
