Jake's POV
The whiskey burned on the way down, but it wasn’t doing what I needed it to.
I sat behind my desk, glaring at the glass in my hand as if it were to blame for my mood. The office was quiet, save for the faint crackle of the fireplace in the corner. Outside, the pack moved on with its routines: patrolling, training, thriving. And me? I was sitting here, replaying the argument with Brielle in my mind. Her words, her defiance, the fire in her eyes,every detail gnawed at me, refusing to let me go.
Her voice echoed in my head, sharp and unrelenting, hitting a nerve I hadn’t even realized was exposed.
I hated that she was right.
She was under my skin in a way no one else had ever been. Everything about her: her stubbornness, her strength, the way she refused to back down,made my
