CHAPTER 5: The Ultimatum
1302 Words
The sudden, violent vibration of the phone against the wood of the library table felt like a gunshot in the silent alcove. Avery gasped, ripping her hand away from Jake’s as if his touch had suddenly turned into liquid fire. The golden, electric hum of the mate bond shattered instantly, leaving behind a cold, hollow ache that made her inner wolf whimper in protest.
Jake blinked, his green eyes still faintly swirling with the vibrant emerald light of his beast. His hand remained outstretched on the dark oak table, his palm empty and suddenly cold. He watched her, his heavy eyebrows knitting together in immediate concern as he saw her face drain of all color.
"Avery?" Jake asked, his deep voice laced with anxiety. "What's wrong? Who is it?"
Avery didn’t answer. Her fingers trembled so violently she almost dropped the device as she slid it from her pocket. The notification was routed through an un-trackable, heavily encrypted alpha network channel. The words on the screen were short, precise, and completely stripped of mercy.
«You have exactly two months until the summer solstice full moon, Avery. The King is losing his patience. Bring the prince home for his ascension, or your brother’s life will be forfeited. Do not mistake our mercy for weakness.»
Two months.
The reality of her nightmare crashed down upon her with the weight of a falling mountain. She raised her eyes slightly, looking at Jake over the top of the phone. He was looking back at her with nothing but pure, unadulterated devotion. He trusted her. He was opening his soul to her, believing she was the only human who could help him escape his father’s tyranny. And she was the knife Magnus had placed at his throat.
"Avery, talk to me," Jake pressed, leaning across the table, his protective instincts flaring as he sensed her sudden terror. "You're shaking. Is someone bothering you? Just give me a name."
"I... I have to go," Avery stammered, her voice cracking as she shoved the phone back into her hoodie. The human mask she had worked so hard to maintain was completely fracturing. She stood up so fast her wooden chair scraped loudly against the floor. With frantic, uncoordinated movements, she began stuffing her textbooks into her backpack.
"Avery, wait," Jake said, standing up immediately, his towering frame casting a massive shadow over the table.
"Don't!" she choked out, her blue eyes wide and shining with unshed tears. "Don't touch me, Jake. Just... stay away from me. I can't do this right now."
Before he could say another word, she turned on her heel and bolted out of the alcove, leaving Jake alone under the dim lights of the third floor, his fists clenched at his sides.
Three days passed. Three agonizing, sleepless days.
Avery had completely vanished from Jake’s reach. She hadn't responded to his texts, and she had completely skipped her literature lectures. For a Lycan Alpha, three days without his mate was a form of psychological torture.
Inside the university's practice arena, the air was thick with the scent of pine-sol, leather, and sweat. The varsity basketball team was running a full-court scrimmage, but it looked more like a battlefield. Jake drove down the lane, his eyes bloodshot, his movements frantic and hyper-aggressive. When a human defender stepped in front of him to draw a charge, Jake didn't slow down. He channeled a fraction of his Lycan strength, slamming into the player and sending him flying back onto the mats.
TWEEEEET!
"Offensive foul! Number 7!" the head coach yelled, throwing his clipboard onto the bench. "Jake! What the hell is wrong with you today? Go sit down and cool off before you break someone's ribs!"
Jake didn't answer. He ripped his practice jersey off, exposing his heavily muscled, tattooed torso, and threw it to the floor.
"Losing your mind, golden boy?" Cole stood near the free-throw line, casually drinking from a water bottle. His blonde hair was damp, and his blue eyes narrowed as he watched Jake’s unravelling state. Cole had noticed Avery’s absence on campus, and he had noticed how Jake’s scent had grown sour.
"Shut up, Cole," Jake growled, not even looking at him as he grabbed his gym bag and walked straight out of the facility.
Cole watched the doors swing shut, his smirk slowly fading into a thoughtful expression. He had spent the last three days thinking about the quiet girl in the oversized hoodie. Her face, her fierce blue eyes, and that strange, intoxicating aura had been playing on a loop in his mind. And right now, with Jake completely unhinged, it was the perfect time to make a move.
The courtyard outside the university library was bathed in the warm, golden light of the late afternoon. Avery sat at a secluded iron table beneath the shade of a massive oak tree, staring at a blank page in her notebook.
"You look like you're carrying the weight of the entire world on those pretty shoulders."
Avery jumped slightly, her head snapping up. Cole stood beside her table, holding two iced coffees in his hands. Before she could tell him to leave, he slid into the iron chair opposite her, placing one of the coffees in front of her.
"Relax," Cole said, his voice surprisingly soft, devoid of the arrogant edge he usually used when Jake was around. "I'm not here to fight. I saw you sitting alone, and you looked like you could use a break. I actually wanted to apologize for the hallway. Jake has a tendency to bring out the worst in me."
Avery watched him carefully. She had expected Cole to be a loud, brutish bully, but sitting here now, he was entirely different. There was a genuine, magnetic charm to him, an intelligence in his blue eyes that she hadn't anticipated.
"Why do you stay on the same team if you hate him so much?" Avery asked, her curiosity getting the better of her.
Cole smiled, a genuine, sharp expression. "Because the court is the only place where we can compete without drawing blood. But let's not talk about Jake. Let's talk about you. You're a mystery, Avery Vance. Humans are fragile. They scare easily. But you... you stood between two guys who could have crushed you, and you didn't even flinch. I like that. I like a girl with fire."
Avery’s heart fluttered with a dangerous panic. Cole was getting too close. He was an Alpha, and his instincts were beginning to sniff out the truth beneath her spell. "I need to go," she said, starting to pack her things.
"Avery, wait," Cole said, reaching across the table. His tone was sincere, almost gentle. "I'm serious. If Jake is putting too much pressure on you... if his family is a problem, you don't have to deal with it alone. My family has a lot of influence in this city. If you ever need real protection, or just someone to talk to... you can count on me."
He smiled, a warm, reassuring look. Avery froze, stunned by the sincerity in his voice.
"Get your hands off her."
The voice didn't sound human. It was a deep, guttural vibration that shook the very air around the courtyard. Avery’s head snapped toward the path. Jake was standing twenty feet away, his chest bare, his skin flushed with an unnatural heat. His fists were clenched so hard blood was nearly dripping from his palms, and his green eyes were completely gone, replaced by two glowing, demonic pools of emerald fire.
The Alpha beast inside Jake had snapped.
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