Alice cried quietly against Jake's chest.
Not loud.
Not dramatic.
Just small, broken sounds that somehow hurt Jake more than anything else ever had.
Because Alice never cried like this.
Not really.
She joked.
She laughed.
She used sarcasm.
She hid behind awkward comments and eye rolls.
But this—
This was different.
Jake's arms tightened around her automatically.
Mine hurts.
Fix it.
His wolf was pacing inside his head.
Restless.
Protective.
Completely losing it.
Alice buried her face against him.
And honestly?
She should've moved.
Should've realized she was basically hugging Jake Hunter in her grandmother's attic.
Should've cared.
But she didn't.
Because right now Jake felt warm.
Safe.
Steady.
Like the only solid thing left in a world that suddenly made no sense.
