After the meal, the weight of the stares still lingered on my skin like burning brands. The dining hall might have been left behind, but the whispers followed me in my mind, cruel and endless.
I couldn't breathe inside the Alpha's room, not with Jacob's shadow looming so heavily over me.
So I gathered my courage and asked.
"Alpha Jacob…" My voice was soft, almost timid, as I sat at the edge of the bed. He was removing his coat, his movements sharp, deliberate. "Could I… go outside for some air? Just for a little while."
He stilled, his back to me. The silence stretched long enough that I thought he would refuse.
Then he turned, eyes dark and unreadable. "Where?"
"The lake," I answered quickly, my heart racing. "It's quiet there. I could… read to the baby."
His gaze dropped to my sto
