The lake should have been nothing more than a fleeting moment of peace—something soft, fragile, and rare enough that I could carry it in my heart like a secret treasure. For one night, it felt like the world had stopped spinning, as if the constant weight on my chest had finally lifted.
But peace never lasted with Jacob.
If anything, that night by the water awakened something in him—something far more dangerous than silence could ever hide.
The next morning, I woke to find two guards stationed outside the Alpha’s chambers. Not the usual warriors who rotated patrols through the hallways. No. These men were Jacob’s own choices, handpicked and loyal only to him. Their presence wasn’t for the pack’s safety. It was for mine—or rather, for the child I carried.
When I stepped into the hallway
