I thought exhaustion would make me fall asleep faster. I was wrong. Instead, I tossed and turned in bed while thinking about Thierry and what might have happened to him. Crawling out of bed, I went to the living room. I expected to find Jacob on the couch, watching TV. He wasn’t there, and I realized that it hurt being apart from him. After dinner, I had been too tired for our late stroll in the woods, and I really thought that I could fall asleep. Now, I craved to be next to Jacob. I was upset for going to bed so early.

Climbing the stairs, I debated with my inner voice about whether go back to my bedroom or find my way to Jacob’s bedroom. Moments later, I was standing before his closed door with my hand fisted against my chest. Without knocking, I opened the door and peered inside. Darkness welcomed my eyes as I squinted. I had an idea where the bed was. So, I entered, softly closed the door behind me, and snuck my way to his side.

Jacob seemed to be sleeping when I covered myself with the bedsheets and looked for his body in the bed. I sighed, slightly disappointed. But, when my arm circled his waist, and I looked for contact against him, he whispered, “Camille?”

“Yes,” I said, suddenly embarrassed by my bold attitude.

“Is everything alright, honey?” he asked as his arms brought me closer into his embrace, and he placed a kiss on the top of my head.

“I can’t sleep,” I complained, grabbing his t-shirt with my hands. The warmth of the bed relaxed my body, and I felt tranquil. His embrace was one of the best places to be. It eased my mind and my soul.

“I thought you said that you were tired.”

“Apparently, it doesn’t mean I can sleep.” I buried my face in the hollow of his neck. “Can I stay here?”

One of his hands drew patterns on my lower back and the other caressed the nape of my neck. “Of course. Do you want to talk?”

I shook my head. “We’ll talk tomorrow. Go back to sleep.”

His lips searched for my cheeks and my mouth. After exchanging a few kisses, my body eased against his, and I fell asleep like a baby.

The next morning, after a prolonged make out session in bed and a copious amount of breakfast, we spent the morning testing my teleporting abilities. Jacob wanted me to teleport to different parts of the house as fast as I could.

“You are still slow. You need to work harder to be ready,” Jacob said after another failed attempt to teleport from the kitchen to the garden. “You have improved, but you are still doubting yourself and your new powers.”

Jacob was about to say something else when his phone rang. He stepped outside to answer it while I walked to the table and pulled out a chair to sit down.

I sulked with my elbows on the table and my hands holding my chin. I couldn’t even do something as simple as teleporting around the house. How was I planning to be useful to Jacob like that?

Getting up, I left to go to my bedroom. My phone was in one of the drawers, and I wanted to talk to Jacob about turning it on so I could see if I had any messages from my brother. Plus, now that I could teleport, I could turn it on far away from where I was living.

With my phone in my hand, I sat on the bed. Then, I heard Jacob calling. Before I could get up to join him downstairs, he teleported to my bedroom.

“Is everything okay?” he asked with concerned eyes. His hands fell on my shoulders as I stood up and turned to face him.

Frowning, I asked, “Yes, why?”

“You didn’t wait for me downstairs. Are you upset? Was I too hard on you?”

“No, of course not. I just came here to get something to show you.”

Jacob’s eyes softened, and he rubbed my shoulders. “First, you need to sit down. I have news from Alpha Jerome.”

I did as he told me and waited for the news.

Jacob sat beside me and held my free hand in his. “We are at war. Yesterday, Alpha Simon attacked another peaceful pack and killed their Alpha and the ones strong enough to threaten his power. The remaining fighters joined his ranks and entire families were held hostage. Several packs have joined together to face him before he arrives in Paris.”

I nodded when he paused.

Jacob resumed his speech. “But, we have a problem. We don’t know where Simon is keeping the prisoners. Our spies tell us that his lair in Lyon is empty. Their bikes are gone and there are reports of them keeping an arsenal that they emptied and transferred to an unknown location. Violence will increase, and we have no idea how they are planning to use their weapons.”

I breathed deeply before I spoke, “Do they want me to turn myself in to stop the bloodshed?”

Jacob’s eyes became darker, and he clenched his jaw. He sounded angry when he spoke, “I would never allow that to happen. Why would you even think that?”

I nibbled my lip and looked at our hands. “This is all my fault. I can’t even teleport fast enough to be able to help.”

“You can teleport; you just need to practice more. And, you are my mate now. Not his.”

I nodded, though, I didn’t dare look him in the eye.

Moments later, Jacob added, “I came here to tell you that I have to attend a meeting with the other pack leaders in the afternoon. I wanted to know if you want to come.”

“I want to come,” I said, breathless and surprised for being included in such an important event.

He kissed my hand and gazed down at me again. “Now tell me, why were you so sad when I materialized here?”

“My phone,” I said, showing it to him. “I kept it even though Thierry told me to toss it away. I turned it off and removed the SIM card, but...I could turn it on and see if I have any message from Thierry.”

“Does Simon have your number?”

I nodded.

“Then, he might have left threatening messages.”

My eyes widened with realization. “If he has Thierry, he may have tried to contact me so I would return to him in exchange for my brother’s life.”

Jacob didn’t say a word for at least a minute. Meanwhile, my heart was threatening to leave my mouth.

His voice came out soft, almost paternalistic. “Do you think that Alpha Simon is doing all this because he’s in love with you and regrets what he has done? Do you think that this is his way to show you that he loves you?”

I frowned. “That hasn’t even crossed my mind. Besides, a person as ruthless as him can’t love and has no idea what love is. Hurting others isn’t a way to prove anything to anyone. It’s just cruel.”

Jacob let out a breath that I didn’t know he was holding. He cupped my face between his hands and pressed his lips against mine. “I love you.”

Widening my eyes, I asked, “What?”

“I’ve been waiting for a long time to say these words to someone. I’m just glad I got to say them to you, Camille. No matter what happens, even if you don’t fall in love with me, I need you to know that I love you, and I’m glad that destiny brought us together.”

Tears welled up in my eyes. “Stop. You are talking as if something bad is going to happen to you. You should make someone feel happy when you tell them those words. Not make me want to cry.”

His fingertips caressed my face. “Does it bother you when I tell you that I love you?”

“Why would it bother me?”

“Does it make you happy then?”

I nodded and kissed him. “I’m not leaving you, Jacob. You are mine now. I’m not going to jeopardize what we have for a cruel and evil creature that rejected and hurt me. But, I want to save my brother, and I want to help you stop Simon.”

Jacob nodded, but he didn’t seem happy.

I stroked his face and grabbed his chin, so he looked at me. “Tonight, when we get home, tell me again how much you love me.”

Jacob smiled and snaked his arms around me. “I don’t need to wait for tonight. I’ll tell you I love you whenever you need to hear it. I’ll keep showing you how much I love you with kisses, holding hands, and talking sweetly into your ear. And, when you think you feel the same, you can tell me without feeling shy or unworthy.”

My heart fluttered inside my chest as I smiled and placed my hands on the sides of his gorgeous face. “But, I already feel the same.”

“Do you?” He hugged me tighter.

I nodded, a smile tugging at my lips. Then, I said the words that I had always feared and longed to say. “I love you. More and more each day.”

Jacob pressed his forehead against mine. “I’m happy.” His body quivered under my hands. “You have no idea… My heart is beating like mad.”

I kissed his cheeks, the tip of his nose, his closed eyelids, and finished with a soft kiss on his lips. He relaxed, and I redirected his attention to the pressing matter.

“Now, about my phone? What should we do about it?”

He opened his mesmerizing eyes and smiled at me. “Are you ready to be the bait?”

“I’ll do whatever it takes to stop Simon and save my brother.”

I meant every single word that I was saying because I couldn’t feel more relieved about the severed bond I had with that lunatic which allowed me to find my true mate—the man of my dreams—Jacob.

 

 

Late in the night, I was still feeling sick to my stomach when we met up with the prince. I wasn’t the only one disgusted by what we found out in the meeting. All the Alphas were outraged and demanded a plan to put a stop to Alpha Simon’s madness.

Before joining the others for a meal, Jacob reported to Cedric in the palace’s library.

“Are you sure?” Cedric asked while frowning.

“We have witnesses. Pack members who hid and witnessed the carnage.”

“But eating them…that’s just mad. Of course, there are reports of werewolves attacking humans and feeding on them but not of werewolves eating their own kind. This cannibalistic behavior is disgusting and must be stopped.” The prince’s jaw tensed as he fisted his hand over the desk.

“They force the werewolf fighters to kill and feed on one of their former pack members. They kill the weaker ones like females and elders. They also hunt and kill the fighters who don’t accept Simon as their new Alpha. Then, in their wolf form, they need to feast on the remains of the victims,” Jacob further elaborated.

The image of what was described made me sicker than I already was. I covered my mouth and lingered to what little hope I had. Maybe Thierry was still alive, and Simon hadn’t killed and fed him to his wolves.

Jacob placed his hand over mine which were clutching the chair.

“What do they need from us?” the prince asked Jacob.

“They aren’t sure where Simon’s pack is hiding. I told them that I would ask your permission to send a few angels to join their tracking team. They can use air support. They also need gear like firearms, assault rifles, and bulletproof vests. The enemy is carrying guns. We need to be prepared. Our private security company has all the necessary gear. I just need your permission.”

“Whatever they need,” the prince agreed. His eyes shifted to me, but he didn’t say anything. “What was the other matter you wanted to talk to me about, Jacob?”

Jacob moved uncomfortably in his seat. “Camille wants to turn her phone on to find where Simon is hiding. He may have tried to contact her.”

Cedric pursed his lips as he leaned forward with folded hands. “She wants to be the bait.”

I gazed down at my feet while taking a deep breath.

“It’s too dangerous. He can kill you,” the prince added.

I gazed up at him and blurted out, “I need to know what happened to my brother. The other packs are in danger, and he’s killing innocent people. He needs to be stopped.”

“I agree,” Cedric said nonchalantly. He got up from his chair. “Let’s go eat, and then we’ll teleport to our secure facilities in Paris where you can turn on your phone.”

My heart almost came out of my mouth when I stood up. “Thank you!”

Cedric’s voice was serious when he said, “Just be aware that if you die while you are bonded to Jacob, he’ll also disappear. Forever.”

My head snapped to Jacob. My eyes were wide and my throat went dry as fear washed over me. I didn’t know that.