Chapter 30 Chapter 30

Chapter 30 Chapter 30
_Anya’s POV_

The entire evening felt like something from a dream.

After we returned from town, I stayed distracted by the strange woman from the jewelry shop. No matter how much I tried to push her words away, they kept returning to me.

“You are blinded by trust and cannot see the truth.”

The sentence echoed again and again inside my head.

I stood near the bedroom window for a long time, staring outside at the darkening sky. The clouds were painted orange and pink by the setting sun and the wind moved softly through the trees around the mansion.

Maya stirred quietly inside me. Stop thinking about that woman.

“I am trying.”

She was strange.

“Yes.”

And frightening.

I wrapped my arms around myself slowly. “Do you think she was telling the truth?”

Maya hesitated. I do not know.

That answer did not comfort me. A knock sounded on the door before I could think further.

“Come in,” I called softly.

One of the maids entered with a smile. “Miss Anya, Alpha Jacob asked me to help prepare you for dinner.”

I blinked. “Dinner?”

“Yes. He requested that you wear something elegant tonight.”

My cheeks warmed slightly.

The maid helped me dress in a soft silver gown that flowed gently around my legs. She curled parts of my hair and placed tiny silver pins through the strands. When I finally looked in the mirror, I almost did not recognize myself.

Maya purred happily. We look beautiful.

Before I could answer her, another knock came. My heart fluttered immediately because somehow I already knew it was Jacob.

The maid opened the door and my breath caught.

Jacob stood there dressed entirely in black. His shirt was rolled slightly at the sleeves and the dark color made his eyes seem even brighter. For a second, he simply stared at me silently.

Then his expression softened completely. “You look stunning."

Heat spread through my chest. “Thank you.”

His gaze slowly moved over me again and Maya practically melted inside me.

He looks too handsome.

Jacob offered me his hand. “Come with me.”

I placed my hand in his and let him lead me downstairs. But instead of taking me toward the dining hall, he guided me outside.

The cool evening air brushed against my skin as we walked through the gardens. Small lanterns glowed along the stone path, lighting the way with warm golden light.

I frowned slightly. “Where are we going?”

“You will see.”

His voice carried amusement. A few more steps later, I froze in surprise.

A beautiful structure had been arranged in the center of the Fireblood Pack gardens. A large white canopy covered the area like a small open pavilion. Thin silver curtains moved softly in the wind around it and tiny lights hung everywhere above us like glowing stars.

And surrounding the entire place were white lilies.
There were hundreds of them. White lilies were my favorite flowers.

The scent filled the cool night air softly and candles flickered across the table beneath the canopy.

“Jacob...” I whispered.

He watched my face carefully. “Do you like it?”

“Like it?” I looked around in shock. “It is beautiful.”

His shoulders relaxed slightly as if he had been waiting anxiously for my answer. “I wanted this dinner tonight to help you relax after everything that happened,” he said softly. “You have been stressed all day.”

Emotion tightened in my chest. “You did all this for me?”

“Yes.”

Maya sighed dreamily. We are definitely keeping him.

I smiled helplessly.

Jacob pulled out my chair for me before sitting across from me. Servants quietly brought food and drinks before disappearing again to give us privacy.

Everything looked perfect.

Soft music played somewhere in the distance. The night breeze moved gently through the flowers and candlelight danced across Jacob’s face.

He poured wine into my glass.

I immediately shook my head. “Oh, no. I do not really drink.”

His lips curved slightly. “Just a little.”

“I might embarrass myself.”

“I highly doubt that.”

“I truly do not have much tolerance.”

“That is fine.” His eyes softened. “You looked tense all evening, little wolf. It may help you relax.”

Maya immediately agreed. Drink it.

“You are no help,” I muttered silently.

Jacob raised an eyebrow. “What was that?”

“Nothing.”

He chuckled softly.

Eventually I sighed and picked up the glass carefully. “Fine. Just a little.”

His gaze lingered on me while I took a small sip. The wine tasted sweeter than I expected.

“There,” Jacob said softly. “That was not so terrible.”

Dinner continued peacefully after that. Jacob kept finding ways to make me laugh and slowly the tight feeling inside my chest began to fade. At one point, he leaned back in his chair and looked at me quietly for a few seconds before speaking.

“When you become Luna of the Fireblood Pack, what kind of Luna do you want to be?”

I blinked in surprise and looked up from my plate. “What do you mean?”

“I mean what kind of leader do you want to become.” His fingers tapped lightly against the wine glass in his hand. “Do you want the pack to fear you? Admire you? Depend on you?”

I thought about it carefully before answering. “I think... I would want them to feel safe with me.”

Jacob tilted his head slightly. “Safe?”

I nodded. “I know how it feels to be powerless and frightened all the time. I would not want people in this pack to live like that.”

His eyes stayed on me quietly. “Kindness alone does not make people obey.”

“I know,” I admitted. “But fear is not everything either.”

A faint smile touched his lips. “Sometimes fear is necessary.”

I frowned slightly. “Not all the time.”

Jacob swirled the wine slowly inside his glass. “The strongest Alphas are the ones others fear disappointing. Fear keeps order. Fear keeps enemies away.”

His voice remained smooth and calm but the certainty behind it made something twist strangely inside my chest.

“I do not want people trembling every time they see their Alpha,” I said softly.

“And I do not want enemies thinking they can challenge this pack,” he replied smoothly.

For a moment, neither of us spoke.

Then his expression softened again and the coldness in his eyes disappeared so quickly that I wondered if I had imagined it.

“But perhaps that is why we balance each other,” he murmured. “You think with your heart while I think with strategy.”

I smiled faintly. “That makes me sound soft.”

“It makes you compassionate.”

“And you?”

His lips curved slowly. “I simply know what kind of world we live in.”

He leaned slightly closer toward me. “The world is cruel, Anya. Weak leaders lose everything. Packs survive because powerful people stand above everyone else.”

“But do not worry,” he added quietly. “No matter how ruthless I become with others, I could never treat you harshly.”

My heart fluttered helplessly at those words even though something about the conversation still lingered strangely in my mind.

Maya sighed dreamily inside me. He sounds powerful.

“Yes,” I admitted silently. “He does.”

The more we talked, the lighter I felt again. The wine warmed my body pleasantly and Jacob’s attention stayed entirely on me all evening.

No one had ever looked at me the way he did....as if I truly mattered.....as if I were something precious.

At some point during dinner, he reached across the table and took my hand gently.

“I meant what I said earlier,” he murmured.

“About what?”

“You are safe with me.”

My chest tightened softly.

“I know.”

His thumb brushed lightly against my fingers. “No matter what happens, I will protect you.”

Maya purred happily.

I looked into his eyes and believed every word.

By the end of dinner, my body felt warm and relaxed from both the wine and Jacob’s attention. When he stood and offered his hand again, I took it immediately.

“Come,” he murmured softly.

I followed him back toward the mansion.

The halls were quieter now since most servants had already retired for the night. The soft buzz inside my head made everything feel dreamlike.

“You are smiling again,” Jacob noted.

“You keep noticing that.”

“Because I like seeing it.”

My cheeks warmed.

When we reached his bedroom, I stopped near the doorway.

For a second neither of us spoke. Then Jacob slowly stepped closer. My heart immediately sped up.

His fingers brushed lightly against my cheek. “You are beautiful,” he murmured.

The way he looked at me made my entire body feel warm.

Maya stirred excitedly inside me. Kiss him.

I barely had time to react before Jacob leaned down and kissed me softly. My breath caught instantly. The kiss was gentle at first. Then his hand slid around my waist and pulled me closer against him.

Heat exploded through my chest. I kissed him back without hesitation. Jacob deepened the kiss slowly and my fingers tightened against his shirt. My entire body felt dizzy and warm beneath his touch.

He kissed me like he could not get enough of me. My heart pounded harder and harder. By the time he finally pulled back slightly, I was breathless. His forehead rested against mine.

“Tell me to stop,” he whispered roughly.

But I did not want him to stop.

“I trust you,” I whispered instead.

Something dark and intense flashed through his eyes at those words. Then he kissed me again. The rest of the night blurred together after that.

His hands stayed gentle but possessive. He held me like he never wanted to let me go. Every touch sent warmth through my body and every kiss made me melt further into him.

I felt safe, wanted and loved.

Eventually we ended up lying together beneath the blankets while his arms stayed wrapped around me protectively.

My body felt heavy and relaxed. Sleepiness pulled at me strongly.

Maya sounded drowsy too. We are tired.

“Very tired,” I agreed silently.

Jacob brushed his fingers slowly through my hair while I rested against his chest.

Then his voice came softly above me. “There is something I want.”

I blinked sleepily. “Hm?”

“I want to mark you.”

My heart fluttered lazily.

The mate mark; the final sign that we belonged to each other.

“You would be mine forever,” he murmured quietly.

I lifted my head weakly to look at him. His eyes seemed darker than usual beneath the dim light.

“You want that?”

“Yes.”

My heart softened immediately.

“I already belong to you,” I whispered.

Something flashed across his face too quickly for me to understand. His hand moved gently to my neck.

“Then let me make it permanent.”

I was too sleepy to think clearly anymore. The wine and exhaustion wrapped around my mind heavily.

But I trusted him...completely. So I nodded slowly.

Jacob shifted above me slightly. Then I felt his lips brush softly against my neck before his teeth sank into my skin.

Pain flashed through me sharply. I gasped softly and my fingers tightened weakly against him. But even the pain felt distant somehow beneath the haze clouding my mind.

Warmth spread through my entire body almost instantly afterward.

Jacob held me tightly while he marked me. When he finally pulled back, his breathing sounded heavier.

“There,” he murmured softly against my hair. “Now you are truly mine.”

My eyes fluttered weakly.

Then he tilted my chin upward gently. “Your turn.”

I blinked sleepily. “Mine?”

He nodded slowly. “Mark me too.”

I leaned closer obediently and bit lightly against his neck. But Jacob’s hand slid into my hair immediately.

“Harder,” he whispered.

I obeyed again.

This time I bit down properly and felt his body tense sharply beneath me before he finally relaxed with satisfaction.

“Good girl,” he murmured softly.

The praise made warmth spread through me again. He pulled me close afterward and wrapped both arms tightly around me. His fingers moved slowly through my hair while exhaustion dragged me deeper and deeper.

“You should sleep now,” he whispered.

I nodded weakly against his chest.

As sleep finally pulled me under, the last thing I felt was Jacob pressing a soft kiss against my forehead while holding me tightly against him.

And with Maya purring contentedly inside me, I fell asleep feeling like I had finally found where my heart belonged.