Chapter 157

JAX

I sat in my office at the pack house, going over some paperwork, but my mind kept drifting back to Isabella. Things between us were getting better, slowly, like the thawing of ice. I knew she could see I was doing everything in my power to make things right, to rebuild what we had. It wasn’t perfect yet, but at least we were talking more, spending more time together. That was progress, and right now, I’d take anything I could get.

Knox walked into the office, stretching as he dropped into the chair across from me. “You still buried under all that paperwork?” he asked, a smirk on his face.

I chuckled. “Comes with the job, man. You should try it sometime.”

He rolled his eyes, but there was an ease between us that hadn’t been there for weeks, not since everything with Isabella blew up. We’d all been walking on eggshells around each other, but things were starting to settle, at least a little.

“You know,” I said, leaning back in my chair, “Isabella’s got this appointment with her publishing company in New York in two days. I’ve been thinking... maybe it’s the perfect time to surprise her with a little romantic getaway. Just the two of us.”

Knox raised an eyebrow. “Romantic getaway, huh? Trying to win her over with some city lights and a fancy hotel?”

I shrugged, grinning. “Maybe. We could use the time away. No pack business, no distractions—just us.”

Knox nodded thoughtfully, but then his grin widened. “Sounds like a good plan. Think I should tag along?”

I raised an eyebrow at him. “Tag along? Pretty sure ‘romantic getaway’ means two people, Knox. Not three.”

He laughed, shaking his head. “You know, for support. I’m great with grand gestures, after all.”

I knew he was half-joking, but there was a part of him that didn’t want to be left out. We’d all been through so much with Isabella, and Knox, like the rest of us, wanted to be there for her in every way. But a trip with all three of us might overwhelm her, especially since we were still trying to find our balance again.

“Look, I get it,” I said, my tone softening. “But I think this needs to be just me and her. She’s still finding her footing with all of us, and we don’t want to push her too hard, too soon.”

Knox sighed but nodded. “Yeah, I get that. Just... make it count, alright? She deserves to know how much we’re still in this.”

“I know,” I said, the weight of his words settling over me. “I’m gonna do everything I can to make this trip something special. She needs to feel like we’re moving forward, not stuck in the past.”

Knox leaned back in his chair, stretching his arms behind his head. “Well, when you put it that way, I’ll stay back and keep an eye on things here. Just don’t screw it up, man.”

I grinned. “No pressure, huh?”

He laughed, standing up and clapping me on the shoulder before heading toward the door. “None at all.”

As he left, I turned my thoughts back to Isabella, already planning out the trip in my head. New York could be the perfect place to remind her of how much I loved her, how much I wanted to build a future with her. Maybe it was exactly what we needed. Just the two of us, away from everything, away from the complications of pack life.

It felt like the right move, and I couldn’t wait to see the look on her face when I told her.

This had to work. It was time to show her that we could have our life back—better than before.

ISABELLA

When I stepped out of the publishing house, a feeling of accomplishment washed over me. The meeting had gone even better than I expected. A few minor changes, some tweaks to the illustrations, and my book would be ready for publication. I was still riding the high of that news when my eyes landed on the car waiting at the curb. Only, instead of Spencer standing by the door, it was Jax.

Leaning casually against the car, arms crossed over his chest, Jax gave me that trademark smirk, his easy confidence wrapped in a casual outfit that threw me off balance for a moment. He was supposed to be back at the pack house. What was he doing here?

I walked toward him, still a little confused, raising an eyebrow as I approached. “Jax? What’s going on? Where’s Spencer?”

He pushed himself off the car, straightening up, and opened the door for me with a flourish. “Spencer’s taking the day off. I figured I’d steal you away for a bit. Thought you could use a surprise.”

I narrowed my eyes playfully, though I could feel my curiosity rising. “A surprise, huh? And what exactly does that entail?”

“You’ll see,” he said, a twinkle in his eye as he helped me into the car. Once I was settled, he got behind the wheel and started driving, but he didn’t give me any more details.

I couldn’t help the flutter of excitement mixed with a tiny bit of nervousness. As much as things between us had improved over the last few weeks, there was still a part of me that was cautious. Still healing. “Jax, what about Luca?” I asked, glancing over at him. “I didn’t plan on being away from him for too long. You know I hate being apart from him.”

Jax reached over and squeezed my hand. “Luca’s perfectly fine. He’s with Knox and my mom. He’s probably getting spoiled right now with how much attention they’re giving him.”

I exhaled, relaxing a little at the thought. Knox and Maggie were more than capable of looking after Luca. He’d be safe and happy, but still… “Are you sure he’s alright? I can call and check—”

“He’s good, Isabella,” Jax interrupted, his voice soft but firm. “This is your time. Just you and me. Let me take care of you today, okay?”

I looked at him, his expression genuine and determined. He’d always had this way of getting me to let my guard down, especially when he was so insistent. Slowly, I nodded, giving in. “Okay. But this better be worth it.”

His grin widened, a hint of mischief in his eyes. “Oh, trust me. It is.”

It didn’t take long before we pulled up to a luxurious hotel, its sleek façade shimmering under the midday sun. My jaw dropped a little as I stared at it. This wasn’t just a nice place—it was the kind of hotel you booked for once-in-a-lifetime trips. Exclusive, indulgent. The kind of place that screamed relaxation and luxury.

“Jax, what…?” I started, but he was already out of the car and coming around to open my door for me.

“You deserve to relax, Bella,” he said, holding out his hand to help me out of the car. “No pack business. No stress. Just us, for the next day or two.”

I felt a rush of warmth at the gesture, touched that he’d gone to this much effort. As we walked into the hotel lobby, I couldn’t help but smile up at him. “You’ve really gone all out, haven’t you?”

He winked. “Only the best for my mate.”

As much as I still carried the weight of everything that had happened between us, in that moment, it felt like we were inching back toward the connection we used to have. He was trying, really trying, and I couldn’t deny how much that meant to me. For the first time in a while, I let myself enjoy the moment, trusting that Luca was safe and that Jax had thought of everything. Maybe, just maybe, I could relax.