Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Sixteen


...AGAIN?

GABRIELLA'S POV

I woke to the sound of rain tapping against the windows. My head felt heavy, and for a moment, I couldn’t remember where I was. The air smelled like pinewood, leather, and... Jax. His scent wrapped around me like a blanket, soft and safe, and that was when I realized I was lying on his bed.

The room was quiet except for the sound of his breathing. He sat beside me, one hand resting on the edge of the mattress, the other tangled loosely in mine. His face was sharp, tired, but his eyes? Those cold steel eyes? They softened the moment they noticed I was awake.

“You’re awake,” he whispered, as if speaking louder might break me.

I nodded slowly, my throat dry and sore. “How long have I been out?” I croaked out.

“A day. You woke up and told me not to go to the war, then c you passed right back again,” he said. His voice was low, strained, like he hadn’t slept. “Victor said you needed rest. You scared he'll out of me.”

I could see the fear in his expression even if he tried to hide it. The great Alpha Jax, feared by everyone, brought to his knees by me.

His hand tightened around mine, and I felt the warmth of it travel up my arm. I should have been scared. After everything, including the Servinium, the danger and the fights that I have witnessed since i came into his life from my peaceful life. I should have felt like I needed space from him. But all I felt was this pull, like I belonged there, wrapped up in him, in his business. 

And still...

A piece of me drifted back to Jack.

Jack, with his crooked smile and sarcastic jokes. Jack, who had always been there, even when Jax hadn’t because of the Servinium. My heart twisted painfully. I owed him so much. He had saved me too, and Jax, even though he hated him. But what I feel with Jax? It felt different. It wasn’t safety or friendship. It was wild and raw, like my soul knew his.

I bit my lip, turning away from his stare. I didn’t want him to see how torn I was.

“You should rest more,” Jax said, brushing his thumb over my knuckles. “Victor wants to check on you again. And... the baby.”

At that, my stomach fluttered,  from the thought of the tiny life growing inside me. Our baby. The thought still felt unreal, but the way Jax said it, the way his voice softened at the word,  it made it real.

It made me remember why I had even met him in the first place. He warned me not to get pregnant for him earlier into our deal. It's funny because now, he cared. 

The room stayed quiet, and neither of us wanted to break the silence. I wanted to tell him everything. How scared I was. How confused I felt. How Hunter and Flynn’s face still haunted the corners of my thoughts. But I didn’t.

“You wanted to go to war, Jax,” I breathed out. “How was the situation salvaged?”

“Jack wanted to go, but I stopped him. I wanted to tear them apart myself, so I only increased the guards on the border.”

His mouth pressed into a hard line. “I can’t let them get away with it. They attacked the pack. They attacked us.”

“But you’re still sick, Jax,” I whispered. “The Servinium’s still inside you. If you go out there... I might lose you.”

He didn’t answer. His silence told me more than words ever could. He had already made his choice. The pack came first. Even before what I thought. Even before my concerns. Who even was I?

A sharp ache stabbed at my chest, but I swallowed it down. I couldn’t blame him. He was their Alpha. It was his duty. But it still hurt.

The door creaked open before either of us could say more. Benson stepped in, his face pale and stiff. His eyes flicked to me, then back to Jax.

“There’s news,” he said, his voice low. “Rogues were spotted again. Near the southern border.”

Jax’s whole body went still. I could feel it, the tension that wrapped around him like steel wires.

“How many?” Jax asked.

“Too many for a normal patrol to handle,” Benson said. “We’re outnumbered.”

Jax stood, letting go of my hand. The warmth left me, replaced by cold air. His Alpha mask slid back into place like a shield.

“I’ll handle it,” he said.

My heart jumped into my throat. “No,” I said quickly. “No, please, you have to rest!”

His eyes softened for just a moment, and for the first time, I saw the war going on inside him. He wanted to listen to me. But the pack’s safety came first.

“I have to do this,” he murmured, almost apologetically.

Benson hesitated at the door. His eyes met mine for the briefest second, and there was something in his look. It looked like worry, maybe, or pity. I wasn’t sure which.

When they both left, the room felt too big and too quiet. My thoughts spiraled. My head still ached, but it wasn’t the poison or the injury. It was fear.

I sat up slowly, pressing a hand against my stomach. Our baby. The life inside me that I had to protect. I couldn’t just lie there waiting for news. I had to do something. But what? I wasn’t strong like them. I wasn’t even a trained wolf. 

My mind drifted again, this time to Jack. I wondered where he was. If he was okay. If he hated me now, after everything that had happened. The last time I saw him, his face had been clouded with worry, but also something else. Something sharper. The kiss and then, Jax attacking him…must've been too much on him. 

I felt guilt in my chest for some reason. II had feelings for Jax. It was something I couldn't ignore, but Jack had been there too. With the bond and everything. 

The sound of shouts from outside snapped me out of my thoughts. I pushed myself out of bed, steadying my legs, and made my way to the window. My heart stopped.

The pack’s warriors were gathering in the yard, weapons in hand. Jax stood at the center, giving orders. His expression was calm, but I could see the tension in the way his hands clenched into fists.

They were going to war. Whether I liked it or not.

I pulled away from the window, pacing the room. I couldn’t sit here waiting for bad news. I wouldn’t. I had to stop this, or at least talk to him one last time before he did something reckless.

I grabbed the nearest sweater I could find that was his, judging by the scent and then I left the room, my steps slow and tired but determined.

The house was nearly empty, the pack’s warriors already outside. As I reached the front door, a hand grabbed my arm.

I turned sharply, expecting Jax or Benson, but it wasn’t either.

It was Jack.

His hair was a mess, his eyes sharp and full of something I couldn’t name. Relief. Anger. Pain. Maybe all three.

“You shouldn’t be out of bed,” he said, his voice low.

“What are you doing here?” I asked, breathless. Seeing him again after all the thoughts I’d had made my chest ache.

“I heard what happened,” he said, his voice softer now. “I came back the second I could. I thought you were—” He swallowed hard, unable to finish.

I stepped back, unsure what to say. Part of me wanted to fall into his arms like before, the safe place I had always known. But another part of me ached for Jax.

Before I could speak, his gaze dropped to my stomach, and the understanding washed over his face.

“You’re pregnant.” His voice was almost a whisper. Not a question. A statement.

I looked away, unable to lie. “Yes.”

His silence hurt more than his words ever could.

When he finally spoke again, his voice was distant, like he had already pulled away from me. “It’s his, isn’t it?”

I nodded, feeling the lump rise in my throat.

“Figures,” he muttered. “I always knew it would be him in the end.”

Before I could answer, another shout echoed through the house. Benson’s voice, sharp and urgent: “Jax!”

I turned, heart racing, and rushed outside while Jack was right behind me.

The scene that waited in the yard made my blood run cold. Warriors stood frozen, weapons half-raised, all of them staring at the tree line beyond the house.

A lone figure stood at the edge of the forest.

It wasn’t a rogue. It wasn’t even a stranger.

It was Flynn.

His clothes were torn, his face bloodied, but the twisted smile on his face was stronger than ever.

“Hello, Alpha,” he called out, his voice carrying through the cold air. “Miss me?”

Jax stepped forward, his posture stiff, every muscle in his body tense.

“You should’ve stayed dead. I thought I poisoned you too with Servinium?”Jax growled.

Flynn’s smile widened. “Oh, I’m not here to fight, not today. I’m here to deliver a message.”

Everyone stood still, and the air felt so tense. 

Flynn tilted his head, eyes locking with mine for a single heartbeat. The look sent a chill crawling down my spine.

“Tell your Alpha,” Flynn said, to me, his voice cold and smooth, “that war isn’t coming. It’s already here.”

And just like that, he vanished into the trees.