Chapter 178 NO TIME FOR TRUST
Jax's POV
I gathered my scattered clothes and moved toward the bedroom, my steps slow but restless. My mind was not in the room. It was with her. It was always with her. I needed to bathe, clear my head, and find a way to see Lyra before the day slipped away from me.
The thought of her alone made my chest tighten. There was something about her that I could not resist. It was not just desire. It felt deeper, stronger, like a pull I could not fight.
I could not deny it anymore. The sweetness she brought into my life was something I had never known. Not even once.
I leaned against the wall for a second, closing my eyes as memories rushed in. The way she smiled. The way her voice softened when she spoke to me. The way her touch made everything else fade away.
I had known many she-wolf. I had taken what I wanted before. But Lyra was different.
She was gentle, yet strong. Quiet, yet full of life.
And it scared me how much I needed her.
I let out a slow breath and stepped into the bathroom. The cold tiles touched my feet, pulling me back to the present. I turned on the shower and let the water fall over my body.
Still, my thoughts refused to settle.
They drifted again.
I remembered Mila. The first time and the only time I had touched her , the first time I had felt that rush. I thought nothing could ever feel the same again. I thought that part of me had died with her.
But Lyra…
She awakened something in me I believed was gone forever.
I ran a hand over my face, frustrated with myself. I could not think straight whenever I was alone. Every quiet moment turned into thoughts of her. Every silence became her name echoing in my mind.
And then there was Rosa.
My expression hardened instantly.
Rosa was everything Lyra was not. Harsh. Cold. Calculating. Manipulative. Or maybe I was a bit wrong but couldn't be totally wrong.
There was no warmth in her, no softness. Only ambition and control.
I clenched my jaw.
Had it been she had left the pack when she wanted to leave a few moments back. I would not stop her. In fact, I would celebrate it. I would gather everyone by morning and announce Lyra as my new Luna without hesitation.
The thought brought a small, dangerous smile to my lips.
Lyra standing beside me. Lyra wearing the title that truly belonged to her.
It felt right.
I tilted my head back, letting the water run down my face. My thoughts kept building, stacking one over the other without pause.
I imagined a life away from all this chaos. A place where it was just us. No dirty politics. No lies. No constant watch over my shoulder.
I would tell her to leave her duties in the pack. She did not need to work anymore.
I would give her everything she wanted. Any house, land or anything she wanted.
We could start over.
We could build something real.
A family. Though the healer said I couldn't have one. Maybe the moon goddess can bestow mercy on my seed in between my legs and deposit into her that heir I have been praying for .
The idea settled in my chest, warm and dangerous.
If Rosa still wanted to sit on her empty throne, she could keep it. I no longer cared. She had already crossed too many lines.
My hands curled into fists as anger mixed with my thoughts.
Everything felt like too much at once. Desire. Rage. Suspicion. Hope.
It all crashed together in my head like a storm I could not control.
Then suddenly, something struck me.
My eyes snapped open.
The water kept running, but I no longer felt it.
The omega.
The one that is going with me to alpha Dominion's pack to show me where Brielle is recuperating tomorrow.
My heart skipped a beat.
What if something went wrong?
What if the same people who had paid the chief priest to stay silent reached him first?
My chest tightened as the thought grew darker.
I had been careless again.
I stepped out of the shower quickly, water dripping from my body onto the floor. My mind raced faster now. Every second felt important.
I could not allow that omega to move freely. Not with the gold bar I had given him. Not with Rosa so close.
A deep suspicion settled in my gut.
Something about all this pointed back to her. The lies. The silence. The secrets.
It all felt connected.
But I had no proof.
And that was the problem.
Without proof, I could not act as alpha.
If I made a wrong move, the council would turn against me. The elders would twist the story. They would say I acted out of jealousy or madness.
They would say I killed my own mate.
Even if she did not deserve the title.
Even if the bond meant nothing to me.
I exhaled sharply, forcing myself to calm down. Anger would not help me now.
I reached for my towel and dried my body quickly. Every movement was sharp and focused. I needed to act, not think.
I dressed in my royal regalia, the fabric sitting perfectly on my shoulders. It gave me the look of control, even when my thoughts were anything but steady.
By the time I stepped out of the room, my face showed nothing. No doubt, fear or anger.
Just authority.
A guard stood nearby, alert and silent.
I walked up to him without hesitation.
“You,” I said firmly. “Go and call the guard that just left here.”
“Yes, my lord,” he replied at once, bowing before hurrying away.
I glanced at the time. Afternoon was close. I had not eaten since morning, but hunger was the last thing on my mind.
Trust was rare in this palace.
The only person I trusted to prepare my food was Lyra. Anyone else could be bought. Anyone else could be turned against me.
That was the truth of this pack.
Nothing was pure anymore.
Minutes passed slowly, each one stretching longer than it should.
Finally, the servant returned.
He dropped to his knees before me, his head lowered.
I studied him carefully. Every movement. Every breath but let wait and see.
“I hope you have your gold bar,” I said, my voice calm but firm.
“Yes, my lord,” he replied quickly.
His face lit up with gratitude, a wide smile spreading across it.
“My lord, you have completely changed my life,” he added, his voice filled with excitement.
I watched him closely as he spoke, noting every detail. The way he held the gold. The way he knelt. The way his voice trembled slightly under the joy.
Then I gave my command.
“Get your stuff ready now,” I said.
He looked up, confused.
“We are leaving for Alpha Dominion’s pack.”
His eyes widened.
“N… now?”
“Yes… now!”