Chapter 50 DENIAL
Jake’s POV:
Neither of us spoke.
The silence stretched - thick, heavy.
I hated how aware I was of him. Of his breathing. Of the way the air between us felt charged, like something waiting to snap.
He wasn’t smiling.
Wasn’t pleased.
If anything, he looked just as unsettled as I felt.
Good.
That meant this wasn’t one-sided.
That meant fate had screwed us both.
“You should move,” I said flatly.
The words came out colder than I intended - but not by much.
The man blinked. Once.
Then his brows drew together.
“Excuse me?”
I gestured vaguely between us, not bothering to hide my irritation.
“You’re standing in my space.”
His gaze flicked - again, unmistakably - to my wrist.
My jaw tightened.
“And whatever you think is happening,” I added sharply, “You’re wrong.”
He didn’t move an inch.
Just stood there.
Right in front of me.
His eyes drifted back to my arm like it had personally offended him, brow furrowing deeper the longer he stared.
I watched his throat bob as he swallowed.
“How’s this even possible?” he muttered under his breath.
That did it.
“Exactly,” I snapped. “It’s not.”
His head jerked up, eyes flicking to mine.
“Which is why,” I continued coldly, “We shouldn’t waste time standing around trying to unravel something that isn’t even possible in the first place.”
I took a step back, deliberately breaking whatever invisible tension was pulling us together. “Simple. Logical. Done.”
For a heartbeat, he just looked at me.
Then he scoffed.
Actually scoffed.
“You make it sound like I want this,” he said sharply.
“I don’t even know you. And in my wildest dreams—” he shook his head, clearly exasperated, “—I never once imagined I’d end up mated to a guy. Especially one who looks like he wants to punch me.”
Oh.
No.
That word landed wrong.
Very wrong.
I closed the distance between us in two long strides before I could stop myself, teeth clenched so hard my jaw ached.
“Don’t repeat that,” I growled.
His eyes widened slightly—not in fear, but surprise.
At how fast I moved.
At how close I was now.
“I didn’t say—”
“I don’t care what you meant,” I cut in, voice low and dangerous.
“You don’t get to talk like that.”
He stared at me for a second, clearly reassessing.
Then, incredulously, he laughed.
A short, sharp sound.
“You’re kidding, right?” he said. “You’re acting like I’m the one okay with this.”
My wolf stirred smugly.
I ignored him.
“Funny,” I said tightly, “Because you’re the one still standing here.”
His lips pressed into a thin line.
“And you’re the one who hasn’t stopped staring since I walked over.”
That earned him a glare.
“Don’t flatter yourself.”
He raised a brow. “You already used that line.”
I hated that he noticed.
I hated more that my wolf seemed entertained.
He glanced down at my wrist again, then back up, irritation plain on his face. “For the record,” he said, “I’m not okay with this. Not even a little.”
“Good,” I shot back. “Then we agree.”
Silence fell again—charged, awkward, infuriating.
And yet…
Neither of us stepped away.
Which was ridiculous.
Absolutely ridiculous.
My wolf hummed, deeply pleased.
Two stubborn idiots. Perfect match.
I clenched my fists.
He exhaled slowly, like he was trying not to lose his temper.
“You know,” he said, voice tight but oddly controlled, “For someone who’s very clearly been marked—”
My jaw clenched.
“—for someone whose skin the mark actually appeared on,” he continued, unfazed, “You sound awfully determined to act like it somehow landed on mine.”
I said nothing.
He tilted his head slightly, studying me now instead of my wrist.
“I get it,” he went on. “The irritation. The disgust.” His mouth twitched. “Trust me, I’m still in shock myself.”
That earned him my full attention.
“But let’s not pretend this is normal,” he added. “Because it’s not. And whatever this is?” He gestured vaguely between us.
“It feels less like fate and more like a punishment.”
My stomach tightened.
“A curse,” he said plainly. “That’s what this looks like.”
The word sank deep.
“And let’s leave fate out of this,” he continued, irritation slipping through now.
“Because I don’t believe the Moon Goddess is cruel enough to do something like this just for fun. Not without a reason.”
Silence crashed down between us.
Heavy.
Loaded.
My jaw tightened as his words settled, sharp and unwelcome.
A reason.
The bar seemed to fade around me - until all I could hear was another voice.
Older.
Gravelly.
“You’re standing on the edge of something you don’t understand.”
My breath hitched.
The old man’s warning echoed louder now, threading itself through my thoughts, twisting tighter with every second.
Was this it?
Was this the edge he’d meant?
I swallowed hard, my gaze dropping to my wrist again - still glowing faintly beneath my skin, still undeniable.
Clara.
Her name burned through me.
Was this because of her?
Because I’d wanted the mark gone so badly - wanted it erased from her skin even though I knew she was already fated to someone else?
Because I’d refused to accept it?
Because I’d pushed.
Demanded.
Disobeyed.
My chest tightened painfully.
Had this been the price?
I didn’t know what to make of any of it anymore.
The world I understood—fate, marks, bonds—felt tilted, warped into something unfamiliar and cruel.
I lifted my gaze slowly.
He was still watching me.
Not mocking.
Not smug.
Just… irritated. Confused. Trying, annoyingly, to make sense of it all.
Which somehow made it worse.
My wolf shifted uneasily inside me, no longer smug—just quiet.
Listening.
For the first time tonight, I didn’t have a sharp comeback.
Didn’t have denial ready on my tongue.
I just stood there, staring at a stranger who might be tied to my fate—or my punishment—wondering if the man had been right all along.
Wondering if I really had crossed a line I didn’t understand.
And if this—
Him—
Was the consequence?
I was still standing there - half trapped in my thoughts, half drowning in that cursed glow on my wrist - when a voice cut straight through the fog in my head.
Soft. Careful. Nervous.
“U-um… sirs,” she said, clearing her throat. “We’re done for the day now. I think you both—”
“Shut the hell up.”
The words came out at the exact same time.
We both turned our heads toward her in sync.
The poor woman flinched like she’d been struck.
Her eyes widened, shock freezing her in place for half a second too long - and that’s when I recognized her.
Of course.
She was the one.
The lady who had been eye-fucking me since I walked into the bar. Lingering looks. Too-long smiles. Pretending to wipe the same counter spot for twenty minutes straight.
Now she just stared at us like she’d walked into the wrong nightmare.
Her mouth opened. Closed.
Then she scurried off without another word, clearly insulted and definitely traumatized.
Good.
I snapped my gaze back to him.
He was already watching me—arms loose at his sides, irritation etched deep into his face like he’d been carved that way.
“That,” I said flatly, “Was unnecessary.”
He snorted. “You started it.”
I ignored that.
“Whatever the hell this is,” I continued, gesturing sharply at my wrist and then vaguely between us, “I’m going to figure it out. And I don’t need you beside me while I do it.”
His lips twitched. “Funny. I was about to say the same thing.”
“I don’t want to cross paths with you ever again,” I added, voice firm.
He rolled his eyes so hard I thought they might stick.
“Yeah, me too. It’s not like I’m eager to get myself entangled with chaos and bad luck.”
I froze.
Slowly, I turned my head back toward him.
“Chaos and bad luck?” I repeated.
He shrugged. “If the shoe fits.”
My wolf bristled.
I took a breath - deep, controlled - and stepped past him before I said something that would end in blood or broken furniture.
“Don’t follow me,” I said without looking back.
“I don’t intend to,” he replied instantly.
We locked eyes one last time.
Long.
Hard.
Stubborn.
And that’s when I noticed it.
Black boots.
Black jeans.
Black shirt.
Black jacket.
From head to toe.
Matching - with my black suit.
Of all the damn things.
The universe really had jokes.
My wolf hummed, amused.
Shut up, I told him.
I turned away before the irritation could root itself deeper and walked out of the bar, the door swinging shut behind me with a solid finality.
That was it.
Chapter closed.
Done.
Finished.
At least - that’s what I told myself.
But as the cool night air hit my face and my wrist throbbed faintly beneath my skin, only one thought anchored itself firmly in my mind.
I was paying that old, cocky bastard another visit.
For the second time.
And this time?
He was answering every damn question.