Chapter 6:

~Jane~

I could see it.

How hard it was for him to keep it in… whatever it was that sat just behind his eyes.

There was a distance there.

Small.

Barely noticeable.

But I knew him well enough to feel it.

To see the way his thoughts pulled at him, even while he sat right in front of me.

And a quiet tension settled beneath my ribs.

I wished he would just tell me.

This morning at breakfast… when I asked him what was wrong, he brushed it off so easily.

“It’s nothing you need to worry about.”

But I was worried.

More than I wanted to admit.

Because whatever it was… it mattered.

I knew that much.

And a small, uneasy thought crept in—

What if it had something to do with the secret he’s been keeping from me?

My fingers tightened slightly around the edge of the table before I even realized it.

“Nathan… is something wrong?” I asked softly, the words slipping out before I could stop them.

The worry I felt was already there… written all over me.

He didn’t answer right away.

That hesitation—

It said more than words ever could.

His gaze dropped for just a second before returning to mine, and I saw it again.

That conflict.

“I don’t mean to worry you, Jane…” he said quietly.

His voice was gentle.

Careful.

Too careful.

“I’m sorry,” he continued after a brief pause. “It’s nothing you need to worry about. Just something my father and I have been handling.”

Handling.

The word lingered.

Vague.

Unfinished.

Like there was more sitting right behind it… waiting to be said.

But he didn’t say it.

He stopped himself.

And I felt it.

That wall going back up.

“Is everything okay, Nathan?” I asked, softer this time.

He held my gaze for a moment longer.

“It should be,” he said. “If everything goes as expected… it will be.”

The word ‘if’ settled into me, heavier than I expected.

Because it meant something could go wrong.

And whatever this was…

It wasn’t small.

What could possibly be happening?

The question hit me all at once, fast and overwhelming.

Was something about to happen?

Was it him?

Was it Zander?

My heart slammed against my chest, the rhythm uneven as the thought took hold.

Was he coming?

Air stalled in my lungs… as fear curled its way through me, cold and consuming.

Was this what Nathan was keeping from me?

The possibility wrapped around my thoughts, pulling me under before I could stop it.

Before I could steady myself—before I could think at all.

But then—

His thumb moved gently over my skin.

Slow.

Steady.

Grounding.

And just like that, I felt it.

Him.

Drawing me out of it.

“I promise, Jane… everything is okay,” he said softly.

I looked up at him, meeting his gaze.

And there it was.

That certainty.

That promise in his eyes made something inside me loosen—enough to breathe again.

Before I could say anything, the waiter returned, breaking through the moment.

Plates in hand, he stepped up to our table and began placing the food down in front of us.

The scent hit me instantly—warm, rich, comforting.

“Hope the two of you enjoy,” he said politely. “If you need anything, just let me know.”

He gave a small nod before turning and heading over to Jay’s table, setting his plate down as well before disappearing back toward the kitchen.

I glanced down at the food in front of me.

It looked amazing.

For a second… everything else faded.

“This looks really good,” I said, glancing back up at Nathan.

A small smile touched his lips.

“It does.”

A quiet pause settled between us again.

Not as heavy this time.

But still there.

“How were your classes?” he asked, his voice casual… like he was trying to smooth over the silence.

“Same as always,” I replied with a small shrug. “Just another day.”

It felt like the easiest answer.

The safest one.

“And your day?” I asked, watching him a little more closely this time.

He glanced down at his plate for a brief second before lifting his eyes back to mine.

“Just another day,” he said. “Had a meeting with my father.”

There it was again.

That carefulness.

Not a lie…

But not the full truth either.

“I almost forgot,” he added after a moment. “I saw my mom earlier. She said she wants to see you—start planning for your birthday.”

My chest tightened slightly at that.

Of course she did.

“Okay,” I said softly. “I’ll go see her after school.”

He nodded, and for a moment, neither of us spoke.

My gaze drifted back down to my plate, but my thoughts weren’t there.

They were already days ahead.

To my birthday.

To the moment everything would change.

I was excited.

I wanted to meet my wolf.

To finally understand that part of myself.

But the excitement was tangled with something else.

Something heavier.

Because when that moment came…

When she awakened…

She would find our mate.

And I didn’t know what scared me more—

That it might be him…

Or that it might not be.

We ate quietly after that.

The silence between us softer now, not empty… just still.

Like something unspoken lingered beneath it.

But even with everything weighing on my mind—

Being here with him…

Sitting across from him like this…

It still felt like everything.

Like no matter what was waiting ahead…

This—

Us—

Was what mattered most.

As we finished our food, it wasn’t long before our waiter returned, placing the bill neatly on the table.

Nathan reached for it without hesitation, pulling out his wallet and slipping his card free before handing both to the waiter.

“I’ll also be paying for our friend’s meal,” he added, gesturing lightly toward Jay.

The waiter nodded. “Of course.”

He stepped away, and within a minute, he was back again, handing Nathan his card.

“Thank you,” Nathan said as he took it.

“Of course. I hope you enjoyed everything,” the waiter replied with a friendly smile. “You both have a great rest of your day.”

“Thank you,” I said, returning the smile softly. “You too.”

With one last nod, he turned and walked away, leaving the two of us alone again.

Nathan stood first, pushing his chair back before walking around the table toward me.

“Are you ready to head out, Jane?” he asked gently.

He held his hand out to me.

And for a second…

I hesitated.

Not because I didn’t want to go.

But because I wasn’t ready for this moment to end.

There was something about this… about us sitting here together, away from everything else, that felt too perfect to let go of so quickly.

Like if I stood up…

It would disappear.

But reality was waiting.

It always was.

So I placed my hand in his.

And just like that, his fingers closed around mine, warm and familiar as he helped me to my feet.

I didn’t let go.

Neither did he.

Hand in hand, we made our way toward the front of the restaurant, Jay standing and falling into step behind us without a word.

“Thank you! Hope to see you again!” the hostess called from behind the counter as we approached the door.

Nathan gave a small nod. “Thank you.”

Then he pushed the door open.

And we stepped outside.

The breeze greeted me instantly, soft and cool against my skin, carrying the scent of fresh air and something faintly sweet from nearby flowers.

For a moment, I just stood there.

Taking it in.

The sunlight.

The warmth of his hand still wrapped around mine.

The quiet peace that seemed to exist whenever I was with him.

It was perfect.

Simple.

But perfect.

As Nathan drove me back to school, I stared out the window, watching the world blur past in streaks of light and shadow. The low hum of the engine filled the quiet between us, steady… grounding. Warm sunlight filtered through the glass, brushing softly against my skin—but I barely felt it.

His hand still held mine, warm and steady.

But my thoughts…

They weren’t steady.

They tangled together—everything at once.

What he was keeping from me.

My birthday.

The unknown waiting just ahead.

It all pressed in, building, tightening in my chest until it felt like I couldn’t breathe.

And the more I tried to push it away…

The stronger it came back.

And it refused to let me ignore it.

I don’t know how long I stayed lost in it.

Seconds.

Minutes.

But then—

I felt it.

His touch.

His hand against my cheek, his thumb moving slowly over my skin, grounding me.

Pulling me back.

I blinked, my breath catching as the haze of my thoughts cleared.

When I looked at him, he was already looking at me.

Watching me.

Our eyes met.

And just like that—the world narrowed to him.

The hum of the engine faded into something distant, muffled. Even the light shifting through the windshield felt dimmer somehow… like everything outside the car had fallen away.

All that remained—was him.

The way his gaze held mine.

The way something unspoken passed between us… building, tightening… until it felt like it had nowhere else to go.

“Jane…” he breathed.

“Nathan…” I whispered back, my voice barely more than air.

The sound of our names felt heavier than anything else in that moment.

And then—

That pull.

A quiet warmth spread through my chest… drawing me toward him.

Stronger than before.

It called us to each other.

He couldn’t hold back.

Not this time.

He hesitated—just for a second, his jaw tightening like he was fighting something—before finally leaning in…

His breath brushed mine first—warm, unsteady—like even that small distance was hard to hold.

Our lips met—

and for a moment… everything else disappeared. The world that was just around us, it no longer existed.

The kiss was soft at first…

But it didn’t stay that way.

The moment his lips touched mine, something inside me ignited.

Heat spread through me instantly, fast and consuming, like every part of me had come alive all at once.

My fingers curled against him as I leaned closer without thinking.

Without stopping myself.

I needed him.

In a way that went deeper than I could explain.

Deeper than I understood.

It wasn’t just desire.

It was something more.

A pull that reached into my soul and caught on something deeper.

Before I could even think, I had unfastened my seatbelt. A flicker of hesitation surfaced—but it didn’t last. I was already moving toward him, drawn in like I couldn’t fight it even if I tried.

His hands found my waist instantly, steady and firm, pulling me closer as I sat in his lap.

The space between us vanished in an instant—replaced by warmth, by pressure, by the undeniable reality of him.

There was no distance left to think through. No space to second-guess.

Just him.

Our bodies pressed together, heat building between us.

“Jane…” he murmured, his voice rough, strained.

My name on his lips sent another wave through me.

“Nathan…” I breathed, barely able to hold onto the sound.

His lips moved from mine, trailing along my jaw—

Down to my neck.

And the second they brushed that place—

Everything inside me tightened.

That spot.

Like it wasn’t just a place on my skin… but a place meant for him.

Not with thought… but with something deeper.

Something instinctive.

My body recognized it long before my mind did—like it had always known. Like somewhere deep inside me, I had already known the shape of him.

Like it had been waiting… quietly, patiently… for this exact moment.

For him.

My fingers curled tighter against him as something inside me shifted—subtle at first, then undeniable.

A quiet pull rising in my chest before I could stop it.

My breath hitched sharply as it deepened—stronger than anything I had ever felt before.

Not just heat.

Not just want.

Something older than both.

Something that felt like recognition.

Like my body understood him in a way my mind hadn’t caught up to yet.

A force that made my chest ache with its intensity.

A need rising from somewhere deep inside me, calling out in a way I couldn’t control.

My pulse stuttered—then surged—like something in me had already chosen before I ever could.

For a split second—

I didn’t question it.

I wanted it.

Wanted him to claim me.

To mark me there.

To make it real.

The thought alone sent a wave through me—stronger the second I let myself feel it—consuming, stealing whatever control I had left.

The things he does to me… it’s more than I can hold onto.

Too intense—more than I could stop.

The way every part of me unravels when I’m with him… it makes it impossible to think about anything else. Anyone else.

I only ever want this with him.

Not because I chose it… but because something in me already had.

I want to lose myself in him completely… to give him every piece of who I am without hesitation.

The fire inside me only grows stronger, hotter, impossible to ignore.

My fingers move on their own, tangling into the back of his hair, pulling him closer like letting go wasn’t an option.

A low sound escapes him—something between a groan and a restrained growl—as his grip on my hips tightens, grounding me against him.

I feel it then.

Not just my need for him…

But his for me.

It’s stronger now. Less controlled.

Nathan is always so careful. Always holding himself back, controlling every movement, every reaction.

But right now…

That control is slipping.

“Jane…” His voice is rough, breaking slightly as his lips press against the sensitive curve of my neck.

My breath catches, my head tilting back without thought, giving him more access.

“Nathan… please,” I whisper, the word barely more than a breath, but filled with everything I’m feeling.

Everything I want.

His hands leave my hips, sliding upward, slipping beneath the fabric of my shirt. The moment his skin meets mine, heat rushes through me like wildfire.

I can’t stop the way my body leans into him, drawn to his touch like it’s the only thing keeping me grounded.

“I love you so much, Jane Foster,” he murmurs against my neck, his lips never leaving that spot—that place that sends sparks straight through me.

“I love you too,” I breathe. “Nathan… I need you.”

The words feel dangerous the moment they leave me.

Too honest. Too real.

And then—

He stops.

His lips pull away from my skin, and before I can process it, his forehead rests against mine. Our breaths collide, uneven and heavy, mirroring each other.

The sudden distance hit harder than I expected.

Like being pulled away before I was ready.

The warmth was still there… but already fading in the space he’d put between us.

A sharp wave of disappointment crashes over me.

For just a moment… I thought this was it.

That he would finally let go.

That we would stop holding back… stop fighting whatever this is between us.

But just like every time before—

He pulls away.

The words slip out before I can stop them.

“Do you not want me?”

The question felt fragile the moment it left me—like something I couldn’t take back.

My voice is softer than I expect… but it carries the hurt I can’t hide.

My eyes stay closed for a second longer, like I’m afraid of what I’ll see if I open them.

His hands move, sliding out from under my shirt, only to come up and cup my face gently.

Carefully.

Like I’m something fragile.

When I finally open my eyes, I’m met with his gaze—and it steals the breath from my lungs.

Pain.

Regret.

Deeper than anything I could name.

“Of course I want you, Jane,” he says, his voice low, thick with emotion. “More than I can even begin to explain. I want to make you mine.”

My heart stutters at his words.

“But…” he continues, his thumb brushing softly against my cheek, “this isn’t the right time. Believe me… it takes everything in me not to give in. To you. To this.”

His jaw tightens slightly, like even admitting that costs him.

“I want to,” he adds quietly. “I really do. But this… it’s not the way it should happen.”

Frustration and fear twist together inside me.

“But I’m ready, Nathan,” I whisper, my voice trembling now. “I only want this with you. I want to give myself to you… completely.”

I hesitate, the thought catching in my chest before I can stop it.

“What if…” My voice falters, but I force myself to keep going. “What if you’re not the one?”

The words feel wrong the moment I say them.

Like I don’t believe them… but I’m still afraid of them.

“What if I’m meant to be with someone else?” I continue, the fear spilling out now. “I just… I want this with you. In every way. Before it’s too late.”

The silence that follows stretches thin—quiet, breakable.

Because underneath my words… underneath everything I’m feeling…

Is a truth I’m almost too afraid to face.

Even if he isn’t my mate…

I still want him.

And that might be the most dangerous part of all.