Chapter Three:

~Jane~

The bell rang.

And just like that… everything felt real again.

Our world—soft, quiet, untouched—slipped away, leaving only reality behind.

It was time.

Time to be apart again.

And no matter how many times it happened… it never got easier.

Our fingers remained intertwined, neither of us ready to let go just yet. Around us, the crowd of students began to thin, voices fading as they rushed to class.

But we didn’t move.

We stayed there… holding onto what little time we had left.

Nathan’s arm wrapped around me, pulling me closer, and the moment our eyes met… everything else seemed to disappear.

My heart began to race, each beat louder than the last as I took him in—every detail, every feeling—trying to hold onto it before he had to leave.

Slowly, he released my hand, his fingers trailing away only to lift to my cheek.

Like he needed this… one last moment.

Like I did.

As we stood there, lost in each other, I barely registered Riley’s voice somewhere in the distance.

“I’ll let you two have a moment. I’ll see you in class, Jane.”

Her words faded almost as quickly as they came, swallowed by the silence that settled around us.

And then it was just us.

Alone.

Nathan leaned in, and our lips met.

The kiss was slow… unhurried… like he was trying to memorize me.

My hands moved from his chest into his hair, holding onto him just as tightly, not wanting the moment to slip away.

For a few heartbeats, nothing else existed.

Just him.

Just us.

Then slowly… he pulled back.

My eyes remained closed as his forehead rested against mine, his breath warm against my skin as he inhaled deeply—like he was trying to take a part of me with him.

I didn’t want him to go.

But I could feel it—

The moment slipping.

The second bell would ring soon.

I opened my eyes and looked up at him.

There was something in his expression… something softer.

Something that mirrored exactly how I felt.

This was hard for him too.

His hand brushed gently against my cheek one last time.

“I love you, Jane Foster,” he murmured, his voice low. “I’ll see you at lunch.”

“I love you too, Nathan,” I whispered back.

He leaned forward, pressing a soft kiss to my forehead.

And then—

He let me go.

I felt it immediately.

That space.

That absence.

He stepped back, and with every step he took down the hallway, something inside me seemed to stretch thinner… weaker… like the bond between us was being pulled tight.

Until—

He was gone.

Out of sight.

A quiet, broken breath slipped from my lips before I could stop it.

I stood there for a moment, trying to steady myself… trying to hold onto the feeling he left behind.

But it never stayed the same once he was gone.

It never did.

Swallowing the ache, I turned and made my way into the classroom just as the second bell rang.

And just like that—

The school day was beginning.

As I stepped into the classroom, Jay followed close behind—just like he always did.

Even after all this time, I had grown used to his presence. From my very first day at this school, he had been there… watching, protecting, standing just close enough to remind me I wasn’t alone.

I knew why.

While Nathan couldn’t be here with me, Jay was.

A constant reminder that I was being protected.

Because even though things had been quiet… even though there hadn’t been any new threats from Zander—

That didn’t mean he was gone.

He was still out there.

Waiting.

And with my birthday getting closer, the fear had only grown stronger.

Because I knew him.

Zander wasn’t the kind of man who gave up.

When he wanted something… he found a way to take it.

And I knew—

He still wanted me.

The thought alone made something cold settle deep in my chest.

His presence still lingered in ways I couldn’t escape.

In my dreams.

In the quiet moments.

In the shadows of my thoughts.

His voice still found me sometimes… low, haunting… like a whisper I couldn’t fully shut out.

And every night, I prayed to the Moon Goddess.

Prayed that she would protect me.

That she would keep him away.

There had been moments—small ones—where I almost felt safe.

When Nathan would take me out… to the mall, or just somewhere quiet where it was only the two of us.

Even then, Jay and Zackary were never far.

Always watching.

Always ready.

But fear doesn’t disappear that easily.

It lingers.

Even in the safest moments.

Because there’s always that thought—

That maybe he’s watching.

Waiting.

Looking for the exact moment I’m unguarded.

The exact moment he can take me.

My chest tightened as the thought took hold.

I don’t want to be taken from Nathan.

I can’t.

The fear twisted deeper, sharper now.

I couldn’t become the next victim.

I couldn’t end up like Sara.

The memory hit harder than I expected.

That night.

The way everything changed in an instant.

The way Zander looked at me—

Even back then…

Like I already belonged to him.

A quiet breath left me, uneven, as I forced the memory back.

“Is everything okay, Jane?”

Jay’s voice came from behind me, steady but laced with concern.

It pulled me back instantly.

I blinked, grounding myself, before turning slightly to look at him.

“Yes,” I said softly, giving a small nod. “Sorry.”

His eyes lingered on me for a second longer, like he wasn’t entirely convinced… but he didn’t push.

He never did.

I continued to make my way to my desk beside Riley.

She glanced over at me, her expression warm, offering me a small smile.

I returned it, grateful for the normalcy of it, before taking my seat.

Jay continued past, moving toward the back of the room where he took his usual position—quiet, watchful, always aware.

It didn’t take long before Mr. Cole stood from his desk.

The room gradually settled as his gaze moved over the class.

“Good morning, class,” he said.

A few scattered responses followed as he stepped forward.

“Take out your books and turn to Chapter 25.”

The sound of pages flipping filled the room.

Placing my book in front of me on the desk. I then opened it, my fingers moving automatically as I turned to the chapter.

“I’d like for you all to fill these out while reading the chapter,” Mr. Cole said, moving between the desks as he placed a packet in front of each of us.

Once he finished, he returned to his desk and sat down.

The classroom fell into silence, broken only by the soft turning of pages and the scratch of pencils against paper.

I tried to focus.

I really did.

But it didn’t take long before my thoughts drifted.

Back to him.

They always do.

No matter how hard I try to pretend everything is normal while I’m here… it never really is.

Because he’s always there.

In my mind.

In my chest.

In every quiet space between thoughts.

I can still see his eyes—those deep blue eyes that always seem to look straight through me, like he can see every part of who I am. The way he holds me… strong, steady… like nothing in the world could take me from him.

The sound of his heartbeat when I rest against him.

The way everything inside me unravels when I’m in his arms.

It’s not just a feeling.

It’s everything.

And I want it—

All of it—

For the rest of my life.

My fingers tightened slightly around my pencil as my thoughts shifted again… this time somewhere deeper.

Somewhere that always aches.

I can’t help but wonder what my life would have been… if things had been different.

If Oliver hadn’t helped my parents get me out.

If they hadn’t risked everything to protect me.

To save me from Zander.

Even after losing Sara… they still found the strength to fight for me.

To choose me.

The memory of that night still lingers—the look on their faces when I had to leave them behind.

It breaks something inside me every time I think about it.

I miss them.

More than I can even put into words.

Not a single day passes where I don’t wish I could see them again… talk to them… know that they’re safe.

That thought alone twists painfully in my chest.

Because I don’t know.

I don’t know if they’re okay.

I don’t know if Zander found out what they did.

And the possibility that he might have hurt them because of me—

It’s unbearable.

My chest tightened, my breath catching slightly as I stared down at the page in front of me without really seeing it.

What I wouldn’t give to have them here.

With me.

I know they would love it here… this life, this place… the peace I’ve somehow found.

Nathan.

A soft warmth flickered through me at the thought of him, easing some of the tightness in my chest.

Everything with him has been… more than I ever imagined I could have.

Every day.

Every moment.

It’s everything I’ve ever dreamed of… and more.

But even with all of that—

There’s still a part of me that feels… incomplete.

A quiet emptiness that never fully fades.

The part of me that still needs my parents.

Still longs for them.

And no matter how much happiness I’ve found…

That piece of me still aches.

“Jane?”

Riley’s voice came softly from beside me, pulling me back into the classroom.

I blinked a few times, my vision clearing as I forced myself out of my thoughts. Turning my head, I met her gaze.

“Are you okay?” she asked, concern lacing her voice.

“Yeah… just thinking about some things, that’s all,” I replied, offering her a small smile, hoping it was enough to ease her worry.

Her expression didn’t fully relax.

“You seem to do that a lot, Jane,” she said gently. “I know you must be going through something. I just… worry about you.”

Guilt tugged at my chest.

“I’m sorry, Riley. I don’t mean to,” I said softly.

She hesitated for a moment before asking, “Are you worried about your birthday coming up?”

I paused.

Just for a second.

“A little,” I admitted.

If only she knew.

If only she understood everything that night truly meant… everything that could change.

“I just know it’s going to be the best birthday ever,” Riley said, her smile brightening. “The Moon Light Pack throws the best celebrations. Luna Lauren goes all out. And this is your wolf awakening—it’s a huge deal.”

Her excitement was genuine. Pure.

“Plus, I’m definitely coming,” she added. “I wouldn’t miss your big night for anything.”

A small smile found its way to my lips.

Even with everything weighing on me… I tried to hold onto that moment. To her excitement. To something simple.

“Thank you, Riley,” I said quietly.

But beneath it—

The worry remained.

The fear of what that night could bring.

The possibility that Nathan… might not be my mate.

Before I could sink too far into it, the sharp sound of the bell rang through the room, breaking the moment.

“Before all of you leave,” Mr. Cole called from the front, “if you haven’t finished your packet, I expect it done by next class.”

I slipped the packet into my book and stood from my desk. Riley gathered her things beside me, and almost instantly, I felt it—

Jay.

Standing close by.

Waiting.

Ready.

Together, we stepped out into the crowded hallway, the noise and movement swallowing us