You're our mate?

Chapter 14

Jacob's POV

"Jacob, you're awake!" Gab said, and despite the usual deep grit in his voice, you could hear the relief under those several layers. He seemed to forget about the Viper completely and came to me. He grabbed my arm and inspected me from head to toe. "You are awake," he said again. This time it had a little less relief and more realization. Then he said it one more time and his grip on my arm fastened stronger. "Why do you always have to be so stubborn? I told you that you are not supposed to go to the werewolf territory, and yet you still ignored orders and went ahead to do what you wanted to. How are we going to lead our people if this is how you act out every time?"

I sighed deeply. As much as I would have loved to be scolded in front of one of our greatest nemesis and a regular guard, that would just have to wait for another time, but not now. "I'll explain everything later, Gab, but now..."

I snatched the keys away from him and rushed over, using my Lycan speed to lock the cell back up again, throwing the keys inside. Then I gave the Viper a look that told her that if she knew what was good for herself, she wouldn't try to sneak out with those keys, because standing at the other side was a man who casually bathed in the blood of his enemies, and so far she definitely confirmed herself as one.

She looked between me and the keys, and there was also relief in her eyes. I didn't know that she could actually feel fear. She had been so audacious with me, but I guess when she knew that her end was inevitable, suddenly she cared. Or did she just not take me seriously?

I found myself looking at her again. It was a stupid habit that I would have to learn how to kick very quickly, but this time I really couldn't help it because I was thinking about our drive into the Lycan territory. I was in the front seat, slumped onto her as she maneuvered the road and all the hurdles it threw in her way. Through what seemed like a fever dream, I could remember her fingers swimming through my hair, smoothing it down, a wet cloth wiping over my body when the sweat became too much, and when she looked at me occasionally, a fierce desperation that my life would not be lost.

She didn't have to go that far. I would have probably survived without that care until I came here, I would have just been deeply uncomfortable. But she still went that far, and unfortunately, that means I owe her now.

"Are you out of your mind?" I heard Gabriel say behind me. He came over and grabbed my arm tighter this time than before. I backed away from the bars so that I would not be burnt by them.

"She saved my life."

Hearing that, his jaw fell open for a second. He turned to look at her, then back at me, and this movement continued a bit more before his lips curved downward, showing the same stubbornness that he so often accused me of.

"Even if she saved your life like you are saying right now, she was probably the reason why you were in danger in the first place. Why am I the only one seeing that she is a problem? We need to do something about her..."

I could see the anger in his eyes and I could not blame him for it either. It wasn't as if I had forgotten that many of our men had fallen because of her, that a war that had already been known in our previous lives had now come back again and we had to watch people precious to us die. On all sides, of course, I hated her too, but this was less about our feelings and more about what use she could be towards our life.

"Lucien is having a meeting now with the Moon Council, at least that's what the guard told me when he came to my room after I was already awake..." I could see Gabriel shoot the guard with a death glare, but he finally released me. I knew if I pulled up my shirt now, there would be bruises, well, by the time I pulled it down anyways, they would have completely disappeared thanks to our enhanced healing abilities. Maybe that's why he never hesitated getting rough on me ever since we were kids.

"So what are you saying?" he asked me, even though he had already predicted what I was going to say. But I gave him the answer anyways, mostly because it was for the Viper, not just for him. "We need to wait for Lucien. When he is here, we will all be able to decide what to do with her. We will make a vote."

He raked his fingers through his hair. "What's the point of a vote when I know that both of you are going to decide not to kill her?"

"That's exactly the point of a vote, Gab. Besides, do you think that we would both make a decision that would not definitely benefit our pack in the long run?"

His brows knitted together in brief thought. "I know both of you want what is best for our pack. That's exactly why it frustrates me so much when I see…"

Gabriel could not finish speaking because in that moment, Lucien stepped in, not rushing, in the self assured and measured pace that he took every time he walked, as if he knew that he had all the time he needed at his disposal.

"Lucien, you're here. That's great, we can finally vote." My own words were suddenly stopped when a sudden electric feeling pulsed through the entire cell, warming up to the point that it felt like my skin was burning. There was this unsurmountable urge to turn towards the Viper, and now that I was no longer on scent cloakers, I could smell it perfectly, the mix of lavender, vanilla, and strawberry exploding in my senses, and everything zeroed in on her.

Gab was the first to break the silence. "You're our mate?”