11

Jake barely remembered the drive home. The streets of Birmingham blurred beyond the windscreen while the engine purred beneath him, every familiar junction passing almost unnoticed. He drove the route so often he could have managed it with his eyes closed, yet tonight his concentration drifted back to the same pair of blue-green eyes every few seconds.

It made no sense.

He had spent years building a life around control. Control over his business. Control over the pack. Control over himself. Tonight, for the first time in years, he felt as though something inside him had ignored every rule he'd ever lived by.

Kade refused to settle. Normally, once danger had passed, the restless energy faded within minutes. The instinct to protect eased until it became little more than a quiet awareness beneath his skin.

Not tonight. Every instinct screamed that he had left something important behind. Someone. Jake tightened his grip on the steering wheel.

"Enough."

The single word disappeared into the silence of the car. His wolf ignored him. He could still smell her. Honey and vanilla. Something unmistakably Amelia that lingered in his memory despite the rain, the crowded pub and the dozens of other scents that had filled the room.

He had only stood beside her for a matter of minutes yet every time he closed his eyes he felt the warmth of her shoulder beneath his arm again. He remembered the way she'd relaxed almost immediately, as though some part of her had recognised he wasn't a threat. Most people stayed tense around strangers. Amelia hadn't. She had simply... trusted him.

That unsettled him almost as much as everything else. She shouldn't have trusted anyone that quickly. Not after what that man had been doing.

Daniel.

The name surfaced with a low growl somewhere deep inside him. Jake hadn't imagined the possessiveness rolling from the man. Humans often mistook persistence for charm, but Daniel's intentions had carried an edge Jake recognised immediately. There had been frustration beneath the smiles. Irritation each time Amelia had tried to end the conversation. Hunger disguised as politeness.

Kade had recognised it before his human mind had. That was why he'd intervened. At least, that was what he'd told himself. Now he wasn't entirely sure. The memory replayed itself.

"There you are, sweetheart."

He almost smiled despite himself. It had been impulsive and completely against his normal approach to life. Normally he planned everything. Instead, the words had simply appeared, as natural as breathing. 

The strange part was not that he'd pretended to know her. The strange part was how true it had felt. He needed sleep. Everything would seem more logical in the morning.

The city gradually gave way to quieter roads lined with mature trees and detached houses hidden behind brick walls and wrought-iron gates. Ten minutes later he turned through a pair of open gates onto the long driveway leading towards Harper House.

Calling it a house had always felt misleading.

It was large enough to qualify as a country estate despite sitting on the outskirts of the city. Built from warm sandstone over two centuries earlier, it had been expanded and modernised by successive generations without losing its character. Ivy climbed one wing while carefully maintained gardens stretched across several acres beyond.

To most people it simply looked like an old family home. To the Harper pack, it was their heart. Light still glowed from the kitchen windows.

Jake smiled faintly. His mother was awake. Of course she was.

Evelyn Harper possessed an almost supernatural ability to know when one of her children needed her.

He let himself inside without bothering to lock the door behind him. The familiar scent of fresh bread and cinnamon drifted through the hallway.

Home. His shoulders relaxed for the first time all evening.

"You were longer than I expected."

Her voice floated from the kitchen before he had even reached the doorway. Jake stepped inside. Evelyn stood beside the large oak island arranging six donuts onto a plate. Her silver-blonde hair was loosely pinned back and she wore a soft blue cardigan over jeans, looking more like someone's favourite primary school teacher than the widow of an Alpha.

She glanced up and the smile she wore disappeared almost immediately.

"What happened?"

Jake blinked.

"I haven't said anything."

"You don't need to."

She studied him for another second before placing the plate down.

"You've got that expression."

"What expression?"

"The one you had when you were twelve and tried to convince me you hadn't climbed the old oak tree."

Jake laughed quietly.

"I made it almost halfway."

"You broke your arm."

"I was optimistic."

"You were impossible."

She crossed the kitchen and pulled him into a hug before he could protest. Jake hugged her back automatically. He hadn't realised how much he needed it. When she stepped away she looked at him carefully.

"This isn't about work."

"No."

"The pack?"

"No."

"You've met someone."

Jake stared. His mother folded her arms with unmistakable satisfaction.

"I knew it."

"I didn't say that."

"You didn't have to."

He shook his head.

"I haven't met someone."

"You've absolutely met someone."

"I met a woman."

"There we are."

"I said met. Not met met."

Evelyn bit back a smile.

"There is a difference?"

"There is."

She gestured towards one of the stools.

"Sit down."

Jake obeyed. Within moments a mug of coffee appeared in front of him exactly the way he liked it. His mother settled opposite him.

"So."

"So?"

"Tell me about the woman."

Jake wrapped both hands around the mug.

"I stopped at The Fox and Chance after work."

"I know the one."

"There was a woman sitting alone reading."

His mother nodded encouragingly.

"A man approached her."

"What kind of man?"

"The kind who mistakes politeness for encouragement."

Understanding flickered across Evelyn's face.

"He wouldn't leave."

Jake nodded.

"She kept trying to end the conversation. Every time she did, he ignored her."

"And no one intervened?"

"They didn't realise what was happening..."