"And you expect me to believe that an alpha would give all that without expecting anything in return?" Jacob raised his eyebrows skeptically. "Especially Rick Silvercrest, who has a reputation for taking down beautiful omegas."
"Not all alphas think with their primal instincts like you do, Jacob," Autumn shot back sharply. "Rick respects my decision. He knows I just got out of a... complicated relationship."
Jacob snorted, walking over to the window. The evening light shone on his hard profile.
"Do you know what happens when another alpha gives protection to an alpha's mate?" he asked in a low voice. "It's a declaration of war by ancient pack law."
Autumn felt worry creep up on her. "Jacob, don't do anything you'll regret. Rick is innocent of this."
Jacob turned to face Autumn, his eyes cold and calculating. "Too late."
"What do you mean?" Autumn asked, her heart pounding.
"I already sent a message to Rick Silvercrest," Jacob replied flatly. “Telling him that my mate has returned to me, and that he has violated alpha protocol by granting you protection without my consent.”
“Jacob! You can’t do that! This isn’t a feudal era where omegas are property to be fought over!”
“In our world, some traditions still apply, Autumn,” Jacob approached her again. “And tradition dictates that if Rick wants to assert his protection rights over you, he must confront me face to face.”
Autumn felt the blood drain from her face. “You… you challenged him to a fight?”
Jacob smiled coldly. “No need. He’s too cowardly to accept the challenge. He’s already responded with a formal apology and assurances that he has no intention of taking another alpha’s mate. It’s disgusting how quickly he betrayed you.”
Anger flared within Autumn. “He didn’t betray me! He protected his pack from unnecessary bloodshed! That’s what a wise alpha does not kidnap women and threaten other packs!”
“ENOUGH!” Jacob snapped, his voice echoing through the room. Autumn gasped, taking a reflexive step back.
Jacob moved quickly toward her, gripping her shoulders. "You still don't understand your position, do you? Still don't understand that we're bound by something stronger than choice?" His grip tightened. "Our bond is never broken, Autumn. No matter how far you run, no matter which alpha you hide behind."
Their faces were mere inches apart. Autumn could feel Jacob's hot breath on her face, could smell his distinct masculine scent a mix of cedar and something wild, dominant.
"Let me go, Jacob," Autumn tried to sound firm, though her voice was shaking.
Jacob ignored her pleas. Instead, one hand moved up, gripping Autumn’s jaw with enough pressure to hold but not hurt.
“Six months,” his voice dropped to a dangerous whisper. “Six months of living hell, looking for you in every corner, imagining you with another man. Do you know what that did to me? To my wolf?”
Jacob’s wolf his primal alpha was barely visible on the surface, his eyes now gleaming amber gold.
“Jacob, please,” Autumn pleaded, her breath catching. “I’ve explained everything. I never betrayed you.”
“Don’t you see?” Jacob continued as if he hadn’t heard. “Your leaving me was the ultimate betrayal. You chose to leave instead of staying and fighting for our relationship. You chose to run instead of helping me become a better alpha.”
The words struck Autumn. There was a truth in them that she couldn’t deny. She had indeed chosen the easier path to run when things got too hard.
"I'm scared, Jacob," she admitted, her voice barely above a whisper. "I'm scared that you've changed too much for me to go back."
Jacob's grip on her jaw loosened slightly, but his gaze remained intense. "And now? Are you still scared of me?"
"Yes," Autumn answered honestly. "But not for the reasons you think."
Jacob frowned. "Explain."
"I'm scared of my own feelings," Autumn admitted, tears welling in her eyes. "I'm scared that despite everything you've done kidnapping me, threatening me, I still... still feel something for you."
The confession seemed to catch Jacob by surprise. His grip loosened completely, and he took a step back, looking at her with an unreadable expression.
"You still love me," he said, more as a statement than a question.
Autumn shook her head, tears streaming down her cheeks. "I don't know what I'm feeling anymore, Jacob. Our bond, our history it all confuses me. How can I tell the difference between true love and just a biological bond?"
Jacob paused, seemingly considering Autumn’s words. Finally, he took a deep breath and said, “We’re having dinner in an hour. There’s something I want to talk to you about a proposal that might interest you.”
Without waiting for a response, Jacob turned and walked toward the door. He paused in the doorway without looking back.
“Put on the red dress in the closet. It’ll look great on you,” he said before closing the door behind him.
Autumn sank to the floor as soon as Jacob left, her body shaking with mixed emotions. She had just admitted her greatest weakness to the man who had kidnapped her the fact that despite everything that had happened, her feelings for Jacob were not completely dead.
“What’s wrong with me?” she whispered to herself, hugging her knees tightly.
She should have hated him. She should have been repulsed by his every touch and look. But part of her the most primitive, most instinctual part still responded to Jacob’s dominance, still recognized him as her alpha.
Autumn spent the next half hour wrestling with her own thoughts. Finally, she decided to get ready, more out of curiosity about what “proposal” Jacob was talking about than out of any desire to obey his orders.
She opened her closet and immediately found the red dress Jacob had been talking about. It was stunning a smooth maroon silk with delicate gold embroidery detailing at the waist. The cut was elegant yet sensual, with a low-cut neckline and a high slit on one side.
“Of course he chose this,” Autumn murmured, taking the dress reluctantly.