Jacob's lips hovered dangerously close to mine, and the world around us seemed to still. I could feel his breath, warm and steady, as if he was anchoring himself in this moment just as much as I was.

The tension, the confusion, the battle in my heart—all of it swirled into a dizzying thoughts, but as I looked into his eyes, I found a strange kind of calm. I glanced away for a second, my thoughts flickering to Mascot. He was off in the woods somewhere, his silent retreat leaving me even more confused.

I knew that Mascot and I shared a deep bond—one forged in the heat of survival, trust, and moments of vulnerability. Yet here I was, with Jacob, standing at the edge of something I wasn’t sure I could come back from. Jacob’s hand gently tilted my chin, guiding my gaze back to him.

His fingers were rough, calloused from years of battle, but his touch was so careful, as if he feared I might break.

“I can’t keep pretending, Tasha,” Jacob murmured, his voice barely above a whisper. “I’ve loved you for so long, and I can’t just stand here, watching you drift away.” His words pulled at something deep inside me, and I felt my throat tighten.

I didn’t know what to say. How could I respond when my own heart was such a mess? Behind us, the campfire crackled softly, and I briefly registered the others still nearby.

Seth, ever vigilant, kept his watchful eye on the surroundings, but I knew he was too far away to hear our conversation. Clara had retreated into the tent earlier, and Ethan had disappeared into the darkness for his watch, though I suspected he was lurking nearby, silently assessing the situation.

Jacob didn’t push me for an answer. Instead, he moved a fraction closer, and my breath hitched in response. His hand slid from my chin to cup my cheek, his thumb brushing lightly against my skin.

It was such a simple gesture, but the weight of it felt monumental, as if we were teetering on the edge of a cliff, ready to fall.

“I don’t know what to do,” I admitted, my voice barely audible, lost in the quiet of the night. “I care about you, Jacob. I do. But Mascot—”

“I know,” he interrupted, his voice low but steady. “And I won’t ask you to choose. Not now. But I need you to know how I feel. You're everything to me, Tasha. You always have been.” His words hung in the air between us, heavy with meaning.

For a moment, I thought of the journey that had brought us here—how Jacob had come to be by my side when I least expected him to, protecting me, guiding me on this quest, loving me in ways I hadn’t fully understood until now.

I swallowed hard, my heart racing as the gravity of the moment pressed down on me. Mascot had saved me in more ways than one, but Jacob... Jacob had been my constant–though in the most unusual way.

His rejection was the catalyst to my being here even though he did it for me. He still came back for me even against better judgement considering I was accused of killing my family. And now, here we were, standing on the precipice of something that should be perfectly normal but considering my current situation, I wasn’t so sure after all.

“I don’t want to hurt you,” I whispered, my voice breaking under the onslaught of my own emotions. “I don’t want to make promises I can’t keep.” Jacob’s gaze softened, and for the first time in what felt like forever, I saw vulnerability in his eyes. He wasn't the strong, invincible alpha I had always known.

He was just a man, standing in front of me, baring his heart in a way that left him exposed. “You don’t have to promise me anything,” he said softly, his thumb brushing a stray tear from my cheek. “Just... be here. Be with me, in this moment.” The sincerity in his voice hit me like a wave, and before I knew what I was doing, I leaned into him, resting my forehead against his.

His hand slid to the back of my neck, and I felt the familiar warmth of his touch as his other arm wrapped around my waist, pulling me closer. For a moment, we remained that way, wrapped in each other’s embrace, the rest of the world fading into the background.

I could feel the steady rhythm of Jacob's heart against my chest, and it grounded me in a way I hadn't realized I missed. Without thinking, I closed the gap between us, pressing my lips to his in a soft, unsure kiss.

It was a delicate moment, filled with uncertainty and a thousand unspoken words. But as Jacob responded, his lips moving against mine with a tenderness that made my heart ache, the uncertainty melted away. The kiss deepened, and I felt a rush of emotions flood through me—love, fear, desire, confusion.

It was all tangled together in a whirlwind of sensation, but in that moment, none of it mattered. All I could focus on was Jacob—the warmth of his body, the feel of his lips on mine, the way his hands moved gently over my skin, as if he were afraid I might slip away.

I pulled back slightly, just enough to look into his eyes. The firelight flickered across his face, casting shadows that made his features seem even more rugged, more intense. His gaze was filled with so much emotion, it made my chest tighten.

“Jacob...” I started, but the words died on my lips as he leaned in again, capturing my mouth in another kiss, this one more urgent than the last. His hands slid down my back, pulling me flush against him, and I felt the pressure between us snap like a taut wire.

There was no more room for hesitation, no more room for doubt. I gave in to the moment, to the overwhelming need I had been suppressed for so long. Our kisses grew more fervent, more demanding, and soon I found myself lost in the heat of it all.

The world around us ceased to exist—there was only Jacob, only this moment, only the fire that burned between us. He pulled me down to the ground beside the fire, his hands never leaving my body.

I could feel the soft earth beneath me, the warmth of the flames flickering nearby, but all my senses were consumed by Jacob— by the way he moved, the way he touched me, the way he kissed me as if I were the only thing that mattered.

I knew this was dangerous. I knew the risks, the complications, the inevitable consequences that would come with this. But right now, none of that seemed to matter. I was tired of running, tired of pretending, tired of running away from the feelings that erupted the moment I saw him in woods.

The kiss quickly deepened as all the emotions we had been holding back surged to the surface. I could feel the desperation in the way his hands gripped me, pulling me closer, as if he was afraid that if he let go, everything will fade away like a dream.

Our clothes were a forgotten barrier between us, discarded in the heat of the moment. The cold night air brushed against my skin, but I barely felt it. All I could feel was Jacob— his warmth, his strength, his unwavering presence. And then, in the quiet of the night, with only the crackling fire and the rustle of the trees to bear witness, we came together.

It wasn’t hurried or frantic. It was slow, deliberate, a culmination of everything we had been holding back for so long. Every touch, every kiss, every whispered word was filled with a depth of emotion that left me breathless. I felt connected to Jacob in a way I hadn’t expected, as if we were two parts of the same whole, finally coming together after being apart for too long.

As we lay there afterward, tangled in each other’s arms, the world slowly began to creep back in. The fire crackled softly beside us, and in the distance, I could hear the faint rustling of the trees as the wind picked up. Jacob held me close, his hand stroking my hair as I rested my head on his chest.

I could hear the steady beat of his heart beneath my ear, and it was comforting in a way that felt nice and foreign at the same time. But even in the quiet of the night, with Jacob’s arms around me, I couldn't shake the lingering thoughts of Mascot.

I had made a choice tonight, just like I did with him some nights ago, but it didn’t erase the feelings I had for him. It didn’t make everything simpler.

And as much as I wanted to stay in this moment, to cling to the warmth and safety of Jacob’s embrace, I knew that the storm was far from over.

We still had a war to fight, still had battles to face, and I wasn’t sure how any of this would play out in the end. But for now, I allowed myself to forget about all of that.

For now, I let myself be with Jacob, in the peace of the night, with only the fire and the stars to bear witness to the love that had finally found its way to the surface.