***Jacob’s Pov***
“JACOB! JACOB! ”
Jacob and the rest of the people in the office who heard Grace's screams braced themselves for the worst! My secretary was usually demure and prim, and being loud was not her style. "What's the matter?” I inquired after the woman resumed normal breathing.
"Your wife is on the rooftop!" Grace exclaimed, pausing for a few seconds after noticing that all eyes were on her.
“And?” Jacob wanted to hear everything in an instant, but Grace paused and looked around.
Grace cleared her throat and said, “Lucy said she will jump from the building if you will not see her.”
Numerous gasping and murmurs could be heard inside the mayor’s office, and Jacob was embarrassed when his Luna caused a scene. Dale already warned me about the possibility of Luna’s jealousy but I couldn’t stop seeing Bethany. Dale’s warning proved to be accurate, and yesterday, when the argument went bad, I decided to break up with her. She didn’t like it and caused a scene, but I didn’t expect her to show up at my workplace.
I clenched my fist before storming out of the office and taking the elevator to the rooftop. Grace didn’t lie when she mentioned Luna trying to jump off the building. “Lucy, sweetheart!” I called out her name but she seemed to be oblivious to my presence. The woman would be crazy if she would try to kill herself after I dumped her. “Luna…” I tried calling her again, and this time, she looked at me and smiled. I walked towards her, and for a moment, I realized the danger she was in.
“Don’t come near me,” she warned me.
“Sweetheart, what is this all about?” I asked while trying to reach her hand.
“I love you so much, Jacob. But why? How can you do this to me?” Lucy stared at me and those eyes told me that I meant everything to her these past few months. She did everything for me, and yet, I broke her heart into tiny little pieces.
“Let’s talk sweetheart,” I said, but Lucy shook her head as she looked down. I panicked at the thought that Lucy wasn’t kidding about killing herself.
“I’d rather die than see you with another woman, Jacob,” Lucy said in a shaky voice. It was her first time being in love, and I broke up with her yesterday. She couldn’t take it, especially after I lied about the reason why I was breaking up with her!
“We will talk about it,” I told her but she kept on shaking her head. Nevertheless, I tried to persuade her some more, but she decided to be stubborn. When I saw her feet move, I screamed for her name.
The moment I realized why Lily showed up in Claybourne again, I decided to befriend the woman. When she casually mentioned killing Bethany, I feared that she has become someone unreasonable and blind to avenge the wrongful death of her twin.
Before leaving the office, I tried calling her, and I was glad when she answered my call. “Hello Lily, are you available later?”
“Tonight?”
As I listened to her speaking on the other line, I was drawn to her sweet and honeyed voice. “I wonder if you can join me for dinner tonight,” I told her.
“Hmmm I have an appointment tonight but I think I can meet you for coffee,” she suggested.
“Alright. I will be in Mug Shot in thirty minutes,” I told her before disconnecting the call, and then I texted the address in case she was not familiar with the closest coffee shop from the mayor’s office. I knew it was rude to disconnect the call before she could say yes but I couldn’t give her the opportunity to refuse.
When I arrived at the coffee shop, I sat at one of the tables in the al fresco dining area. I chose the area so that Lily wouldn’t have a hard time finding me. I ordered a macchiato and americano and it was almost ready when Lily arrived. I smiled because I thought she wouldn’t come.
“Am I late?” She asked but I couldn’t focus because of her outfit.
“Are you trying to flirt with me, Lily?” I inquired because it was obvious by the kind of clothes she was wearing that she wanted to get my attention. Otherwise, she would dress accordingly. When I looked around, I noticed that several customers stared at her. “Take a seat, Lily,” I ordered but when she crossed her legs, I glanced away to ignore the sensual image in front of me. She smiled as she probably noticed my reaction and it was humiliating to be caught that way. However, I couldn’t take my gaze away from her. She may look like Lucy but Lily was more sensual with her innocent smile.
“Do you have a problem with my clothes?” She asked.
I cleared my throat when I stared at her tweed shorts and cropped top blouse. It was unbecoming of an alpha’s daughter to dress like a prostitute but Lily seemed to not mind at all. She flaunted her assets as if she was really used to it. My eyes lingered over the piercings on her navel, and I wondered if she also got a tattoo.
“How do I look? Do you want to check my tattoo?” She posed a provocative question and I recalled one of my wild experiences with someone who had multiple piercings and tattoos on her body, and I wondered if Lily would also be wild in bed.
“Are you dating someone right now?” I asked her and she stared at me for a few seconds.
“Why are you asking? Do you find me attractive now?” She inquired directly, and I was taken aback by her candor.
I narrowed my eyes at Lily, and asked, “What are you talking about?”
“Do you like me?” She inquired bluntly, and I became speechless for a moment.
“Probably, in bed,” I admitted the truth, and this time, her mouth gaped open. “Are you shocked?”
“No, not really,” she replied while shaking her head continuously. “I expected the worst from you, Jacob. After all, you pushed my sister to kill herself.”
“That’s a baseless accusation, Lily, and I could have you killed in an instant,” I warned her to stop accusing me about Lucy’s death because it was her choice to forfeit her life.
“Baseless? Are you sure it’s baseless? If I am not mistaken, the only reason why you want to see me after our conversation in your place is that woman. You wanted to find out how much I know about her, right?”
“Wrong guess,” I told her, and she arched her brows. “Bethany is part of my past, and she shouldn’t be discussed freely.”
Lily laughed, and then he mocked me by saying, “You’re afraid for her life, Jacob. Admit it.”
“Why should I care about her, Lily? I can have several women at once if I wanted to. Why would I care about her? Tell me!”
“Because you love you, you idiot!”
“No, I don’t. She’s available and she’s great in bed…something your sister can’t do.” With my blatant explanation, Lily was flustered. Her cheeks turned crimson red and I wondered why she suddenly became uncomfortable in front of me.
“What a bastard!” She hissed under her breath.
I paid close attention to her little movements, and somehow, I got interested in her. “I’m sorry for making you uncomfortable, but when you showed up dressed like that, I expect the worst from you, too.”
“What a despicable thing to say to a woman, Jacob!” She exclaimed and then she smirked at the way I apologized.
As soon as I noticed the unusual glint in Lily’s eyes, I decided to change my style. Then, I said to her in a calm manner. “Would you like to sit down?” I asked while gesturing for her to take sit on my lap. Her eyes widened in surprise but I didn’t give her the chance to question my motive and grabbed her arm. She was outbalanced and fell on my lap, and her expression was hilarious. While she was sitting on my thighs, my hands were wrapped around her waist. She looked anxious and nervous at the same time. Was she waiting for my explanation of the changes?
“Jacob, can you tell me what you're up to?” Lily asked.
“I apologize for my difficult demeanor over the past few days. I just wanted to make sure you wouldn't easily give up on me,” I lied to her. I have experienced her wrath one time and I didn’t want it to happen again. The woman was insane, and she was crazier than Lucy. Lily may look innocent and calm most of the time, but she was a dangerous woman, and her minions of the best trackers and fighters in the world could conquer a pack so easily.
“Oh my God! You tried my endurance!” She complained, and I chuckled.
“I want us to start anew, and bring Dark Furs into glory!” I proposed and she just squinted her eyes at me. Was I hard to believe? She seemed suspicious, and I couldn’t risk that, so to minimize her suspicions, I grabbed her closer to me and conquered her mouth in one swift motion.
“How dare you!” She attempted to be furious with him but I knew my smile could melt her frozen heart.
“Lily, you are too stubborn for your own good. You maintain an emotional reserve. You only want to express your true feelings when you're angry,” I criticized one of her flaws and she gasped in surprise that I have read her well.
“I must admit that I can be so stubborn the majority of the time. However, I could not fault myself for being difficult because it was my method of self-protection. It will be humiliating to be so candid with you,” she admitted.
“If you truly love me, baby, you will not conceal your emotions from me. You will inform me of your feelings. If you are sad or dissatisfied with me, you do not have to keep your feelings to yourself. If you're envious of someone else, there's no need to hide it!”
“I've never been envious!” She insisted while glaring at me.
“That’s not true! You despised Bethany so much you attempted to eliminate her,” I reminded her of the event where her minions almost tortured me to death. “We already agreed to it, Lily. I married you for her freedom.”
“Yes, but you met her without my permission, and you did it behind my back,” she responded. “Okay, fine! I admit. Jacob, I was so envious of that woman because she has everything to offer you.” She explained to her why she felt so insecure with Bethany.
“Because you have no trust in me, baby. You continue to doubt me and my love for you. We cannot make this relationship work if we are incapable of blind trust,” I stated.
“I'm merely being possessive, Jacob. What is mine should remain mine and sharing is not something I enjoy. Remember that,” she warned me.
“I am your property. All yours. You can do whatever you want to me. Whatever you want,” I whispered but she caught me lying, and slapped me so hard.
“How dare you!” She struck one of my shoulders and I yelled for her strength. “Are you aware of how much I have suffered because of your indifference? Do you realize that I am about to give up on you? When I learned about your meeting with Bethany, I was blinded with rage because I thought you had lost interest in me,” she sobbed uncontrollably on my shoulder, and I had no choice but to comfort him. Between sobs, she muttered, “I really hate you, Jacob Summers!”
“I understand, baby,” I told her while massaging her back and whispering soothing words into her ears to calm her down. “I hope you can forgive me, Luna.”
“Not now,” she replied.
“I believe I know exactly what you are thinking right now,” I said in a hope of changing her opinion.
“What are you saying?” She asked while hot flushes crept up her cheeks.
“You are considering methods to get even with me,” I stated fact but she immediately denied it. However, knowing Lily, I was sure she would retaliate in the future.
“Not really,” she responded after a few seconds.
“Please, just forgive me and give me another chance,” I begged her.
“Right away? Are you serious? In case you forgot, you referred to me as a pest an hour ago!”
I replied, “You're the cutest pest I know.”
“I despise you!”
“You despise me, but I love you, baby,” I declared before closing the distance between us, and then, I conquered her mouth immediately.
After the divorce from Lily Travis, I regained my status as the most eligible bachelor Alpha in Clayland and Claybourne. News about it has traveled everywhere and I received several proposals to marry their daughter. I took a deep breath while trying to think about my options carefully. However, as soon as I recalled that I couldn’t satisfy a woman anymore, I cursed heavily. I could visit the best doctor to check on my current condition but I was worried it would just cause a scandal and ruined my reputation.
For two months, I was exhausted from being dubbed as the most eligible man for a husband but I had no desire to marry anyone anymore. This time, I wanted to make Bethany my Luna regardless if he was my mate or not. However, the woman disappeared without a trace, and no matter how hard I tried to locate him, all of my attempts were unsuccessful. I wanted to see her badly but where should I look for her?
Several alpha's daughters were offered to me but I didn’t want any of them, sometimes, I wondered if those women would still want me as their husband if they would discover my dark secret. Damn! I cursed again while thinking about my dilemma, and actually, I wanted it to be fixed as soon as possible.
There were times when I wanted to talk to my half-brothers if they have experienced similar problems as mine, but the fear of being judged prevented me from doing it. As the Alpha of Dark Furs, I couldn’t be careless about my actions. Everything should be done properly to keep my reputation as is.
“Are you crazy?” Dale screamed at me when I mentioned to him my recent plan.
“I want to try it again,” I replied and my beta frowned at me. He was clearly disappointed but what else could I do? I had to try everything I could to regain my sex drive!
“I don’t understand why you have to use women like that, Jacob. I mean, you can just visit a doctor, and have yourself checked! Don’t you think it’s more sensible to it that way?”
“You know I can’t be careless about it, Dale. One wrong move and my medical record could be leaked to the public, then I would be done! Do you get the point?”
“I can tell you have already made your decision, Jacob. Your word is my command as usual,” Dale responded.
“I bought a new property near Bedfordshire,” I informed Dale but he suddenly became pale. “Are you sick?”
“No, I am good. Why don’t you use our old place for your activities?”
“Of course, I can do that, but doing it in a new place will be better. Just like the usual, organize a group to secure at least twenty women,” I told him, and then I gave him Bethany’s description of what to search for a woman. I believed that a woman who resembled Bethany would help me regain my sexual power.
“How big is the property in Bradfordshire?”
“It’s a manor with more than one hundred rooms, why do you ask?”
“Just in case, our men could find more than twenty women, would that be alright?” Dale inquired.
“A manor?”
“Yes. A manor built on a mountain top, and the view from the balcony is amazing!” I explained but Dale’s mind seemed to wander somewhere else. He was staring into nothingness and I wondered what was bothering him.
“You want someone like Bethany,” Dale remarked a few moments later.
“Yes. I want all of them to have the same hair color as Bethany, or the same scent, whatever they have in common. I don’t really care as long as I can see Bethany in that woman,” I stated a fact.
“You are crazy, Jacob!”
“Probably, you are correct. I am crazy in love with Bethany!”
“That woman was gone! You have to move on, and think about the pack!”
“I am running the pack as usual, but I can’t just forget about her, Dale. What can I do when she always haunted me in my dreams?”
“It’s because of your guilt, Jacob. You felt guilty for using her, and abandoning her!”
“I didn’t do such a thing!” I complained, but Dale’s words were accurate. I used Bethany in a subtle way, and the woman considered me a traitor. She told me to get lost, and she said she didn’t want to see me again!
“Are you sure about it? You let your wife torture her, remember?”
“I had nothing to do with it,” I reasoned.
“Nothing? Are you fucking serious? You know that Luna was jealous of anyone who got your attention, and yet, you flaunted her beauty, and you dared to bring her to the island where you and Lily got married! If I was in Lily’s shoes, I wouldn’t harm the woman, but I would probably kill you.”
“Come on, Dale, don’t say bad words,” I cautioned my beta because he looked dangerous as his eyes pierced through me.
“It’s a warning, Jacob. You can’t hurt her again,” Dale announced.
“A warning? Why? Do you like my woman?” I raised my voice at Dale because I didn’t like the words coming out of his mouth. Then, I narrowed my eyes at him while waiting for his response.
“She is special to me,” Dale replied, and I groaned in disbelief.