The evening feast began in the grand hall of Barduff Castle, where warriors, nobles, and emissaries from different packs gathered, the air heavy with the aroma of spiced wine and roasted meats. However, in spite of the festivities, Jacob sat at the head of the table, his mood dark and brooding, his grip tightening around his goblet with every moment.
His mate Leah's laughter over something Marcus Irving had just whispered to her was the root of his rage. As he spoke, the Alpha of White Dawn drew closer, his emerald eyes sparkling with curiosity. He had a calm, assured stance, as though he had already prevailed in whatever silent conflict was going on.
Jacob could feel his wolf get angry. His blood boiled at the sight of another man so openly interacting with Leah, but Leah's response was what really sent a threatening jolt through his veins. She was not retreating. She wasn't ordering Marcus to mind his own business or giving him a disobedient glare. No, she had a smile. Participating. Considering the possibility that Jacob could be replaced by another man.
Leah's brother and the new Beta, Samuel Ordwolf, sat next to Jacob and observed the stress radiating off him in waves. "You're going to break that goblet if you keep squeezing it like that."
Jacob hardly looked at him. "Are you seeing that? He is blatantly flirting with her.
Samuel let out a sigh. "What will you do about it, then? Will she forget that you've been treating her like she's unworthy of you for weeks if you sneer from the end of the table?"
Jacob tightened his jaw. Samuel had a point, and he detested it.
Marcus went for Leah's hand at that same moment, softly raising it as though to plant a kiss on her knuckles. Leah paused, her gaze darting to Jacob, looking for something, anything. Jacob was aware that she was waiting for a response, for him to defend her, to take a stand and assert her in public.
However, he remained still. He was unable to. Marcus smirked and delicately brushed his lips over Leah's skin, but his pride held him firmly in place. The hall echoed with a collective murmur, and Jacob thought his whole universe had suddenly been engulfed in flames.
Henrietta, who had been standing nearby, quietly placed a hand on Leah's shoulder, a silent query in her face. Leah gave a small nod before gently pulling her hand away from Marcus. "You're bold, Marcus," she said, her voice smooth yet unreadable. "But don't mistake my kindness for anything more."
Marcus chuckled, unphased. "Leah, I would never confuse you. However, I do think you should be properly courted—by someone who recognizes your value."
Jacob could no longer ignore the obvious challenge. The hefty chair scraped the stone floor as he jerked to his feet. Everyone's attention was on him, and the hall fell silent.
Leah is not a reward to be obtained. With his eyes fixed on Marcus, Jacob snarled. "She is mine."
Unimpressed, Marcus raised an eyebrow. "Then why do you treat her like an afterthought?"
With his wolf pressing against his skin and his nostrils flaring, Jacob demanded that Marcus be placed in his proper place. He moved forward, but Leah got up too and moved in front of him.
"Enough," she snapped, her eyes glimmering with annoyance. "I am not a resource to be contested like a piece of land. Go somewhere else if you two are determined to act like alphas fighting for control. I didn't come here to participate in yet another competitionof rivalry; I came here to enjoy the evening."
Samuel suppressed a laugh, and Henrietta grinned in agreement at Leah's unwavering posture.
Marcus grinned, his face full with adoration and laughter. "Leah, as you like. But you know where to find me if you ever get sick of being ignored.
With that, he turned back to his seat, and the tension in the room steadily faded. The muttering returned, but this time it was laced with conjecture about the widening gap between Jacob and Leah.
But Jacob was confident of one thing: he had just received a wake-up call. And he might lose Leah forever if he didn't take action right away.