122

122

Jenny’s POV

I paced back and forth in the living room, my nerves bouncing around as if they had a life of their own. My fingers kept twisting the hem of my shirt, and I couldn’t stop myself from glancing at the door every few seconds. Jacob and Ian were finally coming back from the vampire realm, and even though I knew Jacob would be fine—he was always fine—it didn’t stop the nagging feeling in my chest. Things had been tense lately, and I couldn’t help but wonder what they’d come back with.

When the door finally opened, my heart skipped a beat. Ian walked in first, his usual calm aura in place, followed by Jacob, who looked a little more stressed than usual. I could tell by the tightness around his eyes and the way his jaw was clenched. My heart leapt when I saw him, though, and a huge part of me just wanted to run into his arms, to wrap myself in him and forget about everything else. But the air between us had been different since I… changed. Since the kidnapping.

Ian caught my eye briefly, giving me a small nod before heading into the kitchen where I assumed Sophia was. She’d been waiting for him too, probably more anxiously than me. But before I could think about that, Jacob came toward me, his expression softening as our eyes met.

“Jenny,” he said, and the sound of my name on his lips was like a balm to my nerves.

“Jacob.” I smiled, stepping toward him, already feeling a sense of relief wash over me just from being near him again. I didn’t realize how much I missed him until he was standing right there, safe and sound.

He pulled me into a hug, and I closed my eyes, sinking into the warmth of him as I wrapped my arms around him tightly. For a moment, everything felt normal, like it used to. But that moment was fleeting, like it always was these days. I could feel the tension lingering between us—between the world I’d been thrown into and the life I was still trying to adjust to.

When we finally pulled back, I saw that something was on his mind. His brow furrowed slightly, and his lips pressed Into a thin line as if he was debating whether or not to say what he was thinking.

“What is it?” I asked, my stomach already sinking at the thought of whatever he had to tell me.

Jacob sighed, running a hand through his hair. “I need to talk to you about something. It’s important.”

The sinking hole in my stomach grew, but I nodded, waiting for him to continue.

“We need to take you to the vampire realm,” he said, his voice calm but firm, like he already had his mind made up and my decisions wouldn’t matter. I reeled back a bit.

I blinked, caught off guard by the statement. “What?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper. “Why?”

Jacob’s gaze softened, and he took my hands in his, squeezing them gently. “The council… they want to see you.”

My heart rate spiked at the mention of the council. From what little I knew about them, I knew they weren’t the kind of vampires I wanted to mess with. They were powerful, old, and ruthless. The idea of standing in front of them sent a cold shiver down my spine.

“Why?” I asked again, this time my voice a bit steadier. “Why do they want to see me?”

Jacob hesitated for a moment, his thumb tracing small circles on the back of my hand. “They’re… concerned,” he said carefully. “About you being a vampire. They just want to make sure everything is okay.”

I pulled my hands out of his and took a step back, feeling the walls close in on me. “They’re concerned about me?” I repeated, my voice rising. “Jacob, I didn’t ask for any of this! I didn’t want to become a vampire in the first place, and now I have to go and face a council of vampires who are ‘concerned’ about me? What does that even mean?”

Jacob stepped closer to me, his hands reaching out as if to comfort me, but I took another step back. I couldn’t help the panic that was building inside me. The idea of going to the vampire realm, of standing in front of a council that might see me as a threat—it was too much. I didn’t want to be part of this world. I never wanted this.

“Jenny, I know this is a lot,” Jacob said, his voice soothing but firm. “I know you didn’t ask for any of this. But right now, this is the situation we’re in. And we need to face it.”

“I don’t want to go,” I said, shaking my head. “I don’t want to be part of their world. I didn’t choose this, Jacob. I never wanted this.”

Jacob’s face tightened, but he didn’t move closer. He respected the space I was putting between us, though I could see the pain in his eyes. “I know, Jenny. And I wish more than anything that things were different. But we can’t ignore this. The council… they’re not going to just forget about you. If we don’t go to them, they’ll find a way to bring you to them.”

I crossed my arms over my chest, trying to keep the fear from bubbling over. “So, what? We’re just going to hand me over to them? Let them… what? Judge me? Decide whether or not I’m a danger?”

“No,” Jacob said firmly, shaking his head with a sigh. “We’re not handing you over to anyone. We’re bringing you there to show them that you’re not a threat, that you’re not something to be afraid of. Ian, Sophia, and I will be with you the entire time. We’re going to make sure you’re safe.”

I looked away, my chest tightening with frustration. It wasn’t fair. None of this was fair. I didn’t ask for this life, didn’t ask to be turned against my will, didn’t ask to be thrown into the politics of the vampire world. But now it seemed like I didn’t have a choice.

“I’m scared,” I admitted quietly, my voice barely audible. “I don’t want to go.”

Jacob stepped forward again, this time reaching for me, and I let him. He pulled me into his arms, holding me tightly against him. “I know,” he whispered, pressing a kiss to the top of my head. “But you’re not alone. You’ll never be alone in this. We’ll protect you, Jenny. I swear it.”

I wanted to believe him. I wanted to trust that he could keep me safe, that Ian and Sophia could protect me. But the fear of the unknown, of stepping into the vampire realm and facing the council, loomed over me like a dark cloud.

“What if they don’t believe that I’m not a threat?” I asked, my voice small.

“They will,” Jacob said firmly. “Because you’re not. You’re still you, Jenny. Vampire or not, you’re the same person. And they’ll see that.”

I closed my eyes, leaning into him as the weight of the situation pressed down on me. I knew I didn’t have much of a choice. I knew that if I refused, it would only make things worse. But the idea of walking into that realm, of standing in front of those ancient vampires… it terrified me.

Jacob pulled back slightly, tilting my chin up so that I was looking into his eyes. “I’ll be right by your side the entire time,” he said softly. “I won’t let anything happen to you. None of us will.”

I searched his eyes, looking for the reassurance I so desperately needed. And in that moment, I found it. His strength, his determination to protect me—it was enough to make me believe that maybe, just maybe, we could get through this.

I took a deep breath, feeling the fear settle into something more manageable. “Okay,” I said finally, my voice still shaky but my mind was made up. “I’ll go.”

Jacob smiled softly, brushing a strand of hair behind my ear. “Thank you.” He kissed the side of my lips, and then my forehead. I relaxed a bit in his hold.

I nodded, still feeling a bit unsure, but I trusted Jacob. If he said I’d be safe, then I had to believe him. Even if every instinct in me screamed to run away, to hide, I knew that I couldn’t. Not anymore.

“I trust you,” I whispered.

“And I’ll never let you down,” he promised.

I sighed, wrapping my arms around his middle and resting my head on his chest.