Reborn of the Luna novel Chapter 26

With that, I turned and gestured for Jacob to follow me, which he did promptly after giving Maximus a disdainful look. Making others feel inferior was a skill he seemed to possess naturally.

We walked in silence for a while, and I tried to think of how to start a conversation with him. I rambled on about the pack, but he didn’t seem interested. Occasionally, I caught him watching me with a gaze that made me lose my breath and feel warmth rising inside me.

I tried to control my emotions, as I’d been taught, but I couldn’t do anything about the blush on my cheeks. Why was I reacting to him like this?

“Here, we plan to build a few new houses. Our population has grown rapidly over the past few years, and we want to create more homes for new families,” I went on, even though I knew he wasn’t interested. He listened without interrupting, watching my every move.

When we reached the main gardens and walked up to a small lake with ducks swimming in it, I ran out of things to say. Turning toward him, I prepared to bluntly ask what the real reason for his visit was when he suddenly turned to me with a serious expression.

“Katherine, I need you to tell me something and be honest about it,” he said. I swallowed hard. What did he want to know?

“Of course,” I mumbled, feeling worried.

“What happened to your wolf?” His words cut through me like a knife.

Stumped, I didn’t know how to react to his question. How did he guess?

Ava told me that I still smelled like a werewolf and an Alpha at that. So, it couldn’t be my scent. Yet, somehow, the Lycan King knew my wolf was missing. This wasn’t the first time he had asked about Aila. I wasn’t naive enough to think it was simple politeness. He wanted answers.

So did I!

Despite everyone around us being ready to faint in fear just from being near Jacob, I didn’t feel that way at all. I was sure he wasn’t going to hurt me—not a single hair on my head. He didn’t give off that vibe. He felt like... I wasn’t quite sure what to compare it to. Not a friend. Definitely not a friend.

Anyway, that wasn’t important as he was staring at me expectantly, his arms crossed over his chest. His deep green eyes were fixed on me, and I felt pressured to give him an answer.

“My wolf isn’t talking to me,” I finally said, choosing my words carefully. I didn’t want to lie to him. For some reason, I knew it was important never to lie to him.

At the end of the day, it was the truth. Some part of Aila had to be there since I still had my werewolf senses and strength. No matter how much I tried to summon her, Aila didn’t respond. So, we weren’t talking.

Jacob was new in my life. For goddess' sake, he wasn’t even my kind. He was a lycan and royalty. I needed his help to get my divorce approved and my pack back. What if I told him everything and he thought I was crazy? There’s no way he would let a crazy Alpha take back control of her pack.

No, telling him that I had died and come back in time wasn’t an option at all.

I needed something else, though not a lie.

“Well.” I turned to face him, finding him way too close. I gathered all my strength and looked him in the eye. “What do you think happened?” I furrowed my brow. “My husband of six years brought home his true mate, breaking our sacred promise and destroying everything I believed in—all in one day, despite the fact that I’m the one wearing his mark.”

I noticed his Adam’s apple twitch slightly, as if it was suddenly hard for him to breathe.

“Is that why she’s gone?” he asked menacingly, and for the first time in his presence, I felt a shiver run down my spine.

“She didn’t tell me for sure,” I chose my words carefully again. “So, I’m assuming.”