Anastasia

The gut-wrenching pain of breaking my bond with Derek still lingers when Jacob lifts me easily in his arms. I am grateful that he showed up. There is no doubt in my mind that Medeia would have done something much worse if he wasn't there.

"Let's go," Jacob says, marching off with me. I wonder what will happen to Derek, but I guess that Medeia will look after him.

"You can put me down," I whisper after a while. "I think I can walk."

"Not necessary." Jacob doesn't sound like he is in the mood to negotiate. I leave it alone.

I can hear his heartbeat hammering away with my head against his chest. In a way, I hope that he never puts me down.

I wonder if he can feel the same butterflies that I do. If he's ever thought about being with me.

"I could never love you." The memory of years ago stings me and cuts that idea down. I doubt that things have changed since then, especially after what happened to Gisele. Still, he did kiss me once and he saved me now.

Anything is possible. I'm not quite ready to give up on the tiny sliver of hope that has been building in me.

For now, I appreciate being so close to Jacob. A small part of me wishes that he would carry me forever. The rest of me wants him to put me down so that I can kiss him again, despite how much he has been avoiding me.

Over the next fifteen minutes, I simply listen to the rhythm of his feet on the ground and his heart in my ear. I feel his chest rise and fall with his breaths, the heat of his skin through our clothes.

It's so soothing that I nearly fall asleep. I am shaken from that state when Jacob finally stops.

"We're home," he announces, gently putting me on the ground. "Come inside, I'll give you something to eat."

I wonder if he realizes that he just called his house my home, too, and that he didn't take me back to where I actually live. Maybe it slipped his mind.

"Geez, we might as well skip training now." Jacob's Delta, Kimon, appears in the hallway when the door opens. "I ate all of the breakfast, by the way. Oh, hey, someone followed you."

I suddenly feel embarrassed, looking the way that I do. My clothes are completely torn up, and I am covered in blood, dust, and sweat. I wave stupidly at Kimon and immediately want to kick myself.

"Change of plans, I'm staying here today," Jacob answers without skipping a beat. "This is Anastasia."

"I go by Ana," I add as I follow Jacob inside.

Kimon smiles suspiciously at me. "You look like you've been rolling in rocks."

"Close enough," I shrug. "Nice to meet you."

"Mm, I'm going to leave," Kimon makes his way to the door. "Someone's got to hold the fort while the Alpha entertains injured females in his home."

"Call me if you need anything," Jacob shouts after him before he beckons me to the kitchen.

My stomach is rumbling. I didn't eat in the morning, but now I am starving, despite the injuries covering me and the pang in my chest after rejecting Derek. I sit down at a stool by the counter and watch Jacob rummage in the broom cupboard.

I doubt that he keeps food in there, and it makes me curious. "What are you doing?"

"I'll feed you after I get you cleaned up," Jacob answers, his voice muffled with his head stuck in the cupboard. "Did you really reject your bond with Derek?"

Even the words sting to hear and I am glad that he doesn't see me flinch. "I did. Hurts like hell."

Jacob doesn't answer for a moment. He brings out several tubes of ointment, cotton balls and bandages, before filling a bowl with hot water. He dumps an inordinate amount of salt in it. The concoction is carried over to me and placed on the counter.

"You might be surprised by this, but I am proud of you," Jacob says as he dunks a giant cotton ball in the salt water. I twitch when he places it on the ripped skin on my face and starts to wipe away the dirt and blood.

"Really? Why?" I am genuinely surprised, but Jacob smiles. "I got into a fight on my first day back at school. I'd think that you'd be furious at me."

"You stood up for yourself," Jacob explains, lifting my chin to get at the scratches on my neck. He works gently as he goes from injury to injury. His skin brushes against mine every now and again, sending goosebumps rushing down my arms.

"I guess," I shrug, not wanting to make a big deal of it. I wonder if Medeia will actually leave me alone, or if everything will get worse. Either way, I'm done letting her walk all over me.

"Seriously," Jacob pauses to swap out the cotton ball for a new one. "I can't imagine it was easy, with so many people taking her side. I'm not happy that you got hurt, but standing up like that took a lot of guts."

"Thanks," I can't help but smile, especially at him being upset that I've been injured. It might be strange, but it sends electricity through me knowing that he cares about that at all.

Not many people do.

"I hope you don't find offense in this," Jacob continues when he reaches my arm, which is overrun by goosebumps at this point. He doesn't seem to notice. "But I've felt for a long time that Derek should have broken that bond with you."

The blood in my veins becomes like ice, but I don't show that on my face. I have to wonder if Jacob thinks that I'm not good enough for Derek. That is, after all, why Derek was so embarrassed to be mated with me.

"It was very clear that neither of you love each other, and you deserve better than having to play second fiddle to Medeia of all people." Jacob looks me in the eye as he says this, pausing his wound-cleaning.

I feel my soul lifting itself from the ground at his words and I manage a smile. I didn't know that he could have such an effect on me with one sentence.

"Thank you for defending me." It's the only thing that I can think to say. "It doesn't happen often."

"I'm your Alpha, Ana," Jacob asserts, moving to my other arm. "It's my job to make sure that you are alright."

There is a deeper note of care in his voice that hits me like a freight train. This time, he's focused on what he's doing instead of looking at me. I wonder if that's on purpose, if he can't face me when he says that.

I quietly watch as he finishes carefully cleaning every injury that I have. When he finishes, he reaches for the tubes of ointment and starts gingerly rubbing some on my open wounds.

"I can take over now, if you want," I point out, but he shakes his head.

"Tell me if I hurt you." His voice is soft and I feel a shiver rush through me at the sound. This is the closest that we've been since he started avoiding me.

A silly thought passes through my mind. Maybe I should get hurt more often so that Jacob can take care of me. It almost makes me laugh. If I get injured any more than I already do, I'd surely get killed sooner than later.

"What do you want to do today?" Jacob inquires, starting to bandage me up. "I'm taking time off to stay with you, so."

"We could go to the beach, like old times." The answer seems so natural that I am surprised at it. Flashes of the three of us running on the sand penetrate my memory and I miss what it used to be.

Jacob frowns, but it dissipates into a nod. "We can do that as soon as you've eaten something. If you're really up for it. You can tell me if you feel too weak to go out."

"I promise I'll be fine," I say through the aches that rumble in waves across my body. I'm not going to pass on the chance to spend time with him.

"Next time Medeia does anything, walk away." Jacob pins the latest bandage to my arm and inspects his handiwork closely. Satisfied, he starts putting everything back where it belongs. "If she follows you, send someone to me."

"I'd rather fight for myself, but I appreciate the backup," I answer firmly. My reward is a smile as Jacob glances over his shoulder at me.

"Good," he says, putting everything back in the cupboard. "So, uh, Kimon ate all of my bacon and eggs. Are you fine with veal and toast?"