Jacob

I have been standing outside her room for a few minutes. My grip on the handle tightens. I'm not sure why, but something told me not to go inside. Instead, my body has gone rigid at the sight before me as I stare through that stupid window.

Derek is holding onto Ana, her hands in his as he helps her to walk up and down the room a few times. A growl escapes my mouth when I see Ana's knee give in. I can't help being jealous at the sight of Derek with his arm wrapped around her waist as he grips her tightly, making sure she doesn't fall.

I watch as he cradles her for a few seconds, his eyes closing as he revels in the feeling of having her in his arms. He helps her regain her balance, but his hand doesn't leave her waist as she steps back from him.

He keeps his hand on her as he helps her back towards her bed. His hand only leaves her waist once she is seated. I stand there staring daggers into Derek.

I sigh, watching as he stares at her longingly while she settles in bed. I watch as he sits on her bed. The sound of my heartbeat pulses through my eardrums as my anger and blood pressure rises. Making it impossible to hear what they are saying.

I know I was the one that suggested Derek visits Ana, but I didn't think he would become so close with her so quickly.

I can feel the tension building between them as Derek moves closer to Ana. Ana doesn't fight it. Instead, she places her hand on his, leaning closer to him, and before I can even think about my actions, I let my tired brain take over and I push the door open.

I watch as they jump apart. Derek shakes his head as if he were in a daze. Once he realizes where he is, he walks towards the corner of the room, to the chair and the small table. I notice the paperwork and realize Derek has been with Ana for most of the day.

I can't help the way my blood boils and the realization that Derek has been spending all this time with Ana, helping her, speaking to her, touching her.

"Oh, here you are," I say without trying to hide the shock in my voice. "Derek, Medeia is looking for you," I lie, letting the jealousy of finding Derek with Ana in such an intimate way overcome me and fuels my actions.

Derek's head shoots up at the mention of Medeia's name and I can see the urgency in his actions as he hurries to leave Ana, wanting to be with Medeia.

"Did she say what's wrong?" he questions, as he urgently packs up his work away.

I glance over at Ana. She completely avoids looking this way at the mention of Medeia. I notice how she sinks into the bed, trying to appear smaller. But I know she really wants to disappear from this world.

"Jacob?" Derek asks, bringing my attention back to him.

"Uh- no, she just said she was looking for you," I reply. I see the warning in Derek's eyes, as he notices me looking at his mate. It causes me to stand up straighter, puffing my chest out as I

challenge him. He looks away, knowing he shouldn't be challenging an Alpha, especially his Alpha.

"Oh okay," he says, before standing up and walking back towards Ana.

I fight the growl in my throat at the sight of him being near her and touching her again.

He rushes towards the door, towards me. My hand flies up and grips his bicep as he walks past me. My grip is harder than usual, and I know Derek can feel it. He stares at my hand on his arm before looking up at me, a low snarl leaving his mouth.

"What the fuck are you doing?" he asks me, his words laced with annoyance.

Whether it's annoyance over being stopped or annoyance for me holding him, I am not sure, but I let it fuel the anger inside me, feeding it as it grows.

"What the fuck are you doing?" I reply, my hand tightening around his arm slightly, warning him about my irritation.

"I'm doing what you asked of me," he replies, exasperated by my presence.

I glance over at Ana. She is lying down with her back to us. The steady rise and fall of her chest let me know she is asleep, unaware of our behavior right now.

"I asked you to visit her or reject her. Not string her along," I answered him. A growl following my words as I try to control my anger at seeing Derek with Ana has caused.

"I'm not doing anything," Derek starts. "I was helping her walk and then she fell, that's all," he says, but his eyes cannot meet mine as he looks past me.

"So, you weren't just about to kiss her?" I ask, staring at him as he looks up at me, with a mixture of worry and shock across his face, as he realizes I saw everything.

"You need to get your shit together, dude," I growl at him, letting go of his arm as he takes a few steps away from me.

"You can't give her false hope like that and the runoff as soon as you hear Medeia is calling. Fucking decide what you want," I continue, my annoyance shining through as I talk to him.

"What the fuck is your issue?"

Derek questions, his question shocks me as I stare at him, confused about what he was referring to.

"What?" I ask, wanting him to clarify his question.

"I am doing what you wanted me to do and now you are interrogating me because I am getting close to my mate? What the hell do you want from me? Because I will gladly go back to avoiding her," Derek admits.

His threat to avoid her so easily causes me to see red as I grab his shirt collar and pull him towards me.

"Get your shit together and stop being a coward. Tell one of them you don't want them," I say, my voice low and threatening tone as a warning to Derek, that he has crossed a line.

He pushes me back, my hand letting go of his shirt as he does so.

"Fuck you, Jacob!" he says. He glances back one last time at Ana before walking past me. His shoulder bumping mine as he does.

I sigh as I hear his footsteps move towards the door.

"Jacob," he says from behind me. I don't turn to meet his gaze. Instead, I continue to focus on Ana lying in the bed. My shoulders tense up as I listen to what Derek has to say.

"Maybe you should sort your shit out as well," he finally says.

I stay standing in the doorway for a few minutes before I completely enter Ana's room, the door softly closing behind me. I walk towards the corner and grab one chair and place it next to Ana's bed. Sitting there, my mind goes over Derek's words, as I focus on the slight movements of Ana's body as she takes slow steady breaths.

I think about what has just occurred, how the jealousy just flowed through my body at the sight of Derek with Ana together.

I know it was my idea for him to come and visit her, to ease their suffering. And, as I watch Ana's peaceful sleeping form, I can see their interaction helped.

The swelling in her face has subsided, and her eyes don't have bags under them. I let my eyes trail down her body, following her pale skin toward her collarbone. I inadvertently lick my lips at the sight of her. The purple bruises seem to have disappeared. I take her hand in mine, rolling it over so I can see her wrist. The wound seems to have closed, leaving behind a scar that I trace my fingers along.

Seeing her healthy causes my face to light up as I gently squeeze her hand. Thankful that being in Derek's presence was enough to help her heal.

But I can't ignore the dread that fills me as I think about her fast-approaching heat and the pain she is going to have to endure if she goes through it by herself.

My mind torments me, providing me with a picture of Ana. Her fiery red hair spread out around her, a stark contrast to the white sheets that lay beneath. Her back arches as her breathing

is becoming heavy under my touch. Small whimpers escape her mouth as my lips move along her bare chest. A hand on her breast, squeezing it as my other hand finds her waist. I hold her down as my mouth comes down on her other breast.

Sucking her supple skin into my mouth as I leave purple bruises along it, marking her, claiming her as mine. As my lips close around her nipple, and her moans of ecstasy bless my ears, my hands go around her back. Pulling her closer to me as her moans spur me on. Her hand in my hair, pulling me closer as I continue to leave marks along her body.

"Oh, Derek!" she moans.

The fantasy comes crashing down around me as I feel Ana move in her sleep.

My jealousy returns at the mere thought of Derek helping Ana during her heat. Of him being the one to make her moan and scream his name as he brings her to orgasm after orgasm, soothing every ache she has and giving her what she desires sexually to control her heat.

I shake my head as those thoughts try to consume me, trying to focus on Ana and being in her presence. I understand why Derek was so quick to question my actions early. The jealousy I have been feeling is becoming an issue. One which I need to resolve quickly.

I let go of Ana's hand, placing my head on the mattress as I try to focus on doing the best thing for Ana and me.

I close my eyes as I relax in her presence. My mind is not able to focus on anything except her. I feel a hand in my hair. I glance up to see if Ana is awake, but I notice her closed eyes and steady breathing. I leave her hand in my hair, enjoying the feeling of her fingers subconsciously coming through them as I let the sensation lull me into a much-needed sleep.