The Alpha and The Enforcer [TATE]

Chapter 46

Jacob's P.O.V

After we pulled away, I led Ellie to my room. We settled onto the couch, her body close to mine, arms wrapped around each other in a quiet embrace. We didn't speak, but we didn't need to. The silence between us wasn't heavy. It was comfortable and grounding.

Having her in my arms felt... right. Safe. Like maybe, for just a moment, the chaos could wait.

If I could hold her like this forever, I would. Goddess, I would.

But the clock was ticking.

In less than twenty-four hours, the war with Kyle will finally end. After nearly a year of his looming threat, his games, and the lives he's shaken, this ends tomorrow.

My gaze drifted down to Ellie. She wasn't curled into me this time. She was sitting comfortably, legs crossed, her fingers confidently tangled with mine as she leaned her head back and stared at the ceiling like she was thinking five steps ahead. That little crease between her brows meant her mind was working, probably thinking of battle strategies as usual.

She caught me watching her and smiled slightly. I knew that smile. That smile was contagious.

That smile pulled a thought to the surface, one that had haunted me quietly for weeks: Once this battle is over, I'm going to ask Ellie to be my chosen. My second chance, mate.

The idea sent butterflies straight to my gut.

Mate.

I wanted to ask her before. Back on the night we were supposed to have our first date. Maybe it would have been too soon. Maybe I would have sounded foolish. But I already knew that she was the woman I wanted to spend the rest of my life with. I think I have known ever since the moment I kissed her in the woods. That was when I truly saw her.

Not the mask she wears. Not the armor she hides behind, so no one can hurt her again. But the real Ellie. The one who has lived with pain and still keeps going. The one who has been betrayed by the person who was meant to love and protect her, yet still manages to care more deeply than she ever lets herself admit. She is strong in a way that does not come from innocence, but from surviving. She is sharp, guarded, stubborn, and brave. And somehow, beneath all of that, there is a softness she refuses to believe she is allowed to have. That is what I love most about her. Every part of her is earned. Every moment she lets someone get close is a battle she has to fight inside herself first.

She is not only beautiful, but she was that in a way that could take the breath right out of my chest. She is fierce, brave, endlessly compassionate, and stronger than anyone I have ever known. She is the kind of woman who could change your world without meaning to. The kind of woman you would follow anywhere. The kind of woman you would choose, every single time.

But everything kept getting pulled away before I could have the chance to tell her what she means to me.

First, it was the coronation, then she discovered her powers, then her sister. Every time I reached for her, something else demanded her strength, demanded her heart, demanded more than she ever should have had to carry. It felt like fate wanted to keep us apart.

And now we are preparing to go into battle.

Standing on the edge of everything, with the future hanging in the balance, I have made up my mind. If we survive this, if there is still a tomorrow waiting for us, I am done letting life get in the way.

No more interruptions. No more hesitations. Once the dust settles, I am asking her. And nothing is going to stop me this time.

When the dust settles, I am going to ask her to be my mate. To let me hold the parts of her she had to carry alone for too long. To let me be the person who never leaves.