The Alpha and The Enforcer [TATE]

Chapter 18

Ellie's P.O.V

"So... tell me more about Emily," I said, settling cross-legged on the floor in front of the fireplace. We leaned back against the couch, our ice cream slowly melting in the bowls beside us.

Jacob glanced at me, surprised. "Why? I thought this was your day, not mine."

"It is," I said, watching the flames twist and flicker. "I just want to know."

He stirred his ice cream with his spoon, quiet. The fire snapped softly, shadows dancing across the living room. I didn't rush him.

He sighed. "Why do you want to know about my deceased mate?"

I leaned my elbow onto the edge of the couch and rested my chin against my hand. "Because she mattered to you. And I guess... I want to understand you." 

"And to know your taste in women" is what I wanted to say but didn't. 

He looked over at me, studying my face, maybe searching for sarcasm or pity. He didn't find either. I wasn't trying to pry. Well, maybe a little. 

"You really gonna make me talk about her on your birthday?"

"I mean it is my birthday and technically we are to do what the birthday wants right," I said with a faint shrug, suppressing my laughter. 

He gave a small huff of laughter. It didn't last, but it was something. He looked back at the fire.

"Emily wasn't like most people," he started, voice low. "She didn't try to impress anyone, didn't care about being liked. But people loved her anyway. She had this... quiet strength. Gentle. Constant. Like still water."

He paused, turning the spoon in his bowl. "She hated fights—even training made her nervous. Said watching people hurt each other, even in practice, made her feel sick. There was this time, Christian and I were sparring—nothing rough. I pinned him down, and she just walked in and froze. Didn't say anything at first, just looked at me like she didn't recognize me. Then she let me have it. Said I didn't need to be that person all the time."

His lips lifted faintly, but there was no amusement behind it. "She always helped Christian up, even if he was the one throwing punches. Said kindness didn't have conditions."

I didn't speak. The quiet wasn't uncomfortable. It felt... earned.

"She spent most days in the library," he continued. "Lost in books about ancient lore, strange lands, and history no one remembered. She'd stay there for hours, forgot to eat. I started sending omegas to bring her meals. Eventually, they just made it routine. She never asked for the care, but she accepted it. That was Emily. Quietly grateful."

The firelight caught in his eyes, soft and gold. "She didn't have many friends. Not because she was cold—just didn't know how to let people in. She talked to the pack when she had to, but she preferred being alone. She told me once she wanted to be a librarian. Said it felt right. I thought it was sweet."

I could imagine her, blurry and half-formed in my mind—a girl with a quiet voice and steady hands. The opposite of me in nearly every way.

"We didn't mark each other," Jacob said. "She wanted to wait. For the right moment, something special. I didn't mind. My wolf... he struggled. But he understood. He didn't want to scare her."

His voice softened to almost a whisper. "I loved her for that. For being soft in a world that demands teeth."

He fell silent then, the weight of memory sinking into his shoulders. I noticed the way his fingers tightened around the bowl, and how his jaw clenched just slightly. When he spoke again, his voice had turned quieter, rougher.