✓ | PRIMAL, jacob black ²

chapter twenty eight

CHAPTER TWENTY EIGHT

The room fell into a stunned, heavy silence following Jacob's admission. It was as if even the air itself had stilled, growing thick with the weight of his words. Everyone stared at him, their faces mirroring the same bewildered expression. Jacob shifted uncomfortably under their scrutiny, the tension in the room prickling at his skin.

"What?" he asked, his voice low, breaking the oppressive quiet. His eyes darted around the room until they landed on Sam, who had raised a hand to his mouth, his expression contemplative and uncertain.

Sam studied Jacob with a gravity that made the younger man's discomfort grow. Unlike Jacob, Sam felt nothing more than a maternal bond toward Aniya—a connection shared by everyone else in the room. Yet Jacob's words had shattered that consensus.

"Jacob," Sam said carefully, his tone deliberate, "what exactly do you feel when it comes to Aniya?"

Jacob furrowed his brows, his expression uncertain. "It's... like I need to protect her. But it's more than that—I feel like I need to be near her." His voice was hesitant, as if speaking the truth aloud might solidify something he wasn't ready to face.

The moment the words left his mouth, Seth gasped audibly, the sound drawing all eyes to him.

"What?" Jacob repeated his frustration mounting. His voice was sharper this time, betraying his unease.

Seth hesitated, then raised a hand from where it rested on Maya's waist. "Jacob, do you realize you just described imprinting? Maybe not word for word, but that's pretty much the essence of it."

Jacob's expression darkened, and his voice dropped to a near growl. "I didn't imprint on her," he said firmly. "I've looked into her eyes. I didn't feel anything—not the way they say you're supposed to. Nothing clicked."

Embry, leaning lazily against Juliet's shoulder, turned to Sam with a questioning look. "Is there an explanation for that?" he asked, his tone serious for once. But Sam remained silent, his brow furrowed in thought as if searching for answers that eluded him.

Paul broke the silence with a dry laugh. "Maybe Jacob's just so determined not to imprint that he's somehow overriding his wolf's instincts." His smirk faded when everyone turned to him, staring as though he'd grown a second head.

"Wait," Serena said, her voice laced with mock astonishment. "Did something that actually makes sense just come out of your mouth?" She looked at Paul with a mix of disbelief and amusement.

Paul scowled, crossing his arms defensively. "I'm so offended," he muttered, which earned a quiet laugh from Serena.

Jacob, meanwhile, stayed rooted in his seat, his hands gripping the edges of the chair as if it might keep him grounded. His eyes flickered back to Sam, silently pleading for guidance. But Sam's expression remained clouded, offering no clear answers.

Breaking the lull, Quil nudged his chin toward the table. "Well, Aniya did draw you two together when she was a kid. What are the odds that it's not connected somehow?"

Jacob shrugged, unwilling to venture a guess. He wasn't about to open his mouth and risk saying something that might dig him into a deeper hole—especially when Leah's earlier words still stung, reminding him of how he'd made Aniya feel.

Juliet, who had been silent up until now, walked over to the table. Her gaze swept over the scattered papers, her curiosity piqued. "Her drawings..." she murmured, almost to herself. She reached out and picked up the stack, sifting through them carefully.

"What are you doing?" Embry asked, his voice tinged with mild annoyance as he followed her, clearly missing the warmth of her presence.

Juliet froze mid-motion, her eyes widening as she stared at two of the sketches. She placed them side by side and let out a sharp gasp.

"Juliet, what's wrong?" Embry asked, alarmed now as he moved closer.

She didn't respond right away, her gaze fixed on the drawings in her hands. Finally, she lifted them higher for everyone to see, her voice urgent. "I think Aniya's drawings have been trying to tell us something. We've been so focused on the people in them that we've missed what's in the background."

"What do you mean?" Maya asked, leaning forward with a curious frown.

Juliet aligned the two drawings carefully, connecting the edges. "Look at the mountains and trees," she said, her voice trembling with realization. "They form a pattern. They're spelling something out."

The room collectively leaned in closer, and their curiosity reignited. The tension shifted as everyone strained to see what Juliet had discovered, their earlier focus on Jacob momentarily forgotten.