The Lycan King's Second Chance Mate: Rise of the Traitor's Daughter Chapter 140: A Perfect Morning

Easter~

I barely slept.

All night long, I tossed and turned in bed like so lovesick teenager with butterflies nesting in my chest. The thought of Jacob—Jacob—picking up in the morning had my heart galloping in ways I didn’t know were possible. Every ti I shut my eyes, his voice echoed in my head.

"If I thought you were anything less than a priority, I wouldn’t be here right now."

I replayed those words until they stitched themselves into my skin. I wasn’t sure what kept awake more—the anticipation of seeing and being with him tomorrow or the fact that he made feel seen for the first ti in years.

When the knock ca at my door, I was already wide awake, standing in front of the mirror pretending to act casual. It was a pathetic attempt, really. My heart was already at the door before my feet moved.

I opened it to find him standing there—Jacob, the man who was too perfect to be real, the very air around him humming with quiet, ancient power. Dressed in a soft grey sweater and black pants that hugged his tall fra perfectly, he looked like a divine secret wrapped in mortal form.

"Good morning," he said, his voice smooth, his brown eyes soft but alert, drinking in.

I smiled, cheeks heating. "Morning."

"You didn’t sleep," he noted, tilting his head just slightly, as though he could see straight through .

"I tried to," I whispered with a grin. "But I was too excited."

His smile curled—lazy, knowing. "I hope I live up to your expectations."

You already exceed them.

Before I could say anything else, I turned back into the room to kiss my sleeping daughter on the forehead. "Bye, Rose," I whispered, brushing her little curls off her face. "Be good for Uncle Tiger."

As if on cue, Tiger appeared out of nowhere and stood by the door, arms crossed, that ever-calm gaze of his watching us like the silent guardian he was. "She’ll be safe. On ti too," he said, giving a firm nod.

"Thanks, Tiger."

Jacob took my hand then, his fingers sliding into mine like they belonged there. "Ready?"

I nodded, the mont feeling warm and strange. Soon, the hallway around us buzzed like sothing magical was about to happen.

And then it did.

With a blink and the sound of the wind shifting through the air, the world changed.

We were no longer in the warm hallway of Zane’s house.

I was in Paris.

I gasped.

I didn’t need a glimpse of the Eiffel Tower to know we were in Paris—the air gave it away. It was sharper, smoother, full of elegance and hidden magic. We stood in the grand hallway of Jacob’s house, the place oozing quiet luxury. And there he was next to , looking like he’d just walked off the cover of a high-end fashion magazine, effortlessly perfect.

"Welco back ho," he said, amusent dancing in his eyes.

"I—what? Why are we here?" I looked around, still overwheld. "Shouldn’t we be heading to school?"

He chuckled. "We will. But you and I can’t just teleport onto school grounds. Too many caras, too many humans. I could shut them all down in a snap, sure—but that might block sothing important. What if soone was committing a cri and the cara couldn’t catch them because I was busy being flashy with magic?"

I blinked at him. "You actually thought that through?"

He raised an eyebrow. "I always think things through."

I couldn’t help but smile. "Okay, Mr. Thoughtful. So... what now?"

"Now," he said, guiding down the long hallway lined with paintings of wolves and stars, "we get you dressed."

"Jacob, I’m already dressed—"

He stopped in front of a tall, vintage mirror frad in carved oak and gold. "Not like this."

Before I could ask what he ant, he snapped his fingers, and suddenly the mirror shimred like the surface of a lake under moonlight. Then... I felt it. A warm whoosh of magic wrapped around like invisible silk. My clothes vanished and were replaced by a stunning navy-blue dress with embroidered silver stars that shimred faintly in the light. It fit perfectly, hugging my body in all the right places, elegant yet daring.

I gasped, hands flying to my mouth.

"Oh my God," I breathed. "Did you just dress with magic?"

"I did," he said with a grin. "Not bad, huh?"

"Do it again!"

He laughed, and I swore I’d never heard anything more beautiful.

For the next ten minutes, I stood behind that mirror as Jacob made dresses appear on like a magical fashion montage. A red silk gown with an open back. A soft pink jumpsuit with sparkly sleeves. Even a fitted erald suit that made feel like a queen.

"You’re enjoying this way too much," he said as I twirled in a black pantsuit.

"Are you kidding? I’ve never had this much fun with clothes in my life," I said, laughing so hard my cheeks hurt. "Do you just keep magical closets lying around?"

He shrugged, feigning modesty. "Perks of being ."

I ended up choosing a sleek but modest cream blouse tucked into high-waisted black pants, paired with a dusty rose coat. Understated, classy—perfect for school but still elegant.

"I love it," I said, smiling at him as he stepped closer to adjust the collar.

"I love you in it," he replied softly, his fingers brushing against my collarbone, sending sparks up my spine.

I stopped breathing for a second.

Jacob...

Before I could lt into his hands, he cleared his throat and stepped back. "Breakfast?"

I nodded, desperate to escape the heat flooding my cheeks.

He led to the kitchen that looked like sothing out of a dream. It wasn’t this breathtaking the first ti I ca here. But the food—oh God—the food. A floating tray hovered before us, covered in warm croissants, golden eggs, fresh strawberries, little tarts with cream, tiny cups of espresso. Every bite felt like it had been kissed by magic.

"Jacob," I moaned as I bit into a flaky almond croissant, "this is... illegal."

He grinned. "I’ll take that as a complint."

After we’d eaten more than enough to feed a royal court, he led out to the garage, where a sleek, obsidian-black car stood waiting. The thing glowed, like it had been handcrafted by ti and starlight itself.

He walked over, opened the passenger door like a gentleman, and gave a wink. "Your chariot awaits, milady."

I laughed, sliding in. "You’re such a show-off."

He closed the door and climbed in beside . "You love it."

I did. But what the hell happened to Jacob in a span of four days?

He drove smoothly, one hand on the wheel, the other relaxed on the armrest. The city blurred past us in gold and silver. And though we were heading toward sothing as simple and boring as school, I couldn’t shake the feeling that this mont—this—was anything but ordinary.

He didn’t speak much during the drive, but his eyes kept flickering to . Like he was watching. Rembering. Thinking.

When we finally arrived at school, he pulled into the parking lot slowly, careful not to draw attention. Still, heads turned. I could feel the weight of people’s gazes through the tinted windows.

He parked, turned to , and smiled. "You ready?"

"No," I admitted. "But... I’ve got you, so I’ll fake it well enough."

He opened the door for again, and when I stepped out, I could swear I heard soone whistle.

Jacob ignored the stares and walked beside like he belonged there, like I belonged with him.

He leaned close, his voice brushing against my ear. "Rember, you are no one’s victim anymore, Easter. You are fire in human skin."

I swallowed hard, the heat in his words soaking into my bones.

I turned to look at him, my voice clouded with emotions. "Why do you do this for ?"

He studied for a mont—intense, unreadable. "Because you deserve it, Easter. And one day... I hope you’ll see yourself the way I do. As soone deserving."

My heart cracked open.

And sowhere, deep in the place where guilt once lived like rot, sothing blood.

Hope.

Real, terrifying, soul-warming hope.

And it wore Jacob’s face.