From the corner of my eye, I saw something sitting carefully by the side of the table.
“What the fuck?” I muttered under my breath, picking up the bag and opening it. “How did this get here?”
“Oh. Kasmine gave them to me,” June said with a wide grin.
I froze as rage clouded my senses. “She what?”
June shrugged, that insipid smile still on her lips, oblivious to the ticking bomb in the room. “She said I could have them since I liked them. I thought it was sweet of her-“
My hand tightened around the bag, my knuckles white with the force of it. I barely registered June’s voice trailing off behind me as I stormed out of the room.
My thought was a haze of red. How dare she? Such casual disregard.
By the time I reached Kasmine’s door, I was seething. I didn’t bother knocking. Hell, I didn’t even hesitate. My anger gave me permission to breach every boundary.
I shoved the door open, the handle slamming against the wall. The sight that greeted me stopped me dead in my tracks.
She stood in the center of the room, tying a towel around herself-red, my favorite color. Her hair was damp, water dripping onto her shoulders, slowly sliding down her skin.
For a moment, everything else faded, leaving only the image of her standing there, looking so infuriatingly perfect it made my head spin.
“Kester!” she yelled as she clutched the towel tighter. “What the hell is wrong with you? You can’t just barge in here like that!”
I didn’t answer. Couldn’t. My gaze dropped to the droplets gliding down her collarbone, disappearing into the curve of her towel. Heat surged through me, unwelcome and maddening. I clenched my fists, forcing myself to focus.
“Why the fuck did you give these to June?” I growled, tossing the bag onto her bed, making the contents spill out.
“She liked them. I have no use for them, so I gave them to her.” She replied with an eye roll.
Seeing her shrug off my anger like it was an annoyance pushed me to the edge. Kasmine grabbed a robe from her closet, slipping it over her shoulders in that nonchalant way of hers that got me mad.
“You gave them to her because you thought you had no use for them?” My voice was barely restrained.
She looked at me over her shoulder, raising an eyebrow. “Exactly. What else was I supposed to do with them, Kester? I’m not seeing anyone. I don’t have a boyfriend-thanks to you, by the way.”
I took a step closer, “You don’t get to give out a gift, Kasmine. I’ve always told you this!”
“Oh, please. Spare me the lecture. What am I supposed to do? Prance around in lingerie for no one? You’ve made damn sure that any man who gets within ten feet of me thinks twice about it.”
“Watch it, Kasmine…” I warned, feeling my anger rise a little more than I’d like.
“I won’t watch it, Kester!” she snapped, stepping closer now, the fire in her eyes matching the storm in my chest. “Do you know how suffocating it’s been? I can’t date or even talk to a guy without worrying you’ll come storming in to scare him off! And for what? Because you like controlling me? Because you think you can?”
My hands clenched at my sides, the rage bubbling dangerously close to the surface. “No,” I growled, taking another step forward and grabbing her by her slender arm. “Because the idea of you with anyone else makes me want to fucking destroy something!”
Fuck. That wasn’t supposed to be heard by her. That was a mistake.
Her breath hitched, and her eyes darted to the lingerie on the bed before resting her shocked gaze on me.
“What? Ke… Kester? What did you…”
I saw the sheer shock in her eyes.
“You think this is about control? About me being your overbearing stepbrother?” I shook my head, a bitter laugh escaping me. “No, Kasmine. It is far more than that.”
Her lips parted, but no words came out.
“You’re mine,” I said, the words spilling out before I could stop them. My voice was raw, my chest heaving. “You’ve always been mine. And no one else gets to have you until I say otherwise, no matter how much you hate it. Always have that at the back of your mind.”
Her hand went to her throat, her fingers brushing against the damp skin there. “You… You can’t mean that,” she whispered, shaking her head frantically as tears glistened in her eyes.
I leaned down, my breath fanning her ear, “I mean every word I have just said… Mine…”
KASMINE.
My brother couldn’t have meant all he said to me in my room. He must have said those things to get me further scared of having anything to do with any man until I have my mate.
All through the drive to the pack, I sat quietly in the car, replaying his words in my head. Thankfully, he was in another vehicle with June. He always traveled with his driver and a small convoy for security reasons.
He was becoming even more protective.
“27th, Kasmine. 27th of August…” I kept reassuring myself every day since my life became a misery.
“I’m already running late, mum. It’s almost ten,” I said to my mum when we arrived at the packhouse.
I didn’t miss the subtle glare Kester shut my way, but I ignored him.
“You’ll be back in time to have lunch before you leave, right?” She asked, patting my head lovingly as she planted a small kiss on my forehead.
I narrowed my brows. What was she talking about?
“I’ll be staying the weekend, mum. Remember?” I stated with an eye roll.
“No, you’re not,” I heard Kester say from my side. I turned my attention to him, a subtle frown of confusion on my face.
“What?” I asked, hoping I didn’t hear him correctly.
“We are going back home tonight,” He announced like he owned my fucking life.
“Babe? Why? I thought we were staying the weekend. I brought everything I’d be needing…” June was saying, but Kester coldly cut her off.
“I changed my mind. We are going back tonight. I have some pressing matters I’d like to attend to,” He emphasized, and I looked at my mum, waiting for her to say something.
Why wasn’t she saying anything?
“Then you’ll go. I’ll return after the weekend,” I glared at him.
“No, honey…” Mum said softly, “It’s not safe. That’s one of the reasons your brother is here. The pack is under some threats. And it might lead to a war if not handled properly. You can’t be left to go alone after the weekend.”
Wow. This was the longest my mum had ever spoken to me without any distractions in a long time.
Should I be happy? Yes.
Was I happy? No.
It felt so strange hearing her speak without distractions.
“Why do you sound like we are a small pack without guards, drivers, soldiers, name it! I’ll stay the weekend, and the guards will escort me back to Kester’s.” I crossed my arms on my chest.
“My word is final, Kasmine,” Kester’s tone was biting, and the look in his eyes scared me, “You will go to school, finish up with the reason you are here, and return in time for us to go back. home.”
His tone was so cold that it sent shivers skittering down my spine. I turned to see my mum saying nothing, silently agreeing with what Kester had just said.
Casting a final glare at Kester, I turned around and stomped out of their presence without saying another word.
The soft rustle of leaves above us swayed gently in the late morning breeze, the tree providing the perfect shade as Jake and I sat beneath it.
He leaned back against the trunk, his arms draped casually over his knees, his shirt slightly rumpled but still managing to make him look effortlessly handsome.
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