Seems like Alpha Jaden had his own script-and he just hijacked my performance.
Kester’s gaze snapped to meet mine, but this time, I didn’t look away. I held his gaze for a moment before I spoke, “Ah. Yes. He told me. Sorry, I forgot to mention it to everyone,” I turned my attention to the rest of the table, who didn’t seem displeased at all, painting on a faint, apologetic smile.
“It’s alright, Kasmine,” Mum chimed in with a delighted smile, her eyes darting between me and Jaden like she was mentally designing wedding invitations. “Jaden is family. We don’t mind.”
And just like that, dinner resumed, and Jaden, as if on cue, kept up with a performance he didn’t even know I was on. He kept whispering little nothings to me every now and then- The kind of performance meant for an audience of one, even though the whole room watched with hungry eyes.
Mum and Dad stole occasional glances at us, and I knew they were happy with whatever it was they thought was happening between me and Jaden. If only they knew what kind of show they were buying tickets to.
Across the table, June’s smile had withered into a tight-lipped line.
She was tired, slowly unraveling, and obviously tired of replying to questions on Kester’s behalf. She was no longer so chatty.
Her face was already pale with disappointment. She had imagined something different tonight. A picture-perfect dinner where she’d be the center.
Instead, she was background noise because Kester hadn’t said another word since Jaden sat down. Not ever hen Uncle Ralph asked him a question about when the wedding date would be.
Jaden leaned down and whispered something else into my ears: “Your brother looks like he would stab me with the fork.”
I giggled softly, tilting my face to his.
“Don’t worry,” I whispered back. “He won’t do that in public.” We both laughed again.
I wouldn’t call the dinner perfect-but it was better,
Better than sitting across from Kester and watching him play fianc? to June.
Better than pretending I still hadn’t cried about him just two nights ago.
And by the time Jaden walked me to the door and drove off with a wink and a promise of a huge birthday gift, Thad a smile on my face that almost felt real.
Almost.
But the moment I shut the door to my room behind me and walked into my empty room while Kester went into his with June, my sadness clicked back in place.
She couldn’t leave for her pack tonight as it was already too late. So, she had to stay over. And, of course, I wouldn’t expect her to sleep in my parent’s room. Neither do I expect her to sleep in the other numerous rooms we had in the house.
I peeled off the strap of my gown slowly. My fingers trembled slightly as I tucked my hair into a loose bun.
The hot shower did nothing to soothe the tightness in my chest.
I was about to climb into my bed, ready to sleep, when my door flung open.
“What the “I sat up fast, heart in my throat.
But the words caught and lodged deep in my throat when I felt a large, rough hand gripping my arm with bruising force while the other wrapped around my throat.
And then-slam-my back hit the wall. My breath fled in a sharp gasp
Kester.
His eyes-black with fury-bored into mine with a rage that bordered on feral.
“You have a lot of nerves, baby. You truly do.”
KASMINE.
“Let me go, Kester!” I managed to choke out, but my words barely made it past my dry throat. I clawed at his arm as I struggled against the iron grip around my throat.
His body pressed into mine, caging me against the wall, heat radiating from him like an inferno.
But it was his eyes-those eyes-that made terror freeze up my blood.
Dark. Dilated. Ferocious.
Unhinged.
“Kester,” I gasped, my voice cracking, “you’re hurting me!”
His lips curled into a wicked, twisted smile. “Good,” he murmured, as if that was what he wanted, as if my panic was exactly what he needed. “Good.”
“Please…” I breathed.
“What? Can’t stand the beast you awakened?” He seethed, his words coming in a snarl. “Such a perfect performance tonight, Kasmine. Bravo.”
His voice was simmering with a madness that made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. It was like I wasn’t even looking at the man I knew anymore. This was something else-something unrecognizable and dangerous.
His face was inches from mine, breath fanning across my cheek, bitter with whisky and rage.
I kicked my feet against the ground, trying to push myself away from the wall, but it was pointless. His body was like a cage. He wasn’t moving, and every breath felt like it might be my last.
My lungs screamed for air as his grip tightened around my throat, fingers digging in, making my vision blur at the edges.
I wheezed.
My legs weakened. My body trembled.
Stars began to pop behind my eyes.
I could feel life slipping in slow motion.
“Didn’t I warn you not to go anywhere around Jaden ever again?” He growled, baring his teeth, “Yet you defied me, Mine. You did.” His grip on my throat shifted, digging in even deeper.
“Didn’t I tell you I’d make you pay if you kept pushing me? If you kept testing me? And now, look where we are.” Something dark flashed across his face.
Then, finally, thank Selene and her mercies, his hand dropped from my throat.
I stumbled, coughing, clutching my neck, but before I could pull away, his hand shot out, grabbing my chin and forcing me to look at him.
“What else do you want from me, Kasmine? What?” He pulled away and took a step back, and I could feel frustration radiating from him.
“It doesn’t matter anymore, Kester. Maybe if you had been open enough with me, we wouldn’t be at this point,” I replied, rubbing my neck
“What do you mean?” He asked, hopeful that the conversation was finally leading somewhere.
“You keep way too many secrets from me, Kester. If you had just come clean about your feelings for June, maybe I wouldn’t have misunderstood things when I saw you and her together the other day.” I said.
“But….” He tried speaking up, but I stopped him.
“How about the actual reason Alpha Kex is hell-bent on ruining you? What about me being betrothed to Jaden? Even Karina? Heck, who do you have locked up in a certain basement?!” I listed, and all he could do was scoff, shutting his eyes before opening them again to stare blankly at me.
He dragged a hand through his hair, pacing once before stopping dead in front of me.
“I told you I had a plan, didn’t I?” His eyes bored into mine. “I told you to wait and that I’d handle everything. That I’d end things with June.”
Out of all I mentioned, this was the only topic he chose to handle. That’s fine.
“You wouldn’t dare it, big brother. You wouldn’t dare end things with her. I won’t let you humiliate another woman in that manner just because of me!” I snapped back at him.
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