His presence in Jasmine’s room made my blood boil. What the hell was he doing here? I gritted my teeth in anger, my fists clenched, fighting the urge to burst out of my hiding spot and confront him. My heart raced with fury, my mind consumed by visions of tearing him limb from limb.
“We shouldn’t be here,” Ace said, equally angry, nudging me to leave my cover. But then, I heard Jasmine’s soft voice, gentle and tender, like a summer breeze on a still day. It stilled me, calming the storm that raged within.
“I told Mom I’d think about it,” she sighed tiredly.
“There’s nothing to think about,” Jason hissed, his voice firm and impatient. “You heard what Mom said. It’s either you leave soon or live with Ryder as his sex slave,” Jason sneered, and I felt my stomach tighten.
“There’s barely any choice for me, is there?” Jasmine asked.
“No, there isn’t. We’re not going to let you be a whore to some Lycan king,” his voice was filled with hatred, and my hand curled into a tight fist, my jaws tightening with rage.
“I’ll make you Luna instead of Stephanie. That’ll do justice to everything.” Jason’s voice was coaxing. Justice, indeed-his offer, as though it were some glamorous prize.
I seethed with rage, my heart pounding in my chest like a drum. How dare he? He thought he could waltz in here and claim her like a prize? Pushing my head further, I was determined to confront him.
But Jasmine’s soft foot gently touched my face-a warning gesture, telling me to keep my cool. Her gentle touch was a balm to my fury, soothing the savage beast that raged within.
“I can’t be a second choice. You can’t just choose me because you’ve reconsidered things,” she said, her voice firm, like steel tempered in fire. “The decision is mine to make.”
And then she dropped the bombshell. She couldn’t sleep with someone she called her brother. Jason, like the sly fox he was, reminded her that we weren’t related. How convenient for him to realize it now, but she stood her ground.
“You’re the last person on earth to preach about wrongs and rights. You’ve never tried to be a good brother or friend to me. You’re the same person who rejected, dumped, and made fun of me, disgracing me and turning me into an object of ridicule. You never even looked at me twice, but now, I’ve filled in…”
“Healthy, just the way you like your girls-and you think you’re doing me a favor when you’re doing all this because you can’t afford to lose to Ryder!” she snapped, her voice filling the room with anger.
A small smile tugged at the corners of my lips despite my annoyance with the latest development. I was proud of her for standing up to him.
But then Jason’s threat made my teeth grit.
“It’s good you have some stubbornness in you. I’ll advise you to use it on that Lycan. I’m giving you an ultimatum. Tomorrow marks the end of your grace period, so think about it all you want, because I won’t hesitate to make sure things go my way,” he hissed through gritted teeth, his voice dripping with malice, like venom from a snake’s fang.
“I won’t let you touch me with a barge pole!” she yelled after him, her voice echoing through the room like a challenge.
Jasmine’s POV
Placing my palm over my chest, I heaved a big sigh as soon as Jason left. I sensed a shift in the atmosphere. It wasn’t even a minute before Ryder emerged from under my bed, his presence radiating fury. I could feel his anger seeping through his gaze as he approached me. His eyes were narrowed, stormy and cold, his jaw clenched hard, making his face appear more angular. I gulped, my eyes widening with each step he took.
I expected him to lash out, to demand answers, but instead, he remained silent. His gaze pierced through me as if searching for something, while his lips twitched slightly. He said nothing. With a swift movement, he tugged at the sides of his shirt, pulling them down and dusting them off, his muscles rippling beneath the fabric.
Without a word, he turned and walked toward the window. I watched in quiet awe as his tall frame eased through the narrow opening, his broad shoulders barely touching the frame. His body moved gracefully, disappearing into the night as quietly as he’d arrived, leaving me feeling troubled and concerned. Only when he left did I realize I’d been holding my breath.
The silence that followed was heavy, pregnant with unspoken questions and fearful thoughts. I felt like running after him, but the better part of my senses warned against it. I had to wait for Ryder to return, wondering what would happen next.
As I stood there, frozen in uncertainty, I couldn’t shake the feeling that Ryder’s departure was only the beginning of a storm that would soon engulf us all. Silence has power, and I was starting to believe it. I had no idea what he really wanted to say or do, and now I was anxious.
Lying on my bed, my mind raced with thoughts of Ryder. If only Jason hadn’t come to my room. I got angry just remembering his words. After all he’d done to me, he had the nerve to remind me about something he had no business in, even going so far as to give me an ultimatum. An ultimatum, indeed, I hissed aloud.
My mind wandered back to Ryder. What was he thinking? What secrets lay hidden behind those piercing eyes? I couldn’t shake the feeling that he was a puzzle I couldn’t solve, a mystery that only deepened my unease. Shutting my eyes, I forced myself into a dreamless sleep.
The Next Morning
The next morning, I woke up with a sense of dread, knowing I had to face my mom, Jason, and Ryder again. As I entered the kitchen, I was met with a familiar sight-Stephanie, an apron tied around her body, her blonde hair in a tight bun, already busy cooking. Noticing my arrival, she flashed me a look, her eyes gleaming with competitive fire. Fvck it! To think Jason was trying to make me compete with this bitch?
“You should learn to wake up earlier,” she lectured, and I almost snorted. The kitchen smelled of burnt bacon-so much for her lecture when she couldn’t even prepare one meal without something getting scorched.
“Since we’ll be living together, I’ll need some assistance,” she added, her back turned to me while she stirred the pot of whatever mess she was making. I gave her a stern look. Jason hasn’t even married her officially, and yet she’s already acting this bossy.
I wonder how she would feel when Jason announces to her that he has zero intentions of making her his Luna.
A knot formed in my stomach, knowing that staying in the pack meant constant competition with her. I didn’t even want to think about how she would find ways to make my life miserable, yet I was supposed to stay. If I stayed, it would be a never-ending cycle, and I was tired of being trapped.
Ignoring her, I did my best to salvage the mess she’d made-charred bacon, watery oats… Jason would have to learn to adapt, I thought with a smirk. In no time, breakfast was served. Usually, breakfast was a quiet affair, but today it felt like a ticking time bomb. Ryder wasn’t around, and I found myself slightly relieved, even though part of me wanted to see him.
Jason avoided my gaze, but I could tell he was angry from the way he picked at his food. Mom, who had been staring at me throughout the meal, finally broke the silence. Her voice made me lose the little appetite I had, the food suddenly losing its taste and appeal. A feeling of nausea washed over me as I forced down what I had already swallowed.
“Have you made up your mind?” she asked, her eyes boring into mine.
I was caught off guard, my mind trying to come up with a response. I knew that saying no would only lead to disaster, ruining the fragile peace at the breakfast table. I was stuck, my thoughts tangled in a web of uncertainty. A part of me wanted to scream “no,” to walk away from the pack and the pressure it brought. But another part-a smaller, weaker part-was afraid of disappointing my parents.
Mom’s words from yesterday still echoed in my head. A lot had already been sacrificed for my sake, but did that justify me sacrificing their happiness for them?
“I have…” I stuttered, trying to find the right words, when the door suddenly burst open. Ryder’s tall, intimidating figure filled the entrance. His posture was confident, but it only seemed to horrify my parents. Their faces fell, and I could sense the fear radiating from them.
The clattering of cutlery stopped. The only person who seemed even slightly composed was Jason. He held his head high and sat up straight, staring at Ryder with defiance, gripping his fork tightly.
I gulped hard. What did Ryder want this time? His presence was like a dark cloud, casting a shadow over our already tumultuous lives. I felt my heart sink, bracing myself for the impact of his words.
I had only one question in my mind: What was going to happen?
My body went still as I watched in unease, Ryder’s deep blue eyes locking with mine. His eyes seethed with the anger from yesterday, I assumed, an intensity that made me lose focus on everything around me; it held me captive. With a confident stride, he walked toward the table, his posture commanding attention. His gaze flicked from mine and shifted to my parents.
“You know you weren’t invited to breakfast. What the fuck are you doing here, Ryder?” Jason asked, his voice steely and full of hostility. The table knife in his hands was held low but angled in Ryder’s direction.
Ryder’s eyes narrowed at the knife, a scoffing expression crossing his face. Tilting his chin slightly, his eyes fixed on my mother, an unreadable expression on his face. “Actually,” he cocked his head proudly at Jason, a small smile on his lips, “she begged me to always join you for breakfast,” he said, his rich voice dripping with sarcasm.
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