Jake also seemed a bit uninterested in her chats. He was more worried about me. My mood since I arrived at the office told him all he thought he should know about why the call had ended so abruptly last night.
He thinks my brother had scolded me, or worst of all, he thinks Kester hit me.
If only he knew that Kester did more than hit me.
If only Jake understood that what Kester had done to me was so much more devastating. That he had crossed a line so completely that there was no way to come back from it.
And the worst part? I couldn’t even hate him for it, no matter how I tried to.
And all that was to keep Jake safe. Otherwise, he’d have been dead by this morning. My brother was that kind of a monster.
“Kasmine!” Claire’s voice snapped me out of my thoughts. blinked, startled by her tone, and froze when I realized why.
Kester.
He stood at our table, towering over us with that calm, commanding presence that made everyone fall silent. My heart thudded violently, the sound roaring in my ears that I feared it would rip out of my chest.
A chill shiver ran down my spine as I stood up impulsively.
“Ke… Kester?” I stuttered, swallowing the fear that burnt my throat.
Jake and Claire greeted him.
No matter how angry Jake was, this was his Alpha. He dared not act disrespectfully.
Claire, on the other hand, was practically glowing, her cheeks flushed pink as her eyes roamed over him. She was trying too hard to catch his attention, but Kester didn’t even glance her way. His dark gaze was locked on me.
“I see you are having lunch with your… friends?” The way he emphasized the last word made my heart pick up speed again.
I swallowed hard, willing my voice to cooperate. “Ul… yes, just thought we should-
The words crumbled before I could finish. He’d warned me to stay away from Jake. I hope I don’t get Jake killed. “Follow me,” Kester ordered, his tone leaving no room for argument. “I have something to show. you.
I stiffened, panic tightening in my chest. “Lunch isn’t over yet,” I said, trying to stall. I dreaded whatever he wanted to go and ‘show’ me.
“Lunch is over for you, Mine,” he almost spelled out the last word while glaring at Jako. I didn’t like how his eyes quickly turned from its usual green to a darker shade. I had to save the situation.
“Okay. Please, let’s go.”
When we reached his office, he shut the door behind us with an audible click and turned the key.
My heart sank.
“Kester-“
Before I could finish, he grabbed my wrist and pulled me into his chest. I was speechless. This wasn’t what I expected. I thought he would yell, scold, or issue another one of his warnings about Jake. But instead, he held me tightly, burying his face in the crook of my neck.
I froze, every nerve in my body alight. I didn’t know how to respond to it.
“Kester,” I whispered, unsure of what to say, unsure of what to do.
He didn’t respond at first. His arms tightened around me, his grip almost desperate, inhaling my scent as if it were an addiction.
“I can’t do this,” he murmured finally, his voice strained, raw. “I can’t watch you sit there with them… With him. I can’t…”
I closed my eyes, torn between the guilt eating at me and the part of me that craved this-craved him. For I couldn’t tell, his words made my insides quake.
But… That tiny voice in my head kept telling me this was wrong.
“You’re mine, Kasmine,” he whispered, his lips brushing against my temple. “Don’t make me remind you.”
He pulled away, cupping my face in his palms and looking desperately into my eyes.
SUOS
His hands cradled my face with a tenderness that was at odds with the storm in his eyes. Those green eyes were darkening, shadowed by something primal, something dangerous. His grip wasn’t harsh, but it wasn’t gentle either-it was the kind of hold that told me I wasn’t going anywhere.
“I don’t want to hurt you. That’s why I haven’t hurt Jake yet,” he murmured, his smoky voice trembling with restraint. His thumb brushed along my cheekbone, sending shivers down my spine. “But you’re making it so damn hard, Kasmine. So hard.”
My fears roared back to life..
“I’m trying,” he continued, his voice rough. “Trying so hard to control myself, to let you live the life you want. But when I see you with him-with anyone but me-” His jaw clenched, his nostrils flaring as he took a steadying breath. “I want to rip the world apart.”
When did Kester get to this point? Wasn’t this… Obsession… I had read about this in some books, and it was said to be unhealthy. My brother couldn’t be obsessed with me. The last person to let obsess over me was Kester Hamilton. He’d kill every man who dares look my way.
“No… Kester…” I whispered, pushing against him, but his hand moved from my face to my waist, holding me flush against his hard chest.
“Don’t say my name like that,” he interrupted, his voice lowering into something darker, more intimate. “You belong to me, Kasmine. You’ve always belonged to me. No other man has the right to look at you, talk to you, breathe the same air as you,”
“This isn’t right. Please. Don’t let yourself get to this point I’m begging you,” tears welled up in my eyes, but that didn’t stop him.
“I don’t give a fuck about what’s right anymore.” He leaned in closer, his forehead resting against mine. His breath fanned over my lips, warm and intoxicating. “Do you have any idea what you do to me? How you drive me to the edge every damn day? I wake up thinking about you. I go to sleep dreaming of you. Every moment, Kasmine. Every breath I take is because of you. And you… you think you can sit there, laughing with him, letting him look at you like he has a chance?”
There was a brief pause. He was wrapping me in a web, and didn’t like it.
“Kasmine, don’t make me hurt him… Please,” He pleaded, almost as if he had no control over the things he’d do for my sake. It terrified me.
His lips crashed against mine before I could respond, cutting off whatever weak protest I might have managed.
KESTER
It was meant to be a busy day, packed with meetings, calls, and endless files to review, but trust me, I made damn sure it wasn’t. I canceled everything. Cleared my schedule entirely and made sure to attend to every fucking matter right in my office.
I sat here, eyes locked on her. Watching her like she was the only thing worth my attention in the world. And perhaps she was.
It felt like letting Mine stay away from my sight would make me die an instant death. I watched her all day, almost unable to do anything right.
Kasmine tried to focus, but it was obvious she couldn’t. She fidgeted in her chair. She’d been uncomfortable the whole time, as expected. But she’ll be fine eventually. This was all new to her.
She could hardly get anything done. The files I had given her to compute were not even done in a fraction. But that was fine. Why should I be mad at her?
I caught Jake stealing glances at her. Over and over again. The bastard thought he was subtle, but I saw every desperate attempt to get her attention. She didn’t give him the satisfaction, though.
Good
She was too shaken, too caught in the aftermath of last night. And that was exactly how I liked her. Maybe I’d keep her in this state every damn day, just to keep scum like him at bay.
She lifted her gaze for the millionth time today and glanced at me, and as usual, my eyes were fixed on her. I saw how uncomfortable it made her feel, but fuck it. I didn’t care. I didn’t bother pretending otherwise.
Perfect.
The moment our gazes locked, I smirked and let my eye blink in a slow, deliberate wink. She stiffened, her discomfort rippling across her face. Her cheeks flushed as she returned her focus to the files in front of her. But she wasn’t working. Not really. She was too aware of me, too consumed by my presence,
This-whatever it was between us-was becoming more than I ever anticipated. At first, it had been admiration, longing, a desire I thought I could contain. But now? It was an obsession, pure and simple. It felt…
The sharp trill of my phone shattered the moment, and my jaw clenched in irritation. People really don’t know when to leave a man the hell alone.
I snatched the phone from my desk, seeing, Sylvia’s name flash on the screen. My head of operations. She wouldn’t dare call me unless it was important, but right now, I didn’t give a damn about her definition of “important.”
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