“Stop there,” I said aloud, my voice vibrating and echoing through the room, silencing it completely.
She turned slowly to face me, lowering her eyes. It was no surprise when everyone gave her pitiful looks. She’d gone against the order of a Lycan Alpha. That alone was enough for me to send her to the grave, but she was a woman…
Gingerly, I got up from my seat, the scraping sound of my chair against the floor the only noise in the room. I fixed my eyes intently on her, taking steady strides toward her.
She parted her lips as if to say something, but when her eyes fell on me, she folded her arms over her chest and raised an eyebrow questioningly. Her heeled feet tapped slowly against the floor as she sent me a cold look.
Despite her high-heeled sandals, I still towered over her. We were only a few inches apart, close enough to hear each other’s breath. Moving my hand to her chin, I tilted it up slightly with a single finger, my thumb gently running over her soft lips in slow, circular motions. Slightly parted, they puckered invitingly. Before I could think twice, I bent my head and kissed her lips. If it were a different time and place, I would have kissed her longer, but the occasion demanded otherwise.
Her eyes remained shut for a second, and when they opened, the defiance was gone. “Don’t defy my orders again,” I whispered, my voice low and husky.
Her shoes were clearly uncomfortable since she almost tripped as we walked toward the table, hand in hand. The stares of over thirty pack members followed us with so much interest that Jasmine leaned closer to me. If she’d been uncomfortable before, her discomfort nearly made her choke on her drink when I introduced her to the pack as my lady.
As expected, no one questioned my actions. A loud roar and sharp whistles filled the air. Staring at her, I almost chuckled as a red hue spread across her cheeks, and she looked away.
Breakfast was peaceful and hearty, and Jasmine left before I did. Under the guise of being tired, I dismissed Kade for the morning and headed to her room. Maybe I shouldn’t have gone there, as everything only ended up topsy-turvy.
From Jasmine accusing me of using her, I quickly lost the last bit of self-restraint I had and found myself sealing her lips with mine. Ace was in control now, unsatisfied with the simple kiss before breakfast. She tasted like heaven, and her voice only pushed me further. Her arousal blinded my senses as I softly bit her nipples.
But everything came to a halt when she parted her legs, demanding “more.” I knew I had to stop. Without saying a word, I left. If I had stayed even one more minute, I would have given her more than just “more.”
My mind cleared as I walked back to my room, the walk helping to calm both Ace and me. In the distance, I spotted two female figures standing together. I didn’t need to get closer to recognize Jasmine; her hair was still in that messy bun from our last meeting.
It was as if she had sensed my presence. Our eyes locked. From the way her lips turned down at the corners, I knew she was upset. As I drew nearer, I saw the other figure-thick black hair, tall… My face tightened into a frown. It was Isabel.
I quickened my pace and brushed my fingers over Jasmine’s hand, about to wrap my fingers around hers, but she jerked her hand away. Right.
I glanced between Isabelle and Jasmine, ready to speak, but before I could, Kade appeared again. His eyes were wide with concern as he sent me a distressed mind-link. “It’s about the rogues. You’re needed at the border right away, Ryder,” he said, and I nodded in response.
Jasmine’s POV
I couldn’t take it anymore. His words cut deep, twisting like a knife in my chest. Was he really going to tire of me? Just like that? Sure, I’d messed up, but he was blaming me as if I’d chased after him for fun. The fuck? He had a hand in this too. If he’d told me about Isabelle, I would’ve known what to expect. But no. If he couldn’t even disclose my purpose in his pack, there was no way he’d have mentioned her.
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The silence between us was suffocating. Ryder stood at the edge of the room, his back to me, his broad shoulders stiff with tension. He was deliberately shutting me out, making it clear that his decisions were final. My chest tightened as a wave of helplessness washed over me. But beneath that helplessness, rage was simmering.
“Really?” I yelled, my voice cracking as I knelt on the bed, fists clenched at my sides. “You’re just going to leave it like that? I’ve explained why I ran after you! Why couldn’t you tell me about Isabelle?”
The words hung in the air between us, heavy and sharp. My fury bubbled over, and I was barely holding it together. He wouldn’t even turn to look at me. I knew he could hear the pounding of my heart, feel the anger radiating from me, but he remained a stone wall.
“This wasn’t boredom or… or whatever the hell you were thinking,” I snapped, my voice trembling as I struggled to control it. “I know my position here.” I could feel the rise and fall of my chest speeding up, my breath coming in uneven bursts. He had reduced me to this-questioning everything.
My mother’s words echoed in the back of my mind. You deserve better, Jasmine. For once, I agreed with her. I had been blind, seeing everything through rose-colored glasses. I had clung to the idea that maybe, just maybe, Ryder was different. But now? Now I saw the reality of my situation. What would I even tell my future children if I ever had any? That their father kidnapped me from my pack and made me his mistress? No. I wasn’t signing up for that.
I swallowed hard, my throat constricting. “And what am I now? A side chick? A mistress?” My voice faltered for a moment, and I hated how vulnerable I sounded. “The same damn story repeating itself. The Moon Goddess must be laughing at me right now. From bad to worse, from grass to ashes.”
I stared at his back, feeling the weight of my words. He still hadn’t moved. It infuriated me. Why wouldn’t he just answer me? Why couldn’t he face me and give me the truth? My curiosity and anger gnawed at my insides, pushing me to demand the answer to one burning question.
“What do you want from me, Ryder?” My voice dropped, but the cold edge remained. “You kidnapped me, brought me to this… this place, this life, and now what? What’s your plan for me?”
His body tensed before he finally turned, eyes blazing. He stepped forward, closing the gap between us in an instant. “I warned you about running faster than your shadow, Jasmine. You never listen, do you?”
My blood boiled. “This isn’t about running faster!” I spat, my voice shaking with barely controlled rage. “It’s about you using me, manipulating me. Damn it, Ryder, you stole my life!”
My hand shot out, pointing accusingly at him. The anger that had been brewing inside me exploded in that moment, every bitter thought pouring out. His eyes narrowed, darkening as he sucked his teeth. But I didn’t care. I was done being his puppet.
“You haven’t lived properly if you think that was a life,” he snickered, though there was no humor in his voice. “You had no life back there, Jasmine. Humiliated by Jason, treated like a slave. You deserve better. You deserve to be treated like a queen, not some…”
“No!” My hand flew out before I could stop myself. The slap echoed through the air, sharp and loud, followed by a heavy silence that seemed to stretch on forever. We just stared at each other, shock hanging between us. I didn’t flinch. I wouldn’t.
“How dare you.” My voice came out low, deadly. “You have no idea what I had. What I lost. You have no right to judge me. And speaking of queens… you think you’re treating me like one?”
His face was still tilted to the side, his cheek flushed where my slap had landed. I could see the anger simmering beneath his expression, but I didn’t care. He’d barely known me for a month, and he had the nerve to judge me, to act like he knew everything about me. My hand ached from the force of the slap, but I wasn’t backing down.
“You’re just like the rest,” I hissed through clenched teeth. “Using me for your own gain.”
His eyes widened in surprise, as if he couldn’t believe I’d dared to defy him. Did he really think I would sit here and let him control my life without fighting back?
Before I could even process what was happening, Ryder moved. One second, he was standing there, and the next, he was on me. His arms wrapped around me, pinning me against his chest. The speed of his movements left me breathless. My body froze, trapped between him and the bed. My breasts pressed against his chest, and I realized with a jolt that there was no space left between us. His Lycan strength was undeniable.
I wriggled, but his hold on me was like iron. His eyes bore into mine, furious yet controlled. Despite everything, my body betrayed me. My nipples hardened against his chest, and heat surged through me, settling deep in my core. How could I be aroused by his anger? By the raw power radiating off him?
Ryder’s gaze never left mine, his jaw tense as he whispered, his voice low and husky. “I’m not cut out for this.”
His words sent a shiver down my spine. His voice… it was magnetic, pulling me in despite the chaos between us. The way his breath fanned my skin made my pulse race faster.
His presence overwhelmed me. My breaths came in short, ragged bursts, my skin prickling with awareness. His smirk lingered, and I hated how much it affected me. Every inch of my body responded to him, betraying the anger that still simmered inside me.
Before I could speak, Ryder pulled back, his grip loosening as he stepped away. His eyes lingered on me for a moment, dark and unreadable, before he turned to leave.
I stood there, frozen, my body still buzzing with the tension between us. My heart pounded in my chest, my breaths gradually evening out, but the heat he’d ignited in me refused to die. I cursed myself for reacting like this, for letting him get under my skin.
Why did my body crave him like this? He infuriated me, manipulated me, and yet… every time he came close, something inside me stirred. Even when he scared me, his presence sent a wave of desire coursing through my veins. I was losing myself, trapped in this never-ending cycle of anger and passion.
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