KASMINE.
I wiped the tear away as I tied my hair in a loose bun, but it didn’t stop the flood of emotions swirling inside me. Guilt. Shame. And something much more dangerous. Desire
I hated myself for allowing my brother to do what he did to me.
Last night was a mistake… It should have been a mistake–something I regretted so deeply that the very thought of it should make my stomach churn.
But after this morning? I swear, I was conflicted. Here I was alone in my room, unable to stop replaying every detail.
The forbidden fruit is always the sweetest, isn’t it? The one thing you’re not supposed to have, the thing that could ruin everything somehow, it becomes all you can think about.
He was devastatingly beautiful in a way that felt almost unfair. You wouldn’t blame a lady for falling for him… But me? I had no right to have felt the way I felt.
Jake was just a guy… He never really liked the gym, even though he promised to begin gymming soon because of me. He was a little too lean, with just the right amount of flesh covering his bones. But I still loved him that way. Love went beyond mere looks. He was generally a great guy and I appreciated that.
But, Kester… He was built to perfection.
It all began the day Claire pointed out how great his body was. I couldn’t stop studying every line of his body whenever he was bare–chested around me and wishing Jake had the same features sometimes. But I swear, nothing ever prepared me for this self–betrayal.
I closed my eyes, the memory of him from last night flooding back unbidden. My chest tightened as I remembered the feel of his lips on mine.
The hard planes of his chest pressed against me, the way his hands gripped me like I was the only thing grounding him to the earth. He’d always been strong, but last night, I truly felt it–the restrained power and control.
The way he fucked my mouth – even though I couldn’t take in his whole length.
And this morning, I hated myself for how I melted under his touch, for the way his kisses made my knees weak. He kissed like a man who knew exactly what he wanted, and it terrified me how much I wanted to give in.
I wrapped my arms around myself, trying to ward off the chill of reality. This was wrong. It had to be. But no matter how much I told myself that, it didn’t change the truth
“Good morning, Mum,” I mumbled, hoping she wouldn’t read too deeply into my tone. She was already glaring: daggers at me, and I wasn’t in the mood for her usual lessons on propriety or whatever moral thought I lacked.
compass she
“Kasmine. What have you…” she began, but I walked past her, totally ignoring Kester, who had been waiting for me at the dining table with her.
“Have a nice day, too, Mum,” I interrupted her and walked out the door.
We drove in awkward silence, and I never made the mistake of glancing his way. He tapped away on his phone, his Jaw tight with that quiet, simmering anger he carried so well, but I didn’t care. Kester was constantly angry. It was
not new.
Kester wasn’t human. He couldn’t be. How else could he act like last night was normal, like it hadn’t shaken me to
Chapter 20
en
my core? I didn’t even know how to look at him anymore.
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By the time we arrived at the office, my nerves were frayed, but I plastered on a polite smile for everyone who greeted me.
This was the most awkward day I’ve had in a long time..
We sat in the cafeteria for lunch, and I was totally lost in my own head as Claire went on and on about how she dealt with the flu, which had kept her away from the office for some days now.
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.
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Chapter 28
“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
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Chapter 28
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.
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