Chapter 229
What next? Build an altar and Sacrifice a goat in his honor while we worship at Jaden’s feet? Because what’s the obsession with him
about?
The moment he stepped in, it was like someone flipped a switch. Every single face around the table lit up–as if he were the crown jewel of the night.
A smile almost spread across my lips at the instant switch in Kesters countenance. The tension in his jaw was a thing of beauty. I was scared for the poor glass he held in his hands. It was one heartbeat away from shattering.
“What the fuck are you doing here, Jaden?” Kester asked, and even though he was seething, his voice remained deceptively calm. But the storm in his eyes? Roaring. Explosive. Unmissable.
“Oh. Alpha Kester. Almost didn’t notice you there.”
Low blow. He meant that jab. Because who in thiş damn world wouldn’t notice Kester Hamilton in a room?
“You haven’t answered my question, Jaden,” Kester took a gulp of his wine, and sometimes I wondered how he managed to drink this much without getting drunk. “Have you become so less busy that you now attend people’s ‘family‘ dinners?”
Jaden laughed, and I realized this was the first time he’d laughed since the day I met him. It was a short chuckle, though, but it managed to pull a dimple out of hiding on his left cheek. I couldn’t help but notice it.
Hmm. Interesting.
If I hadn’t already been dragging Jake up the ladder of my emotional priorities, Jaden could’ve been a strong contender to replace Kester. He had that ability to pull a reaction out of anyone, especially the one man at this table trying to keep a mask on.
“Come on, brother–in–law,” Jaden said, sliding into the seat beside me. “Aren’t we already family?”
And then–as if rehearsed–his hand slid over mine where it rested on the table. His palm was warm.
“Besides,” he added with a sly smile, eyes flicking to me, “My fiancée here knew I was coming. Didn’t you tell them, baby?”
Hah! That spiraled so fast that I almost choked on my juice, nearly spitting it out right across the table.
Fiancée?
Baby?!
Brother–in–law?
I snapped my head toward him, blinking in disbelief. My heart jumped into my throat.
Clearly, I wasn’t the only one who’d come prepared to put on a show tonight.
Seems like Alpha Jaden had his own script–and he just hijacked my performance.
Kester’s gaze snapp 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.”
Chapter 229
And just like that, dinner restimed, 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 hugry 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 even when 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 fiance 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, I had 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.
Chapter 229
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.”
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