Chapter 104
KASMINE.
The tension in the car when we left the hospital was too suffocating that I was surprised I didn’t end up dead before we arrived the pack.
It’s been two days now, and I have not seen Kester or heard from him. He made sure of that.
Today was Friday, and I was a mess of cinations. I was equal parts happy, worried, and nervous.
Happy because I’d get to see Jake at school today. I called in yesterday using Mum’s phone, and we spoke at length. Hearing his voice was like taking a breath after droghing.
Thankfully, Kester hadn’t bugged Mum’s phone; neither was he anywhere around to see me making the calls.
I explained everything that had happened to Jake, and as always, he understood. Gods, he was so understanding.
But as much as I was eager to see him, I was worried. Because Kester had assigned Gery–one of his most loyal guards–to follow me everywhere. I didn’t need anyone to tell me why. But whatever happens, I’d see Jake in school today. Nothing was going to stop me.
Jake wanted us to have dinner tonight, but I turned him down. Because tonight, according to Mum, I’d have to go on a date with Alpha Jaden.
This made me nervous. I was nervous because my life was about to get more complicated.
I exhaled sharply, anxiety twisting in my stomach at how fast my life was spiraling into something I could barely hold onto.
There was the man I loved–Jake.
Then, there was Kester–the man who would do anything to keep me from being with anyone else.
And now, there was Alpha Jaden–the man my parents were so desperate to shove into my life for whatever reasons they must have.
The thought made me sick
A knock sounded at my door, and before I could respond, the door pushed open, and Mum walked in.
She had been different since our return. More distant. More.. reserved. Gone was the overly sweet, sugary warmth she always carried gracefully. Instead, she was quiet, closed off, lost in thoughts she refused to share.
Despite all 1’d done to make her talk to me, she vehemently refused. So, I left her to herself. I also had my own worries, didn’t I?
“The driver is ready for you, Kasmine,” Mum said as she stepped into the room.
“Okay. I’ll be out in a minute,” I replied, fixing the last few strands of my hair before spraying perfumes. I picked up my handbag, ready to leave.
But, of course, she wasn’t done.
“No matter what you do today, be home early,” she continued. “Your dinner date with Jaden is at seven, and you need time to rest before getting ready. I want you looking your best.”
Her words made me pause.
I turned to her, narrowing my brows. Lectures? Now?
what’s with this Alpha Jaden that makes him so damn Important?” I asked with a sigh and an eye roll, “I already told you that I’m not Interested.” I narrowed my brows, my irritation already spiking up.
I already disliked him before meeting him. All thanks to my parents. “Look,” I exhaled, gripping my bag tighter.” If you think forcing me to go on one stupid date is going to change my mind, then you’ve got it all wrong”
I turned to leave, but she caught my arm, stopping me.
“You don’t have a choice here, love,” she said lightly–tooghtly. Almost as if she found this amusing
I yanked my arm back. “The hell I do,” I replied, not hiding the irritation I felt.
Her next words shattered everything.
“You were already betrothed to Alpha Jaden when you were fourteen.” She announced and I promise, I didn’t quite grasp what she had just said.
For a moment, I forgot the actual meaning of the word “betroth.” I was hoping I had either heard wrong or there was a different meaning to the word I didn’t know about yer
I blinked rapidly. “What?” I asked with a breathy scoff.
Mum didn’t even flinch. “Yes, Kasmine. It was signed and agreed upon when his father helped your father seven years ago. He got us through a major crisis, and in return, a marriage alliance was secured. It is beneficial to us all In the long run.”
Her voice was calm and steady as if she were simply reading out a bedtime story.
Her words weren’t making any sense. None of this was.
“Walt. I was payment? Gratitude? Appreciation?” I counted the words.
I turned to face her fully now, standing close, right in her face. I wanted her to look me in the eye and tell me it was okay to trade my life and future for the pack’s ‘beneficial future.‘
“Don’t see it that way, baby.” She reached out to touch my m, but I stepped back. “If this wasn’t necessary, it wouldn’t have happened.”
There wasn’t an ounce of regret in her voice. Not a single hint of remorse.
“This isn’t happening.” I shook my head, the words spilling out before I could even think. “Kester will never let this happen. He won’t. You’ll see-
“Kester knows, baby.” She said, and I froze. “He was there when it was all agreed upon.”
The airin my lungs vanished.
Blood turned to ice.
The world tilted just slightly.
“What?”
The perfect day I had been looking forward to crumbled before my eyes, slipping through my fingers like sand. And there was nothing I could do to save it.
I sat with Jake in our usual garden, the secluded spot on the school grounds where we always snuck to. The place where, for a little while, the world didn’t exist.
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Chapter 104
I wanted to be happy to see him. I really did. But my mind was too clouded, and my heart too heavy.
And I guess I wasn’t doing a good job hiding it because he caught on immediately.
“Kasmine,” he said softly, his warm brown eyes scanning my face, “Is everything okay?”
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I sighed, forcing a smile that I knew didn’t reach my eyes. I’m fine, Jake. Sorry. I’m just.. “My voice trailed off, lost somewhere between frustration and exhaustion.
“Is this about Karina? About the problems she’s stirring upon the pack?” He asked, and I looked at him in confusion.
What was he talking about?
I blinked, my head tilting slightly. “What?” My brows knitted together. “Who Is Karina?”
The name sounded familiar, but I sincerely couldn’t tell where I had heard it, but definitely not in recent times.
Jake’s expression shifted, his brows rising slightly. “Karina Your stepsister. Or, well, your brother’s stepsister, I guess.” His tone was the kind that said, Come on, isn’t this obvious? 1
But my confusion only deepened.
“I have no idea what you’re talking about, Jake.” My curiosity piqued, and for some reason, my heart began to hammer in my chest.
A pit started forming in my stomach while dread curled around my insides.
“If you don’t know, then maybe you should ask your parents. Or Kester.” He leaned back slightly, studying my reaction. “They’ll explain it better.” He said, and before I could protest, he had brought out something from his pocket.
It was a box.
Beautiful. Elegant. The kind of thing that looked both expensive and carefully chosen.
“What’s in there?” I asked, my curiosity spiking, pushing aside the dread lingering at the edges of my mind.
I swallowed hard, my fingers twitching slightly as I stared at the small, elegant box in Jake’s hands.
My heart was already on edge from our previous conversation, but now it pounded for an entirely different reason.
“Jake…” I breathed, my eyes flicking between the box and his face.
He gave me a small, nervous smile–one that barely masked the anticipation in his gaze.
“I was going to wait,” he admitted, rubbing the back of his neck, a habit of his when he was unsure of himself. “I planned to do this on your birthday, make it special, you know? But-” He exhaled, his shoulders rising and falling. “I can’t wait anymore, Kasmine. I don’t want to wait anymore.”
A shiver ran through me at the way the world suddenly seemed to shrink down to just him and me.
Slowly, he lifted the lid of the box, revealing a delicate silver bracelet. Simple, yet stunning. A small charm in the shape of a crescent moon dangled from it, catching the light.
I stared at it, my throat tightening.
“You know how I suck at expressing things with words,” he said, his voice lower now, “but this…” He gestured slightly with the box. “This is me saying I want you, Kasmine. Us. No more waiting for the right time, no more excuses. Just us.”
Chapter 104
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I sucked in a sharp breath.
“Jake…” My voice wavered as emotion surged inside me.
“I know,” he cut in gently as if he could already hear the turmoil in my head “I know your brother is a problem. I know you’re technically supposed to wait until you’re twenty one to make your own choices.” His jaw clenched briefly. “Screw that. I don’t care if we have to keep this a sebet until then. I’ll wait. I’ll wait as long as I have to.”
My heart clenched painfully.
“And what if…“I hesitated, licking my lips. “What If I find my mate on my birthday?”
“Then we’ll cross that bridge when we get there,” he said duply.
The certainty in his tone–his absolute faith in us–made my throat tighten.
I know I should have thought about this longer. I should be cautious and careful about the decision I was about to make. But the truth was, nothing had ever felt as right as Jake did.
Not Alpha Jaden.
Not even Kester. No matter what I thought I might be feeling for Kester, it would never end well. We were stepsiblings. Our little forbidden relationship would always remain behind closed doors.
And he was already in the process of getting married to Jung, even though I don’t know when. He hadn’t even said anything about it recently.
I also had to enjoy my life. I couldn’t let Kester tie me down in the manner he wanted to. He wasn’t willing to let me be with another man, yet we couldn’t be together.
It was all messy.
I inhaled deeply, making my choice.
And then, with my heart hammering, I held out my wrist.
“Put it on,” I whispered.
Jake’s eyes widened, his lips parting slightly, but he recovered fast. A slow, breathtaking smile spread across his face, one that made my stomach flip.
He took the bracelet out carefully, his fingers grazing my skin as he clasped it around my wrist. A spark ignited where he touched me, sending warmth through my veins.
My fingers brushed over the charm, my heart swelling.
“Is that a yes?” he asked. His voice was quiet but filled with raw vulnerability.
I looked up at him, at the boy who had been my friend for years. The boy I had secretly loved for just as long
And I gave him the answer we had both been waiting for.
“Yes, Jake.”
His breath caught.
Then, with a soft chuckle that was filled with relief, happiness, and love, he pulled me into his arms.
And for the first time in days, I felt like I could breathe again.
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Chapter 105
