Chapter 36Jasmine“How are you doing this morning, Jasmine?” That was the first thing Lisa said to me as I ran downstairs, heading to the kitchen to help mum prepare breakfast.The smile on her lips , clearly fake, made me to almost want to puke.“I had a good night. Thank you” I simply said, then left immediately.I did not have the time for any fake care and attention she wanted to show, and ever since the incident where I almost got killed back at the forest, I became a little bit weary of her.Well, I did not have concrete proof that it was related to Lisa, and I still could not boldly say that the attack was aimed as me, as much as I forced myself to believe that lie.I was certain it was aimed at me.I had no enemies that I could think of asides from Lisa, and maybe Hardin, I doubt Hardin hated me as much as wanting to kill me. Or was it some other enemy that I had unknowingly made?“Mum,” I greeted with a smile immediately I got into the kitchen, and hugged her for some minute
Chapter 37HardinI could feel the walls of my room shake as I slammed the door to my bedroom in rage and even though I had thought that I could take off the edge by taking out my anger on Jasmine sexually, which had worked for the most part, I could not for the life of me get over how Lorenzo thought it was okay to provoke me. And how he had stood up to me, with a frown that challenged me and wanted to see what I could do to him. The fact that it had been in public was even worse and I knew after hitting him that I had made a mistake because now, not only would the news reach my father, it would not matter what my side of the story was. It never mattered to him anyways. I was definitely going to have no choice but to attend even more sessions with the guidance counselor than before. And it was all Jasmine's fault. There was a knock on the door and when I opened it, a servant was standing outside, her gaze on the floor as she spoke shyly. "Your father would like to see you in h
Chapter 38Jasmine's POVSomething had changed with Hardin since that fight with Lorenzo and I knew it.I could feel it in the way he looked at me that night when I came out of his father's office after telling him about what had happened because they had called from the school about the incident, a situation that I wanted to avoid. It was exactly the way he used to in the beginning, when my mother and I first moved here.No, it was worse. I noticed it the next day when the principal had called all three of us to his office and the disciplinary committee had asked to hear our sides of the story and Hardin hadn't said one word, only asking what his punishment would be. Lorenzo had gotten one week suspension, with three days out of that week in school, to be served working at different places according to the discretion of the school. Hardin's was worse. And by worse, I meant infinitely worse. And it was not the fact that he was going to be at home for one week. It was that for that
Chapter 39Jasmine's POV"Thank you for coming out." Lorenzo said with a smile as we sat in one of the booths of the town's diner and I nodded, knowing that I had only one hour before Hardin started looking everywhere for me. Because since the shooting in the woods, Russo had unofficially made him my bodyguard even though I had tried to argue against it. But last night when he had finally broken the news at dinner that Hardin would be the one to go with me since he felt it was better than a stranger, I had been too afraid to tell him no, especially because I could not tell him that I wanted to be nowhere around his son, especially after what had happened at my birthday party three days ago. It still gave me nightmares anytime I closed my eyes because I wondered if the door to my bedroom would burst open and he would come to molest me again. I had even tried to go to school the next day after it happened but all that anybody could talk about was what had happened at the party. I h
Jasmine As I stood in the crowded party, surrounded by people and music, my thoughts were far from the festivities. I couldn't help but feel an overwhelming sense of fear and anxiety every time Hardin was nearby. Every touch, every word, made me cringe with revulsion. And the way he had mouthed the words that I was next made me want to puke. “Come with me Jasmine, let’s go over to the balcony,” Nadia mentioned, but I simply shook my head with a forced smile, while her eyes searched mine worriedly.“You are sure you don’t want to go?”“Yes,” I voiced out, then Nadia gave me a warm hug before leaving to join the rest of the crowd.My mind was consumed with doubts and questions about what I did feel for Hardin. I had accepted the fact that whatever I shared with Hardin was mainly because I had no choice, and I definitely had no romantic feelings for him. But still, the thought of him being with other girls made my blood boil with anger. How dare he violate me whenever I was with Loren
Chapter 41HardinGuilt and frustration were the exact words to describe how I felt every time that I made Jasmine break out in tears. I was toxic, and I did not need to be told.I was gradually becoming the image of me that my mother would not like and anytime I thought about how she felt watching what I suddenly turned out to become, I cursed severally. From where I stood at the balcony, I watched Jasmine leave the party with Nadia tagging behind her confusedly. I only realized that I had been staring at her for so long, when the twins came behind me, calling me out of my thoughts."Weird right? We also feel that way, I mean the way you pay special attention to her. Is there something we do not know?" Sandro pointed out, and I furrowed my brows like I had no idea what he was talking of."Who?" "Your step sister, man. I don't think we can hold back from saying it," Alex joined. "Ohhh... Jasmine. My father suddenly added a responsibility on me by making me her personal body guard w
Chapter 42 - HardinHardinIf I was right, I had exchanged barely six or seven words with Dad ever since the incidence at the dinning room. Maybe once when I had answered 'yes' to all of the advice that he was feeding me with, and some forced 'good mornings' to him. The only reason I still stayed back at the mansion and had not moved to the cottage where I always found comfort was because Dad had intentionally added much more duties to me, which at the end of the day will not only be exhausting, but will be so late that I won't be able to leave the mansion anymore.Whenever Camila had the opportunity to talk to me, she came up with the thing of how everything Dad was doing was solely for my care and growth, and how I was just misunderstanding him.I never answered any of the things she said though, because none of it made any sense. If Russo actually cared like Camila said, then instead of placing more jobs on me, the exact thing that he would have been doing will have been to find
Chapter 43Hardin"You really think Lorenzo can make a good team captain?" Someone whispered to her friend down the hallway and thanks to supernaturally enhanced hearing, I could not help but listen to the conversation even though the last thing that I wanted to do at this point was hear anything about that darned competition that should not even be happening in the first place. And even though I wanted so badly to punch Lorenzo in the face, I knew that it would only make things worse for me. After all, this silly idea had started right after the incident between us that had made me go on suspension as team captain. And now that the time had elapsed and it was now time for things to go back to the way they were, it was a perfect opportunity for Lorenzo to strike and declare his intent to be captain of the lacrosse team. A team that I had been the captain of since I was in sophomore year. "I don't know but with the way things are going and how he is becoming everyone's favorite, it
CHAPTER 80~Jasmine.Sinking into the rocking chair, I racked my brain for a new lullaby to sing, as I had already sung the ones I had at the top of my fingers. I looked down at the little infant who was yawning out of tiredness yet had refused to fall asleep.I smiled as I rubbed his little nose, just when I had thought I had known love, someone little came to remind me of how big it is. He had these sparkly blue eyes just like his Dad and with the way he was fighting so hard not to yield into sleep, I bet he would be as stubborn as his father is.A new relaxing poem rushed into my brain and just as I began humming the lyrics and rocking to its tune, the door to the room opened and Hardin walked in.“He still hasn't fallen asleep?” He whispered as he gently closed the door behind him and I shook my head in negation, “Ugh, he is as stubborn as his mother,” he said in mock annoyance and rolled his eyes.“As stubborn as me?” I asked, and he chuckled and gave me a light kiss on the lips
HardinJasmine had said that she loved me, and had helped me walk through the phase where I had to get over mom’s death especially after hearing that it was all for a petty revenge, and all of her actions threw it at my face that I had done nothing, and was rather banking at the fact that she had easily let all my sins slide. But it was not what I wanted. The only problem being that at the moment, I was still lost on what to do. I still felt guilty, because every everytime that I told her how sorry I was, she said that everything was fine and that she had really forgiven me. Camila and Russo had also mentioned about how I was probably acting out of ignorance and had accepted that I was set to turn a new leaf. The joy in the house had returned, and Camila and Russo had planned so many dates for me and Jasmine to get better than we already were. Thanks to them, it was working really well. Everything at home did feel like it was working perfectly well, if my wolf did not keep haunting
JasmineThe moment those words had left my mouth, I wanted to cringe. Feeling stupid, I wrenched my hand away from his and ran as far as I could. Acting as the best man there is in the world, did not feel enough to me, to make up for all Hardin had done. My heart might have flustered a little after Hardin's words, but my vengeful conscience was not a very forgiving person. His words had moved me for a moment, but going back to our past and all that Hardin had put me through, I just couldn't find myself forgiving him so easily, especially over spoken words. Was I supposed to just give in, and welcome him back? What if he decided to go against his words one day, I would be the one hurting and not him. "But he's proven himself to you Jasmine, he's your mate" my wolf reminded me but I wasn't listening. Being my mate was not enough of an excuse to buy him forgiveness. Had I not been his mate, would he have felt sorry that he tortured and harassed me all these while? If for anything, Ha
Chapter 77JasmineOut of the corner of my eye, I only caught wisps of dissipating smoke, when out of nowhere a massive caramel blur moving at a high speed slammed into the oncoming beast to send it crashing backwards to the trees.A positively huge wolf covered in familiar brown colored fur prowled around in the middle of the clearing. I did a double take at this newcomer and only then had I recognized it was Hardin. They circled each other for several moments before leaping at once. Possessing greater body mass in his current form, Lorenzo pushed the brown wolf backwards. But in a show of skill that convinced me that it was definitely Hardin, the brown wolf fell on its back and kicked the black one over it.Rolling onto his feet, he dashed after the beast, biting and clawing at everywhere he found entry until Lorenzo threw out an attack that made Hardin retreat. I continued watching in terror as Lorenzo lunged at him to grab his head. Slinking under the beast's large arms, Hardin
Chapter 76Jasmine.I exhaled deeply and released the breath that I wasn’t aware I was holding in as Hardin rounded the third round and successfully made it to the stop. My heart thumped, even though my face was void of emotion, as I watched him step out of his car with a proud smile on his face, but I tried my best not to show my happiness. I was glad that Hardin had won but I was happier that he was the one to be proclaimed my mate.I kept my eyes on Hardin as he looked up at dad and mom, who were looking down at him with so much pride. And when he turned to me, I locked my eyes, pulling him into a staring contest. It was not until we heard Lorenzo’s car screech loudly before coming to a halt that he turned his eyes away to look at Lorenzo. I kept my gaze, still, fixed on him without even caring to look down at Lorenzo who was now accusing Hardin of cheating his way through the competition.“The young lad would have dropped dead by now had your eyes been guns,” Mom said, rubbing my
Chapter 75.~Hardin. Nobody would have probably believed me but, I was damn serious when I said I could give up my position as the Alpha if that was what it would take Jasmine to forgive me, I thought as I walked through the hallway.I had wronged her and I didn't realize my wrongdoings early enough to apologize. I was sorry now and was willing to prove it but, first, I needed to make her see reasons why she should forgive me.And I intended to do that, right until Lorenzo interrupted my thought with a growl that came at me. With a frown on my face, “What is it Lorenzo?” I asked. “Don’t try to be innocent with me, Hardin!” He bawled out immediately, and I wondered for a start, if Lorenzo was even sensible enough to realize that for one of the first times since I had known him, I just wanted to have a peaceful talk with him, without having to throw punches. “Innocent?” I scoffed. “You know that is one thing that I would not dare. Good thing, I don’t find myself pretending like you
Chapter 74Jasmine For the most part of the night, I struggled to sleep.I spent it thinking about what I was going to do and I must have dozed off again, thankfully without having to wake up in the middle of the night this time, because there was a knock on the door and when I opened my eyes, the sun was already up. “Who is it?” I muttered out, as a yawn escaped my lips. I had definitely placed my neck in the wrong position while I slept, because it was hurting terribly. “It’s Lily. I have a message for you from the Alpha.” The quaint voice said. Massaging my neck, I left the bed and opened the door, to meet Lily standing with a tray of food in her hands. I must have slept so long, I could not even meet with breakfast at the table. “Your mother asked me to bring this up. Can I bring it in?”I nodded and moved aside for her to enter. “Thank you,” I mentioned as she kept it for me. And when she made to leave, she halted in her steps and turned back, causing my eyes to narrow.
Chapter 73JasmineI went for a run in the woods, ignoring the whine of my wolf as I ran farther away from Hardin, but the last thing I wanted right now was to see him. How could he expect me to just accept him back after everything?He had even organized a ball to pick a mate because he would rather do that than admit to himself that he could be responsible for my pregnancy, choosing to call me a little whore because it served his purpose of not taking accountability for his actions.I could not believe that I had gone and fallen for him despite everything, that somewhere along the line, I had stopped hating him and started hoping he was just misunderstood, but if he thought that just because we were mates that I was going to accept him then he had another thing coming.My wolf whined but I ignored her, changing our course and decided to run towards the house.If there was an option to go somewhere else, I would have as I was not yet ready to face my parents.What was mom and Dad goi
Chapter 72 HardinThe only thing that kept me from falling back after I had heard what Jasmine said, was the pillar that I had held as a support. Even as it was not physical - her words, the gravity of my guilt immediately clouded my mind and I hated myself for how terrible I had been all along. That the baby in her womb was mine? And that as much as I can be the way that I am, she would never be so reckless as to have some sort of intimacy with any other man. I had been a terrible person all along, with the way I just thrust my dick into any lady’s hole. “I have been terrible,” I muttered out. And then, remembering how I had not just had sex with other girls, but brought them to Jasmine’s knowledge by making her watch videos made me cringe. I was completely shocked at everything Jasmine said to Lorenzo. I didn't know this was how she felt till now and I feel like a total idiot, a sadist and a maniac. I'll have to apologize sincerely to her. It was not something I enjoyed doing,