KASMINE.
I decided to prepare breakfast for us to eat. It was a weekend, and Kester said he'd be home all day. I thought it wise to prepare his favorite meal.
"Breakfast is served," I said with a grin when he came down the stairs.
He was casually dressed in a way I hadn't seen him in a long time. Whenever he visited home, he was always formally dressed, as expected, as the Alpha.
Seeing him in his grey sweatpants and black singlet made me remember those days when he still lived with us back at home.
He looked gorgeous, I must say.
His short, black hair was neatly combed with just a few careless strands falling just above the crease of his brows.
His lick-worthy Adam's apple bobbed when his pink lips curved into a small smile.
"Mine," He called, and I couldn't help the warmth that spread across my cheeks at the way he called me - so intentional, so personal.
"You know you'll have to stop calling me that soon, right?" I teased, knowing he hated to hear that.
A small frown appeared on his face, but it disappeared instantly, replaced by a scoff, "Why?" He asked, taking a seat.
"You'll be getting married soon. How do you think June would feel when you call me that?" I served our meal and sat down to eat, but I noticed his countenance had turned sour. "Is everything okay?" I asked.
He leaned back in his seat, slowly fondling with the fork in his hand while staring into nothing. His grip on the fork was tightened, and it got me... Worried.
"Kes?" I called cautiously, wondering if I had gone too far with my jokes.
Kes had always had a history of anger. He's always had a little bit of a temper problem, but dad helped him fix it with the help of therapy and support.
But that didn't mean the possibility of him snapping at any moment should be ruled out.
"Kes?" I called a little firmer this time, and he slowly shifted his gaze toward me, "What's wrong?" My heart was already racing. He got me scared.
"Nothing, Mine. Let's eat." He said so calmly that it scared me. His countenance returned to normal as if everything was fine.
I was tempted to insist on knowing what had just happened, but for the sake of peace and my sanity, I kept quiet, and we ate the rest of the meal quietly.
Every time I attempted to trust him again, he just... Goes off and... And scares me.
Right now, sitting in the sitting room and watching a movie with him left me a bit uncomfortable. He didn't let me return to my room after breakfast. He insisted we watched a movie he'd been dying to watch together.
The movie pulled me in only half-heartedly as my thoughts swirled around the man sitting beside me.
I reluctantly sat back and watched with him while he placed my legs on his thighs, fondling and massaging them - something that used to seem normal to me once upon a time... But not anymore. I was as uncomfortable as fuck.
He was so engrossed in the movie that he seemed to have forgotten I was sitting right next to him. Sometimes, I wonder what goes on in his mind. He always seemed so detached and deep in thought.
I shifted slightly on the couch, my legs still draped over his lap as he massaged my calves with firm, intentional motions. I wanted to be anywhere but here, trapped in this heated tension. Moreover, it was already 11:00 am. I had promised to call Jake and it was already time. He would be waiting for my call already.
Poor Jake.
I was able to talk with him last night, and we spoke at length. I can't deny the feelings blossoming between us already. It warms my heart.
Jake is a great guy. He's everything I need in a man. I impatiently awaited the day he would officially ask me to be his girlfriend. I won't hesitate to say yes.
My attention snapped back to the TV screen when the scene shifted — a couple locked in a slow, heated kiss. They were in a dimly lit bedroom, and I was certain what would happen next in the scene.
My breath caught in my throat, and every sweet thought about Jake came to a screeching halt. Heat rose to my cheeks, and I glanced at Kester, hoping he wasn't paying attention. But he was.
In fact, the kind of attention he paid to the scene made my heart race.
I swallowed hard when the man ripped off the woman's dress, sweeping her off the floor in his muscular arms, and made his way to the bed.
No. I couldn't watch such a scene with my big brother.
I looked away from the TV screen, trying to pull my legs from Kester's lap, but his hand tightened around my ankle, holding me in place.
"Relax," he said softly, turning his gaze to meet mine, his voice almost soothing but laced with something darker. "It's just a movie, Mine."
That name again.
The way he said it was enough to send a shiver down my spine. I laughed nervously, my voice cracking. "I know. It's just… uhm... I need to use the bathroom." I lied, but he only smiled.
"Lies." He said. His forest green eyes were now a darker shade of green. I could see the tension on his face. He was holding something back.
His fingers resumed their slow movements, tracing small circles along the skin of my legs. "You’re too tense,” he murmured, his gaze almost boring a hole in my face. “You should learn to let go.”
The heat in my face spread to the rest of my body. I stared blankly at the coffee table, refusing to meet his eyes. The scene on the screen grew more intimate, with the sounds of ragged breathing, muffled groans, and ecstatic moans filling the room.
No... I couldn't.
I tried to shift again, determined to get my legs off his lap, but in my nervous fumbling, the heel of my foot brushed against something hard beneath his briefs.
I froze.
What...?
My heart thundered in my chest as realization dawned on me. The way his body stiffened immediately told me all I needed to know.
He was hard.
My gaze snapped immediately, and I looked up at him in shock, my eyes locking onto his lustful ones.
“Kasmine...” He growled, his eyes changing into a blinding shade of red.
It was his wolf.
"Kester!" I shrieked, pulling my legs away from him with every bit of strength I could muster, running up the stairs like my life depended on it.
KESTER.It took all the self-control I could muster to stay away from the house all weekend. I could have done something I might end up regretting.Whatever unholy feelings I was developing for Kasmine were beginning to get out of hand, and I didn't know for how much longer I could hold back.I returned home just this morning to get ready for work.I stood in front of Kasmine's door, contemplating whether to knock or not. I was, no doubt, ashamed of what had happened on Saturday. She felt my hard cock, and it was super embarrassing.But, fuck it. Now wasn't the time for regrets. It was getting late, and we had to leave for the office.Just as I was about to knock, the door pulled open, revealing my little sister - my obsession.I froze.She stood there, framed by the soft morning light spilling into the hallway. Her rich, brown hair cascaded over her shoulders in loose waves, a few strands catching the sunlight.She looked... stunning. No, beyond stunning. Her blouse, a soft cream col
KASMINE."Mum... I don't want to be here anymore. Please?" I said to my mum for the hundredth time since the day I arrived.I thought I could work things out with my brother and be freer around him, but I was wrong. He's been worse than he used to be with his overprotectiveness."Come on, honey. You'll be fine. Besides, you'll be coming home tomorrow, won't you? I know you miss me, your friends..." Mum said, trailing off again, probably talking to someone else in the background. It's been a habit of hers that I detested. She always wanted to handle too many things at the same time."See you tomorrow, mum," I hung up the call even before she could respond.My mum was never available. How would she know what I was going through? We couldn't even as much as connect through a simple conversation, how much more build a connection where she'd know how I truly felt on the inside about certain things I was going through?I had no one to talk to except...Speak of the devil, and she appears!W
KESTER.This woman had made it a point of duty to torment my life. If only she knew how much I hated having her around. I had barely spoken to her since she showed up at my office yesterday unannounced.This whole marriage arrangement between my parents and hers would be the worst thing that'll ever happen to her - not me, because I can never love her. No matter how hard she tried."Do we really have to go?" Her silky voice sounded from behind me. She walked toward me and placed her slender hands around my waist from behind, "I came to spend some quality time with you.""I never asked you to come, June," I pulled her hands off me, "But since you are here, get dressed and let's go. I have important matters to attend to in the pack."I locked my luggage and headed to my mirror, adjusting my hair.She was quiet for a while before speaking again, "Okay. I'll get to spend some time with your mum, too."Was that meant to console her? That's her business.From the corner of my eye, I saw som
KASMINE.My brother couldn't have meant all he said to me in my room. He must have said those things to get me further scared of having anything to do with any man until I have my mate.All through the drive to the pack, I sat quietly in the car, replaying his words in my head. Thankfully, he was in another vehicle with June. He always traveled with his driver and a small convoy for security reasons.He was becoming even more protective."27th, Kasmine. 27th of August..." I kept reassuring myself every day since my life became a misery."I'm already running late, mum. It's almost ten," I said to my mum when we arrived at the packhouse.I didn't miss the subtle glare Kester shut my way, but I ignored him."You'll be back in time to have lunch before you leave, right?" She asked, patting my head lovingly as she planted a small kiss on my forehead.I narrowed my brows. What was she talking about?"I'll be staying the weekend, mum. Remember?" I stated with an eye roll."No, you're not," I
KASMINE.I was terrified. The silence in the car was unbearable.I sat stiffly in the back seat, my hands clenched into fists on my lap as I stared out of the window.Kester was seated beside me, leaning back with his hands casually resting on his thighs, his jaw tight, and his expression carved from stone.He hadn't said a word to me since he saw me with Jake. In fact, as soon as I saw him, he quietly walked away.I least expected him in my school. I never knew he had something important to take care of there. I wouldn't have sat down in plain sight with Jake.He had sent June home, and the poor girl couldn't even complain. She took it in good fate, promising to return next weekend.Sometimes I wonder what she was still doing with a douchebag like my brother.His silence was worse than anger, and it made my skin crawl. I dared a glance at him out of the corner of my eye, hoping for some clue as to what he was thinking, but his face betrayed nothing.The driver navigated the convoy th
KESTER.If only she knew. Poor Kasmine. She just sold her soul to the devil by telling me she'd do whatever I wanted her to do.Now, I was looking for the perfect 'favor' to ask of her.Under the guise of handling paperwork, I stayed rooted to my spot, my eyes fixed on her. She didn't know I was watching, and I liked it that way. The glass panel between us offered a perfect view of her, yet it wasn't enough to bridge the space I ached to close.Kasmine sat at her desk, her attention absorbed by the monitor. She brushed a strand of hair away from her face, the gesture so small and unassuming, yet it sent an ache through me. That hair, dark and soft, had once rested against my shoulder when she fell asleep in the car as kids. How could something so simple haunt me like this now?Her lips moved as she murmured something under her breath, likely annoyed at whatever task she was handling. The sight made my chest tighten.Gods, she was exquisite. A picture of innocence wrapped in temptation
KASMINE."I am so sorry. I..." I said, heaving a sigh of frustration.The phone felt slippery in my hand as I clutched it tightly, careful to keep my voice low. My heart pounded with an anxious rhythm that almost left me breathless."Kasmine... I know it's not your fault, but how many more apologies will you have to offer?" He questioned."I'm trying, Jake," I whispered, pressing my palm against my mouth to muffle the words. "I don't know how to make him see reason. Kester is—he's suffocating me." My voice cracked, and I bit down hard on my lip to stifle a sob.On the other end, Jake's silence lingered for a beat too long before he finally spoke. "Mine, you have to fight for yourself. You deserve your own life. He can't keep dictating everything you do." His voice was so gentle that it made my chest ache more.He chose to call me ‘Mine’. From Jake, the name felt sweet, almost natural, as if the name belonged to me and not to his control. But from Kester… it was different. Every time
KESTER.Kasmine was chaos personified, her presence pulling every dark and dangerous thread of restraint I had taut. Well, she would always bear the consequences, as far as I was concerned.She could yell, curse, and claw at the barriers I'd built, but ultimately, she was mine. She just didn't know it yet.Although I couldn't get my hands on any solid evidence yet, I knew she was hiding something. And according to my source, there was more I needed to know about her and Jake, which was why I made him an offer he couldn't refuse. Of course, that was after I made sure he was suddenly discharged from his place of internship without any offense.Everyone has a price. The trick is knowing which strings to pull... and when to tighten them."Everything is set now, Alpha," Knox said."You may leave," I dismissed him and his team.I had returned home early today. I know Mine would have the chance to talk to that subhuman in my absence, but it was okay. I was handling a better situation here at
KASMINE.The devil has a name, and he wasn't in hell.His name was Kester, and he was right here, on top of me, making me moan his name between gasps and breathless pleas.My body wasn't mine anymore.Pleasure had stolen it, claimed it, reshaped it into something unrecognizable—something made only for him.The vibrator inside me was maddening, humming, pulsing, teasing the raw, oversensitive flesh of my clit. My thighs quivered violently, torn between squeezing shut from the unbearable sensation and spreading wider to take more of it.And then there was his cock.Heavy, thick, stretching my lips wide as he thrust deep into my mouth, shoving himself into my throat, pushing me past my limits. The veins along his shaft pulsed against my tongue, the head hitting the back of my throat with his ruthless push.My jaw ached, and my throat burned, but I took him, swallowed him, and let him use my mouth however he pleased.My vision blurred as his fingers clamped down on my nose.A shock of pan
KESTER.Putting her to sleep on the flight was child's play. A necessary inconvenience.I had to.Otherwise, she would have gotten in the way of what I intended to do. And the commotion that followed—when everyone found out there was a body locked inside the convenience—would have ruined this trip before it even began.I had no regrets. The world was full of corpses, and one more wouldn't tip the scales.This wouldn't be the first time a corpse turned up on a plane. And it sure as hell wouldn't be the last.Now, I only had to hope the reporters would shut up about it. The frequency at which they broadcasted the incident was becoming an irritation, but nothing I couldn't handle.I knew she'd be mad when she found out, but she'd get over it.My eyes roamed over her, drinking in the sight of her body wrapped in the sexy outfit I had chosen for her, which was turning me on to a feverish degree. She looked fucking perfect.A perfect slut for me.Did she even realize how sinfully gorgeous s
KASMINE."What the hell?"A sharp ache pulsed at the side of my head as I winced, my body instinctively curling inward. My limbs felt unusually heavy, like I'd been drugged—or in a deep sleep I couldn't remember falling into.Blinking against the soft golden light filtering through the room, I slowly pushed myself up, my fingers gripping the silky sheets beneath me. These weren't the sheets from the plane.Where the hell was I?My gaze darted around, taking in the space. Spacious. Extravagant. Surreal. The kind of place people spent a lifetime saving up for a single week in.The high, vaulted ceiling was made of dark wood, elegant yet rustic, with pure white curtains that billowed lightly from the breeze seeping through the open balcony doors.The floor was polished oak, dark and rich, so clean it almost gleamed.The air smelled different—salty, warm, and rich with the scent of the ocean.I immediately turned my head toward the sound of water lapping against the stilts beneath the cab
KESTER.My chest kept constricting no matter how hard I tried to clear it out. I'd been at the convenience for a moment now, but I still didn't feel well enough to step out, even to face Kasmine. Not after how I had yelled at her.I braced my hands against the sink, fingers curling against the cool porcelain as I stared at my reflection. My eyes were hooded from exhaustion and frustration. And a touch of guilt.I had let the pressure, the fucking weight of everything, spill over onto her.My reflection blurred as I closed my eyes."It's going to be fine."I whispered the lie under my breath.Repeated it.Like some desperate fucking prayer.But the words felt so empty and unreasurring. And no matter how many times I said them, they did nothing to stop the sinking feeling that I was losing control.That I was already trapped.I pushed the door open and stepped into the cabin but froze immediately.She wasn't there.The seat beside mine was empty, her blanket neatly folded. The reclining
KASMINE.The voice from the mini speakers in the plane trailed off, fading into my thoughts, "All passengers on board, welcome to flight 309..." I barely registered the rest. My focus was on the man beside me—my stepbrother—who hadn't lifted his gaze from his phone since we arrived at the airport, as if he was expecting a call that was never going to come.He clenched and unclenched his fists and jaws every now and then to relieve the tension he was refusing to let me know he was feeling. It was rolling off of him in waves, and I could almost taste it.What the hell was going on?Something was wrong.I'd overheard the argument between him and Dad last night, though I hadn't caught enough to piece everything together. It wasn't anything new—Kester and Dad had always been at odds, more enemies than family. They fought so often that their clashes had become routine, something I'd learned to ignore out of self-preservation.Mum and I had to get used to it when we found out there was noth
KESTER.I tried to push her thong aside, but the slick material kept obstructing my free access to her wetness.Hell, I ripped it off, and she gasped at the force."Sorry," I murmured, though there wasn't an ounce of regret in my voice. "It was in the way."I gripped her thighs, positioning her exactly how I wanted.I was in the mood to fuck her while she stood facing me, looking into my eyes to see the raw hunger that can never be satiated.She was so much smaller than me, her frame delicate compared to mine, but those heels she wore? They were a blessing. They made this perfect.Her brows furrowed, innocent curiosity flickering in her expression as she watched me press the thick head of my cock against her entrance. "How… how do we do this?"The innocence in her voice made my blood heat.I leaned in, my lips brushing against the shell of her ear as I whispered, "Ever heard of the standing missionary?"She hesitated, then shook her head.Something dark and possessive curled in my che
KESTER."You still haven't told me what you were doing in that boutique, Kester," Kasmine asked for the hundredth time as we drove home.I smirked, gripping the wheel with one hand while the other itched to reach for her. I was tempted—so damn tempted—to tell her. But no, it had to be a surprise. Probably when we've decided on a date, which I know could be a long time from now – say in two to three months – then she'd know that she didn't need to shop for a wedding dress and that I already had it taken care of.I turned to steal another glance at her, and, heavens, she looked beautiful.She didn't just look beautiful. She looked sinful... ruinous. Like something a man would walk willingly into disaster for.The day had been about her—her hair, her nails, her skin—every detail fine-tuned to perfection... Everything she'd need to look and feel beautiful for our trip tomorrow. And I was happy I did. Because I loved what I saw—she looked like she was made for indulgence. My indulgence."Y
KASMINE.I kept reading the notes over and over again, even when I willed myself to stop.Kester's possessiveness needed a degree. His will to become a man he wasn't...? It was impressive.His obsession with doing things that he originally wouldn't do was as consuming as a wildfire in winter. And it was becoming dangerous.Kester was never such a man. And I never envisaged him being such a man, even in his next life.But this?"Who are they from?" Jake asked, yanking me back to reality. His brows were pinched while his eyes scanned my face like he could see straight through me.I inhaled sharply, pressing the note between my fingers like it might disappear if I held it tightly enough."Uhm..." I swallowed, forcing my expression to stay neutral. "I... I don't know, Jake. There's no name on it."The lie slipped past my lips so smoothly that it frightened me.He didn't say another word. He just leaned into his seat, his expression saying everything his mouth couldn't say.And, gods, I ha
KASMINE.The image of Kester's back had burned itself into my mind, haunting me through the night, refusing to let me rest. Even now, as I walked toward my office with a spring in my step, I couldn't stop the smile that kept tugging at my lips.Kester was determined, tearing down my defenses with a patience that was both infuriating and intoxicating. And damn it, he was winning.I swear he was getting more points than I'd like to give him.I had crumbled the moment my gaze landed on the massive tattoo spanning his back—ink etched into his skin simply because I liked tattoos.My chest had ached, my throat had tightened, and tears had spilled as I traced the beautiful patterns with my hands.But even after pushing him to tell me how he knew I liked them, he vehemently refused to. And now, just thinking about it sent a shiver through me.But as soon as I stepped into the elevator, all of my excitement screeched to a halt.Claire.The guilt hit me like a punch to the stomach. I had aband