13 Chapter 13: No Turning Back
“I have things to do,” I lied.
It made my heart ache. She deserved better. Much, much better than the man standing silently beside her.
When one of the blades landed near the edge of the target, she groaned. “Ugh, I missed.”
My stomach dropped. Fiancé. I didn’t need to ask who. I already knew.
Gareth cleared his throat loudly.
I looked away, heat rushing to my cheeks. “I’m sorry,” I said quietly. “That was out of line.”
“You promised to stay for dinner!” she argued.
She threw with all her heart. Wild and fierce. I saw myself in her.
The one who used to be mine. The one who ruined everything.
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Michelle brightened. “Isa’s back? Yes!”
Michelle dragged me down the hallway so fast I nearly tripped. “Hurry! They’re in the living room already.”
I looked toward the house. And I knew I had no choice. Not if I wanted to keep Michelle’s trust and prove to Gareth and myself that I could handle this.
Michelle beamed. “Look! I brought Jasmine!”
I was speechless. Completely thrown by her kindness. She looked at me like I
belonged here, in her fancy living room.
I saw the desire flicker in Gareth’s eyes and I thought I had the upper hand. For once, he
wasn’t in control. He looked at me the way a man looked at a woman, not like some
unwanted trespasser. Heat flooded between my legs. He had this effect on me.
“I’ll keep my distance,” I said. “And I’ll dress however you want. I’m here to teach Michelle,
not cause more problems.”
She turned to me, eyes shining. “You have to meet her!”
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Then, she gave Gareth a teasing smile. “So this is her, huh?”
Michelle blinked. “Why?”
My heart pounded as we stepped into the living room. It was spacious and elegant, with tall windows letting in golden light, soft couches arranged around a glass coffee table, and fresh flowers on every side table. But I didn’t see any of it. My eyes locked on the
three people inside.
Michelle was a quick learner. She listened closely, asked good questions, and only rolled her eyes twice-an improvement from earlier.
“I didn’t mean-” I started, then stopped myself. I had meant it. I just didn’t think it
through.
She turned and gave me a sharp look. “You promised.”
Isabella grinned. “Dad’s new mystery woman. Michelle likes her, and now he’s standing at
her side like a guard dog. Should I be saying ‘welcome to the family’?”
Gareth, Elliot, and a beautiful woman who could only be Isabella.
Guilt pulled at my chest. “I didn’t say tonight.”
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Elliot still hadn’t moved. He stood stiffly beside Isabella, his jaw clenched so tightly I
thought his teeth might crack. His eyes flicked between me and Gareth, dark with-anger, maybe. Or worse… fear.
Michelle grabbed my hand tighter. “Come on, Jasmine. Just meet her.”
Michelle frowned and raised an eyebrow at Elliot. “But you’re going to be the Alpha of Ashborne. How can you become an alpha if you don’t remember your members?”
“Jasmine,” Isabella said, turning toward us with a warm smile. She looked so soft, so composed-her honey-brown hair falling gently past her shoulders, eyes bright and full of joy. She stepped closer, eyeing me with curiosity.
He stepped closer-not as a man, but as the Lycan King. “Don’t forget I could fire you right now and tell Michelle you were trying to seduce me. She’d believe it. And it would crush her, after she defended you so fervently minutes before.”
Isabella tilted her head, amused. “That so?”
Isabella’s smile didn’t fade, but I could see the curiosity flash in her eyes. “Really? That’s an interesting coincidence. Elliot, do you know her?”
“I’m so glad to meet you,” Isabella said, stepping forward and wrapping me in a hug before I could react. I stiffened. But she was warm and sincere.
It wasn’t Isa I was worried about. It was the man walking through the front doors with
her.
“Miss Michelle,” he said with a small bow, “Lady Isabella and her fiancé have just
returned.”
I swallowed my pride and nodded. “I won’t. She’s smart. She has a lot of potential.”
“She’s from Ashborne,” Michelle added proudly as she.flopped down onto the couch. “The
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same pack as Elliot!”
The thought of Michelle, hurt and angry, thinking I’d used her just to get close to her father made my stomach twist.
Even if it meant standing face-to-face with Elliot again.
“About me, right?” she grinned. “I’m important.”
I avoided looking at him.
Gareth straightened, his face hardening. That flicker of hunger disappeared, and in its place, cold authority took over.
“I’m the one who spoke to you on the phone,” she said, pulling back. “I can’t tell you how happy I am that you came. Michelle’s been impossible lately, and you’re the first tutor she hasn’t sent running in ten minutes.”
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“… actually, I should go,” I said, trying to sound casual.
I kept my face still. I couldn’t let it show that my heart cracked just a little and tears stung behind my eyes. I nodded once, forcing a small smile. “Ashborne isn’t as big as Frostfang, but it isn’t tiny either.”
Michelle was waiting, arms crossed. The moment she saw me, she lit up. “Finally! What took so long?”
I sighed and followed. There was no talking her out of it.
His voice was smooth and hollow. Like I was no one. My stomach dropped. He didn’t even glance at me.
“I’m just the tutor,” I said quickly, forcing a laugh. “That’s all.”
Before she could try again, Butler Jones appeared by the garden entrance.
He nodded once, curt. “Good. She likes you. Don’t make me regret this.”
For the next hour, things were easy. Peaceful, even. I showed her how to adjust her grip, how to control her breath before a throw, and how to focus on the target and not the
distraction around it.
I barely noticed Gareth moving until he was suddenly beside me.
But Elliot just shook his head, calm as ever. “No. Doesn’t ring a bell.”
The second she said it, all eyes turned to me. I froze in surprise.
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I tugged lightly against her grip. “Michelle, really, I don’t-”
My stomach twisted.
I blinked, my smirk vanishing.
But the moment didn’t last.
I laughed as I let her drag me back outside.
He didn’t speak, but I could feel him watching me.
1 froze. All thoughts of teasing shattered.
I choked. “No! I’m not-”
I smiled. “You’re improving. That’s what counts.”
I didn’t breathe. This was it. His chance to be honest. To tell her the truth-that we had history. That he rejected me. He once wanted me so badly that he marked me, only to throw me away the second something better came along.
Michelle frowned, looking between us. “Huh. Weird. You guys are about the same age. Shouldn’t you know each other from school? I thought everyone knew everyone in Ashborne. It’s not as big as Frostfang.”
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“Your dad just wanted to talk,” I said, forcing a smile.
My eyes went wide. “What?”
“You’re playing a dangerous game,” he said, voice calm but tight. “Do you want to lose this job?”
With that, he moved to the door and opened it. I walked out first, grateful for the fresh air
in the hallway.
Before I could answer, she grabbed my wrist and tugged me toward the garden. “Come
on! You said you’d teach me that double knife throw!”
“You’re being weird,” she said, frowning. “Isa’s great. She’ll love you. She’s really nice.”
Elliot’s eyes widened the moment he saw me. His mouth opened slightly, and his face
went pale. For a second, he looked like he’d seen a ghost. And maybe, to him, I was.
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