Chapter 7: Stay Away
His gaze remained locked on me, then flicked briefly to where Elliot’s hand had been gripping me just seconds before. His jaw tensed ever so slightly. Not a word came from his mouth, but the message was loud and clear.
Gareth sighed, jaw tight. “She’s not for me.”
He leaned his head back, eyes shut. He’d told her to stay away.
“Stay away from me and my family. You are not welcome in my presence.”
But the truth was… he didn’t know what would hurt more.
I kept my hands in my lap, fidgeting with the hem of my skirt. I didn’t know where to look. Sitting this close to him in silence made my skin crawl.
I looked out the window, trying to mask the sting. Of course, he hadn’t come for me. Why would he? He had been in the VIP section, tucked away from the chaos, probably surrounded by beautiful women, the kind who didn’t have to work in clubs for money. The kind he was used to. I wasn’t stupid. A man like him didn’t spend his time rescuing girls like me.
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The car moved smoothly through the dark streets, the city lights fading behind them. Gareth sat back in the leather seat, arms crossed, staring out the window, but not really seeing anything.
“Let’s go,” he said, walking toward the entrance.
The moment Gareth’s cold gray eyes landed on us, Elliot let go of my arm as if burned. His spine straightened, shoulders back, and that smug, arrogant expression he always wore melted into something more polished, controlled, and respectful.
“I’m just saying. Twenty years is a long time to keep your heart buried.”
He turned his head slowly, his eyes narrowing slightly. The temperature in the car dropped, but I had to say my piece.
Gareth didn’t respond.
Gareth muttered. “She’s causing trouble everywhere I go.”
The car ride was way too quiet. I sat in the back seat beside Gareth, trying not to squirm. My outfit, the tight, short club uniform, still clung to me, and I felt very exposed.1
Lawson gave a dry laugh. “Right. And you just happened to step in and walk her out like some silent hero.”
He clenched his jaw, trying to push it down. ‘Not her. This isn’t happening.’
Elliot shifted beside me, waiting, expecting a reply or even a nod. But Gareth didn’t even glance his way.
Lawson, his Beta and longtime driver, finally broke the silence. “You were a bit hard on
her back there.”
Then he turned to me. His expression was blank but I could feel the tension rolling off
him in waves.
I grabbed the door handle, my fingers trembling. I should be thankful that Gareth even sent me home, instead of dumping me on the side of the road after my unintended
insult. 2
“Are you hurt?” he asked, voice low.
But then he spoke again.
His gaze dropped briefly to the hickey on my collarbone, still visible just above the edge of my collar. Something flickered in his eyes, but he didn’t comment on it.
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One silent command and my legs moved before I could think twice. I followed him, my every step echoing through the stunned silence of the club. His scent wrapped around my body like a second skin.
Gareth’s hands clenched into fists in his lap. “She’s my daughter’s age. She’s too
reckless, stubborn, overly emotional.”
“Don’t,” Gareth interrupted sharply.
But his wolf wouldn’t settle. It had been silent for years-now it was wide awake.
He didn’t like what he saw.
Gareth grunted. Lawson glanced at him through the mirror and continued, “That’s the most interested I’ve seen you in a woman since-
“He-he manipulates people,” I went on, my voice trembling as I recalled Elliot’s two-faced behavior. “He lies. He pretends to be perfect, but when no one’s looking… he changes. I know because I’ve lived it.”
He finally looked at me. “Apology accepted. But don’t think that means I approve of what you did.”
Words stuck in my throat. It would have been kinder if he had slapped me.
Behind me, the crowd murmured in disbelief.
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7 Chapter 7: Stay Away
Gareth didn’t look at me. He sat back, one arm resting along the top of the seat, the other on his knee, eyes focused on the window.
The words hit harder than they should have. “Oh,” I said quietly.
“You knew Elliot would be there,” he said, voice cool. “You knew his friends would be there too. And still, you walked in, dressed like that, knowing exactly what it would provoke.”
I froze, the words slicing through whatever scraps of hope I had left. My wolf whimpered at the explicit rejection.
“Chairman Laken,” he greeted with forced calm, his voice just loud enough to sound
confident but not draw attention.
I swallowed the lump in my throat. “I didn’t mean to mess up your night. I’m sorry”
Instead, he raised one hand in a slow, deliberate motion and gestured for me to follow
him.
He didn’t answer but I followed him anyway.
As the taillights disappeared into the dark, I stood on the sidewalk, cold and alone.
When the car finally rolled to a stop in front of my house, my heart was still thudding.
Jasmine didn’t flinch like the others. She stood tall, met his eyes, and wasn’t afraid to confront him even with his position as the Lycan Chairman. That only made the pull
stronger.
I cleared my throat, forcing myself to speak. “Thanks… for stepping in earlier.”
The air thickened with pressure, so sharp it felt like it could split skin. Gareth didn’t yell. He didn’t argue. He didn’t even blink. He just looked at me, but his aura was
7 Chapter 7: Stay Away
overpowering.
Gareth didn’t respond because deep down, he knew the truth.
“I understand,” I said softly. My throat burned as I stepped out of the car. “Thank you for the ride back.”
“I didn’t mean for any of this to happen,” I whispered. I should’ve left it at that. But anger flared up within me at the unfair accusation.
“Get out,” Gareth said, voice low and controlled.
Gareth didn’t speak until we were clear of the crowd and halfway down the hallway away from the private suites. The door shut behind us with a soft click, muffling the
noise.
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I sucked in a breath, anger and shame mixing in my chest. “I didn’t ask for any of that.”
Chapter 7: Stay Away
Her.
Her staying-or her actually leaving.
I realized then-I had said too much. My mouth ran dry, and I immediately hung my head, not daring to look him in the eye.
Jasmine’s scent still lingered in the air, warm, wild, laced with anger, and… something that made a mess of his senses.
Then his tone shifted and became colder. “I don’t care who you argue with, Jasmine. But don’t cause problems for Elliot. And don’t drag my daughter into this mess. Isabella has nothing to do with what happened between you two, and I won’t let her get caught in the fallout.”
“But you still got his attention, didn’t you?” Gareth said, his voice low and sharp. “You stirred up trouble, made a scene, and now half the club thinks you’ve climbed into my bed.” (2
“Wait, is she-?”
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“You sure about that?” Lawson asked. “You nearly tore your future son-in-law apart with your eyes because of her.”
“I didn’t step in for you,” he said flatly. “You were disturbing my evening”
“Did she really get Gareth Laken’s attention?”
The thought that I might be wanted by someone more powerful than him was visibly eating him alive. Good. I held my head up high.
I frowned, heart beating faster. “What do you mean?”
“No way… is she with him?”
“You didn’t have to,” he replied. “Intentions don’t matter when the consequences are
this loud.”
Then that old, buried heat rose in his chest. Restless and hungry. It needed, desired and wanted only one thing now—
Elliot’s friends were whispering among themselves, confused and intrigued. But Elliot was silent. His jaw was clenched tight, his eyes never leaving my figure as I walked behind Gareth. I glimpsed at his face and spotted his barely concealed jealousy.
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“Where?”
“And brave,” Lawson added. “That girl’s fighting for her family with nothing but scraps.
It makes me want to root for her.”
I shook my head slowly. “No. Not really.”
“I needed the job,” I snapped, turning toward him. “I didn’t go there to get Elliot’s attention. I went to make money.”
He was the Lycan King, the most powerful Alpha in this region. Questioning his judgment, especially when it came to his family, was nothing more than an insult to his capabilities as an Alpha and as a father. I wished I could rewind time and swallow my
words.
I turned to him slowly, hoping that I had misheard. However, I could only see his side profile. He wasn’t looking in my direction. He was just staring straight ahead as though the very sight of me disgusted him.
“But…” I hesitated, then pushed forward. “If you really love your daughter and you want to protect her… as her father I believe you should take a closer look at the man she’s marrying. Elliot isn’t who you think he is.”
