‘You’re Elliot’s ex-mate.’
The words echoed in my head, over and over again. Gareth’s eyes didn’t leave mine. His expression was unreadable. There was no gloating, no satisfaction in catching off guard. Just... quiet calculation.
Then, slowly, the corners of his mouth pulled into a knowing smirk.
“You just did,” he said.
I blinked. My stomach dropped. My body had gone cold, but my cheeks burned.
He hadn’t known. He’d guessed—and I walked right into it.
A small, bitter laugh escaped before I could stop it. I looked down, shaking my head.
“Right. Of course, I did.”
There was a long silence between us. I could feel the weight of his suspicion pressing down on like a stone.
“I don’t trust you.” He said, raising his brow.
“I’m not here to cause problems,” I said finally, forcing myself to et his eyes. “I just... I needed to co. I needed to see it with my own eyes. That it’s real. That it’s over.”
He said nothing, just watched .
“I’m not here to ruin their engagent,” I added quietly. “Or the wedding. I’m not that pathetic.”
Still nothing. Not a flicker of emotion on his face. Was he judging ? Pitying ?
I took a breath. “You should know it’s possible to move on from a broken mate bond.”
That got a reaction. His lips curled slightly—just barely, like the idea amused him. He looked over, slow and thoughtful like he was deciding whether I ant it or if I was just playing so ga.
Then, at last, he gave a short nod. “Fair enough.”
I didn’t know if he believed , or if he just didn’t care anymore.
“Go change,” he said, voice low. “There’s a robe in the bathroom. Your dress is a ss.”
I stepped into the bathroom and shut the door behind . For a mont, I just stood there, trying to breathe. The wine stain on my dress looked like blood. Ugly. Loud. Unsuitable. The sa way I was unworthy of a place in Elliot’s perfect life.
I undressed slowly, like I was shedding sothing more than just fabric. The past few hours. The years before that. All of it.
The silk robe hanging behind the door was soft, black, and probably more expensive than everything I owned. I slipped into it. It slled like him—cedarwood and sothing darker. Masculine. Powerful. I inhaled deeply, letting the scent settle inside . It made my head spin.
When I stepped out, Gareth was at the bar, pouring sothing amber into a fresh glass. His jacket was gone, sleeves rolled up to his forearms. He looked calm, but there was a dangerous edge to him—too composed, too still.
My pulse skipped.
He held out the drink. “Figured you could use sothing stronger than water.”
I took it, our fingers brushing. Just a second. Just skin. But it lit sothing in . Heat curled low in my belly. I tried not to react, but I could feel it building between us.
His eyes lingered on . He felt it too. I swallowed hard, hoping he couldn’t sll my arousal.
Neither of us said anything. The air was thick. Heavily charged.
Gareth watched over his glass, his gaze unreadable. The drink slid down my throat, warm and smooth, but nothing compared to the heat burning under my skin.
Then he set the glass down. “What are you planning to do now?”
I hesitated. It was a simple question. I should’ve said sothing about Delta training, about surviving, about pushing through like I always did.
But I didn’t want to think that far ahead. I walked to the window, brushing the curtain aside, watching the city lights shimr below.
“I don’t know,” I said. “But I know what I want tonight.”
Behind , I felt him move closer. The space between us shrank, the tension climbing.
“And what’s that?” he asked, voice rough. I turned slowly. My heart was pounding.
“To stop feeling like I’m not enough. To forget Elliot.”
His expression changed. Eyes darkened, jaw tight. Sothing in him shifted.
And I knew he wanted the sa thing.
“And you think I’m the right man to help you forget?” he said, a slow, dangerous smile curving his lips.
I stepped closer, bold and reckless. “You offered the drink, didn’t you? Might as well go all in.”
His brow lifted slightly, intrigued. “You’re bold.”
“Not usually,” I admitted. “But I’ve already been burned, Gareth. What else is there to fear?”
That struck sothing in him. His posture changed, his gaze sharpened. His eyes turned darker—black. His wolf had surfaced.
He stepped in, heat radiating off him. Then his hand reached out, fingers gliding along my jaw and down my neck. His touch sent sparks down my spine. I groaned and leaned into him.
“You want to use ,” he murmured, his breath warm against my cheek.
I t his eyes, steady. “And you want to be used.”
That made him laugh—a deep, surprised sound that rolled through .
“Are you sure of this?” he whispered.
“Please,” I moaned.
Suddenly his lips crashed against mine. The kiss was fierce, hungry and consuming. Like he wanted to swallow every broken piece of and make it whole again.
I moaned, kissing him back, matching his urgency. Our mouths parted, and his tongue slid against mine, slow, then deeper. Wet, hot, breathless.
His hands gripped my waist, pulling flush against him. I could feel the hard line of his arousal through his pants, igniting every nerve in my body. He wanted and I wanted him just as badly.
“Tell to stop,” he growled against my lips.
“I won’t.” I gasped, running my hands all over him.
His mouth traced down my neck, nipping lightly, making my breath hitch.
“I want this,” I breathed, shivering as his teeth grazed my collarbone.
His lips curved into a dark smile. “I will give you more than you want.”
I tilted my head back, inviting more. “I can’t wait.”
He pulled back just enough to et my eyes, voice low and full of heat. “I’m not pretending, Jasmine. I want you. That’s all this is.”
“And that’s all I need tonight,” I whispered.
Our gazes locked, tension crackling between us. We both knew what this was. Lust. Escape. A hunger we didn’t want to question.
But even as our bodies moved closer, our wolves stirred—like they knew this wasn’t just about tonight.
Gareth dipped his head again, sucking on my collarbone, hard enough to leave a mark. I arched into him, gasping, giving him more skin.
His hands slid beneath the silk robe, one squeezing my breast while the other pressed against my bare back.
I clutched his hair, pulling him closer, breath catching as his lips moved down from my shoulder. It felt so good.
His hand moved down, sliding along my thigh. My legs parted instinctively, and I tilted my head back, panting. I was dripping wet. We were both breathing heavily.
Then—my phone rang. A sharp, jarring sound that tore through the haze like ice water.
We froze. I blinked, still half-lost in the haze, breath heavy.
Gareth cussed and pulled back, his chest rising and falling, eyes burning into mine intensely.
The phone rang again. And I groaned.
“I need to—” I whispered, already reaching for it.
He stepped back, jaw tight, not saying a word. I swiped to answer. “Mom?”
Her voice shattered . “Jasmine—Jasmine, you need to co ho right now! Your father has been arrested!”
My mother’s voice was wrecked with panic, sobbing so hard I could barely understand her.
“Mom? What happened?”
“They took him! The Lycans dragged him out like a criminal!”
My chest tightened as my mind tried to make sense of her words. Dad was arrested? “Mom, that’s not possible. Where is he now?”
“He’s now in the Council holding compound, but they won’t let see him. Jasmine, please co ho now!”
“I’m coming,” I said.
The call ended. I stood still trying to get my bearings.
Behind , Gareth watched in silence, his shirt still open, the air between us charged...unfinished.
“I have to go,” I said, turning.
“What happened?”
“My father’s been arrested. Council business, they said.”
His expression darkened. “If they made the arrest, there must be sothing behind it.”
I stared at him but he didn’t say anything more. I saw the tension in his body from pent up desires. I saw the huge bulge on his pants and I felt equally disappointed from the interruption of what would have been.
I dressed hurriedly in my stained dress and headed for the door.
He didn’t stop . Didn’t say a word.
I paused, hand on the knob. My voice ca out like a whisper.
“Thanks for the wine and the kiss.”
Then I left without looking back.
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