Chapter 2 I Want to Reject Him

Jasper's POV

For a second, I froze. Tessa's voice cut through the laughter, sharp and broken, and every eye turned to her. Frosting dripped from her pure dark hair, streaking down that dress that clung to every curve, her blue eyes wide with hurt.

She was always beautiful, hair that shimmered like silk under the light, rosy lips trembling, her body shaking as if she'd splinter apart. For a breath, I almost reached for her. Almost.

But then Bianca's hand tightened on my arm, her perfume washing over me, sweet and familiar. And I remembered.

It had been Bianca who sat by my bed three years ago when I woke from the fire, lungs scorched, life hanging by a thread. The pack doctor swore I would've died if she hadn't shared her wolf's strength with me. Her soft hand had held mine, her hazel eyes brimming with tears.

Back then, I thought she must be my fated mate arranged by the Moon Goddess. However, the next day, when I shifted for the first time and met my wolf, Mark, the truth was laid bare. The Moon Goddess wasn't laughing with me—she was mocking me. Bianca's half-sister, Tessa, was my fated mate.

Bianca's half- sister Tessa became my mate.

The bond pulled me toward Tessa instantly. Her smile, her warmth, her faith in me—it was everything. And she felt it too. But every time I looked at Bianca, saw those lonely hazel eyes, I couldn't shake the memory of her hand in mine. I told myself she needed me. That I owed her. That I loved her.

However my father's voice had cracked through my head by mind link: You will accept Tessa as your Luna, or you will never inherit this pack.

And Mark, damn him, had begged me not to betray my mate. She's our fated mate, Jasper. Don't throw her away. I love her. But when I told him my heart belonged to Bianca, he went silent. He hadn't spoken to me since. The bond between us snapped quiet, like a door slammed shut.

Tessa was strong and capable even though her wolf had vanished for reasons unknown. My father admired her grit. His father Beta Marcus had been proud of her.  

Bianca was my life savior and I heard she was neglected by her parents, unloved at own home. She needed me.

So when Tessa's voice cracked, when she shouted it was her birthday too, I clenched my jaw. If I softened, I would never escape. 

I scoffed, pouring cruelty into my tone. "Enough, Tessa. You think just because you're my mate I owe you a birthday?"

She blinked at me, pale as parchment, like she didn't even recognize me.

I swallowed the flicker of guilt and twisted the knife deeper. "If my father didn't demand I accept you to become Alpha, I'd have rejected you three years ago."

Her lips parted, a whisper of pain escaping. "What...?"

I slung my arm around Bianca's shoulders, pulling her closer. Her warmth pressed against me, grounding me, reminding me of the fact that she saved me and of the vow I'd made to her.

"Bianca's the one I love," I said softly, brushing my thumb over her shoulder. Then I turned back to Tessa, letting the cold harden in my voice. "You're nothing but my ticket to the Alpha."

I finally got it out. But for some reason, my stomach twisted in pain.

"You f*cking idiot!" Mark, who hadn't spoken to me in three years, suddenly yelled at me in my head.

Tessa's eyes filled, tears spilling down her cheeks. The words sliced something in her. She turned, clutching what was left of her ruined dress, and bolted from the room.

The crowd whispered. Some smirked. Others looked uneasy. I didn't care.

Bianca tilted her face up to me, her expression a mask of worry. "Jasper... she's really hurt."

I tightened my arm around her, forcing the anger from my face until only tenderness remained for her. "I don't care," I said flatly. Then softer, only for her, "You saved me from that fire three years ago. I swore to the Moon Goddess I'd love you forever."

Her lips curved, brushing against my chest as she hugged me.

Tessa's POV

The full moon was obscured by thick clouds.

The night swallowed me whole as I fled, my heels slipping on the damp earth. Branches clawed at my arms. I didn't stop until the laughter and music were gone, until the only sound left was my ragged breathing.

I collapsed beneath a tree, the cake still sticky in my hair, my dress a ruined mess. Tears blurred everything, burning hot trails down my cheeks.

I had given everything. Three years of my life and love. My wolf. My strength. All of it to build this pack, to support him, to dream of standing by his side as his Luna.

And to him... I was nothing. Nothing but a steppingstone to his crown.

My sobs tore free, ugly and raw. I pressed my forehead against my knees, shaking.

"Moon Goddess," I whispered, voice breaking. "Please... wake my wolf. I don't want this mate anymore. Please... take him from me."

The clouds above shifted. Silver light spilled through the darkness, painting the forest in shimmering hues. My breath caught.

The full moon blazed brighter than I'd ever seen, and from its glow a white wolf emerged—tall, graceful, her fur gleaming like snow. She stepped forward, her eyes the same blue as mine, and pressed into my chest.

My Julia, welcome back. I said to her through our mind link.

Heat flooded me. Strength surged through my veins, fierce and wild, my wolf's voice ringing in my mind for the first time in years.

Tessa. It's time to leave him.

My sobs stilled. I lifted my face, tears drying on my cheeks, a strange calm settling over me. Resolve hardened like steel inside my chest.

Julia's right.

If mate didn't love me, then I'd leave him!

I went to the pack office to meet Alpha Jason the next day.

The leather sofa was cold beneath me, but I sat tall, my back straight, my hands folded in my lap.

Across the desk, Alpha Jason—Jasper's father—looked up from his papers, startled by my presence. His illness had worn him down, but his eyes were sharp, always too kind when they rested on me.

"You want to reject Jasper?" His brows furrowed, disbelief and shock flickering across his face. "And leave the pack?"

I met his gaze, steady, unwavering. "Yes."