Chapter 3

Jasper Hartford

She walked into the room and my pulse quickened. She was talking to her friend, laughing at some joke. I would give anything for her to laugh at my jokes like that, literally anything.

She took her seat in front of me without even looking in my direction. She flicked her long auburn hair over her shoulder, wafting her scent in my direction. I could smell the coconut shampoo she always uses and the slightest hint of sweat on her skin.

Even the scent of her was enough to send me wild with desire, it made me want to run my tongue along her skin. I wanted to taste every inch of her until she begged for my cock, and then I wanted to make love to her until she fell apart in my arms. But she was the only person I couldn’t have, my parents saw to that when they let her stay with us.

I have loved Lizzy for the last three years. I have tried everything I can think of to get her out of my mind but nothing seems to work. At first, I tried to ignore my feelings for her in the hope that if I didn’t acknowledge them then they would go away. I was wrong, they didn’t go away, they only got stronger as time went on.

When it was clear that approach wasn’t going to work I tried to wipe her from my mind. I screwed my way through half the she-wolves in our year at school desperately trying to make myself forget about her. I didn’t feel anything for any of those girls, the only thing I felt was guilt and shame over the way I treated them.

I haven’t been with anyone else for the last eight months. I am pinning all my hopes on finding my mate. I turn nineteen in a couple of days, then I will find my mate and all my problems will be over. I will find my Luna and she will be my world. Until then I would just have to live with my feelings for Lizzy.

The lesson felt as though it lasted forever. I spent the whole lesson watching Lizzy. I was sitting behind and slightly to the side of her so I could see some of her face in profile. I could see the look of concentration on her face as she tried to work out the mathematical problems, and I could see the slight hint of a smile when she finally solved them.

I loved to watch her but it was like a slow form of torture. Seeing her beautiful face and smelling her delicious scent for a whole hour and not being able to touch her or even talk to her. My head was filled with all the dirty things I could do to her if we were alone together.

When the lesson was finally over Lizzy and her friend packed their bags and left for their next lesson. Lizzy didn’t look in my direction, not once. Her lack of regard for me stung like a rejection. How could I love her so much without her even noticing that I was there?

I followed them. My next class was in the opposite direction but I wasn’t ready to stop seeing her yet. I stayed a few paces behind them. Far enough so it didn’t seem suspicious but close enough so I could still see her and smell her. I did this a couple of times every day and so far she has never noticed me following her.

“Have you thought about what you are going to wear to prom?” Lizzy's  friend asked.

Lizzy looked at her friend, there was sadness in her eyes.

“I’m not going to prom.”

“Prom is a huge deal, you have to go.”

“I know but I don’t want to go alone.”

“I can solve that.” Her friend said. She was smiling at Lizzy and even at this distance I could see the excitement in her eyes as she turned to face her.

“How?” Lizzy asked.

“I will just mention to Oliver that you want a date to prom. He would jump at the chance to go with you.”

It felt as though my whole world had shattered into a million pieces. There was someone else who wanted to be with my Lizzy. What if she wanted to be with him too? Before I could regain my composure, a growl escaped from my throat.

Lizzy turned around, and the moment she saw me her eyes went wide with fear. Why was she scared of me, what did she think I would do to her? I would never hurt her, I love her. She must know that.

“What is your problem?” Her friend asked. She turned to face me and placed her hands on her hips.

“She can’t date him, she can’t date anyone.” My words came out more forcefully than I had intended. I was hurt and I wanted her to know how I felt about her. Instead, I came across as an enraged psychopath. Why did this always seem to happen when I was around her? It was as though my feelings interfered with my ability to properly express myself.

“Oh? Why is that?” Her friend asked, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

What could I say to that? I couldn’t say that I loved her, and I wanted her to be mine forever. I also couldn’t say that I couldn’t stand the thought of her being with anyone else and I don’t trust myself not to kill any man who tries to touch her. If I showed her that kind of favour it would make her a target for anyone who wanted to hurt me. It also wouldn’t be fair on my future Luna, whoever she may be.

“Why would anyone want to be with such a weak pathetic creature as her.”

As soon as the words exited my mouth I regretted them. That was literally the worst thing I could have said. My head was spinning. Why can’t I think straight around her? Why do I always seem to say things that hurt her?

“You are a monster. Liz will be so much better when she moves in with us, far away from you.” Her friend shouted in my face.

That was the final straw. The thought of my Lizzy so far away from me was just too much for me to deal with. There would be no way of me protecting her if she left, I had to put a stop to it.

“She is not going anywhere. She is staying here with me.” I shouted.

I was aware that people around me were stopping to listen to our conversation. Most of them were members of my pack and they were probably very interested in finding out who had pissed off the future Alpha.

“She is going and there is nothing you can do to stop her.” Lizzy's friend shouted back with equal intensity. She didn’t realise it but she was challenging my authority in front of my pack. I couldn’t stand by and let it happen. She may be human but that didn’t mean a thing. My pack needed to know that I wouldn’t let anyone get away with challenging my authority.

I took hold of the human’s neck and pushed her against the wall.

“She will do exactly what I tell her to do, whether she likes it or not,” I growled.

I could smell the human’s fear but it had no effect on me. I would have said more, the only thing that stopped me was the look on Lizzy's face. Her eyes were filled with fear and sadness and I hated seeing her like that. I let go of the human and walked away. I didn’t look back, I didn’t want to see Lizzy looking at me like that ever again.