Chapter 17
Jasmine's POV
If I wasn't so scared of the fact that Hardin's eyes were glowing and his fangs were out in what he honestly believed was a smile, then I would have been fascinated by how easy it came for him.
It was no secret that for some reason, I was not capable of turning into my wolf. The highest I could summon were my claws and even that was so laughable to do when I knew that I could not transform so I didn't even bother to do that.
Nadia had always tried her possible best to not talk about shifting or anything about her werewolf in front of me even though I had told her several times that she could. I guessed that she was doing me a favour.
Because now, as Hardin's face changed and went back to normal with so much ease, I wanted to ask him to do it again so I could watch and remember that the chances that I would ever be able to do that were zero to none.
"I will not repeat myself, Jasmine." He growled and I blinked, walking back to where he was sitting and lowering myself to the ground beside me. Leaning against the truth but sitting so stiffly, if he pushed me with a finger, I would fall to the ground.
"Open it." He said, pointing to the lunch box and when I raised my eyebrows, he frowned.
"Okay, opening it." I whispered, quickly opening the box and arranging them in front of him.
"Taste it."
My eyes widened in surprise and I stretched out the fork to him.
"I'm not hungry and besides this is for you."
"Then throw it away."
I was sure that he ignored the look that I gave him because I stared at him with a look that said he must be joking.
"Throw it away, Jasmine. Choose one. You either eat this with me or you throw it away."
"Why?"
"Not that I appreciate being asked why, but what if it's poisoned? You can never be too sure these days."
"Are you insinuating that my mother tried to poison you?"
"I am not insinuating. I am saying this as fact. I see no reason why I should trust that the food is completely harmless. But if on the other hand, you were to eat it..."
"Say no more" I interrupted with a glare and took a forkful of the food, shoving it into my mouth and chewing aggressively. When I was done, I reached for the bottle of water and swallowed, then feigned a smile.
"Now that we have established that the food is not poisoned, is there anything else you would like me to do because I do not have all day and I will be taking my leave now."
I stood up with my bag pack and was walking away when he grabbed my arm and turned me to face him, his face filled with rage that made all my initial bravado disappear and be replaced with fear.
Hardin was just an intimidating person up close, I knew it was the wrong thing to do when I stood up to leave. It seemed like I was always forgetting just how far Hardin would go to punish me when he was upset.
"Do you have a death wish, Scott? Or do you like being punished by me? Is that it? Want me to bend you over and fuck you right now? Is that what you're fishing for? A spanking?"
He grabbed my throat and pulled me even closer and I gasped, my eyes welling with tears as he waited for a response.
"No. Please, let me go." I whispered and he smirked.
"Not so mouthy now, are you?" He answered and I opened my mouth to reply and beg for him to let me go when my eyes fell on something on the tree branch, moving towards us.
A snake.
I was so terrified of snakes, it could literally make me pass out. I had found out for the very first time when I was ten and had the unfortunate luck of meeting one when I went on a picnic with my mother.
I had fainted and woken up in the hospital from the shock.
Tapping on Hardin's hands frantically, I started to hyperventilate
"Please, Hardin, let me go. Please."
"And what if I don't?"
"Snake" I screamed, tears falling down my face as my body shook and Hardin's face turned confused, before he finally looked towards where I was pointing.
Releasing me, I watched, holding my throat with both hands on my knees as with one clawed hand he picked the snake from the branch and with both hands tore it into pieces.
My vision blurred and I knew without a doubt that I was having a panic attack.
Kneeling in front of me, Hardin's eyes widened in panic as he realized that I was not pretending but actually gasping for breath.
"Talk to me, Jasmine. Fucks sake, why are you having a panic attack right now?"
Grabbing my shoulders, he looked desperate and when he looked around and back at me, I knew that he had no idea what to do.
And all of a sudden, his face lit up, an idea coming to him.
"This means nothing, Jasmine. Absolutely nothing." He whispered and his lips smashed against mine.
I gasped, holding my breath in shock as he kissed me, pulling me closer to him.
One shallow breath after the other, I realized that I had stopped hyperventilating and when he stopped kissing me, I looked at him in shock.
This was the first time that he had kissed me. For all of the times that he had touched me against my will, he had kissed me everywhere except my lips and then I hadn't really cared why, just secure in the fact that he didn't take that from me.
But now, Hardin was also my first kiss and in the most unconventional way possible.
I doubted that he would even believe me if I told him.
He stared at me, his eyes wide as we knelt in front of each other and I was sure that he didn't believe that he had just done that.
My heart beat furiously in my chest as I watched his eyes move from my eyes to my lips and I loathed myself because I knew where my thoughts were going to.
I had not hated the kiss even though I knew I was supposed to. What was worse was that I wanted him to kiss me again
He grabbed the back of my neck, his mouth hovering over mine when his phone rang in his pocket.
As if he was released from a spell, he moved away from me immediately and rose to his feet to remove the phone from his pocket.
Standing up awkwardly, I watched as he looked at the caller and proceeded to turn off his phone.
When he looked back at me, he frowned.
"That meant nothing, do you hear me? I still think that you and your mother are opportunists. And I still think you're nothing but a lying pretending little woman. Do you understand?" He growled and I nodded, but I didn't know why this time, his words felt like they were not coming from a place of hate but like he just felt like he had to say them.
I didn't know what gave me the nerve to ask but I spoke anyways.
"Who called you? Your dad?"
He raised his eyebrows in surprise and I wasn't expecting him to answer so I was shocked when he did.
"Yes. Just another fight since this new family parade started. But you know all about that. Don't you? I saw you hiding by the stairs when I left the house last night."
I shook my head immediately, looking guilty as hell even though I hadn't heard anything while I was hiding by the stairs.
"I literally just got there when I saw you leaving."
"Well, not that it's going to be a secret any longer but I told my aunt about all that has been happening while she was abroad. About his whirlwind marriage to your mother and my suspicions. I guess he didn't like the fact that I was not as receptive to the new family that he had created. So, don't you dare get your hopes up that how I feel about you has changed."
This time, his words actually hurt me. Not the new family part, because as much as I wanted my mother to be happy with Russo Morales, I had given up on the idea that Hardin and I would ever get along as step-siblings or even consider being one after everything that he had done to me.
But when I looked at his face, he looked genuinely distressed and distrustful and I tried to put myself in his shoes.
I had never met my father and I had grown up with just my mother so I had been very excited when she had found love again. But it wasn't the same for Hardin. He had lost his mother and had been forced to watch his father move on so fast and get married to someone else. His entire life must have been turned upside down.
"I will not keep my hopes up" I assured him quietly and he looked at me in surprise, clearly not expecting me to not argue with him.
He was about to reply when my phone buzzed in my pocket and when I looked at it, it was a message from my mother.