“I’m not taking that risk,” he said.
She groaned to bite back a scream, rubbing her face. She glared up at him.
“Why?” she hissed. “Why do you even care? You barely know me. Why does any of this even matter to you?”
He didn’t answer. He looked at her as if she were some sort of inexplicable puzzle, as if he shouldn’t have to explain that, like she should already know. But she didn’t. She couldn’t fathom what was running through Jasper’s head, why he was so insistent on protecting her.
“Does it matter why?” he finally asked after what felt like an eternity. “I’m trying to help.”
“I didn’t ask for your help,” she snapped, bristling, her temper finally beginning to simmer over.
His eyes narrowed. “Would you rather I have let him drag you off?”
“No,” she admitted. “But that doesn’t give you an excuse to keep me locked in a cage.”
“I’m not keeping you locked in a cage,” he argued. “I’m just trying to look after you.”
“Is that what you think you’re doing? Because it sure as hell doesn’t feel like it. You wouldn’t be able to stand it if someone was doing this to you.”
She wasn’t used to sticking up for herself. It felt foreign, but she needed Jasper to understand. She needed him to see things from her perspective.
Instead of answering, Jasper remained silent, watching her, drinking her in. Why did he have to be so close? She could practically feel the heat radiating off him. And there was that look he was giving her, like he was seeing her in some new, fascinating light.
“I’m still not changing my mind,” he said. “I’m not going to stop looking out for you.”
Her eyes narrowed, and once again, she had to bite back her scream.
“You’re impossible,” she said. “You already forced me to marry you. I was willing to give you the benefit of the doubt for a bit, but now you won’t even let me live my life. You might think you’re saving me, but you’re no better than the other men who’ve tried controlling me.”
She had never spoken to anyone like this before, and it felt freeing, to an extent. All the weeks of frustration had finally forced her to a boiling point, but the outburst still surprised her. Based on the stunned look on Jasper’s face, it had surprised him as well.
“I’m trying to help you,” he said gently.
“Well, it’s not working,” she said. “I know what you’re trying to do, and I can appreciate that. But you’re keeping me prisoner. At this point, it’s not too far off from what Lucas has been trying to do.”
Jasper’s expression mutated into anger, petulance. Rage rippled through his body, through his eyes. He went dangerously still. There was something both alluring and unsettling in the intense look he gave her. Despite herself, heat prickled along her body.
“Fine,” he snapped. “I’m going back to the pack house. I’ve got work to do there. I’ll see you tonight when you get off work.”
“You don’t have to walk me home,” she said.
He pretended he didn’t hear her. Instead, he opened the door to the small room and marched out, leaving her alone.
Chapter 9 - Jasper
Glancing up the steps, Jasper considered his next steps. He needed to approach Nikki. He needed to do something because if he didn’t, things were only going to get worse. They hadn’t spoken much since their fight at the library. They walked to and from her work in silence, and whenever she was home, she swiftly retreated to her room.
It had been an entire day of that. It had given Jasper time to ruminate, to contemplate what he had done. As much as he hated to admit it, she was right. He was smothering her, and that wasn’t what he wanted. He wanted to keep her safe. He wanted to help her.
It wasn’t going to get better if he didn’t do something. He needed to help her, to make sure she knew he was on her side. Taking a deep breath, he began climbing the stairs, rehearsing what he was going to tell her with each step he ascended, making it almost a mantra.
He paused for a moment in front of her room, his arm raised, preparing to knock. He hesitated. For a wild moment, a lance of anxiety pierced through him. What if she refused to talk to him? He wanted to make this right, but if she wouldn’t talk to him, the only way he could make it right was by forcing her to talk to him, which he desperately wanted to avoid.
If she didn’t want to talk to him, then he would walk away and leave it. He might try some other day, but he wouldn’t barge in and demand her attention. It would only make things worse.
Bracing himself, he knocked on the door.
For a moment, there was no sound on the other side, even though he knew she was in there. Her scent wafted into his nostrils. He could picture her sitting on the bed, eyeing the door.He imagined her tucking a strand of her auburn hair behind her ear and worrying her lower lip. Wondering if she would even bother telling him to go away or simply remain mute, Jasper waited.
