Chapter 677 – You don’t love me anymore.

Chapter 677: Chapter 677 – You don’t love me anymore.

Jasmine stood before the mirror, smoothing the fabric of her attire for the hundredth time.

The final gamma selection process loomed ahead, hours away, and her nerves crackled beneath her skin like live wires.

She had already conquered the physical trials, pushed her body to its breaking point and emerged victorious. The mental assessments had tested her wit, her strategy, her ability to think under pressure.

The leadership simulations had demanded she command, inspire, and make impossible decisions. She had passed them all with flying colors.

Now only one thing remained: a one-on-one interview with the Alpha. After that, the decision would be made. Three candidates, one position. And Jasmine was terrified because the other two women were exceptional.

Though she was close to the pack leaders, she had received no favoritism, no shortcuts, and no whispered advantages. She had fought through the process like every other female warrior, bleeding and sweating and proving herself worthy. And now, here she was. So close to the finish line she could taste it.

But the interview wasn’t the only thing consuming her thoughts.

Three days remained until the Blood Moon Festival. Three days until the moon goddess would reveal fated mates to wolves across every pack. And Kael still hadn’t given her an answer.

He had promised to respond the very next day after their last discussion. Two weeks had crawled by since then, each one heavier than the last. He had avoided her questions with the skill of a man desperate to escape, deflecting and dodging until Jasmine wanted to scream.

She had been busy too. Training, preparing, pushing herself to the limit. But beneath the exhaustion, beneath the focus, one question burned: where did she stand in his life? Would he fight for her if they both turned out to be mated to others?

The pain of it was familiar now, a dull ache that had settled into her bones. She was always the one in a one-sided love. Always the one giving more, hoping more, hurting more. But this was the first time someone had confessed to genuinely loving her. And all she wanted was an assurance that it wasn’t a lie.

The interview was two hours away.

She couldn’t wait any longer. Jasmine made her way to Kael’s office, her footsteps echoing against the stone floor. Her heart hammered against her ribs, each beat a countdown to a conversation she both craved and dreaded.

She knocked. There was no response, but her hand found the door handle and pushed.

The scene before her stopped her cold.

A she-wolf stood before Kael’s desk, her shoulders trembling, tears streaming down her cheeks. Kael’s expression was hard, unyielding, his voice cutting through the silence like a blade.

"Let nothing so shameless happen again. If you have a problem with anyone in the line of your job, report directly to your supervisor."

"Yes, Beta Kael." The girl’s voice wobbled, barely audible. "I already signed the bond of good behavior. It won’t happen again."

She rushed toward the door, brushing past Jasmine with her face buried in her hands. The door clicked shut behind her, leaving Jasmine alone with Kael in the suffocating quiet.

Jasmine crossed the room, her gaze landing on the document spread across his desk. The bond of good behavior. Her stomach tightened.

"You let her off." The words came out flat, accusation threading through every syllable. "She stabbed another wolf. She has to be punished."

Kael didn’t look up. He straightened the papers with methodical precision, his jaw tight. "It’s her first offense, and she’s only sixteen." His voice carried the weight of exhaustion, of a decision made and defended too many times. "Besides, the victim was the one who started it. The girl had every right to defend herself. Her response was just too extreme."

He rose from his chair, the leather creaking beneath him. "I need to inform the Alpha of my decision." His gaze finally found hers, steady and unreadable. "Tell me, are you ready for your interview?"

Jasmine forced a smile that felt brittle on her face. "Yes. But I’m nervous."

Kael’s expression softened, just barely. "It’s normal. Every leader is expected to review the new constitution before it reaches the pack. I’ll check it out as well."

He walked around his desk, his long strides eating up the distance toward the door. Jasmine stepped into his path, blocking him.

"Kael." Her voice came out steady, but her heart was a wild thing thrashing in her chest. "You haven’t given me an answer."

He stiffened. His entire body went rigid, like a man who had just walked into a trap he’d been trying to avoid. For a long moment, he said nothing. Then his shoulders sagged, a barely perceptible surrender.

"Jasmine." Her name left his lips like a sigh, heavy with reluctance. "It’s just three days to the Blood Moon Festival."

"That’s exactly why I need an answer now."

Kael drew in a deep breath, his chest expanding, then releasing. When he spoke, his voice was careful, measured, the voice of a man choosing his words like weapons.

"I’ve decided to put my trust in the moon goddess to find my fated mate."

The words landed like a slap. "If it’s you, I’ll be overjoyed. But if not, I’ll accept the outcome." He paused, something flickering in his eyes. "Who knows? You might even be mated to an Alpha during the Blood Moon Festival. Just be patient."

Jasmine took a step back. A tear slid down her cheek, hot and traitorous, leaving a silver trail in its wake.

"To be mated to an Alpha?" Her voice cracked, then rose, raw and furious. "Do you even know what that means? I fucking do not want to leave this pack."

Kael’s expression hardened, his features turning to stone. "So that’s what this is about." His voice dropped, cold and cutting. "You’re using me."

Jasmine’s breath caught.

"If your loving me is only because you want to escape being sent to another pack, then my decision is the best one." His hands curled into fists at his sides, knuckles bleaching white. "I want to be chosen for me, not used."

He pursed his lips, the muscle in his jaw jumping. "I think you should leave."

Jasmine hesitated, her heart shattering into a thousand jagged pieces. But she lifted her chin, refusing to let him see her break completely.

"Sure. I’ll leave." Her voice trembled, but she forced the words out. "But tell me one thing first." She met his gaze, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. "Do you still love me?"

Kael’s fingers balled into fists. His entire body went taut, coiled like a spring about to snap. For a moment, something flickered in his eyes. Something raw, vulnerable even but it was gone. "Focus on the interview."

Jasmine smiled. It was a bitter, broken thing, the smile of a woman who had finally understood.

"You don’t love me anymore." Her voice was barely above a whisper, each word a shard of glass in her throat. "You should have just told me. I wouldn’t have kept wasting my time."

Her eyes glistened. Her voice cracked, thick with tears she refused to shed.

"I love this pack so much. And I love those kids."

The words hung in the air, heavy and fragile, but what she said next, hit Kael’s nerve the way he hadn’t expected.