Shunned By An Alpha, Cherised By A Lycan

Chapter 50:

Jasmine’s POV

I stepped into the garden, the fresh air with its sweet fragrance enveloping me like a warm blanket. Today marked two days since my argument with Ryder, and I’d been avoiding him ever since. Luckily for me, I still hadn’t bumped into him, or maybe he’d been avoiding me—I couldn’t quite tell. The tension between us was so strong that I dreaded the moment I’d have to face him again.

The garden had become my escape, my thinking spot. The scent of grass, earth, and green leaves was soothing, offering a temporary reprieve from the chaos in my head. My fingers lightly trailed along the hedges as I strolled down the winding path, the warm sun caressing my skin. The weather was perfect—almost too perfect for the storm brewing inside me. I needed this moment of solitude, this chance to clear my head and process everything that had happened.

Ryder’s controlling nature sat at the top of my list of worries. He still owed me an answer. Each time I’d asked about it, something dramatic happened, like the universe was conspiring to keep me in the dark. I couldn’t shake the feeling that he was manipulating me, using me for his own selfish purposes while keeping me in the shadows. And then there was Isabelle’s bitter truth—it didn’t add up, but it gnawed at me all the same. What was my place here? That word “lady” made me cringe.noveldrama

Halting in front of a vibrant rose bush, I carefully plucked a rose close to the bud, making sure not to prick myself. The flower reminded me of Ryder—beautiful and dangerous. It could captivate you, but it came with thorns that could draw blood.

He claimed I deserved to be treated like a queen, and I let out a low, humorless laugh. The irony was repulsive. A queen? When he was betrothed to Isabelle, planning to marry her, leaving me as his mistress? Hypocrite.

My thoughts drifted back to my old pack, how I had been welcomed but still felt like an outsider because of Jason. Yet, I had been more at home there than here. Now I was caught between two worlds—the werewolf world I knew and the Lycan world I was struggling to navigate.

Aside from Seraphina, I had no one to confide in. And even she was always busy with chores, another irony since Ryder claimed she was my personal maid. Liar. I inhaled sharply, shutting my eyes and running my hands over the flowers, trying to find some sense of peace. But it didn’t last long.

“Enjoying the view, Jasmine?”

Lаtєѕt chɑptєrs іn g𝑎lnοvєls.𝑐ο𝗺

My eyes snapped open, and I turned to see Isabelle standing there, a smug grin plastered on her face. Her presence was as unwelcome as the tension in my chest, and yet, here she was, invading my moment of peace.

“Isabelle,” I said dryly, keeping my tone neutral, though it took effort to suppress the irritation bubbling beneath the surface.

“Looks like someone has been practicing being the lady of the house already,” she said, her voice dripping with sarcasm. I bit my lower lip, resisting the urge to snap back.

She waved her hand lazily in the air. “But let’s be real, your stay here is temporary, isn’t it?”

Her words were like a slap in the face, but I refused to let her get under my skin. I wasn’t going to grant her the satisfaction.

“What do you want, Isabelle?” I sighed, rolling my eyes. Our previous encounter had given me the impression she was more mature, but now it was clear she had fully embraced the role of the “jealous bitch.”

She chuckled, the sound grating against my ears. “Oh, I just wanted to see how the little lady was doing. You’re quite a handful, you know.”

I bristled at the term “lady” but kept my cool. Ignoring her jab, I smoothed my shirt and plucked a chrysanthemum from the flowerbed.

Isabelle took a step closer, her grin widening. “You know, Jasmine, you’re not as special as you think you are. Ryder’s had plenty of girls like you before, and he’ll have plenty more after you’re gone.”

Her words stung like alcohol on a fresh wound. Seraphina had hinted at something similar the first day I’d met her, though she hadn’t mentioned anything about there being more after me.

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