Chapter 13
Chapter 13:
“That’s a relief,” she said, exhaling slowly. “I’ve always envisioned you as the future Luna of this pack, and my joy knew no bounds when you were mated to Jason. From the day I saw you at that orphanage, I felt a connection. There’s something special about you, and I’m scared. You were raised with high standards, and only the Moon Goddess knows if you’ll end up as his sex slave. That, I cannot allow p>
Tears welled up in her eyes as she spoke. Her words struck me deeply. I wasn’t Ryder’s mate, and when he eventually found his true mate, what would become of me? A broken, weak Omega, rejected by her mate, used as a sex slave. Was that to be my fate?
“We have to prevent that, Jasmine. I didn’t raise you to be any man’s sex slave. Your standards are high,” Mom repeated, her voice firm.
I pinched the bridge of my nose, feeling the weight of the situation. “But what can I do?” I asked, my voice trembling. I couldn’t possibly talk Ryder out of wanting me. He sounded desperate, and I doubted I could convince him otherwise.
Mom stood up, her eyes narrowing as she walked to the window. I followed her with my eyes, sensing a shift in her demeanor.
After staring out into the evening sky dotted with stars, she turned to me.
“Come here, Jasmine,” she commanded.
I stood up and walked to the window as she instructed.
She pointed outside. “I was taught to take the bull by the horns and never let anyone destroy my pack, my home,” she began, her voice sharp. This wasn’t the apologetic mother from a few minutes ago. Where had that woman gone? My heart raced as I stared at her, wondering what was going through her mind. “We can’t let the Moonpack wage war against us, and at the same time, I can’t give you over to them,” she continued, her gaze still fixed on the sky.
“What do we do, Mother?” I whispered, dread creeping into my voice.
She was silent for a few moments, then finally cleared her throat. “You didn’t reject Jason. I’ll have him cancel his engagement with Stephanie. And you will marry him,” she stated coldly.
I went rigid, my mind reeling. Did I just hear her correctly? Was this some twisted trick my mind was playing on me?
𝕄𝕠𝕣𝕖 𝕦𝕡𝕕𝕒𝕥𝕖𝕤 𝕚𝕟
“No, I can’t do that,” I blurted out without thinking.
She turned to face me, her expression hard. “Then would you prefer to leave this pack, go to a place where you know no one, where no one respects you? Is that what you want for yourself? To end up as a sex slave, looked down upon? I raised you, picked you up from the orphanage, gave you the best training, paid for every luxury you’ve enjoyed, and took you in as my daughter. I never asked for anything in return, and you dare to say no?” Her voice was sharp, harsher than I’d ever heard.
I was stunned. My mouth opened, but no words came out.
I knew I owed her everything, but was she asking too much without considering my life? I’d been humiliated by her son, rejected, and now, where was she during all of that? Why didn’t she step up for me then?
“I didn’t mean to say no,” I murmured, struggling to find my voice. “But canceling the engagement with Stephanie might not stop him. We have limited time, and Ryder needs to leave the pack soon. How do we justify that?” I questioned, needing to know her plan. It wasn’t just about getting involved with Jason.
“You need to carry the Alpha’s child,” she said, her voice cold and unyielding. “You need to sleep with Jason, mated or not p>
My heart pounded loudly in my chest. Was she serious? Where was the mother I knew? This was an entirely different woman. I wanted to scream that I couldn’t do it, but I knew she’d only see me as ungrateful after everything she’d done for me.
I swallowed hard. “I’ll think about it,” I said, trying to push her off. “I need to rest and figure out how to go about this,” I lied.
“That’s more like it, Jasmine. You’ve always been my favorite, remember,” she said, kissing my cheek. She walked to the door, blowing me a kiss before leaving the room and closing the door behind her.
I released a breath I didn’t realize I’d been holding.