Nerissa’s POV
When I opened my eyes again, the first thing I saw was the pale ceiling of the pack’s healing den.
Jasper sat beside the bed, peeling fruit with steady hands. A vase of irises rested near him, their soft scent filling the room.
They had always been my favorite.
The moment he noticed I was awake, his eyes brightened and he leaned closer, reaching for me.
“You’re finally awake.”
He looked the same as always, dressed in dark clothes that marked his status, his expression gentle, his gaze filled with warmth.
For a brief moment, it felt like nothing had changed.
But I knew better now.
Without saying a word, I pulled my hand away.
He paused, clearly not expecting that, then his face softened into something like regret.
“I’m sorry,” he said quietly. “I shouldn’t have locked you in there. But Devora once saved my life. I cannot ignore that. Just think of this as me repaying a debt. When this is over, I will come back to you. Let me take care of her for now.”
Before I could respond, he pulled me into his arms.
The scent that surrounded him was not familiar.
Roses.
My stomach turned and I quickly pushed myself away from him, my face going blank as I nodded.
“Alright.”
The answer came out so easily that it seemed to catch him off guard.
He searched my face, something flickering in his eyes, as if he sensed that something had changed between us.
Then his crystal communicator lit up again. He glanced at it and just like that, his attention shifted completely.
From where I sat, I caught a glimpse of the image on the screen.
Devora.
She was dressed in thin red lace that left almost nothing to the imagination.
Jasper stood up at once, as if pulled by an unseen force. Without even looking at me properly, he placed a small box on my lap.
“Rissa, take this,” he said quickly. “It’s an apology from both of us. Devora didn’t mean what she said before. She was mistaken. Just accept it and forgive her.”
I didn’t know what Devora said to him next, but whatever it was made him smile.
“Sometimes she gets too emotional,” he added, his tone almost gentle. “But she means no harm.”
And just like that, he left.
I sat there in silence for a moment before opening the box. Inside was a pair of earrings shaped like roses.
The moment the lid lifted, the scent hit me all at once. A very strong scent that my skin reacted instantly, burning as red patches spread across it.
Without thinking, I threw the box across the room.
It was not a gift.
It was a message.
Devora knew.
And Jasper… he used to know too.
He used to remember that I couldn’t even be near roses without getting sick. He used to be careful about things like that.
Now, he simply followed whatever Devora wanted. Or maybe, he had already forgotten.
My hands tightened slowly, my nails cutting into my skin until it broke. Drops of blood fell onto the white sheets without a sound.
Not long after, a message came through.
[Rest well. I will come for you when you are released.]
I stared at it for a moment before deleting it and turning off the device.
***
Three days later, I was allowed to leave.
Jasper didn’t come. Only the housekeeper stood waiting for me.
My crystal communicator buzzed again.
[Devora is unwell. I hope you understand. I will bring you something later.]
I didn’t reply.
It was twelve days remained. When I returned to the manor, I began packing.
Everything that once meant something to me was slowly reduced to ashes. Photo albums, letters, clothes he had chosen for me… one by one, they all burned in the fire.
By the time I finished, there was nothing left tying me to this place.
Just as I picked up my case, the door opened.
Jasper walked in, with Devora beside him.
His gaze fell on the case in my hand and his brows drew together.
“Where are you going?”
I said nothing.
Turning away, I walked past them, heading for the door, but his hand caught my wrist, tightening enough to stop me.
Behind him, Devora’s eyes flickered with something sharp before she suddenly broke into tears.
“Jasper… maybe she knew I would come,” she said softly. “That must be why she is leaving. Maybe I should just go back. The club isn’t so bad. I am used to how the men treat me there.”
Jasper’s expression softened at once. He pulled her close, pressing a gentle kiss to her hair.
“You’re not going back, not while I am here,” he said in a low voice.
A quiet, bitter laugh slipped from me as I turned away again.
Then his voice came from behind me, firm and commanding. “Bring her back inside. She isn’t allowed to leave the manor.”
I stopped and looked back. Jasper frowned slightly, impatience creeping into his expression.
“Rissa, don’t make this difficult. You already agreed before. Do you remember?”
I didn’t answer. Instead, I walked back into the living room.
A moment later, he came out of the kitchen carrying a bowl of soup with care. He placed it gently into Devora’s hands.
“This is for you,” he said softly.
Then he glanced at me, hesitating for a brief second.
“It’s good for expecting mothers. I will prepare something for you next time.”
He stepped toward me, but I moved back. His hand froze midair, his expression tightening as something like unease crept into his eyes.
Ever since I left the healing den, things had begun to slip beyond his control.
His communicatior rang again and he stepped outside to answer it.
Even so, I still heard part of the conversation.
“Alpha Wolfsbane, the new manor prepared for your mate is ready. When will you move her in?”
A faint smile formed on my lips.
That mate was definitely not me.
When he stepped away, Devora slowly finished her soup before looking at me with a cold smile.
“If a man says he loves two women, the one he truly loves is always the second,” she said calmly. “And I will never share mine.”
Before I could react, she suddenly tilted the bowl and let it fall, then threw herself forward onto the ground.
“Jasper!”
Her scream rang through the hall.
Jasper rushed back immediately. The moment he saw the blood beneath her, panic filled his face.
“Call the healer! Hurry!”
His hands trembled as he lifted her and she pointed weakly at me.
“Nerissa put irises in my soup,” she said, her voice breaking as she coughed. Dark blood stained her lips.
Jasper’s sharp gaze snapped toward me. And without hesitation, he kicked me hard in the stomach.
Pain exploded through me, forcing me to collapse onto the floor. I curled instinctively, clutching my belly as I struggled to breathe.
“My pup…”
The words barely came out. But he didn’t move. He only looked at me with disgust.
“I never thought you could be this cruel, Rissa,” he said coldly. “If anything happens to her or the pup, you will pay for it.”
Then he turned away.
Without another glance, he carried Devora out of the manor.
He never looked back.
