Chapter 5 Ten More Days

• "I just don't want anyone to take my stuff." I replied.
• "Three hundred grand," he announced, loud enough for the whole bar to hear. "I own this place now." Jasper slid a sleek black card across the counter, his expression cold and certain.
• The bartender shifted uneasily, like handling Jasper's money might curse him.
• Before I could breathe, Bianca stepped in, her voice syrupy sweet, her eyes glittering with cruelty.
• "Tessa, stop. You don't even have a hundred grand. You really think you can outbid our future Alpha?"
• Her words hit me like a slap, but I didn't let her see me break. I fixed my gaze on hers, icy and unflinching.
• Yesterday, I only had my mother's trust fund. In two weeks, I'd have ten million dollars.
• The thought steadied me, burning inside like a hidden weapon. My hand didn't shake as I slapped down the check. The crack of paper against wood cut through the music.
• "Five hundred thousand."
• Bianca's smile wavered. Her lips twitched, faltered.
• "Where'd you get so much of money?" she demanded, her tone sharper now. "From Alpha Jason? Using the pack's wealth?"
• "It's my money. None of your business." I didn't blink.
• Jasper's frown deepened, his voice rough with disbelief. "Your money?" He let out a bitter laugh. "Don't be so funny! You're nothing without me, Tessa."
• His gaze dragged over me like claws. "Everything you own, your clothes, your shoes, your jewelry, I gave you. And now you're using my money to compete with me? Over two f*cking drinks?"
• The words cut deeper than he knew. Heat rose in my face, anger, shame, heartbreak tangled in one unbearable knot.
• Is that all I am to you, Jasper? Nothing but your charity case?
• "Is that what you think?" My voice cracked under the weight of it.
• For a moment, he hesitated. His mouth opened, but nothing came out. And then Bianca's smirk bloomed again, smug and poisonous.
• Something inside me snapped.
• I ripped the earrings from my ears, the sharp tug stinging my skin. I hurled them at his chest, my hands shaking with fury.
• "These? Eighteenth birthday. You gave them to me after my first shift."
• Jasper caught them, eyes flashing. "Tessa, what're you doing?"
• But I wasn't finished.
• I kicked off my heels, the floor cool and biting beneath my bare feet. I gripped the shoes tight, my rage trembling through every muscle.
• "These?" I spat. "Your 'sorry I stood you up' gift."
• I hurled them at him. He caught one, stunned into silence.
• My breath shuddered as I reached for the zipper of my dress. The sound tore through the room, cruelly loud. I stepped out of it, left standing in nothing but my bra and underwear. Gasps rippled around us. Heat burned my skin, but I refused to cover myself.
• "This?" I said, holding the dress like it was poison. "You gave it to me after forgetting my birthday last year."
• I threw it at him, the fabric smacking against his chest. Jasper clutched it with the earrings and shoe, his jaw clenched so tight I thought it might break.
• He stormed toward me, his presence like a thundercloud about to strike.
• "Tessa Ashford!" His voice shook the air. "Enough! You pissed me off for two martinis?"
• Tears blurred my vision, but I stood my ground. My chest heaved, my voice broke, but I didn't stop.
• "Jasper Bloodmoon..." I choked out, fury and heartbreak twisting every word. "You disgust me."
• Before he could move, I grabbed both martinis from the counter. My hand didn't tremble.
• I threw them.
• The liquor splashed across his face in a glittering spray. It soaked his hair, ran down his jaw, darkened his shirt. The sharp scent of alcohol cut through the air, strong enough to sting my eyes.
• The bar gasped in unison. Even Bianca froze, her perfect lips parted in shock.
• The empty glasses hit the floor with a piercing clang, shattering the silence.
• And then I turned and walked away, barefoot, shoulders bare, my pulse pounding like war drums.
• The night air outside was brutal, cold enough to steal my breath. My feet ached against the pavement, but I didn't slow.
• "Tessa!" Zoe's voice rang out as she pushed through the door behind me. She rushed to me, eyes wide, worry softening her face. She wrapped a coat around my trembling shoulders, her hands warm against my skin.
• "You alright?" she asked, her voice gentle.
• I didn't answer. Not yet. Tears tracked silently down my face, cooling too fast in the night air.
• I turned, glancing back at the bar, at the golden light glowing through the windows. It looked warm, inviting. A lie. A cage I'd finally broken out of.
• A bitter smile curved on my lips. My words were little more than a whisper, lost in the fog of my breath.
• "Ten more days, Jasper."