Chapter 5

"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."