Mated To My Obsessive Stepbrother

Chapter 140

KASMINE.

"Hey babe," A voice sounded behind me as a warm hand wrapped around my waist from behind.

I almost jumped out of my skin.

"Jake! You scared me!" I sighed, placing my hand against my chest.

He chuckled softly, brushing a loose strand of hair from my face. "Why would you be scared in a hall full of people?" he teased, cocking his head with that soft smirk he always wore when he was trying to make me forget how broken things really were. "No one can hurt you here. Relax."

I tried. I really did.

He looked cute tonight, in that signature Jake style-white trousers, snug black T- shirt... Casual. Clean Boy-next

door handsome. The kind of look that once made me feel butterflies just from catching his scent.

Now? The butterflies were barely breathing. Limp-winged Exhausted.

I forced a smile. Forced the ache in my gut to turn into warmth, to find something-anything-in me that still fluttered for him.

"Cheer up, babe," he said gently, his thumb brushing the side of my arm. "You look gorgeous tonight."

His voice dipped, "I wish I could kiss you right now." There was something raw in the way he said it-like he knew time was a thief waiting to snatch me from him.

He sounded nervous... Anxious. And I knew why. Tonight was the night the Moon could decide that I belonged to someone else.

He hated this part of our world.

So did I.

concern for a few days now. But I kept assuring him

said this before. Don't worry about it. It won't change any..." My words were cut midway by my mother, who

already at

the thud my heart made? It

trembling? I couldn't tell. But my knees wobbled with the reality of everything

pushing me off to the maids who

was so nervous that if you looked closely, you might see me

hand slipped from

didn't dare turn back to

Because if I did-

way

Chapter 140

might not

cold against my

kind that crawled into your skin and sat there, reminding you that this moment wasn't yours anymore that your body, your future, your soul-belonged to the Moon

wolves, all watching and right now, it felt like every one of them was staring straight through

walked barefoot across the grass to the center of the circle in my ceremonial gown that seemed more like a

prime elders stood at the raised alter where I now stood, dressed in the same long robes they always had

across the crowd, "we honor Selene's design. Her timing. Her matchings. Her divine

Selene.

goddess we all feared and loved and worshipped-even when she tore people apart in the

stood with the other she-wolves turning twenty-one. There were five

stomach was in knots. My hands were ice. Every inch

a string that would snap if

at me, but it didn't help calm