How To Lose Your Billionaire Alpha Husband In 365 Days (Or Less)!-Chapter 23: Aftershock...

JASMINE’S POV

The first thing I noticed was the heavy weight pressing against my chest, making it difficult to breathe.

The second was the lingering scent of burning wood and faint coffee in the air.

The third—the one that made me jolt upright—was the prickling sensation of being watched.

I blinked hard, trying to clear the fog from my mind, and realised immediately I wasn’t outside. I wasn’t even in my room.

The bed was too large, the sheets too soft, the air too heavy with him.

I was back in the mansion.

In Aiden’s bed. Wrapped in his scent. Trapped in his world.

Panic surged up my throat as the events of the night before came crashing down.

I threw the covers aside and stumbled out of bed, my heart pounding in my chest. My legs felt like jelly, and I barely managed to take two steps before the door creaked open.

Aiden was leaning against the doorframe with his arms crossed, looking both tired and tense, yet somehow still holding it together.

Behind him were two more figures: Greg, his grandfather, and Kieran, his vice CEO.

Usually charming and lighthearted, Kieran now appeared as tense as a drawn bowstring.

My stomach twisted violently.

What was Kieran doing here this early?

Were they all in on it?

Were they all monsters too?

Greg gave a curt nod. "You’re awake. Good."

Aiden stepped inside cautiously, his hands raised slightly, as if he were trying not to spook a wounded animal.

"I’m glad you’re okay," he said quietly.

The words hit me wrong. They tasted bitter on my tongue.

Okay?

After everything?

I crossed my arms tightly over my chest, glaring at them all, feeling the familiar burn of anger rising through the cracks of confusion and fear. "Start talking," I snapped. "All of you."

Greg spoke first, sounding as though he had given this speech before. "You found out that what you thought were just myths and legends is real," he said, his voice steady, almost clinical. "Werewolves exist. And you’re staring at three."

I gawked, looking between the men standing in front of me like statues.

"You too?" I demanded at Kieran.

Kieran dismissed it with a shrug. "I’m Aiden’s Beta."

I blinked. "Beta?"

Greg grunted. "Second-in-command. Right hand. Lieutenant. Whatever word makes it sound less insane to you."

I wanted to laugh. Or scream. Maybe both.

"So," I said slowly, enunciating every word like I was daring them to contradict me, "you’re all werewolves."

They nodded. No hesitation. No apologies.

I turned my glare fully onto Aiden, my chest burning.

"And you didn’t think that was important to mention?"

He flinched slightly but stood his ground. "I wanted you to choose me, Jasmine," he said in a low voice. "Not the bond. Me."

The anger that had been simmering inside me all morning finally boiled over. "And what next are you hiding?" I demanded, the words tumbling out faster now.

The ones you—" I stopped and gasped as the memory crashed back into me. "Oh my God. You killed them. They are dead, aren’t they?"

Aiden’s jaw tightened. "They were rogues," he said simply. "They attacked. I stopped them."

Greg sighed heavily, rubbing his face like he aged ten years overnight.

"See, Jasmine," he said carefully. "You weren’t supposed to find out like this. We were trying to keep you safe. I know it’s overwhelming right now, but you have to believe everything was for your protection."

I shook my head sharply. It sounded like an excuse. It was an excuse.

"And you?" I rounded on Kieran. "I know you barely know me, but you couldn’t tell me?"

Kieran didn’t even blink. "I’m sorry," he said calmly. "It wasn’t my call. All I know is you’re important. To Aiden. To all of us."

There was no judgment in his voice. No heat. Just a simple, brutal certainty. Like my fate had been decided long before I even had a say.

I backed toward the window instinctively, needing air. Space. Sanity.

The walls were closing in. The air was too thick.

"I want to be alone," I said hoarsely.

The three of them exchanged glances—some silent conversation I wasn’t a part of—but none of them argued.

But before they could say anything, I dragged myself upright, forcing my legs to move, pushing past them.

As I brushed past Aiden, I could feel the heat of his body — the pulse of energy thrumming through him — and it took everything in me not to crumble right there.

I dragged myself down the hall, made it back to my room, slammed the door shut, and locked it.

For good measure, I shoved a chair under the handle. ]

It was petty. Childish.

I didn’t care.

I slumped onto the bed, lying there, staring at the ceiling as the aftershocks rolled through me.

My phone buzzed on the nightstand and I grabbed it without thinking, desperate for anything normal.

Sophia’s name lit up the screen.

Relief hit me so hard it made my eyes sting.

I answered immediately. "Hey Soph?"

"Jazz? Hey, babe! Sorry about last night. I just wanted to check in. Everything okay?"

Her voice was bright, bubbly, perfectly normal — a lifeline I hadn’t realised I was clinging to.

I pressed the phone tighter against my ear, trying to soak it in.

"Yeah," I said quickly. "It was just... a mistake. Bad dream. Long night."

The lie burned on my tongue.

Sophia wasn’t stupid.

She heard the crack in my voice immediately.

"You sure?" she asked. "I can come over. Bring wine. Face masks. Chainsaws, if needed."

A broken laugh cracked from my throat before I could stop it.

God, how I loved her.

But the fear of dragging her into this nightmare shut it down just as fast. I couldn’t... I wouldn’t.

"No," I said firmly. "I’m fine. Really. Just... need some time."

There was a long pause.

"Okay," she said finally, but her tone said she didn’t believe me. "But if you change your mind, you call me. You know I’ll kick ass and take names for you, right?"

Tears pricked at the corners of my eyes.

"I know," I whispered. "Love you, Soph."

"Love you too, crazy girl."

The call ended.

And the silence returned, heavier than before.

I stayed in place for a while, and without a word, I grabbed my laptop from the table and flipped it open.

If they weren’t going to tell me everything, then I’d find the answers myself.

I buried myself in research—werewolves, lycanthropy, mate bonds, rogues, even vampires. I devoured every scrap of information I could find.

Some of it sounded ridiculous. Some of it sounded terrifyingly real.

But one thing became horrifically clear: If Aiden marked me—if he claimed me—the bond would become unbreakable. Permanent. Eternal.

If he didn’t... We would both suffer. Physically. Emotionally. Spiritually.

And I didn’t know which fate scared me more.

Hours passed without me realising it. By the time I closed the laptop, the sun had dipped below the horizon, casting the room in darkness.

My stomach churned, but it wasn’t just hunger gnawing at me.

It was fear. And something else I wasn’t ready to name.

Dragging myself back into the main living room, I found Aiden there, standing by the fireplace, his profile lit by the flickering flames, making him look even more otherworldly.

More dangerous.

More heartbreakingly beautiful.

I swallowed hard.

He didn’t move when I entered.

He didn’t say a word.

Neither did I—not at first.

I stared at him, taking in the tension in his shoulders and the exhaustion etched into his features.

Finally, I spoke in a quiet voice. "It’s going to take some getting used to," I said. "I’ll need a bit of space, but other than that, I’m good."

He turned slowly, meeting my gaze without flinching.

Whatever he saw in my face—the fear, the hurt, the rage still simmering under the surface — he didn’t argue.

He just nodded once, solemn. "Whatever you need, mate."