Jasmine

"Come on, Jas! Kill her!"

Josh is bouncing around on the balls of his feet as I fling bright blue fireballs at the tree he has deemed Neira the Destroyer.

When I finally stopped crying, the rage took over, and I knew I needed to burn it off before going back into the house. If I have too much magic flowing through my veins while I’m this pissed, who knows what I'll do?

I hold my hands in front of my chest, feeling the power build between my palms. I hear Josh gasp in awe at the blue flames. Witches with blue flames are extremely rare and it shows off our power level. I aim the ball of fire directly at the tree, smirking in triumph when it cracks and starts to fall.

"Timberrrrrrrrrrrrr!" Josh calls as the tree falls with a resounding thud, making me laugh. He runs over to me. "Holy hot damn, girl. You’ve got some power!"

I shrug my shoulders. "It’s just the emotion. When I'm hurt or angry, it feels like I could destroy the earth."

Having said that, my thoughts wander to the earth, and the pain she might have felt from one of her creations being destroyed. I sit down on the ground, crossing my knees and send a little power into the earth as an apology for destroying the tree. I feel the answering flow of energy as she accepts what I gave her.

"What are you doing?" Josh asks, sitting down opposite me. He crosses his knees, and they gently press against mine as he stares at me, looking intrigued.

I smirk at his interest in my magic and respond, even as I’m still connected to the earth. "I'm connecting to the earth and offering some of my magic as penance for destroying one of her creations."

"You really care about the earth and the balance, don't you?"

I cock my head, wondering why he phrased it that way. All of us should respect the balance. His words implied that not many people care. "Of course, I do. Don't you?"

“Sorry, I don't mean to sound so shocked. It’s just not many of our kind respect the earth. They are happy to take from it without offering anything in return. You are the first witch I've met in a long time who cares not only about the earth but, how your choices will affect it. I admire that."

I pick up a stick and playfully throw it at him. "Stop, you're going to make me blush."

He raises an eyebrow in challenge. "Oh, I could do way more than make you blush."

Before I can think of a way to respond, a throat clears. I look away from Josh to see Liam. My face pales and Josh reacts, getting to his feet with a growl.

"No!” Liam growls at Josh, his eyes flashing bright in the darkness. "Out of my way, Beta. You can't stop me from seeing my mate!"

"Over my dead body! She may be your mate, but she's my Alpha's mate, too. It's my job to protect her, even if that means protecting her heart from you."

Pain flashes across Liam’s eyes. I stand to my feet, placing a hand on Josh's shoulder. "It's okay. I'm under control now."

I may be under control, but I'm still walking the fine line between anger and hurt. If Liam’s here to just dig the knife a little deeper, then I'd rather he just leave. I do know, though, that as my mate, I owe him the chance to apologize or at least explain himself more thoroughly.

Josh turns his gaze to me with concern. "I'll walk out of earshot, but I am not leaving you alone with him. Not after how much he hurt you. Just send up a magic flare if you need me, okay?"

I nod, and he walks away, leaving me alone with Liam. Awkward silence descends on us, and I kick my foot in the grass, not sure what he wants. Did Benji send him out to try and make nice? Or is there something he wishes to say?

"Jasmine, I screwed up. I need you to understand, there is absolutely nothing between Sabine and me. That's not to say that I don't have issues with her. Our split was painful to say the least, and while we tried to remain friends, there were times we would spiral back to each other for comfort."

He runs a frustrated hand through his hair and drops it before taking a step closer to me. I unconsciously take a step back, not ready to let him too close.

"Don't do that," he murmurs, his eyes showing his hurt. "Don't back away from me. You are my mate. I am fully invested in this relationship, and while I've never actually been in love before, I think I'm falling in love with you."

My heart stops, and my gaze rises to meet his. This time when he takes a step towards me, I hold my ground.

"If you want to know all about Sabine and me, then I will tell you every last bit of our relationship. If you want me to banish her from the pack after we free her, then I will. I will do anything to keep you in my life.

"You are my mate. The one woman I am meant to cherish above all else. Please, give us a chance.”

I think through how to respond. When I do, I speak slowly, so he can absorb my words before reacting.

"Yes, I'm your mate, but at the end of the day there has to be more to it than that. I can't be in this relationship only based on the fact we’re mates.”

I take a deep breath. "I don't feel this connection the same way you two do. For me, it’s all heart. I let my heart guide me and have trust that the earth chose right for all of us. When I was given the both of you, I felt guilty beyond anything. No woman should have two men, right? I mean I could barely handle one! But there I was, faced with two mates who wanted to share me, and it made me happy. I didn't regret it for one second. At least, not until you fucked me on Benji's desk, then right after, didn't even blink at the thought of me being hurt while you go save Sabine. That doesn't exactly scream love to me."

He blinks, clearly shocked, and I can see the moment his actions dawn on him. "You thought I wouldn't care if you died?"

He swoops down on me, kissing me with passion, but I push him away. He can't just kiss me and make this go away.

He takes deep calming breaths and speaks slowly, his wolf in complete control now. I wouldn't be surprised if he shifted. "Listen to me carefully, Jasmine. I'll only say this once. If anyone even thought about laying a finger on you, I would tear the world apart until I made them die the most painful death they could possibly imagine. If you were hurt or killed, I would feel it in the depths of my soul. You," he takes another calming breath, "are the most important thing in my world. No one is ever going to hurt you!"