Bullied By My Alpha Stepbrother novel Chapter 29

Hardin's pov

Ever since the day that Jasmine said those words to me, I felt like a part of me had become numb. As ordinary as it seemed, my pride got bruised a million times just from her words. And it hurt me more because I was beginning to feel something for her.

Like I had always thought, though in a different kind of way, Jasmine was different.

Right from the time she talked rudely to me, and challenged me back there at the cafeteria, to that day, more than a week ago. No one had ever said the things that she said to me.

Now, because of her again, my performance at lacrosse match was visibly poor that the coach had to ask me to take a day off.

She had constantly filled my mind, with her words reverberating in my head.

Suddenly, I heard the steps of someone following me and I could sense a panty breathing, but I did not stress about it as I was too tired to check who it was.

Just as I turned around the corner that led to the locker room so I could change up, the corner of my eyes caught Jasmine and it was then that I realized that she had been the one chasing after me.

Wondering what exactly that she was still doing in school at that time, I stopped and turned to face her, holding no emotions in my face.

Noticing that I was waiting for her, she stopped and began to walk closer to me, with her fingers playing around the edges of the sweatshirt that she was putting on. She was nervous. When in actual sense, I was the one supposed to be. It felt to me like her words had reduced me to the lowest self esteem, which was one of the reason why I had barely attended classes the past week.

Well, everyone of them did see me as some strange god that had to be revered. Meanwhile, I was just a regular teenager struggling with the fear of how my life was going to turn out.

Born as an alpha wolf did not make it any better as I had to live up to some standards that my father had set.

"Strange that you are still in school. I'm guessing you stayed back to watch your new prey train. What is his name again... Lorenzo?"

Instead of snapping at me as I expected, she said the words, "I am really sorry, Hardin. We have missed you. Can you please come back home?"

I stared at her for a while, then continued walking to pick up my things from the locker room, but had to stop when I noticed that she was still following me.

"Go back, Jasmine. Dont try to follow me. I really am not ready for the conversation you want to have."

She was just few steps away from me, with her palms together as she stared at me.

"Please Hardin, can you at least give me a listening ear?"

I had no words for her, and continued doing what I had been doing, walking away. I just wanted to stay away, as I was not in the best state of mind. But I knew Jasmine enough to know that she was not going to take a no for an answer.

It continued that way till we got to the locker room and I turned to her furiously. "What exactly do you want Jasmine?" I bawled at her, "have you not said enough already?"

"Just some weeks ago, I felt you were different and not the slut I used to take you as, but you just proved me wrong."

The agony that radiated from my voice was so heavy that she was shivering, with her head lowered, trying hard to hide the tears that was on her cheeks. But I didnt stop. Though it did not feel like the right thing to do, I wanted her to feel the exact pain that I had felt when she said those words to me.

"Why will you not know how it feels for someone to be satisfying enough, when you have obviously been sleeping around with men lately? Probably the new kid, Lorenzo."

"What are you saying Hardin? Why will you lay such accusations on me?" She groaned.

"Dont act like you are innocent," I scoffed, and suddenly a realization hit me.

"Now I know what you do. Because the new kid is an alpha wolf like I am, you now want to get into his life. Exactly what you and your mother do. I wonder how people as low as you are, aim for Alphas only. You are just so greedy. I think it is safer to warn Lorenzo's mother, so your bitch of a mother doesnt try to take her place. The way she had to wait for my mom to leave."

I was aware that what I said was the height of it, but I did not care less.

Picking my bag up from the locker room, I walked away without sparing Jasmine any glance and ignoring the fact that it was late already for her to go home alone. Especially as she was wolfless and could not fight incase of danger.

Just as I was leaving the locker room, I saw Lorenzo in the direction opposite me, staring straight at me. I gave him a sharp glare with my wolf trying to dominate before walking past him. He was the reason Jasmine had to hear all of my rubbish. Maybe he was going to offer her a ride home.

Yeah! I did not need to be told that I had said rubbish, as I was well aware of what I had done.

Rain had began to pour in torrents as I got into my car to go back to the cottage and only realized that Jasmine had been drenched in the rain when I saw her standing just outside my cottage, as I sat down to eat.

She was stubborn and did not stay away even after the way I had talked to her back at the locker room. Left with no other choice, I brought her in and made her to sit by the fireplace that I had set.

"So why did you have to come here?" I finally said to her, breaking the silence that had engulfed us.

"I could not go back home when I am obviously the reason why you have been away for more than a week," she simply said, her voice filled with remorse.

I did not like that she was gradually filling a soft place in my heart as I did not want any of it. So, I stood up and left the room, after making sure that she was completely dry and had eaten.

"Can you please forgive me, Hardin? All I said that day was not true and was only intended to hurt you. You can punish me however you like, but please, forgive me and come back home." Those were the last words she said before I left the room, which I gave no reply to, and was only reaalizing that she had cried to sleep as I stared at the way she was curled up on the bed, with tear stains on her cheeks.

Her hair was sprawled about, and she was wearing my mother's gown that was raised distally above her knees as she slept.

Morning came fast, with the one thing I had done throughout the night being staring at Jasmine. I had no idea how I managed to control my urge, but longing for her body and not having it just when it was right in front of me was what I had to battle throughout the night.

Camila had called me, sounding really worried as she talked about how she had been trying to reach Jasmine but all to no avail, until I told her that she was with me, with the excuse that Jasmine had stayed back for training until it started raining, and my car had broken down. So, we could not come back to the house. My lie was enough to put Camila and my father at ease, but it was not the same with my aunt, Lisa, as she called me back not long after I dropped Camila's call, asking why we did not call home to send a driver for us.

The ride back home that morning, after Jasmine changed into her now dried clothes was a quiet one,as the only thing she had said to me that morning was a thank you. And I wondered what the thank you was for exactly. If it was because I let her sleep there without touching her or that I that I gave her shelter, I could not tell.

"And my nephew comes back home after one week of staying away, with kind Jasmine by his side. Is there something that I do not know?"

Lisas voice was the first thing we heard immediately we got into the house. And even as she had come to stay in the mansion because of me, I began to wonder if she had not overstayed her welcome already.