Chapter 22: Chapter 22: She Is Mine to Protect

Jasper’s POV

I waited in the car for fifty-nine minutes and forty-seven seconds.

Every second was as agonizing as when I was thrown into the Forbidden Forest as a child.

I could clearly sense Lila’s emotions—from the nervousness when she first walked in, to the complicated mix of pity she felt upon seeing Caleb, and then… anger, disappointment, and resolve. Every one of her emotional fluctuations shot through my nerve endings like an electric current.

But just as her anger reached its peak, it was suddenly cut off.

Immediately after, I caught a faint scent, the unique calming incense of the Goodrich family—it was laced with tranquilizers, often used to “pacify” disobedient guests.

My pupils instantly turned gold, and my fangs pierced my gums uncontrollably.

’How dare they use something like that on her?’

Almost at the same time, I sensed Lila’s heartbeat suddenly quicken with panic and resistance. She wanted to leave, but some unseen force held her back.

’That’s enough.’

I pushed open the car door and strode toward the Goodrich villa. The Wolf Guard behind me fell in step immediately, their unified footfalls echoing dully on the stone path like a silent army.

The villa’s main door was unlocked. I went straight upstairs and stopped outside Caleb’s bedroom. The door was ajar, and I could hear Lila’s voice from inside. “…My time is up.”

And Caleb’s voice, pleading, “Lila, stay a little longer… just a little while.”

I shoved the door open.

Everyone in the room froze. Caleb was propped up against the headboard, his face ghastly pale. Lila turned, and when she saw me, a flicker of surprise crossed her eyes, followed by immense relief.

“Jasper!” She walked over quickly, grabbed my arm, and lowered her voice. “How did you get in?”

I ignored her, my gaze sweeping over Arthur and Caleb like a blade. “My wife is going home,” I said, my voice low and filled with an undeniable authority. “You have no right to keep her.”

Arthur’s expression darkened. “Mr. Hale, this is the Goodrich residence. Lila is our daughter. It’s only natural for her to visit her sick brother.”

“Daughter?” I sneered, my golden eyes glinting dangerously in the dim room. “Are you worthy? One of you raised her on fifteen years of lies, and the other used a self-pity act to lure her back. Did you really think I’d let my wife walk into a trap like this alone?”

Caleb struggled to sit up, his voice weak but firm. “Jasper, don’t go too far! Lila came of her own free will!”

“Is that so?” I stared at him, the corner of my mouth twisting into a cruel smile. “Then did you light the incense to help her be ’willing’? Caleb, your ’illness’ isn’t convincing enough.”

The color drained from his face instantly, and his lips trembled, unable to form words.

Arthur took a step forward, trying to de-escalate. “Jasper, we meant no harm. It was just a family reunion—”

“Shut up,” I cut him off coldly, then turned to Lila, my tone instantly softening. “Let’s go.”

Lila looked at me, then back at Caleb on the bed, a trace of pity in her eyes. But in the end, she said nothing, simply tightening her grip on my hand and nodding.

As we walked downstairs, I could feel two hostile gazes piercing me from the second-floor window. I knew what they were looking at—our retreating figures walking side-by-side, Lila’s reliance on me, and the unbreakable bond between us.

’Good.’

’Let them get a good look.’

Back in the car, before Lila had even settled in her seat, I pressed a button on the center console. The black partition between the front and back seats slowly rose, sealing us off from the driver in a private space.

The car was dimly lit, with only the faint blue glow from the dashboard. I pulled Lila into my arms, buried my face in the crook of her neck, and took a deep breath. The nauseating scent of the Goodrich family’s incense still clung to her. I frowned, my canines grazing the pulsing vein on the side of her neck.

“What happened just now, in front of his bed?” I asked in a low voice, so hoarse it barely sounded human. “Did he talk bad about me again?”

Lila’s body tensed, then relaxed as she mumbled, “How did you know?”

“I can smell it,” my lips traced a path up her neckline, closing over her small earlobe to suckle gently. “Your anger, your frustration… and the way you stood up to him for me. It made me very proud.”

She shivered slightly, her breathing growing ragged. I let out a satisfied, low chuckle. One of my hands slid inside her suit jacket, resting on the soft curve of her waist, the heat of my palm pressing against her skin through the thin blouse.

“But I’m also angry,” I said, biting her earlobe with a little more force. “If I hadn’t been there, what would they have done to you? Used more incense? Or… just locked you up?”

“I wasn’t alone!” she argued hastily, her voice tinged with a playful pout. “Weren’t you waiting outside? And I was only in there for an hour!”

“You almost went over the time limit,” I corrected her, my fingers deftly undoing the top two buttons of her blouse, revealing a patch of snow-white skin. “Besides, your heartbeat told me you were scared.”

My lips pressed against her exposed collarbone, nibbling gently. She let out a short gasp, her body unconsciously pressing closer to mine. I could feel the warmth between her legs and smell the unique, sweet scent emanating from her—a signal she only released for me.

’Desire surged through my blood. I wanted to tear her clothes off right then and there, to possess her completely, to brand every inch of her with my scent.’

I stopped all movement, simply holding her tight in my arms, my chin resting on the top of her head. “From now on, you are not to see him alone again,” I said, my voice low and firm. “It doesn’t matter if he’s pretending to be sick or if he’s actually sick. It’s not happening. Your world can only have me in it.”

She was silent for a few seconds, then suddenly looked up, her eyes shimmering. “Jasper… are you jealous?”

I stared at her for a few seconds before letting out a low laugh. The next moment, I pinned her against the seat, one hand braced beside her ear, the other gripping her chin, forcing her to meet my gaze.

“I’m not jealous,” I said, enunciating every word, my golden eyes glowing in the darkness. “You are my wife. Your every heartbeat, your every breath, is a treasure I protect. Whether it’s Caleb Goodrich or Arthur Goodrich, they don’t have the right to even touch a single finger of yours.”

My lips were a hair’s breadth from hers, our hot breaths mingling. Her gaze was hazy and her cheeks were flushed; she was clearly aroused by my teasing.

“Now,” I murmured, rubbing my nose against hers, my voice as rough as sandpaper, “tell me exactly what he said to you. I want to know every single word.”

She panted softly, her eyes darting away. “He said… you told him you’re a Werewolf, that you don’t have human emotions, and that you only married me to use me…”

“And then?” I pressed, my fingers slowly sliding down to caress her inner thigh through her skirt.

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