Chapter 0491

"Is that a threat?" Alexander raises an eyebrow at her.

"I only meant..."

"Can you stop lying?" Zachary mutters under his breath. "Is it even possible? Do you not realize Alexander would be contacting Ryan. No one else."

"Alpha Julian will know it's me. I'm the only one who has ever gotten this far. I'm certain they are still searching."

Zachary shakes his head and stands up. He looks at me and shakes his head again. "I can't do this anymore." He turns to Jasmine, "I, Zachary Gray, Beta of Obsidian Howl, reject you, Jasmine Reed of Dawnmist Pack as my mate." He spits the words out.

"No." She stands firm. If she was hurting, she didn't show it.

"Accept." Zachary demands. Being here felt incredibly uncomfortable. I glanced at Alexander and knew he felt exactly the same.

Tears well in her eyes as she clutches her chest. "I can't."

"Yes you can, say it!"

"I can't."

"Why?" Zachary snaps.

"Because you don't mean it. You're angry with me because I handled things poorly. Don't reject me over that. Give me another chance." She pleads.

I watch him pinch the bridge of his nose. "You don't even want to be here. You keep asking to leave, so accept the rejection and go."

"You're supposed to protect me." She frowns.

"And I'm also supposed to like my mate! Normally I'm willing to give people a chance, but you're impossible."

"I'm impossible? What does that even mean?" She asks with wide eyes.

I quietly watch Alexander typing on his phone. Neither Zachary nor Jasmine notice as he tries to force her to accept the rejection. Seconds pass and the phone beeps.

"Ryan is alive." Alexander confirms. "Crestwood city is still standing strong."

Jasmine's eyes widen like saucers. She had managed to stop Alexander from calling, but that didn't prevent him from sending a message.

Zachary rubs his temples. "Are you some kind of compulsive liar? Do you even know what the word 'truth' means?"

"Why would you keep lying?" I ask.

Her golden eyes shift to Zachary as if expecting him to rescue her, but he only looks more furious. He reminded me of a cartoon Isabella had shown me, where smoke comes out of their ears.

"Do you even know Alpha Julian?" Alexander asks.

She looks at the floor.

"Answer me!" Alexander's voice booms, making her jump.

"Levi told me about him." She whispers.

"Levi? Why would he tell you about him?"

She shrugs. "Alpha Julian is related to you, isn't he?" Jasmine asks. "Levi told me about the eyes. When I saw yours I knew you must be related somehow. It's such an unusual color. He told me many stories about a crimson-eyed man and his pack of animals."

"Did Levi know him?"

She shrugs again.

"And Crestwood city?" I press.

"I don't know, just a name Levi gave me."

"You've never met him?" Alexander asks, confused.

She slowly shakes her head.

"You said you were his prisoner? Evelyn found you tied up." Zachary mutters.

"He kept me safe." She smiles like a madwoman.

'He's dead and still fucking with us.' Nyx tells me what everyone else is likely thinking.

"Where are you really from?" I demand.

"A place called Silver Streams. It's far from here." Her eyes grow even wider. She had slipped up, and Zachary could now reject her.

"I, Zachary Gray, Beta of Obsidian Howl, reject you, Jasmine Reed of Silver Streams as my mate." He states it again, desperate to break their connection.

She felt it this time. I see it in her eyes. Pain, anger, confusion. She clutches her chest differently, as if her heart might leap out. She fights back tears and hunches forward.

"Say it." Zachary demands, and for a moment, I hear Marcus, demanding I accept his rejection.

"Are you going to kill me?" Jasmine begs.

"Accept my rejection!"

Her breathing is heavy as she stares back at him.

"You are a compulsive liar, Jasmine. Not a single word from your mouth can be trusted."

She lowers her eyes and whimpers. "I, Jasmine Reed, accept your rejection, Zachary Gray, Beta of Obsidian Howl." She falls forward from the chair, curling into a ball on the floor as she cries in agony. Zachary stares down at her before leaving the room.

'Should we kill her? Alexander asks through mindlink.

I shake my head. What she's feeling won't go away. Not for a long time. Let her leave.'