Page 45 of Forced Mate Bride
“Because I didn’t want you to worry,” he said. “And I knew that you’d just assume I was controlling you if I told you that you had to be careful around everyone in the pack.”
“Don’t turn this back around on me,” she spat. “You withheld information. You don’t see that as controlling? You made it so I couldn’t make my own decisions.”
“I was going to tell you,” he argued. “Once I figured out how—”
“Here’s how,” she said. “‘Hey, Nikki, just so you know, there are people in the pack who are working with the guy stalking you. Maybe be a bit careful until we find out more.’” It’s that fucking easy, Jasper.”
The silence that stretched between them seemed to last for an eternity. Jasper tried to figure out what to say, to comeup with some way of justifying his decision, even though, deep down, he knew there wasn’t a good answer. He had fucked up. But he was trying to apologize. He wanted to explain to her that everything he’d done, he’d done because he wanted to keep her safe. He hadn’t wanted her to get hurt. He hadn’t wanted her to be more afraid than she already was.
He sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. “I’m sorry,” he said, his words no longer filled with anger but sincerity.
Nikki noticed his change in demeanor. She swallowed hard, but her arms fell to her side instead of remaining folded in front of her.
“I really am,” Jasper continued. “I wanted to keep you safe. I’ve always wanted to keep you safe. It’s why I was there the night Lucas came after you.”
The second he said it, he knew he had fucked up again. Nikki stiffened, her eyes widening in shock, her lips parting. She stared up at him in disbelief, as if she couldn’t believe what she was hearing.
“You made me think that was a coincidence,” she said slowly, her eyes narrowing into slits. Her fingers dug into her biceps as she glowered at him. “You were following me?”
He wanted to deny it. He wanted to tell her she was imagining things and that he would never do something like that. But Nikki was glaring at him, waiting for him to respond.
“Well?” she demanded.
“Yes,” he finally admitted. “I was keeping an eye on you.”
Her lips pursed, and he could see her quivering with barely contained rage. “Was that the first time?” she asked, her voice shaking. But instead of letting him answer, she let out a laugh and shook her head. “No. Of course it wasn’t. My favoritetea, Marconi’s—all this time, you seemed to know what I liked without my having to say anything. That wasn’t because of instinct. It was because you’ve been following me.”
“Nikki …” he began, but the words wouldn’t come. He reached his hand out toward her, and she recoiled.
“Why?” she demanded. “Why the hell would you do something like that?”
He gritted his teeth. “I don’t know,” he finally admitted. “But ever since I met you, I haven’t been able to get you out of my head. I don’t know what it is about you, but it’s the truth. It wasn’t because I was trying to stalk you or anything. It was because the second I laid eyes on you, I had to protect you. I don’t know why. All I know is that I couldn’t stand anything happening to you.”
He took a step forward again. Once more, she stepped back. Her jaw was set, her eyes sparking with determination. She was more beautiful than he had ever seen her before. She took a deep breath, shoulders stiffening.
“I may not stand up for myself a whole lot,” she said. “But I’m done accepting ‘I was just trying to protect you’ as an excuse. At some point, that’s just code for ‘I want to control your life.’”
“That’s not true,” he said, indignant. “I was trying to help you. I was trying to stop anything bad from happening to you.”
“God, I’m not some delicate flower that you have to protect,” she shot back. “I’m a person. I’m not something a possession.”
“Possession?” Indignation began to simmer inside him again, and he glared at her. Why couldn’t she understand he was just trying to protect her? He wasn’t trying to add her to some personal collection. “Nikki, I would never do something likethat. I’m not Lucas. Wanting to protect you isn’t the same thing as wanting to control your life.”
Scoffing, she took a step back, shaking her head, clearly trying to put as much distance between the two of them as possible. Her arms were wrapped protectively around her stomach.
“You know, I thought you were different,” she said. “For a brief moment, I thought you might actually care about me.”
“Of course I care about you!” Jasper shouted. “Why do you think I did all of that in the first place?”
“If you cared about me, you would have told me,” she said. “But no, you decided that I shouldn’t know. By controlling that information, you could keep me more under your thumb. God. I thought you were different, but you’re no better than your father or the men who kidnapped me.”
Jasper took a step back, feeling like he’d been slapped. His eyes narrowed.
“What did you say?” he asked, his voice low.
“You heard me,” she said, her voice trembling. “You may not think you want to control people, but you do. Otherwise, you wouldn’t have forced me into this mess in the first place.”
“Forced you into this mess? Lucas is the one who attacked you.”
