Chapter Four - Priya
1646 Words
“Damon’s father?”
Priya said it like the name itself had become dangerous.
Jasmine kept staring at her phone.
“Marcus Kane.”
“Yes.”
“You’ve met him?”
“Once.”
Jasmine looked up.
“When?”
“Business dinner. Months ago.”
“And you never thought to mention him?”
Priya gave her a look.
“Why would I randomly tell you about your ex-mate’s father?”
“Fair.”
Jasmine placed the phone on the table.
The message remained on the screen.
Stay away from Marcus Kane.
Priya pulled out a chair and sat.
“Before we do anything else, we’re figuring out who sent these.”
Jasmine nodded.
Priya was already reaching for her laptop.
“You know the first rule of revenge?”
Jasmine raised an eyebrow.
“Don’t get caught?”
“No.”
Priya opened the laptop.
“Don’t start revenge while you’re still angry.”
Jasmine almost laughed.
“I’m not angry.”
Priya looked at the boxes around them.
“You’re packing your entire life into cardboard because your ex-mate slept with your sister.”
“That isn’t anger.”
“What is it?”
Jasmine thought about it.
“Clarity.”
Priya paused.
That answer seemed to surprise her.
Jasmine picked up another shirt and folded it.
“I spent years believing Damon was the person who would protect me.”
She placed the shirt into a box.
“He wasn’t.”
Another shirt.
“My father chose his business over me.”
Another.
“The council followed a law that gave me no protection.”
She closed the box.
“So I’m done expecting powerful people to suddenly become fair.”
Priya leaned back.
“And what exactly are you planning?”
“I don’t know.”
“That’s the second time you’ve said that.”
“Because it’s true.”
Priya narrowed her eyes.
“No. You’re thinking.”
Jasmine smiled.
“You know me too well.”
“I’ve known you since we were twelve. Unfortunately, that means I recognize your dangerous silence.”
Jasmine walked toward the window.
Outside, the city glowed beneath the night sky.
The Kane Tower stood in the distance.
Its upper floors disappeared into the clouds.
She stared at it.
“Damon has money.”
Priya followed her gaze.
“His father has more.”
“Damon has influence.”
“Marcus has more.”
“Damon has the Kane name.”
Priya slowly understood.
“Oh.”
Jasmine turned.
“Exactly.”
Priya shook her head.
“No.”
“I haven’t even said anything.”
“You don’t have to.”
“Priya—”
“Jasmine, whatever you’re thinking, stop.”
Jasmine walked back to the table.
“Why?”
“Because Marcus Kane isn’t Damon.”
“I know.”
“He’s more dangerous.”
“Good.”
Priya stared at her.
Jasmine sat down.
“If Damon wants to humiliate me, I’ll survive.”
She tapped the phone.
“If my father wants to sacrifice me for a business deal, I’ll survive that too.”
Her eyes hardened.
“But if there’s one thing I’ve learned today, it’s that power is the only language these people respect.”
Priya lowered her voice.
“You’re thinking about using Marcus.”
Jasmine didn’t answer immediately.
She looked at the message again.
Stay away from Marcus Kane.
Whoever had sent it had expected fear.
Instead, it had given her a direction.
“I want to know why someone is warning me away from him.”
Priya studied her.
“And if the answer is that he’s dangerous?”
“Then I’ll know exactly what I’m dealing with.”
“And if he’s worse than Damon?”
“Then I’ll walk away.”
Priya nodded slowly.
“That sounds reasonable.”
Jasmine smiled.
“It isn’t.”
“I knew it.”
Jasmine opened her laptop.
“Find everything you can about Marcus Kane.”
Priya groaned.
“Everything?”
“Everything.”
“Business records?”
“Yes.”
“Pack history?”
“Yes.”
“Family?”
“Especially family.”
“Romantic history?”
Jasmine hesitated.
“Yes.”
Priya’s eyebrows shot up.
“Interesting.”
“Don’t.”
“I didn’t say anything.”
“You were about to.”
“I was absolutely about to.”
Jasmine rolled her eyes.
Priya began typing.
Within minutes, Marcus Kane’s name filled the screen.
CEO.
Alpha.
Majority owner of Kane Holdings.
Real estate.
Energy.
Logistics.
Security.
Several international investments.
His photograph appeared beside the articles.
Jasmine stopped typing.
She had seen him before.
Not clearly.
Across crowded rooms.
In photographs.
At Kane family events she had attended with Damon.
But she’d never really looked at him.
Marcus Kane was older than Damon by decades, but there was nothing soft about his appearance.
Dark hair.
Sharp jaw.
Cold eyes.
A face that looked as though it had forgotten how to smile.
Priya scrolled.
“Thirty-eight companies.”
Jasmine blinked.
“Thirty-eight?”
“Some are subsidiaries.”
She continued.
“Three major pack territories have commercial agreements with him.”
“Of course they do.”
“And…”
Priya stopped.
“What?”
She scrolled back.
“There’s something strange.”
Jasmine moved closer.
“What?”
“His mate.”
The word made Jasmine’s fingers go still.
Priya opened another article.
ALPHA MARCUS KANE’S MATE DISAPPEARS FROM PUBLIC LIFE.
“Ten years ago,” Priya said. “His mate rejected him.”
Jasmine looked at her.
“Rejected him?”
“Apparently.”
“Who?”
“Vivian Hale.”
Priya searched again.
“There’s barely anything.”
“Why?”
“That’s what’s strange.”
She clicked another article.
“Most of the records were removed.”
“By whom?”
“Kane legal team.”
Jasmine stared at the screen.
A powerful Alpha.
A rejected mate.
A decade of isolation.
And now someone was warning Jasmine to stay away from him.
The pieces didn’t fit.
Yet.
Priya closed the laptop.
“Don’t do this.”
Jasmine looked at her.
“Do what?”
“Use another person’s pain to fix yours.”
Jasmine was quiet.
Priya’s voice softened.
“You don’t have to prove anything to Damon.”
“I know.”
“You don’t have to make him jealous.”
“I know.”
“You don’t need another powerful man to make you feel powerful.”
Jasmine looked toward the window.
“I know that too.”
“Then why Marcus?”
Jasmine turned back.
She had no perfect answer.
Because she was curious.
Because someone had warned her.
Because Marcus had been the only name that made her wolf react differently.
Because something about that name felt like a locked door she had suddenly been handed the key to.
But she couldn’t tell Priya that.
Not yet.
Instead, Jasmine said:
“Because Damon thinks he owns the world.”
Priya frowned.
“And?”
Jasmine’s expression sharpened.
“I want him to discover he doesn’t.”
⸻
An hour later, Jasmine’s phone rang.
Her father’s name appeared.
She stared at it.
Priya raised an eyebrow.
“Answer.”
Jasmine did.
“Hello?”
“Jasmine.”
Her father’s voice sounded exhausted.
“I need you to come home tomorrow.”
“Why?”
“There’s going to be a family meeting.”
“With the Kanes?”
“Yes.”
Jasmine’s gaze moved toward the window.
“Damon?”
“No.”
A pause.
“Marcus.”
Jasmine’s pulse changed.
“Why?”
“I don’t know yet.”
Her father sounded uncomfortable.
“Your father’s business partners don’t usually meet with me privately unless something has happened.”
Jasmine stood.
“Then I’ll come.”
Her father hesitated.
“And Jasmine?”
“Yes?”
“Don’t cause trouble.”
She almost laughed.
“Why would I?”
The call ended.
Priya was already watching her.
“Marcus?”
Jasmine nodded.
“What did your father say?”
“Family meeting.”
“With him?”
“Yes.”
Priya slowly closed her laptop.
“That is either very convenient…”
“Or?”
“…very dangerous.”
Jasmine picked up her handbag.
“Either way, I’m going.”
⸻
The next morning, Jasmine arrived at her father’s house ten minutes early.
She wore a simple black dress.
No jewelry.
No attempt to impress anyone.
She wasn’t going there as Damon’s rejected mate.
She wasn’t going there as the future Luna who had lost her title.
She was going there as Jasmine Voss.
The dining room doors opened.
Her father stood beside Beta Adrian Kane.
And beside him—
Marcus.
Jasmine stopped.
The room seemed to become unnaturally quiet.
Marcus Kane looked directly at her.
For one second, neither moved.
Then his expression changed.
Barely.
His eyes narrowed.
As though he’d just heard something no one else could hear.
Jasmine felt it too.
That strange pull.
Not pain.
Not fear.
Recognition.
Her wolf rose inside her.
Him.
Jasmine swallowed.
Marcus’s gaze never left hers.
Then he spoke.
“Jasmine Voss.”
His voice was deep and controlled.
Her father gestured toward the empty chair.
“Come in.”
Jasmine walked forward.
She sat.
Marcus remained standing.
For a moment, no one spoke.
Then Beta Adrian cleared his throat.
“We need to discuss the situation involving Damon.”
Jasmine leaned back.
“I’m listening.”
Marcus finally took his seat.
His eyes remained on her.
And Jasmine suddenly understood something.
The warning hadn’t been about Marcus finding her.
It had been about her finding him.
She folded her hands on the table.
“Let’s talk.”
Marcus’s gaze sharpened.
And somewhere beneath Jasmine’s skin, her wolf answered his with a silent, unmistakable pull.
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