The more I thought about it, the clearer it became. Maybe this whole mate bond was just a lie I clung to. Maybe Briana was his true mate, and I was merely a placeholder.
I stormed into my parents' house, locking myself in my old room. Mom and Dad followed, knocking softly, their concern palpable. But I couldn’t face them. I buried my face in my pillow and sobbed until I was hollow—completely numb.
For the next two weeks, I shut Jasper out completely. I ignored his calls, texts, and every attempt he made to see me. He showed up at the house more times than I could count, but I refused to open the door.
As far as I was concerned, he could burn in hell. I'd never see him again.
Of course, Jasper had perfect timing. The one night I finally decided to pull myself together, he showed up—right when my parents weren’t home.
“Daphne, open the door! I know you're in there!” His fists hammered against the door, his voice booming.
I swung it open and snapped, “What do you want?”