Chapter 160
It was at that moment that her heart stopped moving.
What did he mean?
He had taken care of her throughout the entire night. He had cleaned up her wounds, ordered medicine for her, and sent the maidens to bring food for her.
“B-but I thought-
“You thought that I cared for you?” He asked coldly.
He was so harsh she felt a chill down her spine.
It was like he was attacking her like he was coming for her.
“Why? Because I treated you when you cut your arm?” He asked her coldly.
She took an involuntary step back and hit the wood of the bed frame.
“Because I gave you my clothes to wear and because I let you sleep in my bed?” He asked her accusingly.
She did not understand what he was saying, nor had she imagined it all.
“I treated you well because I knew you were tied to me. I suspected it. And if I had let you bleed to death, then I would have died.” He said.
So that was it?
What was his true motive?
He had only been kind and caring to her because he had only fared for his life.
Because if she died, then so did he.
“Xaden, I believe you should be calm with her,” Marie said, touching his shoulder in an attempt to calm him down.
Jasmine gritted her teeth in further anger to see that the liar Marie was trying to appease her.
She wanted to lash at her and tell her that she did not need her pity or his refraining from her.
She hated the fact that it was yelling at her in front of the woman she knew had lied about everything.
But she said nothing.
Xaden ignored Marie’s arm on his shoulder and said. “You are a liar. You have always been a liar, and I knew that I could not trust you. Maybe it has always been your plot to be tethered to me and kill yourself so that I, in turn, would die.
“My lord, I would never do such a-
“Silence.” He ordered, and her lips went hush.
“My apologies, my lord,” Jasmine said. “I had thought wrong.”
She now felt very uncomfortable standing in the room, looking down at her hands with his clothes on.
“I will make you watch when I kill your father.” He promised her. “Initially, I had wanted to kill you beforehand for your
Betrayal, but no. I will let you live. You will watch him die.”
Then a fake and coy smile played on his lips. “Or perhaps your father should watch you die. His precious daughter.”
She grimaced.
If only he knew that she genuinely meant nothing to him, he would let her go.
She looked down at her hands. “May I leave, my lord?”
“Yes, you may.” He said.
She started to turn on her heels and walk away when he stopped her.
“Wait.”
She froze and turned around, hoping he wanted to tell her something swell.
That he genuinely did not mean the words he had said.
But when she turned, she only faced a cold man.
“You will not return to Loren’s quarters.” He said. “You will return to your former room with the other female servants.”
Her eyes widened in shock, but she could not counter what he said.
“You shall eat your meals there. And you shall sleep there. You shall no longer live with Loren. I see that my giving you freedom has made you have the audacity to do the things you do
She signed heavily. “But I assumed that you took me away from the servant’s room because they attacked. If I die, you die.”
“And you think that because we are tethered together you will get some special treatment?” He asked. “You are far from right. You will sleep in the servants from and endure whatever harshness they give you. It is a little punishment for a betrayal, do you not think? I mean, for someone who sent an assassin to kill an Alpha. Usually, the punishment is death.”
She tensed up.
“But in your case. Lucky for you, you are tethered to me, and thus, you can live. Or will you prefer the dungeons, perhaps?” He asked.
“No, my lord.” She said. “Whatever you give me, I will accept gracefully.”
Then he rang a bell, and two guards came in.
They had on even heavier chains than the last one he had given her.
They went down on her and cuffed her.
She felt so heavy.
He ignored that last statement and said. “You shall resume your chores as a slave. They shall be meted you to you times two.”
The guards ignored the bruising on her body and placed the heavy chains over her hands.
Once they were done, she felt extremely heavy.
She said nothing as she looked up at him.
“Get out.” He said.
The only thing she hated was the fact that he had humiliated her in front of the one woman who had lied about her. Who had deceived him to think she had a hand in his attempted assassination.
She felt the sting in his words, then bowed down and left his presence.
Once she got out of the room, she walked out to where Loren’s quarters were.
He was reading his books.
“My goodness, gracious Jasmine.” He said as he looked down at her hand. “Who did this to you?”
She felt the tears burning behind her eyes.
“Alpha Xaden insisted that I will not live with you anymore.” She said.
And she did something she had not done in a long while.
She burst into tears.
“No, do not cry,” Loren said, leaving his book and coming to her side.
He guided her to a seat. “Here, take a seat.”
And she let herself be led on.
Once she sat down, she gratefully received the handkerchief and wiped her tears away.
“Thank you.” She said simply.
“I will go have a word with him.” He said, starting to leave.
She hurriedly held his arm and stopped him. “Goodness, please don’t, Loren. It is just going to make matters worse.”
“I must have a word with him!” Loren argued.
She smiled weakly.
“Why are you smiling? This is not a funny matter.” He said.
She shook her head. “I know it isn’t. But I’m just smiling at the fact that you had initially not wanted me around you when I first came, and now you’re ready to even break all her loose and Fight Xaden for me”.
Loren mumbled something inaudible to himself, and she laughed because he did not want to admit that he cared for her.
At least she knew that he was being genuine.
“Thank you, Loren. But I assure you shall only make matters worse.” Jasmine advised him.
“And where will you sleep?” He asked her.
She felt her shoulders drop weakly immediately.
“He said that I am to now sleep with the other servants like I had done before.” She expressed.
It was at that moment that Loren took off his glasses in annoyance.
“Curse him!” He swore! “I will go have a word with him! That is a death sentence.”
She held him back. “There is more. I am tethered to Alpha Xaden.”
He frowned. “What?”
“It is a result of the fusion of the marriage bond and then the halo festival.”
She turned her hand to show him the cut on her arm. “You see this. I did not cut myself. It appeared on my hand. It was later, when Marie came and cut Xaden’s hand, I saw another part of my arm. The same spot he was being cut.”
“Marie is a liar and a very dangerous witch.” He said.
“I am aware of that. But I know what I saw. I was there.” She said. “That is the only reason why I am still alive, of he would have killed me by now.”
Loren took in a deep breath. “But he knows that letting you stay in the room with the other servants puts you at risk of death. If you die, he too will die. He knows that, does he not?”
She nodded. “He said that they will hurt me, but they will not kill me. And I can endure.”
“Will he not feel the pain?” Loren asked, annoyed.
“No, his status as Alpha makes it incredibly hard for him to feel pain on my end.” She said. “It is not the same thing.”
Loren cleared his throat. “I will discuss it with him. It is an insult to have you withdrawn from
My quarters.”
She shook her head. “No, it was either that or
I stayed in the dungeon, and he insisted that the Queen made a pact with him. She was the one who made him free me.”