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My heart dropped, and all the courage I’d mustered vanished instantly.
“Why? What happened?” I stammered, panic seizing my chest. I could hardly move, my limbs suddenly feeling heavy and numb.
He walked towards the barn without a word or a glancetowards Jasper. As we neared the barn, I was shocked to see the barn door splintered and hanging off its hinges. My heart raced as I tried to comprehend the damage.
“Looks like it’s been tampered with,” Jasper observed quietly, stepping forward to examine the wreck more closely.
“As for you, Jasper,” my father said, his voice cold and unforgiving. “You’re fired.”
“Wait, what do you mean?” I asked, shock registering in my voice. “Dad, you can’t just fire him!”
“I can and I will. Daughter, he sabotaged your chances of being honorably mated to a pack. He’s not fit to work here anymore,” my dad replied firmly, his tone leaving no room for argument. Wayne and his pack stood a little distance away to give us privacy.
“Sir,” Jasper interjected, his voice polite but strained. “May I at least say goodbye to Ruby before I leave?”
My father hesitated for a moment, then finally relented. “Fine. But make it quick.”
Jasper nodded and turned to me.
“Come,” he said softly, leading me away from the barn and from my father’s watchful gaze.
We walked in silence until we found ourselves in the middle of a wheat field. The tall grasses swayed gently in the light breeze.
“Jasper…” I began, but he raised a hand to stop me.
“Ruby, I’m so sorry,” he whispered. “I never meant for any of this to happen. I only wanted what was best for you. I thought running away was the answer, but it only made things worse.”
“No,” I choked out, unable to stop the tears that welled up in my eyes. I knew what he was going to say. “You don’t deserve to be fired, and I’m not going to say goodbye!”
“Sometimes life isn’t fair,” he said solemnly, his heartache mirrored in his eyes. “But you’re right, and you need to be with a pack of alphas who will love you. I don’t hate you for that.”
“But don’t you love me? I love you, Jasper.”
“I love you too, baby, but you will eventually love Wayne and his pack too.”
My heart clenched painfully at his words.
“What about the deal we made at the hotel?” I asked, grasping at straws and any hope I could find. “I’ll see you again, right?”
Jasper hesitated, then leaned down to press a soft kiss on my lips. His scent of ocean waves enveloped me, and I yearned to drown in it forever. But when he pulled away, his gaze was unwavering.
“It’s over,” he whispered, his voice strained with emotion. “You need to move on, even if it hurts. Your father disapproves of me, and I’m not going to go against his wishes.”
“Jasper,” I said. “You can’t do this.”
His eyes remained sorrowful, and he didn’t respond. And in that moment, I realized that he was letting go of me, releasing me from the bond we had formed. The reality of it hit me, leaving me raw and exposed.
Pain and anguish ripped through me. I could barely stand straight as I gasped for air. Before I fell to my knees, Jasper steadied me with a hand on my elbow.
“Your pack is waiting,” said Jasper, and each word was like a stab to my heart. I couldn’t move my feet, but somehow, I numbly followed until we stood in front of Wayne’s van.
“Jasper,” I cried out, tears rolling down my face as my lips trembled. “I can’t.”
“You can,” he said, his expression pained as he stared at the interior of the van. “I trust that they will take care of you. And you will have a great life.”
He helped lift my numb self onto a chair, and he squeezed my hand one last time.
“Bye,” I whispered as he closed the door, sealing me away from him. The finality of it felt like a physical blow.
