JASMINE POV
He thinks my brother had scolded me, or worst of all, he thinks Alaric hit me. If only he knew that Alaric did more than hit me.
If only Cory understood that what Alaric had done to me was so much more devastating. That he had crossed a line so completely that there was no way to come back from it.
And the worst part? I couldn't even hate him for it, no matter how I tried to. And all that was to keep Cory safe. Otherwise, he'd have been dead by this morning. My brother was that kind of a monster.
"Jasmine!" Celia's voice snapped me out of my thoughts. I blinked, startled by her tone, and froze when I realized why.
Alaric.
He stood at our table, towering over us with that calm, commanding presence that made everyone fall silent. My heart thudded violently, the sound roaring in my ears that I feared it would rip out of my chest.
A chill shiver ran down my spine as I stood up impulsively.
"Al... Alaric?" I stuttered, swallowing the fear that burnt my throat.
