How To Lose Your Billionaire Alpha Husband In 365 Days (Or Less)!-Chapter 76: Half-Shift...

AIDEN’S POV

I sat alone in the kitchen long after I had dropped Jasmine in her room.

The silence felt anything but calm. It was thick with all the things we wished we could say but never did. I looked at the counter, remembering how her dress had dripped water onto the marble, leaving a mark in my mind that I couldn’t forget.

The shattered pool.

Her soaked clothes.

The way her voice didn’t tremble when she said she wasn’t broken.

I hadn’t moved from the barstool. Couldn’t. My wolf hadn’t said a word since I walked out. Not that he needed to. The silence between us was louder than words.

When he finally spoke, his voice was softer than usual. It still had that sharpness and quickness to it, but it carried a gentler tone that took me by surprise.

"You almost lost her," Ace said.

I didn’t answer.

"She didn’t ask for protection. She asked for the truth."

"I know."

"So give it to her."

"I will. Just... not yet."

Ace scoffed. A short, bitter sound. "You’re still afraid."

"She’s barely had time to breathe," I muttered, rubbing a hand down my face.

"She’s already breathing fire, Aiden. Stop pretending you can protect her from herself."

I dropped my head into my hands. The ache in my chest had nothing to do with physical pain. It was something deeper, like guilt twisted into a knot I couldn’t undo.

"I’m not protecting her," I said finally. "I’m protecting what’s left between us."

Ace went quiet, but he was listening. Waiting.

"You know what happens if she finds out what the curse actually is," I whispered. "What if she thinks that’s why I married her? What if she thinks the bond wasn’t real, that it was just my way out of it?"

The silence that followed was worse than any words. It settled on my shoulders like a lead weight.

"She’d walk away," I said, barely audible. "Not because she’s weak. Because she’s Jasmine. Because she’d think I chose her as a solution. Not a partner."

Ace growled low in my chest. Not at me. At the truth.

"Then tell her before someone else does. Before she finds out in the worst possible way."

I couldn’t speak. Couldn’t even argue.

Because he was right.

And I hated that he was right.

I wasn’t ready to lose her. Not again. Not like that. Not when I’d only just started to hope again.

Ace was quiet for a long time before murmuring, "You don’t have time."

I stared at the countertop, fists clenched.

Then, finally, I reached for my phone.

Kieran answered on the second ring. "Alpha?"

"I need you to call a towing service."

There was a pause. "...Okay. For what?"

"My car’s in the pool."

Another pause. This one was longer.

"I’m sorry. What?"

I didn’t even blink. My eyes were fixed on the broken patio doors. The jagged glass still caught the light. The water was still. Mockingly still. "Long story."

"I’ve got time," he said. "I’m coming over."

He hung up before I could argue.

Exactly twenty-three minutes later, Kieran’s matte-black SUV rolled into the drive like a damn parade float for competence and sarcasm. He stepped out of the vehicle, already shrugging into his jacket, tossing orders to the security staff like he lived here.

"The tow guys are ten minutes behind me," he said as he walked in. "Should we even ask how this happened?"

"No," I said flatly.

He took in the scene, the gaping hole where glass doors used to be, the broken tiles, the G-Wagon resting nose-first in the deep end like a whale in a glass tank. His eyebrows rose. Slowly.

"She did that?" he asked.

I nodded once.

"...Damn," he muttered with something like admiration. "I liked her before. Now I think I might worship her."

"She wasn’t okay," I said quietly.

"She seems like she was exactly what she needed to be," Kieran replied. "Let her break the things that can be replaced. Better that than herself."

I didn’t reply. But something in my chest loosened just a bit.

Kieran turned to the gathering staff members, clapping his hands sharply. "Start draining the pool. Sweep up the glass. Tow truck should be here soon. Someone fix the damn patio doors."

As the flurry of movement began behind me, I slipped away.

Not to my office. Not to my room.

I went to the war room.

The old safehouse in the east wing had been converted into a private strategy space years ago. Only two people had access: me and Kaiden. It was where truth lived, where no lies could hide behind pretty smiles or power plays.

Just data. Strategy. Reality.

I barely made it through the door before I heard his voice.

"Are you okay?" he asked from behind. His tone was softer than usual.

I raised a brow. "Anything that needs my urgent attention?"

Kaiden moved past me to the centre of the room, where a digital map pulsed with red lines and blinking zones. "Rogue threats along the east border are increasing. And now, spontaneous mate meltdowns. Love that for us."

I didn’t respond. Just walked over to the main monitor, fingers moving swiftly across the interface.

"Vale’s been meeting with Elena again," Kaiden continued, voice dropping.

I looked up sharply.

"They’re meeting off-grid. Sectors outside Council jurisdiction. Whatever it is, it’s not business as usual."

"How many times?"

"Three in the past two weeks. Once on a full moon night."

I frowned. "That’s..."

"That’s bold, even for him," he finished.

I stared at the glowing intel. My gut twisted. "Get me everything. Eyes on every border crossing. Keep it discreet. I don’t want the Council catching wind of this before I do."

Kaiden nodded, his expression grim. "Understood."

I started to turn away, but hesitated.

"And Kaiden," I said quietly. "If Vale’s planning something, I need to know before it happens. Before anyone else does."

"I’m already on it."

—

It was well after midnight when I made it upstairs.

The house was silent, almost as if it was holding its breath. Even the wind outside had stopped.

I didn’t think. My feet carried me to her door before I could convince myself to turn away.

I just wanted to see how she’s doing, I said to myself. So I knocked and waited... no response. I waited and knocked again, still no response.

Slowly, I pushed it open and froze.

There she was, standing in the middle of her room. Half-shifted.

Silver claws extended from her fingers, shining in the moonlight. Her ears were slightly elongated; her back was tense and strong, coiled with suppressed energy.

But what really stood out were her eyes.

They shone brightly, wild and alive, not just silver but full of energy. They seemed to carry the essence of a creature that had never known fear.

She turned toward me sharply, lips peeling back in a low snarl.

My breath caught. I didn’t move.

Her nostrils flared as she inhaled deeply. Slowly. Then again.

Her face lit up with recognition. Her jaw relaxed, and her shoulders dropped a bit. Her eyes were still glowing, but they looked softer.

She was shaking.

But not from fear.

From control.

She was fighting it. Holding herself back. Staying in the in-between space by pure will.

"Jasmine," I breathed.

Her glowing eyes locked with mine. Her breathing was quick and shallow, showing me just how tense she was. It was clear she was struggling between wanting to keep her cool and letting her instincts take over, and she didn’t bother to hide it.

I stepped inside, slowly. Closed the door behind me with a soft click.

She didn’t flinch. Didn’t move.

Her hands trembled slightly at her sides. Claws gleamed like moonlit steel, her fingers curled just enough to keep from digging into her own palms.

Her voice, when it came, was softer... hoarse, but raw. "What... what do I do?"

I paused, just a few feet away from her. And then I took another step. And another.

She didn’t stop me.

Her skin seemed to be vibrating. Not just from power, but from effort. From holding herself back.

I lifted one hand and held it out slowly.

"Let me touch you."

Her gaze flicked from my hand to my face. Searching. Questioning.

But then, after a beat... she nodded.

I reached out and gently took her hand.

Her claws brushed my skin, cold at first—but then, under my touch, they began to shift. Recede.

She sucked in a sharp breath as her form slowly and gradually returned to human. Her ears shrank back to normal. Her fingers softened.

The shimmer in her eyes dimmed to a familiar silver hue that still managed to look more like stardust than anything human.

And when she was just Jasmine again, her whole body sagged. Exhaustion poured off her like waves.

I caught her by the waist before she could stumble; her forehead pressed lightly to my chest.

"Are you okay?" I asked quietly, brushing her damp hair back behind her ear.

She didn’t look up. But I felt the nod against my shirt.

We stood in silence for a moment, just enjoying the stillness. She wrapped her arms around me.

At first, it felt a bit unsure, but then she held me tighter, needing the closeness. Finally, she spoke again, her voice soft and almost a whisper. "Can you stay?"