Beauty and the Beasts

Happy Birthday, Jasmine

Zane gave a small chuckle. "You have barely turned eighteen. I am not a predator."

She looked up to him. "Is that the only reason? Or because you see me as a child who you absolutely..."

He gave a smile. "You are attracted to me because I am older. Take some time for yourself."

Jasmine swallowed. "You...will you wait for me?"

He raised a brow. "You have something that belongs to me." He wanted to rephrase it so bad. Tell her that her, in entirety, body, soul, and matebonds, belonged to him. But he kept it to himself. In as much as she wanted him now, he knew better than to immediately indulge. He didn't want a fleeting attraction.

He needed to slowly work on her, like a work of art, mould her to want only him, carve her so she could only accommodate him. It was the perfect thing to do. She was, according to the moon goddess, his own.

As long as he kept her away from the bloodsuckers, she would be completely safe, and he would have all the time in the world to do whatever he wanted.

Slowly, he brought his hand to move her hair away from her face. "I could take you clubbing, however. You are legal now."

Jasmine gave a small laugh. "So... my professor will take me clubbing instead of taking me to a library where I can read and then get me home by seven?"

Zane's eyes darkened as he slowly leaned to her, his fingers lifting her chin to his. He wanted to have her now. Take her now and have the moon itself be the witness. But right now, he was human, and he needed to act like one.

"Your professor was never supposed to be around you in the first place, flower. But here we are."

She felt her knees go weak, her eyes unable to blink or break away from the trance of having him so close. His voice tickled all of her, sending shivers down to her feet.

"I...I guess."

He smiled darkly, then moved away. "Get in the car."

Jasmine did not hesitate and quickly went to the passenger side of the car, just as he entered too.

He glanced at her for a second, then turned away, a small smirk caressing his lips. He started the car, then drove away.

The club was filled with blaring music and colored lights. It was dark and was hard to see. Jasmine walked on front after a pretty heated argument regarding her age.

"Why are there so many people here? I mean, it's midnight."

Zane chuckled, leaning to her ear. "Midnight is when the fun starts, sweetie. No alcohol for you tonight, however."

"Why?" She asked as he held her hand, then started to guide her down the stairs to the main dancing room.

"I want you to remember it."

Her eyes widened, her mind reeling with imaginations so stained she could almost imagine his disgust if he ever got to hear them.

"Really now..."

She trailed off as he twirled her in his arms, then wrapped his arms delicately around her. His grip was so loose that if she wanted to break free, she could, easily at that. But when she held his hand tight, he was sure leaving him was not something she planned to do.

And that worked very well for him. He had absolutely no intention of letting his mate wander.

He was behind her as they swayed to the beat slowly. He leaned to her ear, his breath caressing her neck, sending unholy tingles down her spine.

"Do you know... I read somewhere that...wolves are older than humans?"

"What?" She asked with a chuckle, bewildered that he wanted to do a quick fact riddle right now rather than literally anything else.

"If you were a wolf... you would be twenty-two right now."

She laughed. "That would be perfect."

He laughed. "So let's assume I am a wolf and... between us is not much of an age gap. Or at least, that you have been legal for four years. "

Her breath hitched as she started to get his meaning. She turned, her brows lightly furrowing. "What do you mean?"

He gave a small smile, then gently cupped her neck, his thumb running along her jawline. She almost melted into him, her chest slightly heaving, her body responding to him like she had specially been groomed to respond to him.

And maybe she was. Maybe he hadn't been so hypothetical about it all.

"For the record, I like your hair down."

Before she could answer, he had reached for her ponytail and pulled the band away, letting it cascade down her back.

"Zane..." she gasped before he slowly cupped her face again.

This time, he held a handful of her hair, too, his shoulders pressing together as he slowly leaned to her.

"Happy birthday, Jasmine." The words hit her lips, and she moved closer, her eyes shut tight.

"Thank you," she whispered right before he kissed her.