CHAPTER 39

JASMINES POV

I sat at the back of the truck, waiting and watching as the dogs and wolves rallied in the woods, searching for Caine. It was almost an hour since we left the pack house to search for him. A blue truck pulled up, and I saw Spencer behind the wheel.

“Spencer…oh thank God,” I muttered and got out of the car. Not that I was happy to see him, but at least people Caine other than myself just pulled up, and their assistance might help us find him faster.

What way did he go?” Spencer asked, walking up to me.

“Jas?” Lucy ran from the other side of the car into my arms. We hugged for a while before she pulled away and started running her hands around my body.

“You’re okay…thank goodness. Where’s my boyfriend? Where’s Caine?” She asked, hyperventilating.

“His body was… was urm…taken from the scene last night,” I answered, attempting to pull her into a hug. But she pulled me away and hit my hands off her shoulder.

“Taken? What do you mean by taken? You couldn’t protect him? If you couldn’t protect or defend my boyfriend, why venture into the woods with him?” She cried, breaking a part of my heart that loved her.

“Luce there are better ways to handle this. Not judging me or throwing blame at me. We were both victims,” I cut her short, tears forcing their way out of my eyes.

“Victim, huh?” She scoffed, blowing off the strands of hair that got mixed with her sweat. “What were you even doing in the woods at that hour with my boyfriend?” She threw another question, one that started feeding my thoughts to my guilt.

I almost made out with my best friend's boyfriend. I was never going to forgive myself for that. Lucy has every reason to be mad at me right now. Yes, her manner of approach wasn’t proper, but she had every right to be mad.

“Lucy we…”

“Caine better be okay!” Imani burst out from behind, pulling my collars against her elbow which lay on my neck. I raised both hands in the air, just tearing up as I watched them try to console her.

That was when it hit me. His scent.

The dogs and wolves were all searching in the wrong direction. Imani let go of my shirt, and I turned around, towards the south. That was where his scent was coming from. Caine’s scent.

Even if I had just woken up from sleep, I would still be able to identify that strong and almost toxic scent of orchid, mixed with a little bit of the sunflower scent in the morning.

“Caine,” I said under my breath. I turned to alert them, but Lucy’s scream tore through the air, drawing even the attention of the guards and mate alpha.

“I found him! I found Caine!” She yelled, racing off in the opposite direction where the scent was coming from. She wasn’t lying though. Caine staggered out of the vines which curled themselves around like human skeletons, surrounding the swamp.

He was dirty and reeked of blood too. But his scent wasn’t there. It still lingered from the south, like it was calling my attention.

But why follow a scent when he was standing right in front of me, right?

The group raced to Caine and assisted him to where the car was. My dad walked up to me from behind and placed his hand on my shoulder.

“He’s lucky. If it was a wolf hunter that attacked you guys last night, he shouldn’t even be on his legs,” my dad said. I had no response to give, only to stare as they helped Caine and cleaned him up.

“We’re heading back. I’ll talk to the alpha concerning your confinement and see if he can let you come home to stay with me,” my father offered. I sighed, drifting my gaze to him before pulling him into a hug.

“Thanks, Dad,” I muttered. I was walked to the car, but right before I stepped in, Caine called me. I froze, swallowing the lump of embarrassment in my throat.

“He’s…coming,” my father sounded like he was ready to defend me, and I knew he would if Caine pulled any crazy stunts. Caine arrived at my standpoint, and all we did for almost a minute was stare at each other.

Then he pulled me closer. Not into a hug, but a deep kiss.

“I thought I wouldn’t see you again, Jasmine,” he said, now wrapping his arms around me in a hug.

******

“She kissed him! That’s way above forgiveness! Snitch!” Lucy’s voice echoed through the hallways of the alpha castle. I was sitting in Alpha Morgan’s office, waiting for his decision from his closed-door meeting with my father. They too were arguing.

Deep down, I just prayed they would see past their fight in the corridor earlier and do something good together—like let me go back to my father.

“She’s a snitch!” Lucy’s voice boomed again. I shut my eyes, trying to focus on why Caines scent wasn’t on him when he kissed me…and why he even kiss me before everyone. Was he planning on going public?

“I’m gonna kill her! Low-lifed bitch!” Lucy yelled again, and I just knew it was going to be impossible to shut their voices out. “Caine…Caine…don’t go there, don’t go in there! She’s brainwashing you!” Lucy cried. I guess Caine was coming.

I cleaned my eyes and braced up for more drama. It sounded a little chaotic out there until the door opened and Caine walked inside. Lucy tried to fight her way in but the door was shut on her.

“Hi,” Caine said, walking to me with a smile. I pushed out of the chair immediately and signaled him to stop.

“Why? You’ve made things worse for me. Do you even love me to kiss me before people we know? Why would you do…”

“Yes…Jasmine,” he cut me short, taking more steps closer. “I love you,” he added, and I felt my heart sink unusually. Was I dreaming or hearing things?

“What?” I breathed, finding it difficult to process.

“I tried to tell you last year, Jasmine. But you were too busy with the group…”

“Caine I wasn’t around last year,” I interrupted immediately. The door to the Alphas’ office opened alpha Morgan stepped out.

“Caine…a word?” He called in.

I stood at my spot, trying to get my thoughts together for a while, and all my mind kept drifting to the second scent in the woods. Something wasn’t adding up. After a few minutes of talking, Alpha Morgan stepped out alone.

“Can I have a word with you, ms. Jasmine?” He asked. I nodded, catching a hold of my breath as he walked me out of the office. Lucy wanted to pounce on me the moment we walked out.

“Enough!” The alpha ordered, silencing the chaos. After a few seconds of an anxiety-filled silence, he finally broke it.

“That thing in my office isn’t my son. Caine is still out there,” he dropped, confirming my suspicions. I was on the verge of screaming in their ears that I knew it, but then I remembered…

“And you left him there with my dad?”

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