Chapter Nineteen

Jasmine’s POV

I woke up that morning knowing something different had occurred.

Since I usually rose with the Sun in order to spend some time with Lena before we both went down to help Nana prepare breakfast, it was unusual that Lena was the one waiting at my door when I opened it to make my way to her room.

“We’re starting breakfast earlier than usual today”, she said as greeting and linked her arms through mine to lead me to prepare breakfast.

However, rather than going into the kitchen in our cabin, she instead led me out of the cabin.

“Where are we going?” I asked, confused.

“To the pack house”, she said. “Nana mind linked me earlier. The warriors left to fight before dawn so we have to make breakfast for all of them, which also means we’ll be having breakfast at the pack house with the rest of the pack”, she said.

I immediately became worried.

“They went to Blackmoon”, I instantly concluded, knowing so without a doubt.

“Probably”, she said, giving me a consoling look before looking away.

“What if someone gets hurt?” I asked. “Or worse, dies?” I asked, already feeling the guilt starting to weigh on me.

She immediately stopped in her tracks, bringing us both to a stop before grabbing my arms to turn me around to face her.

“Nothing bad is going to happen”, she said firmly. “And even if it does, it will never be your fault. It has nothing to do with you, do you understand?”

At my nod, she released my arms and linked our arms back together before we continued our stroll towards the pack house.

“Besides”, she continued. “You underestimate our warriors if you believe they would loose to Blackmoon wolves. We are not one of the most powerful packs in the East for nothing”, she said, the pride obvious in her voice. “Also”, she leaned in. “I heard Regan went with them this time, so they are sure to succeed”.

For some reason, that new knowledge only made me worry more.

Probably seeing this, she bumped into me playfully.

“Stop your worrying”, she said. “You forget that these are werewolves. They heal quickly. And if anyone is that badly hurt, Nana would surely take care of them and make certain that they are better”.

Knowing that she was right on both accounts brought me some relief and helped ease some of my worry.

Soon, we had arrived at the back of the pack house and went into the kitchen to join the other she-wolves in preparing for the morning meal.

I received several greetings alongside Lena and returned them as well.

The fact that it was almost as if I was one of them did not escape my mind.

They treated me like I was one of the pack despite knowing of my lack of a wolf. That did not seem to bother them at all.

While Lena helped in setting up the places at the tables, I helped in the kitchen to bake desserts.

Once Mari, the head cook, had tasted the blueberry pie I had once made as dessert for breakfast in the cabin, she had insisted I teach her how to make it and had frequently requested my assistance when preparing meals at the pack house.

I was now comfortable being surrounded by these she-wolves and being away from my dearest friend.

That was all the proof I needed in order to convince myself that I belonged in this pack.

While we worked, they loudly traded stories and teased each other while everyone else laughed.

Nana joined us after giving out instructions in the dining room.

As she walked in and caught sight of me, she immediately came over to where I sat working and I lifted my head to receive the kiss I knew she was going to place on it.

I don’t know when it started, but it had now become a habit.

Whenever Nana first saw either me or Jasmine for the day, she would place kisses on our heads. I had already noticed that she always did that to Jasmine but I couldn’t exactly remember when she had started to do the same to me.

I had quickly become used to it.

The only other persons who received her kisses were Luke and Alpha Regan. And while she bestowed kisses on our foreheads, she bestowed theirs on their cheeks.

I also knew that Nana’s open acceptance of me had gone a long way to influence the pack’s acceptance of me as well.

While Nana joined the hearty banter and even teased Mari, who was her oldest friend, I simply watched and laughed.

While we were finishing up with the meal, a she-wolf burst into the kitchen excitedly.

“They’re home!” She announced, disappearing from view almost immediately.

I followed closely behind Nana as we made our way out to the front of the pack house with the other she-wolves to welcome our warriors.

It was the first time I was taking part of a welcoming and I felt honored.

As we joined the other she-wolves who were already there, I spotted Lena and moved towards her to allow her link our arms together -something she did very often.

I looked out towards the woods where everyone else seemed to be facing with excitement.

Since, unlike the others, I did not possess a wolf, I could not hear or see them until they broke out of the woods and began approaching the pack house where we stood waiting.

For some reason, I had expected them to still be in their wolf forms but surprisingly, none of them were.

They were all bare chested and bloody and I knew the clothes they wore to cover their bottom halves were probably gotten from where they were hidden by trees in the woods.

As they approached with loud howls of excitement and loud noises, my eyes immediately began to search through them, noting that no one was badly wounded and that those who were had already began to heal.

However my search continued until it landed on the two at the back, behind the noisy pack that had begun to sprint towards where we stood - probably to meet their mates.

My eyes trailed briefly over Luke, noting the blood on his body but not finding even a scratch before finally resting on the person I had unconsciously been longing to see.

As he joined his warriors while they chanted and howled their victory, he was sporting a large smile on his face.

I had never seen him smile so widely before and I was enchanted by the sight of it.

Luke said something to him and he laughed loudly.

He actually laughed.

I stood, mesmerized at the lines that appeared at the corner of his eyes and the shallow dimple I would never have imagined he possessed on the right side of his cheek, above his chiseled jawline.

For the life of me, I couldn’t look away even if I tried.

I continued to stare, rooted to the spot, even as Lena unlinked her arm from mine to go and welcome him and her cousin, even as Nana went to place her habitual kisses on both their cheeks, even as he beamed down on both of them and ruffled Lena’s hair playfully.

I still continued to stare.

What finally broke me out of my daze was when he looked over to where I stood frozen and those grey eyes locked on mine.

Even though I had always known he was, I had never allowed myself to find him attractive. He was the reason I had finally gotten the life I had always dreamed of and I did not wish to insult his generosity by becoming infatuated with him.

It must have been because of all the time I had started to spend with his wolf.

That surely had to be the reason behind this sudden, undeniable attraction I felt towards the Alpha of the Midnight Wolves pack.

I quickly looked away once I realized that he had caught me staring, only looking back when I could no longer feel the familiar heat of his gaze.

However, when I looked back this time, I began to notice something far more dangerous.

Though bloody, his bare torso was sculpted to perfection and not for the first, I thought he looked exactly like what the was.

Perfect and powerful.

Against my will, my eyes began to roam over the perfection that was him.

From his sculpted torso to his corded arms , noting with relief that there was not one scratch on him, and slowly taking my time to look my fill as I made my way back up to his face.

He wasn’t speaking anymore, and the smile was no longer on his face.

Instead, he had a distracted look that made me believe he wasn’t paying attention to whatever the ones around him were saying.

My eyes finally rested on his lips and they firmly pressed together.

I could have been imagining it, but for a second, I truly believed that he could feel my eyes on him.

The thought was ridiculous so I pushed it aside, letting my eyes move past his lips and across his straight nose and thick eyebrows to rest on his grey eyes. And although they weren’t looking at me, something assured me that he knew I was looking at him.

As Nana and Lena turned back to make their way back to where I stood waiting, he finally brought his eyes to mine again.

My breath hitched and my heart beat doubled. My eyes widened in shock, though why I was surprised that he was looking at me I did not know, and I froze once again.

He kept his eyes on me as he drew closer behind Nana and Lena.

“Jasmine was quite worried about you lot getting hurt”, Lena said, linking her arms with mine and pulling me out of my shocked state. “Isn’t that true Jasmine?” She asked.

Rather than respond, I simply nodded, still trying to find my composure and steady my heart beat knowing they could hear it clearly.

“I told her you would all return safely”, she continued. “Did I not, Jasmine?” She asked.

Again, I nodded.

He still had not looked away from me.

“We will join you after we have cleaned ourselves”, he said. “ I know for certain that Nana would never let us hear the end of it if we choose to take our meal in this state”, he said then finally looked away.

Nana immediately nodded her agreement at his statement.

He turned to the rest of his pack warriors and probably mind linked them because they all began moving towards the other side of the pack house to where the stream was located not too far into the woods.

He and Luke turned to walk towards where the warriors were headed and Nana gave the order for everyone else to return to the dining room to wait for them.

We all did as instructed.

When they finally returned, they noisily took their places at the tables and began to wolf down their meal once Alpha Regan had taken the first bite.

Unlike supper time, this meal did not have designated places. Anyone was allowed to seat anywhere they wanted. Including Alpha Regan.

That was why I found myself seated to the left of him with Luke to his right and Lena to my left.

Nana was seated on another table with Mari and some older she-wolves.

As usual, it was a rowdy meal.

I sat tensely beside him, wanting to initiate conversation but not wanting to at the same time, and not even knowing how to.

It seemed I was more comfortable with the Alpha’s killer wolf than the Alpha himself.

After giving up yet again on my fourth attempt to try to initiate conversation with him, I sadly popped a piece of blueberry pie into my mouth.

“What is it you wish to say?” He suddenly asked from beside me and I turned sharply to see meet his gaze on me.

I swallowed then opened my mouth to speak but no words came out.

He said nothing, simply held my gaze and waited for me to rediscover my ability to speak.

“Is- I mean”, I finally got out. “A-are you Alr-right?” I asked.

He nodded once, his expression unreadable.

“I am”, he said simply.

I looked down at my plate, unable to maintain eye contact.

“You’re not hurt?” I asked, just to be certain.

“Not one scratch”, he confirmed.

“And Rage?” I asked, bringing my eyes back to his. “Is he alright?” I asked, genuinely concerned.

He looked between my eyes for a moment before responding.

“Rage is fine”, he finally said.

Somehow, knowing for certain that they were both fine brought an unconscious smile to my lips.

“I’m glad to hear that”, I said before turning back to my meal, satisfied.

And oblivious to the look he was giving me that the ever observant Luke immediately noticed.