Chapter Seventy-Six

Jasmine’s POV

The reality that I had found my long lost cousin was not as surprising as the fact that I had one in the first place.

After getting her out of the dungeon she was locked in, I had brought her back to my house and taken her to one of the guests rooms to clean herself and change into one of my dresses.

I then took her to the stream for a cool bath, one I could tell she thoroughly enjoyed, before returning to the pack house to rest.

Lena had spent the remainder of that day with her mate and so, had no idea about my endeavors until she walked into our breakfast room to see my cousin seated on one of the chairs.

She immediately halted in her tracks.

“What is she doing here?” She asked, a look of displeasure immediately coming onto her face.

“I brought her here”, I told her as I gently motioned for her to take her usual seat beside me.

Reluctantly, she made her way over and sat, just as Nana and Gaia walked in.

“Gaius will not be joining us this morning”, Gaia said as she walked right up to her seat and sat down, not looking even a little surprised at Isla’s presence at the table.

Nana on the other hand, paused in her step in surprise before making her way to her seat, shooting me a questioning look as she did so.

Lena, rising briefly to kiss both their cheeks, did not hesitate to resume her questioning immediately she was seated.

“I am sure there is a reason you decided to have her released”, she said, trying to sound calm. “Please share it with us”, she said.

Already hearing the impatience in her tone, I tried my best to be assuring as I spoke.

“I had a dream last night”, I told her. “I believe it was a memory from when I was younger”, I told them while Isla ate her meal calmly, as though she was not the one being discussed.

I turned to Isla. “I saw her in my dream”, I told them. “She was telling the truth. She is my cousin”, I said before turning back to Lena with beseeching eyes.

She nodded her head slowly.

“If what I’m understanding is correct”, she said. “You are telling us that you had a dream on the same day your so-called cousin, who happens to be a direct descendant from the very first witches and the Earth Goddess herself, sneaks past our borders and into our pack. And because of this dream, that I am certain you have never had before else you would have mentioned, you are convinced that she is indeed your cousin?” She asked, shooting a brief look at Isla.

Before I could answer or explain she went on.

“Dearest, are you perhaps forgetting the fact that witches have the ability to manipulate dreams?” She asked me, her accusation clear.

Isla never paused to look up from her meal or even act interested.

“Lena”, I said. “I know what I saw”, I told her before leaning closer. “I saw my mother”, I told her. “And her mother as well”.

From the corner of my eye, I saw Isla pause in her eating at the mention of her mother.

Finally, she looked up.

“You saw my mother?” She asked, as unreadable emotion making its way fleetingly across her face before I could recognize what it was.

I nodded. “I did”, I told her with a small smile.

I heard Lena scoff and turned back to her.

“Do you honestly believe this?” She asked, pointing at Isla. “We do not know who she truly is”, she said. “For all we know, she was sent by Arwyn to worm her way into your life and carry out her orders when ever she was instructed”, she told me. “Forgive me, Dearest, but I do not trust her”, she said, shooting a suspicious glare at Isla.

But it was as though Isla did not even hear her.

Her attention was back on her plate of food, though she only stared at it.

Not pleased with the way things were turning out, I turned back to Lena.

I had sincerely hoped that she would get along famously with Isla, but now I knew that to be unrealistic.

Of course she would be suspicious of her.

Isla had shown up from nowhere without me ever even knowing that she existed.

“Lena”, I called, taking one of her hands in my own. “If you do not trust her”, I said. “Then trust me. I know what I saw”, I told her.

She looked from my pleading eyes to Isla and back a me.

“Very well”, she told me before turning to Isla. “But if you harm or betray her in any way”, she warned. “I will personally rip your wicked heart from your chest and feed if to the pigs”, she said.

I looked from Lena to Isla to see Isla looking unbothered by Lena’s threat.

In fact, she smiled at Lena’s words.

“It is adorable that you imagine you could ever scare me”, she said to Lena. “Little pup”, she added after her words and I saw Lena’s eyes instantly change color.

“Isla, enough!” I said, giving Lena’s hand a calming squeeze and shooting Isla a warning look.

Isla simply smiled smugly at Lena, and it did not help matters.

“Lena”, I called, hoping to distract her from obvious thoughts of murdering my new-found cousin.

“Please, Dearest, calm down”, I pleaded.

“Calm yourself, Elena”, I heard Nana say, and I let out a breath of relief that she had finally decided to step in.

Lena took calming breaths and her eyes finally turned back to normal.

Nana, seeing that Lena was calm, turned her attention to Isla.

“You would understand why we have to be cautious at a time like this”, she said to her.

“To be sincere”, Isla said to her, with a normal smile. “I would be thoroughly disappointed if you were not”, she said.

“Then you would also understand my granddaughter’s reaction to your presence”, Nana said.

Slowly, Isla nodded.

“I understand it”, she said before she glanced briefly at Lena and returned her gaze to Nana. “But I do not take well to being threatened”, she told her.

Nana inclined her head in agreement.

“Fair enough”,she said. “Please”, she said, pointing to her unfinished plate of food. “Continue your meal”.

Surprisingly, Isla nodded respectfully before going back to her meal, resuming eating her food in silence as she had done before.

Everyone else ate their meal as well, and I could not help shooting Nana a grateful look when our eyes met.

Her warm smile was the only response I needed.

After breakfast, Nana offered to show Isla her garden and the two, alongside Gaia, left soon after.

Lena stayed back to help me clean up before we made our way to the training grounds to train for a while.

The training session went longer than it should have since Lena was on edge. But afterwards, her mood improved significantly.

We parted in front of the pack house after washing up at the stream. She went off to look for her mate and I went to my mate’s study to handle pack matters.

After going through some matters with my Gamma, I dismissed him as my lunch tray arrived to have his afternoon meal with his mate.

He delivered a letter from my mate before he left.

As I ate, I tore open the letter from my mate to know how he was.

He told me about reconnecting with some long lost family. An important Alpha on the Council of Elders who had raised his father for a while and had been a father to him. I read about how much he missed me, How much he missed home, and how he could hardly wait to have me and our pup in his arms again.

I was smiling from ear to ear as I read his letter, marveling at the hands of fate in reuniting us with our long lost families.

I decided that I would write to him that night to tell him all about my new-found cousin.

I took a deep breath of his scent on the letter, missing him much more before I put it away.

Just as I finished my lunch, there was a knock on my study door and a guard mind linked to let me know that my cousin was outside.

I gave them permission and the doors swung open to usher her in.

“Have you had your lunch?” I asked her as she made her way over.

She nodded with a smile and sat down on one of the chairs on the other side of the desk, across from me.

“And did you enjoy Nana’s garden?” I asked and watched her smile broaden.

She nodded again.

“It reminded me of your mother’s garden”, she said.

I nodded as well, remembering I had thought similarly when I had seen it in my dream.

“Why can I not remember her?” I asked, a question that had haunted me for too long.

Her smile dimmed.

“Because she wiped your memories of her”, she told me sadly. “From what I know, it was your mother that was of the Royal bloodline”, she said. “She was worried that if someone ever looked into your memories, they would see all she had done in order to keep you safe”.

I smiled sadly.

“So I could not be trusted with my memories”, I concluded.

She paused before speaking again.

“You were young”, she told me. “Younger than I was. Everything that was done was to protect you”, she said.

I gave a smile I did not feel, allowing my thoughts to roam free before one came to mind.

“If we are cousins”, I said. “Does that not mean that you are also from the Royal blood line?” I asked.

She smiled softly, as if she already expecting the question.

“Our mothers were half sisters”, she told me. “Born from the same mother but with different fathers”, she said.

“Unlike werewolves”, she continued. “Witches do not have mates”, she told me. “Those who are fortunate enough are mated to werewolves, while others are left to find their true love on their own. Some never do find it”, she said.

The thought of it saddened me.

“It seemed our grandmother had met my grandfather first, who was a witch, before finding her mate who was your grandfather, and clearly the one of the Royal bloodline”, she told me.

“Does that mean you do not have a mate?” I asked her.

She smiled sadly. “It means I may never have one”, she said. “My father was part witch, part wolf. It was his wolf side that helped him find my mother”, she shared.

I hesitated before asking my next question.

“What happened to them?” I asked.

She was quiet for a while.

“They met the same fate as your parents”, she said.

Before we could talk further, the door to my study flew open to usher in Lena, Nana, Gaia, Alpha Gaius and my Gamma.

I had forgotten that we were to meet briefly.

Isla made a move to stand up and leave but I stopped her before she could, insisting she stayed.

Somehow, I knew I could trust her.

Lena did not look pleased but said nothing either way.

My Gamma, with a nod from me, started with the information we had so far.

As we all spoke about our plans and what we had found out, Isla sat quietly, listening without saying a word.

So it was quite a surprise for me to finally hear her voice as the meeting drew to a close.

“If I may?” she asked.

At my nod, she went on.

“Why are you all speaking as though the only threats you may have to face are from Vampires and witches?” She asked bluntly, no smile in sight.

As we looked amongst each other in confusion, she turned to me.

“I know you have only one memory of your mother”, she said. “Which was of her death”, she said. “Can you remember it?”

Frowning in confusion, I nodded.

“Then I will ask you this”, she said looking at me with intense eyes. “Who killed your parents?” She asked.

As her question sank in, I felt my blood turn cold.

I saw the point she was trying to make.

Before I could answer, she did.

“Werewolves”, she said, without a doubt in sight.

“How do you know?” I managed to choke out.

She turned to look around the room.

“Because it wasn’t Vampires or Witches that killed my parents either”, she said, turning back to me. “It was werewolves”, she said.

I forgot how to breathe.