Chapter 546 : XADEN’S DILEMMA
Xaden just stood staring down at his sister as she stutter and became eerily flustered.
He was furious with her but furious with himself over everything.
He began to wonder if the fact that he had longed for his bloodline had clouded his judgement.
He felt like a fool.
And then the worst feeling of all crept in
What if Jasmine had never had an affair with Hunter?
What if she indeed had gone to save him.
He felt a kick in his gut.
His mind began to spiral.
“Anna.” He said as he rubbed his chin.
He hated having beards so he always made sure to keep it clear.
As his hands rubbed his perfectly hairless chin, he began. “What if Jasmine never planned to assassinate me? What if someone set this up?”
Anna’s face became dull. “I don’t know. I mean who would want to do that? Moreover we saw our family jewelry in her bag. We also saw the letters. And moreover why would Hunter let her go if she wasn’t in on the scheme.”
“But why would he let her leave and come back? Why would she return if she wanted to be with him?” He retorted.
Anna’s chest went up and down as she took in rapid breaths.
“I don’t know. Maybe she betrayed him? Who knows these things?” She asked him sounding exhausted.
There were a lot of loopholes in the story.
Like why would she have the jewelry in her bag. The letters. And most of all, why would hunter a man who had wanted to have him dead, let the mother of his child survive.
Nothing made any sense.
And yet he couldn’t explain it.
This was the first time that he was seeing the story from an entirely different perspective.
From a clear and different view.
And he HATED how foolish he was.
He realized how quick he had been to decide.
How much is jealousy had taken a toll on him.
It had infuriated him.
The thought of Jasmine with anyone other than him.
Driven him to lengths of rage and bitterness he only shared with his enemies.
Not with a woman.
Never with a woman.
“Maybe this is what she wants.” Anna said reaching out to him and gently touching his shoulder. “To make us fight. You’re my brother. I’ll never want to hurt you. I only want what’s best for you.”
He rubbed his temples.
“Anna I don’t think I can trust you again.” He said.
She looked at him with shock.
“What do you mean by that?” She requested.
“Anna you gave me information that made me make a stupid decision.” He said in anger. “Do you realize that? Can you see and understand now?”
Anna was numb. “This is what she wants. To make you hate me. Jasmine hates me. She has such a vendetta against me and you’re falling for it. Can’t you see?”
“I’ve seen Jasmine. And I don’t think she has the soul to hate anyone.” He said.
He added a silent, except for me in it.
Anna looked dumbfounded.
“You don’t know her as much as I do!” She kicked against.
“I’ve known Jasmine more than I’ve known you.” He replied.
Anna seemed about to faint.
He tried to hold her but she flinched.
He maintained his stance.
“When we return home from this trip , I would make a proper investigation into everything.” He declared.
Anna seemed like she was about to woo.
“You’re treating her better than your own blood. She is the reason why I don’t have a mother. Why I never met eight of my parents.” Anna said the tears already flowing down her cheeks.
“Anna-
But Anna was already running away from him.
He watched as she ran towards her tent and disappeared.
He just stood at a crossroads.
He had already lost Jasmine, and now he was about to lose his only season.
❧
Before the crack of dawn they were already woken up ready to continue the journey.
Jasmine had been sitting in the carriage sipping hot tea from a flask that Nanny Nia had made for her.
“Where is she?” Anna asked staring at Anna’s vacant seat.
She had barely noticed it since they resumed the journey.
Her mind had been elsewhere, the events of the previous night.
When she had woken up, Xaden had ignored her and she had done the same.
She had noticed a few odd stares from the members with them and it occurred to her that they most likely had overheard her conversation.
She had wanted to dig a grave and never emerge.
So only hours after the journey when she was in a better state of mind, did she notice Anna’s empty seat.
“Who?” Nanny Nia pretended not to know.
“Her. Anna.” Jasmine pointed out the empty seat.
“Oh that girl.” Nanny Nia clicked her throat and rolled her eyes as she flipped through the pages of her book. “Heard something about Alpha Xaden making her seat with the servants. Good riddance to bad rubbish.”
Jasmine wondered why but eventually decided it was none of her business.
And nanny Nia was right.
Good riddance to bad rubbish.
After a few minutes, the herbs made her drowsy and she took a nap.
“We’re here.” She heard Nanny Nia.
Jasmine woke up from her deep sleep confused.
“We’re at the royal pack. look.” Nanny Nia said as she watched through her window.
Jasmine stretched her head to see and saw the most beautiful pack she had ever seen.
It was already dark.
“Did I sleep the entire day?” Jasmine asked startled.
“Yes. The herbs knocked you out.” Nanny Nia said honestly.
Jasmine looked through the window and watched as the carriage rolled up a well paved hill.
The streets were filled with hanging lanterns.
And in the not so far distance, she saw a gigantic castle lit up with lights.
And something about it said de ja vu.
Like she belonged here.
~
Jasmine watched in awe as the carriage rolled on.
She had this calling.
This feeling as though she belonged here.
“It feels like home.” She had no idea when she said aloud.
“Of course it’s home darling.” Nanny Nia said. “This is where the goddess first descended. It’s sacred ground. It’s the first and real homes of all wolves. Shifted and unshifted.”
Jasmine smiled in response.
But how could she explain this feeling that it felt more than that.
Like it wasn’t just like she belonged home.
It felt like she was part of it.
Like this place made her whole.
It was quite dark but the lights illuminated the view and Jasmine tried her best to view it closer.
It was a bit crowded and filled up.
“Is it usually like this?” Jasmine asked puzzled.
“God no.” Nanny Nia said as she peeked from her book. “I think it’s because of the ceremony for the new princes.”
Ahhhhhhh.
It finally clicked to Jasmine.
The King and Queen had found their grand daughter.
She couldn’t imagine how happy they were.
“I still can’t believe it.” Nanny Nia said. “They had been looking for their daughter and now they have a grand daughter. I really wonder what happened to the daughter.”
Jasmine smiled.
“I’m happy for them. They at least got some answers.” Jasmine said.
She hoped that she too like them would get answers to her questions on her mother.
She still needed to find her mother and from all indications, finding her uncle was the only way further.
She held her arms together fervently and made a silent prayer to the goddess.
She had been prayerful to the moon goddess despite all her misfortunes.
Despite all the bad things that had happened to her, she knew that the goddess would never forsake her.
They rode on and still didn’t reach the main palace until almost thirty minutes.
The crowd of people bussing through made it even harder.
“These are affluent wolf families.” Nanny Nia. said peeking through the window. “They must have all come for the ceremony.”
Eventually the carriage came to a halt and then the door was opened.
Nanny Nia made sure to hop out first.
“Move aside.” She pushed the omega that had come to assist.
And then she offered her hand to Jasmine who took it all happily.
When Jasmine was adjusting her address, she felt someone watching her and turned only to see Anna glaring at her in the distance.
“Ignore that silly whore.” Nanny Nia said pulling me aside.
They followed the precession, with Xaden leading ahead.
Jasmine took in the beauty of the palace gawking at its elegance.
The walls sparked of gold and silver.
The carpets looked like you sink into its beautiful velvet material.
The servants were well co ordinated.
Jasmine had always thought that the crescent pack was beautiful.
But this was something else.
She gently touched a wall and instantly she felt like she had touched fire!
“Ouch!” She said in alarm.