Ours To Love

Prologue

Six Years Ago

August 20. Received: 11:56pm

To: DamienJCarmona; DominicKCarmona;

From: JazzyAKaiser;

Subject: HAPPY BIRTHDAY

First of all, I am so sorry I won't be home for your birthday. I know we spoke about this already but I still feel really bad. I promise when I get back to Black Heart we would do our birthday rituals. What do you say? :) I miss you guys so much.

Yes, Dominic, I'm having fun. Lol. You worry too much.

Guess what!!!! Jaden was able to meet me in Italy after all. His parents agreed to it last minute. We went sightseeing as usual, to the beach and shopping. He's really fun. Anyway back to you guys. Mom promised me she would give you guys your gifts tomorrow. She assured me it's totally appropriate for sixteen-year-old boys. I hope you guys like it.

Are you all nervous about your first shift? Have they surfaced yet? What are their names? I can't wait to see them.

I gotta go, Jaden and I are going to a concert in the city. So excited.

Ciao,

xoxoxo

August 21, Received: 10:38am

To:JazzyAKaiser;

From: DamienJCarmona;

Subject: Re: Happy Birthday

It's alright. We know that your grandparents miss you and summer is the only free time you got. Aunt Renae brought over the gifts. The gifts are great. We are actually at the place now. We can't believe mom and dad gave us permission. Dom is still choosing. I got mine but you can only see our first tattoos when you get back home.

I'm happy that you are having fun and worrying about you comes naturally. You are our best friend after all. :)

Oh and your million and one questions? I will try to answer them.

For me, I am nervous. I don't think Dom is nervous he's always cool with everything like nothing fazes him. My wolf spoke to me when I woke up, his name is Axel. He's laid back just like me can you believe it. Can't wait for you to meet him.

I miss you Jaz, :( Hurry back. I miss my Gumball partner. Dom misses you too but you know he won't say it out loud. Anywhooo gotta go. Thanks for the tattoo coupons.

Bye.

P.S: Please notify your 'friend' to keep his hands to himself. You are not allowed to date nor kiss any boys till you're sixteen.

Black Heart Pack

August 28

"Jaz there's something...."

Jasmine quickly threw her carry-on suitcase in her room and rushed pass her mother. Renae was trying to get her attention but was failing quickly. "When I get back. I'm just going and say hi and be right back," she shouted over her shoulder as she ran out the front door going for her bike.

"Jasmine wait," Renae shouted behind her but she was too late all she saw was her teenage daughter disappearing around the corner.

"Did you tell her?" Jacob asked coming to his wife's side.

"I couldn't she just disappeared." Renae returned running a hand through her hair in frustration.

Still dressed in her sundress and sandals, thirteen-year-old Jasmine pedaled as hard as she can to reach the Carmona's house. The sun was slowly setting and if she can recall correctly, the twins would be back from their run and be sitting in their back yard cooling off. Not caring how her bike fell, she jumped off quickly as best as she can with the dress and hurriedly ran to the back of their house.

Jasmine stopped in her tracks, they weren't there. "Damien?" "Dominic?"

No answer. She looked around the spacious yard then to the house it was then she noticed how quiet it was. Only the porch lights were on, the kitchen where their mother always stationed herself was dark and no lights were on upstairs where the boys' game room and bedrooms were.

"Where is everyone?" she asked herself dialing Damien's number.

'The number you have dialed has been disconnected or out of service.'

She tried three more times before giving up and calling Dominic. His phone rang four times before going to voice mail; getting annoyed she tried once more.

The phone rang twice before it was answered, "Dom? Thank heavens. Where are you guys? I'm at your house now." she rushed out her annoyance disappeared and a soft smile was on her lips as she waited for him to answer. Dominic always the quiet one can come across as cold and distant but to Jasmine, he was a good listener and protective. He has his moments where his sarcastic humor comes out to play but that was only to people close to him.

"Dom?" she called out again after he didn't respond.

Another moment of silence passed before she heard a deep sigh was released. She caught how his breathing hitched then the clearing of his throat. "Hey firefly" his voice was deep and husky to her ears. He was always soft-spoken, never raised his voice in anger or to call out to anyone.

"Dom? What's wrong? Where are you?" she asked. A sense of dread washed over her as she heard fumbling of the phone and voices getting further and further away.

"Tell me about your trip."

"It was fine. Lots of sun, and cute guys. Dom Please tell me where you at and why can't I get onto Damien." She was irritated that he wasn't answering her. Something was wrong because Dominic being the straightforward guy never dodges questions whenever she asked.

"I'm right here. Wassup?" Damien was on the other line now but she didn't hear the cheerfulness in his voice anymore. She dropped down to the neatly cut grass with her legs folded below her, no one said anything only soft breathing on each end. Jasmine was scouring through her mind as to where they can be. Can they be at a friend's house? Last minute trip with their family?

Her mind was being logical but her heart was already wallowing in disappointment.

"Please" she whispered into the phone knowing that they heard.

"W-We...it's hard... damn it." Damien started to say.

"We had to leave." was all Dominic said.

"Okay. So when are you all coming back? We gotta go back to school shopping tomorrow."

"Princess..... Jasmine. You... We aren't coming back to Black Heart anytime soon." Damien said in a rush. No one said anything, Jasmine froze, her heart thundering in her ears, she was numb by just a few words. Words that would change her life from then and out.

"Why?" she asked.

"It's complicated." Damien returned.

"Then make it clear for me" she snapped tears rolling down her cheeks as she clutched onto her piece of their necklace.

No one said a word for a moment till Dominic spoke up, "Mother chose us that's all we can say."

Living in the pack and going to a mixed species school she learned a great deal about their background. One thing she knew for sure was whatever the Moon Goddess put in place for you, it must be followed. No detours. Now the Goddess herself chose her best friends for a purpose that she cannot know.

"Firefly?" Dominic called out quietly.

"Yeah."

"Please forgive us for what is about to happen," he said.

"What..What do you mean?"

"Bye, Jasmine." Damien voiced out sadly, she couldn't hear his happiness. "Wait... Where..."

"Bye Firefly."

"Dom...Wait..." They weren't listening, the line went dead, she immediately redialed, no answer. She didn't know how many times she pressed redial but it was the same result. She texted, emailed and called them over and over all that was returned to her was message failure. Jasmine lost track of time trying to get back to the twins but no luck. Her cries were loud in the quiet backyard tiredness crept in, she laid down on the grass crying in heartbreak. She was still lost as to why they had to leave and why they couldn't tell her anything. She buried her face in the crook of her arm, clutching onto her phone tightly.

Jacob quietly rounded the house and what he witnessed was heart-wrenching. Quickly he went to his little girl scoping her up in his arms, "Don't be mad at them princess. Just don't be mad."

"Y-You knew," she asked trying hard to swallow her cries.

Jacob sighed and held her tighter, not sure how she would handle the news of the Carmona twins. "Let's go home. The boys wouldn't intentionally hurt you. They love you too much." her father said softly as he walked back up the sidewalk to their home.

"Yeah..." she took a deep breath to calm herself before continuing. "We love each other as friends but hiding this... whatever it is from me wasn't fair. They knew I was coming back."

Jacob said nothing but simply held his daughter.

'Her first heartbreak.' Markell said whimpering wanting to comfort his pup.

'Unknowingly by her mates.' Jacob added.

Dominic and Damien stood side by side staring at the phone on the table before them, her voice filled with confusion and hurt kept replaying in their heads over and over.

"It's not fair," Damien said softly. Dominic turned his blank stare out to the new view they would be seeing months and months to come. He tried to picture his mate happy, running into their house straight to their rooms, hugging them tightly as her heady scent of strawberries filled their senses. She would be sitting between them telling them everything about her summer in Italy, her eyes would light up and her hands would also be doing the storytelling. He would take note of every emotion that flash across her eyes and face while Damien would be captivated by her smile and happy demeanor. After her recollection she would ask them about their summer, Damien would mention whatever girl's name who was currently interested in them and Dominic would again take note how she easily found a fault with the girl and discourage them in pursuing her.

Jasmine was protective of them as they were with her but they knew it was on a friend level for her while it was a sense of natural duty for them.

The crashing of the table against the wall brought Dominic out of his musings. "They won't take it lightly to your destruction," he said quietly to his hot-tempered twin.

"Not now Dom. How can you simply just stand there? She's your mate too won't you miss her?" his brother spat.

Dominic watched his brother intensely not saying a word, the anger subsided from Damien who bowed his head in shame. "I always miss her. Even when she's not by my side for less than a minute. I may not show it as wonderful as you, brother but I would miss her. She will be of age soon and we won't be by her side. I am sure you know how much it hurts but.... we have to be mature of it all. The Goddess sought us out, she also gave us Jasmine. We won't lose her."

"I'm sorry. It's just hard you know. My wolf is on edge he wants her so bad." Damien apologized for his behavior and proceeded to clean up the mess he made, his movements were stiff with tension but went about calmer than before.

'Axel is very anxious. He will be fine.'

Dominic's wolf reassured his human as they both watched their brothers worked quietly.

'Are you alright Xander?' Dom asked of his wolf as he walked to the window of their large suite in the new place they called home.

'I will be fine Dominic. Thank you for letting me see her in your memories. She is quite beautiful.'

'A budding beauty we have as a mate. Inside and out.' his human added with a soft smile on his face. On the grounds below him, he watched as a platoon of men in uniformed black outfits marched across the courtyard with guns holstered to their thighs. He noticed the insignia on the patches of the men and took a deep breath.

"We can do this brother. Mother chose us." Damien said quietly as he joined his brother by the window. The two sixteen-year-old stood together watching the flurry of activity below each thinking of how they made it there, questioning themselves why but only time would tell.

Only time would tell.