Chapter 9
1102 Words
Jasmine's POV
"Look, Mommy. Look how high it is. I did it!"
I smiled at my son, who was carefully balancing blocks on top of a shaky tower. His little brows furrowed in deep concentration, and his cheeks were flushed pink with excitement.
I leaned down gently, tucking a strand of his hair behind his ear. Every time I looked into his eyes, happiness washed over me.
Five years ago, I thought my life was over, but Orson was my miracle. A tiny spark of life that my wolf had protected.
Now my entire world.
I would give my life to protect him.
"You're doing such a wonderful job, my baby," I whispered softly, kissing the top of his head. "It is the tallest tower in the whole pack."
Just as Orson placed the final block, the front door opened, and a familiar figure stepped inside.
Orson’s eyes lit up instantly, and he dropped his toys, scrambling to his little feet.
"Uncle Fred!" He screamed at the top of his lungs.
Fred knelt with open arms just as Orson threw his small body at him, and he caught him, lifting my little boy high into the air and swinging him around as he cheered and laughed, his little hands gripping Fred's shoulders.
"I'm flying!"
"Look at you. You're growing so fast, buddy." He said as he set Orson back down on the ground. He handed Orson a small paper bag. "I brought you those cakes and cookies that you like from the bakery."
"Thank you, Uncle Fred. Can you stop my mom for me?" Orson gasped, hugging the bag tightly and running off to the kitchen to eat his treats before I stopped him.
I shook my head, stood up from the floor, and looked at Fred with a playful smirk. "You're spoiling him. If he refuses to eat his dinner tonight because of those cakes, I'm bringing him over to your house so you can deal with his tantrums."
Fred chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck with a grin. "Hey, a good uncle's job is to spoil him. Besides, the mighty Alpha of the Hemlock Pack can handle a lot, but a four-year-old boy with a sugar rush? That truly terrifies me."
I laughed, rolling my eyes.
Over the last five years, Fred has been protecting Orson and me. He created a new name and a new life for me. Fred has been my friend and a father figure to Orson, and we've grown close.
But as the kitchen door closed behind Orson, the playful smile slowly faded from Fred's face. His eyes turned serious, and a heavy sigh escaped his lips.
"Jasmine," he said, walking over to the kitchen table and pulling out a chair. "There's something we need to talk about. The triennial Alpha Summit is happening soon..."
I sat down across from him in confusion. "The summit? It happens every three years, right? Why do you look so stressed about it?"
I mean, he did attend the last one without any issues, so I don't understand why he's stressed about this one. Did something happen?
"This time, the summit is being held at the Bloodstain Pack."
The name hit my ears like a sudden crack of thunder.
I froze instantly, my breathing catching in my throat.
The Bloodstain Pack.
My old pack.
The place where my heart was shattered, and the place I fled from five years ago.
I remember how Clara died there to protect me.
I remember the heartbreaking agony of leaving my foster mother, Willa, behind.
I wanted to so desperately take Willa away with me back then, but the territory was crawling with guards, and the danger to my unborn baby was too great. I had no choice but to leave her there, alone and unprotected, and I've regretted every moment of that.
I was quiet for a few minutes until I saw the look on Fred's face. He looked worried about me, but this isn't just about me.
I know he's been avoiding Garrett and the Bloodstain Pack for the past 5 years because of me, and that's probably why he's worried, because this time he has no choice but to face his friend.
"Although the summit requires Alpha to bring his Luna,” he said, looking at me gently, his gaze held an expectation I couldn’t understand, “everyone knows I’m still unattached, so I don’t have to play by that rule."
"I'm coming with you."
"What?!" He blinked up at me a few times with disbelief and confusion, and I also couldn't register those words until I said them. "Jasmine, what are you saying? You can't go back there. Everyone thinks you died. If Garrett sees you-"
This name please sets off emotions that I don't even want to acknowledge, and if I could, then I would cut him out of everything in my life, but I can't because every time I look at myself, I see him, or at least I see the good parts of him.
But this is not about that man.
I haven't had a good night's sleep in years because I can only imagine what it must be like for Willa back there, and she thinks that I died and she doesn't deserve that.
I squeezed Fred's hand, looking into his worried eyes. "I've never stopped thinking about my mother. I need to save her and take her away from that awful place. This is my only chance."
“But that’s too dangerous!” Fred caught my hand in his and calmly continued, “I know Garrett. He hasn't given your mother any trouble in five years. He won't start now. So we wait. Just a little longer, until we have a better plan-”
“I can't wait any longer!” I pulled my hand free, my voice cutting through his calm like a blade. “Even if Garrett wouldn’t do that, what about Jenny? We can't guarantee they won't hurt my mother tomorrow, or the day after.”
For five years, the same dream has clawed its way back to me night after night. Clara covered in blood whispers goodbye to me. Then the shift, Willa trapped in a dark prison, begs me for help.
I won't let those nightmares become tomorrow.
I whispered, “Please, Fred.”
Fred pulled me into his arms. His chin came to rest on my shoulder, warm and familiar.
"All right," he murmured, "But how exactly do you plan to get back?"
"I'm going back to the Bloodstain Pack with you, but this time as your Luna."
- Writer
