Chapter 26: Chapter 26

JASMINE

I stirred awake, the comforting warmth of three bodies enveloping me. I felt safe, cocooned in a kind of comfort I’d never experienced before. I stretched, my fingertips brushing against the soft sheets, Erik’s familiar weight on one side, Aaron on the other, and Sebastian close by.

My hand moved across each of them, starting with a gentle touch on Erik’s shoulder, which earned me a low, sleepy murmur from him. I let my fingers linger on his skin, tracing the strong lines of his collarbone before leaning in to plant a soft kiss on his neck. He stirred slightly, a lazy smile playing on his lips, but he didn’t wake.

Next, I turned to Aaron, my lips brushing his cheek. Even in sleep, he was the epitome of strength and mindfulness, his face relaxed and peaceful. I kissed him lightly, a whisper of affection before I moved to Sebastian.

My hand found Sebastian’s, our fingers intertwining as if it were the most natural thing in the world. I sat up and leaned over, pressing a soft kiss to his temple. He stirred, his eyes fluttering open, meeting mine with that familiar, intense blue gaze.

“Morning, Angel,” Sebastian murmured in his deep, gravelly voice, making my heart skip a beat.

“Morning,” I whispered back, a soft smile tugging at my lips.

I carefully extricated myself from their embrace, trying not to wake the others as I slipped out of bed. The cool morning air kissed my bare skin, and I shivered slightly before heading toward the bathroom.

As I moved away from the bed, careful not to disturb them, I glanced back at the tangle of limbs and bodies, and a smile tugged at my lips again. This was my life now—surrounded by my mates, and as complicated as it was, I wouldn’t trade it for anything.

I moved toward the bathroom, the early morning light filtering through the curtains. The soft sound of water echoed through the room as I stepped into the shower. The warmth of the water washed over me, and I let out a content sigh, relishing the brief moment of solitude.

But before I could fully settle in, I heard a faint chuckle behind me.

“You’re going to spoil us if we keep waking up to this view,” Erik’s voice came, low and teasing.

I turned slightly, catching sight of him leaning against the doorframe, arms crossed over his bare chest, a mischievous glint in his eyes.

Aaron appeared beside him, followed by a still-groggy Sebastian.

“Will you three ever get tired of watching me shower?” I asked, my tone playful but knowing full well the answer.

“Never,” Aaron replied with a smirk, his eyes raking appreciatively over my wet skin.

Sebastian grinned, stepping closer. “Not in a million years.”

I rolled my eyes but couldn’t help the smile tugging at my lips. “Well, I’m going to get ready, so unless you plan to join me…”

Erik raised an eyebrow. “Don’t tempt us, love.”

We all shared a laugh before the three of them backed off, leaving me to enjoy the rest of my shower in peace. But our playful comments lingered, the warmth of their love settling deep within my heart.

This was the kind of playful affection that I adored, the way they made me feel special without even trying.

After my shower, I dressed and joined them downstairs for breakfast. The smell of freshly brewed coffee and sizzling bacon filled the air, comforting in its familiarity.

The four of us sat together, and though I had grown used to the presence of all three of my mates, there was still a sense of awe that accompanied our unity.

Sebastian looked better this morning—stronger, more himself—though his eyes held the weight of everything we’d been through. Erik was, as always, quick to make some offhand comment that made us all laugh, while Aaron sat beside me, offering me small, knowing smiles between sips of his coffee.

It felt normal. It felt like home.

Breakfast passed in a blur of light conversation, playful banter, and moments where our eyes would meet and something unspoken would pass between us—a sense of what was coming next, of the challenges we’d face together.

Once we finished, we all set about organizing the trip to the council, but there was something weighing on Aaron, a kind of tension in the way he held himself that I couldn’t ignore.

Later, I found him alone in the library, a room filled with the scent of old books and polished wood, where the light was dim and the quiet heavy. He was pacing, fingers lightly brushing the spines of the books as if searching for answers there.

“Aaron,” I murmured, stepping into the room and gently shutting the door behind me.

His head swiveled in my direction, and as our eyes locked, I could see a flicker of uncertainty in his gaze.

“Jasmine,” he greeted me with a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. “I was hoping we could have a chat.”

I moved across the room to stand next to him, my fingers lightly grazing his arm. “What’s on your mind?”

He inhaled deeply, his gaze dropping to the floor before he lifted it to meet mine again. “I’ve been digging through some old records, trying to piece together how the packs were originally formed. I stumbled upon something…something I didn’t anticipate.”

My eyebrows knitted together in confusion as I moved closer. “What are you talking about?”

“Our packs,” he began, his hand raking through his hair in a nervous gesture I knew all too well. “They were always intended to be one. The geography, the territories, they form a specific shape, a unity. I’ve found some really old records, but none of them are old enough to show the true beginning. I have a hunch that our packs, the Scire, Bellator, Wolfheart, and Aurum, were meant to be one pack, a unity lost to time. But now…now we have an opportunity to reunite them, as it was always meant to be—our destiny.”

The words tumbled out of his mouth, and it was surprising to hear him talk about destiny.

Aaron, the ever-rational Aaron, was talking about destiny.

Usually, it was Sebastian who spoke of fate and destiny, while Aaron preferred terms like science and rational explanation. Yet even he was finding destiny woven into our story.

The gravity of his words hung in the air, sinking in slowly. “We were meant to be one…,” I murmured, letting the reality of it wash over me. Everything we had endured, everything that had led us to each other—it was all part of something much larger than I could have ever imagined.

“And the funny part is that our packs were the last to separate. The Scire and the Aurum—we were one just three hundred years ago.”

“I don’t find it funny. It actually makes a lot of sense. We were always meant to be one…”

Aaron nodded, his eyes softening as he watched me process the revelation. “I didn’t know how to break it to you… It feels like fate has led us here for a reason.”

My heart swelled with emotion as I reached out, gently caressing his cheek. “You’re right. This changes everything—and yet, it makes so much sense.”

He leaned into my touch, closing his eyes momentarily as if to savor the warmth of my hand. When he opened them again, a rare vulnerability was exposed.

“I’ve always been afraid of what this meant for us, for everything,” he confessed. “But now…I’m starting to believe that maybe we were always meant to be together. The four of us.”

I smiled, moving closer, and without a second thought, I pressed my lips to his. It was a soft, tender kiss at first, but it deepened as the significance of our bond washed over us.

His hands slid around my waist, pulling me closer, and I melted into him, my heart pounding. The kiss grew more intense, more desperate, as if we were both seeking something only the other could provide.

Aaron’s lips moved against mine with a hunger that mirrored my own, and suddenly the quiet intimacy of the library felt charged, electric. I lost myself in him, in the feel of his hands on my skin, in the way his breath hitched when I deepened the kiss.

His lips trailed from my mouth to my neck, his breath warm against my skin as I tilted my head back, surrendering to the moment. My fingers tangled in his hair, pulling him closer as desire surged between us.

Our kiss grew more passionate, filled with a need to claim and be claimed. Aaron’s hands moved up to my back, his fingers tangling in my hair as he kissed me with a possessiveness, a claim, like he never wanted to stop.

And I, lost in the heat of the moment, kissed him back with everything I had, with all my love, my heart, my mind, and my soul—my fingers working to undo the buttons of his shirt.

Our breaths came in quick, shallow gasps as our hands roamed, touched, and claimed. Aaron’s shirt fell to the floor, and soon we were entwined—a tangle of limbs and whispered promises.

“I want you,” I whispered against his lips, my hands exploring the hard planes of his chest.

Aaron’s eyes darkened with desire, his hands gripping my hips as he pulled me even closer. “Then take me, Queen. I’m yours.”