Chapter 4: Chapter 4

JASMINE

I was in disbelief. I wasn’t sure who I was hoping to see, but my feet carried me to the dance floor all the same. My eyes darted around, searching for a familiar face, while my heart pounded so fiercely I thought it might burst from my chest.

Then, there she was—my wolf, poised and ready. Ready to meet her mate, just like me.

And I saw him—Erik—making his way to the center of the dance floor. Our eyes locked.

I was stunned. It was him. Erik was my mate. His eyes mirrored the love and desire I felt, and then his gaze shifted to his wolf. A smile spread across my face, my joy impossible to contain.

But then, my eyes flicked to the left. Sebastian was also approaching the dance floor, his wolf’s eyes locked on mine. My smile faded into a look of shock. What did this mean? Was he also my mate? That couldn’t be possible.

My breath hitched, my heart pounded so loudly I could hear it in my ears. My body spun around, and there was Aaron. His eyes, too, were those of his wolf. I fought the urge to step forward, instead stepping back to take in the sight of all three of them.

My eyes darted between them, unsure of where to land. My thoughts were a jumbled mess. I didn’t know what to think. Then, the words slipped from my lips, echoing theirs. ~“Mate.”~ It was the split second before our wolves emerged.

The three of them. The typical mate discovery process was happening to me, but with three of them. The love and feelings I had for each of them multiplied, threatening to overwhelm me.

Every time I looked at them, I was flooded with love. As wolves, their thoughts invaded my mind, mingling with my own. Their feelings for me mirrored my own. It was the bond of a mate—pure and sincere.

But when I looked around, everything fell apart. The crowd was in shock. There were gasps and even screams. I felt trapped, anxious, and without an escape. I tried to make sense of it all.

My only option seemed to be to run. So, I did. I turned and bolted, hoping each step would untangle the knots in my thoughts and my throat. But distancing myself from them felt like my chest was being torn apart.

It felt impossible to get away. I ran through the crowd until I reached the edge of the hall, where the forest began. I thought the cool night air would bring relief, but it didn’t.

I kept running, trying to understand the turmoil in my chest, until I heard a scream. A loud, clear scream. “Minnie.” But it was in my head. It was Erik.

I stopped dead in my tracks and turned to see his wolf—light-brown fur and bright honey-colored eyes. It wasn’t just a scream; it was a plea. Then, a gray-furred wolf with blue eyes appeared—it was Sebastian.

But when Aaron’s black-furred wolf joined them, I crumbled. I was a whirlwind of confusion and love. My wolf couldn’t handle it. She retreated, and I returned to my human form, collapsing to my knees.

“Jasmine.” I heard Aaron’s gentle voice. It wasn’t a call, but a comfort. After a few seconds, I felt something drape over my shoulders—a robe. A hand was extended to me, and I took it without caring who it belonged to.

It didn’t matter. I stood with their help, tears streaming down my face. I wrapped the robe around myself and finally looked up. The three of them were there, also in robes, silently watching me.

There was so much to say, yet nothing to be said. We were mates, chosen by the moon. That was it. That was everything.

The echo of footsteps caused us to swivel toward the entrance. There stood not only my dad, but the parents of the three boys as well, their eyes fixed on us.

“What’s going on?” Philip, Sebastian’s dad, was the first to break the silence.

Silence.

“The three of us are Jasmine’s mates,” Aaron declared, his voice steady and sure.

If Erik or Sebastian had said it, there might have been objections. But with Aaron, everyone knew he’d already considered every possible scenario, every potential outcome. He wouldn’t say it if he wasn’t certain. And there it was—the raw, unvarnished truth. I had three mates.

“Is that even possible?” My dad was the next to speak.

“I’ve never heard of such a thing,” Sebastian admitted. I felt a chill wind whip against my legs, the cold seeping into my skin.

“Let’s head inside. We’re not going to solve anything out here, and Minnie’s getting cold,” Erik suggested, draping an arm around my shoulders.

“How do you know I’m cold?” I asked, genuinely curious.

“We can feel it,” Aaron replied softly. “We feel everything you’re feeling.”

So they could sense my emotions—the love, the confusion, the fear. And I was scared. Scared of what lay ahead.

Ragnar, Erik’s dad, finally broke the silence. “Let’s continue this discussion somewhere more private. We’re not going to find any answers out here.” He motioned toward the castle stairs.

Without another word, we started walking, our dads leading the way. As we moved toward the council’s meeting room, I could feel the weight of their expectations bearing down on me. There were no easy answers, no clear paths to follow.

As we ascended the castle stairs, the reality of the situation began to sink in. My mind was a whirlwind, struggling to grasp the enormity of it all. I had three mates—three alphas, no less. It felt surreal, like a dream, but the emotions surging within me were painfully real.

Each step felt heavier than the last, the bond between us all growing stronger with every passing second. The others were quiet, trailing just behind me. Their presence was palpable, almost overpowering. I could sense their worry, their instinct to protect me, but also their own confusion. None of us had seen this coming. None of us were ready.

When we reached the council meeting room, I hesitated. My dad and the others were already inside, their murmured voices discussing the recent events. But I wasn’t ready to face them—not yet.

Aaron moved closer, his voice a soft whisper in my ear. “We’re with you, Jasmine. Whatever happens next, we’ll figure it out together.”

I nodded, taking a deep breath before finally pushing the doors open. The room was magnificent, steeped in centuries of history and tradition. This was where leaders made decisions that shaped our world. Now, we were about to ask it to make sense of something unprecedented.

As we stepped in, all eyes turned to us—my dad, their dads, the alphas of their packs. Their intense gazes only added to the pressure building within me.

And deep down, I knew—this was just the start.