"It's so nice out here." Jasmine spoke as she walked ahead of me out into the clearing of the backyard.
I simply watched her, this gorgeous lady who was basically royalty considering she was an alpha's daughter.
I didn't know her and she didn't know me. So her asking for a private audience was confusing to say the least.
She turned around, her long dark hair fling in the wind and her forest green eyes settling on me.
"You know I once backpacked through Europe and met this pack that we preferred not to live in houses. They were all about living in nature and letting their wolf sides dominate. I lived among them for a couple of months and it was so liberating."
She shut her eyes, sucked in a deep breath and let out a satisfied sigh.
"When I went back home, I was so restless for so long. I had gotten used to being in the wild and living on instinct alone."
I was starting to wonder where she was going with this but I didn't want to be rude by telling her to get to the point.
"We live in such close proximity to humans that we often forget to let our wolves have their moment in the sun once in a while." She muttered and I wondered if she was still talking to me or to herself.
After being quiet for what felt like minutes, she opened her eyes again.
"I can't imagine what it was like for you suppressing your true nature and living among humans for so long."
I was caught off guard but also relieved. Something directed at me.
"Um, it wasn't so bad actually. I had friends and... my family."
My dad at least. He was human and normal,
Jasmine frowned slightly. "I'm sorry that your whole world had to come crushing down in more ways than one."
I suddenly wondered how much Tristan had told this stranger about me. I felt weird. My life story, with all its twists and turns and tragedies was still my life. I had the right to disclose who got to know my secrets.
"How much do you know?" I asked warily.
"Oh - sorry." She spoke seeming genuinely apologetic. "I know what it's like to have your life studied and lived under a microscope. Trust me, my dad has been having me supervised and watched since I was born."
"You still haven't answered my question." I spoke.
Jasmine gave me a half hearted smile. "About everything, I suppose. Again, I'm sorry but there's a file on you and it's in my job description-"
"To snoop?"
It came out before I could even control myself. The same way I had gotten mad about Joshua reading my file is the same way I was mad at this person I didn't even know knowing so many personal details.
Jasmine let out a small breath. "I guess Tristan really didn't tell you much about me. I'm an interpack ambassador. I'm in a department of ambassadors under the union who deal with issues that affect the packs under the union. And you, Crystal Swan are a hot topic for us right now."
I looked at Jasmine. She didn't look any older than Tristan. I didn't know if I believed that she had such an important sounding job.
As if she sensed my skepticism, she reached into her jacket pocket and took out a card.
It was actually an I.D. It has the Werewolf union logo and her picture and details.
"I promise, I check out. Ask anyone." I handed her back the I.D.
"So what are you here to do? Interrogate me?" I asked dryly.
God knows I had had enough of that.
"No. But I do want to talk. I do want to get to know Tristan's mate. If anything, we should have met ages ago if Tristan hadn't been so quiet about you."
I flinched at the word.
"We're not mates anymore." I explained. I felt a tingling feeling in my chest. As if the after effects of the rejection were coming to haunt me.
"I know that too." Jasmine spoke.
If she knew it then why did she bring it up?
"Tristan explained the entire fiasco."
"He seemed to tell you a lot."
Okay, this time I had meant to be snarky.
Jasmine simply shrugged, seemingly unbothered by my tone.
"Comes with the territory. We've only known each other our whole lives after all. We even stayed at the same base camp once when the war got particularly heavy. Being a kid and seeing your parents go to fight and not knowing if they'll come back created some deep bonds that could not be broken if we tried." She spoke casually.
I eyed her. "You've known each other your whole lives?"
Jasmine nodded. "Him, Peter, Lydia, Bridget and I. We were the unbreakable quartet."
"Who's Lydia?" I asked knowing I had never heard the name.
Jasmine's smile grew smaller. "Well... almost unbreakable. Tristan didn't tell you about Lydia?"
She seemed to be under the impression that Tristan had a lot of personal conversations.
If they were such good friends she should have known that our relationship wasn't like that.
I shook my head.
Jasmine sighed. "Well I can't blame him. It's difficult for any of us to talk about her. Lydia Reece was the first born daughter of Javi Reece, alpha of the Reece pack before his brother Carlos Reece took over. And she was the bravest person I had ever met."
"She's not with us anymore." I guessed.
Jasmine's frown deepened. "She was only fifteen when she enlisted for the army. Like Tristan, she wanted to fight for her people and - she had already lost her father by then which made her alpha. She died a hero."
I wanted to hug Jasmine right then. If I knew her better I might have. Yet another person Tristan had lost because of Ornyx. Yet another young person they had all lost.
"You would have liked her." Jasmine spoke, forcing a laugh. "I assume you met Bridget? Well picture someone ten times more intense than Bridget with wild red hair and you would have Lydia. She was something... half the boys our age were either scared or utterly in love with her. Even Tristan had a little crush, which was brave of him considering he was two years younger than her. I always thought that if those two didn't find their mates, they would get married and unite their packs."
Jasmine's smile faded. "But we don't always get what we want, I suppose. Lydia is gone, Bridge... we don't even know if she'll make it and now it's just the three of us."
"I'm sorry about that." I told her.
Especially since I still blamed myself for Bridget.
Jasmine furrowed her brows. "Don't be. You being here... it's a good thing. Call me a hopeless romantic but my wish for all my friends has always been that they would find their mates. After all they've been through. They deserve that."
"Tristan isn't my mate." I spoke, desperate to make it clear. "Not anymore."
He couldn't even bare to be in the same room as me.
Jasmine didn't respond immediately. "Do you want to be with him?"
I didn't expect that question. I don't think I had ever gotten that question.
"I - it doesn't really matter."
Jasmine pursed her lips.
"Tristan told me about your... tumultuous relationship."
That was one way to put it.
"Then he told you that he rejected me." I spoke, folding my arms across my chest.
I was so ready for this conversation to be over.
"Yeah. But you rejected him first to be fair."
I couldn't say anything to defend myself. What would I say? His hurt more?
I didn't know that. Bridget had told me that day at HQ that I never truly understood the feeling of rejection and now I did. It hurt like hell and it especially ached when he was around. Magnets meant to attract, now bound to repel.
"I'm not telling you this to hurt you." She added. "I just - the mating bond usually isn't too complicated. I've heard of mates who don't even have a sexual attraction. Their relationship is purely platonic and they even see other people. For years people have confused the mating bond for that because that's what it usually equates to. But really, the mating bond helps you find love, in the purest form. Someone you can't live without. That's why I wanted to talk to you.
I know that your relationship with Tristan isn't the best right now -"
"Did he tell you that?" I asked.
Did he tell everyone about how I had messed up his life? And his pack?
"It wouldn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that you two can barely look at each other." Jasmine spoke.
"No one expects you guys to get together and get married. But I think you should at least consider fixing this relationship so that you don't have to live in pain for the rest of your lives. Neither of you deserve that."
I didn't know this Jasmine but she seemed sincere. Or at least I don't think she had any ulterior motives. Turns out I wasn't so good at telling when people were lying to me.
"I've hurt him." I told her.
Jasmine sighed. "He doesn't see it that way. He thinks he ruined your life."
I scoffed.
"Right."
"Wow, you two really have communication issues."
Jasmine might have been Tristan's 'bestie' or whatever but she didn't know or understand anything that had happened here in the past weeks.
"What do you want Crystal?"
"What?" I asked.
She took a step closer to me. "Tonight we celebrate the full moon festival. A celebration so sacred that even Ornyx himself wouldn't dare to disrespect it. It's the sixth full moon in the year. Half way through and we choose to commemorate it by being our true selves."
I knew about the festival. I had never been to one because I could never be my true self as long as I lived in Woodfell. That's why I found my answer easier than I thought.
"What I want is to leave Woodfell."
Jasmine's face showed that she clearly wasn't expecting that answer.
"And Tristan?" She asked.
I didn't know what to say.
It's not like he wanted me here anyway.
"Did he tell you his plan?"
"That he plans on challenging Ornyx? Yeah he did."
"And you're okay with it?" Jasmine looked surprised and somewhat disgusted.
"Of course not. But there's nothing I can do. Especially not here. I'm practically in hiding."
"There's always something you can do." She spoke. "I just need you to be willing."
I furrowed my brows not understanding what she was asking of me.
"Tristan can't go after Ornyx. You and I can both agree to that. I think I know a way in which I can stop it. But I need you. So tell me, Crystal, are you willing to help?"