Chapter 25: Jasmin's Betrayal

Adelie

The morning sun was a warm kiss on my eyelids, rousing me from a sleep so deep, it felt otherworldly. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d slept so soundly, so peacefully that I’d momentarily forgotten where I was.

My mind drifted back to the previous night, to Kairos and the darkness that had enveloped us. The kiss we’d shared had been a revelation, a surge of emotions I hadn’t known I was capable of feeling. I’d wanted him close, closer than anyone had ever been, and I’d wanted him to stay.

Everything that had led up to that moment seemed insignificant now, faded into the background like a forgotten dream. Suddenly, my heart belonged to someone else. It wasn’t mine anymore.

I’d surrendered my heart, given it away without a second thought. I’d allowed one person the power to shatter it into a million pieces if it made him happy. I’d let him do it.

It was as if my emotions had undergone a transformation overnight. The pain was gone, replaced by a comforting silence that came with the knowledge that someone was willing to love and cherish me.

And there was peace, a peace that came from knowing that my heart belonged to only one person. Hans was gone, not physically, but from my heart and mind. Only a faint echo of his existence remained.

I traced the spot where Kairos had marked me. It wasn’t painful, quite the opposite. It responded to my touch with a pleasant tingle. I thought about Kairos, about the way he’d kissed me, about how he’d wanted more but had held back. If the marking hadn’t made me lose consciousness, he would have lost control completely. Once we completed the mating process, we would be one.

I could have stayed lost in my daydreams, but morning training was about to start and I still had to eat breakfast.

I dressed in my training gear and braided my hair, leaving a few loose strands. I looked in the mirror and saw the mark on my neck. It was visible, different from the marks on the other she-wolves. Or maybe it just seemed that way to me.

I moved my braid to the side to cover the mark. I wasn’t ashamed of it, quite the opposite. I was proud, flattered even. But I wasn’t ready for everyone to see it, not yet. I was happy to bear Kairos’ mark.

I made my way downstairs, aware that I was running late. As I entered the dining room, I saw Kairos leaning against a wall and Jasmin sitting at the table, her arms crossed. Kairos’ scent seemed stronger than before. I liked it. Before, it had been too faint, leaving me wanting more. Now, it was just right. I wondered what my scent was like to him. Did he like it? He should, right? Since I was his mate...

Kairos was already looking at me before I’d even made a sound. The food on the table was untouched. “You didn’t have to wait for me,” I said to both of them.

“We have plenty of time,” Kairos replied, his gaze fixed on my braid. He lifted his chin and clenched his jaw. I tried not to react to his behavior, but then he was walking towards me.

He stood in front of me and moved my braid to reveal my mark. “Everyone will know either way. You don’t need to hide it. They can smell me on you, now that you have a mark,” he said, then guided me towards the table.

I stopped when I saw Jasmin staring at us, her expression a mix of shock and anger. Kairos growled at her. “What? Why so shocked?”

Jasmin stood up. “What! How could you mark her? Are you out of your mind?” She was furious, for reasons I didn’t understand.

Kairos seemed taken aback by her outburst, but he quickly recovered. “She is my mate and it doesn’t concern you if I mark her or not. Actually, you were the one who said she needed to be marked to become stronger. Isn’t that what you said?” He shot back at Jasmin.

I couldn’t understand why Jasmin was so upset. After all, it wasn’t her decision whether or not I received the mark. I stepped forward, positioning myself between Jasmin and Kairos.

“Jasmin, you don’t get a say in this. You hate everything about werewolves. You can’t comprehend the significance of the mark,” I tried to explain, but she just gave me a sour smile and shook her head in what seemed like surrender.

“No, that’s exactly what I do understand,” she said softly. “I understand the shared pain, the heightened senses, the constant thoughts of each other, the reliance on each other for strength and purpose,” she moved closer with each statement, “and the madness that comes with separation.”

She glanced over my shoulder at Kairos, her expression filled with disgust. “You’re as selfish as they come,” she spat at him.

“Jasmin, I asked him for the mark,” I defended Kairos, remembering our conversation from the day before. I wanted the mark, that’s why I asked him. I doubted he would have given it to me if I hadn’t asked.

“He should have told you it was a bad idea,” Jasmin retorted.

I turned to look at Kairos. He was already looking at me, his gaze distant and unreadable. “Why?” I asked him, but he remained silent, so I turned back to Jasmin.

“He’s going to the vampire coven. Few return from there, especially werewolves. He’s being selfish. The mark will only cause you more pain when he doesn’t return,” Jasmin explained. “And you, Adelie, you think he cares about you, but he only cares about himself,” she spat at Kairos. But I knew Kairos cared for me. I could feel his love. I knew he cared as deeply as I did.

I turned back to Kairos. “I’m sorry, Adelie. I care about you, I just...I...” he struggled to find the right words, but he didn’t need to explain. I had asked him for the mark. I could only imagine how difficult it would have been for him to refuse me.

“You can come back, right?” I asked him, but he just shrugged. “Why are you going there?” I asked.

“I’m the Alpha. I have to protect the pack. The vampires killed one of our own. I can’t let it continue. I know I shouldn’t have marked you. I’m sorry. But I’ll do everything I can to come back,” he said, almost pleading. But my mind was elsewhere, consumed by a thought more terrifying than Kairos confronting a coven of vampires.

“There’s nothing to apologize for,” I said, quickly changing the subject. “When did it happen?” I asked.

“Yesterday evening. That’s why I left,” he explained. But something wasn’t adding up. Someone had died. Death was a part of life, but for me, death had always been a chance for reunion. The terrifying thought that a reunion could come at the cost of a life.

“Was it someone from our pack?” I asked, confused.

“Yes... Adelie, what’s wrong?” he asked, his suspicion evident.

“He always visits me. He’s never missed a single time. He’s always there,” I said, my voice choked with tears. “He wasn’t there yesterday.”

“Adelie?” Kairos asked, confused.

“My father. He didn’t visit me yesterday,” I said.

“It’s probably nothing,” Jasmin said quickly, but I shot her a look.

“Something’s wrong,” I said. “You’re a witch, Jasmin,” I stated the obvious. “You said you can visit the afterworld. You’ve met my father before.”

Jasmin took a step back. “I can’t. I won’t do that,” she said immediately.

“Why not?” I asked. “You said you were my friend...” I was now angry at her.

“Death was probably just tied up, that’s why he didn’t come to you. You’re not a kid anymore, you don’t need him constantly,” Jasmin retorted, her voice shaky despite her attempt to sound firm. She was hiding something, I could tell.

“Why won’t you help me, Jasmin?” I asked again, my voice taking on the tone of my Luna. “Witches have journeyed to the afterworld before, it can’t be that difficult.”

I pressed on. “I know it’s not hard for you. My mom taught me about the power of witches. Why won’t you assist me?”

“Because I don’t want to!” She half-yelled, causing someone to gasp from the doorway.

Maeve stood there, looking shocked. She must have heard more than she was supposed to. “T...the training...has started...” she stammered.

“Go ahead, Maeve. We’ll be there soon,” Kairos said, and she left without a second thought.

“Training’s starting, we need to get going,” Jasmin said, acting as if nothing had happened.

I shook my head. “Don’t think for a second that I’ll train with you again.”

“You have to,” Jasmin said. “The prophecy...” she began.

“If the prophecy is even real, like you claim.” Her words had planted seeds of doubt in my mind. “If it’s meant to be, it will be. I’m the one in the prophecy, not you,” I retorted.

“You need me!” she insisted.

“Why?” Kairos asked, echoing my thoughts.

“If you train, I’ll help you with Death,” she offered quickly. Why the sudden change of heart?

I gave her a wry smile. “I can handle that on my own.” Jasmin had betrayed me. She knew something about Death but was keeping it from me.

I glanced at Kairos. He was looking down, but I could tell he was smiling with pride.

Jasmin’s voice pulled me back. “You’ll regret this. Not because of me, but you will regret it.” She walked out, her face not angry, but sad.