Chapter 15: Chapter 15

AARON

Jasmine was my everything. I had loved her since forever, even before we became a couple, when we were just friends.

I was always the one who kept his cool, the one who made decisions based on logic, not feelings. But when it came to Jasmine, I was a goner.

Perhaps that was my downfall. We were inseparable, always together in the library, in study halls, in secluded corners of the packhouse where others didn’t dare to linger.

She was the only one who could match me intellectually, the only one who could make me question my beliefs, challenge my certainty. And, somehow, that made me love her even more.

I remembered the first time she proved me wrong. We were twelve, sitting on the library floor, surrounded by ancient texts, arguing about strategies used in historical battles.

I had spent days studying the Bellator Pack’s tactics, convinced that I had a solid argument. “They won because they relied on brute force,” I had confidently stated, crossing my arms. “Their warriors were stronger, faster. It’s that simple.”

Jasmine had laughed, shaking her head. “No, they won because they outsmarted their enemies. Strength was a part of it, but strategy was the key.”

I had scoffed. “That’s not true.”

“Then prove it.” She slid a book toward me, pointing to a passage with a smirk. “Read it and tell me I’m wrong.”

I had spent hours trying to counter her argument—to prove my point. But I couldn’t.

She was right. And the worst part? She never rubbed it in. She just smiled at me in that way she always did—like she was proud I had learned something new.

From that moment, I knew. She wasn’t just another friend. She wasn’t just another brilliant mind.

She was it. She was the only person who had ever truly seen me.

And yet, I never told her. Instead, I watched her fall for Erik first.

I told her it was reckless, that dating one of us would ruin everything. The truth?

I couldn’t bear the thought of seeing her with another man. But Jasmine, with her fierce independence and stubbornness, ignored me. She started dating him anyway.

I tried to distance myself, thinking that would be the only way to keep my sanity. But how could I? Even though she was with Erik, I stayed close, clinging to our friendship because I loved her too much to walk away.

Then, when they broke up, I thought I finally had my chance. But before I could say anything, before I could even process it, Sebastian came into the picture.

With his charm. His warmth. His emotional depth that I could never match. And she loved him for it.

Then, when she was heartbroken, she turned to me. And I let her.

Jasmine didn’t know this, but she was my first kiss. My first everything.

And for me, she wasn’t just my mate. She was my world.

She was my queen. Wolves usually have the Moon Goddess as their religion, but my religion was her.

I worshipped her. But even though I had her, I was haunted by the thought of the Moon Ball.

What if she wasn’t my mate? Worse—what if she had another mate?

I could barely stand the thought. I broke things off, thinking it was for the best. Maybe it was selfish, maybe it was naïve, but I did it for both of us.

I didn’t want to hold her back. Or worse—be broken by the bond that could tie her to someone else.

And yet, when I saw her at the Moon Ball, standing there in that navy-blue dress, her brown hair cascading over her shoulders, her green eyes glowing under the moonlight—

I felt my legs buckle beneath me. I had to lean against a pillar just to keep from collapsing.

And then, when the moment came—when she stepped into the center of the dance floor—

I knew. I felt it in my bones, in my wolf.

Jasmine was my mate. Love. Peace. Desire. Need.

For two glorious seconds, I felt like the luckiest man alive. Then it slipped away.

Because she wasn’t just mine. There were two others: Erik and Sebastian.

She was also theirs. Erik’s. Sebastian’s.

The moment shattered me. I had loved her before—but this?

This was deeper, stronger, unbreakable. She was my breath, my reason for existing.

And I didn’t care how many mates she had, as long as I was one of them. But then my father suggested she choose.

I saw the despair in her eyes. She couldn’t choose.

And it broke her. Maybe I could choose for her.

Perhaps I should remove myself from the picture. I loved her so deeply that I was ready to step aside if it meant she could find tranquility.

For the first time ever, I considered pushing her away. But then Sebastian was assaulted.

The guilt swallowed me whole. ~Could it be because I hadn’t made my choice soon enough? Had I let her down by sticking around?~

I attempted to be rational, but when it came to Jasmine, logic always lost.

Our fight—it was the most terrible one I’d ever had. Words slipped out before I could rein them in, and the instant they escaped my mouth, I yearned to retract them.

Then I watched her crumble to her knees. And I wished I could cease to exist.

But perhaps that was the answer. Maybe setting her free from me was the right thing to do.

Later, I convinced myself that she was safe with Erik. If Sebastian didn’t survive, and if I pushed her away, maybe she could find happiness with just Erik.

But something about that thought felt incredibly off. My heart ached.

My inner wolf was in turmoil. Every instinct was screaming at me.

All my efforts to shield her, to offer her peace, had only plunged us deeper into despair. I couldn’t stop myself from pacing, pondering, drinking, trying to divert my thoughts.

But no matter what I did, the anxiety kept gnawing at me. And then I heard it.

Erik. Yelling. For the second time that night.

And if the first time had raised my suspicions, now I was certain.

But this time—something in my gut churned. I froze.

“Aaron!” Fear. Pure. Terrifying.

I dashed to the door, my heart hammering. Erik was there, his eyes wide and his breaths ragged.

For the first time since I’d known him, he looked scared. Then he uttered the two words that shattered my world.

“She’s gone.”