Chapter 773 – Can You Not Leave Again?

Chapter 773: Chapter 773 – Can You Not Leave Again?

Jasmine froze in Kael’s arms, her body going rigid, her mind spiraling with confusion that left her breathless. She couldn’t understand the reason why she felt this strange, this warm, this achingly right.

Her time away was supposed to help her heal from what she felt for him, or to give her the strength to let it go. She had spent months convincing herself that she was over him, that the feelings were nothing more than a childish infatuation, a wound that had finally scarred over.

Yet the moment his arms closed around her, every carefully built wall trembled.

However, it felt so right being in his arms, the attraction stronger than it was when he chose his mate. This wasn’t right, and she had vowed to never be the same woman she was before. The realization sent a sharp ache through her chest.

Quickly, she pulled away from him, denying him of her warmth, creating distance between them like a shield she desperately needed.

"Kael, please don’t do this." Her voice was steady, but there was a tremor underneath it that betrayed the storm inside her. "We used to be close, but not anymore. I don’t..."

Her phone rang, forcing her to swallow her words as she retrieved it from her pocket. Kael caught the caller ID. Louis. His chest tightened, a hot, sharp pain that made his jaw clench and his pulse race with a jealousy he had no right to feel.

Jasmine answered the phone with a smile on her face, a smile that Kael had once believed was reserved only for him, and the sight of it twisted something deep in his gut.

She greeted the person in French, the words flowing from her lips like music, and continued for a while before changing to English. "I’m still learning, Louis, but no, I can’t meet up tomorrow. I’m away on a vacation. Let’s meet in two weeks’ time."

She paused, laughing at something he said, the sound light and easy. "No, I won’t give you my location. It’s coded for the time being. Suit yourself."

She hung up, slipping the phone back into her pocket, the smile still lingering on her lips.

Kael’s chest tightened uncomfortably, a jealousy he had no right to feel burning in his veins until it hurt. "Who was that?"

He’d heard about Elodie, that he was Liah’s assistant, but not someone called Louis. The unknown name left a bitter taste in his mouth.

"Just a friend." Jasmine replied casually, frowning as if the question itself was unnecessary. "Hey, where’s Cleo? I haven’t seen her around."

"She..." Kael suddenly realized he hadn’t crafted a way of telling her about Cleopatra without making it sound like he was pursuing Jasmine because his mate betrayed him.

What difference would that make him? The guilt of it sat heavy and cold in his stomach.

He had chosen the mate bond because he was pained Jasmine chose Corvine over him, but now, he finally got to wear her shoes, though the situation was different, and the irony of it stung.

"Can we spend time together tonight?" His voice was hopeful, almost desperate, every word carrying the weight of months of longing. "I promise I’ll tell you everything."

Jasmine frowned, her expression hardening with quiet resolve. No way was she seeing Kael at night. "If you can’t tell me whatever you want to say here, then that’s it. I’m not meeting another woman’s mate at night."

Kael’s teeth gritted together, the pressure building in his jaw until it ached. He came clean, the words forced out of him like pulling teeth, each one heavy with vulnerability.

"Jasmine, Cleo and I... we..."

"Aunt Jasmine, we’ve been waiting for you!"

Esperanza’s excited voice interrupted the moment, the little girl running toward them with her arms outstretched, pure joy lighting up her face. Jasmine crouched in front of her, her expression softening, the tension melting from her shoulders as warmth flooded her chest.

"Espe, do you like the gifts?"

"Yes, and I want you to help me choose which one to wear." Esperanza’s eyes were bright with excitement that made Jasmine’s heart swell. "I’ll do lots of painting with the new paints before going to bed. Thank you, Aunt Jasmine."

She embraced Jasmine affectionately, her small arms wrapping around her neck, and Jasmine felt all the tension disappear from her shoulders, replaced by a warmth that filled her chest until it ached with love.

"Espe, I love you so much."

Her arms wrapped around the little girl as Esperanza responded affectionately, her voice soft and sincere. "I love you too. Can you not leave again?"

Jasmine smiled, rose to her feet, and carried Esperanza in her arms, the little girl’s weight familiar and comforting, a quiet anchor in the storm of her emotions.

"Espe, I have work outside the pack. I can’t promise to be here always like before, but I’ll always make sure to spend all my leave here."

Esperanza was saddened, her little face falling, her eyes dimming with disappointment that made Jasmine’s throat tighten.

Unlike all the other pups, she had been the one to spend most of her time with Jasmine, both at the city and at the pack, and things were never the same when Jasmine wasn’t around.

The other tutors, including her grandma Madison, were amazing, but Aunt Jasmine was the only one who brought fun and adventure, who turned every lesson into a game, who made learning feel like play. The bond between them was something precious and irreplaceable.

Other tutors and instructors at the academy feared taking the risk that only Jasmine would. At first, they thought it was because she was Olivia’s favorite, but after Seraphine arrived, things had remained the same.

Jasmine’s way with the pups was always different, as she allowed them to explore and learn in unique techniques that no one else dared to try, and the thought of leaving them again left a quiet ache in her chest.

"But Aunt Jasmine, I want you to stay." Esperanza looked pleadingly at Kael, her small hand reaching for his, pure hope shining in her eyes. "Uncle Kael, you want her to stay too, right?"

It was Kael who coached her on what to say to bring Jasmine back and it had worked flawlessly because Espe wanted her favorite aunty back as well.

Kael swallowed hard, his throat tight with emotion he could not voice. He’d seen that Jasmine had changed a lot from her time away but could not say which version he liked better. The old Jasmine had been soft, uncertain, always looking to others for approval.

The new Jasmine was confident, independent, a woman who knew her worth and refused to settle for less, and both versions still held his heart.

"Espe, let’s..."

"Kael, let’s talk in the evening." Jasmine’s voice was firm, leaving no room for argument. "But make sure you explain it very well to Cleo."

She said it before carrying Esperanza back to the academy, her footsteps steady, her spine straight, her head high, every step a quiet declaration of the strength she had fought so hard to build.

Kael sucked in a breath, the air filling his lungs and leaving slowly as frustration and longing warred inside him.

Indeed, if Cleopatra had not betrayed him, he would not be wanting Jasmine, and the thought of it made him guilty, though he knew deep down that he never stopped loving Jasmine. But who would believe him?

Right now, it was as if Jasmine was his last option, just as she had made him, and it wasn’t fair to her. However, he also could not give up, only hoping that the moon goddess would step in to make them second chance mates. The hope felt fragile and desperate all at once.

Frustration sat heavy in Kael’s chest, a weight he couldn’t shake, and even as he went about his duties, he could not get over Jasmine, thinking of how to process his feelings to her.

He arranged for a romantic dinner, candles and flowers and all the things he should have given her months ago, before mindlinking her when the academy closed, his heart pounding with nervous anticipation.

’Jasmine, please meet me at the private room in the cafeteria.’

Jasmine’s response was prompt, but it was not what Kael expected, and the words left a fresh ache blooming in his chest.