JASMINE’S POV
Hildegard hugged and rubbed my back while I wept like a baby.
The pain of the betrayal was unbearable.
How could they all leave just like that?
Xaden. Nanny Nia?
The only ho I had co to know was the Crescent pack.
Despite all the awful things I had grown to face, it had still been my ho.
This ant I would never go to my daughter’s grave.
I was abandoned here in the midst of strangers.
It broke .
"Even Nanny Nia." I wept. "I thought she cared about . I thought she really did. So it was all a pretense."
Hildegard quickly let go and caught my cheeks in her hands.
"No!" She said. "Don’t ever say that. Nia loved you like you were her own. I’ve never seen her love or care for anyone like you."
I turned my cheeks away and cried, unable to believe anything Hildegard had to say.
"If she did, then why didn’t she stay?" I said. "I understand Xaden is going. But her? She beca my family. She took care of when I had no one to turn to. And now she left ?"
I coughed violently and shook my head, refusing to believe this.
I withdrew from Hildegard’s grip and began to walk in the direction of my room.
"No, Jasmine," Hildegard said, going after . "She wanted to stay. She didn’t even want to leave you. She had wanted to stay even though she wasn’t being paid. She didn’t mind working for the royal family to stay near you. Nia would never leave you. Not by her own free will."
I sniffed as I coughed into my arm and staggered down the hall.
I don’t care if anyone was looking at ; I just wanted to get out of here.
I pushed the bedroom door open and went in.
Hildegard caught my hand and forced to look at her.
"LOOK AT , JASMINE!" She snapped aloud.
I jerked at the force of her words.
She caught my arms and shook .
In a much calr voice, he said, "Look at , Jasmine. I want you to look at ."
"Nia, that I know, would never have left you alone unless she was made to," Hildegard said. "I want you to understand that. Don’t let this change anything about how you feel about her. Okay?"
I managed to nod my head, but in all earnest, I was weak.
Then she pulled into a hug again.
This ti, I didn’t cry anymore.
I just rested my head on her shoulder while she rocked back and forth.
Did this an I’ll never go back to the Crescent pack?
I thought of my conversation with Xaden about lashes.
Was this what he ant by a fresh start?
Leaving here all alone.
"Excuse ." A small female voice said.
Hildegard let go of , and we turned to find a petite maid peeking at us.
"I’m sorry to interrupt you." The girl said. "But Her Majesty has sent for....her."
She was referring to .
Hildegard nodded. "Thank you."
The girl curtseyed and left.
"Do you want to rest first?" She asked , worry written all over her face. "I can tell Rose that you’ve had a stressful night and-
I shook my head as I wiped my tears. "No, I can’t do that. She is the Queen. If she wants to see , then she has to. Moreover, I’m fine. You don’t need to worry about that."
Hildegard looked at all over and then pulled out a hankie from one of her pockets.
She handed it to , and I mumbled a thank you before wiping my face clean.
"Co." She said and led towards where I would find the Queen.
Once we got to the tall mahogany doors, she gently cupped my cheeks and looked at .
"And you’re not alone, Jasmine," Hildegard said. "I’m here for you. If you’d like, you could spend the night with if you’re feeling lonely. Okay?"
I nodded. "Thank you."
She nodded at the guards who opened the door for us.
I walked in.
"I’ll be waiting here for you." She told before they shut the door.
I turned to look inside where I was.
This wasn’t the throne room; it was more of a private room.
There were shelves of books, paintings, a few relaxing chairs, and a reading table.
But there was no bed.
"Jasmine." Queen Rose said from behind her desk.
I walked up to her and curtseyed. "Your majesty."
"I’m so sorry for what happened to you." She said as she got up from her seat.
I said nothing because I had no idea how to respond.
"Would you like to sit?" She offered .
I shook my head. "No, thank you, your majesty."
"Xaden left you here because he wanted you to have a fresh start." She said with a sigh. "He wanted you to choose sothing different this ti."
"My apologies, your majesty. But how would I choose when he decided for ?" I said through gritted teeth.
She sighed and looked around as she sat back in her seat.
"Well, you aren’t wrong about that." Queen Rose said. "Xaden, like any and every other man, is complicated. They often make the worst decisions and believe they are making the right ones. I’ve experienced that myself."
I said nothing.
"I’m aware you are still looking for your family?" She asked as she examined so scrolls before her.
"Yes, your majesty." I nodded.
She wrapped up one of the scrolls and handed it to .
I received it.
"This is an official seal letting you stay here of your own free accord to search for your family. with Otto until you have found them." She told as I slowly opened it. "That is what you want, isn’t it?"
She was right.
I had chosen to search for my uncle and my mother’s people, but ti was running out.
If I had left the royal pack today, then I would probably never have discovered them.
"Yes, your majesty," I said.
"Sotis Jasmine." She began by opening her hand and showing a fla appear. "Life throws us different paths. We have to find our way. Would we fuel that path..."
And then she increased the fire, and it beca as big as her palm.
"Or we quench it." And then she reduced the fire until there was nothing there.
I looked in amazent.
She smiled. "Perks of being the Red Fla Wolf Queen, isn’t it?"
I nodded in amusent.
"Create your own path, Jasmine." She said as she leaned back in her chair. "And you might be surprised to hear this, but Jasmine, having you here makes the happiest I’ve ever been in a very long ti."
I smiled at her. "Thank you, your majesty."
And with that, I left the room with one mission.
I was going to find my Uncle and my mother’s people.
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