CHAPTER 556: WELCOME HOME

As Jasmine was forced down the stairs she couldn’t help thinking about Otto and what this meant.

She finally had someone that might help lead her to her uncle and know more about what happened to her mother.

The entire truth and where she came from.

Jasmine was delighted.

Even though above it all, she was disappointed that she had to wait till the next day.

"When you come to see him tomorrow." Hildegard pointed out. "You have to be very careful with him. He has been more stabilized though."

"Stabilized? What do you mean?" A curious Jasmine asked.

Hildegard sighed as they descended the flight of stairs.

"It means that his feral wolf is more dormant now. Perhaps like sleeping. It can hardly get up. He is a bit more in control now." Hildegard shrugged. "But that doesn’t mean he can’t just wake up again."

"Do you know what happened to him? What made his wolf go feral?" Jasmine questioned.

She shook her head. "I’m not sorry sure. But the reason why he still lives here is because this is the only home he has ever known. And the Queen would lose her mind if he left. She has known him for a very long time."

Jasmine nodded numbly.

And the she remembered what Marie had said.

How looking into the other world could make you lose your mind?

Was that what had happened to him?

Had he been so obsessive that he had gradually lost his mind till his wolf couldn’t handle it anymore.

And then Jasmine thought that perhaps, being an unshifted was not such a bad thing.

Any and everywhere she turned, something bad was happening to a wolf.

If being a rabid wolf happened only to wolves then that meant she also couldn’t be rabid too.

She quietly followed Hildegard down the stairs.

Descending the stairs was much more easier than ascending.

Once they got to the bottom Hildegard was panting.

"Are you okay?" Jasmine asked holding Hildegard’s side.

"Of course I am. Thank you." Hildegard smiled.

Then a servant came running to Hildegard.

"Lady Hildegard we’ve been looking for you everywhere." The servant said.

The servant seemed dumbfounded staring at Jasmines hair.

Jasmine felt uncomfortable so visibly being stared at.

"Oh." Hildegard mumbled. "Well I had just gone up to see Otto. Has preparations for dinner been made?"

The servant shook her head. "The Queen has requested that the new visitors would be served on their respective bedroom or anywhere else. She has chosen to retire to bed early ahead of tomorrow."

"Ah I see." Hildegard nodded. "Thank you Mira."

The servant girl curtseyed and kept on staring at Jasmine’s hair until she left.

"Well. It seems you won’t need to have dinner with the Queen. You can retire to your room and have a good rest. I’m sure you are exhausted." Hildegard remarked.

Jasmine was. Truly.

"What about Nanny Nia?" Jasmine asked. "Where would she stay?"

"She will stay in my bedroom. Alpha Xaden has agreed for you to stay in his." Hildegard reminded her and Jasmine simply wished the ground to open up and swallow her whole.

"Is it possible for me to stay in yours?" Jasmine asked.

"Of course not." Hildegard laughed. "I’m sure Alpha Xaden would be a gentle man. Come come dear."

Jasmine was horrified as Hildegard led her past the palace hallways.

Her sleeping in Xaden’s room?

She hadn’t stayed long anywhere around him for a while now.

Now even staying with Anna didn’t seem like such a bad idea.

In a matter of minutes, they were at a large ceiling to floor bronze door.

Jasmine swallowed.

Was he inside already?

Was he already waiting for her?

Why had he even offered to have her stay with him.

She wanted to scratch her skin out in frustration.

She was baffled.

Hildegard knocked.

There was no response.

She knocked again.

There still was none.

Eventually she opened the door and Jasmine stepped into a very beautiful room.

The walls were painted a dark green and plants were hanging in the room.

There was a beautiful canopy bed in the middle of the room with white sheets draped over it and tied to sides.

The blanket was fur and cozy with massive and feather cozy looking pillows.

There were beautiful wall paintings hanging on the walls.

Candles lit the room in the most illuminating and yet subtle way.

There wasn’t too much lightning

It was perfect.

And then the beautiful streaks of moonlight came into the room making it more picturesque.

There was an open balcony that boasted of the moon glowing in and cool breeze enveloping the entire bedroom.

"This is beautiful." Jasmine said gawking at the breathtaking room.

Hildegard smiled. "It definitely is. I’ll have the servants come in and serve your meal and place water for your bath. You must be exhausted."

Jasmine gave a tight smile of appreciation. "Thank you. I’ll love that."

Hildegard smiled and touched her cheeks very gently.

"I heard what happened to you." Hildegard said and Jasmine instantly knew what she was talking about.

It was like her body went to freeze mode.

"No she wolf, unshifted or not should ever go through losing their child." Hildegard said:

"In ways I can relate with how you feel. I was there when Rose lost her daughter. She understands the pain better. I am sorry for your loss." Hildegard said.

Jasmine held back the tears burning by the sides of her eyes.

"Thank you." Jasmine nodded as she chewed on her bottom lip.

Hildegard smiled nodding back at Jasmine.

"Alright." Hildegard said clasping her hand together. "The servants would be here as soon as I leave. If you need anything you can ring for me. I’ll make sure your clothes and other things are brought."

Hildegard walked to the door.

"Thank you very much." Jasmine appreciated.

"You’re welcome my child." Hildegard said. "And one more thing Jasmine. Welcome home."

And at that very moment Hildegard closed the doors.

~~~~~~~~

*Welcome home*

That was an odd way to put it.

And yet it seemed to be the perfect phrase.

Home.

In a place so foreign.

Jasmine for once in her entire life could relate to that feeling.

Home.

Even more than the crescent pack.

This was home.

It felt like home to her.

She shrugged off the thought as she very gently walked around the room.

Her hand gently traced the beautiful shelves lined with books, and then her finger touched a unique wine glass.

She slowly walked towards the balcony and sure enough it was beautiful.

The cool breeze of the night hit her and it felt like nostalgia.

As though she had been here.

As though this was part of her.

But of course it wasn’t possible.

Her emotions were just playing with her and that was that.

She leaned by the balcony and watched the entire city.

It was beautiful.

She wondered what it looked like in the day time.

But in the night? It was exhilarating.

In her life she had never thought that she would enjoy such pleasantries.

She remembered how she had grown up.

How she had been raised as the bastard daughter of Alpha Bale.

The one who was needed hidden.

Flashes of how she had been beaten with whips and then a shiver came down her spine when she remembered that she still had those exact same scars on her back.

She had never thought she would make it out of there.

Even if she did, not alive.

She sighed to herself and very gently went back to the bedroom.

She walked towards the large poster bed and gently rolled her finger around the curtains before going to the bed.

She sat on it and sure enough, it was softer than she had expected.

Her entire body simply drowned inside the mattress.

She swung her arms around the bed like a snow angel and closed her eyes in pleasure.

She took in a deep breath to experience the feel of the bed.

Her eyes still shut, she grabbed the pillow and placed it under her head.

It was filled with feathers just as she had imagined.

She closed her eyes and let her hands trace the silk bedsheets.

There was a knock at the door which instantly startled her.

She jumped in fright.

Was it Xaden?

Was he already here?

Her heart began pounding.

The knocking continued and she held the blanket in fear.

"Who is it?" She managed in anxiety.

"We’re the servants." Came a soft feminine voice. "We’re here to deliver your meal, clothes and hot bath."

Jasmine let out a sigh of relief and hurriedly rushed up from the bedroom to open the door and revealed six servants she wolves at the door

"You didn’t need to open it for us-"

The moments the servants saw her, their smile fell and their faces went pale when they saw Jasmine.

As though they had seen a ghost.