After a long day in school, finally Jasmine enters the house thinking about her warm bed only to stumble back with a force as if someone has punched her in the gut.

She steadies herself as she looks around for the source that made her fall back but not seeing anyone she straightens up confused.

Shaking her head once again, she tries to enter the house and this time she knows what made her stumble back as something inside her howls

"Mate"

For the first time she feels her wolf surface and the force with which she shows she is there is hard to handle, having no clue how to do it she does the only thing she can she rushes to her room before anyone could notice her.

Closing her eyes Jasmine takes a deep breath to calm her as she tries to remember all the things her mother taught her about trying to calm her wolf in such situation. After a while, she feels her wolf back down making her breath in relief.

Good thing her wolf was not strong enough to shift or else it would have been very painful to her. Wiping the sweat off her forehead, she finally drags herself from the floor to the bathroom.

Stumbling she makes her way to the bathroom and washes off her face with cold water as her body can't stop shaking, when she finally looks at the mirror she gets a glimpse of her eye's color just for a second before it's gone.

After taking a shower to calm her Jasmine lies on the bed, all these years her wolf never showed up and now all of a sudden she does just by getting a swift scent of him.

When kids of her age had shift but she had not, everyone thought may be she was not a wolf. However, Adrian has proven them wrong telling them that maybe her wolf was not ready; after all, it has happened to some of the wolves before her.

Nevertheless, even after all these years she has not shifted, she had accepted the fact that maybe she was one of those wolves whose wolf never surfaced but was in a deep sleep inside them.

Now it was awake and the only reason was that her mate was back. She does not know whether she feels happy about it or curses her fate.

If the mate's pull is this strong that it made her wolf awake for the first time, she doesn't want to know what will happen when she meets him after all these years.

Moreover, she dreads what might happen if her mate rejects her again! It was easy for a nine-year-old Jasmine to handle the heartbreak she did not even know existed but now that she is of age, she cannot imagine the pain and the scars it will leave in her heart and soul if he rejects her once again.

It was easy when he was not around all this time to make her believe that may be, he will accept them and to let her heart skip a beat every time hearing his name.

Now that the reality is set, she wishes to, never get out of these bedroom walls to, never set her eyes on him or to, never feel her dreams become nightmares because eventually the words he said nine years ago will come true!

She can never be my mate. Someone as pathetic as her can never gain a title to be my mate!

Those words still haunt her. She knows she can never be good enough for him, because she will always be the daughter of the man who murdered his entire pack along with his mate!

Jasmine looks at the time and sighs, as she knows she must get out of the room and go to help in the kitchen. However, for some reason she does not want to go out and face the reality that will crumble not just her but her whole world.

She cannot make him love her or accept her; no, she cannot do that to him. How can she when she knows the consequences if he accept her.

She cannot betray the trust and love Scar and Adrian have given her. They have done so much for her, gave her a roof and place she can call home, how can she forget all of it? She cannot be the reason for their failure.

She does not want to come between him and his duties to the pack. She knows first hand better than anyone what happens if the Alpha of the pack is not strong enough to protect them.

Being someone's mate does not mean you have to be together, sometimes it means sacrificing your own happiness for your mate.

Your mate's happiness should always come before than your own. She will not let anyone point a finger at him because of her. She will not let him be the reason for his pack's downfall!

*******

Advin feels restless as he sits with his father and some of the guests that had arrived just so they can celebrate his return after all this time.

Once more, he looks around the room for the reason of his condition but finds none. He shifts on his seat again.

"What's up with you?" Lex whisper asks him seeing his friend fidgeting in his chair for quiet some time.

Advin clenches his jaw tightly as he feels his wolf claws to coming out as well his wolf trying to get free and take control of his human side so the wolf can start his hunt for his mate.

"Nothing just a bit tired from the trip!" he grits out.

He wolf howls when the door is opened and a fresh scent hits him like tons of brick "Mate!" his wolf howls

"Damn" Advin curses his wolf for loosing control like this with only a whiff of her scent. He has no idea what will happen if she comes in front of him! The wolf huffs as he grumbles and barks at him once before sitting quietly and giving Advin full control over his body.

Thanking his luck Advin gets up from his seat with some excuse and goes to the balcony for some much needed fresh air and takes deep breathe. He feels better as the cool air hits his face.

"What's up with you?" Lex asks as he too comes join to him.

All night Lex had kept an eye on his friend as he had been sensing Advin's restlessness and when he left the room Lex had made some excuse to come seek his friend who had a far away look.

Advin turns to look at his friend who has been with him all his life. They have been through tough and rough times; they have seen each other's downfalls, good and bad sides. Still for some reason he could not get enough courage to tell his friend one thing that means a lot to him, that he found his mate.

It some how feels wrong to tell anyone about it before telling her. He feels that the least he could do is confess to her before anyone else. He wants to give her that much credit before anyone else knows but he does not know if he can do it.

"Nothing, it's just...everything is overwhelming after so long. This attention and stuff is kind of getting on my nerves!" he chuckles trying to get Lex off his back as he watches Ad intently.

"Yap, can feel the pain bro totally!" Lex winks knowing that if his friend wants to talk about something he will when he wants to.

They both stand quietly with their own thoughts until Adrian joins them as well.

"Hey, now I didn't throw this party just so you two can hide here!" he states patting both boy's back.

They both smile at him before taking a deep breath and getting in before everyone starts to fill the balcony. As soon as they enter the room, once again Scar beams at her son and Lex as hugs them.

"Where were you two?" she asks looking from one to another before she hears Adrian

"Found them hiding away but they both forgot we are wolves and this is their welcome party!" Adrian teases making them laugh.

"The room was very beautifully done, thanks for the effort Ma" Advin kisses his mother's cheeks thanking her for efforts she made.

"You liked it? Awe, you are welcome baby! I should thank Jasmine for this idea, she is so wonderful isn't it Adrian?" Scar beams at the compliment as she smiles happily.

"Of course honey, that girl just knows how to make us love her even more!" Adrian pulls his hyperactive mate in his arms before nuzzling her neck lovingly.

Advin stands stiff as soon as he hears her name, his heart sores to know the thoughtfulness of his mate before a smile graces his face seeing his parents still so in love.

That smile falls off as he feels the familiar hole in his heart knowing he will not be so lucky to have it with his mate.

*******

Jasmine debates whether to go out or not, what if he was there and did not want her there, what if her wolf tried to come out in front of everyone, to claim him. No, no, that would be very bad and if he rejects her there then what? All these thought makes her pace back and forth in the kitchen.

"What are you doing making a hole on the floor?" she gets startle when she hears Georgia's voice.

"What? Um uh" she tries to speak but her mind is frozen.

"Relax Girl! I know you want to go in there and enjoy the night like everyone so get going, I'll handle all of this okay?" she says pushing Jasmine out of the room.

"NO" Jasmine shouts in protest and then turn bit red for shouting so out loud.

"I mean...uh...ah, you are alone I should help you and um it's a party for the future Alpha I shouldn't be there. It will get awkward you see" Jasmine tries to explain only to stop when Georgia puts her hand on her shoulder to calm her down.

"Okay, okay, if you don't want to go in I understand, you don't have to cry about it" Georgia states softly.

Jasmine looks at her wide eyes before touching her cheeks as she feels her tears running down, she didn't even know she was crying, or why?

"I don't feel well actually!" she says clearing her throat as Georgia nods before she lets her go to her room to rest for the night.

*******

Advin keeps looking around for her every time the door opens and groans mentally in disappointment when he finds that she is not there.

One glimpse, just one glimpse is all I ask he keeps chanting in his head. It has been so long since he had last seen her and he has been dying to look at her, to know how she was.

He had been torturing himself all the way here with playing mind games about her appearance, what does she look like now? Does she stills have long hair and does she still have that same magical smile. Has she grown tall or is she still her miniature version, as she was when he left?

Even after the party ends, he stays around in hopes to see her. Still, when she does not show, he finally gives up. Rubbing his face tiredly, he moves to his room.

He has been on the edge the entire night waiting for her and when he got a whip of her scent, he was sure she would come in and join the party but she did not.

Advin turns cursing himself as he can't help but walk the way he knew to well, he was sure if he closed his eyes he would know the way like the back of his hand.

He stands in front of the door knowing it all too well; this is the very door that had changed everything for him twelve years ago. This is the same door which, when he opened it had given him the most beautiful and worst thing wrapped up in one.

The same door that is locked right now, he debates whether or not to go in. His hand stops mid air to unlock the door, he knows she is in there he can feel her and God, if it is not killing him.

After a while, he finally makes a decision and without a second thought, he walks away like always. Maybe she does not want anything to do with him, if she wanted to see him she would have come to meet him already but she did not.

It was a bad idea anyway; he just loves torturing himself like this when he knows he cannot have her, the one thing that is just for him! He can never have it.

He slams his room's door in anger and frustration, as he feels restless and jumps on his bed trying to calm his racing heartbeat that has gone wild as soon as he knew she was right there just a click away and he would have seen her!

"Why? Why of all the people in this world does she have to be my mate?" he asks as a lone tear escapes his eye, feeling torn between wanting to see her and control his feeling for her.

*******

The room Jasmine has been staying in for half of her life seems smaller as every second passes by. Staying on the corner of the bed holding her breath seems like the only option she has left when she sense him standing just outside of her door.

Her wolf too seems to be holding her breath and looking widely at the door expecting something to happen as both of them wait wide-eyed.

For that mere second her heart sores at the thought of him seeking her, but just like all those times before the reason for their excitement disappears leaving a tell tale sign of his lingering scent behind.

Her wolf surfaces in expectation to see their mate but all her hopes crashes down when he leaves and she feels empty once again.

So close yet so far!

Jasmine tries to hold back her tears as she scolds herself for being so stupid.

"Why would he come for me? Maybe he forgot the way to his room; I mean it has been so long anyone can be lost in this big house. Even I had gotten lost a few times in all those years" she mumbles berating herself for being so selfish and thinking such absurd things making her heart miss a beat for nothing!

She can never have him as hers and its better if she accepts this soon before more damage happens.