Chapter 18

Jasmine's POV

Had to have high, high hopes for the living

Shooting for the stars but I couldn't make a killing

Didn't have a dime but I always had a vision

Always had high, high high hopes

High hopes was the song that blared out of my phone 7am on Monday morning.

Monday was the day that I trained in my wolf form. I use high hopes as my alarm for Mondays in particular because it gives this sense of motivation. Whenever I hear this song I feel like I can take on anything. So that's why I jump around in my room listening to the song over and over again.

When I'm pumped with enough energy I pick out my training outfits and some other things I will need after training. After taking a quick shower I head downstairs to see everyone at the kitchen counter. Jerry notices me first as I step on the landing of the living room.

"Morning everyone" I greet cheerily. I still feel a sense of kick ass energy from the song so I skip all the way to the fridge to bring out a cold red apple.

My family looks at me with weary eyes as they notice me bubbling with energy. Oh did I also mention that I had my headphones to my ear still listening to high hopes.

You probably think I'm weird or something but everyone has that thing that motivates them or pushes them to do more it just happens that I feel like I can take on anything with this song.

Jerry's lips are moving but I can't hear what he's saying so I go ahead to remove my headphones to put them around my neck.

"What did you say?" I ask him.

"High hopes" is all he says as his right eyebrow raises up questioningly.

I answered him with a big smile, while the rest of my family chuckled.

"I gotta run" I say going around everyone to give them a kiss on their cheek. My parents accept theirs except the twins but that doesn't stop me so instead I struggle but end up kissing them on their eye.

'Bye" I yell as I close the door behind me.

As I walk to the training building I put on my headphones to resume the song I was playing. I met Randal on the way, we didn't talk this time and I was too pumped to actually engage in a conversation when all I wanted to do was fight.

We parted ways when we got to the entrance of the building. I saw Dwayne, my trainer at the corner of the room talking to some other men of his muscular stature.

I went to the locker room to drop my duffel bag, stuffing the headphones into it too. I make my way back to the main part of the building to see Dwayne alone this time.

"Hey you" I say walking over to him to stand right in front of him.

Dwayne was pretty tall and heavily built but not too much to freak someone out; so I had to raise my head up a bit to get a good look at his face.

Like any other male in our pack he was handsome. I think the moon goddess did this purposely though I mean no one could call themselves ugly if you were a wolf. Everybody had almost the same shape or size. There was hardly any overweight person in the pack who am I kidding last time I checked there was no one.

"Hi there" he says giving me a high five that I had to raise myself on my tiptoes to reach. At that he chuckled after we dropped our hands to my sides.

"You ready for today" he asks leading us somewhere other than the centre of the room.

"Yep, I'm so ready to whoop your ass"

He laughs "Yeah about that, I'm going to warm you up but I'm going to pair you with a female so that neither of you would hold back".

I take in that piece of information then I look back up at him "That's okay, who am I sparring with?" I ask

"That's for later" he says grinning going into his fighting pace

"Alright.....just know I'm going to whoop your ass so bad"

"It's just training little pup" he says as we round each other.

"I'm not a pup"I say defensively.

He throws me off for a bit as he throws the first punch thank Goddess for fast reflexes or else I might have taken a punch to the face.

He chuckles at me.

Then I throw a punch to which he effortlessly dodges. He comes closer to me to twist my arm behind my back but I untangle my arms from his vice like grip.

"Good" he praises me as we continue to circle each other.

A few punches, kicks, and laughs later I'm ready to train in my wolf form. Since there is not enough open clearing underground we usually go out; like outside our extra-large cave. It might seem dangerous but trust me when I say this would be the last place any crazy person would come to not to say looking for lycans. And we have super active patrol guards. They are all like hulks on their own.

I still don't know who I'm sparring with I think as I walk with a patrol officer who will take me to the clearing to train in our wolf form.

Going to the room that leads to the stairs to  the landing above us. I climb up after the guard, I watch as he opens the trap door above him to see the sunlight that I am not accustomed to everyday.

I come out to see some wolves there already fighting, some patrol officers with walkie-talkies lazily strolling around. I admire the lush greenery around me; I take my time looking at everything even inhaling the fresh air.

I really wish I wasn't cooped up underground, I couldn't wait to be free and experience what freedom felt like. I smell Dwayne behind me and with no one behind or beside him.

"Who am I sparring with?" I asked him starting to get annoyed with the suspense.

"Calm down will you, she's coming"

I don't reply instead I shrug. Dwayne was saying some things to which I nodded to but not really listening.

Someone jumped from the tree and I looked around to find the person that was obviously calling for attention. When I looked at the female suited in black leather I immediately scoffed and rolled my eyes.

Of course it would be Natasha Brown; the most stuck up and probably the only female like that  in our pack. She had white bleached air. She didn't look like a granny though, she had the body all the guys in the pack admired and had probably had a taste of. But she couldn't care less. She was walking towards me like a predator to a prey and I was so confused until it clicked.

"This is who I'm training with" I say unbelievably turning to Dwayne who had that lovesick look.

Did I forget to mention that they were mates? Yes they are actually. She stopped messing around when she found out that Dwayne was her mate and that was like years ago. As any other guy he didn't really take it easy knowing that his mate had messed around a lot. They took a year break and now they've been inseparable ever since.

"Hey baby" she cooed as she walked past me to jump Dwayne who already had his arms open for her.

Then they started making out, like full blown I don't care making out. Wolves are normally affectionate but this is a tad too much. I just walk away keeping the apple I ate down not projectile vomiting it. She probably did it to spite me or something either ways she's disgusting.

I hear a deep chuckle from behind me to see the couple making their way to me.

"Sorry about that" Dwayne apologizes scratching the back of his neck.

"Its okay" I said not meaning it.

"Hi Natasha" I say extending my hand for her to shake. She just glances at me to my face then to Dwayne's face. She lets out a huff as she shakes my hand.

"Hi Jasmine" she says my name with such disdain that makes me snicker. I put a hand over my mouth to stop myself.

Dwayne looks at me weirdly "I'm not going to watch you guys fight, Jasmine you should know why".

I nod at him as answer. Since they are mates no sane wolf would watch his mate fight and not help her or protect her. And if he watches and I manage to scratch his mate I would have an angry wolf chasing my tail and I did not want that so he not staying was good for me.

"So who's going to watch us then" right on cue Randal appears beside me giving me one of his famous smirks.

"I will" he answers me

"You girls know the rules and I believe I don't need to go over them" Dwayne says looking at me and Natasha

"Yes I do" I answer while Natasha shrugs

"You know what to do Randal right?" he asks Randal who answers him "yes."

"Good I'll get going then" Dwayne announces giving me a pat on the head, handshaking Randal and kissing his mate on the cheek.

A moment later Dwayne leaves then Randal tells us to shift into our wolves. I got to behind a tree to strip and shift all the while telling Athena, my wolf what to do.

I shift to my wolf in all my white and patches of grey fur. I walk out behind the tree to see Natasha in her all brownish black fur.

"I want a fair match between the two of you, no cheating what so ever, whoever makes the other surrender first will be named the winner. I hope you understand". At his words I and Natasha let out growls meaning that we understood what he was saying. I didn't even know Randal could sound so serious.

Brushing off that thought I look towards my opponent to find her staring right back at me with her black eyes. Randal blows a whistle which indicates that the fight has commenced.

I circle around my opponent trying to analyze her moves to use them to my advantage before I can actually start anything Natasha leaps towards me with her paws outstretched like to scratch me. I dodge it by rolling over to my side. She lets out an angry growl as I get to my feet. I guess she isn't the patient type then.

She jumps again and this time she manages to land on me and she swipes at my side with her claws giving her no time I use my hind legs to push her off of me which results in her rolling around in the sand. She stands up to shake off the sand and the dust off her.

She charges towards me again but this time I'm also going to strike so I run towards her as she reaches me I jump to her side to scratch her with my claws making sure it goes in deep.

I turn around to see my handiwork on her wolf. She growls at me and before I can react I find my head in between her sharp teeth. I can hear Randal telling her to stop but she doesn't listen instead she goes ahead to tighten her jaw around my head, her unnaturally sharp teeth pierces my hard pelt, I don't move knowing that I will harm myself more.

I see that her chest is left unprotected so with strength whilst taking a risk of my neck I growl and use my front legs to kick her in the chest hard. She whimpers as she flies into a tree behind her.

I feel some of my blood dripping from my now reddish fur to the ground; damn! She has really sharp teeth I wonder if she actually sharpens them.

My kick must have been really hard because she still hasn't gotten down from the floor which gained the attention of Randal he went over to her to check what the problem was. A few minutes later Randal declared me the winner after scolding Natasha for almost eating my head off.

Seeing that I was done here I went behind the tree to shift to my human form. I wonder where Dwayne is I'm wondering where he is, anyways I'm glad he's not here so that his wolf would not eat me for hurting his mate.

Stepping from behind the tree I walk towards where Randal and Natasha were, she was now on the floor with a shirt on her body and guess what she was shooting daggers at me. What did I do; I was the one with razor sharp teeth to my neck I think but I must have said that out loud because Randal chuckles while Natasha growls lowly.

I said a quick sorry that I didn't mean to her and bye to Randal as I made my way underground.

I wipe some of the blood on my neck with a white towel and guess what that wasn't by best idea. My mom is going to freak if she sees it and then she'll make me wash it back to sparkling white. There are small teeth marks around all around my neck, its almost like as if it is some kind of necklace.

I make my way out of the locker room after cleaning up the blood, the teeth mark gone like as if it was never there. I didn't catch sight of Dwayne anywhere so I decided to leave, I wanted to apologize to him but I guess that will be later. I'm about to put my headphones back on my head but stop when I see a certain someone infront of the entrance of the building where I'm heading.

"Hey you" I smile as I bump my shoulders with Randal. He stumbles as I bump him. Okay something is wrong I know I'm not that strong. He catches himself as he looks at me.

"Hi J" he acknowledges me a grin forming on his face.

"What's up with you?" I ask. "You seem out of it"

"I ah....." He stutters.

Concerned I put a hand to his shoulder

"Are you okay Randal?" I ask again.

He looks at me crestfallen as he replies.

"I found her" is all he says with trembling lips.

Oh my Goddess. He found her that must be his mate, why isn't he happy.

"I'm so happy for you congratulations" I say firstly engulfing him in a hug that he returns weakly.

"Thank you" he replies pulling away.

"She will be so lucky to have a hunk like you"

"I don't think so when she saw me she burst into tears and she ran away" he says looking ahead as we walk away from the training building.

I want to ask him if we should head somewhere private to talk so that people passing won't eavesdrop on our conversation but he doesn't seem to mind so I keep shut and let him talk hoping he will continue.

"She clocked 20 yesterday on new year's day. How special can that be? I bet that she must have been super excited because she finally had her wolf and a mate. But I just had to spoil it all for her"

"Don't...."

"I know her you know, I used to mess around with her elder sister" ouch! "She couldn't believe her eyes that I was her predestined other half."

"I'm so lost Jasmine I don't know what to do. I've tried begging but she won't even look at me, she acts like as if she's allergic to me."

I take a pause in my step then I turn to look at him. He has bags under his eyes, his eyes don't shine like they usually do, his posture is a bit lanky not confident like it always is; because of the pain of his mate's rejection.

"Has she rejected you?" I ask

"It looks like she would". I look into his eyes and ask him again. He grudgingly replies "No."

"As far as I'm concerned she's allowed to be that way hell if it was me I would have probably beaten the living shit out of you."

"You have to remember that she is still a pup, newly turned one at that her emotions are all over the place. Give her space, don't crowd her, and then gradually apologize to her. Show her that you are worth keeping. Sobbing to me isn't going to help you."

"Be that confident Randal you have always been. I know its easier said than done but you just have to do something. I know it hurts a lot and I'd be lying if I said I understand how you're feeling."

"She needs reasons as to why she should not reject you why don't you show her that" I conclude. Giving him a big hug shaking and squeezing included.

"I don't.....Thank you Jasmine. Thanks for the advice" he says

"Its nothing. Just go get your mate"

"I will and for the record I was not sobbing"

I roll my eyes at him of course he would point that out.

"Yeah I know you were not just crying to me like a girl who just lost her high school boyfriend" I remark sarcastically.

He just laughs and hugs me one more time, telling me "thank you."

I look at his retreating figure after we pulled out of our embrace. I'm so happy for him and I pray he resolves the matter with his mate. Goddess knows its not pretty when mates fight.