Check Mate

Finally

Jasmine's POV 

Fire had covered everything. Reducing my home to a black building that was roughly saved from the deadly coils of the flames.

There had only been one casualty. We all knew who it was.

I walked towards his charred body-still laying as he had fallen when the boulder had come and crushed his brain and with it- his life. The flames had then taken the opportunity to completely mutilate his body so that we could never properly bury him. He would have to be cremated by Zara- our healer.

His flawless face that I had run my fingers over so many times had been reduced to a mere lump of charcoal-with bends and rifts where his eyes should have been-his lips nonexistent. Then tears began to fall every few seconds before beginning to flow like an endless river outraged by a storm.

What was I supposed to do now?! He was the only person who saw who I was deep underneath and we were never in love but we had something! Something that was now gone. 

Forcing myself to tear my eyes away from his corpse I turned my head. My eyes then caught light of something shining a few feet from Jesse's hand. I walked towards it gingerly-unsure of what it was.

I  slowly overturned the rock it had sought refuge under and picked up the object in astonishment. I had completely forgotten about the moonstone gem. It gleamed proudly on my palm as it reflected the sun. 

I cried even more as I pounded my empty fist into the ground. I could have had him! If he had only lived!

So what did I do? I ran with the moonstone into the forest like the bitch I am with my tail between my legs and my heart in my throat.

I didn't come back for a month.

I know, a little drastic but when you love someone-or at least you think you do-it hurts like hell to lose them. When all you experienced people who have loved before read this-you'll know that a month is actually not long at all. 

I left everyone and everything and became a hermit-a sexy hermit at that. I used all the money I had with me to buy the first flight to India that I could get. Don't ask why India because I don't even know. I arrived three days later with no clothes, no money, and no home but I didn't care. Running away seemed to offer up it's own beauty and security net. I felt as if nothing could touch me. 

I was able to secure a job as a washer. I washed clothes for people down in the river and while most of you spoiled Americans think this as a joke let me tell you that Indian's take their washing incredibly seriously. How clean your clothes are define your rank of status almost as  well as the material itself. 

I moved in with a lovely middle-aged lady named Priya who had unfortunately lost her sight. We shared a 4 by 6 square bedroom with a 10 by 7 kitchen/living room. I adore that cottage and miss it terribly for it was happier than any mansion I've ever been to. 

I would help Priya with everything-including talking to Ankit, a man she had known for a long time. His wife had died a year ago in a cave-in of their house and they had had no children. Long story short-they ended up getting married long after I left. 

Every morning I would wake at 2 to go release my wolf and let her run free. No one ever found out-I was careful enough. After a month it seemed that all the pain, heartache and passion my wolf had harbored was gone and I was at peace to. I had learned to cook, to clean, to love. I found that I wasn't the stubborn person (you see I could have said bitch but I said person so yeah notice how I'm better now. This makes that counterproductive but anyways) I had always assumed myself to be. 

So with goodbyes to all the amazing people I had met on my getaway-I returned to my home. 

I ran through the familiar forests and rejoiced in the glory of the sky that I had learned to seek refuge from in India. I still carried the moonstone with me everywhere-for it gave me strength. I reached the old fortress to find it rebuilt and stunning. The greatness of the building shocked me because I was so used to the homes in India.