After All This Time

Chapter 32

Jasmine locked the door to the hotel room and laid down on the bed in exhaustion. She tried to get comfortable and sighed when she couldn't. Maybe a shower will help, she thought as she got out of the bed and grabbed the bag of clothes she grabbed from her old hotel room. She was so glad Raph had stored her stuff for her. He offered her another room but she knew that was one of the first places they would look for her.

She sat in the shower and just let the water cascade over her while her mind ran in so many directions she was pretty sure she was now classified as insane. Just as soon as the water started to turn cold she slowly stood and realized that she had been crying. She coughed and quickly washed off. She lost track of time of how long she sat in the shower and she had no idea when she started crying. Her mind was so full of chaos that she wasn't even sure of her name now. She dried off and turned to face the mirror so she could brush her teeth and apply a mask to help reduce the puffiness. She gasped when she saw the tattoo on her forearm.

"It's not fucking possible," She whispered as she ran her fingers along the fifteen pointed star with a crescent moon and mandala flower in the center. The star was combined by three intertwined pieces to make the 15 points. The crescent moon had nine crystals hanging off of it and there were five stars inside of the moon. It was simply breathtaking and yet jarring at the same time. She couldn't believe that it was there on her inner forearm and yet there it was staring back at her in the mirror. She looked down and sure enough there it was on her. She quickly pulled on her black sweats with roses on the side and white long sleeve shirt that had a ribcage with roses intertwined on it.

She ran the brush through her wet hair and applied chapstick to her lips. Feeling exhausted and her body felt so heavy like there was cement in her she decided to forego the mask and applied some moisturizer. She left the bathroom and sighed in annoyance as she looked into the room. "How the fuck? Nevermind that I know how, what the fuck are you doing here?"

"How are you feeling Cupcake?" Luke asked nervously as the rest of the group looked around nervously.

"How the fuck do you think I feel, Lucian?" She glared, "now answer my question, what the fuck are you doing here?"

"We wanted to make sure you are okay, Baby," North said softly.

"I'm not your Baby," She glared, "Do NOT call me that."

"Yes Ma'am," he nodded, "I'm sorry Jasmine."

"Please get out of my room, I'm tired and would like to go to bed," She sighed. "Now."

"Okay," Luke nodded. "We are in the rooms on both sides of you, just so you know in case you need us for anything."

"I won't," She glared.

"Okay," Luke nodded. "I'm glad you are okay Cupcake."

"Lucian," She fumed and he nodded.

"Okay, Jazzy," He spoke softly. "Oh hey, just well, will you answer just one question and then we will leave, please?"

She sighed, "What Lucian?"

"Will you please finish the claim so we can know what the tattoo brand looks like finished?" Luke asked pulling up his hoodie sleeve to show the star but the center was empty. The rest of the men did the same, they all had the fifteen pointed star without the crescent moon and flower. She automatically reached for her arm without even thinking about it. "So you do have it," He whispered walking over to her. He stood in front of her and saw her eyes were filled with pain and fear. He slowly grabbed her wrist and started to push the sleeve up but she broke out of the trance and yanked her arm free. "Okay, Jasmine," He nodded dropping his hands to his side. "But please, finish the bond, please. You can't deny you are our beloved anymore, you have all the proof you need. What more do you want?"

"Freedom," She whispered, "I want you to leave me alone. I don't want to be your beloved. I don't want to be claimed. I don't want to be your property and be used whenever you chose. I don't want to be owned and then just tossed to the side until you need something from me again. I want to be free."

"Oh Cupcake," Luke whispered ignoring all the rest of the barely there gasps. "You have it all wrong."

"Don't lie to me Lucian!" She screamed pushing him away from her. "I know how it is for purple moon half bloods. They are claimed and then treated like slaves to be blood banks for their supposed beloveds since their blood is so intoxicating. They are locked away never to be seen until they are needed to be seen as trophies. They are beaten until they become little mute submissives that do nothing for fear of another beating and yet no one says anything because all the bruises are where they can't be seen and even if they are no one says anything because they it's none of their business. And on the rare occurrence they do find good beloveds they are just rejected because they aren't pure bloods so they die alone and in pain. I've already endured one of those scenarios, I refuse to endure the other. I'll happily die as a mortal before I become your beloved and be rejected or used all over again. This," She pointed to her covered arm, "Will go away one way or another and there is no way you can convince me otherwise. Now get out of my room."

"Jasmine," North said suddenly and with pain in his voice. She turned to look at him, "If I leave the group and never contact you again, will you please finish the bond with the rest of them? They will treat you right, like a queen. I know you don't believe me, but they will treat you like Luke always has, spoiling you rotten. I'll do it, all you have to do is say the word and I'll leave."

"You are such a fucking idiot North Taylor," She rolled her eyes. "I refuse to be the one to break up your family. If you want to leave then you will have to find another excuse because I won't be it. Now if you wont leave then I will."

"We will leave," Luke shook his head. "We're going."

They left and she sat on the bed with her head in her hands. What the hell was she going to do now?