Chapter One
I bit my lower lip hard as I stuffed my things into my tiny duffle bag. I absolutely refused to cry.
I was stronger than that. I had been through a lot in my twenty-two years of life. Getting kicked out of my aunt and uncle’s house was definitely not the worst of it.
“Tallula! Aren’t you packed yet?” Aunt Sharon demanded, bursting into the small walk-in closet that I had been using as a bedroom.
I kept my head down, knowing that doing so would reduce the chances of me getting slapped. “Sorry, Aunt Sharon,” I mumbled in what I hoped was a humble tone.
Aunt Sharon smacked the gum in her mouth in annoyance. I wasn’t looking at her but I could imagine the way her eyes would narrow at me. “I don’t recall asking for an apology.”
“I’ll be done soon,” I said, gesturing at the near-empty closet. “Just a few more things.”
Aunt Sharon scoffed before turning on her heel and stalking out of my “room”. “I can’t wait to finally be rid of you and you’re taking your sweet time getting out of my face. You’re just lucky your mother had a caring older sister like me.”
She slammed the door shut behind her and I let out a breath I hadn’t realized I’d been holding before continuing to pack my things. I blinked hard, bemused by the tears that were threatening to leak from my eyes. I shouldn’t be sad to leave. Though my aunt, uncle, and cousins made it abundantly clear they didn’t like me, they were still the only family I had.
I thought picking up a few extra shifts at the craft store would make it easier for me to afford to pay for my community college classes. I had some money left by my parents but it wasn’t enough to cover books and that kind of thing. My plan completely backfired when my aunt and uncle told me that if I was picking up more shifts, I could afford to move out. I begged them to let me start paying rent but my cousin wanted her closet back, so it was decided I needed to be out in a week.
I jumped when the door flew open, hitting the wall with a crash, and my older cousin, Connor, waltzed into the room.
“So, you’re finally going to stop freeloading, are you?” Connor addressed me with his usual condescending tone.
I met Connor’s gaze unflinchingly. “I’ve been offering to help out with the rent for years, Connor.” He was only a few years older than me but his greasy shoulder-length blonde hair and patchy stubble made him somehow look both younger and older at the same time.
Connor tilted his head as if studying me. “You’re not actually part of this family. You’re not my sister or anything,” he sneered and then shook his head. “You’ve been a thorn in our sides for too long. I’m surprised Mom and Dad didn’t kick you out sooner, considering the shame you brought on our family.”
I felt my face redden but I refused to let his words get to me. My parents weren’t married when my mom gave birth to me. My father abandoned her as soon as he found out she was expecting a baby. I never met him, didn’t even know his name.
I didn’t need to know him though. Mom had been my whole world. She received a lot of ridicule for choosing to have me and raise me on her own but that didn’t stop her from giving me the love and care I needed. We did everything together. We didn’t have much but she still gave me a wonderful childhood, making me toys out of recyclables and playing with me when she had some time between her two jobs.
“Is there something you need from me, Connor?” I asked as politely as I could.
Connor just stepped further into the closet, looking around critically. “This is my house,” he stated. “I can go anywhere I’d like and this closet isn’t going to be yours for much longer.”
I really wasn’t sure what he had against me. He and his sister Abbie both used to play with me when we were children. When I thought back though, it was clear that my aunt and uncle didn’t particularly like it when I hung out with their kids. We would get together during family functions and reunions but they never went out of their way to see me and my mom.
Connor didn’t speak as he stood there with his arms crossed, watching me as I moved around the closet to grab the last of my things. I was extra careful with a framed picture I had of my mom and me. It was the last picture taken of the two of us before the accident. Swallowing hard, I carefully wrapped the frame in a tiny blanket to protect it before tucking it into my bag.
I looked around the closet. It had been my room since I moved in at seventeen, just months after Mom died. The closet was just big enough for my sleeping bag and the few belongings I had, but it was still the only home I’d had for the past five years.
Zipping up my bag, I turned to go. Connor didn’t move. He just smirked down at me.
I just stared at him, tightening my hand on the strap of my worn duffle.
“Excuse me,” I said.
Connor didn’t budge, his expression amused and challenging at the same time. I waited and when he still didn’t move, I stepped forward, deciding I would just have to move around him.
As a former college football player, he still carried a lot of muscle on his large frame, so he completely filled the doorway, blocking my exit.
“Excuse me,” I said again, shifting so that I could squeeze by him.
I yelped when a sharp pain exploded across the side of my face. Raising a hand to my cheek, I stood there in shock. Connor’s eyes narrowed, his hand still raised from slapping me. He smirked at my expression and closed the gap between us again, his fingers wrapping around my throat.
“I don’t remember telling you that you could leave,” he said, his hand tight around my neck.
I swallowed, not liking the dark look that suddenly entered his eyes. “May I leave?” I asked.
Connor hummed, clearly pretending to ponder my request. “I haven’t decided yet. You’re leaving; you might not keep in touch after you’re gone. Wouldn’t that be sad?”
He didn’t really care if he was ever going to see me again. He might miss the control he could exert over me if anything. I tried to ignore the pain in my throbbing cheek as I stood my ground. Luckily, I was saved by the sound of footsteps.
“I told you that she’d still be packing even after all of this time, George!” my aunt spat in an exasperated tone.
Connor dropped his hand from around my throat and stepped out of the way to allow his parents to take his place in the doorway. My uncle eyed the bag I clutched tightly over my shoulder.
“Make sure you have everything,” he told me gruffly. “I won’t have you coming back here again. Understand me?”
“Yes, Uncle,” I said immediately, trying not to let on how relieved I was.
“Get on with it then!” My aunt huffed impatiently, pulling her husband out of the way so I could pass.
Aunt Sharon was always eager for me to leave. I think my uncle secretly felt bad for me and convinced her to let me stay this long, but all I was to my aunt was a constant reminder of her failure of a younger sister.
“Thank you for letting me stay here all this time,” I said as I stood at the front door.
My cousin Abbie scoffed from her spot next to Connor. “Finally, I can have my closet back,” I heard her mutter.
“Don’t go lying and telling people that we kicked you out,” my aunt said firmly as I stepped out onto the porch. “It was only right since you’re making more money now.!”
“Yes, Aunt Sharon,” I said. I offered them all a friendly smile. “Goodbye.”
I descended the steps without looking back, despite the fact that I had no idea where I was going. I spent the next couple of hours wandering the streets of Los Angeles, looking for a place to crash for the night until I could figure out what to do. I debated staying with one of my friends but both Anna and Sophie lived in small places with several roommates. I couldn’t ask them even though my best friends wouldn’t have minded. They would be horrified to learn I was kicked out of my aunt and uncle’s house. I didn’t want to worry them like that.
All of the hotels in this area were fairly expensive since I was still close to my aunt and uncle’s upper-middle-class neighborhood. There was nothing I could afford without my savings taking a huge hit.
I found myself wandering the edge of a park. There were signs posted everywhere, warning against sleeping on park benches. I stepped through the trees, wandering aimlessly, deeper and deeper, feeling increasingly sorry for myself and once again debating whether to walk to Anna or Sophie’s apartment.
I clenched my jaw and shook my head hard. They might not find me pathetic like I feared they might but I just couldn’t bring myself to explain my situation to them. They wouldn’t judge me but I didn’t want to go from depending on my family to depending on my friends. I needed to stand on my own two feet.
That’s what I wanted to do but it was getting darker, the wind colder. I pressed on, pushing through the trees, not sure what I was even looking for. I was probably outside of the park boundary now. There was nothing but trees and bushes around. Maybe I could find a nice hedge or shrub to sleep under. At least I would be covered.
Just when I was going to give up and call one of my friends, a tiny building appeared in front of me, nestled amongst some tall trees. I moved closer and realized it was a storage shed of some kind. I looked around but could see no other people or buildings, just trees. I swallowed and stepped up to the small gray building, holding my breath when the door gave, revealing a remarkably neat interior with a simple workbench and some boxes.
I couldn’t believe my luck! I could stay here for the night and be back out by dawn before the owner even had a chance to discover me. I dropped my bag on the dusty floor, yanked my sleeping bag from the pack, and spread it out. My heart twisted as I pulled out the picture of Mom and set it beside my makeshift bed.
“Goodnight, Mom,” I murmured as I curled up in the sleeping bag.
My eyes shot open a few moments later when deep-pitched howls met my ears. I gasped and burrowed more deeply into the bag, thankful that I had found a safe place to rest for the night. I would hate to wind up being wolf food.
[divider]Chapter Two
Jasper
“Jasper, are you catching wind of this?”
I didn’t even spare a glance at my companion to my right. “Yes,” I answered curtly through our mental link.
Kieran was quiet for a moment, digesting my sharp response. I might have seemed calm but I was livid at the fact that there was an unfamiliar scent in our territory.
“What is it?” asked Monty from my left.
“Why don’t you try detecting it yourself?” I barked sharply.
“Jeez, sorry,” Monty said, and I could easily imagine him rolling his eyes.
Next time, I was going to insist that we do our rounds separately. These two were going to be the death of me one day. I was more than a little irritable, and although I supposed I could have attributed that to the fact that there was no moon tonight, I knew better: I didn’t take kindly to trespassers.
“Oh,” Monty said, his mental voice clipped, and I knew he caught wind of the scent. “Seems like we’re going to be cleaning up scraps tonight, Kieran.”
“It’s awfully close to your house, Jasper,” Kieran rumbled, his voice was low with malice.
I focused on the scent but I was too blinded by rage at the moment to get a good read on it.
Alpha Riley would not be pleased. The three of us sprinted through the trees, our paws pounding hard into the dirt. We moved swiftly, the cold wind ruffling our fur.
In the several generations our pack has existed, we have managed to keep our borders contained. Our ancestors had wisely placed our Ravenpine pack estate deep in the forest just on the outskirts of the Altadena community. We were far enough from the sprawling city of Los Angeles to have maintained the safety and privacy of our pack members for a long time now, but that didn’t mean there wasn’t a breech every now and again.
“Just once I’d like to actually turn one of these invaders into scraps,” Monty growled.
Kieran’s voice in my head was flat. “Let’s hope we never have to,” he said. “I for one get enough satisfaction out of just striking fear into their hearts. We’ve never had the same wanderer come by more than once after a good stare and baring of our teeth.”
If I had been blessed with having been a member of the very first generation of the Ravenpine pack, I would have lobbied to have our border drawn further from the big city, but as it was, it did give us a way to keep a low profile. We could get lost in crowds and still live normal human lives outside of our pack duties.
“You two continue patrolling,” I ordered. “I’ll take care of it.”
Kieran eyed me as he ran beside me. “You sure?” he asked.
“If we all go, the bastard will never come back for sure,” Monty added, enthusiasm dripping from his tone.
“It’s just one measly human from what I can tell,” I said, rolling my eyes. I switched to my beta voice. “Go. That’s an order.”
Monty chuckled. “Oh, we just received an order, Kieran,” he crowed.
I could almost hear Kieran rolling his eyes. “Let’s go, Monty,” he commanded, already turning to break off from me.
Monty barked a laugh. “Now the Gamma is ordering me around. Will this never end?” But he moved to follow after Kieran, whose large, dark amber wolf form was already disappearing through the trees.
I wasted no time in tearing down the path leading toward my house, eager to ensure this never happened again. It took some major convincing to get the alpha to allow me to move out of the pack estate. I managed to do so, but only under the condition that I lived just on the border of our large territory so that I could serve as a lookout for trespassers.
How had this one human gotten past my radar and snuck up on my home? I could blame the alpha for sending us out on these long border patrols. I haven’t been home for a couple of days since we were required to thoroughly inspect 25 miles of our perimeter per day.
I nearly stopped in my tracks in surprise when I was finally able to calm myself enough to get a good read of the scent that permeated the air around my house. It wasn’t one that I recognized, which wasn’t the most shocking part. It was a fresh scent, similar to roses, and it was undeniably feminine.
And it was coming from my shed.
My body relaxed considerably. This was nowhere near a threat; this was just a girl. It took me several seconds to shake myself from my shock enough to bound over to my house. I shifted back into my human form, the cool night air pouring over my naked skin. I pushed the door to my house open and changed into dark jeans and a T-shirt before stepping back outside.
If this was a simple human girl I was dealing with, I hardly needed to be in my wolf form to strike fear into her heart. I was going to make it clear that no one was allowed to invade my property.
I stalked up to the shed, my blood racing with rage as I threw the thick wooden door open.
It was dark due to the moonless night but my eyes adjusted easily as it took in the small space and the even smaller bundle in the corner, wrapped up in an old sleeping bag.
My anger spiked even further at how comfortable this woman had made herself. She didn’t even wake up when I entered. Foolish girl.
I crossed the small space between us, moving slowly and carefully, not wanting her to wake up until I was towering above her at my full height. I was looking forward to the sound of her scream.
I faltered slightly as I moved to stand above her. The scent of roses was even stronger now and it nearly had me stumbling backwards. I shook my head before extending my hand toward her.
My hand froze as I took her in.
The woman’s face was soft, peaceful with sleep, her small hand curled against her smooth cheek. Thick lashes tickled the tops of her cheekbones. Even though she was covered by the sleeping bag, I could tell she was young, probably a few years younger than me. She was also extremely petite.
I suppressed a growl of frustration. What the hell was wrong with me? She was a trespasser. I should be waking her up and chasing her out of here. For some reason, hesitation filled me. It could have been in part because she was so obviously not a real threat. If she wasn’t trying to rob me or trespass, then what the fuck was she doing here?
One quick glance at the worn duffle bag she had beside her had me wondering if she was running away from somewhere. Maybe she was a criminal or recently homeless. That seemed unlikely. She looked like an ordinary girl, not the typical type that ended up on the streets of LA.
Looks could be deceiving though, I reminded myself calmly. I bent down to wake her up so I could order her to leave, but I found myself carefully slipping my arms underneath her slumbering form and lifting her up, sleeping bag and all, so I could cradle her against my chest. This was ridiculous but that didn’t stop me from stepping out of the shed, crossing the small clearing, and nudging the door of my house open with my foot.
Somehow, the girl didn’t even stir, but I did hear her inhale a little sharply. She didn’t wake up though, so I just continued further into the house. Her skin was cold and when I stared into her face, I realized she looked a little pale as well. What caused my eyes to narrow though was the bruise forming on her left cheek. Had someone dared to lay a hand on her?
Protectiveness surged within me and I was once again wondering why the hell she had been sleeping in my shed. Perhaps she was running from something. Or someone.
Even if she had been running, sleeping in a random shed was still a foolish thing to do. We were in the middle of the woods. Anything or anyone could have wandered by and harmed her. Then I scoffed at myself, shaking my head at the ferociously strong urge to protect those obviously weaker than myself.
If she had been mine, I would have made sure she thought twice before doing anything this reckless ever again. I found myself suddenly imagining what it would be like to toss her over my knee, place my strong thigh over both of hers and bare her bottom. She had nice skin and a healthy, round face. I could only assume her bottom matched. It would likely be full, with the perfect amount of bounce when I struck it sharply, turning it a lovely shade of pink and then red. I could picture the way she would squirm against me as I held her pinned down, completely at my mercy.
She wasn’t mine though, I reminded myself tersely. I had given up on finding my mate long ago. My duty was to my pack and nothing was going to change that, even an attractive young lady with long silky brown hair and a small, sweet frame.
I laid her down carefully on the leather sofa. She made a tiny moaning sound and curled up further in her sleeping bag. Was that normal? Should I be concerned that she didn’t awaken when I picked her up? I leaned forward to get a better look at her. She seemed to be breathing fine and to be sleeping peacefully. There were some shadows beneath her eyes that suggested she was overly exhausted. My protective instincts surged again and I had to push them back down.
I turned away from her and started tossing some logs into the fireplace to warm the foolish girl up. What the hell was I doing? It felt like I’d asked myself that a dozen times since I walked into the shed just minutes earlier.
I should be reporting this to Alpha Riley. Any trespassers should be immediately reported to him, but I knew he would likely overreact, even though this girl seemed harmless. I wouldn’t put it past our stern Alpha to have her arrested for trespassing. She looked like an innocent girl, though. She didn’t deserve those kinds of repercussions, especially since she obviously wasn’t attempting robbery.
No. Alpha Riley didn’t need to know about her. I could have someone drive her back to the city, maybe Kieran or Monty. I dismissed that idea almost as quickly as it had popped into my head. Kieran and Monty would be less inclined to go behind the alpha’s back. Being the beta, I could get away with that much more easily. I would allow her to sleep until dawn and then I would drive her back into the city.
The sound of fabric sliding across leather had me turning slowly to face the girl I had left slumbering on the couch. She was shifting, a little restless now, but her eyes remained closed.
Was she having a nightmare? I stood up to cross the room so I could stare into her face.
She was still asleep but no longer peaceful. Her full pink lips were pressed together tightly, a little wrinkle forming between her eyebrows as if she were in pain.
I was just debating what to do when her eyelids fluttered open, revealing the most beautiful eyes I had ever seen.
[divider]Chapter Three
Tallula
The first thing I became aware of as I rose toward consciousness was warmth. I was tempted to just curl up and enjoy it but then all of the memories from the past day came flooding back: I’d gotten kicked out of my aunt and uncle’s house. I was homeless.
I needed to find somewhere to stay, I thought with a panic. I inhaled sharply and opened my eyes, blinking at a dark ceiling that I didn’t recognize. I gasped and shot upright, stifling a scream when a pair of stormy gray eyes found mine.
“Calm down,” a deep voice barked sharply.
I stared at the man standing in front of me. He was extremely handsome with dark, slightly wavy hair and eyes that resembled dark storm clouds. They were deep, intense, and completely focused on me, as if trying to read my soul.
Daring to take my eyes off him for a moment, I looked around in confusion. I was in a house with warm wooden furniture and high ceilings. I tried in vain to remember how I got here and was coming up empty. I shifted my focus back to the man. My nerves were set on edge by the way he was looking at me…
My voice came out shaky. “How did I get here?” I asked breathlessly. I felt my jaw drop and I stood up so I could back away from him. “Did you kidnap me? What do you want from me?”
My confusion just doubled when the man tilted his head at me before chuckling. “What a strange thing to hear from the woman who I found camping out in my shed.”
I blinked as I processed his words before I felt my face flame. “I’m so sorry,” I said, stepping forward and waving my hands back and forth in front of my face. “I swear I didn’t mean to trespass or anything. I just needed a place to stay for the night.”
The man’s eyebrow twitched upward and I wished desperately that he would blink. “So you chose my shed?” he asked in disbelief.
Shame coursed through me and I could feel my flush deepening. “I tried to find a hotel but there wasn’t anything nearby that I could afford,” I explained as calmly as I could. I swallowed hard. “Please let me stay, just for a little while. I don’t have much money but I can pay you. I’ll do anything!”
I squeezed my eyes shut and bowed my head. I knew I must have sounded desperate but I couldn’t imagine sleeping outside behind a hedge, trying to dodge the security guards that were likely wandering the lavish, upscale neighborhood parks.
The man was quiet, causing my nerves to spike again. I hazarded a glance up at him to find an almost dark gleam glinting in his eyes.
“Anything?” he asked in a deep voice.
I was barely able to suppress a shiver. His dark gaze swept over me like a slow caress, causing fear to stir in my gut, along with something else, something warmer that threatened to creep lower, down to the special spot between my thighs.
“What’s your name?” His tone held obvious demand but there was genuine curiosity there as well.
“Tallula,” I said, hating how mousey my voice sounded. “Tallula Harper. It’s nice to meet you!” I shoved my hand forward, surprised when he didn’t hesitate to take it in his much larger one.
“Hello, Tallula Harper,” he replied slowly, as if he were tasting the syllables of my name. “My name is Jasper. Jasper Abbott.”
Jasper Abbott. That name sounded familiar for some reason but I was having a hard time placing it since I was much more focused on the way his large hand and long fingers completely encased my much smaller hand. His palm was incredibly warm and slightly calloused. I started to wonder how those strong fingers would feel on other parts of me but then quickly shook off the thought. Jasper didn’t let go of my hand for several seconds, just staring at me. His grip tightened around my fingers.
“Now that the pleasantries are out of the way,” he said, leaning forward slightly to meet my gaze more fully. “I would like you to explain what the hell you thought you were doing in my shed.”
I resisted the powerful urge to avert my eyes from his. “I told you,” I said quietly. “I needed a place to stay and I happened upon your shed.”
His eyes narrowed. “You shouldn’t have been wandering around in the woods in the first place,” he scolded. “These woods aren’t safe. You could have gotten attacked.”
I flinched, knowing he was right. I could have explained myself further but I didn’t necessarily want him to know about everything that had gone on in the past twelve hours. He would likely find me pathetic if he knew I was kicked out of my aunt and uncle’s house and then wandered the streets, looking for a place to stay.
“Don’t you have any relatives or friends you could have stayed with?” he asked when it was clear I wasn’t going to respond.
This I could answer at least with partial honesty. “Yes, there were a couple of options but I didn’t want to trouble them.”
I had thought this was a viable reason but I was proven wrong when Jasper froze, staring at me wordlessly for a half-second before his nostrils flared.
“You didn’t want to trouble them?” he repeated in outrage.
He wasn’t yelling but he might as well have been. I stepped back in shock, waiting for fear to overtake me but instead, I felt my temper flare.
“Excuse me!” I snapped. “I’m sorry for trespassing on your property, but I don’t think you should be allowed to lecture me. I don’t even know you and you certainly don’t know me!”
I regretted the words as soon as they left my mouth. I desperately wished I could reach out into the air between us and snatch them back, but it was clear by the way his eyes darkened that it was far too late. I shrank back when Jasper took a step towards me. He was a tall man—probably well over six feet—and towered over me easily, but when he was right in front of me, he was even more intimidating.
He lowered his head so that his nose was just inches from mine, his stormy eyes boring into mine. “You might be correct that we don’t know each other very well,” he intoned. “But I wouldn’t say I don’t have the right to lecture you. After all, you are on my property. That means that I am responsible for you, which includes ensuring your safety.”
I just stared at him, rolling his words over in my mind. “Does that mean I can stay?” I asked in amazement.
He was still glowering down at me sternly but I thought I noticed one side of his mouth twitch upward. “Yes, that is what I’m saying,” he sniffed.
Relief flooded me, nearly making me dizzy. “Thank you,” I said. “I won’t stay long, just until I can save up a bit more money to find a room somewhere. I’m sure it won’t take me too long.”
He straightened. “Stay as long as you need to,” he smirked. “If it keeps you out of my shed, I think I’m doing us both a favor.”
I flushed, averting my eyes to the floor. “I’m sorry.”
There was a beat of silence. “Can I get you some tea?” he asked. “Something to warm you up? You must have been freezing out there. That shed isn’t insulated.”
I opened my mouth to politely decline, but that did sound nice and I was feeling cold and a little worn out. “Sure, that would be lovely. Thank you,” I smiled.
He nodded and gestured for me to follow him into the kitchen. The gravity of what I had just done slammed into me as I entered the tidy, modern kitchen behind this man who was essentially a stranger.
What the heck was I doing? This was beyond foolish. I didn’t know anything about this guy. For all I knew, he could be the kind of guy I was trying to hide from when I was camping out in his shed. He had me all alone in his home. He could do anything he wanted with me, and I was in the middle of the woods where no one would be able to hear me scream.
I inhaled sharply and the room started to spin a little bit. I reached out blindly in front of me for something to steady myself. My fingers curled into some fabric instead.
“What’s wrong?” I heard Jasper ask sharply.
I snatched my hand back and stumbled a little. The thing I had grabbed onto had been the back of his thin shirt! The fabric did little to hide the hard muscles underneath, and I found myself growing even more dizzy at the realization.
“Careful,” Jasper scolded and I felt his strong arms around me. “Here, sit down.” He guided me over to the sleek, dark wood dining table and helped me sit on one of the cushioned chairs.
“Thanks,” I managed to say. My teeth were chattering slightly, and I gritted them together.
One of Jasper’s firm hands gripped my shoulder, and he knelt down to stare into my face.
“You’re pale,” he said through his teeth. “When was the last time you ate?”
I blinked. “Um, I’m not sure,” I said. “Maybe yesterday morning?”
Jasper made a growling noise under his breath and turned away from me quickly. Before I could even blink, a tall glass of water appeared in front of me.
“Drink that,” he ordered sharply. “Small sips.”
My eyes widened in surprise, but I took the cup obediently, taking a few tiny sips. I watched Jasper move around the kitchen, throwing open the fridge and rummaging through cabinets. His back was rigid as he gathered things and set them on the counter. I watched silently, entranced by him. He moved with such grace but he was clearly powerful as well. It was a wonder the glass he grabbed didn’t break in his fingers.
A few minutes later, he set a plate down in front of me. “I haven’t been shopping in a while,” he explained tersely as I studied the turkey sandwich. “But this will get some protein into you.”
“Thank you,” I said, touched by the gesture.
He was a gruff, even temperamental man, but he clearly had a kind side as well. It was why I was still here and hadn’t run from the house screaming, I realized. Maybe it was foolish, but I trusted Jasper. I couldn’t really explain it, but something about him made me feel safe.
Jasper settled into the seat across from me and opened his mouth to say something but then a low vibration sounded. His eyebrows furrowed as he fished into his pocket for his cell phone.
“What is it, Kieran?” he barked into the receiver.
I couldn’t hear what the person on the other end was saying, but his voice was deep and low, maybe even deeper than Jasper’s.
Jasper’s face hardened at something this guy, Kieran, said. “Okay, I’ll be there in a few.” He hung up and pocketed his phone, lines appearing around his mouth and eyes.
For some reason, I felt concern bloom in my chest. “Everything alright?” I asked cautiously.
He didn’t answer for a long moment, causing me to shift slightly in my seat. He was kind, but he still made me nervous. I found myself shrinking back slightly under his withering stare.
He stood abruptly and I had to crane my neck to look up at him. “I have to go,” he said, his rough voice strained. “But first, let me show you to your room.”
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