Chapter Eleven

Emily

It's almost midnight and I'm still awake, mindlessly watching TV, when I hear a noise outside. Turning the TV off, I creep over to the window, my pulse starting to race and a steady drip of adrenaline running through me. With the level of violent rhetoric I've heard around town, directed at the bear community, I'm half-afraid somebody is here to do what Green wants them to do.

Standing beside the window, I pull the curtain back and feel my eyes widen at what I see. In the driveway is a bear I recognize as Jasper and a much larger bear that's pure white. It clicks in my mind that it must be one of the northern clan, but when they shift back into their human forms, I have to stifle a gasp.

Jasper's dusky skin almost absorbs the silvery light of the moon, but it seems to reflect off the skin of the woman standing next to him. She's tall, almost as tall as Jasper himself. She's thin, with some well-defined musculature, but looks powerful. With full breasts and a taut stomach, she has the kind of body men would die for. Or kill for.

Her long white hair flows down to the middle of her back, and she just has an ethereal look about her. She holds herself with an elegant, almost regal bearing. She's absolutely gorgeous. And she's with my man. Naked. Like she didn't have a care in the world.

As I stand there looking at them, talking and laughing, I feel the hurt and jealousy surge within me. I'm not normally a girl who gives in to the green-eyed monster, but I can't help it. Staring at the woman's body is making me feel more inadequate and insecure than I've ever felt in my life.

I look down at myself. Pajamas and fuzzy slippers. Though, standing next to her, I could have been wearing the most beautiful evening gown ever made, and I'm sure I'd feel like I was wearing a potato sack. Grabbing a robe, I quickly throw it on and tie it around my waist, try to muster some shred of my dignity, and go outside.

Jasper's eyes widen slightly when I approach and the woman turns to me, a curious, but amused little smile on her perfectly plump lips. Of course, her lips would be perfect, everything else about her is. And when I get up close to her, I see that she's even more beautiful than I'd thought when I was standing in the window. Her skin is flawless, and her soulful eyes are as dark as the night around us.

God, I hate this woman.

“Em,” Jasper says. “I'm sorry, did we wake you?”

I shake my head. “No, I was just going over some last-minute notes for tomorrow's interviews.”

The woman turns to me and extends her hand. “You must be Emily,” she says. “I'm Winter. Jasper's told me much about you.”

“Oh?” I say, arching an eyebrow. “He's never mentioned you to me.”

Her laugh is rich, and her accent is thick and it sounds Eastern European to me, giving her an exotic quality in addition to her stunning beauty. Yeah, I hate her even more now.

“Winter is with the Phayngo,” Jasper says. “She's here for the ceremony.”

“I gathered as much, thank you,” I say.

Winter looks me up and down, a curious expression on her face. I assume she's wondering what somebody like Jasper is doing with somebody as plain and ordinary as me. Still, her scrutiny makes me uncomfortable and I look away.

“Winter and I have been friends for some time now,” Jasper says, and I note he emphasizes the word friends.

“Jasper is a good man,” Winter says. “A good friend.”

I can't help but hear her stress the word friend as well. Obviously, they want me to understand their relationship is friendly and platonic. And while some small part of my mind appreciates the effort, my jealous, suspicious brain hears them trying to convince me of that fact a little too hard.

I look down at myself again and then at Winter's naked, perfect, goddess-like body and feel a dark wave of despair wash over me. Of course, Jasper would want to be with her. Who wouldn't? The woman is walking perfection.

“W – what are you guys doing out here so late?” I ask. “And so naked?”

Jasper sighs. “We had a run in with Green at the Run,” he says. “It didn't go very well.”

“That man is dangerous,” Winter adds. “Such a hateful little man.”

“Anyway,” Jasper says. “We left my car there and decided to run to burn off some of the energy.”

“Run?” I ask.

Jasper nods. “Yeah, run.”

It's stupid and it's petty. And I know it is. I know that sometimes, when he gets frustrated, Jasper likes to shift into his bear form and run through the woods. He says it helps connect him to the world. Helps ground and center him. I know this.

But, the idea that he was out there, running through the woods with Winter sets off a chain of jealousy bombs inside of me. I want to stop being so childish and insecure. I just can't seem to help it.

I run a hand through my hair and when I look at Winter again, she's looking at me with that same curious expression on her face. There's an awkward moment of silence as she scrutinizes me, and I sidle closer to Jasper, feeling slightly exposed. He slips a hesitant arm around my shoulders, conscious of my desire to keep our relationship a secret, but understanding that in that moment, I need some reassurance.

“Are you a shifter?” she finally asks.

I shake my head. “No,” I say. “I'm not.”

“Interesting,” she says.

“What?” I ask, standing up a little straighter, feeling suddenly paranoid. “What's interesting?”

“Nothing,” she replies quickly – a little too quickly. “I just – you're a very beautiful woman, Emily. I can see why Jasper is so smitten with you.”

I feel the heat rush into my cheeks and I look away. The compliment is sweet, but I know that standing next to her, I'm nothing. And it makes me wonder why Jasper would want to be with me when he can be with somebody like her.

As I stand there though, another thought occurs to me. I look up at Jasper, feeling a jolt of fear.

“Did you tell –”

“No,” he says softly. “I haven't said anything to anybody. I promise.”

“He doesn't need to,” Winter says, a soft smile on her face. “I can see it in his eyes.”

My stomach is in knots, and when I look at Winter again, I see that she's studying me closely. And I have no idea why, but it makes me nervous. She gives me a warm smile and I assume she's trying to reassure me, but my thoughts and emotions are a complete whirlwind at the moment.

“I – I should get back inside,” I say. “I should get some rest before the interviews tomorrow.”

“She's running Sheriff Richards' campaign,” Jasper explains. “The man you met tonight is the man who wants to replace him.”

Winter nods. “That would not be good for any of you,” she says.

“No, not at all,” he replies. “Winter, I have some things you can wear until you get back to your room at the hotel. You can always stay in that other guest house though. I know Luca won't mind.”

Jasper gives me a quick peck on the forehead and a soft smile. Turning away, he heads toward the guest house he occupies. There are three guest houses on Luca's property. I live in one, Jasper lives in another, and the third remains unoccupied.

Winter smiles at me. “You have nothing to fear from me,” she says. “I promise you that.”

“I – I'm not afraid of you,” I say.

“I believe that you are good for Jasper,” she says. “When I saw him a year ago, he was much more – unsettled. Restless. He seemed unhappy. This year though, he seems completely different to me. He seems like a man reborn. Happier. More grounded. I think this is because of you.”

The heat flares in my cheeks again and I have to look away. I know she's trying to reassure me. Show me that she's not here to steal him away. And I appreciate the effort. But, there's still that jealous, insecure part of me that can't hear what she's saying. That doesn't believe it. Her beauty is stunning even to me and I can't believe that there's any man alive who would choose me over her.

She surprises me when she reaches out and takes my hand. Her skin is a little cold to the touch, but so soft and smooth. She lifts my chin up, forcing me to meet her eyes.

“I can see darkness inside of you, Emily,” she says. “I can see the struggles inside of you. The burdens you bear. I can also see something else in you. Something I cannot understand. You're – different.”

I'm not sure what she means or how to take it, so I say nothing. At the same time, I'm unable to move from my spot. I feel mesmerized as I look into her eyes. She lets go of my hand and gives me a warm smile.

“I am very fond of Jasper,” she says. “He is a good friend. I can see that the two of you are healing one another. And my hope is that we too, can be good friends.”

Without waiting for an answer, she turns and heads toward Jasper's house, her naked body gleaming in the cold light of the moon. I stand there, watching her go. And despite her reassurances, which sounded genuine to me, my insecurities flare up inside of me like a three-alarm fire anyway.