CHAPTER 1
Jasper
Being called into see the chief of our council at headquarters is never a good thing. I’m sitting here, ankle crossed over my knee, arms folded over my chest, face like stone, because I won’t back down. You see, my son’s mate Lisa’s adoptive parents are human. We had a lot to deal with over a three-week period, and at the end of it, our pack decided to go against the council to fill in her parents about her shifter abilities. She couldn’t live without us or her parents, and the pack acted with her best interests at heart. Rule number one; keep our shifting abilities away from humans at all times. Rule number two; follow all orders of our council. Yeah, well both of those rules were broken, and I’ve taken the rap for it, because there is no way on Earth that I would let my pack take the punishment. Especially when I would’ve eventually done the same thing. It would affect Lisa, not having her parents in her life, and she’s been through enough, what with her kidnapping, finding out about her shifting ability, seeing her dead mum, and gaining a soulmate so young. Her life has been affected by wolves enough.
“Jasper.” Braxton calls me in from his open door.
No Julian. Shit. I’m in big trouble when the boss of the whole paranormal community is doing his own dirty work.
I take a deep breath in and stand to my full height of six feet two inches. I’m not scared of a punishment. I’m their best enforcer and they can’t lose me, especially after what happened with the enforcers that were sent to protect Lisa and our pack. We were played good and proper because Brodie, one of my guys, was working with the devil himself–Lisa’s rogue biological father. He kidnapped her, beat her, and made her very ill. That doesn’t sit well with me and I know it won’t sit well with the council either. They just won’t admit it as freely as I do.
I walk into the office slowly. I stand in front of a panel of three members. Alexius, Braxton, and Julian; the three top dogs. Only Julian was with me on the fight to save Lisa, so this is going to be interesting.
“Have a seat, Jasper,” says Julian, as he holds his hand out to the chair a few feet away, directly in front of them. “How are you? How are Lisa and Markus?”
“We’re all good,” I say, straight to the point.
“You know why we’ve called you in, Jasper?” Braxton asks.
I nod and sit up straight. Just keep your cool, I tell myself over and over again. Get the best possible punishment and leave.
“I don’t know whether to chastise you or praise you for what you’re doing for that pack. It should be them here today. Care to enlighten me?”
“Yes. I can do that.” I look down the line of the council and see their eyes trained on me. This is my one and only shot at speaking for myself and my family. “You see, over the years, each and every person in that pack has become my family. I’ve saved them all in one way or another. Especially Joel, who acted on behalf of the pack. He’s just as much of a son to me as Markus is. I would’ve eventually done what the pack did. You allowed Lisa to live a human life for nearly eighteen years. She couldn’t walk away from her adoptive parents. It would’ve put a divide on the pack and her family. That didn’t go down well with any of us.” I sigh and shake my head.
“Are you telling me that you would have broken my rules, Jasper?”
I hold my hands up. “I am, sir. I would have spoken with you first, but my son and daughter-in-law’s happiness will always come first.”
Braxton looks defeated as he bows his head to look at his hands. “What do I do with you, Jasper? You’re my best enforcer. Everyone loves you. We adore you. But I can’t let your pack get away with breaking my two most important rules. I need to make an example, so others won’t go shouting our secrets from every damn rooftop. However, if I kill you, I’ll have World War Three on my hands. You’ve put me in a very difficult position.”
“I understand, Braxton. I’m more than prepared to take the pack’s punishment.” I never break eye contact, because to me, we haven’t actually done anything wrong.
“Monday morning, you report to my office at nine a.m. sharp.”
“Sir.” I nod in agreement.
“You’ll be coming back to join the missions full time. You’ll be sent where I send you. You’ll have no contact with Carlos’s pack, or Markus and Lisa, unless we say you can. I say jump, you say how high, until I say otherwise. There’s no picking and choosing what missions you do.”
“Yes, sir.”
They’ve taken the one thing away from me that they know will break my heart into tiny pieces–my family.
Missions I can do; that’s what I’m trained for. I started this job so I could protect the people I love and care about. Now, I feel like I’m just another one of their puppets dangling on a string.
Not seeing my family is going to be torture. This bastard knows that, and I don’t have anything I can do or say on the matter. This punishment is better than death. Better than never seeing my family grow and have families of their own, but it will be hard.
“One other thing. The boy, Kevin.”
I lift my head quickly at the mention of Kevin, Lisa’s half-brother. He is innocent in this whole sorry mess. He helped his sister when he realised what his father was doing. He protected her as much as he could until his father turned on him. “What about him? He’s just a kid. He was dragged up by rogues, you know this. He deserves a fresh start with Carlos’ pack.”
“He’s going with you, Jasper. You’re going to train him to the best of your abilities. You’re going to teach him our rules. Understand?”
“Why? He hasn’t done anything wrong. You’re not just punishing me here; you’re going to tear Lisa’s heart out. They’ve just found each other again.”
“It isn’t up for discussion. You’ll both report to me at nine a.m. on Monday. Don’t be late. You can join your family over the weekend, but after that, it’s when I say so. Do you understand?”
I stand and sigh loudly enough to show my displeasure in what they’re doing. They’re showing that they can play with lives just as much as the rogues we fight, and they’re no better, in my opinion.
“I understand. It doesn’t mean I have to be pleased about it.”
I turn to leave and my hand reaches the handle when Braxton says, “I think I’m letting you off lightly, Jasper. Anyone else would have been sentenced to death for breaking my rules. Your loyalty to us has saved you… this time. And, Jasper…” I look over my shoulder at the mention of my name. “The parents that now know about us, they’re your responsibility. Anything happens because they know about us and I’m coming for you.”
“Thanks,” I say sarcastically.
“I won’t be so lenient the next time.”
I exit the office and walk until I reach the cool air outside. I look up at the blue sky and take in a few deep breaths to steady my beating heart. I’m beyond pissed off. I can feel my blood boiling inside me. My wolf is prowling in my head. Markus and Lisa mean everything to me and now I’m hardly going to see them. How can I protect them when the council is going to drag me all over the world to do their dirty work?
I should have known our lives were never going to be the same again. Nothing is ever the same again where the council is involved. I know too well why they’re doing this. They think that they’ll let other packs break me, instead of them doing their own dirty work. I’ve witnessed this all too often. But, I won’t let them defeat me. I can’t.
***
I arrive back at the camp to find the full pack standing outside the Alpha’s cabin. Lisa, Markus, Kevin, Joel, and Carlos are standing on the porch. The whole pack has come together to hear my fate. I get out of the Jeep and make my way to the porch. I stand on the steps and lean against the railing for support, because no one is going to like what I have to say.
“Well, you look okay. They haven’t beaten the crap out of you.” Carlos, the Alpha, steps forward and holds his hand out for me to shake.
“A beating would’ve been better.” I look around my loved ones’ eyes until I stop at Lisa. My feet move of their own accord and I take her into my arms. “I’m so sorry, sweetheart. I’ll take care of him.”
She pulls back and looks into my eyes. Her tears threaten to spill over, her eyes glistening, making the blue look like the ocean. “Who? Markus? What’s happened?”
Markus steps forward and wraps his arm around her, holding her tightly against his chest for comfort.
“The council is taking me back to do their missions full time. That’s the easy part. I don’t mind working with them full time; it’s part of my job. The next part isn’t. They’re not allowing me to have any contact with the pack or you guys until they say so.”
“No! They can’t do that.” Lisa sobs.
“They can, honey. That’s not all. They’re making me take Kevin with me. They want me to train him and guide him on rules and what happens when they get broken.”
“No! I won’t let you. I’ve just got him back. He isn’t going.”
“Lisa.”
Both Kevin and I say her name in unison, but Lisa turns to her brother in time for him to wrap her in his arms.
“I’ll be fine. I expected some form of punishment from the council. We’d hardly see each other when you go to university, but we’ll see each other when I’m home. I’m not losing you again.”
I turn away from Kevin and Lisa. I take Markus into my arms and slap his back a few times. “You look after our girl and I’ll be home before you know it.”
“You better be, Dad. We need you. All of us do.”
We pull apart and I place my hand over Markus’s cheek. “I’ll get this punishment over and done with and then I’m leaving the council full stop. They’ve messed with the wrong shifter this time.”
I turn to see Joel sitting with his head in his hands. He’s taking this the hardest after Lisa, because I know he’ll feel the guilt of bringing Lisa’s parents’ here. I bend down in front of him and place my hand behind his neck to pull him into my chest. “It’s alright, buddy.”
“It isn’t alright, Jasper. This is all my fault.”
“No. No, it isn’t. As a pack, you did what you thought was right. I agree with what you did. You’re not taking the blame for this.”
“What happens if you don’t come back, either of you? I won’t be able to live with that guilt.” He shakes his head.
“There won’t be any guilt, because we’ll be home to you all.”
I stand to my full height and Joel follows behind me. I pull him into my chest and his head rests on my shoulder. I haven’t seen him like this since he was a child, but I won’t stand by and let him hold guilt or blame himself for this, because I’d do it all over again in a heartbeat.
“Jasper.” I look over my shoulder to the sweet voice that I’ve come to know and love – Stracey’s.
Stracey is our pack healer. She’s been around me and this pack for many years, and we’ve hidden our feelings from one another because she knows my background. She knows I once found my soulmate, only for her to be ripped away from me by our rogue Alpha, Damian. My soulmate was Lisa’s mother, Carmen. She was perfect. Beautiful. Kind. Everything that still makes my heart pound in my chest. I promised her that I’d look out for her daughter before she passed away after child birth. That’s what brings us to today.
“Stracey.” Joel steps back to allow me to turn my attention to the woman I love dearly. “I was going to come and see you.”
“I was doing a message with Chardonnay.” She speaks softly.
I look over Stracey’s shoulder to see Chardonnay, our pack Alpha’s mate, standing with her head resting on Carlos’s shoulder. The whole pack is taking this harder than I expected. “I need to go away for a wee while. Kevin and I, we’ve been called up by the council.”
“Okay. But you can still come home at weekends, call us, Skype, text… right?”
Her beautiful brown eyes are my undoing and my hands cup her cheeks softly. “As a part of my punishment, we can’t contact the pack or Markus and Lisa. We can come home when the council allow it. We have this weekend with you all, but we report to the council at nine a.m. on Monday. We now belong to the council until they get fed up of us, or they think we’ve done enough to repay them for breaking the rules.”
“You can’t let them do this, Jasper. They’ll put you into the worst cases possible. Carlos, please. You can’t allow this.” She spins out of my hands and grasps Carlos’s shirt tightly, pleading with him to do something.
“I can’t, sweetheart. Jasper agreed to do this in order to protect the pack. I can’t go against what he wants, and I don’t have that power. I’m sorry.”
“This is bullshit! What happened to protecting our own family? Jasper has put his neck on the line for each and every one of you at some point, and he’s still doing it now. If he comes out of this punishment alive, he’ll never be the same person.”
I place my hands on Stracey’s shoulders and squeeze them softly. “I will be coming home, Strace. I promise.”
“No!” She turns to the whole pack, tears running down her cheeks. “You’ve signed a death warrant. I can’t stand here and watch this happen, not again, Jasper. When are you going to wake up and see the council for who they really are? It’s the 21st century we live in now, not the 1900s. Your precious council only protect what and who they want. You’re one of them for Christ’s sake, and they’ve handed you to a pack of wolves.”
“Strace…” I start to take her into my arms but she jumps back, holding herself out of the way like I could burn her with my touch. I’ve never seen her like this. She usually just accepts my missions and nods her head in silence. I get a peck on the cheek and a silent hug, but today, she’s the force I always knew she could be.
She turns quickly and runs through the pack. I try to go after her, but Chardonnay holds me back and places her hands over my chest. “Let her come to terms with everything. I’ll talk to her.”
I nod in defeat, sit down on the steps, and breathe out a long breath I didn’t know I was holding. Between Lisa, Joel, and Stracey, they’ve broken me before I even leave. The only one who hasn’t given me grief about this is my own son.
“Dad. Do you fancy a run?” asks Markus.
I head into the forest away from the pack. I can feel all of their eyes on me, but I need this space. I need this breather to run just to clear some of the tension that has built up over the last couple of hours.
“Stracey will be fine, Dad.”
“I hope so, son. Just promise me that, no matter what happens, you’ll look after yourself and Lisa. The rest can take care of themselves, but you two and Joel are mine. I…”
“It goes without saying,” he interrupts quickly. “We’re all family. We’re always going to be united, no matter what. Just come home to us, Dad. Now, get shifting. Let me beat your arse.” Markus punches my arm and starts to strip out of his clothes.
I laugh under my breath, because I’ve never noticed how grown up Markus has gotten over the last year. I’m proud of him. He’s stepped up and done whatever he could for his family and friends. He’ll make a good Alpha one day; I’ll make sure of it.
***
Everyone is putting a brave face on, apart from my nearest and dearest. Lisa and Markus are sat around a table together with Bull, Beta wolf of the pack. Stracey hasn’t made it to this shindig, and I noticed Chardonnay arrived about an hour ago. She squeezed my shoulder, smiled, and headed in the direction of Carlos.
I sit against a tree, looking out at nothing now. I’m not in much of a mood for partying, but I feel like I owe my pack to be here. After all, I’m doing this for them. I’m getting too old for this shit, but after this, I’m standing down from my role as enforcer. My main job is with my family, protecting them. That isn’t going to happen when I’m travelling all over the world to sort out other problems.
“Jasper.” I lift my head as Kevin scuffs his feet across to me.
“Hey, buddy. You okay?”
He shrugs.
I interrupt him. “You’ll be fine. I promise.”
“Will you show me everything you know? I don’t want to make things worse for you by doing something wrong. I only have my father’s training which was lacking a lot.”
“I will. Honestly, you’re a good kid, and I wish I didn’t have to take you with me. Some of the missions we do…” I search for the right words. “… are testing. We get pushed to our limits, and some would think it’s a suicide mission. But, with the right training and knowledge, we’re undefeated. Now, I know we’ll be given some shitty cases to work on, but we’ll come back. That I promise you.”
“Jasper.” Kevin shuffles his weight from one foot to the other. I stand up to be beside him and study him carefully. I can see he has something he needs to tell me.
“What’s wrong, son? You can tell me anything. If I can help, I will.”
“It’s not that.” He runs his hands through his hair and turns away from me, leaving me to stare at his back. I’m not sure what has this kid worked up, but we aren’t leaving here until I know what it is.
“Kevin.” I place my hand on his shoulder for comfort and his shoulders relax a little.
“In my upbringing, I’ve done some crazy shit to survive. My father…” His body tenses and his teeth grind together. “Well, you weren’t a part of that pack unless you had killed or tortured someone. That was rule one of my father’s. If you couldn’t kill, you’d be killed. I…”
“It’s okay. I get it. But listen to me, that wasn’t you. We’d all do what we had to to survive.”
“It wasn’t until Lisa came on the scene that I wanted to rebel against my dad. I wanted a better life for myself. I didn’t want to be his puppet. Now, I just feel like I’m going to be someone else’s puppet.”
“Look at it like you’re saving people like yourself. You’re giving others a chance of a new life. Each and every one of this pack has been where you are. Not the elders, but most of the youngsters have. I won’t go into their stories, but Lisa, Markus, Joel, even Bull… I gave them this life away from physical and emotional abuse. They know what it’s like to be loved and have the support of a family unit now. Answer me this question…” Kevin turns to face me and our eyes lock. “What did you feel when you were with your dad’s pack?”
“At the beginning, it was all I knew. I didn’t know any different. In the end, I felt trapped. I was full of hatred. I didn’t save Lisa, she saved me.”
“I think you saved each other, buddy. When we go out on missions, just hold that pain and misery in your head. Why did you want out from that life? What did you want to change?”
“In the end, I saw innocent people being tortured and abused. I knew it was wrong. I knew I needed out. I didn’t want to live that life, Jasper.”
I nod in understanding, because I can imagine what this kid has seen over the years.
“How long will it last? The punishment, I mean.”
“Honestly. I have no idea.”
“I thought so. I’m going to get another drink.” Kevin lifts his empty bottle and shakes it.
“Quite right. Enjoy it.” I raise my bottle to Kevin’s back. If I could do anything to get Kevin out of this punishment with me, I would. For the first time in my life, I despise the council and their rules.
Before I realise what I’m doing, I walk through the camp. My feet take me in the direction of Stracey’s cabin and my heart pounds in my chest. Ever since we rescued Lisa from her father’s wicked hands a few weeks ago, my outlook on life has changed. I had great intentions of telling Stracey about my feelings towards her, but now I’m not sure that’s a good idea; at least not until this punishment is over.
I stand in front of her cabin and take in the beauty of it. It suits her personality. The wild flowers growing up the facing, the flower pots at the door, the white window frames… it’s perfect.
“Are you planning on standing there all night?” I jump at the sound of the soft voice behind me.
“Stracey. I didn’t hear you.”
“Do you fancy a coffee?”
I look down at the bottle of beer in my hand and smile. “Sure. Coffee is probably better for me.”
She walks past me, and her sweet scent hits my nose. My palms are sweaty, my heart is racing, my dick is jumping to attention, and I try my hardest to get a grip of myself. I’m acting like a horny pup all over again.
“I’m not going to bite you, Jazz.”
She’s the only person who calls me Jazz, and I like it coming from her lips. I shake my head and smile as I make my way into her cabin. It’s everything you’d expect from a healer’s house. It has herbs and baskets everywhere. The smell is divine. I love coming here because it’s peaceful and quiet on the edge of the camp.
“Are you okay?” I finally find courage and ask as she busies herself in her small kitchen, making coffee.
“Ask me that question when you’re finished with the council. Right now, I don’t know what to feel, Jazz. I don’t want to lose you. Our friendship means more to me than anything in this world.”
I close the gap between us, my hands cupping her soft cheeks. I make her look into my eyes as I speak. “You’re not going to lose me, you silly woman. You and the kids are what will keep me going. I have too much to lose to sit back and let some nasty, no good rogues take me out. But, I promise you, when this is over, I am never going back. I have a life to start living and that doesn’t include any more council work.”
Tears escape her eyes and I use my thumb to wipe them away. “I want to believe you Jasper. I do.”
“How long have we known each other?” I raise my brows at her.
“Too long.” She laughs slightly.
“Not long enough, in my opinion, but when have I ever broken a promise?”
“Never,” she whispers.
“Exactly. Now, I do believe you were going to make me a coffee.”
“I was. I am. I will,” she stutters and pulls away.
Her back turns to me as she gets our cups ready. I have to compose myself, because the feel of her skin, the smell of her perfume-it has my body reacting in ways I didn’t know were possible.
“Stracey?”
“Yes.” She looks over her shoulder to me.
“Come and sit down. I need to talk to you.”
“Let me get our coffee first.”
“No,” I say rather abruptly, which makes her turn to face me. “I mean, the coffee can wait. What I have to say can’t wait any longer.”
“You don’t need to say anything, Jasper. Not right now.”
I frown as I take in this stunning woman. It’s as if she knows what I want to say, but why doesn’t she want to hear it? Does she not feel this connection anymore? Does she not want me?
“Please. I can’t leave here without telling you a few things.”
Her head drops to look at the floor and I concentrate on her hands pulling at the hem of her shirt. I hold my hand out for her to take and it takes her a few moments before she places her tiny hand in mine. My wolf is going crazy in my head, and my mind and body are mush. I can’t think or concentrate, but I need to pull myself together and do what I should have done years ago.
I walk us over to the couch and we sit side by side, but I turn to face Stracey. The confident woman I know and love is hiding, and now I have her quiet, shy, reserved, alter ego.
“I can’t leave here without telling you how much I care about you…”
“I know, Jasper. We’ve been friends for a long time. I care about you too.”
I shake my head and grasp her hands in mine. “No, I mean really care about you. Do you feel this connection between us? Tell me you don’t and I won’t say anymore.”
Silence. Her eyes dance across my face and they linger at my lips. I don’t think she’s going to say anything, but suddenly she says, “I do feel it. I always have, but you’re not ready to move on. I can’t fill Carmen’s shoes, Jazz. I never will be her. She was your first, one true love.”
“She was. You know all about my feelings for her, the pain and misery I’ve suffered since her death nearly eighteen years ago, the turmoil I’ve endured about being stuck in the past. But I can’t live like that anymore. I’ve kept our friendship going strong, hidden my love and feelings for you, but now my beast and I can’t do it. We love you.”
“I’m not a wolf, Jasper.”
“I know. What does that matter?”
“Wolves and witches aren’t supposed to connect.” She pulls her hands out of mine.
“You’re not a witch in my eyes. Yes, you can yield magic, you heal people, you cure people, but you’re not a witch. You don’t yield black magic. You’re kind. Caring. Beautiful. As you know, a wolf doesn’t have much say in who they have as a soulmate. Their beast knows and that’s it.”
“Why now, Jasper? I can’t bear to lose you, but we can’t do this now. It isn’t fair to you or me. I don’t know if and when you’ll be back. We’ve been doing this for years. Another few months won’t make a difference.” She stands up and walks over to her small kitchen area. I can’t take my eyes off her empty seat. Did she just brush me off? She’s been telling me for years to move on and do something for myself for once, but now that I have, she isn’t entertaining the idea.
I will never understand the way women think. I stand up and make my way out of the cabin. I feel like I’m leaving with my heart in pieces yet again. My pride has been dented, and I don’t want to push Stracey because I’ll end up making it worse. Maybe this break apart will do us good.