CHAPTER 19
Jasper
Four days after I woke up from my slumber, I’ve got up, had a shower, and dressed in clothes. I feel a lot stronger today, and I hope we can think about going home in the next few days. I think we’ve taken up enough of Lelland and Lavina’s time.
When I enter the room I’ve been sleeping in, it’s empty. No one is waiting to chastise me for being stubborn. That’s the thing with us wolves; we don’t get tied down very long.
I make my way out of my room and next door to Kevin’s room. His mate still hasn’t woken up, and he’s going out of his mind with worry. He’s snapped the head off everyone, and I promised I’d stop in this morning. It seems unfair that I’ve woken up and he’s still in hell. I wish I could trade places with him.
I stand in his doorway and watch from a distance. Kevin is hunched over his seat. His hair is messy. His clothes are crumpled. I bet he hasn’t left this room for very long, if at all.
“Kevin.”
He jumps at the sound of my voice. This lets me know exactly where his head is at, because he should have heard me standing several feet away.
“Jasper. It’s good to see you up and about.”
“It’s good to be up and about. I just wish I could trade places with your mate.”
“Karina. Her name is Karina.”
“That’s a lovely name. She looks a lot better from the day we found her.” I try to be positive, because I know how hard it is to sit at a loved one’s bedside. I wouldn’t wish it on anyone.
“Why won’t she wake up, Jasper?”
I creep up behind him and lay my hands on his shoulders. “No one ever understands these things, buddy. I think Stracey, Lisa, and Darcy want to try and combine their energy to see if it helps. I’ve yet to meet Darcy, but I know Lisa and Stracey will do all they can to get your mate out of this. Just think positive. Look at me, I’m going to be okay, and if you ask Stracey and Markus, they were giving up a few days ago.”
“I feel like I’m losing the plot, Jasper. I’m not cut out for this.”
“The power of soulmates is the biggest bond there is. It doesn’t matter if you’re cut out for it or not, because at the end of the day, your beast knows where it wants to be. That girl is your everything, and no matter what, you’ll want to love, cherish, and protect her. You’ll lay your life down for her, Kev. Even if you walk out of that door now, you’d drive yourself crazy until you were right back here. Try it. Go for a shower. Get freshened up. I bet you’re back here within thirty minutes.”
I back out of the room and let him think about what I’ve said. Maybe a break away from the room will do him good. Even if it doesn’t, at least he’ll be fresh for when his mate wakes up.
I proceed down the staircase, and the moment I reach the bottom step, I hear shouting coming from the dining room. I immediately pick up Joel and Lisa’s voices, but I don’t get anything else.
“What’s going on?” Everyone turns to me and I lean against the door frame. I’m not sure I want to know what’s going on now, because it must be something if Lisa and Joel are at loggerheads.
“Ah, Jasper. Maybe you want to step in before Lisa murders Joel,” sniggers Lelland.
“What? Why? Joel, what did you do? This isn’t like you two. Talk. Now,” I say sternly, and stand in between the two of them. “You’re not leaving this room until you tell me. One of you better start talking.”
“Him. He’s being a class A prick.” Lisa prods Joel’s shoulder.
“What did you do, Joel?” I ask, because I’ve never really seen Joel in any altercation before.
“Nothing.”
Lisa pushes me out of the way slightly and gets into Joel’s face. “Really? Nothing. You’re unbelievable. Do you think that you’re something special that you can’t be tamed by your soulmate? You’re making everyone’s life miserable. Just get a grip. I love you like a brother, which means I’m going to call you out on your shit.”
I push back in between the two and Markus stands to get Lisa. “Right. I don’t think I’ve had any brain trauma, but can someone fill in the missing pieces. Joel… soulmate?”
“Darcy is Joel’s soulmate, even if he won’t admit it.”
“How can I admit it when it’s her fault we nearly lost Jasper? How can I be soulmates with someone I don’t particularly like right now? We can’t even be in the same room as one another without bitching and tearing strips off one another.”
“Stop! This isn’t like you. You give everyone a second chance. Why is Darcy different? Can I just remind you that she’s as much of a victim in this as any of us? She actually saved my life in the end. Stracey told me she couldn’t do anything else to save me. Darcy did.”
“Aye, and why was that? Because she used black magic. Do you really think that’s going to go unnoticed by the council?”
“We’ll deal with it,” I say calmly.
“Like we dealt with the council this time. Look at us. You’ve just woke up after nearly two weeks. Kevin is upstairs in cloud cuckoo land. I’m biting at everyone. Lisa is having a go at me. We’re really one big happy fucking family.”
“That’s just the point, Joel. Family stick by one another. We’ll all get through it, because we have one another. Darcy and Karina have no one at the moment. Think how they feel right now. Where is Darcy?”
“She’s gone for a walk with Ashley,” Joel says sharply.
“And how does that make you feel?”
He shrugs his shoulders and walks away from the confrontation, but he stops at the window. I walk up behind him and notice he’s watching Darcy and Ashley walking from the forest. I pull the cord for the shutters and it blocks his view completely. He jumps around, ready to shout at me, but he stops in his tracks.
“That’s exactly what I thought. You need to get your head screwed on, buddy. You only get one chance at making an impression, and right now, Darcy must think you are the prick Lisa called you. Darcy doesn’t know the kind, level-headed, caring shifter we do. It isn’t terrible to open your heart up. In fact, I think you’ll like having someone around. I know cooking isn’t your strong point.” I laugh, making Joel laugh behind me.
“I’ve missed ye, ya big numpty.”
“I’ve missed you all too. But do you think you can stop the shouting at everyone, because my head is tender,” I lied. My head is fine, but I know if he thinks he’s hurting me, he’ll stop and think.
“Aye. I’ll try. Markus, how do you put up with her every day?”
I laugh, because he’s cruising right into a slap if he keeps going.
“I wouldn’t be without her, pal. You’ll be the same if you stop fighting it.” I watch as my son places a kiss on Lisa’s forehead before he lifts his cup and plate off the table and carries them through to the kitchen.
Joel holds his hands up in surrender. “I need some air. Do you fancy going exploring, Lisa?”
“Only if you stop blaming Darcy for everything that’s happened here. She’s going through enough hell right now.”
“I’ll try.”
Lisa and Joel leave the dining room and Lelland sits back in his chair and crosses his arms. “No wonder you slipped into a deep sleep. I tell you, you must have the patience of a saint.” He laughs. “Kids nowadays.”
“They’re not always like that. Well, Lisa’s a feisty one, but it’s usually me she’s feisty with, because I try to mollycoddle her. Joel is never like that. Honestly, I was gobsmacked when I stepped in here. Markus is just a free spirit. I don’t get any bother from him.”
“Welcome back.” Stracey steps into my arms and wraps her hand into my t-shirt.
“I can see we’re going to have some fun over the coming weeks, between Kevin and Karina, and Joel and Darcy. Markus and Lisa were a walk in the park.” I lean down and place a kiss over her mouth. I might be weak, but my body still ignites in flames whenever Stracey touches or kisses me.
“We’ll get there. Are you forgetting about the council?”
“Eurgh. I hadn’t forgotten about them, but I was avoiding it. I’ll send Julian a message and tell him to meet us at the pack when we get home. That will give us a few days to prepare for whatever we may face.”
“We’ll back you all the way, Jasper. If you need any help to get the council off your back, just say the word,” says Lelland. “You’ve been a great help here, and I can’t thank you enough.”
“No thanks needed. Callum and I just did what we had to. In fact, where is Callum?” I look around the dining room and come up empty.
“He’s at Ashley’s house. I think he’s got a lot going through his head. One of the girls died in his arms in the cave and he’s taken it badly. She must have only been sixteen at the most. Ashley thought he might like some peace and quiet for a few days before he goes home. If you want to go and see him, I’ll point you in the direction,” says Lelland as he leaves Stracey and me standing alone.
Were any of my wolves unaffected by this trip? It seems that we may have gained a few new pack members, but not one of my own will return home the same again.
Who knows what our return will mean for us all.