CHAPTER 7
Jasper
Our first forty-eight hours are up. We’ve managed to get through the harsh conditions we were given, and now we need to show these bastards that we’re no weaklings. We’re fucking wolves. They can hit us with anything, but I know for sure we’re getting the fuck out of here after it.
Right now, I feel like I’ve been ten rounds with a heavyweight champion, but that’s what happens when you get left in these conditions. I’m not used to sitting around doing nothing, and my beast is driving me up the wall, whining to get out. It’s easy to see why shifters go crazy when they keep their wolves locked up, because it’s only been two days since I went for a run, but even now, my head is banging. The beast gets into a routine with you, and it isn’t normal for me not to treat my wolf with the respect it deserves. This is just cruelty of the highest form, and the council know exactly what they’re doing.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
I watch the door closely to see who is letting me out of this hell hole.
Mario. I’ve never liked this prick, and I’ll be sure to remember that I’ve got to get him back for his mistreatment down here.
“Let’s go, Jasper,” he barks at me. I barge past his arm and knock him into the doorframe. “I’m only following orders. No need to be such a dick!”
I spin around on the balls of my feet, grab Mario by the scruff of his neck, and bang him against the wall. “I’ll be whatever the fuck I like. It’s true what they say, you figure out quickly who your friends are when you need them. I won’t forget who didn’t stand by me through this.” I push him hard against the wall and let him go. I’m angry. I’m tired. Hungry. Agitated. God help anyone that gets on the wrong side of me today.
“Jasper.” I look over my shoulder to see Kevin and Callum coming up behind me. Kevin looks just as bad as I feel, if not worse.
“You okay, son?” I pull Kevin into an embrace and his hands clamp down on the back of my shirt.
“Aye. Please tell me we won’t be going back in there. That is pure torture.”
I pull back and place both of my hands on his cheeks to make him look at me. “I don’t know what the plan is, but whatever it is we’ll do it. Payback is a bitch.” I smirk.
“I’m coming to train with you today. I thought you might need a friendly face,” Callum says. “I hope you gave that prick a piece of your mind.”
“Aye. He pissed off the wrong person this time. Let’s hit the gym.”
I turn right and leave Kevin and Callum to follow me. I know I might be in the worst shape possible, but I still know my way around this goddamn fortress. I know where the gym is, that’s for sure.
If you didn’t know your way around this place, you’d easily get lost, because all the corridors look the same. It just so happens that I have a good memory, and I doubt the council ever expected me to be locked up in their dungeons.
“Good morning, Jasper,” says Braxton, appearing from nowhere in front of us.
“There’s nothing good about it, Braxton. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m heading to the gym.”
“Would you all please join me in the conference room?” he asks, holding his hands together like he’s praying.
“Is this a work-related issue? Or a punishment-related issue?”
“If you agree to help me, call your punishment finished.”
I raise my eyebrows and look back at Kevin and Callum. I can take any punishment this bastard throws at me, but I need to get Kevin out of here. This place will tear him apart.
“I’ll hear you out. On one condition.” I widen my stance and cross my arms over my broad chest.
Braxton smiles cockily and nods once. He looks deep in thought, but he isn’t stupid. He obviously wants me on board for something, and he’ll listen to my demands.
“What’s your condition, Jasper?”
“If I do whatever you want, you’ll let Kevin go back to Carlos’s pack.”
Silence surrounds us, and I wait patiently for Braxton to acknowledge what I’m saying.
“Your punishment will be squashed. I’ll give you proper accommodation, but I want Kevin with you. Please, Jasper. Hear me out.”
“I’ll come with you, Jasper. I won’t leave you here.” Kevin speaks up loud and clear, showing no signs of the anxiety I saw on his face not five minutes ago.
“Just because I’m hearing you out doesn’t mean I agree to anything,” I say. I know too well how these bastards twist anything we say to their own gain.
Braxton nods. “Understood.”
He turns on his heel and walks down the corridor, showing the grace and power he holds over us. I don’t understand why that bothers me, but it does. I would never make anyone feel like they’re weaker than me. I’d never use my authority to pull rank. Never. I don’t know why power goes to people’s head, but it does. We all breathe the same air. We all bleed the same colour. No one is inferior to anyone. Not in my book.
We enter the conference room where all big council meetings are held. The room looks too big for only four of us, but we follow and pull out a seat. Braxton takes the head of the table, not that I’m surprised.
“Julian will be here at any moment. Why don’t we wait for him? Can I get you gentlemen a coffee?”
“So we’re gentlemen because you want something. No, I don’t want a coffee. But since you’re offering us things, can I get my phone to call my son?”
“That can be arranged when we’re finished here.”
In other words, you’ll hear me out first, and if you don’t accept my terms, there won’t be any phone.
I sit back in my seat and fold my arms over my chest. My legs are sprawled out in front of me, and I won’t be sitting to attention for Braxton or Julian. I know Braxton would’ve had the power over Julian when it came to our punishment, but he could have spoken up. He isn’t any better, in my opinion.
Kevin is directly across from me. His arms rest on the table, and he’s twiddling his thumbs, clearly less amused than I am. Callum sits beside Kevin, identical to the way I’m sitting. He looks me up and down, clearly thinking the same about my position.
“Sorry to keep you all. My call lasted longer than expected.” Julian rushes through the door and takes up his seat beside Braxton.
“I’ve not said anything yet. Do you want to start?” Braxton asks Julian.
“Of course. Thank you for coming to this meeting today, Jasper.”
I hold my hand up and cut Julian off. “Don’t thank me yet. I’ll tell you the same as I told your sidekick. Just because I’m here, it doesn’t mean I’m going to help.”
Julian stares me out but drops his eyes to the folder on the table. “Understood. As Braxton told you the other day, after your training, we were sending you to Canada to help out with an issue they have. However, things have changed somewhat since the last time we spoke. We still want you to go to Canada, but we want you to go tomorrow. After this is dealt with, your punishment will be forgotten about.”
“What’s happening in Canada that you can’t take care of?” I sit forward and rest my elbows on my knees.
“There’s a lot going on at the moment. I’ll fill you in as best I can. Can you remember Lelland and Lavina from Meadow Springs?”
“Vampires? Why does that concern me?”
“Well, they’ve got a big issue in Canada. A couple of rogue wolves set up camp in the mountains. The only thing is, these rogue wolves are preying on any young paranormal beings. Many of Lelland’s vampires have been taken. Also, young wolf shifters, between the ages of fifteen and seventeen. They need the back up from the council, and we know this is right up your street. We didn’t know this was as big as it is. Humans are suspecting foul play. As you’re aware, Canada houses a lot of paranormal beings, especially wolves and vampires. We can’t afford for their cover to be blown. Lelland does have some help with his vampires, but he needs the backup of the council, wolves, and a powerful witch.”
“Well, you have the council.” I point to myself. “You have the wolves.” I point to Kevin and Callum. “But I don’t see any witch here, unless you have her cloaked?”
“We thought you might like to help us there.”
“Me…?” I pause for a few seconds before I realise who they are talking about. “Lisa. Abso-fucking-lutely not.”
“No, not Lisa. I meant Stracey.”
“The answer is still the same. Besides, Stracey is needed with Carlos’s pack. Are you forgetting that she hates the ground you all walk on, and she isn’t exactly on speaking terms with me? No. You need to find someone else.”
I wouldn’t ask Stracey to step out to help the council. It wouldn’t be fair, because I know how much she hates them. We’ve discussed it a million times.
“We need someone we can trust, Jasper.”
“You’re the fucking paranormal council. You have a full database of witches, wolves, vampires, and any other mystical creature. Use it.”
Julian and Braxton stand up and gather the folder. “Stay here. Give us five minutes to see what we can come up with. We’ll have the jet ready to leave the runway at 1300 hours.”
“Are you forgetting that I haven’t agreed to help you? In fact, none of us have. We’ll take this five minutes to discuss it.”
“Jasper, I don’t need to remind you how important this mission is. Young shifters and vampires are being kidnapped, raped, and abused. This has been going on for some time, but Lelland wasn’t aware of it until recently.”
“As I said, we’ll discuss it as a team. There is no I in team, Julian. Usually that’s what happens when we go on missions, or we work as part of a pack. We’re wolves, we work better together. If one of us doesn’t want to do it, none of us will. Now, I believe you have a call to make.”
Julian and Braxton glare at me and nod in my direction before leaving the room. The moment the door shuts, all three of us sit forward and sigh with relief.
“You’re going to help, aren’t you, Jasper?” asks Callum.
I roll my eyes. “Of course I am, but they don’t need to know that. Kevin, what do you think?”
“Erm.” He shrugs his shoulders and continues to twiddle his thumbs. “I’ll do whatever you want me to do. I’m not used to getting a say.”
“That was then, this is now. When you’re a part of my team, we work together. That means you get a say. No one would think badly of you for saying you don’t want to do it.”
“It’s weird.” Kevin shuffles in his seat to sit up straight. “I feel like I have to say I’m coming with you. I don’t know why, but my beast is making this decision for me. I… I guess my decision is made.”
I study Kevin’s stiff posture and tilt my head to the side. Usually, when our wolves act up, it’s either because they want out, or they sense their mate is around. It could be that Kevin’s wolf is tired of being shut away the last couple of days, but I don’t want to say anything on the latter one.
“If you’re sure.” My eyebrows raise. I need a solid answer from Kevin.
“I am, Jasper. I’m coming with you.”
“Okay. Callum, I take it you’re on board.”
“Absolutely. You know I live for these missions.” He rubs his hands together.
Callum is an outdoors kind of guy. He’s happiest in wolf form, protecting his kind, destroying the evil.
“Can I ask you something?” Kevin turns his whole body to face Callum.
“Shoot, kid.”
“Do you miss pack life? I mean, you don’t live in a pack, do you?”
“No and no. I guess you could say that Carlos’s pack is my go to home, but I live for the moment. Each day is a new day, and I never take for granted that I’m going to be here tomorrow. I work for the council and we never get short of shit to do. The last two days has been torturing me because I’m not used to being stuck in this compound. My wolf is jumping around happy now, because we’ll be free out in the wilderness,” Callum explains excitedly and drums on the table.
I roll my eyes at him, shake my head, and sit back. It’s crazy, because there was a time I was exactly like Callum when it came to council assignments. Now, I have no fire for it. I’ve served my purpose. Lisa, Markus, and Joel are all set up with a decent life. I just need to be there for them when they need me. That’s my sole focus.
“Have you both been to Canada before?”
“We have,” I answer for both of us. “Canada’s a beautiful place. The scenery, the mountains, the wildlife… it’s amazing.” I smile as I think about Canada. I haven’t been for at least a year, but anytime I do go, it’s hard to leave. I must take Lisa and Markus on a trip there soon.
“Isn’t it bad for our kind to mix with vampires?”
Callum and I laugh, but we aren’t laughing at Kevin. We’re simply laughing at the perception he has on the whole shifter/vampire ethics.
“You’re as bad as Lisa. You’ve been reading too many books.”
“I don’t read books,” Kevin jumps in quickly.
“Well, too many movies then.”
“Try living with a rogue that thought every paranormal being was evil. I didn’t know any better.”
I fold my arms back over my chest and sit forward in my seat. “Although vampires and wolves don’t commonly come into contact with one another, it is possible. We do join forces when either side’s in trouble. Vampires aren’t the big bad monsters people perceive them as. In fact, Lelland and Lavina are the best examples for you to be introduced to, because they still lead a human life out in Meadow Springs. It’s a small village, but it’s home for them. They train vampires to live off animal blood instead of human blood. They have a big house in the middle of nowhere, and it’s housed hundreds of vampires over the years. You’ll probably meet Ashley and Dale Black. I believe they’re the latest creations of Lelland, and they live close by with their family.”
“Ah, I see you’re teaching the young Kevin already,” says Julian as he pushes through the door. “I take it you’ve all had a chance to discuss our offer.” He takes up his usual seat.
“We have,” we say in unison, which makes Braxton and Julian smile.
“Thank you. I know Lelland will be glad to have you on board, Jasper. He did ask for you personally.”
Anyone I’ve worked with before asks for me. I don’t just do the job I’m on, I care. I take the time to help my people. I build relationships, because we never know when that time will come when we need their help.
“So, the plan of action is?” I ask.
“As I said, you’ll fly out at 1300 hours. You’ll land around 2000 hours. Lelland will be there to collect you all, and he’ll transport you back to his house. You’ll be there for as long as he needs you. On your return, you’ll go home.”
“Just like that? So, we spent the last forty-eight hours in those cells for nothing.” I push my chair back, making it scrape off the stone floor.
“No. Not just like that, Jasper. We had to be seen acting against your pack for breaking rules. It’s over with. Finished. We won’t apologise for keeping order within our world,” says Braxton sternly.
He might think he acted accordingly, but we all know different and I’m done talking about it. “Can we get freshened up before we leave?”
“Of course. I’ve had your belongings brought in from your car. You have two hours to freshen up, eat, and get ready to fly out.”
“What about the witch you said you need?”
“We’ll sort something out and get back to you with that information,” Julian says. “Callum, show the boys to the guest house.”
“I know where I’m going,” I snap, and stand on my tired legs. “But, thank you.” I’m done with all the arguing and bickering. The quicker we get this done, the quicker we can go home.