Page 13 of Nighted

My shoulders sagged with the knowledge. If she was close, I would have to come face-to-face with her again. I needed to prepare myself for seeing her. I closed my eyes, steadying my resolve. Justice needed to be done. Any feelings I had toward my mother were residual. Mere emotions I thought I should have for a maternal figure. The feelings weren’t real.

“Are you okay?” Duke asked. Everyone kept asking me if I was okay, and if everything was okay. I was sick of it. I was fine. So I shook off Duke’s hand, and started trekking toward the woods again.

“I’m fine, Duke. We’ll find her and we’ll do what needs to be done. Like we do every other day.” He opened his mouth, looking like he wanted to say something. But he closed it, thinking better of whatever was on his mind. His footsteps fell into line behind mine as we did what needed to be done. Just like every other day. And one day this job would include taking down my mother.

Thankfully the rest of my day went by easily. Some of the sensors were in rough shape, which meant I didn’t even have time to check my phone to count down the hours until Jasper came back. Duke also stayed quiet on the topic of my mother for the rest of the day. Thank God. We walked back through the field. Dusk was beginning to break through the trees. A light breeze tickled the back of my neck, bare from where I had pulled my hair up earlier in the day.

“I can’t wait for the days to start getting longer again. Less darkness is always a plus in my books,” I said, trying to make light conversation in an effort to apologize for my snappiness before.

“Soon enough.” Duke gave me an amused look. “Although I’m surprised you didn’t say you were looking forward to Jasper getting home.”

“I figured it was a given. Only one more night.”

He nodded. “I remember the first time Lucy and I were apart for a weekend. It was after we had acknowledged our mate bond, but before our marking. I felt like I was watching a lion eat my heart in front of me.” It was the most poetic I had ever heard Duke speak. “You’ll get through it. We all survive it. It’s worth it, in the end.”

It was worth it. I reached out to squeeze Duke’s arm. “Thank you.”

He looked bashful, like he had said too much. “Don’t mention it. Now let’s get back before Lucy sends out the cavalry.”

We arrived back at their cottage to find another incredible dinner. Lucy must have been in the kitchen for hours. I let the aromas and warmth of the dining room settle around me like an old friend. This weekend really hadn’t been as bad as I had anticipated. One more evening, and Jasper would be back in my bed. We joked and laughed throughout dinner, enjoying each other’s company. I headed out to the front porch after dinner, letting my feet dangle from the old porch swing hung there.

Lucy poked her head out the screen door. “Everything okay out here? Do you need anything?”

I smiled at her. “No, believe me, you’ve fed me enough for weeks. I’m going to call Jasp and then turn in for the night.”

She returned the grin. “Okay. We’re going to head to bed. But maybe you can tell Duke’s mom how much food I make next time you see her? For some reason she seems to think I’m starving her baby boy.” Duke’s indignant response came hollering out the door, and we both laughed. “Night, Ava. Double check the locks before you come in.”

“Will do.” She turned to go back into the house, and I dialled Jasper’s number. The phone barely rang before he picked up on the other end.

“Ava.” I smiled at the relief in his voice, echoing my own body. “How did the day go?”

The porch swing creaked gently beneath me as I briefly filled him in on the work Duke and I had done, leaving out any mention of my mother. That was a conversation better held in person.

“Good.” His brisk manner was typical whenever we discussed anything to do with the pack. All business. Jasper’s voice dropped an octave. “Now tell me how much you missed me.”

The ripples of his voice were like electricity to my body. But I wasn’t going to cave to him easily. “Oh, are you gone? I hadn’t noticed.”

I could practically hear his smirk as he responded. “So, then you wouldn’t mind if I had to extend my trip a few days?”

“Don’t joke.” My response was quick, and it elicited a soft chuckle from him.

“Maybe it would be easier for you to show me how much you miss me.” Jasper’s voice was raspy and quiet, leaving my ears straining and my heart wanting more.

“I guess you’ll have to wait until tomorrow to see then.” I trailed my foot through a small dirt pile on the porch. My voice was light but if I was being honest, tomorrow felt like years away.

“Or you could show me now.” My head shot up so fast I nearly gave myself whiplash. Jasper stood at the base of the steps, looking beautiful as always. Leather jacket smudged and hair messy from the ride, and a sexy smile on his full lips. The only difference was the dark circles under his eyes. Obviously, he hadn’t gotten a great night’s sleep either.

“Jasper!” I leapt off the swing, running the few steps to throw myself into his waiting arms. His large body squeezed me tight, and I never wanted him to let go. “How are you here?”

“I drove,” Jasper said drily, and I narrowed my eyes at him. “Alpha said I had to be in Chicago for negotiations. He was less explicit about where I had to spend my nights. I decided to take a chance, and luckily for both of us, my guess was right.”

He gently tugged my hair back, bringing my lips to his, crushing me to him. “Thank God,” he murmured. “I couldn’t have made it another night.” Jasper tugged my hand desperately, dragging me off the porch beside him. “Come on, let’s take a drive. I believe there was some mention of you showing me how much you missed me.”

“Jasp, I’m not even dressed!” I protested, motioning toward my loose tee and cotton shorts. His eyes darkened as he followed my hand’s gestures, his gaze slipping down my legs as smooth as a touch.

“You’re perfect.” Jasper’s words were flirtatious, but I always heard the underlying danger lacing his words when his eyes looked like this. “Now, come on. I love Duke, but I don’t need him seeing what we’re about to do.” All my inhibitions went out the door with his honest statement, and I let him pull me down the dusty path into the moonlit night. Perfect.

Jasper’s movements were quick and desperate as I struggled to keep up with his pace. He stopped abruptly after the curve in the path, swinging around to face me head-on. He tangled his fingers in my hair, and his gaze drank me in. “God, baby, you have no idea how much I missed you.” Both Jasper’s actions and his words were tinged with restraint, like he was barely holding himself back.

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