Page 16 of Nighted

Chapter Five

Jasper flew down the empty streets, the drive back taking less than half the time of the original drive. I squeezed his waist tightly as we sped through the dark night, begging whatever god was out there we had made a mistake. We had read the clues wrong, and we would get back to Duke’s house and Lucy would be fine. Duke could handle himself, but Lucy… I had pulled out my phone to call Lucy at the apartment, but it was dead. Same with Jasper’s -- dead. Jasper peeled into the parking lot, and I was off the bike before he even fully stopped. I couldn’t be certain what was moving faster, my brain or my feet. All I knew was my sweet, gentle friend was in danger and everything was most likely my fault.

“Ava! Ava! Wait!” Jasper’s desperate yells followed me through the trees as I ran. “We don’t know what we’re getting into!” I almost paused, knowing he was right. I was unarmed, undressed, and literally running into a potentially dangerous situation.

Danger had also never stopped me before. I knew he wanted me to stop, make a plan. Think things through. But we didn’t have time for planning. I didn’t stop running and instead waved him ahead. “Go! Shift! I’ll meet you there.”

I heard his exasperated sigh from behind me, followed by the cracking sounds that told me he was shifting. Tree branches beside me rustled and shook as Jasper took off through the forest. Good. For once he could listen to me.

Duke and Lucy’s cottage was at the opposite end of the lands from the parking lot. Because why wouldn’t their house be so far? On a good day the distance was a ten-minute walk, meaning Jasper could do the run in a minute. As long as nothing intercepted him. Shit, I hoped Lucy would be okay. I imagined the worst, shaking the thoughts from my head as I ran. After what felt like years I could see the warm glow from the rustic porch light and urged my feet to move faster.

As their small cottage came into view, I almost tripped on my own feet over what I saw. On the porch stood a very naked Jasper, a very angry Duke, and a frightened looking Lucy. Thank God. I exhaled loudly, trying to catch my breath.

“Lucy! You’re okay!” I called over to her, catching the attention of all three.

Duke’s voice was cold, catching me off guard. “Of course she’s okay, no thanks to your jackass mate dragging her out of bed in the middle of the night.” He wasn’t angry. He was pissed.

Jasper shrugged his shoulders, glaring at Duke. “We had to be sure.”

I ignored their arguing and climbed the steps. I embraced Lucy who stood woodenly with her arms at her sides. “I was so worried. Are you sure you’re okay?”

She didn’t try to return the hug, and I stepped back. Maybe Duke and Lucy were both pissed. “I’m fine, Ava. Ready to go back to sleep if this interrogation is over.” She met my gaze blankly before glancing nervously at Duke.

“Yes, we’re done.” Duke glared back at Jasper. “Do you not think I know my own mate well enough to know if something’s wrong?”

Jasper huffed. “It’s our job to make sure she’s safe.”

“No, it’s your job to keep the pack safe. It’s my job to keep Lucy safe. You do your job, and I’ll do mine.” Duke’s voice was filled with finality, and Jasper looked absolutely livid. Duke turned to me, and his voice was slightly softer. “Do you need a place to stay tonight, or are you okay?”

I opened my mouth to speak, but Jasper butted in before I could say anything. “She’ll be fine. My job, right?”

I was still checking out Lucy. She wouldn’t meet my stare and kept shivering in the warm night like she was cold. Something was definitely off. But we wouldn’t be able to figure the problem out tonight without one or both of the guys ending up in the emergency room.

I put a gentle hand on Jasper’s hot shoulder, feeling the tense muscles relax under my touch. “It’s okay. I’ll come back and pick up my stuff sometime tomorrow.” I grabbed Jasper’s hand, tugging him down the stairs.

Duke and Lucy didn’t say goodnight, but silently stepped into their house, the quiet click of the door the only sound in the dark.

Jasper didn’t speak as we walked back to the bike, hand in hand. I knew he was upset about his fight with Duke, so I broke the silence first. “Please tell me you took your clothes off before you shifted. I don’t even want to think how uncomfortable it’s going to be for you to ride your bike in the buff.” I tried to crack a joke, hoping to lighten the mood.

I was rewarded with a small smile. “As much as I think you’d enjoy seeing the nudity, baby, I was conscientious enough to take my clothes off before shifting.”

“I’m sorry you fought with Duke,” I murmured, meeting his dark gaze.

He shook his head. “It’s not your fault. Duke can get high and mighty sometimes. He’s always been like that. He’ll get over it.”

I nodded, hoping he was right. Duke and Jasper had been friends for so long, I’d hate to think of anything coming in between them, and I’d especially hate for anything to be me. “Did Lucy actually seem… okay to you?”

“No.” His answer was quick, silencing any doubts I had in my own head. “But Duke was being possessive from the word ‘go.’ I couldn’t get more than two words out of her. What did you think?”

“Something was definitely off. I don’t know though. Lucy’s such a skittish person it’s difficult to see the difference between her normal level of anxiety, and something being seriously wrong.” I wasn’t sure what to think. I didn’t want something to be wrong, but I also didn’t want to make any rash decisions based on an assumption. “Why didn’t Duke notice something wasn’t right with his own mate?” I already knew I’d be able to feel if something was off with Jasper, and the mark had barely begun to sink in. He was everything.

Jasper shrugged. “Duke is a very protective person, especially when it comes to Lucy. His need to protect her from me is probably outweighing him seeing anything being wrong.”

I nodded, processing. It was a lot to take in. What I really needed was sleep. We had made our way back to the parking lot and paused beside Jasper’s strewn clothes so he could get dressed again. The night felt like months had gone by. Had it really only been a few hours ago we had marked each other? I subconsciously ran a finger across my neck, feeling the tingling sensation once again. The mark felt like those raised bumps had always been there, hidden under the surface, waiting for the right time to break free. “Where are we staying tonight anyway?”

Jasper tugged his shirt over his head, unsuccessfully hiding a smile. “I have a plan, but you’re not going to like it.”

I raised an eyebrow at him. “As long as it’s not on the bike and I actually get to sleep, I’ll love it.”

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