Page 16 of Caligo

Huh.I considered this. “Can’t you go out and not tell the pack?”

He shook his head. “Doesn’t work like that, Ava. What the Alpha says is law. I can’t disobey him.”

The alcohol had hit my bloodstream, and I felt my fingertips tingling. The combination of Jasper’s chest underneath me and the whiskey finally had me feeling relaxed. He took a deep breath in, and when I felt his shoulders droop, I knew he was starting to relax, too. I sipped my drink, thinking. “Hey, Jasper.”

“Mmmm?” He was toying with my hair, not paying attention.

“Were your parents mates?”

He stopped playing with my hair. “No.”

“Oh. I was wondering why you never talk about your dad.” I regretted asking, but I wanted to understand. I wanted to know all of him.

“It was a fling that ended up with me, and they tried to make the relationship work. But eventually my mom got frustrated she couldn’t get what she truly wanted from my dad. Love.” He took another sip of his drink. I had so many questions, but I didn’t want to interrupt. “She left. Moved to Chicago. My father met his real mate soon after, on a scouting trip to California. He lives there with his new family now.” His voice sounded level, but there was an old bitterness underneath it.

I bolted upright. “Your father left you alone? Oh, Jasper, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to pry.”

He stroked my hair. “It’s okay. I was a teenager at the time. I moved in with Duke’s family, and Beau’s too for a while.”

I hurt for a young Jasper I didn’t know. “I can’t believe he left you.”

Jasper’s voice was soft. “I used to be a lot angrier. I used it as an excuse for going off the rails. But especially now, with you, I understand my father’s decisions a lot better. The mate bond, it’s hard to fight.”

“Can you tell me more about it? The mate thing, I mean.” Something about the evening made it okay for me to ask the things I was scared of.

He was instantly guarded, which was fair of him, as I had shot the mate thing down pretty hard when he first brought the topic up. “What do you want to know?”

I sorted through all of the questions swirling around my head, choosing one. “Well, like how does the bond work?”

“Okay. But no getting freaked out.” Jasper took a sip of his drink and settled in. “It’s kind of like love at first sight. But different. Because it’s meant to be.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean it’s difficult to fight once you’ve met your mate.” He turned me to face him. “One has what the other doesn’t, and vice versa. They’re two halves of a whole. Once you’ve experienced feeling complete, how could you go back?”

“Oh,” I said, watching the mixed emotions behind his eyes. “And you think that’s what we are?”

Jasper nodded solemnly. “Besides the obvious, it’s the only explanation I have for the other stuff going on.”

“What other stuff?” I frowned, trying to follow his logic.

“Well, you already know how we comfort each other by being close. And normally mates have a telepathic bond, but it’s a little different for us because you’re human.” He hadn’t stopped looking into my eyes, and I couldn’t look away.

“How does the mate bond work for us?” I whispered. The whole conversation felt like it deserved reverence. Respect.

“The sparks when I touch you.” He ran his finger down my arm. “I can usually sense where you are. I’m beginning to feel your emotions.”

I didn’t respond. The whiskey was helping me remain calm, but to be honest, everything he was saying made perfect sense.

His eyes shone in the warm light, happy with my acceptance. “Usually, the bond gets stronger with marking. But I don’t think we’d ever do that. I’d be too afraid of hurting you.”

“The marking?” I asked.

Jasper hesitated. “It’s when the wolves bite each other. Marking them. Claiming them as theirs. Here.” He trailed a finger across the delicate skin of my neck. I shivered as he followed his finger with his mouth, kissing me. I leaned into his touch, eager for more. But he jumped up, leaving only the couch under me. Jasper already had his phone in his hand, but I hadn’t even heard it ring. He ran his fingers through his hair. “Shit. I have to take this.”

He stepped into my bedroom, and I could barely make out the low murmur of Jasper’s voice. I set my drink down on the table and laid back on the couch. Was I okay with being someone’s mate, with having no say in my own destiny? I couldn’t deny everything he had said rang true. I couldn’t denyhim,for that matter.

Jasper stepped back out into the living room still holding his phone, a look of shock on his face. “You need to get dressed. Beau’s been attacked.”

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