Page 18 of Caligo

Jasper filled him in on Beau’s condition, and I stood up to let him have the chair. Duke took my hand as I moved towards Jasper. “Thank you. Beau would appreciate you coming more than you know.”

I tipped my head down, so he couldn’t see how touched I was. “It was nothing.”

“It wasn’t nothing. You’re one of us. A part of the pack.” Duke embraced me, and I was stunned. I was part of something. Appreciated, more so than I’d ever felt with my own family.

He sat down next to Beau as we left and made the short drive to the pack hall. The reception desk was empty, but Jasper led me down the hall. “They’re expecting us.”

He pulled me towards a set of ornate double doors, opening them without knocking. I immediately felt out of place compared to the three large, intimidating men sitting at the table. They had to be the pack leaders. Jasper sat down at a chair across from them, and I sat next to him. He tipped his head politely.

“Jasper. Ava. Thank you for joining us on such short notice.” The man in the middle acknowledged us, and from the way everyone seemed to turn innately towards him I assumed he had to be the Alpha. The Alpha’s voice sounded as smooth as silk, and had a calming air to it.

My suspicions were confirmed when Jasper greeted him. “Alpha Dean. It was no problem at all. You know I’d do anything for the pack.” The other two men weren’t introduced to me.

“Thank you, Jasper. I know you’re committed. But I need to know if you, Ava, are as committed.” The Alpha turned his stern gaze on me, but I refused to cower away.

“I’m sorry, Alpha, I’m not sure what I can really do for the pack. I’m still training.” I kept my voice as strong as I could. Jasper took my hand and squeezed.

“I understand you’re Jasper’s mate.” My gaze darted to Jasper at this point, but he didn’t meet my glance. The Alpha picked up on my quick look and continued. “Regardless if you have accepted this fact or not, your bond makes you a part of this pack now. I’m also aware you have been training under Jasper. If you’re willing, we’d like to call on you for your aid.”

My hands shook. I was expecting him to ask me for my insight, maybe an opinion or two. But this? Was I ready to hunt a monster who had injured others, even killed? My parents certainly didn’t think I was. But the Alpha had made me feel like I was a member of this pack. Jasper’s grip tightened on my hand. Jasper believed in me. His friends believed in me. Beau believed in me, so much so he was lying in a hospital bed as we spoke. I owed it to him. I owed it to myself.

I met the Alpha’s stare. “I’ll do whatever you need me to do to protect the pack.”

Alpha Dean smiled at me. “Good. Jasper, we are once again giving you free rein to track and use whatever force necessary to take this wolf down. I don’t know why he’s here, or why he’s hurting his own kind but the violence needs to stop. You will have any resources you need. Same goes for you, Ava.”

Jasper nodded tightly. “Yes, Alpha.”

“I don’t think I need to tell you how important it is that this is handled quickly and quietly.”

“No.” Jasper’s voice was low and serious. Something was bothering him, but there wasn’t any point in worrying about it until we were on our own.

“You’re both dismissed. Stay safe, stay alive.” The Alpha and the two other men who had remained quiet left the room.

Jasper waited until they had left to stand, offering me his hand to help me to my feet. “I wasn’t expecting him to ask you for help as a full Venator. You don’t have to do this, you know, if you don’t feel ready.”

“I know.” I hoped I sounded brave even though nerves were shooting through me. “I said yes because I want to. But, tell me something.”

“Anything.”

“What did you say to Beau, in the hospital?” I asked.

“I told him we were going to take this asshole down.”

I stood on my toes to give him a quick peck on the cheek. “Then let’s make him proud.”

Chapter 6

“Come on.” We grabbed some gear from the pack hall, and Jasper nudged me out the door, pulling me out into the cool night. “We need to check the perimeter. If they got through the security there must be evidence somewhere.”

We walked through the gently falling snow, our feet leaving light prints in what had already accumulated on the ground. The weather this year had been strange, and I didn’t think the snow would stick around until the morning. It left me wondering if we’d have a white Christmas this year.Christmas. Shit.I couldn’t think about that right now. We had bigger problems than who was going to cook a turkey.

I shook myself out of my thoughts, only to notice Jasper lost in his own head. I elbowed him gently. “What’s up? You look like you have a lot on your mind.”

“It’s nothing. I don’t want to bother you with my worries when we have a job to do. You need to stay focused.” He tried to smile, but it didn’t meet his eyes.

“Really? You need to be clear headed too. Talk to me. If it’s Beau, you know he’ll be okay. The nurse already said he was stable, but you know she will call you if there’s any issues.”

“It’s not that Ava, it’s…” Jasper’s voice trailed off, carried away in the wind. He turned to me, a thousand emotions alight in his face. “I’m scared.”

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