Page 24 of Caligo

He thrust deep into me as I said the words, causing us both to cry out. Jasper moved his hips, and I matched his rhythm.

“Say it again,” he said, his voice husky with desire.

I tried to speak and failed as pleasure started overwhelming every sense I had. Jasper slowed his motions, going torturously slow so I could feel every movement he made. “Say. It. Again,” he demanded through clenched teeth.

I knew the slow pace was killing him, as well. He was the one who originally offered release. But I was still unable to form the words. I closed my eyes, giving in to the rhythm. I was so close. And then Jasper stopped all together. When I opened my eyes, he was staring at me, eyes filled with emotion. “Say it again, baby,” he requested softly.

“I love you.” He closed his eyes in pleasure and resumed his desperate pace. I could feel the heat building, but before I could cry out Jasper shuddered inside me. His subtle release was enough to send me over the edge alongside him. I clung to him, all that mattered in the world at the moment.

“I really do love you, you know,” I told him again, resting my head against his. I tried to catch my breath -- I was going to need it.

He smiled, satisfied. “And I love you. Forever. Always.”

I knew he meant it. I could feel the mate bond coursing through both of us, and I thought back to our earlier conversations. Only one thing was missing. I doubted he was going to go for it though.

“Jasper.”

“Yeah?” His gaze was still unfocused.

“I want you to mark me.” I made my voice as confident as possible.

Shock was clear on his face. “Are you serious?”

“Yes.” I was resolute. There was nothing to stand in my way now -- no fear, no denial.

Jasper considered my request, then nodded. “We can talk about it later. After all of this is done. It’s a bigger undertaking than you’re thinking.”

I started to protest when a piercing howl shattered through the hall, breaking us apart. The moment was over, and we both moved into high gear.

I stood up, pulling my jeans back up. “What the hell was that?”

Jasper was grim. “That was Adrian.”

I strapped my blades in place before jogging to catch up with Jasper’s fast pace. He turned towards me. “You okay if I shift? It’ll be faster.”

“Go. I’ll catch up.” He didn’t even bother to remove his shorts, shredding them as bones cracked and fur emerged from skin. I ran behind him as fast as I could, feeling grateful for all of my early morning runs as I sprinted. I found him inside the tree line where he was examining a crushed bush. His gaze met mine. He was still Jasper, but in a different face. He pointed with his snout and I followed, snatching a blade in each hand. He led me deep into the forest, where the tree roots began to overlap each other. The evergreen foliage was so thick overhead in places it made the space nearly pitch black where we ran. I hadn’t seen Jasper in several minutes, but I could hear him lightly crushing through the snow as he ran ahead of me. I had stopped for a moment, to get my bearings when I heard a sharp yelp from up ahead.

“Jasper! Jasper!” I called out his name in a harsh whisper, torn between wanting to make sure he was okay and not wanting anyone to know my location. But the woods were silent. I couldn’t hear the crunching of his footsteps anymore. I made my way towards the area where I thought I had heard the yelp, and broke through into a small clearing where the trees weren’t as thick overhead. The opening flooded the area with moonlight, harsh on my eyes after all of the dim light.

“Jasper!” I called, a bit louder this time.

And this time, I heard him. “Ava!”

He must have shifted back, I thought. I headed towards the sound of his voice, calling out to him again and again.

“Ava!” he shouted. “Ava! Get the hell out of here!”

* * *

“Ava, go!” Jasper’s voice called out again, more desperate this time.

I immediately turned on my heel. The plan wasn’t to run away, but to mark my trail back. If Jasper was otherwise occupied, then I was going to have to rely on my skills to get us home safely. Using my teeth to rip off strips of my shirt, I tied the fabric around a branch at the edge of the clearing. Even in the dim light the white stood out. Then I took off in the direction his voice had come from.

I found nothing. Jasper was nowhere to be found. Every so often I would stop and tie a strip of my shirt to a tree to make sure I wouldn’t get lost. I tried to track Jasper’s trail, but there wasn’t much of one to go by. I would find bits of prints here and there, but I had no way of knowing if they were Jasper’s. I hoped they were his. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to meet the other wolf by myself. I remembered our previous encounter in front of my apartment and shuddered to think about a repeat. Except I was stronger this time. Better prepared. It wouldn’t be like last time. I wouldn’t let it.

I found a steady trail of prints in the crisp snow, slightly different from the last. Not finding any other choice, I started following them through the brush. At least the prints were a solid lead for once. The snow was starting to come down heavier, settling into the evergreen branches and making my coat damp. I wish I had the foresight to change into a better coat, but this wasn’t exactly how I saw my night going. I kept listening for Jasper, or for anything else that might be in the woods, but it was silent. But that didn’t mean no one was there. The wolf we were hunting had managed this long not being caught, I wouldn’t be surprised to find out he had been watching me all along. Moonlight was breaking through the branches ahead where the tracks were leading me, and I stumbled towards the light. Except it was out of the dark, and once again into my original small clearing. The tracks must have led me around in a circle, and I had been too preoccupied listening for other wolves to pay attention. An amateur mistake. Frustrated, I closed my eyes, counting and breathing, hoping some idea would come to me.

A rustling in the bushes startled me from my thoughts. I opened my eyes and ducked into a defensive stance to see a black wolf at the opposite end of the clearing.Adrian.

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