Page 74 of Campfires & Canines
"Do you know if Onyx is alive?" I bite my lip.
"What?" He sits forward sharply.
"He got shot," I say, a sarcastic edge sharpening my words.
"Are you serious?" Grabbing his phone from his pocket, he types, his lip curling into a snarl. "I'm sorry, I didn't know. That shouldn't have happened."
"No kidding," I bite out, but my throat is tightening now I'm thinking about my friend. The sound of the gun echoes in my head for the hundredth time.
"Tell me exactly what happened," he requests quietly.
I shudder. "A car pulled up, and the driver had a gun pointed at us. And then two wolves attacked, and he was defending me. He was a wolf when they shot him. And then the guys grabbed me."
“Where did they hit him?” He asks.
“I don’t know, by his shoulder. Above his leg.”
Jasper's face is closed off. Finally, he says, "Shifters are really hard to kill. As long as they didn’t get his neck or head, I'm sure he's okay."
"He’d better be," I growl.
For a beat, I fight back tears and he pretends the carpet is interesting.
"What do you know about your mom's plans?"
Jasper shakes his head. “I don’t. She wants you to join the pack and for us to be mates. She’s decided you’re the ideal addition to the bloodline because you have a claim to Bracken Creek.” I grimace. "My turn. Why did you go stay with Heath and his pack?" he asks.
I raise an eyebrow. "He's my uncle."
"I know. But did you know he was a shifter?"
"No." Biting the inside of my cheek, I decide to be honest. "He used to visit us in California, but I had no idea what my dad was either."
"I'm sorry." He reaches out, his hand covering my knee. I pull it away and he lets his hand drop. "Have you ever been to Bracken Creek before?"
"No."
"Why now?" He presses.
"I got let go from my job." I'm humiliated, but maybe it’ll make him feel worse. Humanize me. "And broke off my engagement. Seemed like a good time for a road trip."
"Ouch. What happened?"
I scowl at him. "He preferred his new assistant over me."
"Asshole," he growls. I raise my eyebrows.
"What's your family like?" I ask.
"You met my mom." The muscles in his arms flex as he tenses up.
"What about the rest?" I press. I need to know who I'm dealing with.
"My dad is always busy with pack business." He hesitates. "He focuses on our finances and territory, business stuff. But my mom is in charge of the people."
"Seems like a bad choice."
"You would be correct," he mutters.
