Page 16 of Gift Wrapped Protector

His Wyvern scratched against his skin. The beast was curiously agitated, pushing him to drive faster. And he did. His own curiosity and something else propelled him forward.

Jasper had the windows open despite the chill to enjoy the fresh mountain air. It was even colder in upstate New York, about average for late December. As he rolled to a stop on the newly snowed on graveled driveway, he filtered through the familiar scents of cold, ice, and mountain.

Pine trees were the strongest, mixed with the faint scents of oaks, beeches, and walnuts, and the compact, snow-covered dirt of the shore that led to the huge lake just behind the cabin. Deer, squirrels, and the faint smell of coyote, too. All of them ticked off and identified until he reached one unfamiliar scent.

It was warm, like vanilla, but bright like lemon verbena, too. The fruity notes attracted his beast while the man wanted to bask in the promised heat of the sexy, sweet fragrance.

He put his SUV in park, and exited abruptly, taking long deep breaths, following the path as if it was highlighted by little neon arrows just for him.

It was like he was in a trance. Need, urgent and unstoppable, drove him on. Riding him, urging him to find the owner of that delectable perfume.

Rounding the corner of the cabin, which sat right on its own private shore of the lake and had a private dock as well, Jasper almost stumbled over nothing. Imagine a Shifter, powerful and fast, tripping over his own damned feet!

Hell, he almost swallowed his tongue at the vision waiting for him there. The sun was low in the sky and the air was clean and warm. He tiptoed up the stairs and pushed open the back door of the cabin.

Unlocked? Really?He smiled indulgently, shaking his head. Inside it was warm, but not warm enough for a human, he frowned, making a note to build a fire as soon as he found her.

He mounted the stairs, moving towards the open bedroom door. He heard water from the shower stop suddenly, and fuck, he actually stopped breathing.

The cabin was beautiful, but nothing compared toher. Standing naked, freshly showered with a towel in her hand, his angel entered the room, humming softly as she moved.

Her eyes were turned away, like she was thinking as she dried her hair. Damn, she had on a pair of white air pods sticking out of her cute little ears. So cute, so dangerous though to not be aware of her situation, he frowned.

He didn’t want to disturb her yet. Oh no, Jasper wanted to look his fill. Not because he was a pervert or a voyeur, but because his heart was thudding like mad. The female was now singing delightfully off key, to an old rock song which only showed her sublimely good taste in his opinion.

Jasper wanted to study her in her relaxed state for as long as he could. His attention was positively riveted to the glorious creature. Every dip and curve of her delectable body.

Her bountiful, mouth-watering breasts, and the soft swell of her stomach. She tugged on a pair of tiny briefs with little Santa hats all over them, and he grinned.

Fuck, she was adorable. All of her, every last inch down to her pink painted toes. She stood inches from him, but he could not move. Was only capable of standing there with her in full view for him to admire.

His cock was hard as stone from her exquisite semi-nudity. So much pretty skin. Sun-kissed and a little bit tanned from her trip, maybe. His eyes were drawn to her lush, large tip-tilted breasts topped with big, dusky nipples and Jasper salivated.

He wanted to taste her, to see if she was as sweet as she smelled. He inhaled again, savoring her vanilla lemon fragrance, until the beast inside of him growled. That growl turned into a word he’d never expected to hear.

Mine.

Holy fuck.

His father had pretty much called it, but when was Arthur Wessex ever wrong?

This was it.

She was it.

Jasper had found his fated mate.

Feelings of love and joy filled him, and like an idiot, he walked over to where she stood, smiling, and waiting for her clear blue eyes to meet his.

He wasn’t sure what he’d been expecting when she did look at him, but it wasn’t for her to scream at the top of her lungs while, a second later, what felt like a million bolts of electricity raced through his body!

“What the fuuuuccccck?” he roared.

A second later, he was on his back, looking up at her from his new position on the floor. He wiped the spittle that had leaked from his mouth, needing a moment before he could speak.

“Who are you? Why are you here?”

She shrieked, covering her nudity with her towel, and holding onto what looked like a wiffle ball bat. Now what the heck was she going to do with that piece of plastic?

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