The cabin is as cozy on the inside as it is charming on the outside. It’s small, tastefully furnished, and the warmth from Jasper’s fire wraps around me like a comforting hug.
As Jasper leads me inside, I’m taken aback by the beauty of it all.
The wooden beams on the ceiling match the walls, giving the small space a warm, welcoming feel.
Despite my skepticism about what Jasper calls faux, the rug on the floor looks softer than silk.
Jasper takes my jacket as I shrug it off. “And Malik, of all people, made this?”
Jasper laughs. He knows Malik’s reputation, and I’m sure if I told him about the girl—Vanessa, or whatever her name is—he wouldn’t be surprised.
“It’s funny that the Alpha of Love spends his time with beautiful women in his bed, instead of actually looking for his mate.
“I thought he, of all people, would search the entire land for her.”
“He did. There’s a romantic side to him,” Jasper says, a hint of amusement in his voice. He hangs our snow-dusted coats on a hook I hadn’t noticed.
I have to admit, I like him without his coat on; his muscular arms are on full display.
He catches me checking him out and I quickly look down, trying to hide my blushing face.
“So what now?” I ask, hoping Jasper will finally reveal his secret.
Instead, he shrugs, a small grin on his face. My curiosity is piqued, but it’s clear he’s not ready to share. He’s saving it for the right moment, or more likely, the last possible moment.
“I thought you might have some questions... about Phantom Wolves,” Jasper says, moving closer to the fireplace. Who better to ask than the Alpha of the species himself?
The closer I get to the fireplace, the more the heat envelops me. It’s like a blanket, lulling me to sleep.
But instead of giving in to the drowsiness, I sit next to Jasper on the couch, careful to keep some distance.
“I guess I do,” I admit, trying to voice the thoughts I’ve been too scared to express. “If you’re okay answering them.”
He smiles gently. “Of course.”
Jasper leans back against the couch, reminding me of when I spied on him and Tayten. Not that it was much of a spy mission, considering he knew I was there the whole time.
At least it shows he’s comfortable around me, which gives me a warm feeling that the fireplace can’t provide.
“Will I have any special powers, like you?” I wouldn’t mind being able to read minds or something.
Jasper bites his lip. “Magic takes a lot of time to master. I spent hundreds of years perfecting it. That was the heavy stuff I hope you never have to see.
“Maybe I could teach you, when we have time.”
My mind reels at his casual response. Magic?
The idea of being able to do something like the Alpha makes me excited, though I try to hide it.
“You have eternal life, right?” I ask. “Will I have that too?”
Jasper looks down at his hands, fiddling with a blanket. I watch his fingers, knowing what they’re capable of.
The firelight flickers across his face, casting shadows that make him seem darker, more mysterious.
“Many choose to die, to rest after a while. A Phantom’s life is much longer than a regular Wolf’s.
“But if you don’t have Alpha blood, you won’t live forever, like I will,” Jasper says. My heart sinks a little, but I push the feeling away.
“Unless...” he adds, looking back at me.
He seems hesitant to continue, still playing with the blanket. I want to grab his hands, to reassure him.
“Unless what?” I ask, raising an eyebrow.
“Well, unless I marked you,” he says quietly, biting his lip again. I can’t help but stare at it. “Like a mate would.”
I freeze. Mark me? The thought sends a shiver up my spine, and I’m not sure why.
A centuries-old Alpha is sitting in front of me, saying that if he marks me—I don’t know why he would—I could live forever. That does sound pretty amazing.
“That wouldn’t be fair to your mate,” I say, voicing the thoughts swirling in my head.
He doesn’t respond for a moment, lost in thought. I wish I could read his mind, see what he’s wrestling with.
Is there something he’s not telling me about being a Phantom? Is it going to kill me, or be more painful than I thought?
The thought makes my skin prickle.
“It’s fine,” he murmurs.
His short answer doesn’t reassure me. The fact that he’s looking down, not meeting my eyes, is unsettling.
I want to lift his chin, force him to look at me. Instead, I choose to use words, since there have been times when his words have left me breathless.
“Can you tell me about your mate? Did you leave her when you became a Phantom?”
I feel a twinge of guilt for asking, but my curiosity is relentless. Jasper shakes his head, finally meeting my gaze.
Just the sight of his violet eyes locking with mine sends a jolt through my chest.
The depth of emotion in his eyes is captivating, rendering me speechless and stretching the silence between us.
“Fate has a funny way of doing things,” Jasper murmurs, his voice barely above a whisper. “It bends time to suit you, or not; it all depends on its whims.
“It decides who your mate will be, and when they will enter your life. It can either make you, or break you.”
His words hold me captive, as I stare at him, unblinking. I guess I never really thought about it like that.
My faith in the Moon Goddess is shaky at best; it always has been. Fate is something June once persuaded me to believe in, describing it as a cunning entity, far more intelligent and tangible than I could imagine.
Maybe it’s one of the few things she said that actually stuck with me.
“So what are you trying to say?” I ask, still not grasping the meaning behind Jasper’s expression, and the way he’s fiddling with the seam of the blanket as if it’s the most fascinating thing in the room.
Jasper’s eyes ignite. “It means Fate decided to bring my mate into my life, when it deemed fit.”
I tilt my head, not breaking away from his gaze, which seems to intensify with each passing second and every word exchanged.
Something is brewing in his mind, and I would give anything to know what it is. It seems unfair that he can sneak a peek into my thoughts whenever he wants, without my knowledge.
Despite our promise.
“Do you know where she is?” I ask. If he does, he’s one step ahead of me. My mate could be anywhere in this land, in any Pack, with Fate biding its time to bring him into my life.
He could be Jasper for all I know…
He nods slowly. “Exactly where.”
“She must know then...” I murmur.
Did he abandon his mate to rescue me, to try to save those other people? Has he been such a noble Alpha, saving me and now caring for me, despite having a mate waiting for him at home?
What if Tayten is his mate, and he’s been hiding it from me? My mind whirls with possibilities, unable to settle on a single answer.
“She has no clue,” he admits, his gaze intense and unwavering. “Not yet.”
I almost mention my lack of a mate, but I can’t bring myself to say it.
Luca was my only shot at something close to that, and just thinking about him drags me back into the horrific memories of what he did to me…
Instead, I’ll keep probing about Jasper and his mate. For some reason, my curiosity insists on knowing everything.
And who am I to deny my curiosity?
“Why don’t you tell her?” I ask.
Maybe he’s starting to wonder why I’m so insistent on knowing so much. I don’t care though.
The night Jasper gave me the most incredible orgasm of my life, I acknowledged my attraction to him, which is undoubtedly a risky game.
“I’m considering it,” he says softly. “I really am.”
It feels as if everything else around us has ceased to exist. It’s a sensation I can’t quite put into words.
Right now, nothing else seems to matter, and more than anything, I can see a storm brewing in Jasper’s eyes.
He’s wrestling with himself, and I’m going to keep pushing him until I find out why.
“You should just do it,” I say honestly. “Don’t hold back.”
Jasper freezes, his fidgeting with the blanket ceasing. That’s when I realize how close we are, the warmth between us isn’t from the roaring fireplace.
The moment takes me back to that day… pressed against the wall…
He’s all that matters.
“Okay,” he whispers. “I won’t hold back anymore.”
And then, out of nowhere, he leans in, cups my face, and kisses me.
