“Jasper, gods, I can’t take anymore,” she whispered, and he growled against her neck.
He moved his hand, making her whimper at the loss, then pulled her thigh up so he could slide between her legs. She loved this position, her back to his front while they lay on their sides. There was something so intimate about it, so special.
“Are you sure, my wolf?”
She arched her back, moving her butt closer to him, wanting him. “Take me, please.”
He chuckled against her skin, the rough sensation almost making her come again. “You changed your mind rather quickly.”
“Shut up. I’m allowed to want you in the morning, so please, please, just fill me.”
“As you wish,” he said then bit her shoulder. His fangs slid into her skin, marking her as his mate again, though it felt like the first time. The bond flared between them as their wolves howled. Their breath and heartbeats synced as he marked her once more.
She came again, surprised she could do so soon after the last. Jasper’s cock filled her until she felt ready to burst—but in the best possible way. He pumped in and out of her, his hand on her neck, forcing her gaze to his over her shoulder. She moved her hips in tune with his, thrust for thrust. Their bodies rocked together, their breaths coming in pants.
“Love you,” he whispered, and she smiled.
She’d never get tired of those words.
“Love you too.”
He thrust again, this time harder than before while his fingers brushed her clit. They came together, their names on each other’s lips as his seed filled her.
She’d never get tired of that either.
“That was the best way to wake up in the morning,” Jasper said after he’d pulled out and turned her so they were face to face. “Wish we could do it every morning.”
She kissed his jaw, the stubble scraping her lips deliciously. “If we did it every morning, it wouldn’t be as special.”
He raised a brow, and she laughed.
“Fine, it would still be special. I was just trying to make it better since we have Brie trying to walk in on us every morning.”
“Is it wrong that I kind of miss that? Well, not that, but I miss our little girl. I know we’re here for a break and to breathe, but I want to see her soon.”
She smiled, falling in love with her mate all over again. “I wouldn’t love you as much as I did if you were any different. Why don’t we shower and get dressed? Then I’ll make breakfast while you call her. I want to talk to her too.”
He nipped at her lips, a soft growl sending pleasure through her body. “As long as we shower together, that sounds like a deal. And I’m not going to ask if you need help cooking this morning because I know that’s your thing and you actually like doing it. So weird.”
She smacked his ass as they laughed. “Shut it. I’m not weird. I just like baking.”
His lips met hers, a soft kiss filled with promise. “I like your baking, so it’s a win-win. Now jump in the shower. I want to watch your ass move as you walk.”
With a roll of her eyes, she got up and made sure to add an extra wiggle in her step. From the way he growled and then pounced on her, she had a feeling the wiggle helped.
A lot.
Once they were finished showering and recovering from weak knees, she went about making their breakfast. While she was setting up, she called Brie and listened to her little girl gush before she gave the phone to Jasper. Since she’d made omelets the first time she’d cooked for him in his house—which had gone on to become their house—she made them again. Cailin had been amazing and had helped her pack everything she and Jasper would need if they were to stay a week by themselves.
She heard Jasper on the phone with Brie as their daughter talked about her day and all the time they’d missed. It put a little clutch in her heart that she wasn’t there with her baby to rock her to sleep, but she knew Brie was in good hands. Willow just had a touch of mommy guilt. She’d already talked to Brie and now Jasper was on round two. There was no doubt that little girl had Willow’s big, tough mate wrapped around her finger.
It was freaking adorable.
When he hung up, she was just setting down their plates, the smell of cheese, eggs, and bacon making her mouth water. She loved cooking and didn’t care who knew it. Cooking for her mate though?
Priceless.
She could fight alongside him as a wolf and provide for him in ways that he couldn’t. That was what mating was about, finding ways to work together and fulfilling each other’s needs. She wasn’t as strong as he was, but it didn’t matter that she didn’t possess the fighting skills he’d honed over a century. She’d learn what she needed to and then make sure their family was safe in other ways.
Jasper had his talents.
She had hers.
It was perfect.
Well, it would be once they found a way to balance it all. That was one of the reasons they were there after all.
“Have fun with Brie?” she asked as Jasper walked toward her.
“She’s enjoying time with Grandpa and Grandma and is talking a mile a minute. I don’t know if my parents realize just what they signed up for.”
She smiled and started to soak the pan she’d cooked the omelets in before Jasper gripped her wrist. “I’m just soaking it, Jas.”
“Let it stay in the water then. Don’t you think about doing the dishes. I’ll take care of them after we eat. You cooked. I’ll clean. You want to sit on the porch and eat? Get some nature in while we can?”
She raised a brow. “You do realize we live in the middle of a forest and get nature all the time, right?”
“Yes, but this is alone nature. It’s different.”
She snorted but picked up their coffees and followed him out as he carried their plates. Shuffling a bit, she sat next to him on the bench. The air was crisp and fresh, much like it was at home, but maybe because they were alone, it felt different.
They ate in silence, enjoying their surroundings. Her wolf nudged at her but only to get closer to Jasper’s wolf. They’d have to go on a hunt soon, but not today. Today was all about the man and the woman. Their wolves would have their turn.
“See? Nice, right?” Jasper asked as he put down their dishes.
“It’s beautiful. I’m glad we both got a chance to come out here.”
“Thanks for doing this, Willow. I know I’ve been hard on you, or at least I feel like I’ve been.”
“What? Of course you haven’t been. Why on earth would you think that?”
He turned toward her on the bench, his expression a mixture of stress and guilt. It didn’t make any sense to her why he’d look like that, why he’d feel this way.
“I’ve been putting you and Brie to the side, or at least inadvertently doing so. I feel like I’m lost. I can’t do everything I need to do, and I’m not even thinking of things that I want to do. I hate this. Did you know that Kade kicked my ass while we were training? He didn’t even mean to punch me that hard, but I was too slow to duck. I’m tired, Willow, and I don’t know what to do.” He ran his hands through his hair, his mouth in a frown.
She’d never heard the defeatist tone coming from him before. She cupped his face and brought his gaze to hers. “Stop it. Just stop it. We’re here because we are going to figure out a way to make things work. You can’t put the weight of the world on your shoulders. You need to share the load.” He opened his mouth to speak, and she cut him off. “No, listen to me. You are a good Beta. You care for your Pack like they are your own flesh and blood. They can’t ask for anything more than that. You also can’t do it all.”
He inhaled, and she kissed him softly, needing his touch just for the brief moment.
“Jasper, honey, you aren’t a failure. You might be tired, but I can see the circles under your eyes fading even as we speak. Just being out here and knowing we have time to work things out for you, us, everyone is helping you. You know it just as I do. Now, as for when we get home? Well, you�
�re not going to be alone there either. Cailin is going to be your new assistant.”
He blinked, and then a slow grin spread over his face
“A Beta’s assistant? I was thinking I needed something like that, but only in passing.”
She kissed his nose then rolled her eyes. “See? This is why we’re mates. We totally think along the same lines. Or at least we do when you get a full night’s sleep. Now, Cailin can’t do it all, but that’s why you’re there, to tell her what to do.” She frowned. “Or at least tell her as much as she’ll let you. You know Cailin. She’ll want to take charge.”
Jasper snorted a laugh—exactly what she’d intended—and relaxed. She leaned against him, and he wrapped an arm around her.
“She’s a little obsessive about details,” he agreed.
“And exactly what you need. Now what is this about you fighting Kade?”
She felt him move ,and she looked over her shoulder at him running a hand through his hair. “We were training with Logan, and I caught a punch with my face when I should have ducked. I know it was because I was tired, but hell, that’s not a good enough excuse. What if I’m not good enough to protect you and Brie? What if I’m so tired that I end up getting you or our daughter hurt? What if I’m not good enough?” he repeated.
She moved to sit on his lap and cupped his face, bringing her forehead down to his. “You’re stronger than you think you are. Plus, you were fighting with Kade and let your guard down. You’re allowed to do that. You don’t have your guard down now, do you? No. You’re looking around us at this very moment, and I can feel your wolf checking for intruders and anyone near the wards. You are looking for them. You are always on guard.”
“I have to be.”
“Of course. I’m trying to do the same thing. So we can’t cut back on that, we can’t cut back on our family, and we can’t cut back on your duties as Beta. But what we can do is let Cailin and others take some of the work. You can learn to delegate. It’s okay to do so. It’s okay to ask for help.”
He let out a shuddering breath. “You undo me with your strength.”
“I wouldn’t be as strong without you. That’s why we work so well together. That’s why we’re fated.”
She kissed him softly then leaned back again, needing time just to be in his arms. They sat there for a while, on watch as always but as relaxed as they’d ever been. She knew they’d have to go back to the den soon, and she honestly couldn’t wait to see Brie again, but just then, it was only her and Jasper.
Nothing else mattered.
Her wolf sensed it before she could.
She sat up, her body on edge, though she didn’t know why. “Jasper?” she whispered, and he squeezed her arm, his body rock hard behind hers.
Her mate stood and Willow followed, her gaze on the tree line. Their cabin was surrounded by large trees that reached toward the sky and blocked most of their view. She knew the wards were near because she could feel their magic pulsating, but it wasn’t a bad kind of tingle. No, it was more like the wards were comforting her, letting her know that they were there to keep the intruders out.
The Centrals, though, with their tainted demonic blood, could slide through the weakest points of the wards if they tried hard enough. Usually it took the demon, Caym, by their side for it to work, but sometimes, a stronger wolf could make it through.
She inhaled, trying to pick up the scent of whatever was putting her on edge. She could scent her mate, the warm and dangerous forest mixed with the smells of man, as well as the small animals around them.
There was something, though, something coming.
“Willow, you should go into the house,” Jasper said, his voice low and spoken in that deadly calm that set the hairs on the back of her neck on end.
She raised her brows, though she knew he couldn’t see her. “I can have your back.” She pulled out her cell phone and had it ready to dial Kade if needed. “I will call Kade if we need backup, but I can’t tell what’s out there. Plus, I might not be able to fight like you, but I can still fight better than most. Let me help.”
Jasper looked over his shoulder quickly and gave her a tight nod. “We’ve done training with the two of us, but I don’t want you hurt, baby,” he said when he turned back. “I think there’s one wolf out there trying to breach our wards. They aren’t through yet, so it’s probably a scout looking for weaknesses.”
“What’s your plan?” Her wolf prowled beneath her skin, ready to fight alongside its mate.
Jasper moved his head slowly, as if surveying the area, and she followed the movement.
There.
A lone wolf stood right at the edge of their wards. She could feel his presence and sense that he was on alert, but hadn’t moved toward them. The scent of him was like a sickly sweet taste on her tongue and made her want to gag, but she kept the scent close. The tainted scent was that of a Central wolf.
One that, if her mate had anything to say about it, wouldn’t make it back to the Centrals as their scout.
“We’ll go out to where he is but come up the side way and upwind so he can’t catch our scents. He’s not moving toward us, and he doesn’t scent as if he is on alert, so I don’t think he can tell we’re here. We can go through the wards easily, so I want to take him out on the other side. He already smells tainted. His soul is a lost cause.”
She nodded, knowing if it had been any other way, he’d have tried to save the wolf. Now, though, they were at war and dying because of the Centrals.
There wasn’t time for doubt.
She followed him at a lope, keeping her senses open in case there was another scout in hiding. Jasper slowed, his wolf coming to the surface, brushing hers along the bond.
She could see the other wolf, but it wasn’t looking at them. No, the man in ragged jeans and bare chest looked off in the distance but seemed to have no clue they were there.
Good.
With one last look over his shoulder at her, Jasper bounded through the wards. She followed, her claws ready to break through her fingertips if needed. Her mate had the other wolf by the neck before she could blink. Jasper’s eyes glowed gold, his wolf close to the surface, ready to shift, but he wasn’t breathing hard.
No, Jasper was in full control.
She kept them in the corner of her eye as she checked around them. No other wolves breached her senses, but that didn’t mean they couldn’t appear quickly. It wouldn’t be good to let her guard down.
“What are you doing here?” Jasper growled.
“Watching for you, Redwood filth,” the wolf choked out, trying to speak around Jasper’s hand, currently squeezing the bastard’s windpipe.
“Did you know we were out here?” Jasper asked.
The wolf said nothing.
“Were you sent out here to watch us or just the cabin?”
Again, no answer.
“Are you watching all of our wards looking for weaknesses?”
The wolf blinked as if bored, even though he was clearly in pain.
“Did Caym send you? Are there others with you?”
The wolf didn’t say anything and Jasper knew no matter what he did, the wolf wouldn’t talk. It was pointless.
Jasper just shook his head then squeezed, breaking the wolf’s neck. He dropped the man to the ground and sighed.
“Their scouts have no power, yet they’re beating us,” he whispered. “Scouts might not need to have power since all they do is watch and report, but they’re winning.”
She tugged at his hand and pulled him back through the wards, wanting to make sure they were covered.
“Caym is trying to annihilate us all. He won’t succeed. He’s underestimating us, and we’re not going to roll over for him. Remember that.”
He kissed her hard then leaned against her slightly but not putting too much of his weight on her. “I just killed a wolf in front of you, and you’re not even blinking.”
“Jasper, my love, you were so afraid you couldn’t protect me,
yet what did you just do? You made sure the threat was eliminated before it could escalate. You’re a powerful wolf and a wonderful mate. Stop selling yourself short.”
“You believe in me more than I deserve sometimes.”
She slapped his shoulder and rolled her eyes. “Stop it with the emo, Jasper. You’re stronger than you give yourself credit for, and you trusted me enough to be by your side. Now let’s call Kade and have him or Adam send someone to clean up. The patrols should be around soon anyway for this sector if I remember, but it never hurts to be sure. I also know that we wanted to stay a bit longer, but now that we had to deal with a Central, I want to just go home to Brie.”
Her mate smiled softly then kissed her, a brush of lips that calmed her wolf. “Let’s go see our daughter. I don’t want to miss another moment. ”
Willow wrapped her arms around Jasper’s waist and laid her head on his chest. The trip had done what it was meant to do, and he’d found his confidence again. Her wolf nudged at her, and she snuggled closer, tightening her grip. This was her fate, her happiness. She’d fought for it and would fight again, no matter what.
Chapter Six
His mate wiggled up against him in his sleep, and he grinned. Yes, this was a familiar feeling, and Jasper loved every moment of it. His eyes closed, he ran his hand up her shirt to cup her breast. They were under the covers, their bodies tangled and heavy from a long night’s sleep, and yet all he wanted to do was claim his mate.
Again.
She arched against him, that little moan escaping her lips such a sweet sound and going straight to his cock.
“Shh, my Willow, don’t moan so loud. We wouldn’t want to wake anyone.”
She laughed softly and turned in his arms. The movement forced him to release her breast, so he moved his hand down to her ass instead.
“Copping a feel this early?” she asked, her voice warm and inviting.
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