Whatever it takes

Jasper

Five years ago.

I shake my head. I had woken up after the best night of my entire life in the arms of the girl I have always loved. Aria Elaine Baker. I bite my lip and grin at the thought of my best friend's twin sister. My beautiful fated mate. The Goddess had blessed me with such a beautiful shy curvy woman. Short black curls that framed the curve of her face. She had the brightest green eyes that always lit up as she would read those smutty romance novels like they were her job.

I never thought I would deserve a woman like her. After the morning I’ve had, I still doubt it. My fucking crazy ex had hacked my F******k account and posted that we were engaged. I couldn't believe it. I had left as soon as I woke up at four am and found it on my phone. I had left as quietly as possible, leaving Aria in my bed and drove to Rhea’s house and confronted her.

It was eight am now and I couldn’t believe the hell I had gone through in the last four hours. I ended up having to convince Rhea to go to a psych hospital for help. She had become obsessed. Crazy even. It was either seek help or be exiled from the pack. But I wasn’t going to let her ruin what I have with Aria.

I had fought myself for years over the fact I wanted my best friend’s sister. I felt like a bad guy for years lusting over her. There wasn’t but a few months between her, but it didn’t feel right. At least not back then. But last night at my party I couldn’t help but want to be near her. I needed to be near her. My wolf was screaming in mind for his mate. My whole world revolved around her. She was everything I have always wanted in this life. I grinned as I thought about how I told Aria I wanted her to be my forever. She may think I’m rushing things. My mate, my Luna, my everything. Hell, the whole world may think I’m rushing but I’ve wanted her to be mine since I had first started seeing her as more than a friend. More than the annoying little girl who tagged along with her twin and I to all the stupid things we did growing up. More than the girl who I had teamed up with her brother to tease mercilessly.

I sighed and shook my head as I drove back to my new apartment. I hoped Aria wasn’t being abused the way I thought Asher used to be. It had been two years since the last time I saw a bruise on my friend, but I could have sworn I saw marks on Aria’s body this morning as I left. Marks that weren't from our passionate night together. I pushed my hand through my hair as I pulled into the lot in front of my door. I look over and my lips turn into a scowl. Aria’s car is gone.

My heart starts pounding erratically in my chest. I looked around, maybe she had parked somewhere else. But I knew she had parked her. I had followed her back to my place after the party. I glance at my phone and don’t see any calls or texts from her. I growl and punch my steering wheel. I know she’s gone. I can feel it.My wolf couldn't sense her nearby. I grab my phone and call Asher, her brother and my beta.

“Hey bro what’s up?” he asks as he answers laughter in his voice. I could hear his girlfriend Breanna in the background. I rolled my eyes.

“Hey, have you seen Aria this morning.” I ask casually.

“No, she called me about thirty minutes ago, but I can’t seem to get her to answer now. Why what’s going on?”

“Nothing, she had left something at my parents place, and I was going to try to get it back to her. I’ll just swing by your parents place and give it to her.”

I hear him laugh as he hangs up the phone on me. I back out of the lot and take the ten-minute drive to her house. Listening to sappy country love songs as I drive. I can’t help but smile. I was now a sappy lovesick fool, and I was a hundred percent okay with that. I type in the code to get into the gated community her parents lived in and pulled up to her house.

Smiling at her car parked in the driveway. I get out of my car and walk up to her car. It’s cool to the touch. I see her phone in the passenger seat and shake my head. I tap the roof of her car once and smile. I walk to the front door and my head cocks in confusion. My wolf becoming agitated, smelling blood in the wind.

The door is open. No one is in the doorway, but the door is just standing there wide open. I don’t stop to think for more than a second before I walk in. I cry out pulling my phone from my pocket and dialing the emergency line. Aria lay at the base of the staircase in a pool of blood. I run up to her and press my finger to her pulse point. It was faint but I could feel the slight fluttering of her pulse. Thank God. I called the guard at the gate and told him to expect emergency services to be there soon. I could already hear the sirens. Thank God they lived so close to the hospital. I don’t think Aria would make it if they lived farther out.

I prayed under my breath. “Please don’t take her from me. Please Goddess. Don’t do this. Don’t let last night be the only time I get to love her. Please I know I don’t deserve her, but I need her. Goddess she is everything.”

I hear the ambulance pull into the drive and I run to the door as the EMT’s run into the house. 1 pushing the stretcher falling behind as the other rushes to Aria’s side at the floor. Police flood the house and snap photos quickly as the EMT’s work.

A buddy of my father’s walks up to me, “What happened here Jasper?” he growls. Not caring that I'm his new alpha.

“I got here about five minutes ago. Walked in. The door was open, and she was on the ground. I immediately called you guys.” I push my hand through my hair. “Jax she’s my fated mate. They have to save her.”

He puts his hand on my shoulder and squeezes gently. I know Jax knew who Aria was. His son, Lincoln had grown up with the three of us as friends.

I stood back as they worked on getting her on the stretcher.

I followed behind, “Can I ride with…” I started.

“No son, we have to hurry.” the EMT growls out before slamming the door in my face. I shake my head before I rush to my car. I yell out to Jax, “I’m following them to the hospital, if you need me, I’ll be there.”

He nods as I peel out behind the ambulance my lights flashing the entire way there. I think to call Asher, but I stop myself. Would he have done this? I hate to think this of my best friend. I don’t honestly think he would ever hurt her but what do I really know? People can hide so much. Instead, I dial Lincoln, my personal enforcer for the pack.

“Hey dude. You should…” he starts but I cut him off.

“Aria is heading to the hospital; you can't tell Asher. Dude she was beat. I found her at the bottom of her staircase. Linc, I don’t know if she’s going to make it.” The words stumble over themselves as the rush to get out of my lips.

“What the fuck do you mean?” he asks. His voice went from laughter so serious. I knew he would understand.

“I don’t know the full extent. I don’t want to think Asher did this. But I don’t know. I need us to get together tomorrow morning first thing. I can’t today. I'm following the ambulance to the hospital. I don’t know what's going on. I do know it was bad bro. Blood everywhere. Her face was black and blue. I can’t lose her Linc.”

“We can’t lose her.” he growls.

“Linc, I’m in love with her.” I whisper, tears flowing unchecked down my cheeks as I pull into the hospital. I can see them unloading her and heading into the ER. I stand there for a moment. “She’s my mate. I can’t lose her.”

“Fucking finally.” he growls in his deep voice.

I can’t help but grin. “We just arrived at Harborview.”

“Get in there, keep me up to date.” he sighs.

I hang up my phone and push it into my pocket as I walk into the hospital. I march up to the front desk and lie my ass off to the nurse on duty.