Jasper“I came to the ball in order to meet you,” Reid leaned back in order to look over his shoulder at Jasper. He was sat in the v of Jasper’s legs, leaning back against Jasper’s chest whilst they worked their way through the room-service menu and watched TV. Jasper couldn’t recall a single moment of the show playing. They had spent the entire time talking and feeding each other, enjoying the intimacy left in the wake of sex and the mutual agreement that they were going to fight to make their relationship work.“You did?” Jasper took a bite of a chocolate-dipped strawberry.“Yes. Because of the shit going on between our packs, I had wanted to… you know,” Reid looked away. “I wanted to use you to find out what the Comptons pack were up to.”“Oh…” Jasper chewed and swallowed the strawberry. It seemed to stick in his throat. He coughed slightly and leaned to the side in order to reach his champagne glass. The champagne washed the obstacle away, but not the problem. “About that…”“I kno
JasperReid programmed the address into Jasper’s phone, right down to the GPS map. “See here,” he pointed to a building well back from the main road. “It doesn’t look like much normally, just some sheds. But on fight night, it comes alive, and you won’t be able to miss it. There will be hundreds of cars there, and lights and music. Just remember, there are humans there too, guests, so although it’s a full moon, no shifting.”“I’ll remember,” Jasper loved watching him, the way the hair fell over Reid’s face, the shift of his expressions, how the light caught in the stubble on his jaw. He loved knowing that Reid’s body probably ached for his, just as he did for Reid’s, despite both of them having finished their morning with an orgasm.Jasper’s fingers itched to finish his sketch of Reid and he was eager to get to the folly and begin the painting. The next best thing to being in bed with his mate was to paint his mate in bed, he thought with amusement.“I’ll make arrangements at the fron
ReidReid’s heart was in his throat when he knocked at Marcella’s door before the run. She opened it, wearing her satin dressing-gown. “I was just getting ready,” she turned and walked back into the apartment, leaving the door open behind her.For a moment, relief robbed Reid of the ability to reply, seeming to drag heavily through him, before he pulled himself together and cleared his throat, tapping a cigarette out of his holder as he followed her inside. “I’m early.”The apartment was different. Clean, and the furniture had been rearranged. He raised his eyebrows as he lit his cigarette. “Looks good in here.”“It was time for a change,” she said from her bedroom. He could just see her through the partially open door as she leaned towards the dresser mirror as she applied her makeup. “I was stuck in a rut. I needed a fresh start.”She wasn’t talking about the furniture, Reid thought regretfully as he poured them both a measure of whiskey. “Marcella,” he said. “I am sorry. I did not
ReidHis wolf-form’s vision cast the night in shades of grey, black, and white as he ran along the sand. The waves soft whisper dimmed beneath the pant of his breath, the beat of his heart, and the pound of his footfalls. His nose was filled with the scents of the water, the sharp briny scent of seaweed, and somewhere the wet, slightly sweet smell of some creature rotting.He loved to run along the sand, feeling the grit of it give beneath the pads of his feet, the spray of it kicking up behind him. He loved the way the moon reflected in the water, the sparkle and splash as fish leaped in pursuit of the bugs that flittered over its surface. Summers were spent on this beach, surrounded by the pack, the children playing in the shallows, the sun baking his skin until he took to the water to cool off. And almost every full moon of his adult life, he had joined the pack to run across the night-cool sand.He could hear other wolves around him, see them in his peripheral vision, identifying
ReidReid fixed himself a coffee in the kitchen. He wanted whiskey but had to pace his drinking. Although werewolves’ heightened metabolisms meant that they processed alcohol faster than humans, it did not mean that they could not get drunk. It was going to be a long night, and he wasn’t going to get much sleep before the morning when shit was going to happen. So, coffee was a smart move to start off his night.Marcella sang along happily in her luxurious baritone to the stereo as she finished getting ready. Through the open bedroom door, he could see that she had chosen a blonde-bombshell styled wig and was fixing her eyelashes leaning forward towards the mirror dressed in a skin-toned lace corselette, suspender belt, and stockings.“Do you want a coffee?” He called out.“Coffee, darling?” She sneered, rolling her eyes. “God no. Pour me a whiskey.”He laughed and crossed to the buffet with his espresso. What the hell, he thought, and added a drop to his coffee as he poured hers.“Wow
Jasper It was a long and awkward limo ride. Jay kept up an easy, pleasant conversation with Charlotte and Tamara whilst Jasper tried to silently communicate with his dad how much Jay’s presence was fucking up his plans for the night. Sebastian avoided Jasper’s eyes, his attention on his phone. “Don’t you think?” Jay asked Jasper. “What?” Jasper jolted back into the conversation. “Don’t mind Jasper,” Charlotte laughed covering for him. “His mind is probably on his paints. Jay and I were just discussing another masquerade ball, Jasper, and what theme we should use. I was saying that I think a circus theme could be fun.” “Tacky,” Jay wrinkled his nose. “Horror movie Halloween.” “Just eww,” Charlotte rolled her eyes. “Vampires would be cool. Sort of an inside joke, werewolves pretending to be vampires, right?” Jay made a sound of disgust in the back of his throat. “What do you think mum?” Charlotte appealed to Anastasia. “I think it should be something soft, pretty, and romantic,”
JasperJasper bellied through the undergrowth, the pine needles clinging to his fur and the scent of deer in his nose. The herd was gathered in a little glade, the mothers making nests out of the grass in which they lay with their young, whilst the buck with his head of dangerous horns watched over them. The herd was restless, the mother’s eyes opening frequently and their ears twitching. They knew that the pack hunted the woods but counted on their stillness and camouflage to hide them from sight.This was not their night.The pack circled them. When the wolves were in position, downwind so that the keen noses of the deer could not detect them, they filled the gap so that their scent would reach the buck. Jasper saw the great beast tense, his head lifting, his nostrils sucking in as he identified the predators. The mothers and their babies became alert. For a moment, nothing happened, and then there was a break, and suddenly deer scattered wildly, and the wolves dived in, dodging the
ReidAs Jasper made his way up the stairs, Reid made his plans. He crossed in front of his mate, heading to the bar, keeping his back to Jasper. As he’d hoped, Jasper understood his intentions and made his way to the bar so that he stood at Reid’s side to order, very carefully not touching in any way.“Whiskey please,” Reid said to the bartender. “Not the cheap shit.”“Same,” Jasper added. “Not the cheap shit.”“Good choice,” Reid told him. “The cheap shit could strip paint. You don’t want to drink that unless you enjoy feeling like your brain has melted and your insides are outside in the morning.”Jasper laughed. “Definitely not in my plans for tomorrow morning,” he replied, his eyes dancing. Over Jasper’s shoulder, he saw Jay Turner with his two favorite shadows, Oscar, and Allen, crossing to join them, their expressions growing concerned as they saw Jasper next to Reid.“Hey Jay,” Reid leaned his elbow on the bar. “This one of yours,” he gestured to Jasper with his head. “He’s got