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fear. But, like Adam, Jasper would torture. Before he gutted them, they would suffer.
His heart thudded in his ears as he followed their mate-bond to his Willow. Thank God they d
completed the connections so he could always find her, barring outside forces.
Willow screamed again just as he jumped over a rotted log. She stood over a lifeless body, her
face pale in shock. Her brown hair fell lank in her face, over her wide, frightened eyes. When she
caught sight of his wolf, she visibly exhaled in relief. Jasper lowered his head and pulled his magic to
turn back into a man. Though it hurt slightly, his age dampened the pain of transformation.
Naked, he knelt and took Willow into his arms. Her body felt cool against his overheated,
sweat-slick chest.
Shh, Wil, it s okay. I m here. But he almost hadn t been. Some outside force had pulled at
them, edging them apart, trying to put chinks in their armor.
Jasper. A soft whisper. Why did I leave? Why did I come here?
I don t know exactly. But we ll find out. And those responsible would pay.
With Willow still in his arms, her breath still raspy against his chest, he finally looked down at
the corpse at their feet.
A woman s body lay perfectly on the floor, her hands clasped on her chest reminiscent of Snow
White in the fairy tale. If it hadn t been for the bruising, cuts, and blood, she would almost look
peaceful. Light brown hair surrounded a pale, gray face with glassy, hazel eyes. Willow s eyes.
Cold dread gripped its icy fingers around his heart as the implications of the body sank ink. A
message. And not very subtle.
Jasper, she looks like me.
Come on baby, let s get out of here. He stood up, unmindful of his nudity, and tried to walk
Willow away from the sight he thought would haunt her nightmares. He knew they would haunt his.
Wait. She grabbed his hand in a surprisingly firm grip. There s a note.
Jasper pushed her behind him. She d seen enough already tonight. He knelt toward the body,
trying not to look at the face that so closely resembled his love that his heart hurt, and carefully took
the note from her hands.
Keep yours close.
Three words. Three simple words and Jasper s wolf clawed to the surface to protect their
Willow. Fire ran through his veins, and he had the courage to do what he should have done in the
beginning. He bent over the woman and inhaled her scent. A soft floral over crushed stone. Talon
Pack. They resided on the other side of the Central Pack in Montana and were their allies and friends.
The Talons were low in the power rankings of the Packs but protective of their own. How they hell
had the Centrals taken her and brought her here?
Fuck.
Let s go home. I need to call my father and brothers.
A nod.
Damn it. He knew it wasn t over. The family had just talked about it. Vows were spoken. Yet,
somewhere deep down, he d prayed it wouldn t come to this.
War.
Chapter 15
Back at the house, Jasper paced in their living room. The Centrals had a lot of nerve. Coming
onto his land and bringing a fucking witch with them. Not that he had a prejudice against witches. Far
from it. He trusted them with his Pack s protection, healing, and in some cases, friendship. But the
fact that they would align themselves with their rivals and use tainted magic left a bitter taste on his
tongue.
That reminds me, that tangy smell from the forest. Why was it different?
Jasper cocked his head at his wolf s question. Yes, not a pure witch s scent. But what? Unlike
in some folk-lore, there was no such thing as black or white magic. A witch s magic came from their
soul and the earth and smelled of earthly things. The sickly sweet smell shadowing the forest just an
hour ago was not of earth. Hector and Corbin were meddling with something deeper than normal
magic.
The dark entity from the night of his marking Willow came to mind. Who was he? His instincts
told him that whoever the ally the Centrals had found, it was not of this world. Something new.
Tainted. Something to fear.
Jasper took a deep, ragged breath. Whatever deals their enemies had made, not all were
revealed. An unknown magical entity aided the Centrals, bent on taking his mate, though Jasper had a
feeling that wasn t their prime objective. No, they wanted something else. Desiring Willow was just a
cover, a distraction. And a damn good one.
Jasper.
He stopped pacing and looked at Willow. Her pulse beat rapidly, moving against the slick
sheen of sweat on her neck. Eyes bright, she blinked, yet her fear remained. Tonight was not the first
time she d seen a dead body. No, her parents held that honor. The accident that claimed their lives
had also ripped her innocence away. The wet road and the inebriated driver combined in an interplay
of dilapidated metal and glass had forced his Willow into foster homes and away from their comfort.
Now, because of Jasper s mark and his forced mark, she d lost some of the inherent innocence
of being human.
Do not blame yourself, Jasper. The blame belongs solely on the Centrals shoulders. Willow
is yours. Ours.
Jasper desperately wanted to believe his wolf so he could take Willow in his arms and tell her
he loved her. Tell her everything would be okay. But he couldn t. Words escaped him.
Jasper.
The confusion in her voice brought him out of his thoughts.
Yes, Willow? God, how he loved her. He would do anything to protect her. Even from the
things she didn t know could hurt her.
When we were out there, something took me from you. I didn t want to leave, to run. But I did.
Why?
Whatever killed that girl had a form of magic I ve never seen. You didn t run away they took
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