A Taste for a Mate (5 page)

Willow burrowed into Jasper’s side. He may have been angry with her, but cold had leached into her bones, and only Jasper’s intense body heat could warm her.

With one decision, the world opened up and tried to swallow her whole. She’d said yes to Jasper’s invitation and the bad men came. The things that went bump in the night had captured her and almost killed her. Their rescue had provided safety for her through their power. For now she was going to the wolf’s den, where the monsters lived. Her heart may be broken and the man she barely knew and had fallen for might resent her, but he was her savior. She’d clidivng to that and his warmth for as long as she could.

Chapter 5

Jasper looked out the Jeep’s window, his gaze on the passing trees. The Redwood Pack’s den lay in a valley where two mountains converged deep within the forest. It was Jasper’s home, his oasis. Protected on three sides by nature, the Den reflected a symbol of strength and longevity. Something he desperately fought to preserve in his role as Beta. When the battle between demons and werewolves had ended over a thousand years before, the first of Jasper’s ancestors settled in the forest, mistakenly thinking the ancient large trees redwoods. The misinterpretation had given them their moniker and had long since been a token of humor within the Pack.

Jasper took a deep breath, watching the scenery in a blur. Trees and greenery filled the den. Wildflowers burst with color among the bushes and gardens surrounding some homes and landmarks. Homes were spread about and hidden below the canopy to allow individual privacy. In the center of town, brick buildings and small shops rose up from the expansive gardens. In the northern plain, large rock formations created the circle where meetings and dominance battles commenced. The first spiritual and magical settling of the Pack struck ground here. The pull of his family and Pack tugged on Jasper’s heart – he was home. And his mate was by his side. Happiness swept through him.

Willow fell asleep before they arrived at the gates. The magical barrier that hid the den from outsiders slid over them as they passed through, their Pack connection acting like a key in a lock. It humbled him that she felt safe enough to fall asleep in his arms. But she probably wouldn’t be sleeping if she knew what was forced on them. On her. Crawling through the underbelly of their fucked up world was not the best way to be introduced to ones future. His prior glee subsided a bit.

Jasper didn’t know what was worse, the shattered and broken look on her face when she thought he would let her die or the pain that encompassed her when he bit her shoulder. The sensation of binding his wolf to her through the bite had nearly made him come at the same time as Willow had. Only the danger surrounding them stopped him. They were only bound through the mark, and their mating was incomplete. They still needed to consummate the relationship by him spilling his seed in her womb before their souls joined eternally.

The circumstances had stripped her choice. Now she was forever bound to him. He’d wanted to subtly coax her into his life and into his bed. That was no longer an option. They’d have to make love soon or the mating urge would take over his body and make him uncontrollably violent and nearly rabid. As it was, it rode him hard, and only the bruises on her face and heart stopped him. Never would he touch her again without her acceptance. Painfully, Jasper would wait and try his best to help her heal her and understep and his world before taking that next step. He just hoped it didn’t take too long.

His wolf snorted in agreement.

The gravel crunched beneath the tires as Reed pulled up to North’s clinic. The one-story ranch home was one of the newer buildings in the den, but still had a rustic feel. Jasper carried his mate, cradled in his arms, inside and laid her down on the soft examining table. North followed silently behind them and bent over his patient. Jasper’s wolf growled and bristled at his brother’s nearness to his mate.

His wolf prowled to the surface. “
We marked our mate and need to finish it. Your brother is too close to her. His scent must not mingle with hers. That is our right and privilege.”

North merely lifted a brow but continued his work. All werewolves talked to their wolves, whether spoken aloud or not. North bandaged the bite on her shoulder, though with the enzyme in Jasper’s saliva it would soon heal and not leave a scar.

The image of the bite was not what marked her; rather the bite allowed his scent to completely permeate in her skin her forever. Unlike before in the bakery when his scent merely touched her skin, now it was in her pores and in her cells. She would forever be his, and once she marked his shoulder, the same would be true of him.

Because she was human, his wolf only mated one-sided. When and if she transitioned and marked him, their wolves would be fully joined, as it was only his wolf was mated. As a man and woman, it would take the act of making love for their souls to bind. Werewolves were cohesive and volatile symbioses of two beings. It made sense that their mating would require two steps to complete.

“She has two broken ribs but no other internal injuries.” North’s voice pulled him from his thoughts. “I’m going to bind them now, but because of the mate mark, she should be healed within the next two days or so. The bruising and small cuts should be gone by then too. Other than being sore, I think she’s going to be fine.”

North removed his gloves and shook his head. “Physically anyway. I can only imagine how she is going to be mentally and emotionally. I know this isn’t how you wanted to mate her, but like it or not, she is here, and she’s yours. Do you know what you are going to do about it?” His voice held sympathy but none of the pity Jasper had been afraid would fall upon Willow.

Jasper took a breath and tried to release the anger building within. “She’s mine. There’s no question of that. I’ll do whatever it takes for her to accept me and our world. Our Pack is important, and I’ll protect it with my life, but now I have Willow and I need to protect her too.” He let out a deep breath and walked toward her. Tracing the edge of her cheek with his finger, he felt the heat from healing, and he knew she would wake soon with questions.

“I’m going to take her home and get her cleaned. Hopefully by the time she wakes up, I’ll have better answers for her.” He gently picked her up and carried her to the door North held open for them.

 nt size="3" face="Times New Roman">“I don’t envy you that conversation, bro. Dad most likely knows what happened. Be prepared for his visit, as well as Mom’s. Dad’s going to want to make sure you’re all right and meet the mate you’ve chosen – not to mention the Central Pack needs to be taken care of. Mom will want to pamper Willow so they’ll be in your hair.” North’s lips curled into a smirk, and he let them leave with a nod.

“Thanks, bro.”

“Good luck.”

****

Willow’s eyes fluttered open. Jasper knelt above her. His gaze roamed her body, though not in a salacious way. Probably checking her injuries. Her eyes met his, and she felt as if she’d come home. Pain radiated in her head as she shook the idea of him loving her from her mind. He’d been forced into protecting her, being with her.

They were in a bedroom that held a large wooden king-sized bed of a deep color and matching furniture. The walls and carpet were a warm honey that looked like they would wrap around her and soothe her to sleep.

The room was clean with only a few pictures of what she guessed were his family and a few hand-carved wooden animals and figurines. The room felt like it welcomed her home and again, she suppressed the feeling.

“Hey.” Her voice sounded raspy and not at all like hers.

He blinked then brushed the tip of his finger against her brow. Her body shivered, and he pulled away.

“I don’t know how to make this up to you, Wil. I have so much to tell you, but first, since you’re awake, let’s clean you up.” Jasper stood and held out his hand. He helped her from the bed before leading her slowly to the bathroom.

He gently pulled off her shirt and paused. His chest rose and he growled, then shook his head. His hand fisted and he turned to start a warm bath. She stood there in his large and comfortable bathroom naked and vulnerable, but Jasper would never hurt her. For all of the new revelations and supernatural events she’d experienced in the past day, she trusted Jasper. Though it hadn’t been the most romantic of circumstances, he’d held her naked in his arms not more than a few hours before. There was no need for modesty at this point.

“Let me help you.” His hands were rough and calloused as he touched her hip and led her into the bath. The water steamed hot and stung her aching skin but after a moment, began relieving the soreness. She moaned as she knelt in the water, and the hand on her hip tightened.

“This feels good. Thank you, Jasper.”

“That’s nice to hear, Wil. I would put in some Epson salts to help, but I want to make sure we clean off this dirt and grime first.” He held a washcloth in his hand and lathered it with soap. The scent of sandalwood tickled her nose. She grinned at the smell. Jasper’s smell.

He cleaned her body with gentle care and no words. The cloth brushed over her nipples, and she looked up, but he didn’t stop, nor did he stop when he delved between her legs slowly and leisurely, washing her in her most intimate place. Though he touched her in a way no other man had in a long time, he didn’t make it sexual, merely cleaned the night away from her skin.

He turned on the hot water again and rinsed her body then washed her hair. Once clean, he lifted her from the bath and patted her dry with a soft, fluffy towel. Her muscles felt weak, heavy. He put one of his shirts over her head, lifted her to his chest, and carried her to the bed.

Jasper finally spoke again as he laid her down. “I know you have many questions, but you need to rest. When you wake up, I’ll answer anything you ask. I know this is not what you wanted, but we’ll work it out. Just to warn you, my parents will be here soon, and they’ll want to talk to you, so gain any energy you can from sleep, my Willow.” He kissed her cheek and was about to lift himself from her when she placed her hand on his cheek.

“I trust you, Jasper. Thank you for coming for me.” Her voice sounded calm, but firm. She couldn’t have him thinking it was his fault, he was the one who was stuck with her.

Blinking once, he nodded and kissed her palm. He seemed to struggle with something before lowering his mouth to hers. His lips were soft and wet as he deepened the kiss. She gasped and opened her mouth to him before biting softly on his bottom lip. He growled and pulled away.

Panting heavily, he shook and stood straight. “Rest well, Willow. I’ll be here if you need me.” He turned quickly and strode out of the room, taking her heart with him.

Willow woke up to the sound of voices in the hall. Before investigating, she slowly studied the room. She was still alone. She closed her eyes again, then reached her arms above her head and winced in pain.

Yep, still hurts.

Rolling her head around her shoulders, she stretched as best she could, trying to soothe some of her aches and pains. Someone had laid out sweats on the edge of the bed when she slept. She hauled herself up and put them on. Once in the bathroom, she got the first look of herself in the mirror and gasped.

Heret eye was already black and blue, but oddly enough, the swelling seemed to have gone down. There were cuts and scrapes along her cheek and hairline, but the blood had been washed away by Jasper the night before. Lowering the neck of Jasper’s shirt, she removed the bandage. She saw bruising around her throat in the shape of the collar placed around her neck and the impression of Jasper’s bite that had saved her gave her shivers. The stark contrast between the heavy, dark purple bruising and the paleness of her skin scared her. The image in the mirror was not that of the baker and loner of the day before, but the survivor thrown into a new world. A world that scared her. But not Jasper. Only the thought of losing him did that.

The voices from outside the bedroom grew louder and she steadied herself to find them. She slowly walked to a large living area of dark brown and tan masculine furniture, the wood decorated with carvings. The room was mostly sparse except for Jasper and two others who looked to be his siblings.

Immediately they stopped talking. The topic of conversation must have been her. Jasper stood and took a step toward her. Before she could comprehend the worried look on his face, it cleared to a blank expression.

“Willow, did you sleep well?” Jasper stood before her and caressed her bruised cheek with his knuckles.

His touch left her mind in tangles, but she nodded. Her gaze wandered to the two quiet people who rose to their feet behind Jasper.

Jasper noticed the object of her gaze and smiled. “Wil, these are my parents, Edward and Patricia, most call her Pat though.” He took her hand and linked their fingers before leading her to the young looking couple before her.

Jasper’s mother was warmth and love personified. It practically radiated through her pores. She looked to be about five feet tall, and soft, motherly curves made her welcoming. Light brown hair with natural, almost blonde highlights and warm brown eyes only accentuated her beaming smile.