Page 15 of Jasper (Were Zoo #20)
Melody hugged her mom in greeting and smiled at her dad as they joined them in the employee cafeteria. They grabbed food, Melody choosing a steak and egg bagel and a bowl of cut fruit, and Jasper picking an omelet with crispy potatoes.
After her parents had chosen their food and drinks, they sat at a table near the wall of windows that looked out into the park. She couldn’t wait to explore the park and meet Jasper’s pack.
“So right off the bat,” Melody said, clearing her throat. “I wanted to let you know that Jasper and I are mated now. I’m going to join up with his pack and stay here in the park.”
Her mom gave her a soft, almost sad smile. “We thought you would.”
“It’s probably for the best,” her dad said. “I’m not sure what we’re going to be walking back into with our pack. While I wish you were willing to come back to the pack and be my second-in-command, Jasper, I understand you have a life here and you don’t want to return to Northbelle.”
“It’s not home for me anymore,” Jasper said.
He’d asked her if she wanted to go back to her pack, but she hadn’t wanted to. Knowing that her parents had kept such important things from her, and that her alpha and his people had wanted to keep her alone and unmated for her entire life, made her never want to go back. She’d miss Ellie and her mom, but they could always come visit.
In essence, the Northbelle pack wasn’t home for her anymore either.
Her home was with Jasper.
She smiled at him, then looked at her dad. “What are you going to do?”
“We’re going to go back and help the other high-ranked males get free.”
“You said you gave Cray the keys to the cells,” she said. “You don’t think he got himself and the others to safety?”
“I think if he had, they would have reached out. Even though your mom and I don’t have our phones, you do, and they would have known we were with you.”
Her mind spun a little, wondering what was going on in the prison.
“Do you think Ludo knows you’re gone?”
“Definitely,” her dad said. “But he wouldn’t know where we went or how we got free.”
“Couldn’t you stay here?” she asked.
She didn’t want her parents to get hurt, and Ludo was dangerous.
Her dad was dangerous too, but he would never have done what Ludo did. The male was dangerous on a whole different level.
“Jasper’s pack is clearly unique and aligns with other shifter groups. That’s not the way of our people. But aside from that, I can’t in good conscience leave the pack the way it is. People will get hurt—more than already have been hurt—and the pack will be ruined. Ludo must be put down, and his followers too, before more people die. It’s my duty as the second-in-command to take over the pack and set the others free, and also put down the threat to the pack. The safety and wellbeing of my people is my utmost priority.” He glanced at her mom and smiled. “Next to my mate and daughter’s safety, of course.”
Melody grinned. “Nice save.”
“Thanks. We’ll leave and time it to arrive at dark. There are some pack members I can get to help me set the others free, and then we’ll take back the pack from Ludo.”
“If anyone can do it, it’s you,” she said.
Her dad was a fierce male. She was certain that if he hadn’t been caught off guard and her mom’s life hadn’t been on the line, Ludo wouldn’t have stood a chance in taking him to the cell.
“We can spend the day together,” she said. “Jasper and I have a date tonight.”
Her mom reached across the table and squeezed her hand. “I’m happy for you both, even if I’m sad you won’t be in our pack anymore. But you’ll be able to come visit anytime.”
“Thanks, Mom.”
While Jasper and her dad talked strategy for infiltrating the pack again, now that Ludo was certainly paying closer attention to the borders of the territory and the prison itself, she and her mom talked about the mating ceremony.
When their meal was over and she and Jasper were supposed to meet with his alpha, she hugged her mom tightly.
“I’ll see you after our meeting,” she said.
“Don’t be nervous,” her mom said.
“I can’t help it. It’s always nerve-wracking to meet with an alpha.”
“Only because Alpha Grimes was a jackass and made everyone feel inferior,” her dad said. “From what Jasper has told me, Alpha Joss and his mate Jeanie are good people. You’ll fit right in because Joss’s mate can’t shift either.”
“Really? That’s great news I won’t be alone in my non-shifter status.”
“There are several human soulmates in the pack and among the other shifter groups,” Jasper said. “Plus a half-polar bear who can’t shift. I’ll make sure you meet everyone.”
“I’d love that.”
She and Jasper watched her parents as they left to go to the apartment complex. “Joss is letting them borrow one of the unmarked SUVs for tonight. When things are settled and safe, I’ll take you there and you can pack up your stuff and we’ll collect the vehicle.”
“Sounds like a plan.”
He put his arm around her shoulder and turned her toward the back of the cafeteria and the stairs that led underground. “How do you feel about living here? Because I know you said that you wouldn’t want to be in the Northbelle pack anymore, but if you really wanted to be there with your family, you have to know that I would go back for you.”
“I know you would,” she said, putting her arm around his waist. “It’s why I want to stay here.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean, I’d always know that you really wanted to be here at the park with the pack. It’s not any kind of hardship for me to be here. It sounds like no one will care that I can’t shift, and I know you don’t care, so I’m happy to be where you are.”
He kissed the top of her head and then entered the code to unlock the door. “Nobody cares about that. We only care that our people are happy and safe, and you’ll be both of those things with me.”
Damn, she loved him.
Hell, she’d always loved him. Ever since she knew they were soulmates when they were young, and he’d been her best defender and sweetest friend.
She stepped into the alcove at the top of the stairs and looked at him as he pulled the door shut. “I don’t know why I thought you abandoned me. I loved you so much and we were meant to be together. But it just made sense to the part of me that always felt so inadequate. Like you deserved better than a non-shifter like me.”
He let out a low snarl and his eyes flashed to amber. “Sweetheart, I only ever deserved you because you’re my soulmate. Hell, most of the time I felt like I was the one who didn’t deserve you, because you’re gorgeous and sweet and kind, and you made me want to be a better male.” He mused for a quiet moment, then said, “I don’t know why I didn’t come for you either. I wanted to, I was desperate, but I just kept waiting for you to reach out to me. Then my heart was broken, and then I was angry. I’ve been angry ever since. I loved you so much too, though. I never stopped.”
Her eyes pricked at the sweet words.
“Let’s go meet your alphas, and then I’ve got some ideas for how to pass the time.”
“I thought you were going to hang out with your parents?”
“I am, but later.”
“Ah.” He took her hand and they walked down the stairs. “Tell me about these ideas.”
“Well, the first one starts off in the kitchen…”
“So Joss is really intimidating at first,” she told her mom as they walked through the park later that afternoon. Her dad was with them, walking on her mom’s other side, but he was quiet, which told her he was thinking about the night ahead of them.
The park was open and there were humans around, so Jasper had told them to stick to the edges of the park near the fences so that they could speak freely. They’d made one circuit around the park and got a bag of colorful candied popcorn to share, and now they were on their second trip, passing by the apartment complex.
“But he and Jeanie are the nicest people,” she continued. Jeanie was so welcoming and kind, and Joss clearly thought a lot of Jasper. It was easy to see that Jasper respected him and Jeanie too.
“I’m glad,” her mom said. “When will you have the ceremony?”
“The next full moon.” It was a couple weeks away and gave them time to really get to know each other again. In some ways it was like they picked up right where they left off before he was exiled, and in other ways they were not the same people they were back then.
So despite them knowing each other well, they still needed to date and start over.
She stopped walking and her mom did too, her dad not realizing they’d stopped until he was a few yards ahead. As he returned to join them, she kept her voice low and said, “Are you sure this is safe for you guys? I don’t want you to get hurt trying to take the pack back.”
“Your father is a strong male, and we can’t leave our people in danger. I’m sure that it will be difficult, and dangerous of course, but it’s something we have to do.” She squeezed her shoulder. “We’ll be fine, I promise.”
“I hope so. I really want my kids to have grandparents, and if you shuffle off into the afterlife, then who will they call Grandma and Grandpa?”
“Well, now we really need to be careful,” her dad said with a chuckle. He sobered and said, “I promise I’ll keep your mom safe. She won’t even be with me in town. I’m going to leave her at Talia’s house while I get Talia’s mate and her father to help me take control.”
According to their plans, her dad was going to gather as many males as he could from those who weren’t imprisoned and then strike Ludo and his people at night, the same way they’d done to the original alpha and others. Ludo would die at her dad’s hand, she was sure of it, but she also knew that life didn’t always go the way it was planned and what her dad was attempting was inherently dangerous.
Melody’s skin prickled with awareness and she tilted her head and inhaled, sorting through the scents in the air.
“Dad?” she whispered.
He snarled and his eyes flashed to amber. “Someone’s here.”
Melody turned to look behind her, worried someone was sneaking up on them. But she didn’t see anyone and the path behind them was clear. As she slowly turned to scan the apartment complex, her mom gasped and she saw several males stalk from the side of the building.
She didn’t recognize them, but her parents clearly did.
“Melody, run and get help,” her dad ordered. Claws sprang from his fingertips and he growled. “Turn around and leave, there’s nothing here for you but blood and death.”
“Strong words from a male all alone,” the one in the lead said with a sneer.
Melody was frozen, caught between the need to help her parents and get Jasper.
Where were the security guards she’d seen around the park? How had these males gotten in?
“Melody,” her mom pleaded.
The males rushed her parents and Melody spun to run away, turning right into the broad chest of a tall male. He grabbed her roughly, slapping a hand over her mouth and nose, and lifting her off her feet. She kicked and struggled, pulling and scratching at his arm to let her go.
Her oxygen was gone and her lungs burned as he carried her away from her parents. Vision dimming, ears ringing, Melody succumbed to the darkness, her last thoughts on Jasper.