Liar, Liar by A.R. Hall
Jasper
Jasper paced in front of his motorcycle. He sped to meet up with the club and put some distance between him and Fiona. He’d royally fucked up.
You pissed off our mate. Stupid ass! Always messing up, his bear growled.
“Boy, calm down and start from the beginning.” Grove put the toothpick back in his mouth. His Alpha, the club president, had a habit of chewing on toothpicks when deep thinking.
Jasper started from the beginning, from when he started avoiding Fiona, up until last night when she fell. Grove nodded for him to continue. Jasper hesitated, then told him about the nightmare and waking up to find his teeth in her shoulder.
“You make her bleed?” Grove’s brows furrowed.
Jasper hung his head in shame. “I screwed up.”
“She yours?” Grove asked as he took the toothpick out of his mouth.
“I don’t deserve her,” Jasper groaned.
“What does your bear say?”
Jasper took in a deep breath. “Mate.”
Grove laughed. “Boy, you fucked up. Not because of what you did but because of how you went about it. We all have a true mate out there. Someone made especially for us. The one who can handle us and our animal. When your animal finds their mate, that’s special. Not everyone gets that.” He had a far-off look in his eyes. “You get your ass back to her and start groveling.”
“We have stuff to take care of.” Jasper had to think of the club. It had to come first.
“Don’t you worry about club business right now. You go make up with your mate.” Grove reached into his pocket, flipped open his phone, then cursed.
“Assignment?” Jasper knew whatever information his Alpha just received wasn’t good.
Grove shook his head. “A lot of shifters would kill to be in your shoes right now. Finding your true mate is a treasure that not all get. In case your bear hasn’t told you, she comes first.”
First thing he said that is true. She is ours to protect.His bear nodded.
“I don’t want to hurt her.” He felt her hurting right now. The bond wasn’t complete, but he could feel her emotions faintly. “I can’t be around her right now. I need time to think. Let’s just go to the next assignment.” He needed to be far away from here. “After the next assignment, I’ll take some personal time to deal with it.” To deal with her.
“Next assignment is here too.” Grove laughed. “How good are you at avoiding?”
Jasper groaned, then pulled his vibrating phone out of his pocket. Five missed calls from Ben. He knew something. Jasper answered this time as he made his way over to his bike.
“You claimed her and then ran off? If you weren’t my best friend, I’d kick your ass, and even then, I might have to now anyway. She’s my sister!” Ben shouted on the other end of the phone.
“I love her,” Jasper admitted to him.
“I know, dipshit. I’m talking about how you claimed her then ran. She told me you bit her. She deserves better than that, and you know it. Now, she expects both of us over at her place today.”
“I’m in the middle of an assignment,” Jasper murmured. He looked up to find Grove still shaking his head at him. The Alpha could no doubt hear the other end of the conversation thanks to shifter hearing.
“What am I supposed to tell her?” Ben cursed.
“The minimum. I promise I’ll make it right, but things are about to get more dangerous on my end, and you know I don’t want that around any of you. Especially her.” Jasper spoke the truth.
“You owe me.” Ben hung up.
Jasper didn’t know what the next assignment was, but it was always dangerous. The fact that it was here meant he needed to be sure it was taken care of before he was seen with his old life. Their safety mattered. Her safety mattered most.
He didn’t know then just how dangerous it was going to get.