15. Jasper

Jasper

W hen my first blood-brothers died, the pain of the severed link reverberated through my entire being, crippling my soul for a long time. Being accepted by other blood-brothers happens only on rare occasions, so I resigned to my bleak fate. Then Rueben and the others forced their way into my life, and despite me not wanting a new link, somehow they tricked me. Or so I told myself.

I closed my heart to them, refusing to really see them as my blood-brothers even if I thought of them like that. I even convinced myself I wouldn’t care if they suddenly left me alone on the farm with the animals.

When Ansel and Rueben entered the house, blood covering them, I realized how stupid I had been. Despite not wanting to see them as family, Rueben and Ansel are that and more.

No matter how hard I tried to stop the bleeding and keep him alive, Rueben stopped breathing, the wound in his neck was fatal, making me realize how fragile human life is. Then a miracle happened—Olivia. Because how else can I refer to what she did? Rueben’s heart stopped beating, and yet, when she grabbed his hand, he not only started breathing, but she also saved the link that ties me to my blood-brothers.

Rueben is unconscious but at least he is alive.

Then Olivia faints. The thick rug absorbs most of the impact, but panic rises inside me, fearing how hard she had hit her head.

Ansel rushes to pick her up, but I am faster. Besides, he has been shot as well. He should lie down and let me take care of Olivia.

Where the fuck is Maddox?

I gently stroke Olivia’s cheek. She is so pale and cold, but as long as she is breathing, I know she will be alright.

“Can you bring me the first aid box?” I ask Ansel as I try to keep an eye on Rueben.

“On it,” Ansel says and goes to the kitchen. He sounds like he is in shock.

I don’t blame him. If I had not witnessed with my own eyes more shit than I can remember, I would have thought I lost my mind.

I know Rueben is not out of the woods, but my entire focus is on Olivia. Strands of her auburn hair cover her face and I gently brush them away before I check to see how hard she hit her head. When I don’t feel any bumps, I feel relieved. The last thing she needs is a concussion.

Once Maddox is here, he will take a look at her.

I felt she was special from the moment I met her, but actual healing powers? It is clear I know so little about the women born to Dukes. Even to Lords. What if there is so much more to them than we were told? I never had sisters, only a deadbeat brother, but Rueben should know.

Ansel stares at Olivia with an expression that can only mean one thing—obsession. I understand, because right now, I feel the same. It’s funny how just one decision on her part captured my entire heart in mere moments.

When we brought her home, she was nothing to me. She was just a woman to have fun with, even if the idea was to find a wife. I pushed that idea to the side when I learned she was the one who killed Camila, knowing Rueben would never approve of her, but slowly, she wiggled her way into my heart. Spending time with her has been wonderful. Every touch and kiss I gave her was genuinely because I like her.

But now?

Now, I am obsessed .

She has just fucking saved Rueben’s life! There is no way in Hell I am ever letting her go.

I want to know everything about her. From her darkest secret to her each and every thought. What she likes, what she hates. What makes her smile. I have yet to see her pretty face light up with happiness. No wonder she is sad all the time. Especially after everything that has happened to her since we found her in the forest. I know I am partially responsible for what Rueben and Tyson did to her. I could have stopped them before things escalated. Due to my poor decisions, Olivia paid the price. I know she said she forgives me, but I could tell she didn’t mean it. Even if it takes me a lifetime, I will earn her trust and love.

Before, I wanted to help her get better because I saw her as a project, but now—now it’s because she gave me something I never expected. Hope.

Hope to finally have the family I have been dreaming about for so long.

Hope to finally have a wife and find some peace and comfort in her warm embrace.

Hope that my demon won’t consume my soul because I want to bond Olivia to me, our lives forever entwined.

My demon purrs in approval.

I press my lips to Olivia’s brow. It only took me thirty-three years to find the woman who will become my wife. I let Rueben lead even though my demon is strongest, but it will be my name on the marriage license. I want her to take my name so that every Lord and Duke in the city will know she belongs to me. To my blood-brothers as well.

Ansel returns with the first aid kit and puts it next to Rueben. I place Olivia on the bed before I take out bandages and wrap them around Rueben’s wounds, wanting to stop the bleeding. At this rate, he will die of blood loss.

“What the fuck just happened?” Ansel finally asks.

“Olivia just saved his life,” I reply. “I think she has… healing powers.”

Ansel pulls out a pack of cigarettes from his pocket and lights one. “Impossible,” he says after taking a long drag from his cigarette. His gaze is fixed on Olivia. “Humans don’t have that kind of power. If Rueben is alive, it’s because of your effort. Although…”

In normal circumstances, I would have thought the same, but there had been a glow coming from Olivia’s hand when she touched Rueben. Her back was to Ansel, so he couldn’t see it, but I did.

“Normal humans don’t have any kind of powers, but we are not normal humans, are we?” I say while Ansel stands there, blood gushing out from a bullet wound while he keeps smoking. “Our bond with the demons goes deeper than we allow ourselves to think. What if the women born to Lords are special because of the ties we have with our demons?”

“Olivia is a Duchess,” Ansel points out.

“Her father is the vessel for an angel,” I remind him. “Her grandfather as well. And so on.”

Ansel keeps smoking while he thinks. “I need a drink. It’s too early for this shit.”

He disappears to the kitchen, and I take Olivia to our room. I put Olivia on the bed next to Miss Teapot, who glares at me with displeasure. She doesn’t like being disturbed from her nap.

When I first built this house, I did so with the idea of possibly finding a woman who would accept that she wouldn’t be worshiped by a group of blood-brothers, but only by me. Olivia likes this house, but her place is in the main house, in the Lair, while my blood-brothers and I fuck her, filling her with cum until she is pregnant with our first child. It will take a while until I get all my blood-brothers to see Olivia as I do.

At least Ansel is on my side.

Olivia whimpers and I try to soothe her. “Olly?” She doesn’t reply nor open her eyes, making me think she is in a deep sleep and is having a nightmare. Every night bad dreams haunt her, making me wonder what kind of life she had before we found her. Rueben and Tyson might claim she is a whore, that she likes dicks. Well, if that is true, there are five of us to keep her more than satisfied. She mumbles Spencer a few times, tears falling down her cheeks. Whoever this Spencer is, I am certain he had hurt her. “You are safe now, Little Love.”

I kiss her gently and she relaxes. Then I cover her with the quilt and watch her for a few moments.

Content that she is sleeping peacefully, I go to check on Rueben.

The bandage is soaked with blood, so I change it. The bleeding is not as strong as before, but I am still worried. He is cold to the touch. How long until there is no more blood in his body?

Where the fuck is Maddox?

I get Rueben in a more comfortable position before I take a blanket out of the closet, toss it over him and take the duvet to the laundry room.

Blood stains the white duvet, and I have seen how Olivia reacts when she sees anything red. The other day, I put on a scarlet sweater, or whatever the fuck that color is called, and Olivia’s eyes immediately filled with tears, her chin trembled. She only calmed down when I changed the sweater for a black hoodie. She’s acted like that before, but never so strongly. Something about that color brings her bad memories.

After I throw the duvet in the washing machine and turn it on, I return to the bedroom to check on Olivia. She is sleeping, and I give her a peck on the lips. Miss Teapot is curled up on Olivia’s stomach, purring softly. I stroke her head a few times before I go to the living room.

Ansel is in the kitchen, pressing his tank top against his wounds while rummaging through the cabinets. I sit on the couch and try to kill time by channel surfing until Maddox gets here.

Knowing what Ansel is looking for, I say, “The one above the fridge.”

Overcoming an addiction as strong as Olivia has will take years if not her entire lifetime. Not wanting her to be tempted by alcohol, I hid it in a place she couldn’t reach. Ansel takes the whiskey bottle and joins me.

“What happened?” I want to know.

Bounty hunting is a dangerous job, but Rueben and Ansel have been doing this for years and never have they been hurt like this. They are supposed to be professionals.

Ansel takes a sip from the bottle before he passes it to me. Then, he takes another cigarette from his pack.

“Jason,” Ansel says as he lights his cigarette and takes a few puffs from it. “We stopped next to the forest to talk when the motherfucker shot Rueben. He took us by surprise.”

From the sour expression on his face it is safe to assume Jason got away.

I drink from the bottle. “He knows we have Olivia.”

Did Malaky tell him?

“He can’t have her,” Ansel says. “Not anymore.” He takes the bottle from me. “Not when she will finally be mine.”

I wasn’t wrong to think Ansel is obsessed with Olivia.

“Ours,” I correct him, and he hesitates for a moment before nodding in approval. “She is safe on the farm with us.”

Or as safe as she can be. It will take time to make Mose, Tyson, and Rueben see how special Olivia is. When they learn how she saved Rueben, they will for sure accept her. Her killing Camila will always be a tragedy, but my mama always thought people could change. Whatever made Ovilia pull that trigger is something I am determined to find out.

Rueben and Tyson might hate her now, but I am sure Olivia will win their hearts as well. She has to! Because I don’t want to be forced to choose between Olivia and my blood-brothers. Losing Tyson is not an option. Not when…. I stop the thought right there. Things are not supposed to be like that between blood-brothers.

The sound of a honk lets me know Maddox is here.

“I will open the gate for him,” I say.

I grab my coat and rush outside.

Tyson comes out of the main house and leans against the railing. “You shouldn’t waste Maddox’s time like that. That bitch is for sure complaining to get your attention.”

It is rich coming from him, especially after what he did to Olivia. “Rueben and Ansel have been shot. And Olivia just saved Rueben’s life.”

Tyson looks at me like horns have suddenly sprouted from my head. Why is it so hard to believe Olivia is a good person? That she helped Rueben?

Olivia has been a topic of discussion ever since I met Rueben and the others. Tyson and Rueben always mentioned that she was as evil as the rest of the Dukes. My demon has this ability to sense things, and he would have known if Olivia was as malicious as she was portrayed. The only feeling I get from her is that she is hiding something deep inside her. Something that is killing her little by little. Pressuring her to talk about it may not be wise, not when she is so… depressed, but maybe she will do so when she feels safe with me. If not, there are always other ways to make her talk and I am not referring to torture but… manipulation. And sex. It so happens I am good at both.

“Are they ok?” Tyson asks, worried.

I head towards the main gate and Tyson follows me. “Ansel will live,” I reply.

“And Rueben?”

Maddox honks again and I walk faster. “He will probably need a few weeks of rest.”

Tyson lets out a breath of relief. “Thank fuck. I don’t know what I would do if I lost Rueben or Ansel.”

Tyson, Ansel, and Rueben had been friends for many years before they decided to become blood-brothers. The kind of friendship they have has only become stronger with the link between us. And once Olivia is our bonded, that link will become even stronger. Knowing Rueben and Tyson the way I do, they will refuse to hear about it, but if I can get Mose on my side, then maybe my plan stands a chance.

Mose.

He is usually the quietest of the group, mostly focusing on his true passion—cooking. With time, I got to know what really turns him on, and I plan to use it against him. All is fair in love and war, and this is war, baby!

I should not make plans without talking with Olivia first, but even if she refuses us, I won’t let her go. I might be mistaken, but I think Ansel feels the same. Between the two of us, we can get Olivia hooked on a new addiction—our cocks. I can’t wait to fuck her. I bet she will feel amazing. Not many women can take me without feeling pain, but I bet Olivia will scream in pleasure. The things I will do to her once she is healed.

“Olivia isn’t doing that well,” I let Tyson know. “After helping Rueben, she fainted.”

“I don’t care if that bitch lives or dies,” he throws back at me.

I’ve never seen this side of Tyson. He is always cheerful and making jokes when he doesn’t have his nose stuck in one of his porn books. Olivia brings out the worst in him. Before we met, he had some drinking problems, but with the help of Ansel and Rueben, he got his shit together.

“You should,” I say as I reach the gate and open it.

Maddox drives inside and I am about to close the gate when I hear a loud bark coming from Rueben’s SUV, which is parked nearby. Fuck! Diva. Ansel probably left her inside the car so she wouldn’t get in the way since she is very overprotective of Rueben.

Not wanting to deal with her right now, I say to Tyson, “Take care of Diva while I explain to Maddox what happened.”

Tyson curses out loud but does as I say, knowing Diva will destroy the interior of the car if she is not let out soon. It won’t be the first time. She has ruined more pairs of shoes than I can remember.

Maddox stops his car and I go to him and let him know what happened. When I tell him about Olivia bringing Rueben back from the dead, he gives me a puzzled look but doesn’t say anything about it. As a doctor, I am sure he has witnessed many strange things. Especially when it comes to the Lords.

We enter the house, and I let Maddox take care of Ansel and Rueben while I go to see how Olivia is doing.

She is finally awake and petting Miss Teapot. Her fingers tremble when I close the door and approach the bed. “How is Rueben?” she asks.

“Alive.”

She nods. “Are you going to punish me for disobeying your rules?”

I sit on the bed and pull her into my lap. Miss Teapot jumps on the pillows and curls on top of them.

“I should do that.” I grab her chin, forcing her to look at me. Her pupils dilate, letting me know she is scared. “Maybe I will.” My hand slides to her neck. “Maybe I will toss you on the bed and fuck you like the bad girl you have been. That way, you will learn what happens when you put yourself in danger.”

“As you wish.”

Her voice trembles. Tears pool inside her eyes. I kiss her cheeks.

If she weren’t hurt, I would have fucked the brains out of her.

It’s been a while since I’ve been with a woman.

I shouldn’t think about fucking right now, not when Rueben has been shot in the neck, but when Olivia places her palm on top of my cock, all I want to do is to sink deep inside her.

“How may I please you, Master?” she asks.

A groan slips past my lips. Does she know how much I want her? I bring her hand to my chest. “By doing as I tell you,” I say and kiss her. “I don’t know what you did or how you did it, but thank you for saving Rueben’s life,” I murmur against her lips. She doesn’t try to deny that what I am saying is true. Remembering the last gathering at the Blood Lodge, I ask, “Are you a hellstar?”

Olivia quickly shakes her head, denying it. “How can someone like me be a hellstar?”

“Don’t let past mistakes dictate your life. If you are not a hellstar, then how?”

Olivia clenches her fists. “When I was seventeen, I was taken to a research facility.” She shudders. “The doctors there did things to me.”

Could she be talking about the same facility Yan was kept in as a prisoner?

“What things?” I inquire.

The color drains from her face. Her voice trembles as she says, “They removed my tubes.” My heart drops. She can’t have children? “I don’t even have a menstruation cycle anymore.” Tears fall down her cheeks. “A sacrifice, they called it. Yet it was a punishment. I killed someone’s child, and the doctors left me barren.”

My head feels like it is spinning. I’ve always wanted children, but Olivia doesn’t have that ability anymore. I am not the only one who wants children. Mose and Ansel have been talking about children for a few years now. There is no way they will accept Olivia to be our bonded. Despite this obsession I now have for her, I don’t think I can marry her. Children are something I’ve wanted for such a long time. I’ve given up on so many of my dreams. I don’t think I can give up on another one, no matter how much I like Olivia.

I put her on the bed. “I will be back in a few,” I say, wanting to get some fresh air while I try to sort out my thoughts and think about what I should do about Olivia. “Maddox will see you after he is done with Rueben and Ansel.”

“Jasper,” she whispers.

She rarely says my name, preferring to call me Master. Instead of checking to see if she needs anything, I quickly leave and go to the barn. It is one of the few places on the farm where I can fully relax and let my mind wander.

Speckles is in her stall and I go to her. Her ears immediately prick forward.

Despite all the hours I’ve spent with her, trying to win her trust, she still fears me.

My Mama loved horses. She grew up on a farm surrounded by animals. When Papa married her, they moved to Veross City. Their first years in the big city were rough, especially since they barely made ends meet.

Papa wasn’t a Lord, nor did they have any ties with the Blood Lodge.

It all changed when Papa saved a man’s life who was involved in a car crash. The man, Loy—a Lord—offered Papa a job and took my brother and me under his wing. While I thrived under Loy’s guidance, Aaric—my brother—did not. Two years older than me, Aaric was the first one to be taken to the Blood Lodge. He hated the experience and wanted nothing to do with the organization. When my turn came, Loy hesitated to take me, thinking I would react like Aaric. It took me almost an entire year to convince Loy and Papa to take me to the Blood Lodge.

In the end, Loy vouched for me, and I received an invitation from the Elders to learn more about the organization.

It was supposed to be only a visit, and yet a demon chose me as his vessel.

Soon after I started my training as a Lord, Aaric got involved with a street gang and ran away from home. It was honestly a blessing, as he always made Mama cry. I resented him for it.

Mama was a gentle soul. Cancer took her away from me when I was still a teen. She died without seeing Aaric again. Papa still works for Loy, but we had a falling out a couple of years ago and are no longer in touch.

It is from Mama’s childhood stories that I developed a passion for horses and the desire to have a big family, since she had ten siblings. I grew up hearing about what she did with her sisters or how her brothers protected her from bullies at school.

Olivia or children?

The Lair is fit for at least four kids. We can always renovate the attic and add more rooms there too.

I watch Speckles until she relaxes enough for me to enter the stall. I keep my distance, though, wanting her to know I am not a danger to her.

“Easy, girl,” I murmur when she stamps her leg on the floor. “How about some fresh air?”

It’s been a few days since I took her to the fenced pasture behind the farm. Artax is already there and it will do some good for Speckles to stretch her legs for a few hours. I get close enough to grab her halter. She watches me with wary eyes, but she follows me when I lead her out of the barn.

When we reach the pasture, I let Speckles in and watch how she goes to Artax. The two of them became friends soon after Speckles came to the farm.

After watching Artax and Speckles run for a while, I go check on Juniper. It was Mose who brought her home. Initially, I thought having a goat on the farm would be fun, but she gives me more trouble than any other animal I have ever owned.

After a few hours tending to the animals, I return to the guest house.

Ansel and Tyson are on the couch watching TV with Diva between them. Ansel’s hair is wet and his clothes are changed and he no longer looks pale, making me believe Maddox already took care of him. Guilt washes over me when I realize I should have helped Maddox but I am of no use when I am overthinking things.

Before I can ask anything, Ansel jerks his head towards the hallway. “Maddox is with Olivia.”

I am still conflicted about Olivia, but I put that to the side so I can talk to Maddox.

The door to the bedroom is closed and I knock before I enter.

Olivia is sitting on the bed, her chest exposed to Maddox who is listening to her lungs, his eyes glued to her tits. He and his blood-brothers are still looking for a bonded, but that doesn’t mean he can ogle Olivia.

My demon snarls in anger.

Jealousy is a double-edged sword and I never expected to have this kind of feeling, not when my desire to have children is stronger than the obsession I have for her.

“How is Rueben?” I ask.

Not taking his eyes off Olivia’s tits, he replies, “By some miracle, he made it. I put him on an IV. I will leave some instructions for Mose.”

Rueben hates hospitals, and he has always made it clear that he prefers to be treated at home.

“And Olivia?”

If I hadn’t been looking, I would have missed how her shoulders tense for a second. In the back of my mind, I know she needs me, but I need to take a step or two back until I know what I want.

Olivia.

Or.

Children.