Chapter 17 - Jasper

"Alpha, you have a message," Killian told me.

I had been in the midst of organizing the wolves for patrol duty when he had run up to me with a look of urgency on his face. We didn't have much reason to run patrols since we had arrived at the cabins, but I had noticed a feeling of uneasiness in the group lately and wanted to give them something to do.

"Dismissed," I ordered my warriors tersely, sending them off to their stations for the day.

As soon as they disappeared, Killian handed me the message, written in Killian's own hand.

"Who sent it?" I asked, squinting at the nearly illegible scrawl.

"Aiden Moonstone called me," he said uncomfortably. "I wrote down the main points as best as I could. He was furious about you taking a luna from Sparkle Hollow."

I did my best to decipher his writing, gleaning enough to get the gist of what Aiden wanted to say.

"How did they find out it was me?" I asked. "I made sure that I wasn't seen when I took her."

Killian shifted on his feet uncomfortably. "I'm sorry, Alpha," he said quietly. "When Aiden called, he said that Sparkle Hollow was planning to hunt us down and get April back. I argued with him, telling him that they'd never find us."

I sighed, realizing the mistake that my second had made.

"He was fishing for information, and you gave it to him," I surmised. "They didn't know I had taken her until you confirmed it."

He hung his head in shame. Killian rarely made mistakes like this one, and I knew he hadn't done it intentionally.

"It's alright," I told him, placing my hand on his shoulder comfortingly.

"Aiden said that he and the Sparkle Hollow Pack are going to make us regret taking her and causing her harm. I didn't know what else to say, so I hung up," he explained.

I nodded at his explanation. It had always been the plan for Sparkle Hollow to find out that I had taken April, but I had been so distracted by my mate and my plan to infiltrate the Pinedale wolves, I hadn't followed through with my threats.

I should have felt overjoyed, knowing that I had rattled both the Moonstones and Sparkle Hollow, but I didn't. The only emotion I felt was fear. What if they found and took April away?

"What would you like me to do?" Killian asked. "Should we mount an attack against them before they find us?"

"I'll come up with a plan," I said. "But first, I need to clear my head. Look after the pack while I'm gone—I'll be back soon."

"Yes, Alpha," Killian said before heading back toward the cabins.

I didn't blame him for giving away April's location, but I did blame myself. I had put too many plans in motion and done a poor job of following up on them. Taking her had been impulsive. Now, I feared, my mistake might have put all of us at risk.

I burst into my wolf form, allowing Storm to take over so I could lose myself in the feeling of the wind rushing through our fur. The day had been warm, and I enjoyed the cooling effect of the air whirling around us as we ran.

As Storm settled into our run with his long strides, I became aware that we weren't alone. The rhythmic sound of approaching paws caused us to turn to the side, looking for the source of the sound. An auburn wolf was following close behind me, and I instantly recognized the color. April's wolf matched her eyes.

I was surprised that she had followed me but not displeased. For many mates, the first run in wolf form was a big moment, but we hadn't had the opportunity to see each other's wolves yet.

We flew through the pine trees, heading into the denser forest where fewer humans traveled.

Although her wolf was much smaller than Storm, I realized she was faster. She nipped at my heels, goading me into a race. When she was about to overtake me, I curved to the side, cutting her off. I expected her to pull back, but instead, she launched herself over my back, landing softly in front of me without breaking her stride.

Did you see that? Storm asked in amazement. She's wonderful.

The longer we ran, the more I felt Storm's desire for the auburn wolf growing. Instead of paying attention to our surroundings, he was mesmerized by the sun shimmering off her fur. As the light from the sun reflected off her mane, the red tint made it look like she had fiery sparks cascading down her back.

The wolves slowed as we approached a stream. April's wolf flicked a paw playfully into the water, splashing Storm in the chest.

Mine, he growled. I knew it was only a matter of time before he insisted on mating with her again.

He walked toward her, licking behind her ear when he reached the spot where she stood on the bank of the stream. She nuzzled into him, allowing him to sniff her, before raising herself up on her hind legs and placing her front paws on Storm's shoulders.

As we stared into each other's eyes, the wolf shifted into April's human form.

"Rae wants you to know that she's glad to have met you," April told my wolf.

Rae, he said dreamily. Tell her that she's the most beautiful creature I've ever seen, and that it is an honor to run with her.

At his request, I shifted and relayed his message.

April smiled in reaction, and under Storm's influence, our desire to take our mate intensified until I could no longer hold myself back. I pulled her close, but as she had done in Nile's house, she prevented me from continuing.

"Wait," she said softly.

Instead of retreating, she bent down to kneel in front of me. She stared up into my eyes as she unbuttoned my pants and pulled them down to my knees.

"April, what are you—"

"Shhh," she interrupted, delicately stroking my shaft until it was fully erect.

She placed the tip against her lips, slowly parting them to take me inside her. I looked down at her as her mouth moved up and down, leaving a trail of saliva with each motion.

I moaned as I felt the warmth of her tongue caressing me. With each movement, my worries seemed to melt away. Everything I had endured—all the stress and pain of my life—seemed a thing of the past. There was only this moment.

The deeper she took me in, the more I wanted to rip off her clothes and penetrate her. I closed my eyes, imagining what she would look like if she were riding on top of me.

The tempo of her movements increased, her head bobbing back and forth toward my pelvis. Our eyes met as she increased the pressure slightly, eliciting another moan from deep within me. Her hand cupped my testicles, and I felt a rush as I spilled into her waiting mouth.

"Goddess," I said when I had recovered my breath. "Is it my turn now?"

She wiped her mouth and returned to her feet. "There's no need to return the favor," she assured me. "I wanted to do it for you. I wanted you to feel wanted, like you deserve to be."

I stared at her in shock. Anytime I had been on the receiving end, I had been expected to reciprocate—or pay for their services. Sex had always been transactional, and I was just now realizing that April wasn't like that. She had never had any ill intentions toward me. She had been telling the truth.