Chapter 3 - Jasper

Thanks to how close I had parked to the alley, it was easy to carry the unconscious woman to my car without being seen. It took less than fifteen minutes to carry out the abduction and arrive back at our pack cabins in the forest.

I doubted whether her companions had even realized she was missing by the time I opened the door and pulled her out.

The cabins—eight in total—were arranged in two rows with their backs facing one another. The cabins were suitable enough for us to sleep in, but did not offer much space for recreation. To fix this problem, we had erected tables in the spaces between the rows where we could gather for meals and leisure time.

I placed the she-wolf, still unconscious, on the nearest table and called for my pack to witness my victory.

"Dark Moon Pack!" I ordered, loudly enough that even those inside their dwellings would hear me. "Your alpha has brought home a prize from Sparkle Hollow!"

My second, Killian, was already outside, tending to a fire on the other side of the common area. At my summons, he jogged over to greet me.

"Whatcha got there?" he asked. Killian had grown up with me, and had been loyal even before we had arrived at the Moonstone Pack. Together, we had experienced some of the worst circumstances imaginable. He had taken the loss of our friend Aiden and our pack almost as hard as I had.

"The perfect tool for revenge," I told him.

By now, the rest of the pack had assembled, all curious to see what their alpha had planned. They chatted with one another as they approached, pointing at the woman on the table as they wondered what my intentions for her might be.

"My wolves," I said, "my trip into Pinedale turned out to be very beneficial. I had only intended to scout the area, but an opportunity arose that I couldn't pass up."

"Is that a woman?" one of them asked.

"Much better than that," I replied. "This is a she-wolf I captured from our enemies. She was celebrating in town with Luna Madi from the Moonstones and another she-wolf from Sparkle Hollow, but now she will become my mate. I will bind her to my commands and force her to become an instrument I can use to retaliate against those who took our birthright from us!"

The pack became more animated as they listened to me speak, and when I finished, they let out a cheer.

"She's waking up, Jasper," Killian pointed out. At the sudden noise, the woman had begun to stir.

"Good," I said. I had only given her a small dose of the wolfsbane—enough to keep her unconscious for the trip camp but not much longer than that. I was ready to begin my plans, and she needed to be awake first.

Her eyes opened, and she sat up, but in her haste, she fell from the table and crashed to the ground. A chorus of raucous laughter erupted from the pack as she flailed. Pine needles tangled in her light brown locks, and I noticed that when the sunlight hit her hair, it glinted with a blond tint. I was momentarily mesmerized by the tiny detail, but was brought back when she attempted to stand once again.

"I don't think so," I told her. I grabbed her forcefully and pushed her back to the ground.

"Let me go!" she screamed, writhing against me as I straddled her torso. I pressed her arms down above her head to prevent her from attacking me.

"What is your name?" I asked her.

"Like I'd tell you!" she shot back, and then she spit in my face.

I lifted her by her shoulders and slammed her into the ground, hard enough to jar her but not enough to seriously injure her. She coughed as the air was forced from her lungs, and tears began to stream down her face.

"Your name," I growled, seething.

"April," she choked out, still struggling to find her breath. "April Rose."

"That's right, Alpha!"

"Show her who's in charge!"

"Sparkle Hollow scum, you can't get away from the Dark Moon Pack!"

My entire pack cheered as I subdued her, and she eventually stopped attempting to escape. She sobbed quietly as she lay under me. I was disgusted by her display of emotions and wanted this next bit to be done as quickly as possible.

"Killian, can you perform the mating ceremony for us?" I asked.

He nodded his assent and began to arrange the pack into groups so that everyone could see. Another wolf brought ropes to bind the woman's arms behind her back as I forced her to stand. I was pleased with my foresight in preparing ropes braided with strands of silver-coated wire. Only a very strong wolf would be able to break them.

"No, please!" she begged. "I'll do whatever you ask, just please let me go!"

I ignored her pleas, dragging her to stand next to me and Killian. The pack watched with bated breath as he began the ceremony.

"We are gathered here to celebrate the joining of our alpha, Jasper Sanders, the most powerful wolf in the country, with the she-wolf who will bring satisfaction to the Dark Moon Pack's feud with Sparkle Hollow," he began.

"I won't," April said between sobs. "I won't become your mate. You can't force me to say the words."

I fixed her with an intimidating look and grabbed her by the throat, cutting off her air supply as I compressed my fingers. Her eyes widened as she struggled for breath.

"You will say the words, or I will kill you," I commanded. The moment I released my grip on her throat, she sucked in a big gasp of air and began to cry once more.

"Killian, please continue," I said calmly, ignoring the sounds of her hysteria.

"Today, we begin to fix what has been broken by the lesser wolves of Sparkle Hollow," my second continued the ceremony as if there had been no interruption. "Jasper, please say your mating vows."

"I, Jasper Sanders, Alpha of the Dark Moon Pack, take you, April Rose, to be my mate," I said.

"April," Killian directed his attention to her. "Please say your vows."

She had managed to halt her crying while I said my vows, but she didn't immediately speak when Killian instructed her to. I stepped toward her and placed my hand on her neck once again. This time, I only applied gentle pressure as a reminder of what I could do if she didn't cooperate.

"I, April Rose," she began tremulously, "of Sparkle Hollow, take you, Alpha Jasper Sanders, to be… my mate."

"Alpha, do you wish to mark your mate?" Killian asked.

I nodded. Not all wolf packs marked their mates, but this was important to me. I needed her to be tied to me in every way possible so that she would be easier to control. Especially since she gave her mating bond unwillingly, it was better to be safe than have her try to fight against me. Her feelings about being my mate bore no weight in my decision.

With my free hand, I grabbed April's arm to bring her closer to me. Although she tried to resist, it was no use. Not only was she bound by the ropes around her wrists, but she was bound by her new allegiance to me as her alpha. She had spoken the words, and now she was a part of my pack.

"Stand still," I commanded. She had no choice but to obey.

I placed my teeth on her neck and bit down, tasting the blood as it entered my mouth. She whimpered at the pain, and I withdrew. Blood streamed down her neck and onto her shirt, but I knew it would stop soon. All wolves healed quickly, so the skin should start to repair itself soon.

"I present Alpha Jasper and his luna," Killian concluded.

The pack began to cheer, and soon a chant begun. "Alpha, Alpha, Alpha!" they shouted.

I smiled at them, thanking them for their support. "Today is a great day for not just me, but for our pack," I said, quieting them. "We will continue to fight for our rightful place—as leaders of all the wolves!"

"Alpha!" one wolf shouted from the back of the group. "Take your mate!"

The charge rose up among others in the group, all calling for me to take April into my cabin to complete the mating process. Hearing the jubilation from my pack warmed me to the core. Their unity reminded me of how things used to be, before the Moonstone Pack had been damaged by Aiden's poor leadership.

These wolves had needed this familiarity more than I had realized up until now. As alpha, I was proud that I had gifted this moment to them. What I struggled to understand was why their request made me feel so uncomfortable.

"It is your right, Alpha," Killian assured me, noting my uneasiness.

I nodded in agreement, but I couldn't help feeling put off by the expectation. I eyed the shaking woman next to me, disgusted by the thought of being physically intimate with her. She was such a weak and dirty creature. I knew that I wouldn't be able to bear touching her in such a way.

As I inspected her, I realized that the mark on her neck hadn't yet begun to heal. I had expected the wolfsbane to be out of her system by now, but it seemed that was not the case. The effects had weakened her and delayed the usual healing process. The blood continued to trickle down her neck, mixing with the tears that flowed in a steady stream from her eyes.

Would she ever stop crying? It was sickening.

We need to claim her body as we have claimed her bond, my wolf said. Why are you resisting this so much?

You know why , I snapped at him. I had been with plenty of women before, when the physical need had arisen and my body had called for a release. But this was different. This reminded me too much of the darkest period of my life, and I had no desire to feel helpless ever again. I was not someone who could be forced into a situation like this. I was no whore.

It isn't the same at all, Storm replied. He didn't hide the irritation and anger in his voice as he spoke. I knew Storm felt pulled toward this she-wolf, but I had vowed I would never be forced to do anything ever again.

The pack wanted a show of strength, that was all. I would willingly give that to them.

I grabbed my mate by the back of her neck with one hand and held my other fist up in the air in victory.

"Dark Moon Pack!" I began. "Do your alpha the honor of celebrating my union while I take my mate back to her new home and give her the welcome she deserves!"

Laughter and loud chatter erupted, and before I moved from the place where I stood, my wolves had begun the festivities. I saw a few of the younger wolves run to the kitchen to fetch drinks and food while others set up speakers. In a moment, the woods would be filled with the sounds of revelry. I was glad that the resulting din of their party would drown out whatever sounds April would make.

I began to pull her toward my cabin, but she fell to the ground in protest. "No!" she screamed again.

I sighed as if she were a petulant child, not a full-grown woman. "If you don't get up and walk, I will drag you there."

"Please, just let me go," she begged once more.

"I warned you," I said before grabbing her by her bound wrists and pulling her effortlessly across the dirty ground to my cabin.

I opened the door easily with my free hand and flung her into the room.