Trusting Her Protector

by C. D. Gorri

  “Alright,” Heliodore said, and nodded, “we will do what you say, Jasper. You’ve never led us wrong before.”

  Jasper grunted and slapped a hand on his brother’s arm. Ignoring the sharp ache that began in his heart when he thought of losing his only remaining parent, Jasper smiled at his brother. If only he had that same conviction in himself that he saw in Dor’s expression.

  He might not be ready for his new assignment, but he had no choice. He would have to ignore the fact that his heart was not in it and do his best to guard the woman. Whatever her troubles were, he was sure his Wyvern could handle it.

  The file remained closed in his duffel bag, unread and unchecked. Jennifer would be pissed. Speak of the devil, or Owl as it were, the woman was suddenly there, waiting for him in the hallway. Big round eyes blinked up at him intelligently behind her glasses, and Jasper waited a beat.

  “So, got bored of retired life already?” he smirked.

  “Yes, well, your father’s ill health has me rethinking that plan altogether. Don’t worry,” she said with concern filling her deep brown eyes, “ I will talk to him about ignoring the doctor’s recommendations, Jas. It will be okay. Now, have you packed all the usual things?”

  With a masterful ease he’d always envied, Jennifer changed the painful subject. Good. He had no intentions of getting teary-eyed with his hard as nails handler. She scrunched her nose to keep her glasses from falling off the tip, but he wasn’t fooled.

  Sure, she might look cute and cuddly, but behind the façade was one dangerous as hell woman. A pit viper in sheep’s clothing. He grinned and patted his pockets, getting ready to answer her inquiry.

  “Let’s see. Yep. Weapons, surveillance, microwaveable popcorn,” he shrugged, “and, oh yeah, condoms,” he winked.

  “Oh, keep it in your pants, pal, this one is a friend of mine,” she gave him her best scathing glare.

  Jasper wasn’t expecting that. A friend, huh? He better tread lightly then.

  “Really? Like someone you used to have sleepovers with?”

  “Yes, we go way back,” she answered and turned around.

  “So, like pillow fights and skinny dipping? Got any pictures? It’s only fair you give me as much information as possible,” he teased as he moved to catch up with her.

  “Don’t be gross! You haven’t even opened the file yet, have you?”

  “Uh,” he scratched the back of his head.

  “Hey, Jenn, about my case?” Dor yelled from the doorway.

  “Shut up, Heliodore, I’ll deal with you later. Ugh, come on, Jas, I’ll fill you in while I walk you to your car,” she muttered something under her breath about cocky lizards and Jasper frowned.

  Now, that was just mean. He was a magnificent mythical beast. A Wyvern, not some lowly lizard! Really, he should put her in her place, but he knew better than to give Jennifer any of his usual shit.

  The Great Horned Owl Shifter was a straight up savage when it came to kicking ass. Shit, she handed out lessons to her charges with a ferocity that rivaled any of the four Wyvern’s.

  His ass still hurt from the last time she’d taken him by surprise and knocked him out of the tree he’d climbed. Asshat that he was, he’d arrogantly retained his human form all but forgetting she could fly when Shifted. And those talons of hers, serious ouch!

  “Carolina Moore is more than a good friend. We grew up together. And she’s recently been through a rough divorce, so don’t give her any of your sleazy pickup lines, Jas, I mean it!”

  “They aren’t that sleazy!” he protested.

  “Really? ‘Nice shirt, babe, can I talk you out of it?’ That went over really well with the Ecuadorian Ambassador’s wife,” she said through gritted teeth.

  “Hey, I apologized for that. I thought she was his daughter!”

  “As if that would have been any better,” Jennifer rubbed the bridge of her nose, “Listen, Jasper, Caro is like a sister to me. She knows nothing about Shifters except that they exist, so please, keep everything about you, including your so-called charm, to yourself,” she huffed.

  “Geez, looks like someone needs a little somethin’ somethin’,” he whispered, but not low enough to stop her from throwing her elbow back and into his gut, “Fuck. Did you have to hit so hard?”

  “Yes, I think I did,” she smirked, “I feel better now, where was I? Oh yes. Well, Carolina was on a dig in Egypt-”

  “What is she Indiana Jones or something?”

  “No, she’s an artist, a sculptor actually. Critically acclaimed. Anyway, she was on a dig in Egypt, and she ran into some trouble.”

  “What kind of trouble?” Jasper asked all business now.

  “The kind that you are equipped to deal with. Read. The. File.”

  “Alright, Jennifer, keep your secrets. Where is the little adventurer?”

  “I sent Caro to my cabin. I know how much you enjoy roughing it in the great outdoors,” she smirked at him.

  Jasper barely withheld a growl. Frigging woman had a strange sense of humor. He didn’t mind the mountains, it was just so isolated. There was nothing to do there. At least last time he had the Bear cub to play with. Who would entertain him now?

  “Stop it. You’re there to do a job.”

  Damn freakish woman, he swore she could read his mind sometimes. He had planned on heading down to the beach house after his last gig, but he couldn’t do that now. No Sea Bright beach babes and surfing in the wee hours of the morning.

  Ugh. The lake was just so dang lake-y And wasn’t that a lame complaint? His Wyvern scratched and roared inside his mind’s eye, and Jasper’s thoughts turned to that bit of news he’d been avoiding.

  Fuck. His heart was heavy with thoughts of his father’s illness. It was just like the old man to spring that on them without any aplomb. Arthur Wessex wasn’t a cruel man or a bad father. Not in the least. He simply didn’t believe bad news should be sugarcoated and he never mollycoddled his sons. Ever.

  School didn’t close because of the expected snow storm didn’t add up to more than an inch? Wake up, buttercup. Your brother ate all your cereal? Eat some bran. You lost the soccer game? Try harder next time, no one ever won without practice. Gold fish died? The toilet is that way. You failed your driver’s test? Walking is good for you. So, that girl you had a crush on likes someone else? I believe it, but get your ass back out there, son, and try again. Didn’t I mention I have cancer? No? Well, I do, now get back to work.

  Good old Dad. His brothers were upset too, and that rankled his beast. All three looked to him for guidance. As if he needed any more responsibility weighing him down. Shit. Jasper wasn’t mad at them. He simply couldn’t believe this was happening. Sure, the years without Mom had been rough, but he’d never thought his father would ever stop fighting. No treatment? It was beyond comprehension.

  Maybe he didn’t want to live without his wife anymore. Jasper’s Wyvern let out a sorrowful growl at the thought. His beast seemed to understand where Jasper did not.

  Even worse were his parent’s parting words. Who had time to think of women just then? His old man never used to have shit timing, but what else could explain it. Jasper didn’t have the heart to fight so he simply nodded and left the room.

  Chapter 4

  Seriously. How could he expect Jasper to even think about finding a mate? In the middle of all of this mess? Besides, he was still young. Sixty-five in Wyvern years was like being in his twenties to normals. He had plenty of time for that.

  “Find your mate, son, and become the man I know you can be,” his father had clapped his large hand down on Jasper’s in a show of affection that was pretty flamboyant for the staid man.

  Not wanting to argue, Jasper just nodded his head, squeezed his hand in a brief shake, and left. There was so much he wanted to say to him. So many things he was grateful to the man for. He could’ve left him and his brothers to be raised by the scientists who’d hatched them in a federal laboratory deep underground, but no.

  When t
he eggs yielded human babies, the general had acted. He’d superseded every order and initiated his own. The boys were his and anyone who wanted to argue the matter would have to deal with him. No one wanted to take on the General Wessex, and so, he took them home to his wife and raised them as his own young.

  It was brave, and more an act of love than any other Jasper had ever known. He’d tried his entire life to be what his father wanted him to be. Always did his duty. But a mate?

  Who needed to be tied to one person for eternity when there were so many wonderful women to sample? He loved his father, but there was no way he was about to search for the old ball and chain.

  His father was probably just worried because his own time was running out. Loneliness was a terrible companion for old age, he’d said. Fuck. Now that he’d considered that, it was all he could think about.

  Jasper was not focused enough. He should not be on assignment. He should be home. Hell, Jasper wanted to be home. To spend whatever remaining time his old man had with him. But no. He was going to be stuck on a mountain with some stuck up, snobby little, grrrr, he couldn’t even say it.

  Immediately he felt ashamed of himself. If Arthur Wessex had taught him anything, it was to do his duty with pride, to treat women with respect, and to never ever let his personal life or feelings interfere with what needed to be done.

  “Shit,” Jasper slammed his hands down on the steering wheel.

  He had no choice. He would finish his assignment, execute his duty as he’d been taught, then he’d return home to be with his father. Even Arthur Wessex couldn’t fault him then.

  Usually it took four-hours to drive to Indian Lake from his New Jersey home. Today, it only took three. Blame it on his foul mood. Sure, his foot was little heavy on the gas pedal, he supposed, but hey, that was only because he could get away with it.

  Along with his more than awesome driving skills was a little magical bonus that only he could claim. Jasper had the ability to cloak his vehicle using his Wyvern powers, keeping him hidden from any police cars he’d passed along the way. Another benefit of being him. WOOT WOOT.

  Oh man, he was losing his mind. Jasper cranked up the radio and sang along with Elvis, Axle, and Jagger before he hit the private road that lead to Jennifer’s cabin. It was just twenty minutes from there.

  He couldn’t wait to get out and stretch his wings, maybe after he set up a perimeter around his target. Being a bodyguard was sometimes a lot like being a glorified babysitter. But whatever. He’d make the most of it.

  Hell, he’d just been up this way not too long ago to fix a situation involving some pretty bade dudes who were after a Grizzly Shifter couple and their sweet cub. They were nice, the Pax family. He’d even managed to score some pretty sweet seats to the man’s next Broadway show. He was a composer or some shit.

  Jasper wasn’t exactly into the arts, but hey, he wasn’t going to say no to free tickets. Besides, women loved musicals, and it had been months since he’d had a good date. He wasn’t off women just because he didn’t want a mate.

  Sex was good. He liked it. A lot. However, the beast inside of him had been a little bit finicky about his choice in females as of late. Maybe he just needed to pay more attention to that side of him. Go out for a few flights, a little hunting maybe, and then his old beastie would let him get laid. Sounded like a plan.

  That would have to wait till after he was finished with the job, of course. Speaking of which, Jasper grabbed the file he’d flung carelessly on the passenger seat and flipped it open.

  His heart began to pound. Thunder roared in his ears. Even his Wyvern was paying close attention. He felt as if he’d been struck by lightning. His chest was tight, and his heart threatened to beat him to death.

  “Whoa,” Jasper almost swerved off the road.

  Big blue eyes in a heart-shaped face stared up at him from the matted newspaper clip. This was the woman he was to guard? Protective instincts he didn’t even know he had roared to life. He didn’t know what threatened her, but he would find it and fucking kill it just on principle alone!

  “So, you are Jennifer’s friend, Carolina Moore,” he spoke out loud, testing the weight of her name on his tongue.

  He liked it. He liked her. More than that. She was fucking gorgeous. Jasper had no idea his handler knew women like that. Not that Jennifer wasn’t hot in her own right. He liked that sexy librarian, naughty school teacher thing she had going on, but the woman staring back at him from the article titled ‘Local artist makes Heaven on earth’ was a certifiable knockout.

  An angel for sure, he thought and touched the paper with his fingertips.

  She was simply beautiful. Pale blue eyes and olive-toned skin, with her hair like a dark velvet curtain draped around her shoulders. She was wearing some sort of flowy dress in the picture, but it did nothing to hide the ample curves underneath.

  His Wyvern scratched against his skin. The beast was curiously agitated, pushing him to drive faster. He did. His own curiosity and something else propelled him forward.

  Jasper had the windows open so as to enjoy the fresh mountain air. It was cooler in upstate New York, despite the high temperatures in June. As he rolled to a stop on the newly graveled driveway, he filtered through the familiar scents of the mountain.

  Pine trees mixed with oaks, beeches, and walnuts, flowering shrubs, grass, and weeds, the compact dirt of the shore that led to the huge lake just behind the cabin. All of them ticked off and identified until he reached one unfamiliar scent.

  It was warm, like vanilla, but bright like lemon verbena too. The fruity notes attracted his beast while the man wanted to bask in the promised heat of the unknown fragrance. He put the car in park and exited abruptly, taking long deep breaths and following the path as if it was highlighted by little neon arrows just for him.

  It was like he was in a trance. Need, urgent and unstoppable, drove him on. Riding him, urging him to find the owner of that delectable perfume.

  Rounding the corner of the cabin, which sat right on its own private shore of the lake and had a private dock as well, Jasper almost stumbled. Imagine a Shifter, powerful and fast, tripping over his own damned feet!

  Hell, he almost swallowed his tongue at the vision waiting for him there. The sun was low in the sky and the air was clean and warm. The setting beautiful, but nothing compared to her. Lying topless on a freshly painted Adirondack chair was his angel.

  Her eyes were closed, and she had a pair of white air pods sticking out of her cute little ears. He didn’t want to disturb her yet, no, he wanted to look his fill. Not because he was a pervert or a voyeur, but because his heart was thudding like mad.

  The female was singing delightedly offkey to an old rock song which only showed sublimely good taste in his opinion. He wanted to study her, his attention was riveted to the glorious creature. Every dip and curve of her tanned body. Her bountiful mouth-watering breast and the soft swell of her stomach. She wore tiny briefs and nothing else. All of her, down to her pink painted toes was in full view for him to admire.

  His cock was hard as stone from her exquisite semi-nudity. So much pretty skin. Sunkissed and tanned, lush with large tip-tilted breasts topped with big, dusky nipples. Jasper salivated.

  He wanted to taste her, to see if she was as sweet as she smelled. He inhaled again, savoring her vanilla lemon fragrance until the beast inside of him growled. That growl turned into a word he’d never expected to here.

  Mine.

  Holy fuck. His father had pretty much called it, but when was Arthur Wessex ever wrong? This was it. She was it.

  Jasper had found his mate. Feelings of love and joy filled him, and like an idiot, he walked over to where she lay, smiling and waiting for her clear blue eyes to meet his.

  He wasn’t sure what he’d been expecting when she did look at him, but it wasn’t for her to scream at the top of her lungs while bolts of electricity raced through his body!

  What the fuck? He looked up at her from his new position on the f
loor and wiped the spittle that had leaked from his mouth.

  He needed a moment before he could speak. With all his defenses down, he was apparently quite the easy target, but still all he could think was that one crazy word.

  “Mine,” he growled.

  Chapter 5

  The last twenty-four hours had been filled with more anxiety than Carolina Moore had ever experienced. Imagine running from a Demon?

  She could hardly grasp the situation, much less explain it. Thank God, she had friends like Jennifer Dylluan. The woman was her oldest friend. Even when they went months without talking, she knew she could rely on her. They never missed a beat, always picking up where they’d left off.

  Of course, this time, Caro didn’t bury the lead like she had when she and Joffrey decided to call it quits.

  “Jenn?”

  “What happened?” she’d said.

  Like always, the Owl Shifter instinctively knew Carolina needed help. Without hesitation, she told her everything she knew. Including her changed travel plans.

  “Good,” Jennifer had replied, “don’t fly to Newark, get off at JFK. Take a cab to my cabin, here is the address. Don’t use that phone again. Buy a disposable and stay off social media,” she’d instructed.

  After that it was easy. All Caro had to do was sit on a plane, get in cab, and flee for her life. Jennifer’s large mountain cabin was the ideal place for her to hide out. Of course, the stubborn Owl said she’d needed a babysitter. Ugh.

  So, one minute she’d been relaxing, soaking up the sun sans bikini top, because, A), no one was up on this mountain besides her, so yep, a fluffy girl could let it all hang loose, and B), she had nothing else to do but wait.

  The next minute, however, was when things got interesting. Caro wound up standing over a strange, mountain of a man, who was admittedly gorgeous even with spit running down his chin, in only her bikini bottoms with the stun gun she’d used to attack him still in her hand.