Jasper_United Together_Book 2 of The Guardian Shifters

by KM Lowe

  “I’ll have a word with them when I’m back up and about.” I go to sit up, but Markus and Stracey put a hand on my shoulders to keep me still. “I’m okay.”

  “It’s going to take a lot more recovery than being unconscious for nearly ten days. You need rest, lots of TLC, and lots of healthy eating. You’re not moving from that bed just yet.”

  I smile at Stracey’s bossy nature. Now I know how Lisa felt a couple of months ago when it was her that was recovering. I don’t think I’ll get away with ignoring orders, and right now, I’m quite happy to be surrounded by my family. “Hold on. Why? How are you here? I’m still in Canada.”

  I push myself up slightly and let the headboard take my weight. “Lisa saw everything,” says Stracey as she runs her thumb over my hand. “Markus and Joel rang your phone thirty-five times in the time it took us to get back here from the mountains. Lelland tried to say that we’d look after you, but their Alpha said they were no use to the pack in the state they were in. He granted them leave to come out here.”

  “They have no healer now.”

  “Dad. Really? We nearly lost you, and you’re thinking about everyone else. The Alpha got a stand in to replace Lisa and Stracey until we go home.”

  I feel guilty. I know how much hell they must have been going through while I lay here. I can’t ever put them through that again. I won’t be the one to cause them any more pain.

  “Jasper…” I look over at the door and Lisa stands speechless. “You’re awake. When?”

  “Not long.” I smile as brightly as I can manage, but I can see her body shudder as tears bubble to the surface. “Hey. Come here.”

  Markus gets up from my side and lets Lisa sit on the bed beside me. I struggle to a sitting position, but I hold my arms open for her to come to me. I’d be nothing if I couldn’t comfort my kids when they need me.

  “I thought we’d lost you, Jasper.” She falls into my chest and wraps her arms around my waist.

  “Sshh! It’ll take a lot more to get rid of me, doll. Once I’ve got my strength back, we can head home. I’m not leaving you kids again.”

  No matter what happens over the next few weeks, I know for sure that I’m going home to Scotland, and I’m going to be the partner, father, and pack member everyone deserves. I’ve done my last mission for the council, and I’ll be saving no more damsels in distress.

  CHAPTER 19

  Jasper

  Four days after I woke up from my slumber, I’ve got up, had a shower, and dressed in clothes. I feel a lot stronger today, and I hope we can think about going home in the next few days. I think we’ve taken up enough of Lelland and Lavina’s time.

  When I enter the room I’ve been sleeping in, it’s empty. No one is waiting to chastise me for being stubborn. That’s the thing with us wolves; we don’t get tied down very long.

  I make my way out of my room and next door to Kevin’s room. His mate still hasn’t woken up, and he’s going out of his mind with worry. He’s snapped the head off everyone, and I promised I’d stop in this morning. It seems unfair that I’ve woken up and he’s still in hell. I wish I could trade places with him.

  I stand in his doorway and watch from a distance. Kevin is hunched over his seat. His hair is messy. His clothes are crumpled. I bet he hasn’t left this room for very long, if at all.

  “Kevin.”

  He jumps at the sound of my voice. This lets me know exactly where his head is at, because he should have heard me standing several feet away.

  “Jasper. It’s good to see you up and about.”

  “It’s good to be up and about. I just wish I could trade places with your mate.”

  “Karina. Her name is Karina.”

  “That’s a lovely name. She looks a lot better from the day we found her.” I try to be positive, because I know how hard it is to sit at a loved one’s bedside. I wouldn’t wish it on anyone.

  “Why won’t she wake up, Jasper?”

  I creep up behind him and lay my hands on his shoulders. “No one ever understands these things, buddy. I think Stracey, Lisa, and Darcy want to try and combine their energy to see if it helps. I’ve yet to meet Darcy, but I know Lisa and Stracey will do all they can to get your mate out of this. Just think positive. Look at me, I’m going to be okay, and if you ask Stracey and Markus, they were giving up a few days ago.”

  “I feel like I’m losing the plot, Jasper. I’m not cut out for this.”

  “The power of soulmates is the biggest bond there is. It doesn’t matter if you’re cut out for it or not, because at the end of the day, your beast knows where it wants to be. That girl is your everything, and no matter what, you’ll want to love, cherish, and protect her. You’ll lay your life down for her, Kev. Even if you walk out of that door now, you’d drive yourself crazy until you were right back here. Try it. Go for a shower. Get freshened up. I bet you’re back here within thirty minutes.”

  I back out of the room and let him think about what I’ve said. Maybe a break away from the room will do him good. Even if it doesn’t, at least he’ll be fresh for when his mate wakes up.

  I proceed down the staircase, and the moment I reach the bottom step, I hear shouting coming from the dining room. I immediately pick up Joel and Lisa’s voices, but I don’t get anything else.

  “What’s going on?” Everyone turns to me and I lean against the door frame. I’m not sure I want to know what’s going on now, because it must be something if Lisa and Joel are at loggerheads.

  “Ah, Jasper. Maybe you want to step in before Lisa murders Joel,” sniggers Lelland.

  “What? Why? Joel, what did you do? This isn’t like you two. Talk. Now,” I say sternly, and stand in between the two of them. “You’re not leaving this room until you tell me. One of you better start talking.”

  “Him. He’s being a class A prick.” Lisa prods Joel’s shoulder.

  “What did you do, Joel?” I ask, because I’ve never really seen Joel in any altercation before.

  “Nothing.”

  Lisa pushes me out of the way slightly and gets into Joel’s face. “Really? Nothing. You’re unbelievable. Do you think that you’re something special that you can’t be tamed by your soulmate? You’re making everyone’s life miserable. Just get a grip. I love you like a brother, which means I’m going to call you out on your shit.”

  I push back in between the two and Markus stands to get Lisa. “Right. I don’t think I’ve had any brain trauma, but can someone fill in the missing pieces. Joel… soulmate?”

  “Darcy is Joel’s soulmate, even if he won’t admit it.”

  “How can I admit it when it’s her fault we nearly lost Jasper? How can I be soulmates with someone I don’t particularly like right now? We can’t even be in the same room as one another without bitching and tearing strips off one another.”

  “Stop! This isn’t like you. You give everyone a second chance. Why is Darcy different? Can I just remind you that she’s as much of a victim in this as any of us? She actually saved my life in the end. Stracey told me she couldn’t do anything else to save me. Darcy did.”

  “Aye, and why was that? Because she used black magic. Do you really think that’s going to go unnoticed by the council?”

  “We’ll deal with it,” I say calmly.

  “Like we dealt with the council this time. Look at us. You’ve just woke up after nearly two weeks. Kevin is upstairs in cloud cuckoo land. I’m biting at everyone. Lisa is having a go at me. We’re really one big happy fucking family.”

  “That’s just the point, Joel. Family stick by one another. We’ll all get through it, because we have one another. Darcy and Karina have no one at the moment. Think how they feel right now. Where is Darcy?”

  “She’s gone for a walk with Ashley,” Joel says sharply.

  “And how does that make you feel?”

  He shrugs his shoulders and walks away from the confrontation, but he stops at the window. I walk up behind him and notice he’s watching Darcy and Ashley walking fr
om the forest. I pull the cord for the shutters and it blocks his view completely. He jumps around, ready to shout at me, but he stops in his tracks.

  “That’s exactly what I thought. You need to get your head screwed on, buddy. You only get one chance at making an impression, and right now, Darcy must think you are the prick Lisa called you. Darcy doesn’t know the kind, level-headed, caring shifter we do. It isn’t terrible to open your heart up. In fact, I think you’ll like having someone around. I know cooking isn’t your strong point.” I laugh, making Joel laugh behind me.

  “I’ve missed ye, ya big numpty.”

  “I’ve missed you all too. But do you think you can stop the shouting at everyone, because my head is tender,” I lied. My head is fine, but I know if he thinks he’s hurting me, he’ll stop and think.

  “Aye. I’ll try. Markus, how do you put up with her every day?”

  I laugh, because he’s cruising right into a slap if he keeps going.

  “I wouldn’t be without her, pal. You’ll be the same if you stop fighting it.” I watch as my son places a kiss on Lisa’s forehead before he lifts his cup and plate off the table and carries them through to the kitchen.

  Joel holds his hands up in surrender. “I need some air. Do you fancy going exploring, Lisa?”

  “Only if you stop blaming Darcy for everything that’s happened here. She’s going through enough hell right now.”

  “I’ll try.”

  Lisa and Joel leave the dining room and Lelland sits back in his chair and crosses his arms. “No wonder you slipped into a deep sleep. I tell you, you must have the patience of a saint.” He laughs. “Kids nowadays.”

  “They’re not always like that. Well, Lisa’s a feisty one, but it’s usually me she’s feisty with, because I try to mollycoddle her. Joel is never like that. Honestly, I was gobsmacked when I stepped in here. Markus is just a free spirit. I don’t get any bother from him.”

  “Welcome back.” Stracey steps into my arms and wraps her hand into my t-shirt.

  “I can see we’re going to have some fun over the coming weeks, between Kevin and Karina, and Joel and Darcy. Markus and Lisa were a walk in the park.” I lean down and place a kiss over her mouth. I might be weak, but my body still ignites in flames whenever Stracey touches or kisses me.

  “We’ll get there. Are you forgetting about the council?”

  “Eurgh. I hadn’t forgotten about them, but I was avoiding it. I’ll send Julian a message and tell him to meet us at the pack when we get home. That will give us a few days to prepare for whatever we may face.”

  “We’ll back you all the way, Jasper. If you need any help to get the council off your back, just say the word,” says Lelland. “You’ve been a great help here, and I can’t thank you enough.”

  “No thanks needed. Callum and I just did what we had to. In fact, where is Callum?” I look around the dining room and come up empty.

  “He’s at Ashley’s house. I think he’s got a lot going through his head. One of the girls died in his arms in the cave and he’s taken it badly. She must have only been sixteen at the most. Ashley thought he might like some peace and quiet for a few days before he goes home. If you want to go and see him, I’ll point you in the direction,” says Lelland as he leaves Stracey and me standing alone.

  Were any of my wolves unaffected by this trip? It seems that we may have gained a few new pack members, but not one of my own will return home the same again.

  Who knows what our return will mean for us all.

  CHAPTER 20

  Jasper

  When we touched down in Glasgow Airport not four hours ago, it felt amazing to be on home turf. It’s just a shame we had to leave Kevin and Karina behind because Karina wasn’t fit enough to travel back with us. I felt bad leaving him, but the pack needs their members home. It wasn’t fair to leave them short of their main members.

  The drive back out to the camp is worse than the long flight. Thankfully, Joel and Markus have taken turns with the driving, but for the last hour, I insisted that I drive. We’re about at our destination and the vehicle is quiet. We’re not only returning home ourselves, but we have new members with us, and anxiety is radiating off them in buckets. It’s only to be expected after what they’ve been through, but I have faith that a few months here will feel like they’ve been a part of this pack for life.

  “Looks like we have a welcome committee,” Joel says sarcastically. It’s good to see him a little more himself, and I think being home will make him see Darcy for who she actually is.

  I park the car, step out, and open the back doors to let everyone out. Before I even close my door, Carlos descends upon me. His hand is held out and I’m taken aback when he pulls me into a man hug, patting my back.

  “Miss me, buddy?” I pull back and look behind me to see Chardonnay doing the same with Stracey, and getting to know the girls we’ve brought home. That’s why Chardonnay is the perfect Alpha’s mate, because she’s kind to everyone.

  “Miss ye. I don’t know whether to slap you or kiss you. You ever put the fear of God in me again and you won’t need to worry about poisonous wolf bites and black magic.”

  We both laugh, but Joel, Markus and Callum join us. “You need to join the very long line, Alpha. I must have aged thirty years over the last two weeks,” says Markus, shaking his head.

  “How’s young Kevin doing?” asks Carlos.

  “He’s doing a little better now he can connect with Karina’s wolf. When I woke up, he was losing the plot a bit, but Lisa and Markus were a good help, teaching him to connect with Karina in other ways.”

  “Good. I take it Lelland will look after them while they’re there.”

  “Of course. I wouldn’t have left them if I thought otherwise. They’ll be fine. I said I’ll check in daily. How’s things here?” I look around the pack and nothing much has changed, but pack members are starting to form around us.

  “Joel!” I turn to see Morag running through the trees towards us. I can’t help but smile, because she’s been his guardian for a lot of years. It’s only natural that she worries while he’s away.

  Joel sighs. “Oh dear God. You’d think I was the one at death’s door.” I slap his shoulder playfully, and he changes his tone. “Morag. How are ye, doll?”

  “Don’t you doll me, ya big lummox. You ever go off like a crazy person without telling me again, I’ll give ye what for.” She pulls him into a big hug and we’re all entertained seeing Joel being told off by Morag.

  “I had to go, Morag.”

  “I know ye did, but a little warning would’ve been good. I’ve driven Hamish crazy since you’ve been gone. Jasper, sweetheart, how are ye?”

  I bend down and place a kiss on her cheek. “I’m good. I’m much better. Well, maybe you want to have a word with this great lummox.” I laugh when Joel turns and glares at me.

  “What did you do?” she asks Joel.

  “That’s a good question,” says Lisa as she joins us. “This eejit is denying his soulmate. Maybe you can talk some sense into him.”

  “What?” Morag looks excited at this topic, but Joel just shakes his head.

  “I swear to God, you’re all a nightmare. You couldn’t let me be home a day without telling her. Now I’m never going to hear the end of it.” He walks off but stops dead a few feet away.

  Our laughter soon dies when we see Julian and Braxton walking towards us. I hold my hand out for Stracey, and she takes it.

  “They didn’t waste much time, did they?” Callum says, loud enough for them to hear.

  I take in a deep breath and step in front of everyone, pushing Joel behind me. I won’t let anyone get in the middle of this crossfire, and the mood Joel is in at the moment, he won’t think twice before smarting off.

  “What can I do for you?” I ask sternly.

  “Jasper. It’s good to see you,” says Julian, stepping forward and holding his hand out to me. Of course, I take it, because I have no beef with Julian. We’ve always been on e
ach other’s side until lately.

  “I’d like to say the same, but I get the feeling this isn’t a social call.”

  Braxton steps up beside Julian and holds his hand up to my shoulder. “It’s good to see you well, Jasper. We were all worried for a while.”

  “I bet you were. What can I do for you? I said I’d do your mission and it’s done. Kevin is still in Canada at his mate’s side. Callum and I have done everything you asked. Our pack’s punishment is done with.” I stand my ground. “Which brings me to my next topic. I’m done. I can’t keep putting myself into these situations. I have too much to lose now. My family needs me. My pack needs me.”

  Braxton smiles that big, goofy smile that I just want to slap off him. “If it was only that simple, Jasper. You can’t just walk away from your responsibilities.”

  “My responsibilities are and always have been Lisa and Markus. I can’t protect them if I’m dead.”

  “And your mate doesn’t have anything to do with this decision?” I look over my shoulder slightly to Stracey.

  “How dare you?” Stracey lets go of my hand, steps away from me, and gets into Braxton’s face. “Jasper made the decision when you locked him in your fucking cells like some criminal. If that’s how you treat your own, no wonder your men are moving on. Everything you touch turns to ash.”

  “Strace-”

  “No, Jazz.” She shakes her head and doesn’t take her eyes off Braxton. “Enough is enough. You’ve done more than enough. Even after everything you’ve been through, you still save our kind and welcome them to the pack.” She points over to the girls we brought home. “I won’t lose you. The kids won’t lose you. You take on Jasper and Kevin, you take on us all.” She puts her hands on her hips, never flinching away.

  “Stracey is right.” I look over my shoulder to see Joel standing beside me. “You take on the pack.”

  Markus and Lisa stand at the opposite side of me, followed by Carlos and Chardonnay. Second by second, more of our pack stands beside me, for me.