“We’ll deal with them if and when they decide to show up again.” He kissed the top of my head. “How does that sound?”
“That sounds perfect.”
By the time we got back to the waterfall, everyone was packed up and ready to go.
“Do we have a plan, brother?” asked Luke.
Jasper hopped off and handed me my swords. “Let’s go home.”
He shifted and led the way.
Chapter 9
The first snow fall came during the night.
I woke up to find I was alone in bed. I stretched, put my clothes and boots on. I found Jasper outside, staring across the clearing. I quickly bent down and gathered snow into a ball, then threw it at him. It connected with his shoulder. He spun around and saw me trying to get another snowball made before he could react.
A playful growl escaped his throat. I screamed and ran. He laughed as he easily caught up to me and I spun around, throwing my snowball in his direction. It missed horribly. I squealed again as he tackled me and fell on top of me in the snow.
Jasper looked down at me, laughing, his cheeks red. His blue eyes were bright against the light grey clouds behind him.
“Thought you would have the upper hand, did you?” He reached out on either side of me as far as he could and grinned.
“You wouldn’t dare!” I tried to wiggle out from under him.
“All is fair in war, my love.” He swooped his arms in and buried me.
I managed to push him off and stood up laughing, shaking out my tunic to get the snow out of it.
He sat in the snow, watching me dance around, still laughing.
I walked up to him and held out my hand. “Peace?”
He chuckled as he took it. “For now.”
I pulled him up. “Let’s go inside. I’m freezing!”
Once inside, Jasper put a few more logs on the fire to warm up the house. We stripped out of our wet clothes and sat in front of the fire place wrapped in a blanket.
I leaned back against him, enjoying his warmth on my bare skin.
“Do you miss being on the Queen’s guard?” I asked.
“No,” he answered. “Not at all, actually.”
I looked back at him to make sure he wasn’t lying.
He continued to explain. “The feeling I have now when I wake up in the morning is a bit like relief. Knowing that I don’t have to kill anyone. That I don’t have to fight Luke and Mel, or that I won’t ever have to come face to face with Tyler or Trent and have to hurt them.” He wrapped his arms around me a little tighter.
“And then there’s the fact that I wake up beside you every morning. Knowing that if I walk out the door you don’t have to worry whether or not I’ll be coming home that night.”
I shuddered at the thought.
“Are you still cold?”
“No. It was just the thought of not having you.”
He moved the hair away from my neck and kissed me lightly.
“What were you thinking about so hard before I hit you with the snowball?
He shifted his body so that I was cradled in his arm and he could look at me.
“I was thinking how beautiful it looked with the fresh snow. About how perfect this clearing is for our cabin.” He traced my lips with his fingers, moving them along my jaw and down my neck. I shivered a completely different kind of shiver.
His voice was husky as he continued. “I was thinking about our little house. How you were inside and that you are mine. I don’t think I will ever get used to the fact that I have to remember to breathe when you look in my eyes. Or how I have to fight the urge to tear your clothes off every time you touch me, no matter how innocently.”
His fingers moved to my collar bone then down my side, to my hip, and back up again.
“I was thinking about how I adore our life together.”
He shifted again so that he could lay me down. His voice was just a whisper as his lips traced the same path his fingers had. “I was thinking I wouldn’t trade my life for anything.”
I shivered again, a moan escaping my lips. I ran my fingers through his hair.
He pulled himself up onto his elbows so he could look into my eyes without crushing me with his weight.
“I was thinking about how I much I love you. And about how I plan on spending every day reminding you of that fact.”
My whole body was burning, his fingers and lips sending shocks along my skin.
He repositioned himself again. He took his time, leaving not one inch of my body untouched, unkissed.
I gasped for breath when he finally took me, his heat stretching me, filling me.
Jasper gazed down at me, his eyes on fire with the feelings he had just explained.
I pulled him down to me, my lips screaming for his.
He groaned. “God, Hayden, I love you.”
I moaned as he settled himself deeper in me. My body arched itself against his, wanting more.
He had one hand over my shoulder bearing most of his weight, the other down on my hip so I couldn’t move. He moved slowly, making my body ache for him. I thought I would explode. The burning got hotter and hotter. Just when I thought I could take no more, he stopped.
My body rebelled and tried to move, to make him move again. I felt him smile against my neck. His lips moved down to my collar bone, his lips and tongue moving just as slowly as the rest of him. He traced a line between my breasts and kissed under each one tenderly.
His face stopped on my chest as his hips started their sweet torture anew. The heat started to build up again, feeling ten times hotter than before. Just when I thought I was going to get some release, Jasper stopped again. His breathing was heavy, and though we were barely moving, both of us were covered in sweat.
“Jasper,” I gasped. “Please!”
His tongue played with the contour of my breast and moved up to find my nipple. He sucked on it gently. He moved on to the other one, taking his time.
He kissed his way back up to my lips and gently parted them with his tongue.
My fingers laced themselves in his hair. My tongue found his and the kiss became harder, hungrier.
He started to move again, never taking his hand off of my hip. I tried uselessly to move, to take in more of him.
His rhythm started to speed up, the fires in me raging. I was sure the pressure was going to kill me. He caught his breath and let go of my hip. My body bucked under him and I wrapped my legs around his waist. The explosion came and raked through my whole body and I bit his shoulder trying to maintain some sort of self-control.
He grunted as he got his release. I brought my lips back to his and kissed him tenderly.
My body gave one last convulsion as he got off of me. He lay beside me and pulled me to him, his arms wrapped around me, the blanket around us once again.
I yawned and he laughed.
“By the way,” I said as I started to fall asleep. I rolled over so I could bury my face in his chest. “I still love you more.”
*****
“It’s been two months since we’ve been back and there’s been no sign of any guards. Do you feel like going to town?” Jasper had just brought in an armful of wood.
I looked up from mending a rip in a pair of his pants. “Ow!”
He smiled but tried not to laugh. “Poked yourself again?”
“There has got to be a spell for this. Out of everything I’ve had to learn to do since I moved here, this is the worst.”
He dropped the wood by the fireplace and came to kneel in front of me. He took my finger and brought it to his lips. “I told you I didn’t mind doing it.”
I smiled and moved my hand up to brush the hair out of his eyes. “You do enough around here. And yes. We’d better go to town. You need a haircut.” I ran my hand down the side of his face, feeling the stubble along his jaw.
“I wonder when stubble stops being referred to as stubble and becomes a beard.” I was pretty sure his had reached beard status.
“Do you want me to shave?”
I shook my head. “I like you scruffy.”
The corners of his mouth twitched. “So why do I need a haircut, then?”
“Because when your hair starts to get this long I get jealous,” I laughed. “I know girls back home who would kill for hair like yours.” I ran my hands through his curls and he closed his eyes. One thick strand fell back into his face, the end of it hitting the bridge of his nose. I smiled and pulled it straight.
“You know, if you had straight hair, your bangs would almost be down to your chin.”
I let go and watched it bounce back.
He opened his eyes. “What if I don’t want to cut it? What if I like when you play with it when it’s this long?” He leaned forward and kissed me softly.
“Hmm.” I placed my fingers by his temples and ran them straight back before grabbing fistfuls of curls. “I’ll admit it’s kind of handy.”
He gave me a lopsided grin. “Is that so?”
I turned on my chair and pulled him toward me so that he was kneeling between my legs. “Well, maybe I can let you keep it a while longer,” I murmured.
Jasper chuckled. “How nice of you.” He leaned forward and kissed me softly. “Now. Even though we agree I don’t need a haircut, do we still want to go to town?”
I smiled. “How do you do that?”
He pretended to frown. “What?”
“I could tell you I was positive I was a woman, and you could just look into my eyes, give me a kiss, and convince me that I wasn’t.”
“Well, let’s see.” He wrapped his arms around my waist. His mouth found mine.
His hands moved under my shirt and up my back before lifting it up enough for him to put his head under it. He kissed along my stomach and made his way up to my breast, paid ample attention to both of them, then came back out and grinned.
“Nope. I’m not going to argue.” He kissed me softly. “Definitely a woman.”
I laughed. “Alright, then.”
He stood and pulled me up. “But you’re right. I need a haircut. If we’re going, we better head out now. With the snow we had yesterday, I don’t know how that trail is going to be.”
I put my mending away and went to the bedroom to get some warmer clothes on and to pack a bag for a few days.
I pulled on an extra tunic and took my dagger from Jasper when he handed it to me before putting his on his belt.
“Can you help me get my swords on?” I asked after I had got my coat on. “I keep getting them hooked on my hood.”
He grinned and straightened everything out on my back. “Do you have your knife?”
I nodded.
I was almost out the door before I remembered I was missing something. “Tiny! Come on, girl.”
She looked up blearily from her nest by the fireplace and lay her head back down.
“I know how you feel. But at least you have fur.” I picked her up. “Here, you can ride in my hood.”
She grumbled but settle herself behind my head.
I looked at Jasper who was standing by the door waiting and shook my head.
“What?”
“I just don’t understand. I mean, I get why you can stay warm when you’re shifted. You have tons of fur. But how do you keep warmer than me when you’re a human?”
He shrugged. He was only wearing an extra thick tunic as extra clothing.
The walk took us an hour longer than usual because of the snow. One section of the path had been so drifted over that Jasper had shifted and run back and forth a few times to clear the path for me.
We got to Tara’s and found Ben outside grabbing some more wood. Jasper grabbed an armful and carried it in.
“Tara! Hayden and Jasper are here!” called Ben as he placed a few more logs on the fire. “I think Hayden could use some tea!”
Jasper laughed and handed him the poker.
“Hey!” Jasper jumped and it was my turn to laugh. I pushed my hands farther up his back under his shirt.
“Not totally immune to the cold then, are you?”
He turned and hugged me to his chest to warm me up. “I never said I was!”
Tara walked in carrying four cups of tea and started to laugh. “Jasper! You look like a bush man! Did you lose your razor?”
He grinned at her. “I’m told I look good scruffy. Hayden won’t let me shave.”
Tara handed me my tea. “How was the trail?”
I smirked. “Well, if you’re a cat, I guess they’re just fine. When you’re the human, they’re deep as hell. Not to mention it is bloody cold out there.”
There was a quick knock on the door and Brice walked in with a frown on his face. He shut the door and looked up. His eyes widened at the sight of Jasper.
Jasper grinned. “Bush man?”
“No. Well, now that you mention it, yes. But no. You can’t stay here!” Brice looked at the door as if to make sure he had closed it properly.
Jasper frowned. “What happened?”
“I ran into Scott and Brian this morning. I was on my way here from Fillian’s. About half way.”
Scott and Brian had been the other two Namaels with him the day they had stopped to talk to Jasper right before we were set to fight on the ridge.
“The order is still out. They’re looking for Hayden. They wanted to know if I had seen or heard anything to indicate that she had been back to your cabin.”
I glance at Jasper.
Brice continued. “I told them I was coming to town and would ask around. They were going to stop at Fillian’s and then I told them to check at Cholta’s before heading to the cabin. You know him. He’ll keep them talking for the next half a day and he knows Hayden doesn’t want to be found. I figured that would give me enough time to come get Ben and Tara before heading back to your cabin so you would have some reinforcements if you needed them. That’s why I’m here.”
My knees felt weak and I sat on the floor.
“You have to leave again, Hayden.” Brice looked just as worried as Jasper.
I shook my head. “I can’t. I can’t do that again. It feels all wrong over there now.”
“I would rather not do that again, either.” Jasper was twisting his ring around his finger, his eyes narrowed into blue slits. He was staring at me, but not seeing me.
I looked at him helplessly.
“Dodge.” He straightened slightly, his eyes refocusing.
“What about Dodge?”
He took another minute to rethink his decision, then grinned. “I think it is time to go dragon hunting, Shlova.”
“You’re going to take her to the Northern Regions?” exclaimed Brice.
I smiled. “I did promise Dodge we would go on his stone quest.”
Ben laughed. “They won’t be looking for her there, that’s for sure.”
“Do you want us to come?” Tara had sat on the floor beside me.
Jasper shook his head. “If everyone we know suddenly disappears, they’ll wonder what is going on.”
“When should we leave?” The thought of going back out in the snow when I wasn’t entirely warm yet was a displeasing one.
“Still cold?” He smiled at me and I stuck my tongue out at him.
“Stop that.”
“I’m not doing anything,” he laughed. “You project it, I feel it. That’s how it works.” He held his hand out to me and I went to sit on his lap.
I took a deep breath and lay my head on his shoulder.
“We have enough time that we’ll make sure you’re toasty warm before we leave.”
“I better head to the cabin. I told them I would meet them there. You guys have a safe trip. And be careful.” Brice gave me a hug, his eyes slightly narrowed.
Jasper gave him a pat on the back, and he was off.
By the time we had gotten supplies packed for the trip and had something to eat I was warm again.
“Are you sure that’s a good idea?” I raised an eyebrow at Jasper while he shaved. “Wou
ldn’t it help keep you warm?”
He finished the strip he was working on and looked at me. “It takes two weeks to get there, if we don’t run into any storms, and I won’t be able to do it on the road. I don’t mind being covered in fur when I’m a cat,” he laughed, “but when I’m human, I like to look it. This is about as long as it’s ever gotten. If I let it go another two weeks, even you won’t be able to recognize me!”
I grinned up at him. “You better let me cut your hair then. You look like a girl without the beard.” I waited until he was done shaving then sat him on a chair and gave him a haircut.
“Not as nice as when Shondai does it, but it will have to do.” I laughed. “Sorry. It’s pretty short.”
He ran a hand over his head and smiled. “It’s fine.” He stood and kissed me softly. “Ready?”
“As I’ll ever be.”
We said our goodbyes to Tara, Ben and Tiny, then started on our day long trip to where the Winged Ones stayed.
Chapter 10
A week and a half in to our journey, we were still only half way to the North Region’s border. Thankfully, the farther north we went, the warmer it got. Unfortunately, there had been a lot more snow.
When we came across the cabin in the middle of nowhere, my first instinct had been to turn around and bypass it.
Jasper put a hand on my leg. “It’s alright, Sholva. Do you remember Kantong? The Wedelve who was burnt while trying to free his deer from the burning barn?”
I nodded. By the looks of the scars, it was a miracle he had survived without help from a healer. “This is his?”
“It used to be. He stays in Sageden now. Stay here while I go make sure it’s still empty.”
I stayed on Dodge and got ready to run if needed.
Jasper poked his head out of the front door. “All clear, Hayden.”
I let out a breath and Dodge made his way to the house. “Has he been gone long?”
Dodge shook his head.
“Let’s go check by the barn. Maybe some of the hay is still here.”
My spirits lifted at the sight of the hay shed still standing behind the burnt barn. I swung open the doors and smiled at Dodge. “Breakfast is served.” I broke open a bale, patted him on the neck, and trudged through the snow to the house.
Crossover 'The Chosen One Trilogy: Book One' Page 26