Book 6 AN MM Monster Christmas
Late August
“Just keep walking, Leo! I promise this path leads back to the city.” Jasper gave his twin brother’s shoulder a shove to keep him moving along the track.
“Oi!” Leo glanced back at him. “You almost made me drop my blackberries!” He gestured at the basket full of juicy dark berries on his arm.
Jasper rolled his eyes. “Your berries are fine. Stop whingeing.” He, too, carried a basket of blackberries.
Leo huffed but kept walking the steep track leading up a hill. He glanced around at the forest surrounding them. “And you are absolutely sure this is the right way back? You sure we aren’t going further from the city?”
Jasper rolled his eyes as he walked behind his brother. “This will take us back. It’s just a longer way. We walked it two weeks ago! Remember?”
Leo looked around, frowning.
Jasper sighed. “You just have a shit memory and a shit sense of direction!”
“Fuck off!” Leo huffed. “Fine. But if we get lost, I’m blaming you!”
“We won’t get lost.” Dirt, stones, and leaves crunched beneath Jasper’s feet. “And when we get back to the city, I expect a full apology and an admission that you’re a bloody fool with no sense of direction.”
Leo chuckled but thankfully kept walking. Jasper glanced up at the canopy of green and swaying branches. Sunlight peeked between the leaves. He took a breath, filling his lungs with fresh air.
They’d picked more than enough blackberries for the cakes they planned to bake. But they’d decided to take their time getting back to the bakery so they could enjoy a bit more time outside in the warmer weather.
“Do you think Grady will mind us taking the long way back?” Jasper asked, referring to their oldest sibling.
They walked higher and higher up the hill. To one side, there was a sharp drop. More forest lay below.
Leo shook his head. “Nah. Grady has been pretty relaxed since he got together with Uzoth last year.”
Jasper chuckled. “I’m still in shock that Grady took time off and went away with him this summer.”
“Me too. But he looks really good since he returned.”
“Maybe he finally got some proper sleep,” Jasper said.
Leo kept glancing around at the forest. He clearly still did not recognise the path they took. “I suppose if we do get lost, we could go to Briar and Wulfric’s cave and stay there the night. They have a pretty decent set-up and supply of food.”
“We are not going to get lost!” Jasper replied.
A fox darted through the trees below. Its bushy tail waved back and forth. It disappeared beneath a bush. A shadow moved amongst the trees. Jasper’s eyes narrowed as he tried to work out what he was looking at.
Leo chuckled. “Although, I’m not a fan of dropping in on their cave unannounced. Not after last time.”
Jasper burst out laughing. “Yeah. I don’t really need to see our brother being railed by his werewolf mate again.” There were some things better left unseen. He wiped his brow. Even beneath the canopy, the air was stifling.
Jasper took a step. But the dirt and rocks shifted beneath his feet. He stumbled. He sucked in a breath. His arms flailed as he fought to stay upright. All of a sudden, he was sliding towards the drop. The basket fell from his hand. Berries scattered.
He tried to take a solid step. But his feet flew out from beneath him. A yell escaped his lips. He landed with a thud on his front, and the air knocked from his lungs. Immediately, he skidded towards the edge.
His heart lurched into his throat. His fingers scrabbled at the ground as he tried to find purchase, tried to stop his rapid approach towards the steep drop. He kept grabbing and grasping. But his fingers found nothing to grip onto. The basket and berries tumbled over.
“Jas!” His twin brother sprinted towards him, eyes wides and hand outstretched.
But it was too late.
Jasper fell.
Green, brown, and sunlight flashed as he bounced and tumbled and rolled down the steep decline. He cried out. He smashed into rocks and tree trunks. But none stopped or even slowed his fall. Pain smashed into him from all sides, over and over.
His head smacked into something. “Ah!” He squeezed his eyes shut.
Then, for a second, nothing. He felt nothing around or beneath him as he fell. Just air.
Splash. Cold water enveloped him.
He opened his eyes. Thick darkness surrounded him. He held his breath as he kicked, trying to reach the surface of the water.
But which way is up?
It was so dark. He swam, not knowing which way he was going. Fear gripped his throat and squeezed. His lungs ached, begging for breath.
He swung his arms and legs, desperate to reach the surface. He needed to breathe! If he didn’t, he’d drown.
He tried to keep holding his breath. But his lungs screamed. He kept pushing, kept fighting, kept swimming, kept trying to find the surface.
But to no avail.
I’m going to drown!
His lungs burned. And as he held his breath, the ache for air grew stronger and stronger until he couldn’t bear it a second longer.
He opened his mouth. He inhaled, sucking water into his lungs.
Then there was darkness.
Then nothingness.
Heat exploded in Jasper’s chest, spreading through his body. He sucked air into his aching lungs and felt them expand.
He coughed. He spluttered. He rolled onto his side, expelling the water from his lungs. Then he lay back on the ground. Water no longer engulfed him.
Someone touched him. Something soft and warm caressed his cheek. Jasper stilled. He leaned into the touch. And he felt…
Safe.
Loved.
He opened his eyes, needing to see who was there. Light blinded him, scorching his retinas and forcing him to shut his eyes. But for a brief second, he saw a shadowy form above him, blocking the light.
He shuddered. His head ached. His lungs ached. His entire body ached. Exhaustion took him under.
“Jasper! Jasper!” Leo screamed.
Jasper blinked his eyes open. He flinched at the brightness.
Leo leaned right over him, wild eyes searching his face. He gripped Jasper’s cheeks.
“Shit. I thought I lost you, Jas.” Tears streamed down his twin’s face. “When I saw you fall off the edge…” He let out a breath, body sagging. “I thought I lost you.”
“I’m sorry.” There had been someone there. Jasper was sure of it. But who were they? And where were they? Or had that all been a dream?
Leo moved his head slightly, revealing a fox staring at Jasper. Their paws rested on Jasper’s chest. Was this fox who he’d been seeking?
No. Definitely not.
Jasper knew it in his soul. He frowned. But he’d seen the fox, moments before he’d fallen. And then there’d been that shadow amongst the trees.
Jasper looked around.
“Are you all right?” Leo asked.
“I…” Am I? He hurt all over. But that wasn’t what was most bothering him. “Where is he?”
Leo blinked. “Where is who?” He turned towards the fox. “You mean this fox?”
“I— No. Someone else.” Jasper tried to sit up. Nausea rolled in his gut. He gritted his teeth.
Leo gripped his arm and helped him to sit. “Careful there. Don’t move too fast. That was a hell of a fall.”
Jasper opened his eyes. He looked up the side of the hill where he’d fallen. It had been a steep decline. Then the hill stopped completely, just above a pond of water. He’d free-fallen there and landed in the pond.
“I was in the water.” Jasper had tried to get out. Tried and been unable to. He’d inhaled the water. He’d drowned. Or almost drowned? Now he lay by the pond.
Someone saved me. Someone important.
Jasper tried to stand. His legs wobbled.
I need to find him. I have to get to him.
Leo wrapped an arm around his shoulder. “Take it easy. Move slowly.” Leo helped him stand. He stared at the pond. “How did you even get out of the water? You were just lying here unconscious and wet when I came upon you.”
“There was a—” Jasper hesitated. “I was rescued.”
Leo looked at him. Then at the fox. “Did the fox rescue you? Are they a shifter?”
“No. Not the fox.” Jasper shook his head. It throbbed. He tried to search his memories. But all he came back to was the certainty that someone had been with him. And he needed to find them!
Jasper took a step. He stumbled. Breathing heavily, he pressed his lips together and squeezed his eyes shut.
Leo steadied him. “Hey! Take it easy. You might have seriously injured yourself.”
With force, Jasper opened his eyes, squinting around. “Where is he? I need to find him!”
“Who?”
“I don’t know!” Jasper choked.
Leo stared at him. After a second, he spoke softly, “Let’s get you back home. We’ll find a healer. You’ll rest. Everything will be fine.” Jasper sensed that Leo was trying to reassure himself as much as he was Jasper.
Arm wrapped firmly around Jasper’s waist, Leo guided him back towards the city. They went the direct way this time.
“I was so terrified when I saw you fall.” Leo’s voice shook ever so slightly. “I couldn’t see a way to get to you without me tumbling down after you. I had to go back down the track and come around. But I couldn’t work out exactly where you’d fallen.” He exhaled. “I was so fucking scared, Jas.”
“I’m sorry,” Jasper said, but he kept looking around at the trees and shadows, searching for the someone who’d been there with him and rescued him. But why had they left him?
He’d hit his head as he’d tumbled down. So maybe he’d imagined it. But if someone had not rescued him, then how had he gotten out of the water?
No. Someone was there. Someone saved me. And I need to find that someone.
He was sure of that. Wasn’t he?
His head ached, and his hands shook.
“Are you coming too?” Leo asked.
The orange fox trotted along beside them. The fox glanced up at them, bushy tail swinging from side to side.
“Wonder where the fox came from?” Leo’s brows furrowed. “They were just sitting on your chest when I came across you. Like they were looking after you. Have you ever seen this fox before?”
Jasper stared at the fox. “Not before today.”
“Well, they seem attached to you.” Leo led him onwards. The strange fox kept following.
They approached the forest’s edge. Jasper halted as he stared at the city before them. “This— This is the wrong way. We have to go back.” He looked back to the green treetops and the thick undergrowth of the forest.
“This is the way home, Jas,” Leo said, voice soft and slow but firm.
Leo was right, of course. That was the way home. Still, Jasper did not want to go. Something tugged at the centre of his chest, urging him to go back.
“Come on. Let’s keep going.” Leo’s gentle hands tugged at him. “You need a healer. And rest.”
For a moment, Jasper resisted, staring back, gaze searching the trees.
But what if he really did just need a healer? Maybe this confusion, this feeling that he needed to find someone, was just because he’d knocked his head and almost drowned. Still, he kept staring into the forest, holding his breath, waiting for someone to appear.
Finally, he let Leo lead him away.
“That’s right. This way.” Leo squeezed his waist. “We’ll get you home and to a healer. Everything will be okay.”
As they left the forest, the fox hesitated. They looked back towards the forest. Then they padded after them.
“You sure you want to come too, fox? You don’t really belong in the city,” Leo said.
But the fox continued with them.
And as the three left the forest, a shadowy figure hidden amongst the trees watched them depart.