34. Jake
JAKE
Silas answers on the first ring. “Jake. This is two random calls in a row. If you’re bored, call Kyrian. He’s driving me up a wall.”
“Not that I don’t want to talk to your brother, but this isn’t a call out of boredom.” I look over at Jasmine and she chuckles.
Silas growls. “Who is with you? Are you compromised? Safe?”
Damn werewolves and their heightened hearing.
“Yes. I’m fine. Great, actually. And I’m with, um…” My gaze meets Jasmine’s, and she smiles, giving me all the courage I need. “I’m with my mate.”
“What? I’m sorry. Did you say your mate?” Silas asks. “Are you playing a joke on me?”
“Nope.”
“Okay, um, congrats. What’s her name? Have you two been on a run together yet? I don’t know what else to ask you.” Silas trails off. Small talk isn’t his strong suit. Junie is the more empathetic of the two.
“Well, her name is Jasmine. And, um, no? That’s actually why I’m calling.”
“Oh, no. Is she human? A witch? I should have Junie here for this.” Silas’s frustration makes me laugh.
“There’s no easy way to tell you this—”
“Just fucking tell me, Jake.”
“She’s a demon.”
“A demon?” Silas screams.
“Well, half demon.” I shrug. “Semantics, really.”
The line is silent for so long that I pull my phone away from my face to make sure the call wasn’t dropped. And nope, he’s still there.
“Silas? Um, I don’t know what I expected from you, but I’m, uh, you know…It’d be nice if you said something.”
The phone crinkles, and suddenly Junie is there.
“Jake! Ah! Congrats! Silas just told me the news. You’re on speaker. Hi, Jasmine! Do you have me on speaker?”
I should have assumed Silas was calling Junie over. Like I said, he’s terrible at all conversations that aren’t about his pack.
“Junie! Finally, my favorite human is here. One second.”
I pull the phone away from my ear and let the audio come from the speaker.
“Okay, June-bug, you’re on speaker.”
Junie groans. “You know I hate that nickname, Jake. I’m going to let it slide this time, okay? But not again.”
I laugh. “Okay, June-bug.”
“You…” Junie groans, but I don’t miss the small laugh. “Anyway, Jasmine! Hi. I can’t wait to meet you. I don’t know if Jake told you, but I’m the luna of the North pack. Wait, why aren’t we on video?”
Silas grumbles something, but my guess is he’s telling Junie that it’s unnecessary. But one thing about them is they like to bicker as much as they love each other. A second later, I accept an incoming video call and Junie’s face is on my phone.
“Much better. Jake, why are you the only one in frame? Let me see Jasmine.”
I roll my eyes, but it’s all for show.
“Nice to see you, too, Junie.” She sticks out her tongue at me, acting like a child, which always makes me laugh because you’d think being a luna would make her act her more serious, but I’m glad it hasn’t.
“This okay?” I whisper to Jasmine, and she nods. So, I flip the phone around so she’s in frame.
Jasmine waves to the screen. “Um, hi, I’m Jasmine.”
“Jasmine! Ah, you’re so pretty. Goodness, your hair! It’s gorgeous.”
Jasmine breaks out a grin. “Mine? It’s a mess right now. We, um, we had a fight and I desperately need a wash.”
Junie laughs. “I get that. Jake did something bad, huh? I can slap him for you, if you’d like? Refuse to bake him his favorite cookies? I’m a baker, so that’s pretty sad for him.”
Jasmine laughs when I gasp and mumble that it wasn’t me.
“No,” Jasmine says, shaking her head. “It was a fight with a demon, but I killed them.”
Junie is silent, then Silas comes on screen. He and Jasmine share their pleasantries, and I can tell it’s intimidating to be face-to-face with the alpha, so I move to be by her side. I set the phone down on the table in front of us so we’re both in view.
And when Silas asks about the demon, I fill him in on what happened.
“I’m guessing this call has something to do with this door? And the demon that was there?”
I nod. “Yeah. And the reason I called earlier asking for help.”
“Ah.” Silas nods, the pieces falling into place. “So, you’re half demon? Is that why the demons have infiltrated the North? I don’t understand.”
And this is when I look to Jasmine one last time for approval to tell Silas everything, and I’m glad when she gives me her blessing.
If there were another way to do this, I would do it in a heartbeat.
I don’t want to be the person who forces her to tell others who are practically strangers about her life.
If and when she chooses to tell people, she deserves to do so on her own terms.
But unfortunately, we don’t have time for that.
I start from the beginning, telling Silas and Junie how Jasmine and I met.
Then, I share the small misunderstanding about me thinking she was human, then a witch.
Which, looking back on that now is funny, because although she has plenty of human qualities, she’s not very good at lying to me, and if I knew her tells back then, I would have known she was lying.
I would have seen the small twitch in her left eye, or the slight curve in her mouth, and know that she was holding something back from me.
Silas doesn’t ask how long I’ve known she was a demon. He doesn’t ask why I didn’t tell him. He trusts I would have told him when it was most necessary, like I’m doing now. And that’s what makes him not only a great alpha, but also my best friend.
I finish filling in the remaining gaps: the first fight with the demon when I found out Jasmine wasn’t a witch, the research, the dream walking, and finally learning she’s a princess of the Underworld.
“A fucking princess? Sorry, I don’t mean to sound angry. It’s just that…Does that mean you’re in line for the throne? Or…? Even though I’m alpha, I don’t know as much as the Council does about all of this.”
Jasmine chuckles, and I can tell she’s relieved story time is over. Her expression just looks lighter, and I hope she feels lighter, not carrying around these secrets. This is the most amount of people who have known about her secret.
“Any daughter of my dad is technically a princess. It doesn’t mean anything.
I’m nowhere close to being in line for the throne, but some demons think I have leverage.
So, they’re either after me to kill me for my dad or are trying to capture me alive in hopes of using me as leverage.
Those demons are dumb, though, and don’t realize my dad would kill me regardless and they’d lose their bargaining chip. ”
Silas nods slowly, taking in the new knowledge of the inner workings of the Underworld.
“Speaking of bargains,” I say, trying to take advantage of the topic. “We need help.”
“With a demon’s bargain?” Silas asks.
I nod. “I can’t let Jasmine die, Silas.”
“Of course not, Jake. We wouldn’t let that happen,” Junie chimes in, speaking for them both, and I trust her. I know their hearts, and I know they would do anything to see me happy if they could.
“Thanks, Junie. Well, we’ve been thinking of ways to save Jasmine and we both agree the only way to do so is to make a bargain with the God of the Underworld.”
“A bargain? What could he possibly want?” Silas asks the question that everyone’s had at some point during this journey.
“Well,” I say. “A spot on the Council, to start.”
Silas groans. “You’ve got to be kidding me. You two think a seat on the Council is enough to appease a god?”
Jasmine and I both nod and fill him in on our reasoning, letting him know about the souls and the magic of this realm.
“Okay, I get that. Well, I can see what I can do, but I don’t know how long it’ll take for me to talk to the Council. And Jake, they will want you on the Council. This is a tricky deal to make happen.”
I grimace. “Can we tell them the demon problem is solved? Get the spot, then convince them to give the demons a spot back? Or do we tell them the only way to solve our demon issue is to give them a spot on the Council so we can control what they do in our realm?”
Silas nods. “The latter. And we’d have to convince them it was their idea. They won’t say yes if it came from someone else. It’s too big of a change.”
“Got it, okay. Well, can you do this for me?”
“Of course,” Silas says quickly. “I’d do anything for you, Jake. You know that. I mean, I never expected a request like this, I have to be honest.” Silas chuckles. “But I’m happy for you. For you both. I’m excited to help you find a way to live your life together, and I hope this works.”
I smile. “Thanks, Alpha.”
Silas nods. “I need two days. Can you give me that? Keep any demons at bay?”
Jasmine and I both nod.
“Okay, great. You still need to check in tomorrow at five p.m. Don’t miss the call. And no video. I don’t need to see your face.”
Junie slaps Silas on the arm, and I laugh. Silas turns to the camera to glare at me, but I can see a hidden laugh waiting to break out.
“I’ll only call you. Promise.” I don’t mention how I’m naked right now.
After Junie and Jasmine agree on a time to meet again, we hang up.
Silas wants Jasmine and me to make sure Fernhollow looks as clean as possible, and I think it’d be helpful if we go to Hunter and Rebecca to see if there’s anything we can do to be notified on a larger scale when a demon enters our town.
I set my phone down and turn to Jasmine, grabbing her by the waist to pull her into my lap. She gasps, not expecting the movement, but doesn’t fight me when I grasp her face and plant my lips on hers.
God, I missed her.
A week without my mate was too long, and I know she feels similarly. She’s just as hungry for me as I am for her.
Jasmine’s hands grip my back, leaving marks, but I don’t care.
“Need to be with you,” she says between kisses. “Been too long.”
I agree, standing from the couch and holding her to me. I let the blanket fall to the floor, not worried about it, and stalk toward her bedroom.
We will talk about everything after this. First, I need to show her how much she means to me, regardless of her past. I need to show her that I’ll be here for her, and I’m not going anywhere.
I’m here to stay.
We don’t make it to the bedroom.
It’s too far, and my need for her is too large.
I slam her against the wall, sliding my cock against her through the fabric. Fuck. I forgot she was wearing pants.
“Take these off,” I growl and let her feet slide to the ground.
She doesn’t argue and maintains eye contact as she slides each leg out of her pants, then her underwear. I’m impatient and take her shirt in both of my hands. Within seconds, I’ve torn the shirt loose, and she’s hopped back into my arms.
I slam my lips against hers, hard.
“Fuck, I missed you,” I say between kisses.
“Show me,” she says.
I grip my cock. With it positioned between us, it gives me the perfect angle to slide against her without slipping inside.
We’re hungry for each other, and I forget I had any pain in my ankle to begin with. Jasmine’s nails dig into my back and before I know it, her shadows are out, circling us.
“You can let me go, I got it,” she says with weighted breaths.
“No, I got you.” I growl and grip her ass.
In my peripheral vision, I see her shadows move around us, and fuck if that doesn’t make me grind into her harder.
But Jasmine has shown me she’s not one to lie there and take it.
No, my girl likes to take charge. Since we’ve been together, she’s gained confidence in the bedroom and enjoys showing me how much she likes it—how much she likes me.
One moment she’s gripping my shoulders, the next I’m being shoved backward into the opposite wall. It’s hard enough that I catch my breath and chuckle at how bad she is.
Her shadows move quickly, lacing my hands together and pinning them above my head.
The apartment would be silent if not for my heavy breathing.
I stare at Jasmine—shadows, tattoos, and all—and know I’m in love with her.
I think I’ve been in love with her for a while now but didn’t want to jinx our future.
But now? Fuck it. If she dies, I’m dying with her. Isn’t that some romantic bullshit?
She closes the gap between us and kneels in front of me.
She takes my length in her mouth, bobbing her head over and over while her shadows trace every line of my body.
It’s euphoric, the feel of her everywhere, and I can’t help but close my eyes and give in to her.
Give in to the pleasure and letting her take over, showing her I’m helpless when it comes to her.
“Jaz, I’m…” I moan. “I’m close. You need…Fuck—”
Her shadows wrap around my mouth, stopping me from talking.
I want to shout how unfair this is, but why would I do that when this feels so good?
She can pin me down and take me anytime if it’s always like this.
With the stress of the last few weeks, it’s a relief to not have to worry about anything.
She’s taking care of me, even though I started this to take care of her.
But, if there’s one quality about Jasmine I love, it’s how damn selfless she is.
She’s lived the past ten years helping others, never wanting to burden anyone with her secret, never wanting to end up putting others at risk.
Even now, when she found no other option, she was going to give herself over to save the lives of everyone in Fernhollow.
With the shadows everywhere, I finish quickly, not able to hold back. I spill into her mouth and cry her name, even with my mouth being covered.
Jasmine licks every last drop, slowing down at the same pace as my heart. My cock slips from her lips, and she smiles up at me, proud that I came undone because of her.
She recalls her shadows as she slides up my body, pressing kisses to my stomach, my chest, my collarbones, until my mouth is free and I’m able to claim hers.
With my hands now free, I wrap them around her waist and pick her up.
Although I’m spent from the day and I need a moment before we do more, I’m craving a nice, hot shower.
In the bathroom, I set her down on the counter and turn to the shower to turn the water on. While waiting for that to warm, I walk back to Jasmine and we lazily kiss, our hands tracing one another, memorizing instead of grasping and gripping for more.