Chapter 39
BACK TO THE SHORE
The salty air is refreshing the second it hits my lungs, and my feet catch in the sand as I make my way onto the beach.
The ocean is calm and laps at the shore in easy waves.
Jasper is standing down at the edge of the shore, just out of the water’s reach, and he turns as I approach as if he knew I was there.
“Took your time,” he says, smiling and pulling me into a kiss.
“Sorry,” I say, keeping my arms around him even after we’ve finished kissing hello. “Had to have a chat with your dad and Mal. That’s a shocking development.”
“Yeah, it’s wild, he’s changed so much in the last couple of years. He seems, almost, happy. It’s scary.”
“I know,” I say, laughing. “Terrifying. I guess he deserves it though. And what he’s planning is sort of groundbreaking. You should be proud.”
“Oh I am. Very proud. Not as proud as I am of you though.”
His smile is so sweet and intoxicating but I cast my eyes down at the sand.
“What is it?” he asks, and I pull away, taking a few steps down the beach.
“I’m sort of surprised you’d want to meet here,” I say, kicking a seashell a few feet.
“I actually come down here a lot.” He bends down into a crouch and dips his fingers into the wash of a fresh wave. “I like to come here to think.”
“Why’s that?”
Jasper stares off at the horizon, like he’s looking back in time.
“This beach is where I made one of the biggest mistakes of my life. I like to come here to remind myself never to do that again.”
I turn around and he stands.
“Max, nothing in my life has ever mattered as much as you. You’ve changed me and I can’t thank you enough. I—I don’t have the words for—”
“Wait,” I say, stepping to him and taking one of his hands. “I need to tell you something.”
“Is it about going off to college? We talked about that.”
“No, it’s—I mean, it’s like that but more.”
“More?” His confused expression is too adorable, he’s never looked more childlike.
“Yeah, I’ve been thinking, after what happened. I think I know why I was chosen to be the blood wolf, and I know what I want to do with these powers.”
“And that is . . . ?” He’s starting to sound concerned.
“I think I want to help bring people together. I want to travel, maybe just around the country, but also maybe the world, looking for people who need my help or who just need to feel connected to something bigger, looking for community. I want to let people know that we’re all part of one big pack. ”
“That’s amazing. You should do that,” he says.
“But it means I’d be gone, like a lot, more than just a few years for college. It would mean we’d be apart most of the year and I know your place is here, that will never change and I—”
“Max.” He lowers his head until his forehead is resting on mine. “We’ve talked about this. We’re bound by fate. We can read each other’s minds. If anyone can make long distance work, it’s us.”
“I know. But this is a lot, it’s more than we talked about.”
“I know why you’re worried,” he says, stroking my cheek.
“I get it. In the grand scheme of things, we’ve been given different roles to play.
My responsibility is to the pack and now, thanks to you, that responsibility means I get to help people from outside it as well.
Fate is leading you on a different path.
And that’s fine. It doesn’t mean we don’t still love each other, and it doesn’t mean we can’t make things work. ”
Our lips find each other in a big, sad, sloppy kiss—one that says more than words could.
“I love you, Maximilian Remus. I’d go to the ends of the world to be with you. You have to know that by now.”
Those words echo in my head. The ends of the world.
I have no idea where this next chapter in my life will take me, what roads my new mission will lead me down.
The ends of the world could be more literal than ever.
But looking into Jasper’s green eyes at this moment I know that no matter how far I run Jasper will always be here waiting for me.
“Let’s make a promise,” I say. “Every blue moon we make a date and no matter where in the world we are, no matter how busy, we have to keep it.”
He takes my hands in both of his and holds them to his chest.
“Easy,” he says. “I promise.”
“I promise too.”
We kiss again, his lips meeting mine with force, my body melting into his.
After, Jasper rests his head on my shoulder and whispers in my ear. “You know I’m going to chase you down more often than that, right?”
He leans back to look me in the eye.
“I’m not sure if you know but I’m kind of a big deal, the son of the alpha.”
“And?”
“And I have access to a private jet.” He holds my face in both hands.
“I want you to go out and see the world. I want you to do everything. I want you to feel fulfilled and embrace your destiny. But you should also know I’m going to be with you, hunting you down, making sure you know how much I care about you.
Max, we’re going to be together until the end of our days.
You can see into the soul of every wolf on the planet, you have to know that? ”
And I smile because I do. Without using my powers, I know that Jasper Apollo, the alpha’s son, loves me more than anything in the world.
I kiss him again and he lifts me off my feet, spinning me around.
We spend the next hour or so sitting in the sand watching the sun glimmering off the ocean, and when it finally begins to set, we make our way back up the beach.
“You know I used to think all this romance stuff was gross,” I say.
“And now?” he asks, grinning slyly.
I shrug casually. “I guess I can see why people are so obsessed.”
He grunts a laugh. “You know, you’re not like other werewolves, Max.”
“Oh yeah?”
“Yeah. And I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
Jasper wraps an arm around my shoulders, and we move between the dunes, leaving the beach behind.