Page 38 of Kidnapped By the Alpha

“I’d love to,” I replied.

***

Just before sunset, Jasper drove me to a spot near the outskirts of town. It was almost the exact location where we had run into the duo of Pinedale wolves just a few days ago.

“What are we doing here?” I asked, confused. Had I misinterpreted his intentions? “You didn’t bring me out here to spy on the Pinedale Pack again, did you?”

Jasper gave a low chuckle and pulled a wicker basket out of the backseat of the car. “No, silly,” he said. “I just wanted to bring you here to have a picnic.”

I looked around, still confused. This was a rather unconventional location for a first date. The view was beautiful, but I could think of plenty of other beautiful locations he could have chosen if he wanted to have a picnic.

“Why here?” I finally asked.

“Let’s sit down, and we can talk,” Jasper replied.

We walked away from the car up the hill until we reached the forest. Just inside the tree line, there was a small clearing where Jasper stopped and set the basket down, signaling that I should sit.

Through the branches, we could see the town in the distance. The residents walked the streets, children played in their yards, and dogs frolicked playfully. It was picturesque. Now that we were seated, I could tell that my earlier assumption had been off-base. It would be impossible for Jasper to spy on anything meaningful from this distance.

“So,” I said, “why did you choose this spot?”

“What you said to the pack today really resonated with me, and made me think about my own desires,” he said. “Whenyou talked about the safe haven we had found here and our chances at a brighter future, I realized just how much I have always dreamed of being able to provide those things for my pack.”

“And you have,” I reminded him.

“Exactly,” he agreed. “It’s finally happening, so I wanted to come here with you and enjoy the view of our new home. I wanted us to think about the future.”

While he seemed excited about the prospect of moving into Pinedale, something seemed to be missing. There was a sadness in his voice that I couldn’t place.

“It’s exciting that the pack gets to move into town soon, but you don’t seem very happy about it. Is something wrong?” I asked.

Jasper looked out toward the town thoughtfully, and I gave him a moment as he considered his response. Finally, he spoke.

“I’m not really sure,” he said finally. “I guess whenever something good happens, I’m always waiting for the other shoe to drop. I don’t have a great history when it comes to having a home. For one reason or another, I’ve always had to leave.”

“That makes sense,” I said softly.

Up until the moment I was taken by Jasper, my life had been pretty peaceful. I couldn’t imagine what it must have been like to grow up with a mother as vicious as his, only to find a home in a pack as cruel as the Moonstone Pack had once been. It seemed like a miracle that he had escaped his past as intact as he was.

He didn’t seem in the mood to continue speaking about his past struggles, and instead, he turned his attention to settingup the picnic. From inside the basket, he pulled out containers of berries, cheeses, crackers, sandwiches, and even a small bottle of wine.

“I’m so sorry. I just realized I forgot to bring glasses for this,” he said. His cheeks were red in embarrassment, but I brushed it off.

“That’s okay,” I said, opening the bottle and taking a swig before offering it to him.

He smiled as he accepted it from me and tasted it for himself. His lips pursed together when the liquid touched his tongue.

“Mm,” he said in an unconvincing attempt to convey his approval.

“You don’t like wine, do you?” I guessed.

“Not at all,” he admitted. “I’ve never even tried it before until now. I’m more of a brown liquor man.”

“More for me, then,” I said happily. I grabbed the bottle back from him, taking another drink.

He laughed at my enthusiasm, and I realized just how unusual this entire scene was for both of us. I was the woman who had never been chosen, and he was the man who had never really wanted a woman.

Romance wasn’t exactly Jasper’s forte, but I could tell how hard he was trying. It was endearing to have the attention of a man who had never had a reason—or the inclination—to court a woman before. It was more meaningful, I thought, that he kept trying even though he was struggling somewhat to articulate his thoughts.

---