Page 40 of Jasper

Her head felt like it was filled with lead, and everything hurt.

“Psst.”

Melody tilted her head to the side and saw nothing but white for a moment, and then her vision cleared and she could see a shadow of something in the trees.

Ellie!

Her friend moved forward a little, and Melody shook her head.

Too dangerous, she mouthed.

Ellie pointed to herself and then to Melody, then she held up something metal and pointed to her wrist.

A male walked into the clearing and stared at Melody. He had dark blond hair and a scar that bisected his eyebrow and curved down his cheek. She stared back at him, praying he wouldn’t look in Ellie’s direction.

“Can I help you?” she asked irritably.

“Ludo said you’ll be meat for the pack later,” he said.

“Meat?”

“You know.”

A shudder wove through her. They were planning to rape her.

Holy shit, she needed to get away from here.

“In your dreams, asshole,” she said.

He snarled and took a menacing step toward her. A male stepped out from the alpha’s home and yelled, “Fucking leave her alone, Glen. Ludo said she’s off limits unless her dad does something stupid.”

Glen cracked his knuckles. “I hope your dad’s an idiot, little bitch. You’ll be fun to break.”

He turned and stalked back the way he came. Melody slumped against the tree. Shit, she was in trouble. She waited until the male on the porch went into the alpha’s house, and then she looked around the clearing and didn’t see anyone.

But she doubted that Ludo would leave her entirely alone and suspected someone was watching.

“It’s too dangerous,” she said quietly. “My mate will come for me.”

“Hell no, girl,” Ellie said. “My mom’sentertainingLudo. I checked the area, and except for that Glen asshole, no one is nearby. Just try to look normal and put your wrist as close to the ground as you can.”

Melody did as she was told, angling her wrist toward the ground as far as the chain would allow. Ellie stole forward and crouched behind the tree.

“Is your mom really having sex with Ludo as a distraction?”

“Yeah. Don’t ask me any questions, I’m grossed out enough as it is.”

“I…don’t know what to say about that.”

“Mom loves you like a second daughter, you know that. She gave me the lock pick tools and told me she’d keep him busy.”

“Thanks, Ellie. I miss you so much.”

“I miss you too.”

Ellie worked on the cuff, cursing a few times as the mechanism inside clicked.

An alarm sounded in the distance, and Melody sucked in a sharp breath.

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