Page 41 of Jasper

“Hurry, Ellie.”

“I’m trying, damn it. Think good thoughts.”

“How the hell is that supposed to help?”

“Well, rushing me isn’t helping. Damn it!” Something scraped loudly and then clicked. “Woohoo!” Ellie quietly cheered as the cuff opened and Melody twisted her wrist free.

Ellie grabbed her good hand and they hurried off into the woods to find Jasper. She was sure that’s who had set off the alarm that was still blaring in the territory.

Jasper,Joss, Lucius, and Alfie parted ways with Finn and the others. Viola stayed with the vehicles out of sight because no one wanted her to be harmed.

As they were making their way slowly and quietly through the woods toward the alpha’s home and the clearing, an alarm sounded suddenly and Jasper let out a growling sigh.

“Damn it,” he said.

“That’s okay, it’s a good distraction,” Joss said. “Let’s hustle.”

Jasper led the way through the woods, his wolf rolling under his skin to get to Melody.

He stopped the group as the clearing came into view and frowned as he realized Melody wasn’t there. He was sure she would have been in the clearing, but where the hell was she?

“There’s a chain and a cuff,” Lucius said, pointing to a large tree that had a thick chain wrapped around it.

“Someone set her free or Ludo moved her?” Jasper asked.

“One way to find out,” Joss said. “Let’s hit the house.”

They hurried toward the large home. As they neared the back porch, someone hit Jasper and knocked him off his feet. Clawed fingers gripped his throat and squeezed, and Jasper found himself at the mercy of a male with a scar on his cheek.

Jasper kicked up and over, twisting out of the male’s grasp. Around him, Joss, Lucius, and Alfie were fighting, but he didn’t think any of the males were Ludo.

“Show yourself, Ludo!” Jasper yelled as he ducked the scarred male’s fist. “Give me back my mate!”

A low growl rumbled from the porch and two males emerged with Melody and a female Jasper didn’t recognize; the one in back had a firm hold of the females’ shirts.

“You dare to challenge me?” the male in front demanded.

Ludo.

“Let Melody and her friend go,” Jasper said.

“Finish him, Glen,” Ludo said.

“No!” Melody yelled. The male holding her shook her like a doll and Melody squeaked in pain.

Glen, the male with the scar, had stood clutching his side where Jasper had nailed him with his foot. On Ludo’s order, he snarled and dove at Jasper, who side-stepped the male and slammed his fist into his back, sending him to the ground with a groan. Jasper wrenched his arm behind his back and the male howled.

“Let them go,” Jasper demanded.

“I don’t care what you do to Glen,” Ludo said. “Melody isn’t going anywhere. Her parents have escaped, but I’ll find them and I’ll deal with them all. You have a chance to leave the pack with your life and the lives of your friends, but you’ll not take any of my pack members with you.”

Jasper growled darkly and twisted, breaking Glen’s arm to keep him from causing trouble for the moment.

As Glen screamed in pain, Jasper leaped forward as Ludo did the same, the two crashing into each other, rolling to the ground in a flurry of claws and fangs. Ludo’s claws slashed through the air with deadly intent. Jasper dodged the blow and countered with a swift strike, aiming for Ludo’s side.

The alpha twisted away and danced out of reach while Jasper rose to his feet.

“Jasper!” Melody shouted. Jasper looked for her and found her being dragged into the house along with her friend, the two struggling in the male’s grip.

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