Page 12 of Jasper

She nodded in silence and waited until the males left her alone in the cafeteria. Then she made her way to the bathroom at the back of the large space and had herself a good, long cry.

If Jasper wouldn’t help her, she didn’t know what she’d do.

What the hell did Melody mean he was the last person she’d come to for help? Why was she so pissed?Hewas the one who should be pissed. Hell, hewaspissed.

Pissed that his wolf wanted to snuggle up to her.

Pissed that she looked even better now than she had seven years ago.

Pissed that her dad, who taught Jasper how to hunt and fight in his shift and his human form, was in trouble and clearly thought he was the guy who could help him.

“What are you going to do?” Amadeus asked.

“I don’t have a fucking clue.”

“Joss is on the way,” Jupiter said. “Run it by him and see what he thinks.” He paused, then said, “Do youwantto help her?”

The part of Jasper that knew she was his soulmate wanted very desperately to help her in any way. But the jaded male in him wanted to steer far clear of whatever fuckery had happened to his old pack, even if it did involve her dad, Finn, who he respected a great deal.

“I don’t know.”

Footsteps drew close and Joss came into view with Caesar the lion alpha. They’d obviously come up to the surface from the private living quarters and paddocks, so they didn’t come into the employee cafeteria where Melody was. Even though shewas a shifter, they didn’t share any details about the park with outsiders.

“I understand you’ve got a blast from your past in there,” Joss said.

“Yeah, I don’t know what to make of it.”

“I’m going to take your place on the security team while you get things straightened out,” Caesar said. “Keep me posted.”

“Thank you,” Jasper said.

Joss put his hand on his shoulder and gave it a squeeze. “Let me hear her story and then I’ll give you my honest opinion. We can talk privately afterward.”

“Okay.”

He didn’t want to see her again. It was hard enough to keep his hands to himself as it was, without walking back into her presence where her sweet and spicy scent was seeping into his brain.

He steeled himself against her wiles, not wanting to fall prey to her pretty violet eyes or the way her hair had turned lighter gold with the summer sun.

Nope. He was going to be a rock around her, and not let her know just how much he still hurt from what happened.

He knew he wasn’t really over her, but he hadn’t known just how much it would hurt to see her again until he was in her presence.

It hurt like hell.

Melody met Joss the alpha wolf of the pack. She still didn’t understand how there was a wolf pack at a safari park, but she had other things on her mind at the moment. She was exhausted to the core and scared out of her mind.

Joss asked to hear her story, and she told it again.

“Dad said to come here to get Jasper’s help,” she said at the end of the tale.

“Why?” Joss asked.

She rubbed the space between her eyes. She was so tired.

“I don’t know. He said he could help.”

Joss hummed, then looked at Jasper and nodded toward the door. She was left alone once more.

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