Page 3 of Jasper

Shehadn’t followed.

His sweet wolf soulmate, Melody.

“You okay, man? You’ve been crazy-quiet,” Alfie said.

Jasper jerked himself out of the memories of the past and cleared his throat. “Yeah, sorry. It would be cool as hell if the safari tours worked like the alphas want them to, with our people finding their soulmates frequently. It’s just not working, though. It would be awesome if your soulmate walked through the gates today.”

“Hell yes, it would be. For both of us.”

Well, that was definitely not happening. But the lie to his friend got him out of the discussion he didn’t ever really want to have with anyone. Only Alpha Joss knew the reason he’d left the pack when he was nineteen and moved to the park.

He’d been ghosted without a word, left to flounder in a world without the love he’d counted on and coveted his whole damn life.

No “Sorry, I can’t come with you,” or “Go to hell, you freaking bastard.”

Just…nothing.

And that cut worse than the harshest curse.

Shit, he needed to stop thinking about her. Whenever she popped into his head, his wolf went nuts and he’d end up battling severe insomnia for days.

What the hell was going on that he was thinking about her so much?

“You know what?” Alfie said as they stopped at the front gates to look out at the empty parking lot.

“What?”

“I think good things are coming for us. Soon.”

Jasper arched a brow. “Oh yeah? You feeling psychic?”

“Maybe. My wolf’s ready to find my soulmate, and I bet yours is too. I think it’ll happen.”

He clapped Alfie on the shoulder. “I’m sure it will.”

After checking the gates, they picked up the pace and got back on their path around the park, checking the paddockswhere their people would be hanging out in animal form for tours, and the one paddock of normal, non-shifter animals, which included the unofficial park mascot: Tank the moose.

As the wolf paddock, currently empty of course because it was hella early, came into view, he thought once more about the tours and soulmates, and how very strange it was to know where his was but be unable to claim her or even see her.

It was a hell that he was trapped in.

Without her, he was doomed to be alone forever because his wolf would never be satisfied with anyone but her.

By the time their shift ended at three p.m., the park was busy. Recently, the gorillas, who handled repairs in the park, had reopened a carousel that had been put into storage. People loved the carousel, with the plucky music that played on repeat all day long and the gleaming horses that circled endlessly.

It was run by Ginny, the hyena shifter who’d been set free of the people trying to kill her by August and the other shifters in the park, who’d battled the danger that had come for her.

He stopped to stare at the carousel as it circled, the horses all topped with young children who laughed and waved at their families every time they went by.

His walkie squawked and he turned from the sweet scene that made something deep in him ache because he knew he’d never have kids of his own unless he asked Joss to put together an arranged mating—which he’d never do in a million years—and answered.

“Jasper.”

“Hey, it’s Jupiter. Stop into the security office before you go to clock out.”

“On my way.”

He clipped the walkie on his belt and turned from the carousel to go to the office.

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