Page 61 of Chasing The Alpha's Son
Why is he bringing Mason into this?The wind is so loud we might as well be in the direct path of a wintery hurricane. The whole shack is shaking, vibrating under the force of the wind.
“What are you talking about?” I ask. “What’s Mason got to do with anything?”
“You haven’t exactly been subtle.”
My mouth falls open and I stare at Jasper in shock. Is he…jealous?
“It’s nothing. We’re friends.”
“Are you?” Jasper is speaking through his teeth, almost growling.
“Of course, I—”
“I can sense you, Max!” Are his fangs getting longer? “I may not know every little detail, but I know it’s not nothing.”
For a moment I’m speechless. I shake my head in disbelief. Where is this coming from? Sure, I may have liked flirting with Mason just a little. But nothing was ever going to happen with him. Besides, once he knew I had a mate, he pretty much backed off. What I have enjoyed is having a friend who knows what it’s like to go through the things I’m experiencing, someone who can relate to what it feels like to be…to be gay, a gay werewolf.
“Mason is my friend,” I say, somewhat forcefully. “I needed a friend because—believe it or not—this whole thing, being mated to you, is not so easy. And he understands because he’s like us.”
Jasper sneers. “I’m not like him.”
“Whatever.” I roll my eyes. “This is exactly what I’m talking about. You froze me out, Jasper! We could have figured this out together but you pushed me away. You don’t get to be jealous!”
Jasper’s chest is heaving, his hands are clenched. Maybe my safety is the reason he told himself he was pushing me away, but maybe he’s been struggling more than I know.
“So you do like him?” he mutters.
“No, Jasper! I like you!” My shouts rise over the sound of the storm, filling the cabin. “I want you! Do you think I came all this way just to give up on this? To be distracted by a cute guy? Don’t you get it?”
Jasper stares at me, intensity blazing in his emerald eyes.
“I made a vow that I would chase you to the ends of the world if I have to. And you can push me away all you want, but I’m not giving up, I’m—”
Before I can finish, Jasper closes the distance between us in less than a second. He pulls me into him with one hand, holding my head with the other, and presses his lips against mine.
Like a snowman in spring, I melt into him. I can’t tell if the storm has passed or if I just can’t hear it anymore, because the world is falling away, until we’re the only beings left in existence, floating in a void. He kisses me, unleashing all the pent-up energy, the repressed emotion, the secret desire he’s never let me see. And I return his kisses with all the urgency and hunger of a marathon runner refueling after a hard-won race.
We kiss for a long time, protected from the prying eyes of the outside world, hidden in our wintery fortress, reveling in the privacy. I love how his hair slips between my fingers, how his back is firm under my palm, how his chest is warm against mine. Our breathing syncs. Our hearts race as one. And finally we pull apart, just enough to look at each other, without letting the other go.
“I’m sorry,” Jasper says.
“Why?”
“Because I was wrong.”
He smiles slightly, and I try to take in each minute detail. His cheeks are flushed, as I’m sure mine are. I trace his subtle freckles with my gaze, like I’m marking out constellations. I lick my lips and he does the same, biting one corner with his still-elongated fang. Then he pulls me in once more and this time our kiss is slower, less desperate, more assured.
I never want to leave this cabin.
When we pull apart this time, Jasper runs a hand down the side of my face.
“Can you hear that?” I ask.
“What is it?”
“Nothing. The storm must have passed.”
“Max, I—”
