"Tell me everything," I say finally. "I want to help."
Jasper's eyes widen. "What?"
"You heard me." I pull out a chair and sit. "Tell me everything. How long have you been working with Chase? What's the plan? What do you need from me?"
"Eli, you're Ragon's pack brother. You can't—"
"I failed her," I cut him off. "I failed Vee in every way that mattered. We all did. Drake knew it enough to leave. I know it. I'm not going to fail her again."
Jasper stares at me.
"If she's safe with them," I continue, "if they're her scent matches and they're treating her right, then I want to make sure she stays there. I want to make sure Ragon can't get to her."
"You'd go against your own pack lead?"
"For her?" I meet his eyes. "Yes."
Jasper looks at me for a long moment. Then he pulls out the chair across from me and sits.
"Okay," he says. "Here's what you need to know."
Chapter 18
Vee
I'm sitting at the kitchen table with my phone in front of me, staring at Jess's contact like it might bite.
Alex walks in with a yogurt and a spoon, sitting down the chair across from me. He doesn't ask what I'm doing, just peels back the foil lid and starts eating.
I take a breath and hit the call button.
It rings twice.
"Vee?" Jess's voice comes through sharp with surprise. "Holy shit, is that really you?"
"It's me," I say, smiling despite myself.
"Hold on, I'm adding Noah." There's a beep, some shuffling. "Noah! Pick up your phone!"
Another beep.
"What?" Noah's voice is breathless. "I'm in the middle of—is this a three-way? Oh my god, is that Vee?"
"Hi," I say.
"VEE!" Noah practically shrieks. "Where have you been? We've been waiting for you to call and I was starting to think you got abducted by aliens or joined a cult or—"
"Noah, breathe," Jess cuts in. "Let the woman talk."
"I'm okay," I say quickly. "I'm sorry it took me so long to call, things got complicated."
"Complicated how?" Jess asks.
"Long story, I'll tell you later. How are you guys? What's happening at class?"
Noah launches into it immediately. "Oh my god, so much. First of all, the instructor added this new routine and it's completely impossible. Like, I'm pretty sure she's trying to kill us. Jess fell into the mirror last week."
"I didn't fall into it," Jess protests. "I gracefully stumbled in its general direction."
