“Maybe he got distracted or pulled away. I’m sure he’ll tell you about her at some point.”
“I’d be surprised. My best guess is tomorrow they have me drilling holes or erecting the tarp roof and by the time our two nights are up we’ll leave and Tomas won’t have shown his face again.”
“Two nights?” I ask, leaning back a little, my hand stilling on Jasper’s shoulder.
“Yes. That’s what we agreed.”
“I didn’t think we necessarily agreed on two nights exactly.”
“We said a couple of nights. That’s two. A couple is two, Max.”
“I know but I just thought…”
Jasper looks at me questioningly.
“How long do you think we’re staying here?”
“I thought it was more vague, sort of like depending on how things go with Yoki.”
“Max, we can’t stay here. The longer we’re here the less likely they’ll let us go.”
“We’re not their prisoners, they said as much.”
Jasper stands but doesn’t move from the side of the bed. He takes one large breath. “You heard what Omar said, right? About how they’re diverting their wolfpower to their border patrols. They’re scared, Max—of nearby packs, maybe, or…either way, while I’m here they have bartering power. They could use me as a hostage.”
I roll my eyes. “I’m sorry, I forgot you were so valuable.”
He turns and the anguish is clear on his face. “This isn’t an ego thing. We left our security back at the house. No one knows where we are. And like it or not I’m—we’re not inconsequential. We are high-ranking pack wolves and that makes us valuable to people like the rogues. We have to think about this sort of thing.”
I stand, too, and step to face Jasper, putting my hand on his forearm in the hopes it’ll calm him down.
“I know, okay? I know this isn’t comfortable for you and I know why you’re worried. But you’re also making assumptions about the rogues that I don’t think are true. They’re peaceful. They’ve welcomed us as guests, not hostages. They built this whole place just so they could get away from the packs, not so they could be in a war with them. They said we could leave whenever we wanted and I believe them.”
He lowers his head, making the bags under his eyes more pronounced.
“They may not start the war,” Jasper says, his voice catching. “But when war comes to them, believe me, they’ll behave just like any pack wolf.”
I take his face in my free hand and rub his cheek with my thumb. “You don’t know that.”
He leans into my touch and I rise onto my toes to kiss him. When I pull away he’s staring at me intently, familiar concern creasing his brow.
“You’re too trusting,” he says.
“And you’re tired. Why don’t we sleep and we talk more in the morning.”
“Fine.”
We don’t say anything else as we get ready for bed. Our belongings were left in the tent as promised, so I grab my toothbrush from my pack and head to the communal bathrooms a little distance from our tent. Once I’ve brushed my teeth and washed my face I head back. Along the way I stop and turn to look at the moon, almost full and shining silver. For a second I bask in the light, feeling a fraction of the warmth and connection I experienced earlier during Yoki’s ritual. I know I need to stay as long as it takes to figure out how to access my powers. I just don’t know how to convince Jasper the rogues are good people.
Back at the tent, I arrive to find Jasper already under the covers, lying on his side, staring at the wall.
I flip off the battery-powered lantern and slide in behind him, slipping an arm around his waist. He shuffles so that his back is pressed against my chest.
“We can stay,” he mumbles lowly. “For as long as you need.”
When I don’t say anything right away, he turns awkwardly, straining as he tries to look over his shoulder.
“You’re sure?” I ask, lifting onto my elbow to ease his twisting neck.
