I gaze at my friends walking off to join the battle and can’t help feeling super freaking lucky to have them all in my life. To my right the lake is beginning to glimmer as the first stars spring to life in the darkening sky. The full moon is just peeking above the trees, a silver sliver that will soon be hovering aboveus, helping us and hopefully guiding us to a safe and quick resolution.
There’s no time left to stand and feel philosophical, because as another howl calls out into the night, battalions of troops start to march into the forest.
I hurry to where Jasper is at the front of the wolf army. Morven’s troops are just moving out, snaking around the periphery of the camp like a defensive boundary. Jasper is standing waiting for me, the wind blowing his hair.
He looks taller than usual. In his black battle gear, his shoulders are back, his chin lifted to the sky. He’s the commander at the head of an army. An alpha. My mate.
“Hey,” he says. “Ready?”
“As I’ll ever be.”
“We’ll position ourselves in the forest first then shift on my signal.”
“Jasper,” I say, suddenly feeling the weight of everything that’s about to happen bearing down on me. I guess I’ve been ignoring the danger and the reality of what war means this whole time, getting caught up as usual thinking about marking ceremonies, and my relationship. But this is about so much more. This is real, and this is ... terrifying. My chin quivers as tears blur my vision.
Jasper, noticing, pulls me aside, turning his back on the waiting troops for just a moment. He places both hands on the sides of my face.
“We’re going to get through this, Max. You hear me?”
“I don’t want to lose you, I can’t ...”
“You won’t and I won’t lose you either. I promise.”
I almost laugh, instead I smile a sad smile and say, “You can’t promise that.”
With his thumb he traces the corner of my lips. “Remember what I told you,” he says. “I’ll always, always be with you.”
He places a gentle kiss, full of meaning, full of care, on my lips.
“You know what to do?”
“Get to the highest point, find Walter, tell the troops.”
“The pack is with you, Max. And so am I.”
We throw our arms around each other, and I never want to let him go. But as yet another howl pierces through the growing night, it’s time for us to go our separate ways. Jasper will be leading his battalion to the clearing in the forest, while I’ll be going ahead to scope out our enemy’s arrival.
“I love you, Jasper,” I say.
“Love you too, Blood Wolf,” he says, grinning teasingly.
“I thought you were going to sayBonehead.”
“You’re not a bonehead, you’re the most amazing wolf on the planet, that’s why I know what I know.”
“What’s that?”
“We’re going to win.”
My mouth drops open. How can he be so confident? All this trust he’s placing on me and I have no idea if I’m up to the task. If we lose this war, there’s a good chance it’ll be because of me. But looking at Jasper’s serene expression, the smile playing on his lips, the steely determination in his eyes, courage and hope flood my chest.
“We’re going to win this, Max,” he says again, then plants one last kiss on my forehead. “Now ... go.”
I nod, squeeze his hand one last time, hoping beyond hope that I get to feel his hands again, that I get to stare into his eyes again.
“Yes, Alpha,” I say, then before I collapse, I turn and jog toward the tree line. I don’t look back, I don’t dare search the rows and rows of wolves to my right for my friends, even for one last glance.
Instead, I run.
