“Sorry,” I say, keeping my arms around him even after we’ve finished kissing hello. “Had to have a chat with your dad and Mal. That’s a shocking development.”
“Yeah, it’s wild, he’s changed so much in the last couple of years. He seems, almost, happy. It’s scary.”
“I know,” I say, laughing. “Terrifying. I guess he deserves it though. And what he’s planning is sort of groundbreaking. You should be proud.”
“Oh I am. Very proud. Not as proud as I am of you though.”
His smile is so sweet and intoxicating but I cast my eyes down at the sand.
“What is it?” he asks, and I pull away, taking a few steps down the beach.
“I’m sort of surprised you’d want to meet here,” I say, kicking a seashell a few feet.
“I actually come down here a lot.” He bends down into a crouch and dips his fingers into the wash of a fresh wave. “I like to come here to think.”
“Why’s that?”
Jasper stares off at the horizon, like he’s looking back in time.
“This beach is where I made one of the biggest mistakes of my life. I like to come here to remind myself never to do that again.”
I turn around and he stands.
“Max, nothing in my life has ever mattered as much as you. You’ve changed me and I can’t thank you enough. I—I don’t have the words for—”
“Wait,” I say, stepping to him and taking one of his hands. “I need to tell you something.”
“Is it about going off to college? We talked about that.”
“No, it’s—I mean, it’s like that but more.”
“More?” His confused expression is too adorable, he’s never looked more childlike.
“Yeah, I’ve been thinking, after what happened. I think I know why I was chosen to be the blood wolf, and I know what I want to do with these powers.”
“And that is ...?” He’s starting to sound concerned.
“I think I want to help bring people together. I want to travel, maybe just around the country, but also maybe the world, looking for people who need my help or who just need to feel connected to something bigger, looking for community. I want to let people know that we’re all part of one big pack.”
“That’s amazing. You should do that,” he says.
“But it means I’d be gone, like a lot, more than just a few years for college. It would mean we’d be apart most of the year and I know your place is here, that will never change and I—”
“Max.” He lowers his head until his forehead is resting on mine. “We’ve talked about this. We’re bound by fate. We can read each other’s minds. If anyone can make long distance work, it’s us.”
“I know. But this is a lot, it’s more than we talked about.”
“I know why you’re worried,” he says, stroking my cheek. “I get it. In the grand scheme of things, we’ve been given different roles to play. My responsibility is to the pack and now, thanks toyou, that responsibility means I get to help people from outside it as well. Fate is leading you on a different path. And that’s fine. It doesn’t mean we don’t still love each other, and it doesn’t mean we can’t make things work.”
Our lips find each other in a big, sad, sloppy kiss—one that says more than words could.
“I love you, Maximilian Remus. I’d go to the ends of the world to be with you. You have to know that by now.”
Those words echo in my head.The ends of the world.I have no idea where this next chapter in my life will take me, what roads my new mission will lead me down. The ends of the world could be more literal than ever. But looking into Jasper’s green eyes at this moment I know that no matter how far I run Jasper will always be here waiting for me.
“Let’s make a promise,” I say. “Every blue moon we make a date and no matter where in the world we are, no matter how busy, we have to keep it.”
He takes my hands in both of his and holds them to his chest.
