I didn’t have a chance to catch up with Omar or Mason after their little walk so I’m gagging to find out what went down, but with Mason’s dad right there this doesn’t seem the right time to ask.
Before we eat, Jasper stands, clinking his fork against a water glass.
“Excuse me,” he says as the room quietens. “I won’t keep you from your dinner long. But I thought I should ...”
His voice seems to catch in his throat as his eyes scan the room. Perhaps he’s registering the severity of this moment, the importance of the speech he’s about to give. I sneak a hand, hidden beneath the table, to his leg, squeezing his shin and trying to send him some comfort. He coughs into a fist before continuing.
“I thought I should share a story with you all. It has on occasion crossed my mind what would happen if I were to lose my father. It’s with the moon gods’ blessing that he is still with us, but due to his condition I have been tasked with leading my pack during this time of intense upheaval, in which turmoil and fear are in no short supply.”
The room watches Jasper raptly, not a single wolf moving to sip their drink or whisper to their neighbor.
“I had thought when this time came,” Jasper goes on, “that I would feel lost, afraid, without direction, and yes, there have been moments when I’ve been scared or tired or wanted to run away. But instead, I have faced this trial, not without worry, but knowing that I have everything I need to ensure the safety of thepeople I care about. And there have been a few things ... people, who have helped me do this.
“Firstly, I need to thank Alpha Morven of the Rocky Pack.” He turns to look at Morven, who nods benevolently. “Your allyship is the difference between success and failure. I am proud and honored that you would stand by us. In this dark time, when wolfkind is divided, you have shown your strength and integrity a thousandfold.”
Jasper claps and the room follows suit, applauding for the alpha.
“Next, my friends and colleagues of the Elite Pack,” he nods at Salazar and Olivia, then to Aisha, whose eyes are welling up. “There are no other wolves I would wish to call family.”
Then he looks at me and my face is instantly on fire, is he about to do what I think he’s going to?
“And finally, Max, my mate, has been here with me through all of this. He cares for this pack as much as I do, and as much as I care about him. We’ve been through struggles before, and the fact that we are here now, standing in front of you all, strong, committed, ready for anything, is a testament to the strength of our bond. Max, you’ve taught me so much about what it means to lead, what it means to trust and to love. You are my reason for continuing on, you are the reason I see no other option than to fight and to win.”
Jasper turns back to address the room at large, his square jaw lifted, his eyes burning with the fire of determination. He looks like a real leader, a true ... alpha.
“That bond, the one I share with every wolf in this room, and every wolf out there waiting for the battle that is coming,that...” His voice rises, booming across the room like he’s amplified by a microphone, it vibrates in me, and I hum with pride. “That,” he says, “is why I know we can win tomorrow night. When the Axis Pack comes to attack us, to destroy our wayof life, to make the world smaller, to profit the few instead of the many, to close the minds of our packs and to take all that we’ve built away from us ... we will be here, ready for them, standing strong as one pack, one pack under the moon.”
Suddenly a wolf toward the back of the room stands, their chair clattering to the ground behind them, clapping like mad. Then another sprouts up and another. Roused by Jasper’s speech, one by one, every wolf in the room rises to their feet. I leap up too, clapping like a wild-wolf.
“And together,” Jasper finishes in an epic crescendo, “we will win this war!”
Every wolf in the room is on their feet cheering and applauding, throwing their fists into the air. Jasper gives one more battle cry, punching the air, then as the celebration continues, he turns to me.
“You’re my pack, Max,” he says and pulls me into his chest.
For the rest of the meal, I struggle to eat. Jasper’s speech was amazing, it was exactly what the room needed to feel ready and willing to go to battle. But for me it’s brought up this strange feeling of dread. Maybe it’s guilt about not telling him about college, or maybe it’s preemptive guilt about what I may have to do based on Mitsuha’s warning. If everything Jasper said is true, if I’m his family, then shouldn’t I be staying?
Jasper has some last-minute discussions to have after dinner. I decide to head outside, where the troops are eating around a bonfire. On the way out, however, Tobias intercepts me, latching on to my arm to stop from leaving the dining room.
“I thought I might steal a word,” he says. I look from his face to where his hand is holding my bicep. His face pales and, panicked, he retracts his hand. “Apologies, I just thought it rather dire that I speak with you.”
“Sure,” I say, trying to be patient. “What can I do for you?”
“Well ... I just wondered if you’d thought about what I’d said, about the marking ceremony.”
“Are you serious?” I ask. “We’re going to wartomorrow; how can you think about that now?”
“Because it’s integral to our society. It’s important that we solidify the bonds of the pack. Like Jasper said in his speech—”
“If you think Jasper’s speech was about a marking ceremony then I don’t think you were listening hard enough.”
“Listen,” he says, putting his hands up in surrender. Clearly this guy doesn’t do well with conflict. Good thing he’s on the front line of a war zone. “I only mean to let you know there is still time, and I think it would really bolster the troops. We could do it tomorrow in the morning, down by the lake perhaps.”
“I’ll think about it,” I say, then leave without waiting to hear more.
“Just let me know,” he calls after me, but I don’t turn around.
ONE NIGHT AT THE END OF THE WORLD
