Crossing Enemy Lines

Chapter Three : Her - Jasper

The girl I’ve been dreaming about surpasses everything I could’ve hoped.

I sit in Artemis’ purple room, smiling as she does her homework a full two weeks after we first met. I was surprised when she’d asked me to come over, but I was overjoyed all the same. Her large t-shirt covers up most of the curves I know are there, but the shorts she wears doesn’t leave much to the imagination. I lean over and kiss her neck. She giggles and pushes me away half-heartedly. I turn her head and press my lips to hers.

“Take a break,” I whisper, “Come on.” She shakes her head and leans back in her chair.

“I have to finish this,” she tells me, “I’m almost done. Are you hungry?” I nod and flop on her bed. She looks at me and gives me a warm smile. I roll over and pull open the drawer of her nightstand. She spins her chair around and smirks as I pull out a blunt and a lighter.

“You mind if I smoke this?” I ask. She chuckles and nods. She gets up and moves to lay next to me. She kisses me softly.

“Come on, let me make dinner and then we’ll smoke. But you still need to go home,” she reminds, moving to straddle my hips. I swallow and move to put my hands on her hips. She leans down and presses her lips to mine. I smile as we kiss and roll so that I’m on top of her. She smiles and kisses me tenderly. My hands run through her hair as I kiss her neck.

“You are so beautiful,” I murmur into her ear. She sighs into my ear and shivers when my cool hands take in the skin hiding under her shirt. I kiss her lips again and smile when she pulls my shirt over my head. She tosses it unceremoniously from the bed and lets me pull her little black shorts off of her long, copper legs. I run my hand down her legs, pausing at her knee, and hitch it up to wrap around my hips. She kisses me harder, as if she’s been waiting to do exactly that. I smile and slip a hand into her green panties that stand out against her hot skin. She squeezes her eyes shut and lets out a low sigh. I kiss her as I run my fingers across her hot, wet skin. She arches into my hand, quiet purrs escaping from her sweet mouth. Her eyes open quickly, and she pushes me back. Stunned, I look at her with wide eyes, wondering if I’d gone too far. A second later, her door opens. An elderly woman stands in the door and crosses her arms.

“If he’s here, leave the door open. Hello, I’m Alice.” She says with a warm smile.

“I’m Jasper. Thank you for having me,” I stammer. She smirks and hands me my shirt. I pull in on quickly.

“Artemis, you need to be getting to bed soon.” Arty’s head bobs up and down twice, wordlessly. She gives her Healer a knowing smile before leaving the room. Artemis meets my eyes and covers her mouth, stifling her laughs. I laugh to before she pulls me to lay down with her and pull the blankets and sheets over myself.

“Are you still hungry?” she asks. I shake my head and bury my face in her neck. She presses close to me and closes her eyes.

“Did I go too far?” She chuckles as she turns out her lamp.

“It was fine with me. But I do think we should wait a little before, uh,” she pauses and then quietly adds, “Sleeping together. I, uh, I never have with a guy before. That okay with you?” I smile against her neck.

“Of course, Arty. Whatever you’re comfortable with.” She nods and rolls over in my arms, so we face each other.

“But I’m okay with other stuff. Until then.” I arch an eyebrow and smile when she kisses me.

“I don’t want to make you feel uncomfortable. We’ve only really known each other for a short time. And I don’t want to rush you either.” She smirks and presses her lips to mine. Artemis buries her face in my shoulder.

“What’d you tell your parents?” she asks me sleepily.

“That a friend invited me to spend the weekend. So, it’s not technically a lie.” She smiles and kisses me lightly before returning her face to my shoulder. I smile and stroke her hair as she breathes deeply. Holding her in my arms, I feel complete. Like I’d found the half of me I’d been missing.

When I wake up, Artemis is curled up against me still, her leg draped over me and her arm across my chest. I smile and stroke her back softly. She nestles closer to me and smiles in her sleep. Slowly, I ease myself out from under her and move to her bathroom, to shower. When I return, she’s sitting up, on her phone. I walk to her slowly, enjoying the view of her shapely legs, carelessly but with all the grace of the world, draped one over the other. She looks up at me, catching my lustful gaze. A smile tugs at the corners of my lips as a deep blush turns her cheeks a dusty rose color.

“Did you sleep well?” I ask her as I walk to her. She smiles as she moves to rest on her knees. She drapes her arms around my neck.

“Very,” she breathes out, her breath minty but also holding her scent. I’m drawn in by her scent. Every aspect she offers is meant to entice me. My lips meet hers tenderly, and I’m soon taken over by the passion that flows through me like waves crashing onto rocks. She pulls me close, backing up further onto her bed.

“Jasper.” My name flows from her mouth like a poem, and I never want her to stop saying it. We pull away all too soon. She gives me a sultry smile and bats her eyelashes at me.

“I want to take you somewhere,” she breathes softly. Her breath tickles my nose, minty and sweet. I smile as my arms encompass her waist. Heat wraps around me, not from her body, but from the sparks between us.

“You’re amazing,” she tells me softly, “Better than I could’ve imagined.” I roll my eyes and bury my face in her neck. It’s warm and smells like her. The back of my throat lights up in a dull ache. It’s been too long since I’ve fed. Or drank, rather. I pull away. If we go too long, we don’t have a preference for what we feed on. Anything will do. I pull away.

“Does the Healer keep blood?” I ask, an embarrassed blush crossing my cheeks. Understanding fills her warm, golden eyes. She nods and takes my hand, leading me down the stairs. Her mentor has drawn all the shades. I imagine she’s hiding me. She sits on the couch, her eyes fixed on the TV as she knits.

“We have blood, right?” Artemis asks softly. The Healer stands slowly, her brows pulling together ever so slightly. I can hear the creaking of her bones as she moves and the wheezing in her chest as she breathes. She walks out into the cool garage and digs through a small refrigerator.

“It’s wolf blood. When we’re injured, we need it. Next time, you bring your own blood. This is for emergencies,” she tells me as she sets a heavy hand on my shoulder. She pushes herself up the stairs, using me as help.

“Yes, ma’am. I apologize.” She hands me the jar of blood and moves back to the couch. I slip out of the room that Alice and Artemis linger in, and I begin drinking the blood. It doesn’t taste good, but I know that I need it. Artemis walks into the room and walks to me. As if it’s only natural, she wraps her arm around my waist.

“Why are you hiding?” she asks me quietly.

“This is ugly. You shouldn’t have to see this part of me.” She rolls her eyes and runs her thumb across my top lip. She wipes the blood away.

“Hey, look,” she breathes, “This is a part of you. You can’t change it.” I sigh and ignore her hand.

“Well, I doubt you’d let me see you as a wolf.” She rolls her eyes and smirks.

“I would, but I doubt change that much. Usually once a week. We just need to keep our inner wolf strong. The soul of my kind.” I nod and smile when she leans into me. I set the jar down, that dull ache now quelled, and wrap my arms around her. She smiles up at me before I lightly press my lips to hers. Her lips remained curled over her teeth in a beautiful smile.

“Are you still thirsty?” she asks me quietly. I shake my head and put the jar back where it belongs. Artemis tells Alice goodbye and leads me back to the garage. I get in and smirk when she weaves his hand through mine. I bring her hand to my lips.

“It’s crazy,” I tell her softly, “We haven’t even known each other for a month, and I can’t imagine my life without you. You’re my every waking thought, your scent lingers in my nose long after we’ve parted.” She blushes as my hand moves to rest on her knee.

“I know what you mean,” she breathes out, “I really want this to work.” I nod and lean my head against the window.

“What will happen if your parents find out?” I ask her.

“My dad is the Alpha. He can’t stand for mingling with Vampires. I’ll probably be exiled from the pack. But I’m the only one trained as a Healer, so I don’t know. It doesn’t matter. Whatever happens, will happen. What will your family do?”

“The same thing. My mom will stay in touch with me though.” It’s hard to think about. But we both know that, eventually, it will happen.

“I guess I should start planning for when they make me leave,” she says softly, her voice a bittersweet lullaby.

“We both should. They’re going to find out. I just hope that when they find out, one of us isn’t hurt.” She nods and sneaks a glance at me.

“We wouldn’t have to worry if we don’t see each other.” I raise my eyebrows and look at her as I pull my hand from hers. Hurt radiates through my chest.

“You’re not telling me that you can drop this, are you? Would it be easier for you if we ended this? You want to walk away?”

“Don’t say it like that. Of course, I don’t want to walk away. But it’d be easier than this. Sneaking around, worried every second that you’re going to be seen and killed. Look, we agreed to try. And I’m not giving up, yet. I just want you to know that we have other options.”

“Yet.”

“What?” She looks at me as she parks.

“You said yet. You’re not giving up, yet. So, you know that you’re going to. You’re not even giving this a chance?” She unbuckles her seat belt and turns to me.

“Jasper, Jas, you’re my mate. I can’t simply walk away from you. And I’m not planning on it. I am scared. I’m scared, Jas. I’m scared I’ll see you die. In real life.” I cup her face and wipe away the tears that tumble down her bronze cheeks.

“Look, Artemis, I’m not going to die. If they find out and it looks bad, I’ll run and wait for you.”

“What if they get the council­ —” I set my index finger on her lips.

“The council won’t interfere. Not until someone’s —”

“Dead. This is just a matter when they’d be called in. Interspecies conflicts.” I sigh and press my lips to hers.

“They won’t,” I say more to myself than to her.

“Okay. Okay, you’re right. This is a small thing. Let’s go inside.” She says the words, but I know she doesn’t believe them. The council is a big deal. They’re a group of peacekeepers, mediators, punishers. This could be something they would need to get involved in if the pack and coven can’t resolve it. It’s a council of a wolf from each pack, a vampire from each coven, a witch from each coven (the good ones), and a few other magical beings. They are called when there’s a conflict between groups that can’t be solved. This could be one of those things.