For days, Jasper ran. He only slept when he collapsed from exhaustion and only ate when he could no longer ignore the hunger pains. He didn’t remember crossing the Blue Woods with its blue and mauve colored trees. He didn’t remember crossing the river he knew marked the line between the Namael and Maj territories. The grey wolf tackling him in the woods was his first indication of how far he’d travelled.
Jasper grunted with the impact of the wolf crashing into his side. He rolled and pulled himself to his feet, a growl rising in his throat. He crouched low, ready to launch himself at the dog. The grey wolf stood and watched as the tiger turned its wild blue gaze toward it. The cat’s eyes registered shock as the wolf shifted into a young man with deep brown eyes and shaggy dark brown hair.
“Jasper! By the moons, what happened? I’ve had the worst feeling the past week. I just finally got away and started on my way home and low and behold, I run into you on the Maj side of the river.” Luke watched the tiger shift into a dirty and bloodied Jasper.
The brothers stared at each other for a moment before all of Jasper’s strength left him. He sat heavily, his face in his hands. Luke knelt in front of him and simply waited until his brother looked up. The pain and sadness in the blue eyes was enough of an answer for him.
“How?” He choked the word out, not bothering to wipe the tears running down his face.
“A pack of dogs. Dad, Jared and Mum were sick. I left Jane to look after them while I went hunting. I was maybe ten minutes away.” He took a long shuddering breath. “I felt it, Luke. I felt her die.”
Luke swore under his breath. He asked the next question, sure that he didn’t want to hear the answer. “What did the pack do to them?”
“Mum was shifted by the door. She must have tried to keep them out. Dad was still in his bed. They…” Jasper’s throat tightened and he cleared it. “They smothered Jared.” He closed his eyes and his hands balled into fists. “Jane’s hands were tied behind her back. Her dress was ripped… When they were done with her, they slit her throat.”
Luke had never been one to fight. His safety while growing up had depended on his ability to remain anonymous. Jasper had only seen Luke lose control once in the years they had grown up together. One of the town boys had thought it funny to tease Jane, who was nine at the time, until she’d cried. Jasper had rounded the corner and found Luke pummeling the boy which he’d pinned to a tree. The wild look on his face had been enough to make Jasper think his adopted brother had been about to shift and so he’d pulled the Maj away from the fight. That look had been nothing compared to this one.
Luke tossed his canteen to Jasper. “Have a drink and wash your face.” He rummaged through his pack until he’d found a tunic. “Then, put this on.” Jasper did as he was told. They stood and looked intently at each other. A strange calm came over them.
“Let’s go.” Luke started to lead the way deeper into Maj territory. “If we run into anyone, be civil and whatever you do, don’t shift.” He didn’t wait for an answer before breaking into a jog. Jasper simply nodded and followed.
It took two days to reach Luke’s den and both of them sighed with relief when they walked through the door without having run into anyone.
Mel looked up from the book she was reading. Her long black hair was up in a bun. Her dark brown eyes lit up at the sight of Luke.
“You’re back already?” She stood then stopped short at the sight of her brother-in-law. “Jasper? By the moons, what are you doing here? Have you gone insane?” She frowned at the identical determined and pained looks on the brothers’ faces. “What happened?”
Luke dropped his pack on the ground and kissed her lightly. “Can you get a bath ready for Jasper? He’ll need some food as well. I don’t think he’s eaten in a few days. I have to run out.” He looked outside to judge the time. “I’ll be home before dark.”
“But…”
“Mel, love… please. I’ll explain when I get back, but I need to leave now.” The anger on his features kept her from arguing, though she knew it wasn’t directed at her.
Luke shared a look with Jasper then disappeared back out into the woods.
“Would you like a bath or food first?”
Jasper’s stomach told him to say food, but as he looked from his dirty pants to Mel’s clean living room, he opted for the bath. “I’ll fetch the water,” he offered.
Once the tub was full and the water was heating, Mel set about getting the stew reheated. She looked from the kitchen to the living room, where Jasper seemed stuck to the entrance.
“How’s your sister doing? And baby Jared; he must be getting big.” She stopped stirring as he swallowed hard and suddenly, everything fell into place. She rushed to the living room and put her arms around him. “By the moons, Jasper, I’m so sorry! I should have known you didn’t come all this way just for a visit.”
He rested his chin on her head and hugged her tightly as her own tears soaked into his tunic.
“All of them?” Her voice was muffled against his arm.
He took a few deep breaths to try and keep the tightness in his chest away. “All of them.” He kissed the top of her head and wiped an arm over his face to get rid of the tears. “I’d better have that bath before Luke gets back or he’ll give me a beating.”
Mel smiled despite the sadness she felt. She’d seen the brothers spar. They were so evenly matched that more often than not, the sparring sessions ended with a truce.
Jasper was just handing Mel his empty bowl when Luke came running into the den.
“There were four. They stopped here one night ago and didn’t do much talking other than to brag about what they’d done.” His jaw clenched.
Mel’s heart started to race. “What are you planning on doing?”
Luke exchanged a look with his brother before looking at his mate without answering her.
“Luke! You can’t just hunt them down!”
Jasper growled. “And why not?”
“There are laws for things like this!”
“Laws?” It was Luke’s turn to growl. “Your laws won’t give a damn about a family of Namaels murdered by a pack of Majs!”
“My laws? By the moons, Luke, they’re your laws as well!”
He shook his head, reached for his extra dagger and stuck it in his belt. “I may turn into a wolf, Mel, but I was raised a tiger.” He tossed Jasper the dagger he kept under the couch. “They killed my family.”
Jasper’s eyes widened as his brother pulled a third dagger from a drawer in the kitchen.
“Why, in the name of the moons, do you have so many knives?”
Luke handed the dagger to Mel. “I’ve already had to kill one man who found out I’d been raised on the other side of the river.” He looked intently at Mel. “Do you remember?”
Her eyes filled with tears and she nodded. He leaned down and kissed her softly. “Keep it on you just in case.” Without another word, the brothers left.