Azara Origins

Chapter 13: Control

Azara woke up and found herself curled into Jasper. He smiled at her, and she smiled back.

"How are you?" Jasper asked, concern washing over his face.

She felt her side and nodded.

"Good."

He relaxed. "I'm sorry... I should have been able to protect you."

"Don't be... you are still my hero," Azara responded, meeting his gaze.

After several moments she asked, "Was it hard?"

Jasper looked at her, uncomprehending.

"Killing Maria?" Azara clarified.

"Yes... and no," Jasper answered hesitantly.

"What do you mean?" she asked, tilting her head.

Jasper waited several moments before responding.

"When I was with Maria... what I thought we had was love..." Jasper said, his eyes going hard. "I was wrong... When I met you... all that disappeared."

Azara nodded, then kissed him and slid out of bed.

Time Skip

Jasper, Azara, Drake, Rex, and Dusty walked on a rocky trail towards their regular hunting spot, Dusty grumbling to himself as they walked.

The rocky ground crunched beneath them while the sunlight filtered between the canopy above the group.

"Why do we have to help him hunt?" Dusty muttered.

Azara rolled her eyes. "We do not have to help him hunt. We are here for support." Azara kissed Jasper teasingly.

"Yuck," Rex said, wrinkling his nose. Drake, Azara, and Jasper rolled their eyes.

"Help...help," a male voice yelled. The group exchanged looks before running towards the voice.

They rounded a turn in the trail, which opened into a clearing. In the middle of the path, lay a man in a hiker's outfit. Blood pooled around the man's leg, where a gnarly animal bite festered.

Azara immediately looked at Jasper, who twitched.

"Jasper, NO!" Azara yelled, as Jasper lunged at the hiker who had passed out from blood loss.

Drake and Rex tried to grab him, but he shook them off and reached towards the man.

Dusty barreled into Jasper, and they both rolled down the hill. Jasper thrashed as Dusty tried to pin him down, but Jasper grabbed him and threw him into a tree.

Dusty slammed into the tree and fell to the ground.

Jasper stood, only to be tackled by Azara. She pinned his arms behind him as he snarled and tried to get away.

"Jasper, stop, please," Azara begged.

Jasper could not seem to hear her.

"This isn't you," Azara cried. "Don't do this."

Rex and Drake slid down the hill towards them.

"Stay back!" Azara commanded as Jasper broke free and tried to get to the hiker, but Azara managed to get ahold of him at the last second.

"Get the hiker out of here," Azara ordered. Drake and Rex nodded and ran to the hiker.

She twisted both of Jasper's arms behind his back while he struggled.

"Look at me!" Azara commanded Jasper.

Jasper stopped struggling.

Azara still had him pinned.

A long moment passed.

"What did I do?" Jasper asked, not looking at her. Azara released him, and they both fell back on the ground.

She did not answer for several minutes. "You tried to get to the hiker and threw Dusty into a tree," Azara said, wrapping her arms around herself.

Jasper put his head in his hands. "Azara, did I hurt you?"

"No."

She stood and helped him to his feet. Across from them, Dusty stood and stalked towards them.

"I told you he could not quench his thirst for human blood," Dusty said coldly.

Azara gave a warning snarl.

"How can you still love him?" Dusty shouted. "He could have killed me, Rex, and Drake or—"

"But he didn't," Azara said, cutting him off. Azara turned to Jasper.

"You should have killed him," Dusty muttered.

She froze... walked towards Dusty... and punched him in the face.

Dusty stumbled backwards as Azara turned away from both Jasper and Dusty and stormed off.

Time Skip

Azara sat on the rocky ledge overlooking the valley. The setting sun glinted off the green grass that moved gently in the breeze. Azara stared at an inchworm that scooted across a dark green leaf.

"May I sit?" Jasper asked from behind her.

She nodded as a wave of calm descended over her.

"Don't calm me now," Azara asked. "I need to be able to think."

He nodded, respectively.

They were both silent for several long moments.

"Before I left my friends, Peter and Charlotte, Peter told me about a coven up north that feasted on animals and not humans..."

Azara was silent for several moments. "You want to go."

Jasper was silent. "I can't be your hero if I hurt you."

She looked into Jasper's eyes.

"This was never my plan..." Jasper told her as he wound a piece of grass around her ring finger. "This was."

Jasper kissed her, and she wound her arms around his neck. They pulled apart and she leaned into him. He put both arms around her.

"I need to do this...I could never live with myself if I hurt you." Jasper said as he held her.

She nodded. "How long?"

"However long it takes for you to be safe," he responded, kissing her hand with the grass ring.

"How will you find the coven? How will we keep in touch? How-,"

Azara stopped when Jasper kissed her again.

"We'll figure it out."

Time Skip

Azara had helped Jasper pack after they had worked out their plan.

"Send me a letter?" Azara asked.

"I will," Jasper said, slinging a leather duffle bag over his shoulder. "Thank you, Azara."

She kissed him. "Come back to me when you are ready... I will wait."

Rex and Drake opened the door with sad but hopeful smiles.

Jasper breathed and walked through.

"Jasper."

He turned as Azara ran to him and kissed him... one last time.