The Beast of Fox Hill

Forty Three

A voice called my name and pulled me from my slumber. I felt sore and my neck was stiff. I groaned a bit, but the voice called again, this time sounding more urgent. 

"Jasper, wake up," it called. This time I realized it was Cassander who was speaking and as though it were an instinct, I wrapped my arms around his body and pulled him to me like a child would their favorite teddy bear. His soft lips touched my forehead, sending a shiver through my body. 

"It's time to go with Liam," he said softly. I groaned as I sat up, still clinging to Cassander's body. 

"I don't want to go without you," I pout, my eyes still shut and my brain half asleep.

"I know but you have to. We have to keep you safe until we figure everything out here," he gently coaxes me out of my slumber. I open my eyes and as if the world had changed overnight, my eyes landed on him and it was like everything paused, like he was the gravity keeping me on Earth. 

"I know baby, it's weird but we will get used to it," he said, but then I blinked a few times and shook my head. His lips didn't move when he spoke. 

"What the hell?" I ask and he just laughs. 

"I didn't know if it would work but apparently we can mind link now," he says with a smile.

"Holy shit," I mumble and a loud repetitive knock comes to the door. 

"Rise and shine darlings we have places to be!" Liam's voice calls. Cassander makes his way to the door and opens it, standing in Liam's view. 

"She just woke up and will be ready in a few minutes," he says to Liam, and over his shoulder I can see Liam trying to peek at me and I see a sly smile on his face. 

"Oh I know that smell," he says with a wiggle of his eyebrows. 

"Liam can you just not," Cassander says rubbing his hand down his face. 

"But I must! Can I see her mark?" he says with excitement.

"Wait how do you know I'm marked?" I ask from across the room. Liam pushes his way into the room and I am grateful I am wrapped in blankets as he enters. Cassander lets out a growl and makes his way over to me. 

"You smell of dog and sex," Liam says as though it is simply a fact. "Let's see the artwork!" he says as he leans in and looks where Cassander bit me last night, but a second later his eyes look wide, shock and concern growing on his face. "That, that, that doesn't look like a mark I have ever seen, old friend," he says to Cassander. 

"I know." 

"What is it? I haven't seen it yet," I say wondering what could possibly be on my body. I wrap the blankets around me like a dress and make my way to the in suite bathroom. There, I lean over the bathroom sink to get a good look at the mark but as soon as I see it, I scrunch my nose in confusion. 

"What's the big deal?" I ask looking at the black and red marbled looking tattoo on my shoulder. It depicted a large wolf with huge fangs and a girl. The wolf was mostly marbled but the girl was almost all red, and the entire tattoo looking mark was circled in swirls and details. 

"Marks are always just black," Cassander says. "I'm sure it's just because you're human and it took differently to your DNA," he says, but it almost sounds like he was trying to convince himself rather than me. Liam, who was behind us, looked concerned and as though he knew something more but I wasn't going to push him on the subject. 

"Alright, time to get going!" Liam said, his face going back to his normal cheerful looking self, which brought me an ounce of comfort. 

"Has Kyrell left with Alethea and Rhydian yet?" Cassander asked looking to Liam.