DESTINED, jasper hale [book 01] ✓

xxx. make me an offer

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𝐃𝐄𝐒𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐄𝐃

❀ 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘳𝘵𝘺: 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘮𝘦 𝘢𝘯 𝘰𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘳

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𝐤𝐚𝐲𝐚 𝐬𝐚𝐥𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐞

     DEEP IN THE TREES, far from Washington, Demetri and Kaya are at odds.

     He wants to inform Aro of the changes that have been made to the Treaty between the Quileutes and the Cullens, but Kaya would much prefer to keep it under wraps. Not to mention, it only concerns one of the Cullens — Alice — and none of the others. Aro has no need of knowing of the possibility of Kathleen becoming a Cullen, and of her and Alice most likely getting married some time in the future. In Kaya's opinion, those small details are of no importance to the Volturi or its leaders.

     "Kaya, I have to tell him something," Demetri protests. "It's been far too long without useful information from you and Kathleen."

     "Then tell him that the Treaty has been modified to incorporate myself and Kathleen," Kaya hisses in return, making the Tracker recoil. "I don't care what, but make sure it's believable."

     "If he reads my mind you know that I can't keep this from him."

     "Make sure it doesn't come to that. Be convincing. I'll be the one to tell him when I return to the Volturi next year."

     The perks Demetri's interest. "You're coming back?"

     Kaya nods sharply. "Something is going to happen next year, and it's going to shatter what calm the Cullens have made with Isabella Swan. It will drive them away from here, and everything will go to hell in a handbasket for them." Kaya picks up the sound of footfalls. "You best be going. Someone is coming."

     The cheeky vampire salutes and speeds away, leaving her standing alone in the middle of a forest. It's not long after he leaves that a wolf trots up beside the vampire. From the grey-brown fur and relatively tall height, and the dark grey fur around his eyes that kind of resembles a mask, Kaya can tell that it's Jared. His black eyes give her a disbelieving look, knowing exactly who his friend was talking to due to his superior eyesight and enhanced hearing.

     He crouches down slightly and motions for Kaya to climb onto his back with his rather large head. Rolling her eyes, she jumps up and slings her leg over his broad back, burying her fingers into his long, thick fur and holding on as he rises to his feet and balances himself. With what appears to be a grin on his face, he quickly turns and sprints into the trees, making Kaya let out an initial small exclamation of shock, her hold tightening on his fur.

     Moments later, Kaya gets used to the feeling and lets go, holding onto Jared with her legs and flinging her arms up into the air. She let out a loud cheering noise and Jared echoes it with a howl, making the vampire laugh out in delight. She feels like a child in this moment, and it's something she has desperately missed, and needed, for ages. The shape-shifter beneath her swerves to the right and Kaya falls forward, hunkering down and gripping his fur once again as her red eyes scan the area.

     A loud bang resonates in her ears and she drags Jared to the right, forcing him out of the bullet's path. It buries itself into the trunk of a tree and Kaya lets out a low hiss at the close call, Jared letting out a small whine at how tightly she is holding onto his fur. Loosening her hold, Kaya calls out directions for him to dodge the bullets, and it's a close call each time. One of them scrapes Jared's flank, and another somehow buries itself into Kaya's upper arm.

     "Fuck," Kaya curses. "It's a hunter."

     Jared whines back at the female vampire.

     "I know. Just keep moving. Go faster if you can, Jared. We need to get back to Forks."

     He grunts in agreement and the ground beneath them blurs as he runs at a supernatural speed through the trees. Kaya presses her body against his back to lower the amount of resistance against the wind and try her best not to breathe, the smell of dog quite potent and sickening being so close to the shape-shifter. Shots are continually fired at them, but soon they're out of range and on the home stretch back to Washington, relief pulsing from both Jared and Kaya.

     A minute later, the grey-brown wolf skids to a stop not too far from the Cullen residence and Kaya slides off, instantly checking where the bullet grazed his flank. Parting the fur, she sees the wound still fresh and bleeding, and she can smell something strange. Scoffing, Kaya covers the wound with her hand and tries something she has never done before: siphoning a wound. At first, nothing happens, but then there's a flare of pain on Kaya's thigh before it ebbs away into nothing.

     Jared bumps his head against the vampire and growls softly.

     Kaya shakes her head. "The bullet was laced with something, and the wound wasn't healing. So I siphoned your wound. Whatever was on those bullets only affects wolves, like you, Jared."

     He huffs and rolls his eyes, giving her an 'are you serious?' look.

     "Don't look at me like that, you cheeky bugger. It could have killed you."

     "You were shot at?" Jasper demands, walking up behind Kaya and making Jared bare his teeth and growl. Kaya places her hand on his side and turns to look at her Mate. "Kaya, what were you doing out there? With a wolf no less."

     Kaya blinks, caught off-guard by the honey blond's blatant hatred for wolves. "Jazz, all Jared did was come pick me up. I was meeting up with Demetri, and I wasn't letting him come to your house no matter what Carlisle or Esme said. As much as I trust the Tracker, I will not let him near your family."

     "Our family, Kaya. You're a part of this family, but the wolf isn't."

     "I have known him and his family longer than I've known Carlisle and his, except for you and Kathleen, and I will not abandon him — or the other Quileutes — unless it's absolutely necessary. Also, they are our family. I mean, wasn't our daughter Imprinted on by Embry? Wasn't Alice?"

     "Kaya—"

     "No, Jasper. There's nothing you can say that can change that fact. Jared is as much my family as much as you and Kathleen are. The same goes with Embry and Sam and Paul, and whatever other Quileute wolves end up phasing by the end of all this."

     Jasper speeds over and covers his Mate's mouth, a soft smile on his face. "No, darlin'. I was goin' to say that you're right."

     Jared makes a choking sound, and all Kaya can figure is that he's laughing.

     Kaya whacks him. "Go home, Jared. Thanks for the ride. Tell Sam and the others that there might be some hunters wandering around."

     The wolf's tongue lolls out for a second before he speeds off, and Kaya can't help but laugh at his version of poking his tongue out. Jasper chuckles beside her and moves his arms so they're around her waist. Kaya can't help but roll her eyes at the familiar comfortable position — her back against his front, and her hands resting on his atop her abdomen.

     Right now, things couldn't be better, but things are going to get so much worse over the next few months, and there's nothing Kaya can do to stop it.