I stopped for a moment when I got into the bathroom to contemplate taking a nice soak in Jasper's tub. I knew I didn't have the time for all that so I quickly put my hair up, found the controls on the shower and started it. My slightly sore muscles loosened at the warm water hitting my skin and I sighed in relief. Jasper had really worked me in just that short time.
Despite the fact that I was fairly sated, I could feel myself wanting nothing more than to climb back into Jasper's bed and have a repeat all night. The only thing that stopped me was the fact that, in all the years I had worked at the restaurant, I had not missed a day unless it was the full moon or I was too sick to roll out of bed, which didn't happen often. Responsible came before pleasure at all times, regardless of the circumstances. I had learned a long time ago to put my priorities in order.
I steeled myself against thoughts of skipping out on work and instead turned my mind to the mound of homework I would need to catch up on when I got in from work. My mind was occupied and I was in the midst of rinsing off my body when shouts came from the room followed by a crash. Quickly, I shut off the water and wrapped a towel around myself, heading out to see what the problem was. In the bedroom, one of the few vases was broken on the floor near a wall like it had been thrown against it. Jasper was in the middle of the room, glaring at my brothers whom I was guessing just gave him some pretty bad news.
Since we had finished the mating, I should have had the ability to look into his thoughts but Jasper blocked me. I frowned at him but went closer, urged by Nina, and ran a hand over the nape of his neck and down to his hand. His tense shoulders visibly relaxed at my touch and his eyes snapped to me. When he saw me standing there in nothing but a towel, he growled softly and lust light up his eyes.
"What's going on?" I asked, glancing at my brothers.
"Luna." The acknowledged in unison, bowing their heads.
"Ugh, guys, skip the whole 'Luna' and just call me 'sis' or my name. I'm not even apart of this pack, technically." I shrugged. Jasper and my brothers all opened their mouths to speak but I held up my hand. "Ah-ah, not right now. What's going on?"
"We have big trouble coming our way. Everything is downstairs for the briefing, Lun-Lena. We can do this in the Alpha's office if you'd both like to get filled in completely. As soon as he can get down there and open the door, we'll be ready to pull it up on the big screen." Jacob gruffly replied when Jason hesitated.
That was one thing I always loved about Jacob, he was always up front where Jason would want to protect me. When things had gone south after my parents had left, he'd been the one to at least tell me the truth. They might have both turned on me but Jacob had been the most honest when it happened. Jason had just slowly began to snap at me and ignore me but Jacob had told me right out that he was feeling like I was to blame. If I couldn't say anything else about Jacob, which I could but now's not the time, at least he always gave it to me straight.
"Fine, let me get dressed and I'll be down in a moment." I told them, all business. They bowed and left, closing the door behind them. I turned to Jasper, "You need a shower before we head down so get that done. I'm assuming they've filled you in at least a bit by the shattered vase so I'll head down and get caught up before you get there and we'll go from there." I pecked his cheek and moved to try to run over to my room. I really need to bring some clothes over here. Before I could go too far, Jasper grabbed my hand and pulled me into his chest.
"You are going to be the best Luna that has ever walked the earth, Lena." He smiled. "Your clothes are all in my closet. I kind of had your brothers move you in while you were at school this morning. I was going to ask you when you got back and, kind of sort of, not give you a choice. 'Kay, bye." He kissed me and ran into the bathroom before I could reply. "Oh, my keys are on the nightstand." He ducked his head out of the bathroom quickly.
I chuckled and moved to the closet to get dressed, taking down my hair. I should have been angry about him moving my stuff without my permission but I was on a high with him and I wasn't about to ruin it. I dressed quickly and headed downstairs, making sure I grabbed the keys and my bag before I left the room. Downstairs, outside of Jasper's office, stood my brothers and Cory. I walked straight up to the office door and unlocked it, pushing the doors open for the guys behind me.
"I got your note." I whispered to Cory when my brothers stepped back out to grab some files. "Cory, I thought we were friends and you were passed all that dating stuff."
"What note?" He asked, confused.
"The note you left on my door, asking me out."
"Lena, you know I care about you more than I should but I didn't leave you a note. I wouldn't do something so stupid, especially when we've established our friendship so well. We might not be what I want but I'm not stupid enough to ruin what we are." He murmured, truth blaring out in his words. My eyebrows pulled together as my brothers walked back in and I shelved that information for later. The only thing I couldn't stop from going through my mind was, if Cory didn't write the note, who had written it and signed his name to it?
"Alright. Fill me in." I ordered, throwing my bag on one of the seats and sitting at Jasper's desk casually, putting my thoughts on the task at hand. Jason, ever tech-savvy one, booted up Jasper's computer.
"Um, we've got a problem here. I need his password." Jason announced.
"Try 'Lena'." Jacob suggested and Jason's fingers moved across the keys.
"Nope. Sorry, but that's not it." Jason sighed.
"Oh, just move." I ordered, shooing him. I cracked his system and found the password in under two minutes. "Voila." I smiled just as Jasper came in the room.
"Are you hacking my computer?" He teased as he made his way to me.
"Hm, maybe a little." I smirked. "That was quick, I didn't even get a chance to get filled in yet."
"Alright." He leaned down and kissed me. "Cliff notes version, your little stalker friend decided he didn't mind taking his father's pack to attack ours. He's basically declared war. Caught up?"
"I think so. So you're saying Harper, who left his old pack because his father was forcing him to marry, has gone back to that pack after starting some sick obsession with me and he's waged war over it. Am I in the ballpark?" I replied somewhat incredulous.
"Oh yeah." Jason smirked, setting the big screen up and flipping through some files. "If you'd direct your eyes to the screen, Alpha, Luna."
"Jason, if you don't stop with the 'Luna' crap, your voice is going to end up a few notches higher if you know what I mean." I smiled sweetly despite my words.
"Got it, sis." He muttered, pointing to the screen. "Since you've had a security detail on him, we followed while he approached his old pack. There he challenged his father, claiming it was the strength of his mate that made him strong enough to beat him. Presumably, when he spoke of a mate, he was speaking of Lena since he seemed to have deluded himself into believing she's his." Jason clicked a button and a video of two large wolves began. "As you can see, they fought, he won and now the pack is all his. No marriage required, which would leave him available for his 'mate'."
"He works fast." I murmured. It was baffling how quick he had made leaps from showing up at my apartment, to the stalk-ish behavior, to trashing my apartment. And now he was raging war against Jasper's pack, all to get to me. Oh, goodie.
"Yeah, he's a man on a mission." Jacob scoffed, taking the little remote from Jason. "Since taking over his father's pack, he's been right back down here in our faces. According to some intel, he's been keeping in contact with his pack, however, they won't attack until a specific date. Our sources couldn't get more. We tried to hack all his communication devices but we've had no luck."
"Great." I said sarcastically. I sat there for a long minute, processing before i had an "Aha!" moment. "Do you still have the devices on file?"
"Uh, yeah." Jason said, typing away. "Here you go."
"Perfect. Give me ten and I'm going to need a large, French Vanilla Cappuccino. Two Splendas." I ordered, getting to work. "Today!" I ordered when nobody moved. At my words the guys snapped out of it and Jacob rushed out to get it. Cory, Jasper and Jason watched me while I worked, breaking through firewalls and passwords. I had gotten so much better over the years. I sipped my Cappuccino, after Jacob got back with it, as I worked. "Finished." I grinned, sending the information to the bigger screen.
"That was amazing, sis. How'd you do that?" Jason inquired in awe.
"I've always been slightly tech-savvy myself and I had to get better over the years. When I left, I had to create an identity that would get me through school and, possibly, through the rest of my life. I learned quick how to hack into federal databases, which wasn't technically legal but at the time I didn't care. I created a whole new person in less than a week. This was like child's play after that. I've been getting better and better as time goes on." I shrugged.
"Still amazing." Cory whispered, speaking for the first time since Jasper had entered the room. I tipped my cup and nodded in thanks for the compliment.
"Looks like the D-day is supposed to be May thirteenth." Jason said. "What's so important about that date?"
"I think I can answer that." I scoffed, getting up and going to the big screen. "It's my graduation date." I chuckled with no humor, taking a sip of my drink. Well, looks like my graduation just went to hell in a hand basket.
"Whatever he's planning, no matter what, my pack will stand with you." Cory spoke up yet again.
"The only reason you want to stand with us, is because you have a sick obsession with my mate as well. What makes you think I want another one of you around? Harper's enough trouble." Jasper spat.
"Let him help." I interrupted. "We might need him and..., and I think he loves me enough not to turn on me. Harper let the love he had for me poison his mind, I don't think Cory will." I paused, looking at Jasper. "I trust him. He's become a great friend to me and.., I trust him."
"Yeah, well, you trusted the asshole too and see where that got us." He snapped back.
"As fucked up as it is, Jasper, I do truly care about Lena. I've grown to.., to really love her in the short time she's been here as both a friend and, in some ways, more. All I want is her happy and healthy and this Harper guy is messing that up. So it might not be ideal, but my pack will stand with yours against this guy. I won't let Lena be hurt." Cory broke in.
"I can usually tell pretty well when somebody is lying and he's not. I trust him, Jasper. That should be enough for you. If it's not, I really don't give a damn." I said coldly.
At that point, my mating high was completely gone and all I could think of was survival. With those words, I grabbed my bag and headed out, tossing my cup as I went. I had work to get to. Life wasn't going to stop for some deluded psycho with an agenda..., at least my life wasn't going to.