Blood Mates

Fixing a Relationship and Friendship

Alaia had thought it had been a dream, a confusing dream she couldn’t remember. She heard the name, and what she was told what was happening. But everything sounded like she was underwater, and for all she knew, they were lying to revive her.

It was her mom who helped her into the shower and wash her hair even though she no longer felt sick. But the dead look in her eyes gave it away; Sophia could see Alaia was left empty since her mating heat.

Depleted.

Broken.

And that feeling went nowhere as her mom helped her into a dark grey dress. Sophia then left the room after placing a sweet kiss to her daughter’s head. Alaia pulled on the bun her mom put her hair until her natural curls bounced down her spine. Rubbing the back of her head feeling a headache building, she suddenly heard it. 

Standing still like a frightened animal, Alaia heard every creek, every step, and then her door was opened. Jasper walked in slow, the house so quiet it made him more on edge. And then he saw her.  His Alaia.

And his heart shattered.

She looked paler, thin, and sad. But still beautiful, and still his Alaia. But her eyes were lost and unsure…something she’d never felt around him before. Jasper slowly walked to her and Alaia stepped back.

“Don’t you want to keep your distance? In case…?” Jasper shook his head and walked closer to her, “You wouldn’t hurt me.” Alaia’s green eyes filled with tears as she desperately wanted to know, “Do you really believe that?”

But as Jasper stood before her, she saw no fear in his eyes. Just concern as he kept observing her, “Yes.” Jasper told her confidently as he rubbed her cheek lovingly. Alaia breathed in his scent as melted into his arms.

Holding her against him hard, Jasper’s lips nuzzled her ear as he whispered, “Are you okay?” Alaia nodded slowly, “I was just a little under the weather. I’m fine.” Jasper c****d an eyebrow, “Vampires get sick? Give me a break.” Alaia breathed out and Jasper looked at her seriously, “No more bullshit Alaia. Tell me what’s going on with you.”

Alia peered up at him sadly, “It’ll only make you think I’m a monster.” Jasper shook his head in denial, “I’d never think you’re a monster.” Alaia pushed him back as she felt anger at the lie. Because she’d seen how he acted towards her that night and ever night since.

And while it wasn’t his fault, she was still hurting about it. “Alaia-.” Crying softly, Alaia whispered upset, “I saw how you looked at me that night Jasper,”

Shaking her head Alaia mumbled, “Like you didn’t know me? Like-like I was a stranger. Like you never knew me, and that what I was, frightened you.” Jasper closed his eyes and pulled Alaia closer to him. Cradling her face in his hands, Jasper rested his forehead against hers, “I’m sorry. I never made wanted to make you feel like I didn’t know you.”

Jasper sighed as he groaned out, “You portrayed yourself as this beautiful, cool, amazing seventeen-year-old girl. Turns out, your old enough to be my grandmother.” Alaia hit his arm frowning, “I am NOT that old!”

Jasper c****d an eyebrow, “Ugh babe, I can do hella good math. And when I crunch the numbers you should be, a hun-.” Alaia gripped Jasper’s arms, “Don’t make me hurt you.” Jasper laughed and Alaia grinned a little as he began to wipe her tears away.

“Alaia I love you okay?” He reminded her, “I didn’t know how to react or what to say about me and you before. But I know what I’m saying now. And I’m saying I’m not giving this up.”

Alaia met Jasper’s eyes seriously met Jasper’s eyes as parted her lips, her fangs poking at him. “Are you telling me you’re okay with me looking like this?” Alaia’s made it crystal clear for him, “Because I’ll never be more or less than this, Alaia Knight. Vampire.”

Jasper breathed out as Alaia backed him up to a wall. As he peered down at her, Jasper made his decision. “That’s more than fine by me Alaia, I love who you are.”

He didn’t care what she said at this point, he wasn’t giving up on them. This rush he got in his veins as she looked up at him longingly, the way her sweet lips curled up with naughty thoughts. Jasper leaned down and kissed Alaia who eagerly met his lips. Jasper hummed feeling her against him after what felt like forever.

Running her fingers through his blonde hair, Alaia’s body molded to Jasper’s ever groove as he nipped down her neck.

Alaia turned around and Jasper moved her hair out of the way and began undoing the tying to her dress. As she peeled the dress off, Jasper kissed her softly as she breathed out in ecstasy.

Jasper looked as she turned around, her lilac bra making him drool as she reached for him.

Jasper stopped her and whispered, “We can’t do this here.” Alaia looked at him confused, “Why not?” Jasper pointed downstairs, “Can’t they hear?” Alaia smiled widely and told him, “Oh they left for the night. Something about needing to handle something.”

Jasper watched as Alaia pulled her dress down over her hips. Kicking it away, Alaia looked Jasper over fully clothed, “Take off your clothes.” Jasper did as told kicking off his boots and socks. Pulling his hoodie and shirt off, Jasper groaned as Alaia’s nails slid down his stomach.

His heart raced with anticipation as he kicked of his pants. Alaia pushed him down on her bed, and as she climbed on top of him naked, Jasper thanked whoever listening. Because for some reason this beautiful creature loved him.

Jasper left early in the morning having previously planned to catch up with AJ beforehand. So, he kissed Alaia goodbye after she walked him down. Pulling his hoodie on over his shirtless chest as she stood in his shirt, he smiled a little.

“I’ll pick you up for school tomorrow.” Alaia nodded and watched him go. Jasper drove into town and made it to the diner in minutes, he didn’t bother to look around as he threw himself in a booth across from AJ.

“Sup man.” He greeted smiling. AJ met his eyes concerned, “You tell me.” Jasper could see AJ was upset which made him stiffen. Watching him struggle for a minute, AJ looked around at the packed diner full of happy families before turning back to his friend.

“I’m worried about you man.” Jasper jerked back, “Worried about me?”

AJ blew an aggravated breathe, “You’ve been MIA a lot recently. Disappearing for days, we haven’t hung out since Halloween, and now you take off for almost two weeks. No text, no notice, and I come over thinking we can hang, and your dad has to tell me you went to see your mom? Like what’s up?”

Jasper rubbed a hand through his hair, “Damn bro, you right, I f****d up. Look we can’t really talk about it in here.” Looking over his shoulder, he sighed seeing Abigail Louis leaned back in her booth trying to hear.

She tried to right herself, pretending as if she hadn’t been listening. But as she pretended to be listening to her talkative five-year-old daughter, AJ threw money down on the table.

He and Jasper left out, and since AJ lived down the street and walked here, they jumped into Jasper’s truck.

Jasper drove them ten minutes west into Devil Horn’s woods. Back there was the spot Jasper had met AJ. A once small park full of mom’s and a soccer league was now an overgrown moss pit.

Standing with AJ at the banks of the river and he smiled a little. “Been a minute since we’ve been here.” AJ nodded and breathed in, “It’s peaceful.”

And with the grey sky, snow, and icy water…with nothing but deer and squirrels for company. Yeah, it was peaceful.

Breathing out Jasper told his friend the truth, “Me and Alaia, had something going on. We hit a pretty hard rough patch.” AJ looked at his friend shocked, “Whoa damn, y’all alright?” Jasper nodded grinning relieved at the thought, “Yeah.”

AJ rolled his shoulders, “What was it about?” Jasper didn’t want to lie to AJ, he'd never to lied his friend before. But he knew telling him the truth wasn’t an option either. So he did the best he could, “Her dad…he overheard her talking to her sister in law. He found out we were having sex.”

Blenching at just the idea of being on the receiving end of that AJ muttered, “Damn man. I bet that s**t was rough. What he do?” Lying, even more, Jasper shrugged, “Told me I couldn’t see her.” AJ shook his head, “f****d up.” Jasper grinned bashfully, “Nothing I didn’t expect, but I couldn’t deal. So, I ran to my mom’s to escape all that s**t. Only of course for all of our bullshit to bubble to the surface.”

Grinning a little, AJ asked, “Oh so you and her finally talked it all out?” Jasper shrugged, “Not all, but some. There’s still stuff I don’t know, questions she hasn’t answered. Maybe will never answer…but it’s okay. I mean, I love my mom, and she’s not perfect…but if I just give up on her because she disappointed me. Well, I’d regret that forever.”

AJ nodded, “Understood. So what’s the deal with you and Alaia then? You two going to be sneaking around her old man’s back?” Smirking AJ teased, “You know I got your back man.”

Jasper laughed and shook his head, “Nah, um actually he came around by New Years'. He was angry, but he realized eventually his daughter was capable of choosing who she wants to be with. So things are back on…and now hopefully I can stop being a d**k friend.”

AJ smiled a little and shook his head, “You’re a great friend Jasper, that’s why I missed having you around bud.” Jasper grinned and pulled AJ down the path, “I missed you to man.”

After a walk and catching up, Jasper extended an invite to dinner which AJ accepted.

As William joined them, Jasper put the homemade pizzas down and AJ grabbed a slice as he said, “Did you two hear yet?” Jasper looked at him confused, “Hear what?”

AJ shrugged as he said, “Donny’s gone missing.” Jasper’s stomach turned painfully, and he tried to keep a straight face as he casually said, “Not surprising. Any idea what he’s done this time?”

As he chewed the hot delicious pizza, Jasper watched as AJ excitedly said, “That’s the thing!” AJ leaned in and mysteriously said, “Now his dad said his kid had been acting f*****g possessed for weeks. Staying out late, stalking around like a goth, and basically had lost grip on reality.”

Jasper processed this as AJ took a bite of pizza before saying, “How about one night after Mayor Sebastian told him to stay in, Donny snuck past his security and went somewhere and hasn’t been seen since?”

Frowning since kids didn’t just disappear, William asked “And they can’t guess where?” AJ shook his head, “All the cars were still there, and they can’t tell if he was picked up or if he walked on foot. But his keys and wallet were in his room so-.”

William deduced, “He wasn’t planning on going far.”

Smirking AJ nodded in agreement, “That’s the mystery, where did he go? And what happened to him?”

As William and AJ pondered like detectives Jasper suddenly loudly burped and both jumped as they looked at him. “Jesus boy!” Laughing as he stood, Jasper teased, “Oh you two are so adorable. I mean are you really sitting over there playing stupid?”

Both were confused until Jasper put his plate in the sink and sat back down, reaching for his beer, “Look, Donny was a f*****g douche bag with deep sated issues. And to make it worse? He was a f*****g junkie with a rich old man. That kid is probably somewhere with a needle in his arm. Or already in rehab and his dad doesn’t want anyone to know he’s there yet.”

Shrugging even though he hated how it sounded, William gave it to his son, “Good point. It’s possible, lord knows Sebastian probably doesn’t want another scandal under his belt before he’s reelected.”

Shaking his head, AJ muttered, “f*****g hell Donny. How the hell could you have that kind of life and end up like that?” Jasper pondered on that for himself a lot before, “No clue. But there’s no telling what was happening behind closed doors.”

After that, nothing else was spoken on the Donny matter for the night. But tomorrow morning, everyone would be talking about him.