Page 45 of Monster's Blood

The investigation into the rogue hunters had uncovered more than anyone expected, but Jasper was staying out of it because it wasn’t his job anymore.He was happy to let Martinez handle it.He wished he knew more about Sanctuary and his birth parents, but for now, he was content.He’d realized he didn’t need to know anything about them to recognize himself.He’d always been himself, and what he was hadn’t changed that.He was Jasper—a monster raised as a human.He had a family, even though it wasn’t the one he’d been born into.

He had Archie, who looked at him like he hung the stars and loved him more every day.He had Corey and Kerry, who’d stood by him through everything and who treated his being a monster as just another fact about him, no more important than his eye color.He had Braith, who’d offered him a job at the PI firm without hesitation when Jasper mentioned wanting to find more survivors.Jasper hadn’t accepted, but he might eventually.He had Cullen, who’d become the brother Jasper hadn’t known he needed.

“You’re thinking too loud again,” Archie said, appearing at his side with a glass of wine.

Jasper accepted it with a smile.“Just thinking.”

“Good thoughts or bad thoughts?”

“Good ones.”Jasper leaned against him, fitting perfectly under his arm.“Really good ones, actually.”

“Dinner’s here!”Kerry announced, carrying the pizzas into the room—one with pineapple, the others without because Jasper didn’t want a war on his hands.

They crowded around the table, passing plates and arguing.Jasper found himself laughing at one of Corey’s terrible jokes, then getting drawn into a debate with Braith about a case they were working on, then just listening as Cullen told a story about a difficult client he’d had to deal with and how both Archie and Braith had hidden in their office instead of helping him.

It was a normal family dinner, and Jasper loved it.

He didn’t need to know who he was to have this.He didn’t need to be any different.Sure, he wanted to eventually find out more about his parents and what had happened at Sanctuary, but his life wouldn’t change even if he did.He wouldn’t lose the people he loved, and as far as he was concerned, they were what mattered the most.

Jasper had a good life.Hell, it was even better than it had been before he’d found out he was a monster.He didn’t have to know who his parents were to be happy.

He already was.