Page 22 of First Love

Chapter Eight

Jasper

I opened my eyes tosee blond hair. Everywhere. It looked like golden threads, so pretty and so soft. I blinked a few times and the individual strands of hair came into sharp focus. So sharp.

Too sharp.

I’d always had good vision, but this was different. I looked up to see the tiniest spider crawling along a hairline crack in my ceiling. How the hell could I see that from this distance?

And why was I lying on my kitchen floor?

I drew in a breath and swore I could smell coffee from the café down the street, flowers from the flower shop across town, and diesel fuel from the gas station next to the shelter. All the other normal scents in my own house hit me too, but with a magnified strength.

And a female. I definitely smelled a female.

The golden hair slithered on my chest and gorgeous Amelia came into view. Her face was tear stained though, her golden eyes red rimmed.

“Hey, beautiful. What’s wrong?” I lifted a hand and trailed a fingertip along her jaw.

A fingertip covered in blood.

My blood.

“It worked.” Amelia swiped at her eyes as she sat up and gave me a tentative smile. “How do you feel?”

“Strange.” I let her help me to sitting as well, then nearly puked when I discovered we were both surrounded by a rather large puddle of blood. Red streaks marred my chest and suddenly I remembered being shot in the chest, falling to the ground.

Dying.

“How . . . how am I still alive?” I’d taken my last breath on that kitchen floor. I was sure of it. There may have even been a bright light.

But I hadn’t walked toward it.

“I changed you,” Amelia said. “I made you like me.”

“Like you?”

A vision of a large, golden wolf charging at the intruder who’d shot me filled my head.

She closed her eyes and when she opened them again, they were so full of regret. “I’m a—”

“Werewolf,” I finished for her. “And now I am too?”

She nodded. “I’m so sorry, Jasper, but I couldn’t let you die. I . . . I’ve bonded with you. You mean more to me than anyone ever has. I’ve lost my entire pack, my family. I couldn’t lose you too. I know it was foolish and selfish, and you probably hate me now.”

“I don’t hate you. I could never hate you, Amelia.” I held out my arms and she immediately hugged me, her body fitting against mine perfectly. I breathed her in, her scent tattooing itself on me. I’d recognize it anywhere under any conditions.

And I felt it. The bond. Amelia and I were mates.

“Mine,” I whispered into her ear, and she squeezed me tighter.

“Yours. Always.” She pulled back. “And you’re mine. If you want to be.”

“I wanted that the first moment I saw you sitting outside the shelter.” I leaned forward and captured her mouth in a kiss that felt ceremonial. Our souls melded in this kiss, our connection solidified.

My gums tingled, and I broke the kiss.

“I . . . I want to bite you.” The request tumbled out of me.