Rejected, Loved, Mated

Chapter Seven: Change

I led Jasper into my bedroom, moving some stuff around so he had somewhere to sit. He ignored the seating and leaned against the wall, his long, thick arms crossed over his broad chest. I curled up against my headboard and waited for him to say something but he seemed to be doing the same thing with me.

"So who's the drunk guy?" He asked finally with his head down slightly, looking up at me from under his lashes. I think he was going for a nonchalant attitude but it wasn't working.

"Why do you care?" I asked softly, poking a bit of fun at him but already knowing the answer.

"You already know why. Let's not play dumb here." He replied. "So who is he?"

"What if I said he was my man?" I quipped.

"I'd say, 'Give me five minutes and you'll be single.' Can't have a man if he's dead." He shrugged. I could tell he was partially joking..., partially.

"His name is Harper, he works with me. He's a displaced Alpha from somewhere up east. He and I used to date." I finally admitted, looking down at my hands.

"By 'used to' you mean a long time ago or just recently?" He asked, piercing me with his gaze.

"It doesn't really matter how long it's been. Our relationship ended and I moved on, evidently he didn't. I can't control other people and what they do or feel. And you have no room to even talk about my past relationships when you're still in one."

"Not anymore." He murmured, so softly I almost didn't hear him.

"What exactly do you mean, 'not anymore'?" I cautiously inquired.

"I mean, I had decided when I left here to grow a pair and break it off with Bethany. When I got back home, after I stopped at my office and finished the work that's been piling up which I had hoped you'd be proud of me for, I went upstairs and found her in bed with another guy. I can't tell you how relieved I was. I mean, it was disgusting and they're throwing out my bed but it just.., it felt like a confirmation that it was time to do it. I feel...., I feel like a huge weight is off of me and...., and I...," he stammered the end.

"You what?"

"I'm tired of not going for what I want."

"And what do you want, Jasper? Because God knows that's the biggest mystery out there."

"You, Lena." He said, such assurance in his voice it shook me to my core. "Just you. I want to be the kind of man that deserves you. And I will be, I'll work my ass off until I get there because you're worth it. You're already a good woman, now I just need to work to be a good man for you." He finished, his voice ringing with his seriousness. I surprised us both by giggling.

"I'm sorry." I chuckled softly. "You just..., you sounded a lot like my father there. My dad used to say, 'Women always ask God for a good man but if God sends you that man will he find a good woman? And vise versa, will she find a good man?' It was always his analogy, letting me and my brothers know to work on ourselves and we'd find somebody who was either willing to work to be the good mate we needed or was already there." I smiled fondly at the memory. "Jasper, you are already a good man but I don't want you to think that, just because you broke up with your girlfriend, you can just jump into a relationship with me. It doesn't work like that." I shook my head as I spoke.

"I know it doesn't and I wouldn't expect it to. I'm not trying to jump into anything with you, Lena. I'm just letting you know where I'm at in my life and asking you if you'd like to try to be a part of it. I'm asking you to take a chance and see if this can work. Because...., I, Jasper Carson, Alpha of the Black Blood Pack, accept you, Lena Jordan, as my mate." He said softly, creeping his way to my bed and leaning forward towards me. He leveled himself with his hands like two thick stands on the bed. I dropped my head, staring at my fingers again as I tried to deal with the emotions going through me.