Jasper's Soul Mate (18+)

Chapter 15: Distinction

"You know he was meeting with the Stone Ridge Alpha," Deckard says. "What you didn't, is that he was also going there to mark his bound one."

Every hair on my body stands on end. The coldest, piercing chill covers my body and I swear I can taste the blood that I crave to shed.

I clench my eyes shut for a moment and then look at Deckard, seething inside. "You—" I can't even finish what I'm about to say because in the next second a woman steps into the room and I can smell Jasper's scent on her.

My eyes feel like they're on fire—it's either my sudden rush of rage or the fucking lights that seem to be spotlighting my irises as I size her up.

She looks familiar. The longer I take her in, the more I notice similarities to another shifter I hadn't had the best encounter with. Griya.

But that's not what sets me on edge to my limits. It's the fact that she smells like Jasper.
His scent is clinging to her skin. The thought echoes in my mind and I feel the skin at my fingertips tear open as those long inhuman claws extend.

Rip her heart out, my thoughts press. No one should be wearing his scent. I take a step forward, every intention of following through with my thoughts—until her abnormal onyx eyes land on me.

I stagger.

I've never seen a shifter with eyes like that. They're like pools of an endless abyss that bleeds nothing but terror and tragedy. The longer I meet her gaze and stare into them, the more overwhelming they become.

My next breath comes out harshly and I'm forced to look away from her. Not before I see the slightest amount of despair in her expression.

"Fallon," Deckard acknowledges.

Though I'm still flooded with rage, as she moves closer I only want to escape the room and the devastating aura she emanates. Fallon is nothing like she used to be. I don't remember feeling so exhausted by her presence or that weight of utter misery that consumed me as soon as I met her eyes.

I sit in my chair ungracefully, rigid as she walks close and stops in front of Deckard.

"Was there anything?" he asks her.

There's a long moment of silence. I don't care or want to look up to see if I'm the reason for it. My skin crawls just from thinking about looking at her again, and the damn lights.

A groan rips out of me, reverberating violently in my chest and driving me further insane. What the hell is going on with me?

I dread finding out the answer.

Deep down, I think I'm well aware of what's happening but I can't bring myself to tap into that knowledge. Once I do, I know there isn't any going back.

"I should talk with her," Fallon voices, monotone and about as devoid of emotion as her eyes are of color.

I hear feet shuffle a minute later and look up briefly, seeing the back of Deckard as he leaves.

"Rebecca?"

I shiver and stand up, desperate to escape the room because her presence is stifling now that her attention is directed at me. I think I could withstand it any other day, but not while Jasper's scent is still mixed with hers and making my mind go rogue.

Deckard said he's been missing for weeks. It doesn't take a fool to know why she would still smell like him. He must have marked her after all.

My throat tightens at the thought, and another inhuman growl bubbles in my throat as I approach the withered remains of the door.