Mallory:
I stumbled into the warm light of our hotel room. I was exhausted but still shaken from the day’s events. Gavin’s near-fatal fall had cast a long shadow over all of us, and my heart was still pounding with the memory of his wounds.
I turned slowly to face Jasper who just locked the door. The two of us just stood there, staring at each other in a heavy silence.
Before either of us could say a word, he stepped forward and closed the distance. His arms wrapped around me in a fierce, immediate hug - tighter and more protective than any embrace we had ever shared. It was as if he had spent all day fearing he might return too late.
"I’m here," he breathed into my hair. "You are safe."
My lips trembled as I swallowed back tears. Slowly, I relaxed against him, letting the steady beat of his heart anchor my own.
When he finally drew back, we were mere inches apart. His eyes were lined with exhaustion and something like awe as he searched my face.
"Are you-?" He swallowed hard. "Are you okay? About Gavin?"
I managed a small nod. "I’m fine. I mean, I was scared... but he’s okay now."
He pressed my hands between his, brushing his thumbs over my wrists.
"Good," he murmured. "I couldn’t..." His voice cracked as he looked away for a moment, then back. "I couldn’t bear if anything happened to you. Hell, I noticed how shaken you were and yet... I couldn’t be next to you."
He pulled me onto the low couch. My heart was hammering - not from fear, not from stress, but from the closeness, the raw emotion in his voice.
He settled down beside me, leaning close but not crowding my space.
"Mallory," he began gently, "about last night..."
I held my breath. Not sure what he was going to say next, and it made me feel even more anxious.
He reached out and lifted my chin so I could meet his gaze.
"I owe you an apology," he said in a low voice. "Not just for leaving, but for failing to explain. I know it hurt you... more than I even realized."
"It’s okay," I whispered, though my voice was shaking. "I... it felt like you didn’t care."
He winced. "I do. Stars, I do. I care so much it terrifies me. I wanted to spend good time with my mate... and I froze. Not because I don’t want you... because I’m terrified."
My heart twisted. "Terrified of me?"
He nodded. "Terrified of losing you. I can’t control things. I didn’t want to get close, only to hurt you. So I thought... if I keep distance, then I can protect you."
I shook my head as tears started pricking my eyes. "Pushing me away didn’t protect me. It hurt me."
He touched my cheek, gently. "I know. And I’m sorry. I was thinking of me - keeping my assumptions safe. But I should have thought of you."
He paused, swallowing. "I’m trying, Mallory. I want to be with you, not because... not despite my fear, but because with you, I feel more... stronger. Like I can be more than my past."
His hand tightened over mine. "Can we talk this through? Honestly?"
I nodded, blinking back tears. "Tell me, Jas. Why did you freeze? What were you thinking?"
He exhaled, his shoulders dropping. "I did care. Too much. And I thought... what if you regret it? What if you feel tied down, used, or... overwhelmed?"
I swallowed. "I’m eighteen, almost nineteen. I’m scared of all this, yes." I gestured between us, to the bond, to the intensity of being called his mate. "But I didn’t want to regret it later. I wouldn’t have come to you otherwise."
He drew a soft breath. "Thank you." He brushed a stray strand of hair from my face. "Then understand me when I say, this is new for me too in a way. I have a past that has made me fear that loving again means losing again."
I nudged closer, feeling his pain. "I... I understand."
His eyes gleamed in the soft hotel light. He rose, only to kneel before me so we were eye-level even as he sat on the floor in front of the couch. He held my hands and bowed his head.
"Mallory Campbell," he whispered, and used my full name. "I choose you. I’m sorry it took me telling you this sone time, but I needed you to know that every inch of distance was me being afraid, not of you, but of losing you. And now... I won’t run."
I choked on my next breath. "Jasper, I..."
He lifted his head, and I found his eyes glistening. "Let me prove it. I promise I’ll share my past with you once I’m ready, once we both are ready. And for now, let me hold you, talk to you... make up for peeling away when you needed me to pull in close."
The quiet sincerity was like warm sunlight across my heart. I nodded as a smile curved the corners of my lips. "Yes."
He moved to stand, offering a hand up. I accepted, and he guided me in his arms. He held me gently, and I let myself relax into him. There were no words for a while, just the quiet cadence of two hearts aligning.
He gave me kisses at my temple, cheek, hairline... affectionate, considerate. His lips left impressions of warmth and seal of promise.
"I want us to work," he said at last in a low voice.
"Me too," I whispered.
We remained like that until I pulled away to get ready for the night. I quickly showered and put on my pajamas, letting him shower so that he could join me.
We both slipped under the covers once he was out, and he silently pulled me into his arms. He held me as I curled against him, feeling the heaviness of sleep taking over me.
He tucked the duvet around both of us. "Tomorrow," he murmured, "I’ll be here. No more distance."
I lifted my head to kiss him softly. It was a silent thank-you.
And that kiss... it sealed everything - forgiveness, acceptance, hopeful beginnings.