Chapter 26: A short farewell

Dolores pondered the information she had learned from Queen Elizabeth and how she would ask Jasper for information. The thought of retrieving information about the massacre of the Silent Maw Pack from Jasper and then giving said knowledge to the Luna Queen didn't sit right with her. Jasper was her mate, and she wasn't sure she could fully trust the Queen.

Reaching her quarters, Dolores walked into her bed chambers and found Jasper lounging on her bed and had fallen asleep while reading a book, his long limbs crossed at the angles. Dolores was rooted to her spot as she took him. He had to have been sculpted by the Goddess herself with his flawlessly muscled frame. Scanning him from head to toe, Dolores noticed that his dark color was still faded.

Sitting beside him on the bed, Dolores removed the book from his bare chest and placed the heavy book on the nightstand. She pushed a loose strand of hair from his eyes, wondering if she was really worth all he had done for her, a Sage risking his life for a lowly rogue princess.

A pounding sounded within her, and Silvia roared between her ears. "Mate! Our Mate!" Her happiness to see Jasper again vibrated through Dolores. Dolores huffed a soft chuckled at Silvia's inner howl of delight and delicately traced the outline of Jasper's jaw with the top of her finger.

"Lo?" Jasper's sleep-filled voice asked, grabbing her fingers and pulling her into the bed with him before opening his eyes. "Nice to see you again, precious." He purred.

"Nice to see you again too..." Dolores hummed back, moving close to plant a kiss on his forehead, "Sleepyhead." She teased.

"Hey now, it's not my fault I'm so sleepy. It is winter and..." Jasper yawned, "I'm more or less a lizard, after all."

"Are you sure it's not because of me, though?" Dolores worried, "because you still haven't fully recovered from the wound you got protecting me?"

"If I recall correctly, I was the one that was hunted." Jasper quip, lightly flicking Dolores's nose. "So don't feel so bad for me. I'm perfectly fine, my sweet."

A faint smile appeared on Dolores's mouth as she lowered her head to Jasper's still pink forming scar. She gave him a lingering soft kiss, and a low growl filled the small space between them. Flicking her eyes to his, she saw a devilish grin play across his lips.

"Although, I wouldn't mind if you wanted to make the remainder of my pain disappear." Dolores matched his grin as he continued. "I'm sure you could think of a way to ease my suffering." He winked.

Dolores giggled. A flush climbed up her neck as she caught his gaze flicking to her mouth. She copied him, moving so close there was hardly a breath between them. Dolores wasn't sure who moved first. All she knew was that they were kissing. A deep growl rumbled among them as Jasper's tongue met with hers, the sound shooting down towards her toes.

Jasper deepened the kiss as he cupped the back of her head, tangling his fingers into her hair. Dolores clutched at his torso, needing to be closer to him. The blood in her veins seemed to boil, making her skin feel as if it were steaming. She needed to feel more of him to touch every part of him.

Her hand skated down his body feeling the ridges of stomach muscle. Lining his V with the tips of her fingers, she made her way to the place she wanted to touch more than anything. Dolores brushed her hand across him, and Jasper growled his pleasure, pushing himself into her palm. Dolores could feel him, hard and how through his soft pajama bottoms.

The sound that reverberated from Jasper as she began to move her hand up and down sent electricity racing down her spine. Relishing at his reaction, Dolores moved faster, and he hardened further. Before Dolores accomplished her goal, Jasper had flipped her onto her back.

Pressed over her, he ground his hips into her center, heat spread between her legs. A desire pounding through her entire body, along with Jasper's question filled stare. Dolores's chest heaved as she argued with herself. Jasper kissed her lightly on the forehead as if reading her mind, leaning back onto his heels.

"We can stop here, my sweet." He quietly said.

Dolores felt dizzy with want, overwhelmed, and it made her brave. Made her bold.

"Taste me," she murmured into the night. The room seemed to still as her request, Jasper's eyes growing wider, darker.

"Oh, my sweet, I would love nothing more."

She watched as he slowly, carefully leaned over her once more, pushing her dress up and other her head before tossing the garment to the floor. Dolores lay back down utterly naked, flushing at Jasper's appraisal.

He lifted a leg to his mouth, placing soft kisses as he made his way up her calf, her knee, her thigh until she reached where she wanted his lips the most. Dolores tilted her chin to heaven when the first stroke of his tongue slid between her lower lips.

Dolores's mind went blank as her body started to bow up underneath him. She gripped his hair for fear of floating away on a cloud of ecstasy as Jasper completely unraveled her with his mouth.

What she knew to be an orgasm snuck up on her faster than ever before. The first time she experienced one, Jasper had used his talented fingers and the vibrating rush that swept over her startled and exhilarated her.

This orgasm was different, fast, more profound. Dolores clutched at Jasper's hair, her body curling into itself as she screamed his name, shaking and sweating.

He pulled back with a chuckle, his mouth wet. "My sweet, you are my precious Lo."

Dolores pantted, unable to speak or move. Jasper shifted off the bed, reaching out a hand to her. She loosely gripped his fingers, letting him pull her from the bed.

"Come, my sweet, let's get you cleaned up." Jasper lifted her into his arms and carried her to the large claw tub in the bathroom, where Dolores saw that he must have magically filled because steam lofted from it. He gingerly placed it into the heated water. Dolores turned back to him and saw that he had removed his bottoms. She sucked in her bottom lip when she eyed the length of him.

The corner of Jasper's mouth lifted as he tsked at her. "You can look but you can't touch." He teased as he stepped into the tub with her. "We had our fun tonight."

Jasper seated himself behind Dolores, pulling her to him. She leaned into his smooth skin, her face heating from the bath or the contact. Dolores wasn't sure which. Neither said a word, and Dolores mind began to wonder, attempting to piece together all the information she had learned.

"You seem to be distracted," Jasper murmured, lathering a bar of soap and then gliding the sudds over Dolores back, losing muscles as he washed her.

"I had a conversation with the Luna Queen, Elizabeth," Dolores moaned as Jasper realized a knot in her low back. "about the Silent Maw Pack."

Jasper remained quiet, making his way to Dolores's opposite shoulder and rolling his thumb into the flesh beneath the blade.

"I know you know something about the Pack and the massacre they experience." Dolores sighed, popping a bubble drifting by. "The Queen asked me to get information from you about the Silent Maw Pack."

"All the Luna Queen had to do was come to the Wizards' Society for any information, though I predict she wanted to avoid spending such a large sum for information the King doesn't deem worthy of knowing. Thus why she came to you, my sweet." He planted a kiss on her cheek. "She knew I wouldn't be able to refuse to help you. For you, there is no fee."

"Oh?" Dolores angled her head to look up at him, batting her eyes dramatically. "And what is this free information?"

Jasper flicked her nose, and Dolores felt a low rumble come from his chest. "Everyone is greedy, and a wise man does not covet what does not belong to her."

Dolores stared at him, waiting for him to continue, but he didn't. Instead, he rose from the tub, wrapping a towel around his hips before he lifted her into his arms. With that, she knew Jasper would not say any more in the matter. Frustration thrummed throughout her body at the thought that he still kept secrets from her, his mate.

Dolores followed Jasper's lead and remained silent as he brought her back to her bed wrapped in a towel that could have doubled as a blanket. She watched him as he familiarly moved around her chambers, dressing himself one article of clothing at a time.

When he was finished, he sat beside her on the bed, handing her a nightgown. Helping her slip the satin over her head, they stayed speechless, letting their eyes roam over each other. The air grew thick between them once more as their heads drew closer.

"There is something I must tell you, Lo." Jasper breathed onto her parted lips. "I have to leave the Capital. I will be officially taking over my fathers as head of the Wizards' Society, and I---"

"Where are you going?" Dolores interpreted, her voice almost panicked. "Why can't you stay at the Ivory Tower? I want to go with you!" her words fell out of her mouth.

"Shh, listen." Jasper placed a long finger over her full lips, quieting Dolores. "I must go to the headquarters of the Wizards' Society in the Wulf Mountains. A place very far from the Capital, but I promise I will take you there one day, but today is not that day, my sweet.

"To...today?" Dolores hesitantly asked. "You mean you're leaving right now?"

Jasper gave her a small smile before nodding.

"Please don't go," Dolores begged. She didn't care that he kept secrets from her. She wanted him with her here, always. "I can't imagine my days without you now that I have you, and… I feel so much safer when you are with me, I---"

"Right now, the safest place for you is to be away from me." Jasper insisted, his voice stern but his expression going somber. "I will send Daflon here to protect you and train you. I will have my best wizards and witches to make you the finest armors and weapons. I will help ensure you keep yourself safe."

Tears pooled in her eyelids. Jasper cupped her face, the pads of his thumbs wiping the tears away. "We will meet again soon." He promised, giving her a soft kiss on the mouth before pulling himself from her.

Dolores watched as Jasper went and opened her center bay window. He gave her one last wink before leaping from the frame and shifting into a magnificent red Dragon, leaving her alone with nothing but the moonlight for company.