Kai pulled away from Karen, a small smile on his lips. She felt a bit sad that he had to leave. But it was his party after all and it would be considered rude if he didn’t show up.
“Have fun,” Karen whispered and put her hands down form his neck. She tried to smile but failed. He touched her cheek, his thumb caressing her skin. Karen held his hand and pushed him away.
He gave her one last look before he walked away. Karen wanted to go home. She stalled for time, and a few minutes later she turned and headed downstairs to join the party.
She got herself some water and drank it. Searching the crowd fo Beulah, she spotted her dancing without a care in the world, a wide smile on her face.
Karen wished she could have as much fun. She walked out of the house and towards the back. She was surprised to find a garden. Kai didn’t strike her as a garden person.
She sat on one of the benches, a slow sigh leaving her lips. She leaned back and stared out to the night sky sprinkled with stars. The night was a bit chilly, but the air was crisp and fresh.
And she could still feel his lips on hers.
“Hello,” Someone said beside her making her sit up and turn her attention to them.
“Hi Jasper.” Karen replied.
“May I join you?” Jasper asked, his smile flashing. He has two drinks in his hand.
“Sure.” Karen replied and made some space for him. He joined her and offered her one of the drinks.
“Thank you.” She replied and collected it from him. She drank some of it, the strawberry and lemon flavors of the drink exploding on her tongue.
“I take it you don’t like parties?” Jasper asked as he drank some of his.
Karen shook her head. “I’m not a party person.” She replied with a small laugh. “My friend dragged me here. Otherwise we wouldn’t be having this conversation now.”
“It’s like I can’t even get a hold of you anymore.” Jasper said with a sigh. “Each time I try, something happens. It’s like Mr Sylvester is awfully protective of you.”
Karen laughed. “Protective? Please.” She drank more of the strawberry alcohol. “I’m his assistant sort of. So naturally I have a lot to do for him.”
“Hmm, and you don’t know him from somewhere?”
Karen shook her head, the motion suddenly making her dizzy. She blinked, her vision going a bit blurry.
“I…” She tried to speak but her tongue felt heavy. “No…”
“Karen?” Jasper called, tapping her shoulder. “Oh my gosh, have you had a little too much to drink?”
That was impossible. She hadn’t even drank that much yet!
She turned to Jasper, and in that moment her blood ran cold.
He was grinning at her, a sinister grin that meant nothing good. “I was starting to worry it wouldn’t work on your… kind.”
Karen gasped. “You…”
He rose to his feet. “Me? Whatever is the problem with me?”
The drink spilled form Karen’s hand and slammed to the floor, the glass cup shattering. Karen tried to stand but failed, her knees giving way as she fell to the ground. Her eyes went out of focus, everything appearing blurry to her.
The last thought on her mind as she passed out was… I’m doomed.
****
Karen’s eyes fluttered open, her head exploding into a violent headache.
It felt like she had been whacked multiple times with a metal bat. She groaned, the darkness too much for her to see anything at all. She slowly registered the sharp rope digging into her skin, that destroyed the last of fog from her mind. She began to struggle against the ropes, trying to break free out of it.
“I wouldn’t do that if I were you.” She heard Jasper’s voice say. “Those ropes are laced with wolfsbane. One wrong move and it’s over for you”
Karen whipped her head around, searching for the traitor. “You!” She growled. “You son of a…”
“Ah, easier okay?” He chuckled.
“Show yourself you damned coward!”
“But of course, if you request it.”
A dull yellow light came up over head. Karen’s eyes adjusted to the light to reveal a beat down office. It looked like an abandoned factory. And Jasper was right in front of her, grinning at her. Karen glared at him
“What is all this about?” She questioned. “You kidnapped me?! After pretending to be my friend all along?!”
“Friend?” He gasped. “I was never your friend, please don’t delude yourself. I was only here for a mission.”
Karen felt her heart racing in her chest. Her mind tried to come up with answers on how to escape this.
“What mission.”
He put a finger over his lips. “That’s confidential.”
“Let me go. And I can forgive you for all of this.”
He threw his head back and guffawed. He looked at her, his eyes dark with fury. “Forgive me?! I dont need your forgiveness! Ok only here for one thing, and I will make sure that it happens!”
“And your plan is to kill me?”
“No, not you. Although that’s for later, and I won’t be the one to do that. He’ll have the pleasure of killing you himself. My aim right now… is your boyfriend.”
Karen started to laugh. “You wouldn’t even touch a hair on his head! You’re just a little human, what can you do?”
“Bingo. I knew something was up with you two.” He took out his phone and dialed a number. “Prepare to say hi, okay?” He said with fake cheer as he put the phone on speaker.
“Who is this?” Kai’s irritated voice snapped from the other end.
“This is Jasper, from work.”
“What is it?!”
“I have something right here with me that will interest you. A person you hold so dear to your heart, my alpha.”
Karen felt bile rise in her throat.
“Take your damned games elsewhere” Kai spat and was about to hand up
“Say something Karen.” Jasper chortled. “He thinks I’m lying.”
Karen sighed. She stared at the phone and the image of Kai’s annoyed face came to mind .
“Kai,” She said. “I’m…”
“Where are you?” Kai growled, his voice full of anger. “Where the fuck are you?!”
Jasper smiled in satisfaction. “Now you’re talking. You have ten minutes to meet us, or you can kiss your girlfriend goodbye.”
“What do you want?! Money?!”
“Oh no no no” Jasper tsked. “I want you. So hurry it up pretty boy. I’m not a very patient man.” He ended the call.
“You’re making a very big mistake.” Karen said, shaking her head. “You don’t k ow who you’re messing with ”
“I do ” Jasper replied. He retrieved a dagger from his back and showed it to her. “This has the most potent extract of wolfsbane, and powdered silver.”
Karen sighed. “That’s just an overkill ”
“To tell you that I know who I’m going up against. He doesn’t stand a chance.”
Karen felt fear for Kai. She knew he was strong, he was powerful. But wolfsbane, that was a wolf’s weakness. Even she was weak to it despite her fast healing.
Jasper stalked up to her, crouching down in front of her. “And as for you, what will I do with you?” He mused. His hand trailed up from her ankles to her thigh.
Karen stared at him, a snarl of disgust on her face. His touch on her body was the most repulsive thing she had ever felt in her life. She struggled against the ropes.
“I told you to stop struggling.”
Karen cried out as the rope cut into her arm. She felt the wind burn with the poison infused in it. It was a small amount, she could handle it.
Her father had forced her to drink the poison occasionally. This was nothing.
Jasper watched, his eyes shining as she tried to compose herself. He gazed at her, his eyes moving across her body in a heated gaze.
Karen wanted to throw up. His hand on her thigh moved up her body and to her neck. He grabbed her chin and turned her head to the side, searching for something.
“Hmm,” He said to himself. “There’s no mark…. that man said there should be a mark somewhere”
“What man?” Karen spat moving her head away from his touch. “And how do you know so much about our kind?”
Jasper retrieved his hand from her face. “I have my sources.” He glanced at his watch and clicked his tongue. “Your boyfriend is taking a lot of time to get here, I wonder if he died on the way.”
“Why do you even want him dead? He has no relation with humans!”
“My master wants him dead. I simply exist to carry out that wish. As for his reasons, I don’t know. And I don’t care.”
“And you’ll just blindly follow orders and kill someone?”
He leaned into her face, a sick smile on his face. “Oh but it’s too late to stop now isn’t it? I’ve done it before and I will continue to do it. ”
A loud crash made them turn to the entrance. Jasper rose to his full height and smiled. “He made it. Just in time.”
Karen gasped. “No… no!” She cried out, struggling harder against the ropes. Jasper grabbed her face and stuffed a gag into her mouth.
“Be quiet now, okay? He doesn’t have to know.”
Karen’s eyes were wide with fear as Kai burst into the room, his eyes searching for her. He spotted her and took a step forward only to be blocked by Jasper .
“Not so fast now.” Jasper said
“Move.” Kai commanded, his eyes flashing red.
Karen screamed through the gag, trying to tell him for the set up. She felt the rope cut more into her skin, the pain making tears gather in her eyes.
“Karen,” Kai called her. She paused and looked at him, eyes wide with fear. “Sit still okay? I’ll get us out of here.”
Jasper cackled. “You wish.”