18 Chapter 18: The Escape
Jasper’s shoulders dip at her response. His heart warms, “Thank you,” he says under his breath.
It takes a moment for him to realize the position they are in. Eliana is so close to him, that the heat of her body causes his skin to itch. Every nerve stands on end, wanting to get closer. He opens his mouth to speak once more, his gaze lingering on her lips as she bites it. He slides his hand from her cheek to the back of her head, and then is reminded of his mother’s words.
“It does not matter what you feel, she is a human. It will never work between the two of you. You are from two different worlds.”
Swallowing all of his emotions, Jasper steps away, reluctantly, “You should change out of that. It will be hard to maneuver through the trees.”
Eliana glances down at herself before looking at her other set of clothes, “Uh, I was helped into this dress.” She murmurs, her ears turning a bright red.
Jasper watches her for a moment, lost in her image, before he understands what she has said. His mouth gapes open, “Oh.” He loses his steam, though, as he stands in front of her.
“I can try. . .” Eliana reaches behind her back, but is unable to attain the bow holding her dress together.
“No, it is alright. Um,” Jasper rubs the side of his face as sweat begins to bead up, “Turn around.”
She complies and he takes the time to put his pent up stress even further down.
“Get a hold of yourself,” he orders in his mind.
He catches his breath once Eliana’s open back is placed in front of him. There is a thin lace covering the skin that the long ‘v’ of the dress makes, but he is still able to see every line and shadow of her spine and shoulder blades. Swallowing, he reaches and touches the ribbon tied into a bow in the middle of her back, trying excruciatingly hard not to touch any part of her body. Eliana shifts uncomfortably, causing Jasper’s hands to start quivering. The knot is tight, though, so he has to dig in and pull at the fabric. It causes Eliana to be yanked, slightly. Jasper bites back his breath as she leans toward him, her silky, golden hair brushing his cheek. He breathes in her honey scent that intoxicates him.
He tugs on the ribbon as his hot breath hits Eliana’s neck. Her gasp brings him to his senses and with a quick step, he moves away, untying the knot on the way. The entire dress is loosened, and Eliana breaths in deeply, relishing the air.
“Thank you,” she sighs softly, pivoting around to him.
Jasper turns his back on her before she is able to see his anguished expression. “Yes, hurry now, we must go soon if we are to leave undetected.”
“Oh, of course.”
>><<
As they exit the tent, Eliana keeps close to Jasper. She resituates the large shirt she now wears. As she watches his back, Eliana is reminded of the conversation she had previously with Jasper.
He had told her that he only wanted her by his side because his parents were not around. Since they are friends.
She holds down her twisting heart.
“This way,” Jasper calls back as they turn a corner.
The sun is just barely visible over the bordering wall, on the other side of the sanctuary. Viptan is beginning to stir, the Xefol slowly rustling within their tents.
“We’re almost there.”
“Jasper,” Evyn steps out in front of them, his large build blocking the way. “What are you doing?”
Eliana stumbles to a stop, almost running into Jasper. She places her hands gently on his back as she peers around him, to see Evyn.
“We are leaving,” Jasper growls. He takes a step around his friend.
“Do you have any idea what will happen if you do this? The consequences?”
Jasper’s shoulders tense, “That is my choice to make. Move out of the way, Evyn.”
Eliana blinks away tears and holds down her trembling heart as voices on the other side of the tents reach their ears.
“What will happen to Jasper,” she wonders in her mind.
“I will not allow you to go through with this,” Evyn stands his ground.
“You’ll let her be married off to the Chief? A man who only wants her for her beauty. Don’t you care for what will happen to her after the wedding?”
Evyn’s brow quivers, as he winces, and he glances down at Eliana momentarily, “I am truly sorry.” His expression hardens, “She chose this path, for whatever reason the Chief decided to marry her, it is none of our concern.”
“Jasper,” Eliana whispers biting her fear back, “It is true. It was my decision.”
“No,” he hisses back, sneering, “It was not. He forced it upon you.”
Evyn cocks his head but remains silent.
“Nile is holding something over her head, Evyn. I’m not sure what, but I do know that it is enough to terrify her into marriage.”
“Jasper, you speak his name with such disrespect.” Evyn’s chest puffs up with anger, “He is still our Chief regardless of his actions. Unless someone stands up and fairly wins a duel with him, he is our leader.”
“He kicked my family out years ago, because my mother would not marry him. He is not fit to be leader. If you deem him so, so be it. I will just take my leave and never come back.” Jasper makes an effort to move passed Evyn. Eliana follows closely, keeping her gaze averted from the other werebear as they do so.
Evyn allows it, but pivots around to face their backs. “Jasper, please, think about what you are doing. Think about your parents.”
Jasper barely pauses, “They only want me to marry. They do not care about what I want, or what is truly best for me.”
“But running away like this will crush them.”
“I know,” Jasper growls. “Goodbye Evyn.”
They near the side of the wall that surrounds Viptan. There are no sentries at the top, but Eliana’s body shakes with fear all the same.
“There is a small door at the bottom. It is mainly for hunters to go through without having to walk around the entire wall to get in,” Jasper says softly. “Evyn used it to sneak out and meet me in the woods when he moved here. Since we weren’t exactly welcomed with open arms,” he huffs.
Eliana glances back and notices that Evyn is still standing in the same spot, staring after them.
“Are you sure this is a good idea,” she questions Jasper.
“There is no going back,” he looks down at her briefly before shimmying the old, cracking door open. “Now hurry before the guards do their rounds again.”
Without thinking, Eliana rushes through, hiding within the tree line that is only a few yards away. Jasper closes the door gruffly before following after her.
As they run through the forest, Eliana cannot help but think, “What have I gotten Jasper into?”
