Jasper turned away from the window and looked at his dresser when his phone rang. He was half tempted to ignore it, having answered enough questions about the fireworks display a couple of days earlier, including from his Great Aunt Mildred on his father’s side who’d wanted to know if they were part of his new reality show, though she hadn’t quite been sure how the sex pictures fit in—Jasper had gotten off that call as quickly as he could—but the part of him that was curious to know who was calling was stronger, so he set down his teacup and went to grab it.

Smiling when he saw the name on the display, Jasper answered it as he returned to his vantage point at his second-story bedroom window, which gave him a clear view of the street in front of his house. “Hey, Spencer. What’s up?”

“I don’t want you to freak out,” Spencer whispered, “but I think someone’s watching your place.”

“Oh?” Jasper murmured, taking a sip of his tea, making no effort to hide from the man watching him from the muscle car parked in front of his house.

“Yeah. There’s a black car on the street outside your place with a man inside. I’m pretty sure he’s spying on you.” Spencer’s voice went quieter as he said, “I think that same car was in front of your house last night too.”

“It was.”

There was a pause, then in a more normal tone of voice, Spencer said, “You know, for a guy with a stalker, you don’t sound very worried. Why is that?”

“Because it’s just Gabe.”

“Detective Dickhead?” Spencer said, his voice going huffy. “What’s he doing out there?”

“Probably keeping an eye on me to make sure I don’t cause any more trouble,” Jasper said, his gaze sliding to the handcuffs on his bedside table, a bit disappointed Gabe hadn’t come to claim them, especially after Jasper had gone to so much trouble to make sure they hadn’t gotten damaged coming off. When he hadn’t been able to remove them on his own—since handcuffs used by law enforcement in Starfall Grove were specially designed and spelled to secure beings with powers—Jasper had gone to see Sydney, a dwarf who owned a brewery by the river. Even though he no longer worked with metals, Sydney still had all of his metalworking tools and had finally managed to get them off.

With a lot of laughter and teasing when Jasper had candidly explained how he’d ended up with both cuffs locked around the same wrist.

Walking over to the table, Jasper ran his fingers over the cuffs and sighed. It was probably just as well Gabe hadn’t come to claim them, what with the arrest and subsequent interviews where Gabe had shown how little he trusted Jasper. Sleeping with him beforehand would have only banged up, or maybe even broken, Jasper’s heart that still had hope things between them would work out.

He took another sip of tea, then returned to the window, realizing Spencer had been talking and he’d missed the beginning of what he’d said.

“—idiot not to realize someone’s actually after you,” Spencer said, his voice dripping with disdain. He’d formed a strong opinion of Gabe that might become a problem if Gabe and Jasper ever got together. “Instead of watching you, he should be looking for your stalker before they strike again.”

Which was a good point. Too bad Gabe thought Jasper was the stalker.

“Are you going to report him?”

“No,” Jasper said, before drinking the last of his tea. He knew Gabe was wrestling with some demons from his past that Jasper reminded him of. He wasn’t going to make things more difficult for him than they already were.

“Why the hell not?”

“Because he’s important.”

There was an even longer pause. “Oh.” Then, “So, uhm, what if he knocks on your door? Are you going to let him in or tell him to take a hike?”

“I’m not sure.” Which was a lie. After that mind-blowing kiss in the store, Jasper would throw the door wide open if Gabe wanted to come in. Even with everything that had happened between them and knowing he’d be risking heartbreak when Gabe only wanted him for sex, Jasper would welcome the pain because he knew it would only be a matter of time before he and Gabe would be together. His mate would only be able to hold out against fate for so long before he’d eventually have to give in.

And Jasper would be waiting for him when he did.

——

Two days later…

Jasper raised his face so he could feel the rays of the early morning sun on his skin and breathed deep, taking in a lungful of the fresh morning air. He held it for a few seconds, then slowly released it, feeling lighter and more in balance than he had when he’d first arrived at the park.

After a restless night where he’d barely gotten any sleep, Jasper had woken feeling drained, with a headache from hell, his stomach twisted in knots, and a deep pain in his heart. He’d been so certain something terrible had happened to someone he loved, he’d immediately reached out to his parents and Spencer, feeling immensely relieved when he’d found out they were all okay. Still, the feelings had persisted, even though Jasper had tried to convince himself they were just a delayed reaction to the stalker attacks and being arrested.

In his heart, he’d know they weren’t.

Dragging as he’d left his house, Jasper had adjusted his route to take him past the park and had spent the last hour communing with nature. Standing barefoot in the grass among the trees, he’d opened himself up to the energies of the life teeming around him and just breathed, letting all the stress, tension, and pain he’d been holding in his mind and heart fade away. When the last of the negative energies left him, Jasper had felt renewed and refreshed, and ready to take on the world.

Sending his thanks to Mother Earth for the gifts she’d given him, he’d put his shoes back on and feeling so invigorated, decided to walk the rest of the way to his store.

——

Whistling under his breath as he strolled down the sidewalk, Jasper turned the corner onto the street where his store was located and ran into a wall of wrongness so thick it knocked him back a pace. Pushing through the crushing sensation of darkness and dread that surrounded him, he hurried as fast as he could to his store, instinctively knowing that whatever had kept him up all night stemmed from there. As he reached the front of his shop, Jasper pulled up short, his stomach clenching when he saw the shattered windows. “Oh, god, no. Please, no.”

He rushed up the sidewalk to the front entrance and after a quick look at the inside of his store, Jasper pulled out his phone, his hands shaking so badly it took him two tries to pull up the correct number. Taking shallow breaths as he waited for his call to connect, Jasper kept staring at the destruction, his heart not wanting to believe what his eyes were telling him.

Finally, after a lifetime of waiting, his call was answered.

“Detective Trewitt speaking.”

“Detective. My store. It’s…they broke…everything. It’s…it’s all gone. They destroyed everything.”

——

It took most of the day for the police and the forensics team to clear the scene. As the hours passed, Jasper had gone from shocked and devastated to nauseous at the destruction of his beautiful crystals, which had shifted into anger at whoever had done this to him. Then he started to worry that he’d never be able to get his store open so he could help more people with his magic, the thought of that hurting his heart so much it had sent him back through the cycle again.

He’d placed calls to his parents and Spencer, who’d wanted to come support him, but Jasper had told them no, asked them to please wait until after the police were done. It would break him if they showed him any sympathy and right now he needed to be strong. Stronger than he’d ever been before in his life. It took a bit of arguing, especially with his mother, but eventually everyone had agreed to stay away until he called them. Spencer had told Jasper that he and their friend Forrest would be there to help him clean up as soon as they could get inside. Thanking him, Jasper had hung up and gone through his cycle of emotions again.

Jasper was now nursing what he thought was a very healthy rage. Whoever had done this would regret every bit of heartache and pain they’d caused him. He had friends who’d help him bury the body. And a mother who’d lend him a shovel.

And a father who’d drive them all back home.

When Detective Trewitt came and quietly told him he could now come inside, Jasper nodded and silently followed him in, glass crunching under his feet as he stopped just inside the doorway. Clenching his jaw, Jasper took shallow breaths through his nose as he looked around the once pristine and carefully laid out display area he’d been so proud of.

Tables were knocked over and broken into pieces, display shelves had been torn down, the crystals and stones that had been stored on them scattered around the room as if they’d been flung by an angry toddler having a temper tantrum, and the clear plastic bins that had held them were a melted ruin in the center of the room.

Looking down at his feet, Jasper sucked in a breath when he saw the black shards mixed in with the broken glass from his display window. Crouching to touch the pieces, a little zing went through his fingers before it died out, the fragments of crystal now lifeless. His gaze shot to the four corners of the room, a low moan escaping when he saw that the large crystals of black tourmaline he’d placed there to protect his shop had been smashed to smithereens, the fragments sprayed out across the floor. Touching the dead shards again, he closed his eyes and swallowed, taking a moment to grieve for his crystalline sentinels who’d given up their magic and lives in a futile defense of his property.

Jasper drew in a shaky breath, then opened his eyes. Pulling a mantle of rage around himself so he wouldn’t fall apart in front of everyone, he stood and moved further into his store, stopping next to where his wooden sales desk had stood. Jasper squatted and picked up one of the legs, running his fingers over the smooth light brown ash he’d lovingly sanded until it had glowed. He’d built this desk with his father and though it had been simple, it had been well-made and sturdy and had been the most beautiful thing they’d ever created together.

Until some fucking asshole had destroyed it.

A red mist settled over his eyes.

Setting the broken leg down gently, Jasper got back to his feet and stepped around the rubble, intending to go to Detective Trewitt when a flash of light caught his eye. A hurt sound escaped before he could stop it when he saw the bent and twisted remains of a silver and stained glass aethereal display rack he and his mother had stumbled across while antiquing. After looking it over they’d agreed it would be perfect to showcase his best pieces and had immediately arranged to have it shipped to his home.

Falling to his knees, Jasper sifted through the broken shards of glass, gathering up every piece of crystal he could find, his soul weeping at how few remained, the life snuffed from them when someone had maliciously destroyed the beautiful pieces of jewelry he’d created to help people.

“Jasper.”

His heart broke when he found the rose quartz and amethyst bracelet, the silver wire that had bound them mangled and broken. Half the crystals had been crushed and the others were fading, pain pouring from them as they died in his hands, stinging his fingers as the last of their magic left them, leaving them dull and inert.

“Jasper. Jasper! You need to stop.”

Setting the bracelet to the side, Jasper dug around some more, letting out a cry when he unearthed the opal. A perfect, undamaged fire opal that glowed under the overhead lights. He carefully set it with the tiny pile of crystals he’d managed to collect.

“Jasper! Look at me.”

Finally hearing the voice, he lifted his head and found Detective Trewitt staring worriedly down at him. “What?” he asked hoarsely, his throat tight and sore as if he’d been screaming.

“You need to stop. Your hands are getting cut up.”

Jasper squinted at him. “I don’t…what?”

“Your hands. They’re bleeding.”

Jasper blinked at him in confusion, then looked down at his hands, surprised to see blood dripping from them. “Oh. I…I didn’t realize.”

“Why don’t you go clean them up and I’ll see if I can find you a pair of gloves.”

“O-okay.” Jasper scooped up the crystals he’d saved, then staggered to his feet. He looked around dazedly, searching for somewhere to put them where they’d be safe, but there was no safe place left, not here, not anymore, so he just stood there, holding them against his chest. Part of him knew he needed to wash the blood off his hands, but he didn’t want to leave his crystals unprotected and vulnerable again, so he just stayed there, frozen with indecision, not sure what he should do.

“Here,” a voice said gently. “Let me hold them. I’ll keep them safe while you get cleaned up.”

Thankful someone knew what he should do, Jasper carefully set the crystals in Trewitt’s hands, then turned to go to the small washroom at the back of the store.

Then he saw him, and his grief and rage boiled over.

Fury and pain driving him, Jasper charged across the room and slammed his hands into Gabe’s chest, shoving him backward. “Still think I’m lying, you motherfucking bastard? Or has the fact that some goddamned fucking asshole destroyed my shop finally got it through your thick head that someone’s after me?” He shoved him back again. “Or have you twisted it inside that stupid head of yours to make this my fault too? Is that it? Do you think I did this to myself for the fucking attention and publicity I need so goddammed much,” he screamed, shoving Gabe again.

“Jasper, stop,” Gabe said, reaching for him.

Jasper slapped his hand aside and stepped back. “Fuck you, Detective. Fuck you for not believing me. Fuck you for not seeing the truth. Fuck you for thinking I’m so greedy and shallow I’d do this for attention. Fuck you for thinking I’d let my crystals be killed for publicity. Just…just…fuck you.”

Jasper stormed to the washroom, barely able to see through the tears filling his eyes. Reaching the small room, he slammed the door behind him, then threw his head back and screamed. Then he screamed again, pouring out his rage and hurt. The third scream sounded more like the cry of a wounded animal. After the fourth, Jasper collapsed to the floor, his whole body shaking when it hit him, really hit him, how much he’d lost. His whole world had been violated, ruined by someone who was trying to destroy everything he’d worked for, everything he held dear. His crystals, his reputation, his privacy, his honor, his sense of safety, and finally, his dream. All gone. Destroyed. And he had no idea why.

A harsh sob escaped as he mourned the loss of the crystals he’d lovingly selected and cared for. He grieved for the beautiful jewelry he’d created and brought to life with his magic. He wept for the destruction of his dream when it had been so close to being realized.

And when he was done grieving for his crystals, he grieved for himself, his soul crying from the pain of knowing that the man who should have been his forever, never would be. That the person who should have been his staunchest defender and ally was instead his accuser and greatest adversary. That his soul mate, the one person who should have trusted him, had instead wrongly judged him, having no idea the kind of person Jasper was and hadn’t cared enough to find out.

Jasper had no idea how long he’d been laying on the ground, but by the time he moved to get up, his head ached, his face felt swollen and sore, and his hip and shoulder were bruised from where they’d been pressed against the hard bathroom floor tiles. Staring at himself in the small mirror, he let out a hoarse, watery laugh when he saw his reflection. He was a freaking mess. Hair standing up every which way, bloodshot eyes, the skin underneath them bruised and swollen, his face pale, and streaks of blood smeared everywhere, making him look like the victim in some horror slasher movie.

Running water into the sink, Jasper used half the stack of paper towels trying to put himself back together. Once he’d cleaned up as best as he could, he fisted his hands on the counter and let out a loud sigh as he hung his head, not sure what he should do now.

The only thing he knew for certain was that he wasn’t ready to face Gabe after his raging meltdown, so he was going to just stay in the bathroom until everyone had left, and figure out the rest of it later.

The washroom doorknob rattled, followed by a low creak as the door slowly swung open. Raising his head, Jasper watched in the mirror as Gabe walked in, closing and locking the door behind him. Then he just stood there, his blue eyes reflecting back at Jasper.

The tension in the small room grew as they stared at each other, neither of them speaking, the silence broken only by the sounds of their breathing. When Jasper couldn’t stand it any longer, he turned around and leaned against the low counter, crossing his arms. “What are you doing here, Detective?”

Gabe shifted as though to come closer.

“Don’t,” Jasper said, his voice raw and broken as he raised his hand to stop him. “Just stay there and tell me what the hell you want.”

Looking uncomfortable for the first time since Jasper had known him, Gabe looked away, then back. His mouth opened slightly, then closed, his lips tightening.

“Well?” Jasper asked.

Huffing out a breath, Gabe said, “I’m sorry.”

“You’re sorry.”

An abrupt nod. “Yes. I’m sorry for what someone did to your store. I’m sorry for the things that have been happening to you. I’m sorry—”

“For being a pigheaded jerk? For not believing me when I told you someone was after me? For arresting me and not listening when I tried to explain? For thinking the worst of me every fucking time something happened? For believing fucking Lucas over me? For kissing me in the store and then running like a goddamned coward,” Jasper shouted, his voice getting louder with every word. “Fuck you and your apology, Detective. Fuck you and your fucking—”

Jasper’s furious words were cut off when Gabe’s mouth covered his, his rage finding a new outlet as they clawed at each other, teeth bumping and scraping as tongues waged a war of anger and lust. Biting at his lips, Gabe pressed forward, crushing Jasper against the counter as his tongue drove deep, the power in his kiss making Jasper whimper. Hands slid under his shirt, moving over his skin, branding him, owning him, erasing everyone who’d come before.

Jasper’s magic rose, firing his nerve endings, making his skin tingle as it moved through him, then past him, out of his control. Tendrils reached out to Gabe, touching, retreating, then touching again, finally wrapping around Gabe and connecting. Jasper tried to pull it back, to stop it before it was too late, but he was too lost in the power of Gabe’s kiss, too out of control of himself to pull it back. He let go, losing himself to the magic, to Gabe’s passion, to his hunger, to the sensation of belonging, of being owned, not sure if he could find his way back. And not sure he wanted to.

Then everything slowed.

Gabe’s mouth gentled, brushing softly over Jasper’s bruised lips before sliding off. Hands that had inflamed just moments before now soothed, pressing and kneading the muscles of his back, calming him. Jasper’s breath stuttered in his throat, ending in a sigh when Gabe nibbled his way down his jawline and bit down gently on his earlobe. Hot breath washed over his skin, making Jasper shiver when Gabe whispered in his ear.

 “I’m so sorry. For everything.”

“F-fuck y-youahhh.” Which would have sounded so much more impressive if his voice hadn’t gone up when Gabe sucked on the skin behind his ear.

Gabe let out a soft laugh, then kissed him again, swallowing anything else Jasper might have said. Then he pulled back, giving them just enough room to look into each other’s eyes. “I really am sorry, baby. You have no idea how much.”

“Don’t call me that,” Jasper croaked, his voice almost gone. “I’m not your damned baby.”

Gabe’s smile turned dangerous, making Jasper’s heart beat faster. But not as much as his words.

“Oh, you are, Jasper Belmont. You’re mine and no one else’s. And you’d better get used to it.”

The challenge in his words fired Jasper up again. He opened his mouth to tell Gabe where he could shove it when Gabe took control of it, devouring him like he already owned him. Jasper tried to fight back, to take charge of the kiss, but god, he was no match for Gabe’s hunger and sank quickly beneath the force of his passion. He moaned when Gabe’s hand fisted in his hair, tilting his head back and stretching out his neck. Teeth scraped over sensitive skin as Gabe tongued and sucked down his neck, working his way to Jasper’s shoulder, his mouth closing over the large muscle, pulling at Jasper’s skin, sucking and biting, drawing blood to the surface, working the same spot over and over until Jasper’s entire focus was on that one throbbing point. Then Gabe bit down. Hard.

Jasper hissed, fingers clutching at Gabe’s shirt when his knees gave way. Calloused fingers slid from under the hem of his shirt and grabbed his butt, lifting and pulling Jasper tight to him. Jasper wrapped his legs around Gabe’s waist, groaning loudly when their lengths rubbed together. Holding tight, he rocked against Gabe’s hard body, letting out another loud groan, then Gabe’s hot mouth was on his again, swallowing Jasper’s noises as they moved against each other.

Just as Jasper was reaching the point of no return, someone banged loudly on the door, causing them both to freeze.

“Gabe. The Captain just called. He wants us back right away,” Detective Trewitt said.

“Fuck,” Gabe breathed hotly against Jasper’s neck, his voice rough when he whispered. “I’m sorry, baby. I’ve got to go.”

“I’m not your baby,” Jasper muttered, even though he was. And they both knew it.

Snorting, Gabe lifted his head and set Jasper on the counter. Sliding his hands up Jasper’s arms, he cupped the sides of his face and tilted his head back, then stared down at him, his eyes holding a message that had Jasper’s heart racing faster. Giving him a slow smile, Gabe pressed a gentle kiss to his forehead, then stepped back, slipping out of the bathroom without another word.

And quite possibly taking a piece of Jasper’s heart with him.

——

“All right, Mrs. Johnson. Thanks anyway,” Jasper said into the phone. “But if you do hear from Lucas, can you let him know I’m looking for him.”

“Of course, dear. And if I don’t see him in the next few days, he’ll be here for dinner on Sunday, so I’ll let him know then.”

“Thank you. I appreciate that.”

“You’re welcome. Just because you and my boy had a falling out doesn’t mean we can’t be civil to one another. Why, I was just telling your mother the same thing the other day.”

While Mrs. Johnson recited—in mind-numbing detail—how she’d run into Jasper’s mother at the farmer’s market the previous weekend, Jasper, mumbling something every once in a while so she’d think he was listening, started putting together an order of crystals from his favorite supplier to replace the ones which had been destroyed. It had taken him, Spencer, and Forrest three days of hard labor to clean up his store, salvaging what they could and making lists of everything that needed to be replaced, but they’d gotten it fixed up to a point Jasper could now start ordering in supplies.

As he put the last items into his cart, Mrs. Johnson sounded like she was finally winding down, so Jasper quickly cut in before she could get started on something else.

“I’m so sorry to interrupt, Mrs. Johnson, but I can hear someone knocking at the door. I’ll have to let you go.”

“All right, dear. You have a lovely evening.”

“You as well.” Jasper ended the call with a sigh of relief, then mentally scratched Lucas’ mom’s name off the list of people he was going through in his efforts to find his lying, asshole ex-boyfriend so he could get the name of whoever was after him. Destroying his store was the last straw. Jasper was done playing nice. Lucas was going to tell him what he knew even if Jasper had to shake it out of him.

 On the off-chance Lucas had unblocked him—because he was hopelessly optimistic like that—Jasper sent him another text, but his message showed as undelivered, the same as the last five, or possibly ten, messages he’d sent. Muttering under his breath about Lucas being a lying user and a coward, Jasper put down his phone and stood, stretching out his back with a long groan, then grabbed his empty tea cup off the desk and headed for the kitchen.

Setting his cup in the sink, Jasper froze when he heard a sound outside the kitchen door. Sending a whisper of magic through his black tourmaline ring, Jasper leaned sideways over the kitchen sink to peer out the window, then let out a soft laugh when he saw who was standing in the shadows. Hurrying over to the door, he opened it, then leaned on it as he raised an eyebrow at the man who stepped forward into the light.

“Little late for an interrogation, isn’t it, Detective?” When Gabe only stared at him, Jasper’s mouth curved in a smile. “Or are you here for something else?”

“You know why I’m here.”

“Do I?” Jasper all but purred.

Heated eyes raked his body.

Jasper’s smile widened.

“Are you going to let me in or not?”

“Of course, Detective.” Jasper moved to the side and motioned with his hand. “Please come in.”

Gabe brushed past him, the brief touch of his body making Jasper’s magic flare. As Jasper was closing the door he saw Spencer watching him through the side window of his house. He smiled and raised his hand in greeting. Spencer’s eyes narrowed as he mouthed what the fuck? Jasper snorted, then shut and locked the door, knowing Spencer would be grilling him in the morning about his midnight tryst with Detective Dickhead.

Jasper had a feeling there’d be a lot to talk about.