"Not at all."
Jasper threw his hands up in a placating gesture, the teasing light in his eyes burning even brighter. "It's just fascinating to see you guarding a woman so intensely."
"After all, I always assumed Captain Fenris only had eyes for the mission."
Jerrick stared at him with freezing apathy, clearly having zero intention of entertaining the man's curiosity.
He didn't even bother to grace him with a response.
But Jasper read volumes into that heavy silence.
If he truly felt nothing, why would he get so aggressively impatient over a few probing questions?
Jasper traced the edge of his smiling mask, looking the picture of innocence. "Still, as a friend, I feel obligated to give you a little warning."
"Ms. Panacea is brilliant, highly capable, and undeniably stunning. Sure, her temper is a nightmare, but a woman like that naturally attracts a lot of predators."
As Jasper let the words hang in the air, Jerrick's eyes turned progressively more glacial.
Blissfully ignoring the impending drop in temperature, Jasper chuckled merrily. "It's just a shame that she already belongs to The Sterling Sovereign."
He made a show of looking Jerrick up and down, his tone dripping with mock pity. "You're an impressive specimen, Captain, but if it comes down to a bidding war for her heart, I'm afraid you fall a little short of The Sovereign."
"The man has bottomless pockets, and he's more than willing to shower her with absolute devotion."
"Honestly, a woman of her caliber deserves that kind of grand romance..."
Before he could finish, Jerrick's slate-blue eyes flashed with predatory malice. He cut him off with a voice like shattering ice. "What, are you interested in her?" Jasper blinked. "?"
He had just been handing out some casual praise. How the hell did the crosshairs suddenly lock onto him?
Meeting Jerrick's terrifyingly dark,
suffocating glare, Jasper
al
hands
immediately threw bothe
air and took a massive step
backward. "No! Absolutely not!"
"Do not drag me into this. A woman like Ms. Panacea would chew me up and spit me out."
Jasper played the part of a man acutely aware of his own mortality. "I am perfectly content just being her business partner."
He cast a lingering glance toward the quarantine sector, shaking his head. "ksaw exactly what she did to the Obsidian Sun last night. prefer a peaceful life. I'd like to live to see retirement."
Chasing a woman like that was a death wish. One wrong move, and she'd casually end his existence.
He wasn't stupid enough to throw away his life over a pretty face.
Only after hearing that did Jerrick let out a cold scoff.
The sudden, suffocating wave of hostility radiating from him finally dialed back a fraction.
Watching his reaction, Jasper's eyes sparkled with profound amusement.
Unbelievable. All he did was compliment The Panacea, and this stoic wolf instantly accused him of trying to steal her.
And just moments ago, he was spouting that tactical nonsense about 'protecting Specimen Fourteen.'
Bullshit.
This icy mercenary was totally, hopelessly infatuated with The Panacea.
Behind his mask, Jasper could barely suppress his smirk.
Seeing the blatant mockery in his eyes, Jerrick's patience officially hit zero. "Wraith,
if you're this bored, I can have the ship's crew find you a mop."
"Whoa, down boy." Jasper laughed, waving a hand dismissively. "I'm just messing with you."
He knew perfectly well that if he pushed any further, the wolf would actually snap his neck.
"I actually came looking for you for a reason-aside from analyzing our partner's love life, of course." His
tone remained light but the careless swaggerin his eyes sharpened into something incredibly lethal.