She was completely naked and smeared with mud from being outside. He hoisted her into his arms, careful of the angry red skin of her feet. She’d been walking through snow to find him. His heart swelled so large, he thought it would deflate and crumple, but it didn’t. His love for her never wavered, and his confidence in such a small and delicate woman tripled.
Chapter Seventeen
The secret sat in Mina’s chest, a small weight she had to bear on her own. Not that it meant much of anything. There was no telling where Cora had gone since their meeting. Even if she told everyone that she’d encountered the woman they were fighting for, Mina was sure they wouldn’t be able to find her. Cora would not be found until she was ready to reveal herself.
Mina just hoped that was sooner rather than later.
Everyone had gathered in Jasper’s living room. Makenna and Kennedy were fretting over their mates while Griffin brooded near the fireplace. The room was thick with tension, almost worse than the failed meeting hours ago.
While they gathered in Jasper’s house, the king of the mountains was nowhere to be seen. Mina worried that he was out hunting Cora once more until he marched into the room. She expected him to look ragged like the rest of them, but there was an imperial set to Jasper’s shoulders again.
She saw no hint of the war he’d been raging with his own beast. It was as if he’d found his path and was walking it with his head high. Perhaps just knowing the woman he’d been searching for was real was enough. Mina could no more crawl into Jasper’s mind and uncover his thoughts than she could drag Cora back to Grove.
If Cora could return and tell her family that she did not want to leave with them, then the war would be over. Cora could live safely among them, but Mina understood her wariness. A mind was muddled after it endured so much pain. The world took on new shapes, each more frightening than the last until someone could pull back the veil of terror. Mina needed Ryker to do it for her.
She suspected Cora, if she was the mate of their king, would have the strength to remove the veil herself. Eventually, she would see that there was nothing to fear among them. Mina hoped it didn’t take Cora forever. All of them had so much more to live for.
Ashton’s house was nearly built. He and Makenna would be moving out of Jasper’s manor soon. They would begin a new chapter of their life, but it would be tainted if this war dragged on and stole him away every moment.
Mina had overheard Wyatt and Kennedy talking about conception. They were considering trying to conceive, but wartime was not for raising children. She could see the worry in Kennedy’s averted eyes that the war would steal Wyatt from her before they could even try.
Nearly everyone had a cloud over their heads.
“You can’t drag this on forever,” she said, breaking the silence.
All eyes turned to her. The formerly quiet and terrified mouse of a woman had spoken against the king. Jasper slowly turned toward her. No one moved, save for Ryker, who pushed himself in front of her. She reached and drew him back. Mina knew she had no reason to fear Jasper, despite the small spike of fear that cut through her stomach. It was a gut reaction. She knew better.
“I don’t say this to be mean,” Mina continued. “I know this is important to you, but your people have lives. Not just your court. The other shifters in Grove need you.”
Jasper regarded her for a long moment. Mina felt trapped, not by his stare, but by her promise to Cora. She’d agreed to wait and let Cora come to them on their own, but Mina was torn between honoring her promise and helping her family.
Then, Jasper took in the rest of the room. He let out a breath, the regal set of his shoulders drooping ever so slightly. It was as if the duties of a king had risen and slapped him in the face. It wasn’t only the power to declare wars as he wished, but the responsibility to care for his mountains, his people.
“Your cousins came back to help you sort through this, and I’m sure they’re going to stand by you without argument the whole way through, but you have to give back. I’m not saying don’t fight. I’m saying make this a short fight.”
Ryker pulled her back, cradling her against his chest. He laid a kiss on her head. Mina could feel the pride radiating off him. There was no tension in his touch, in the way he sat. If anything, she thought he might offer her up as an advisor.
To her surprise, no one else argued with her declaration. Not even Griffin, who was practically Jasper’s shadow. They all listened to her, heard what she had to say. This was unlike anything Mina had experienced before. She realized she was getting used to their dynamics, to the way they teased one another and spoke openly.
While her words would have earned her a smack if she’d been with her Uncle, here she was greeted with respect. Jasper nodded and ran his hands over his face. He promised to do what he could. Mina accepted his words and knew he would follow through with them.
There was no way of knowing when Cora would show up. Mina had to trust that Jasper would do his best to mitigate any future battles.
Chapter Eighteen
The house smelled of Ryker, coffee, and pancakes. It was a wonderful scent to wake up to. Mina rolled over and hugged the nearest object, rather disappointed that it wasn’t Ryker. She squeezed the stuffed dragon once before kicking off the blankets.
It’d been two weeks since the battle at the edge of the mountains. Two weeks since Mina had moved into Ryker’s house. It could have been considered longer, but Mina didn’t count the days she’d slept away. Nothing had changed in those days, while the past two weeks had brought quite a bit of change.
Mina had found a few second-hand records to add to Ryker’s collection. She’d bought a set of brightly colored china to add to his cupboards. Little by little, she left her touch on the house until it became their home. Ryker still played his music a bit too loud, and Mina now sang along to it.
As she padded into the kitchen, his music greeted her. It wasn’t as loud as it could have been, which meant he wanted to talk. Her stomach flipped. Nerves blossomed into butterflies. She knew he wasn’t going to ask her to leave. They were mates. There was no question about it.
What else could Ryker want to talk about?
A stack of pancakes layered like a cake sat on the kitchen counter. It was flanked by two steaming cups of coffee. Ryker leaned against the counter. He wore nothing other than his boxer briefs, which made Mina pause in the hallway to admire the view. His muscled back led into the burgundy fabric tightly hugging his ample behind.
He wiggled his butt, and she let out a laugh. When he threw a smirk over her shoulder, the butterflies in her stomach eased a bit. Still, Mina couldn’t fight back the wariness of uncertainty. She struggled to remind herself to breathe. No errant thoughts entered her mind, which was a sign that things had changed for the better.
She didn’t worry that he would ask her to leave, that he would tell her he’d gotten bored. Yet, the mystery of what he waited to say boggled her.
“Have some coffee,” he said, pushing a light blue mug toward her. “And don’t forget to eat.”
She narrowed her eyes at him. She knew the men liked to make sure their mates were well fed, but there was an underlying tone to his voice that set off alarms in her head. Not scary alarms, but that she was missing something.
Mina didn’t have to scent the air to know that Kennedy hadn’t visited that morning. The kitchen sink was filled with dirty dishes, evidence that Ryker had taken the time to make the stack of pancakes. Truth be told, she hadn’t thought he could cook. It was obvious he couldn’t clean up after himself, though.
“This is…weird.” Mina couldn’t take it anymore.
Ryker toyed with the spoon in his coffee, taking his time.
“Something is going on and I don’t like it. If you don’t spit it out, I’m going to go turn up the music.”
When he did finally look up at her, there was an honest clarity in his eyes that shook her. She saw worry, fear, and love, but she didn’t know where any of that ha
d come from. Their relationship had been fine. He knew her boundaries and no longer asked her to sing karaoke with her. She had gotten used to the sound of his music while she fell asleep.
There was nothing wrong!
“I found…” Ryker struggled to express himself. “I found something…in the trash. I’m not sure…I didn’t know that you wanted…”
Mina felt the blood drain from her face. She raised her hands. “Oh, no! That’s not mine. The pregnancy test isn’t mine!”
Ryker shot upright. If they hadn’t been having a conversation, Mina would have leaned to the right to watch his cock bounce from the sudden movement.
“Kennedy came over yesterday,” Mina explained. Wyatt’s mate had needed a friend. Since they were both new to the family, Kennedy said she found it easy to talk to Mina. So, when she was panicking over not knowing if she was pregnant, Mina suggested she come over and try a pregnancy test. That way, the result could be buried in their trash where Wyatt would never have to see it.
“Thank god,” Ryker breathed after she explained.
Mina couldn’t help it; she laughed. She rounded the kitchen island and laid her hands on Ryker’s chest. Instinctually, he pulled her into an embrace.
“I guess it’s time to have a conversation about children,” Mina said with a smirk.
“I know I’m supposed to as one of Jasper’s court, but I just…” Ryker trailed off. Mina waited patiently for him to go on. She could see that he had a lot to unpack. “I don’t think I’m cut out to be a father. I just never saw it in my future. Babies are just so breakable. Everything about them is small and fragile.”
He grimaced, as if he expected Mina to put up a fight. People acted like children were the height of a woman’s life, but Mina had expected to be nothing more than a breeding mare for some dragon. The future she’d found instead kicked out every expectation and gave her room to examine what she actually wanted.
“I’ll let you in on a secret,” Mina whispered as she wrapped her arms around Ryker’s neck. “The court is enough for me. I don’t want kids. If it happens in the future, then so be it, but until then I am blissfully happy that it is just you and me.”
Ryker grinned. The expression made his eyes shine like stars. Elation filled her chest. When he leaned in and claimed her lips, Mina knew her place in the world. It was not, as her uncle had always told her, at the bottom of the clan, but beside Ryker and the other metallic dragons. There were no rules barring her from their world, and even if there were, she would have smashed them all.
She had the strength to do anything.
Thank you!
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Ryker Drake Page 14