She approached Ashton. His shoulders stiffened. He clenched his fists at his sides. She expected him to punch her. She was a dragon shifter, too. A brawl was nothing new to her.
Instead, he vibrated with the force of his anger.
“I’m truly sorry for the pain I’ve caused,” Cora said. She looked to Lilah, too, who had been affected by the dragons who’d followed Cora here. “I would take it all back if I could.”
Ashton pulled his lips away from his teeth. His eyes were on her, but they were distant, as if he were somewhere else completely. She realized he was reliving the fire. He was back in the memory of what happened that night.
“Just accept her apology already!” Makenna yelled across the room.
His brows in a deep V, and he spun on his mate. “I don’t need this from you,” he snapped.
Suddenly, the air in the room was lighter. It no longer felt like walking through water. Everyone flashed wide smiles at Cora before returning to whatever they’d been doing. Ashton stomped over to his mate, took her in his arms, and ravished her with a deep kiss that had the others telling them to get a room.
Cora was left, standing on the sidelines of it all.
Jasper’s heat washed over her back, close enough that she could feel his presence, but not so close that she felt him. The sharp craving for his chest pressed against her back rose before she shoved it away. She turned toward him with the intention of leaving, a goodbye on her lips, but the sight of him stayed her.
“Good night, Cora,” he said.
The words shook her from her daze. She ducked her head, muttered a response, and pushed past him. Her shoulder brushed his arm and heat consumed her, tightening her core and nipples. She damn near swallowed her tongue in her surprise, but she didn’t stop.
Chapter Six
He’d had her right in front of him. Hell, he’d had her in his hand. Still, he hadn’t found the way to make her stay. Cora scampered away and he was left at the edge of his own gathering. Everyone else had their mate nearby.
The metallic dragons and their mates crowded around a board game that no longer involved Jasper. They’d moved on without him, divvying up his assets. He looked to the door Cora had disappeared through. The urge to follow her was too great. He took a step forward when his beast resurfaced.
Mark. Her.
Jasper swallowed his growling response so the others wouldn’t hear his struggle. Cora wouldn’t take well to being marked. She could barely trust him. If he betrayed her and marked her as his without her consent, she would never accept their bond.
He wanted Cora completely. That meant letting her come around to him. It was taking far too long for his beast. The creature pushed and pushed, threatening Jasper’s every intention. In the hall, the beast had almost won. Just the brush of his skin against hers had brought the beast out. It had held her with every intention of marking her.
It was only Ashton’s accidental appearance that had stopped him from making the worst move of his life. This war would be worth it if Cora trusted him. Only then.
Jasper spun on his heel and went to the deck. The air was chill. The warmth that had woken Grove only a few days ago was only a distant memory. Frost clung to the grass and clouds overhead threatened more snow. He welcomed it, willing to be buried beneath the blanket of cold if only for a place to hide and cool the beast inside him for a few days.
He didn’t expect to see Cora sitting on the bottom step. The beast lunged for her, but Jasper had enough control to direct himself back inside. He wasn’t leaving her. No, he prepared a plate for her.
With the grilled burger patty on the bun, he paused, unsure of what else to add. He didn’t know if she even ate meat. The idea of a vegetarian dragon was almost ludicrous, but it was entirely possible. He hesitated, rethinking every decision he’d ever made in his life. Would Cora want dill pickles? Sweet pickles? Onions?
Did she favor mustard or Thousand Island dressing?
In the end, Jasper made the kind of burger he preferred, with sharp cheddar and a heap of bacon. If she didn’t want either, he would gladly snack on them. Unsure of the sauce, he grabbed both bottles and headed back outside.
Cora was surprised when he dropped to the step beside her and handed her a plate. His heart refused to beat as she looked at it. Jasper had never been so nervous in his life. Then, Cora groaned with delight, a sound that twisted his insides. He held up the sauce bottles. She claimed the bottle of Thousand Island dressing.
“I didn’t know anyone else liked this on their burgers,” she said quietly.
“Every restaurant calls it their secret sauce, but I know the truth. It’s just mayo and ketchup with some pickles.” He shook the bottle when she gave it back. “No burger is complete without it.”
They sat in silence while she ate. Every now and then she snuck glances at him. He could feel her sizing him up, trying to read him like a book. Jasper wasn’t very good at sharing. Raised to be a king, he’d been taught to always be stalwart. Always be the person people came to when they needed help.
He’d been awful at the second part, but too damn good at the first. He feared no one thought they could count on him. Not his court. Not Cora.
That was going to change. He wanted to be a better man. A better king.
“Why aren’t you inside?”
Mark her. No one else can have what is ours.
Jasper did his best to ignore the voice inside him, his dogged beast. “Because you’re out here.”
He thought his words were romantic, but Cora didn’t seem impressed. She swallowed hard and looked away, into the dark distance. Jasper wanted to kick himself. He was truly awful at this. When was the last time he’d flirted? His life had no room for women. Not while his father was teaching him what it meant to be king.
This was a special circumstance. Cora wasn’t just any woman. She was on the run from a life he didn’t understand. Whatever she’d endured, it sat between them. Until Jasper knew what he was protecting her from, he could only promise her one thing.
That he would always be there when she needed him.
The sliding glass door behind him clanged open. He twisted to find Ashton illuminated by the light of the living room.
“Get both of your asses in here,” Ashton shouted.
Jasper expected him to be hostile, but Ashton’s jovial nature had returned, even if it was a bit forced. There was a chance the night would end without having to put Ashton through a wall. Jasper was getting tired of refinishing the walls. Half of them upstairs were unpainted blotches of white drywall, the price he paid for having his cousins nearby.
Cora stood and pushed the plate back at Jasper. He didn’t want to accept it because it felt like a goodbye. Already, her shoulders were stiff, and one foot was poised to retreat. Jasper could do nothing to make her stay.
“We’re going to play a card game,” Ashton shouted. “One that could destroy lives. You don’t want to miss the chance to make me draw the entire deck. Do you?”
Jasper snorted. His family’s version of fun was not what people would expect. Sure, there was still some ribbing and some wrestling, but they weren’t swallowing daggers or doing other wildly dangerous things. They were just a bunch of idiots cast together, trying to make life worth living.
The one thing that made it worth living was being together. Jasper hadn’t realized that until his cousins started returning home. He’d thought having Ashton and Makenna under the same roof as him would have been infuriating, but he’d enjoyed it too much. It was nice to have someone outside his office door, waiting to give him a new keyboard when he destroyed the previous one.
Even if Ashton only did it for a laugh.
Jasper knew he shouldn’t, that there were lines he shouldn’t cross right then, but he reached out and grabbed her wrist anyway. His grip was gentle. Cora could have easily slid out of it, but she seemed stunned by his touch.
“Come inside,” he asked.
/> She didn’t simper or shy away. If anything, Jasper caught the flash of defiance that burned in her eyes. Cora wasn’t a little bunny. She wasn’t afraid of him. The woman had lived in the wilds of his mountains for months in order to fight for her freedom.
But she was afraid of something.
He wished she would tell him. He couldn’t help her without knowing what she needed. Instead, Cora pulled away from him. She shook her head and retreated. The beast inside him slammed against the barriers between him and it. He stumbled forward. The beast slammed again and pushed him another step forward.
Jasper growled and hit back. He’d never fought his beast like this. He’d always drunk the beast away, ignored it the best he could. This time, his frustration knew no bounds. He aimed it at the demon inside himself. The beast reeled, but came back with a bone-shaking growl.
“It’s not easy wanting something you can’t have,” Ashton said beside him.
Jasper looked up to find Ashton’s hand, waiting to help him up. His head throbbed from the fight raging inside him. He snarled and helped himself up. He was king. He didn’t need help.
Destroy her walls. Tear them down. Give her nowhere to hide.
“Shut up,” Jasper muttered.
“What was that?” Ashton took a step back, confused.
Jasper ran his hands over his face, wishing the pounding would go away. “I wasn’t talking to you.”
Ashton hesitated, but left when Jasper refused to acknowledge him. The sliding glass door slammed shut. Ashton’s effort to extend an olive branch had been thwarted, and it obviously irritated him. There would be other chances, other nights to work on his forgiveness.
There were still too many obstacles.
Like the guest house walls, according to Jasper’s beast. He refused to listen to the monster. There was no way he was going to tear the guest house apart. Cora needed a place to stay. She needed a place she could trust. He wasn’t going to violate that.
That is not what I meant, the beast grumbled.
Jasper’s nail bit into his palms. “Then speak straight, moron. Don’t be metaphorical with me.”
The beast’s laughter rolled through his mind. Jasper scowled. He was never alone. Try as he might to escape, he would always be haunted by the presence of his beast. The creature was far too smart, far too willing to be heard. He couldn’t help but wonder if the creature liked the sound of its own voice.
Do not let her put walls around herself. She needs us. She needs to trust.
“That is so much easier said than done.” Jasper stuffed his hands in his pockets, even though his palms burned where his fingernails had sliced the skin and stared up at the night sky.
He had half a mind to go to Cal, the monster hounding Cora, and ask him what she was running from. If Cal wouldn’t tell him, he’d beat it out of the man.
This war was tiring, but Jasper would never give up on her.
Cora was the answer to everything.
Chapter Seven
She cursed and flinched, dropping the pan. It skittered across the floor and spilled its burnt contents everywhere. In the bright light of the early morning sun, her burnt oatmeal gleamed like plastic. It was perhaps the most unattractive thing she’d ever laid eyes on.
Even worse was the smoking pan that held what should have been fried eggs. Cora lunged for the frying pan and chucked it into the sink. Smoke still billowed off it. She tried turning on the faucet to cool it with cold water, but steam erupted and filled the air.
She choked from the acrid smell. Not even a hand over her nose could save her from the disaster she’d wrought. Hell, she would be a terrible dragon wife. Jasper was in for a rude awakening.
Defeated, she threw open every window and door she could find. The evidence of her failure slowly slipped out the openings. Cora was left with just a mess. A very clearly inedible mess.
Her stomach pinched and grumbled. The beast beneath her skin squirmed. Hunger was making her anxious. The beast clawed her from the inside out. She needed to shift. She needed to eat. She needed a lot of things. Tears of frustration stung her eyes and she gritted her teeth against the beast’s demands.
No, she told the creature inside her. We can’t risk shifting. We can’t let anyone know.
No matter where Cora went, she would have to hide. Truth be told, she didn’t know when she would ever be able to shift again. If Jasper found out what she hid, he would never let her out of his sight again. The demon inside him claimed indifference, but she knew better. Cora knew that she would be hoarded like a piece of treasure.
The smoke had just about cleared when she moved to close the nearest window. It looked out at the front door of the main house, where Jasper was now standing. It was early enough that he should have held a mug of coffee, but he toted a glass of whiskey instead. He raised it in salute when he noticed her. She wanted to smack the dumb smirk off his face.
She was half tempted to march over to him and lay out every reason she would be the worst dragon wife ever. Mate bond or not, maybe then he would fixate on someone else. Someone who could give a king what he deserved.
Because she certainly wouldn’t.
Cora had been told all her life that she needed to be a certain person. Even before Cal tried to force her to be his dragon wife, her mother and aunts and cousins were telling her everything she would be expected to do. Her mother attempted to teach her to cook. Her aunts warned her that she would never be able to speak to him and be heard, that she would have to wait for him to speak to her, and even then, she would just have to smile and nod.
Everything they said felt like something out of a royal mistress’s handbook. It was for the women living in the fifteenth century. Not for this modern day and age.
But she was bound to Jasper. As a king, he would have a certain set of expectations.
Or, that was what she thought. Cora hadn’t expected him to bring her a burger the night before. Least of all one that he’d cooked himself. The gesture was strange and not at all what she’d thought would happen. The idea that Jasper could even cook rocked her world.
At least one of them could cook.
She slammed the window shut and turned back to the plasticky oatmeal mess on the floor with a heavy sigh. Not even a dog would eat that. A glance in the sink told her the same thing about the eggs.
Her stomach didn’t growl. Not with the pathetic attempts at cooking in front of her.
She would have snuck out again and found some place to eat in Grove, but Jasper was nearby. He would follow her. He would insert himself into her life. Right where she didn’t want him.
All Cora could do was finish cleaning her failed breakfast. Her only option left was the box of increasingly stale puff cereal. She groaned but committed herself to this bachelor lifestyle. It truly was her only hope.
The box of puff cereal sat untouched for the better part of an hour. A daytime talk show where all the guests were clearly bad actors had distracted her, but she could no longer ignore the rumbling in the pit of her stomach. She sat up and put her feet on the floor right when there was a knock at the front door.
Sniffing the air, she caught the familiar hint of whiskey that warned of Jasper’s presence. Cora sat on the edge of the futon for a while, as if he would go away if she remained perfectly still. Unfortunately, her heart had other ideas, beating wildly at the thought of being in the same room as him.
Cora hadn’t wanted to admit it, but being near him had been almost revelatory.
Almost.
She still wasn’t convinced that the universe had made the right decision. There was no way she could love Jasper. After what she’d lived through, love couldn’t be in her future. It was a thing that existed for others, but not for her.
Because of the beast inside her. Because of its scales.
There was no other knock, so Cora ventured forward. Just like last time, there was no sign of Jasper outside. Instead, there was a pizza box a
top a stack of bags. She bit back a laugh, but still found herself smiling.
The air smelled of crispy pepperoni and charred cheese. Her beast was celebrating, and she hadn’t even opened the box yet. Dragging it all inside, she found more supplies. Things she couldn’t have while hiding in the mountains, things she’d left behind when she escaped Cal.
There were fleece lined blankets, a large pillow that was furry on one side, a bottle of prosecco, and an insulated wine glass with a lid. She cackled at the grown-up version of a sippy cup. Once she sobered, she wondered why Jasper was being so nice. It wasn’t like he was getting anything in return.
She looked to the nearest window, as if she would catch a glimpse of the golden king, but he was nowhere to be seen. Cora pushed the bags aside. If they were bribes or early payment for her duties, she didn’t want them. She didn’t want to know what Jasper would ask of her if she let herself enjoy his gifts.
Her stomach churned. Cora had already used some of his gifts, including the giant television he’d previously left. It left her in a predicament. She didn’t want to be beholden to anyone, and yet she was already in debt to Jasper. Not just for the gifts, but for the war he fought on her behalf.
She could reason all she wanted that the war was Jasper’s choice, but he never would have fought it if she hadn’t come running to him. Cora could have hidden in the Nevada mountains, maybe lived in an abandoned gold mine for a while instead of the Colorado wilderness. Not that it sounded all that inviting, but she could have avoided Jasper and the bond between them.
Instead, she’d come running right to him. Even if she didn’t immediately go to Jasper, she found safety under the umbrella of his reign. Which meant a small part of her must have already trusted him. It was an instinct, probably driven by the bond, but there nonetheless.
Grumbling to herself while she lifted the lid of the pizza box, she was greeted with an actual New York style pizza. It was enough pizza to feed her for a week. Her earlier reservations about accepting gifts disappeared at the sight of it and she eagerly grabbed the first slice.
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