Aurum Court Dragons: Boxset Books 1-5

by Emilia Hartley

  Cora should have run. She should have turned away from Grove and Jasper and his court. It would have been safer that way for them. Instead, she stepped up to Jasper, gripped his face in her hands, and brought him down into a kiss.

  The contact sparked a fire inside her. This was what she’d wanted to do for so long. His lips were warm and soft, tasting of whiskey and cinders. The heat of his beast died on his tongue, replaced by a new heat. He groaned and pulled her against him. He held her so tight, she thought they might meld into one being.

  Then, she broke away, breath short and heart racing. She couldn’t look at him. Not just yet. Instead, she looked anywhere but at him. The ground. The buildings. Ryker and Griffin.

  Nope. That was a mistake. Her face flamed and she spun away.

  “Well…That did the trick.” Ryker elbowed Griffin in the ribs. “Why didn’t you ever try that.”

  “Insinuate such things again and I will rip your tongue out of your mouth.” Griffin growled each word at his cousin like a vow.

  “If you could have, you would’ve done it already.” Ryker was so unfazed by the threat, still grinning like a fool.

  Their ribbing was infectious, and soon even Cora was smiling. She looked to Jasper, to see if he found the humor in his court’s not-so-friendly banter, too. Her mate was still scowling. Though his demon had retreated, his anger had not been banked. Jasper fought not just for her, but for his family. It left him on a precarious edge.

  ***

  The feeling of her lips on his still lingered. It was a sensation he held onto, one he craved more of. Her daring had been able to push his beast back where it came from. The creature’s voice was no longer a howling torrent of fury. Instead, it was a simmering pot on the back burner. Jasper waited for it to boil over, for the beast to fill his being, but it didn’t happen. Not yet.

  Right then, he felt torn. Cora stood on one side of him, proving that she was everything he ever needed. Protecting her had become his highest priority, to the point of starting a war. Yet, on the other side of him sat his ragged knights. Ryker and Griffin would go to the edges of the world for him, but he didn’t deserve their devotion.

  Jasper was failing at the one thing he was supposed to do.

  Lead.

  He’d been romancing Cora and taking long flights over the town while his knights fought his battles. This needed to end, but he didn’t know how to do it. He studied Cora’s profile for a long while, trying to figure out how she would feel if he just killed Cal once and for all. Would she mourn for a man he thought she might have once loved?

  Jasper knew nothing about Cora’s time with her previous clan. He didn’t fully understand why she left, though he was starting to piece her story together. Between the way she feared revealing her scales and the way she spoke of their dragon wife tradition, he knew there was a life with her old clan that she was trying to escape.

  He would never force her into anything here, but he needed her. He needed the way she balanced him, the way his beast bent to her will. While Cora was not the answer to his suffering, she was a balm on the days when he could barely keep his thoughts separate from the beast lurking inside him.

  It dawned on him that he needed to be better, not just for his knights and his clan, but for her, too. He had a long way to go. The months he’d spent locked in his home had been mostly wasted. Ashton convinced Jasper to take part in his own business, but he was not taking part in his own reign. It seemed like a lot, all of his responsibilities falling into place at once, but he was the king.

  He could do anything.

  “Go home,” he told Ryker and Griffin. Their mates would be relieved to see them. “I’ll call Wyatt and Ashton. One of them will call a clean-up crew and we’ll all get started on fixing this mess.”

  Cora watched him with wide eyes. She had that look a lot, like he turned into someone she didn’t know every so often. Truth be told, he was changing. He was trying to be a better king, a better person. Hiding would get him nowhere, even if it was all he wanted to do.

  Jasper and his knights spent the afternoon hauling broken beams and great sheets of corrugated metal into dumpsters. Cora joined them, though her eyes were dark. He wanted to pull her aside and reiterate that none of this was her fault, but he didn’t think she was ready to hear it. Whatever was going on in her head, she needed to work through it. He would be there when she was ready.

  Jasper didn’t sit until his knees were aching and his palms were blistered. Looking up from his palms, he watched the way Ashton glared at Cora. The beast filled his ears with a roar and tensed his muscles. The stare was dark and still filled with loathing. He thought they had worked through this, but it seemed the youngest dragon had as much anger as he did mirth.

  Forcing himself to stand, while holding back his beast’s urge to launch himself at Ashton, Jasper took a step forward. Before he could intervene, Cora caught his attention. She shook her head. If Ashton’s ire bothered her, it didn’t show on her face.

  He noticed that she’d removed her gloves. She held up a hand and turned toward a food truck that had parked itself at the edge of the work-site. He thought the truck was making a killing until he watched Cora take out her card and the man in the window shook his head. Jasper’s heart beat twice.

  The man in the window saluted Jasper before handing Cora three wrapped sandwiches. Jasper wondered why so many sandwiches until he watched her walk up to Ashton. The young copper dragon paused his work, dropping the beam he’d been lifting, to glare at Cora. Jasper was halfway to his feet when Cora held out the sandwich.

  She did not flinch in the face of Ashton’s snarl, nor did she shy away when he snatched it out of her hand. Cora shook her head as she walked away, but Jasper trained his eyes on the young dragon shifter. He was going to rip Ashton’s head off if the man made so much as a single move toward Cora.

  Still poised to launch himself forward, Jasper was surprised by what he saw. Ashton actually…smiled. Jasper was taken aback. Hope for his court, for his clan, swelled in his chest. It grew even brighter when he saw Cora’s twinkling eyes and the grin playing across her lips. She approached him and held out the second sandwich before taking a seat beside him.

  “This,” Cora began, gesturing to everyone before her, “is unlike anything I’ve ever seen before.”

  “Are you telling me your dragons never wrecked a few buildings?”

  He meant it as a joke, but the happiness on her face died. She picked at the edges of the paper around her sandwich. “They were never my dragons. This idea that we were a family is a great big lie.”

  He blew a breath out his nose. That was not how he’d meant that to sound. He would have kicked himself had his foot not been in his mouth.

  Before he could find an apology, Cora continued. “What I was talking about is the way everyone came together. There are humans here.” There was astonishment in her voice. “They act like they know you personally. They’re…unafraid.”

  Jasper took in his court and the people who’d come to help. He’d taken them all for granted, he guessed. All of them could have just as easily turned up their noses and stayed home today. No one had to come out and help them pick up the pieces of his war. Not even his court. Yet, they’d all come out to help him in one way or another.

  “I’m not the only one to get a free sandwich, either.” Cora gestured to the truck parked at the edge of the lot. “He said he’s been serving everyone without payment.”

  “I will make sure he gets proper payment,” Jasper said as he noted the name of the business on the side of the truck.

  “You couldn’t possibly pay for everyone here!” Cora seemed stunned that he thought he had that much money.

  “Did you forget that I not only head my clan, but run a national bank?” He raised a brow and her face turned red before she turned away. As much as he would have liked to continue to ruffle her, he took in those who’d come to help pick up the debris. “My clan is mu
ch larger than this. Had more people showed up, everyone would be home by now.”

  Jasper knew that meant he needed to be a better king. People did not follow a man who holed himself up in a distant castle. They would only follow someone made of flesh and bone, with a soul that they could admire. Jasper had flesh and bone, but no one would know it from the way he hid away. About the soul part…he wasn’t entirely certain he was worthy. If he’d been a worthy king, then he never would have hid. He wouldn’t be struggling with a monster inside him. A monster that was proof he wasn’t worthy.

  “You look like you’re thinking too hard. I would have assumed you choked on your food and passed out if your sandwich wasn’t still wrapped.” Cora watched him.

  Jasper ducked his head. “I need to be a better man.”

  ***

  Cora didn’t know what to say to his confession. She knew almost nothing about him, but the desire to tell him he was enough rose to the tip of her tongue. Biting it, she kept the words to herself. Who was she to tell him who he was? But she couldn’t silence herself for long.

  “Maybe if they got to know you a little better? I think if your clan could meet you, then they would follow you to the ends of the earth.”

  Cora didn’t know if her assessment was based on her own feelings, having come from a clan rife with infighting, or if she could truly see the good Jasper wanted to bring to his clan. Either way, he wanted to put in the effort. She could help him. Or, at least offer a bit of advice.

  “I don’t know how you would do it, but get to know your shifters. Let them know who you are in return. It could form a bridge that could lead to an actual relationship.”

  He cocked his head, amber eyes on her as his hair flopped forward. She wanted to push back the loose curls and feel the silken softness of the strands. Instead, she tucked her hands beneath her thighs. She’d kissed him earlier. It had done the job, at the time, but now she found herself craving more.

  Every moment spent in his presence was another root strapping her to the ground beneath her feet. She could fight against them, struggle to her heart’s content, but she was starting to fear that she’d never break free. This clan, this place, was so great and was getting better every day. Cora didn’t want to be the reason it burned.

  She’d already made that mistake once.

  “Both my father and I have been distant,” Jasper confessed, his voice small and his gaze trained on the stones near his feet. “The chromatic dragons forged a hierarchy of their own while my father and I locked ourselves away. The system…well, it was very broken. Mina nearly missed out on her own mate bond because she’d been convinced that a shifter of her station could never bond with a metallic dragon.”

  “Sounds like you need to do something about that,” Cora said gently. She wasn’t trying to anger his beast, but the truth was the truth. Someone had to tell him.

  Besides, she was clearly his mate. There was no denying their bond. If she couldn’t talk to Jasper, then no one could. That was not the marker of a good king.

  Chapter Nine

  The other mates brought Cora clothing options, but she hated them all. There was a sharp pantsuit, but Cora didn’t feel like the mayor’s wife. The suit felt wrong. Besides, it chafed her armpits in the most uncomfortable way. Then there was a dress, like something Jackie O would have worn. Again, it made her feel like a politician’s woman.

  Cora was no one’s wife, certainly not a politician’s. She was the mate of a dragon king. Pretty dresses and ironed pant suits didn’t feel right. Nor did they seem comfortable. While she was bound to Jasper, she wasn’t his girlfriend. If anything, she was a prisoner of war. Cora might have put herself in this position and the feeling of being trapped might have faded, but she couldn’t ignore the circumstances that led her here.

  She’d agreed to accompany Jasper, but that meant his clan would see her. She needed to decide how they would see her. The idea that she would still leave lingered in the back of her mind. This wasn’t permanent. Grove would become a memory someday.

  In the end, Cora chose a pair of ripped jeans and a sweater. She slung a nice, padded vest over her shoulders and chose a long necklace with a pendant that looked like a dragon’s claw—only a lot smaller.

  If it was the wrong thing to wear, Jasper didn’t show it. His lips split into a smile, eyes sparking with heat, when he looked at her. Her stomach did flips. No matter how hard she tried to ignore them, they shook her world. She thought they would go away when she got into the passenger seat of his truck, but as soon as he opened the other door and his scent wafted over her, the fluttering sensation in her stomach returned.

  If he could tell, he said nothing.

  Over and over, she told herself this wasn’t permanent. The only reasons he accompanied Jasper was to offer support while he attempted to become a better king. She didn’t want to present herself as the king’s mate. While he went door to door to meet his clan, she would stay in the truck.

  The truck that smelled of whiskey and Jasper.

  She sniffed the air and realized the scent of liquor was fainter than it usually was. When she mentioned it, Jasper’s smile was soft and shy. The look shook her core.

  “I haven’t needed it as much,” he said.

  Because they were spending more time together.

  The thought filled her mind until it was all she could focus on. The changes in Jasper since she’d arrived were more than she thought possible. Beside her was not the monster she’d met in her dreams, the one that flew over the mountains with the intent of capturing her, but the man she never knew existed behind the beast. Perhaps he was not perfect, but he was far better than any man she’d ever known before.

  He intended to become even better.

  Cora couldn’t ignore the idea that she was possibly falling for him.

  “I, uh, like your necklace,” Jasper said while turning the steering wheel.

  She looked down at the stone claw resting between her breasts. Did he like it for where it sat? Or, did he actually like it?

  “Are you wearing it for me?”

  “Huh?” She was truly confused now.

  He glanced at her, surprise evident. “The stone. It’s jasper. I didn’t know if you wore it on purpose, but I guess I know now.”

  She touched the claw shaped stone. “I didn’t know that. It’s just pretty and it looks like a dragon claw. I thought it was thematic.”

  “Now that you know it’s my namesake stone, does that make it even more thematic? I’m trying not to feel honored, but it’s not working.”

  She grinned, shaking her head. Not only was Jasper dead sexy and trying to be a good person, but he was kind of funny, too. Had her situation been any different, she might have tried to make it work. But her scales and his beast sat between them, turning what was a short distance into leagues.

  He turned into a small plaza, directing his too large truck into a drive through. “I’m buying coffee. We’re going to need it today.”

  Her stomach twisted. “And donuts?”

  He nodded, turned to the speaker, and ordered a dozen donuts. She laughed. While she hadn’t wanted that many, his eagerness was charming. How many others had the opportunity to see this side of Jasper? She hoped his clan got the chance today.

  ***

  Down the street was a school, kids shouting at one another on the playground. At the other end was a dog park. They were parked in between, outside a craftsman home with wicker deer in the garden. She stayed in the truck as Jasper hopped out. He cast a glance back and she offered an encouraging thumbs up. Even though she hadn’t wanted to dress like a politician’s wife, it very much felt like they were canvassing the neighborhood for votes. Instead of getting the position, Jasper would be gaining their confidence.

  Pride filled her chest, even though she told herself this had nothing to do with her. Jasper was his own man, affecting his own future. Cora was just someone passing through. No amount of fate cou
ld force her to keep endangering those around her. She would move on, assume a new name, and disappear.

  Her beast would suffer in the long run, but if it meant Jasper and his clan were safe, then she could live with the pain.

  Still, the thought of it brought tears to her eyes. She let her head fall back against the seat rest. Her vision swam with unshed tears. Cora didn’t just mourn for her beast’s cage, but for the life she was starting to see here. The scent of Jasper wrapped around her.

  The man he was becoming, the true self he was showing her, wouldn’t last once she left. He would not devolve into a bad man; Jasper had never been such. She worried, instead, about his happiness. With her, he could be whoever he wanted. He did not have to hold up the visage of a king or the mountain’s ever powerful gold dragon. He could be a cook, a joker, a tired man.

  If she left, he would have to hold up appearances all the time. It was exhausting and most likely allowed for his beast to slip through and grasp control. Cora didn’t want to stay just because of him. To owe herself to another man and his needs would be to trap herself in the same life she’d escaped from.

  Or…would it?

  Jasper had turned and was walking back to the truck. Behind him, the shifters in the doorway lingered, watching with pride and confidence written across their faces. His, though, was etched with exhaustion. She leaned across the seat and pushed his door open for him. Once it closed behind him, he let out a deep breath.

  Cora hadn’t walked to any of the doors with him. She didn’t have the heart to meet each and every one of his shifters yet, but she’d seen the effect it made. They all shared similar looks. Whatever Jasper thought his shifters saw him as was wrong. This door to door visiting only revealed that many of them already adored him.