Of course, Cal would strike back. She didn’t have time to think, barely time to move. Cal launched himself at her. His fingers had become claws, catching the light of the house as they came down on her. Before he could hurt her, firm hands shoved her aside.
Jasper’s hiss of pain echoed in the silence before his demon’s angry howl burst out of him. Cora scrambled upright to find her mate kneeling on the ground, one hand over his face. Blood streamed between his fingers. Anger sparked like an inferno inside her, but she couldn’t turn it on Cal.
Not when Jasper was in so much pain.
She placed herself between him and Cal, crouching at her mate’s side. The one eye that was uncovered burned with his demon’s ferocity. Jasper’s hand fell away to reveal the carnage Cal caused. It stole Cora’s breath and froze her blood. Where there had been an eye was now nothing, only a shadowed socket. Jasper looked past her at Cal and promised a retribution unlike anyone had ever seen. The moment passed and her presence pushed the creature back until it was only Jasper’s anger she saw.
Blood continued to seep beneath his fingers. It splattered the ground beneath them. She had a thought, almost out of place, that the spot would forever be stained by the king’s blood. It would stand as the memorial of the moment when Jasper risked his life for her.
He’d promised all along that he would do just that, but seeing him in action drove his words home. The court appeared out of the shadows, their metallic beasts larger than anything in the courtyard. Cal’s eyes flicked from dragon to dragon, from Ryker to Wyatt to Griffin. Mina and Lilah appeared on the roof, behind the green dragon.
Cal knew he was outnumbered. He raised his hand and gave the signal to retreat. Almost all the dragons he’d brought with him fled save for him, the green dragon, and the red dragon. The green one hissed at Lilah and Mina. Neither female backed down.
“This is your ruination, Cora,” Cal said before turning away. “Remember that as I tear this clan apart piece by piece, as I send you the remnants of your friends.”
Cora didn’t pay him any attention. She looked to the red dragon, still lingering at the edge of the courtyard. The beast held her gaze for a long while, though Cora wished she could reach the creature’s mind. They’d been friends, once upon a time. She didn’t know if that friendship still bonded them, or if Cora’s betrayal had broken it.
Tell them, she mouthed anyway, hoping against all hopes that her friend would tell the clan that they had a choice.
Finally, Cal was gone. His army went with him, leaving them alone in the courtyard. The metallic dragons melted back into the night. Griffin and Lilah stayed nearby, curling together near the fountain. Griffin’s eyes remained on the sky while Lilah watched the woods Cal had left through. Together, the beasts were formidable, two horned megaliths with teeth and claws to match.
Jasper lurched to his feet. Cora reached for him, but he didn’t sway. The way he stood made it seem like he felt no pain. While she doubted that was true, she gave him points for bravado.
“Let’s go to bed,” she told him.
He turned and drew her under his arm. She let herself be pulled in. This was her mate, her forever. This was who the universe thought she deserved. At every turn, he defied her expectations. Jasper proved himself far more than what she thought she’d earned in this life.
They stumbled inside, but a cold draft pushed them back. Cora remembered that the roof was now a giant sky light. It made her hesitate.
“There are other rooms. This house is huge.” Jasper pulled her forward.
She let him draw her deeper into the house. There was nothing that would draw her away from him. Not that night. She followed him up the stairs and away from the hole of black night peering into the house. Rubble littered the floor, forcing her to step carefully.
Not long later, they were away from the wreckage, secured in another wing of the house.
“Dumbass didn’t even smash my bedroom,” Jasper muttered in the dark. “He destroyed my parents’ old room.”
Cora didn’t know why that was so funny, but it spurred laughter in her. Which, in turn, made Jasper laugh. They laughed all the way into his room, where he collapsed onto his bed. In the dark, she could see the art on the walls, landscapes of the mountains she’d lived in. Of Jasper’s mountains.
He held out his hand to her. She hesitated. His face was a blur in the dark, made shadowy by the blood smeared across his skin. If the wound hurt, he didn’t show it.
“Lie with me. Just for tonight.”
“I’m pretty sure we already lay together,” she quipped, trying to bring humor to the night.
Jasper shook his head and grabbed her, hauling her onto the bed where he wrapped her in his arms so that her back was against his chest. She couldn’t see his face, not from this position. Guilt wormed its way through her heart and tried to eat at her.
All of this was her fault. It was her fault for leaving, for thinking she could have a future of her own.
“Stop,” he whispered in her ear, voice filled with the drowsy beginnings of sleep. Already, their minds were slipping into one. “Don’t beat yourself up. Cal is the one to blame. Cal is an asshole.”
“Yes. Cal is most certainly an asshole.”
Sleep didn’t take long to claim them while they were lulled by the sound of their heartbeats falling into sync and soft breathing.
Chapter Eleven
Cora pulled her knees to her chest. It didn’t matter what she did. Everything crumbled in her hands. Even her mate. If she hadn’t come running to him, if she hadn’t brazenly approached Cal, then Jasper would still be whole.
His healing had pulled the wounds in his face back together and abated his pain, but it could not replace what was gone. So much for being giant lizards. Even small lizards could grow back missing tails, maybe even limbs.
Jasper would never get his eye back. The other was amber colored, though she’d expected his demon to turn it fiery gold. Why he wasn’t livid, she didn’t understand. Jasper went about his day like nothing had happened. Like nothing had changed.
But he’d lost an eye to protect her.
“You know,” he began while at the kitchen counter. “I feel kind of like Odin. I got to read the runes and sacrificed an eye.”
Cora guffawed. She cocked her head and took him in, barely able to believe that he was making a joke about this. He dropped into the seat across from her, lifting his feet to place them on her lap in a gesture that was far more intimate than she thought she deserved.
“I’m not going to rub them,” she warned him. “Not until you take a shower. There’s still blood caked in your hair.”
“Is there? I can’t see it.”
She threw a pillow at him, sloshing his coffee. “You’re not funny!”
“I think I’m absolutely hilarious,” he informed her.
Which only bothered her more. He wasn’t taking this seriously. Jasper was at a disadvantage now. He could only see out his left eye. In a fight, that would leave his right side open to attacks. This was a war. It was foolish to think there would be no more attacks.
“When do I get an eyepatch?”
“You’re insufferable. I’m going to order one with a googly eye on it.”
Jasper grinned wide. Even without an eye, he was a stunning sight. The wound only made him look fiercer. Two scars ran through his brow and down his cheek that he wore like a badge of pride. She was almost convinced that his beast had left them there on purpose. His demon would be that vain.
Though, she hadn’t seen the demon in a long while. The beast had shown itself here and there, but it had not taken over Jasper in quite some time.
“I told you, your presence has been good for me.”
She groaned. “Get out of my head!”
He threw up an arm, expecting another pillow. “I’m not in your head. You’re easy to read!”
What were they doing? What was this comfort that sat between th
em? Cora no longer feared the demon inside him. She didn’t shy away from Jasper or any motives he might have hidden from her. There was only truth sitting between them, forging the beginnings of a relationship.
Everything she’d tried to avoid.
Cora had every intention of leaving Grove in the dust. She’d wanted to prevent everything that had already happened. The people of this town, these shifters, were sacrificing so much more than she’d expected. The fight had bled into the town. It had stolen half of Jasper’s sight.
“But, I wouldn’t be the man I am if you hadn’t stayed.”
She pursed her lips and glared at him.
“Okay, so I’m in your mind. Cut a man a break when his mate doesn’t speak her mind. I have to go a little further to figure things out.”
“Is that why I haven’t seen your demon lately? Is he busy sifting through my thoughts and handing you the important stuff?”
Jasper inched closer to her. She couldn’t help but sneak a peek at the way his dick moved beneath the thin fabric of his boxers. Her mouth watered, but she tried to ignore it. He wrapped his arm around her and pulled her into him. She should have moved away, but didn’t.
She didn’t want to.
Cora wanted to know what it would be like to stay. Jasper truly loved her. Even if he was reading her mind without her permission.
“You’re going to have to tell me how you do that,” she warned him. “You can’t be the only one with that ability.”
“How badly do you want to learn?” There was a teasing tone in his voice.
The sound drew her core tight, filling it with heat until she thought she might burst. Jasper wrecked her thoughts with a single sentence. Then, he lifted the arm that had been around her and used it to pull her face to his. She let him be drawn in by him.
While his lips gently pressed against hers, she pushed at the boundary of their mate bond. There was a tug in her core, the bond. She followed it to him and felt herself slipping past thoughts and urges until she could feel them all swirling around her.
How did Jasper keep any of this straight? It was a miracle he was able to pull anything from her mind at all.
“See,” he whispered. “You’re a natural at this.”
Little by little, she pieced together a thought.
I want
To
Fuck
You.
The heat in her core burst. It filled her, crashing into every small space inside her like an overwhelming wave. Cora groaned into his kiss. Distantly, she heard the sound of his coffee mug hitting the side table before he pulled her onto his lap.
She broke the kiss, breathing heavy, her hands on his shoulders. Every second with him buried her deeper. At this rate, she would never be able to put him behind her.
He had promised to follow her anywhere she went. There was nowhere she could hide that he wouldn’t find her, that he wouldn’t be right behind her. But that also meant Jasper’s demon would force him to abandon his clan. His promise became a threat.
It was just another way to hold her down.
She stood and moved to the sliding glass door. A world sprawled out before her. Mountains circled them beyond the perfect white blanket covering his lawn. She pushed the door open and stepped out, uncaring that she was barefoot in the snow.
Cora had a lot to work through. She didn’t want to deal with any of it. The life she’d been given was too much to bear. It handed her problem after problem. The weight of them all would slowly crush her.
Her beast unfurled, rising to the surface to take control, when Jasper touched her back. She stopped. Breath held, she waited for him to say something. He would beg her to stay. He would insist that he accompany her. He would keep his eyes on her.
“Would you like company?”
Those were words she had not expected. He didn’t insert himself into her life. He didn’t try to take it over. Instead, Jasper asked permission. The moment shouldn’t have been revelatory. It was a simple question, but it spoke volumes about Jasper and their relationship.
She threw a smile over her shoulder. “I’ll be right back.”
He nodded and stepped back. She tried not to pay attention to the way it hurt him. She had a plan and wanted to follow it through. Time in the air, alone, would let her unravel her messy mind. By the time she returned, she would know what to do.
At least, that was her plan.
***
Jasper watched his mate go. He didn’t believe she’d be right back. Every time he pulled her closer, she took another three steps back. There was no way he could blame her. Her life with Cal’s clan had not been pleasant. Now, with this war spilling into every facet of their lives, the guilt she must be feeling would be overwhelming.
He wanted to go after her, but Cora’s decision was her own. He would find her later, check in on her to make sure she was safe. He’d meant it when he said wherever she went he would follow. Not to drag her back into this life, into a place beside him, but keep an eye out for her. He could not force her to be his queen.
It didn’t work that way.
Jasper tried not to touch the scars on his face. The sight of Cora standing before Cal, Cal’s claws slicing the air, hit him over and over again. He’d moved without thinking. Cora would have taken the brunt of that attack. It was his mate who would have lost something, more than just an eye.
That was just more proof that Cal was an unfit leader.
Jasper always thought himself the wrong man for the job. His father had taught him everything he should have needed to know, but time and again it proved itself to not be enough. Jasper had to watch his every step and pick up the pieces of this family as he went. There was no simple algorithm to it, no simple formula that would make ruling his clan easy.
But he rose to the challenge and did what needed to be done.
That was what separated him from Cal. What made him a good king.
Jasper collapsed onto the couch and reached for his mug to finish off the coffee inside. The front door swung open. He hoped his dragons at least listened at the door to make sure nothing was going on before they invited themselves inside. Had Cora wanted what Jasper wanted, then his dragons would have gotten quite the show.
The door didn’t close. The sound of multiple footsteps echoed into the house. Jasper glanced over his shoulder to find Ashton, Wyatt, and Ryker carrying tool belts and sheets of ply wood.
“What are you doing at this hour of the morning?” There was not enough coffee in the world to deal with his family.
Ashton tipped his hard hat, like the dragon shifter needed one. “We’re going to fix the hole in the roof since you haven’t gotten to it yet.”
Wyatt mumbled something, obviously irritated about having to do more construction work.
“Just leave it for now,” Jasper told them. “It’s not important. A roof is a roof. It’s not…”
“An eye?” Ryker supplied.
Jasper growled, but everyone suddenly stopped laughing. All three shifters stared at Jasper’s lack of an eye. The weight of what happened the night before sank in, hitting everyone like a falling anvil.
“An eye is nothing.” Jasper set aside his empty mug and reached for a nearby pair of sweatpants. “I was going to say a life.”
He looked out the sliding glass doors, hoping to see Cora on the horizon, returning to him. By now, she was long gone. Her disappearance cut a hole in him, a part that she’d taken with her. He hoped she would cherish it for the rest of her life, as he would cherish the moments she’d given him.
“Let’s go fix the roof,” he mumbled.
“Maybe you should put a shirt on,” Ashton teased. Then, he lifted a gift bag he’d been carrying. “Also, this is a gift for Cora. It’s, ah, an apology for being a piece of shit.”
Jasper sighed. “You aren’t a piece of shit.”
And Cora is never coming back.
He couldn’t bring himself to say t
he words, so he just told Ashton to leave it on the coffee table. He knew saying it wouldn’t close a door so that she could never return, but he couldn’t shake the feeling that he was wrong. It could have been foolish hope. It could have been stubborn insistence, a lie he fed himself to feel better. Either way, he couldn’t deal with it just then and there.
He took a great sheet of plywood from Wyatt and marched upstairs without another word.
Chapter Twelve
By the time Cora returned to the manor on the edge of the mountain, the roof had been repaired. Well, mostly repaired. There were no shingles, but the roof had been boarded up. The work looked professional, too. Which only made her wonder how many times the shifters had to repair this house.
Did Jasper hire a professional? Or, were they all proficient in construction after cleaning up their own messes?
Being a dragon shifter meant they were larger than other shifters. Their massive bodies often led to a lot of property damage. Having so many giant shifters in one place logically meant there would be a lot of destruction.
At least they were able to fix things efficiently. This clan would never cease to amaze her. She was starting to look forward to a life with them. The flight out to Grove gave her the time she needed to sort through her thoughts and figure out what she wanted. That was the thing she had not asked herself.
What did she want?
The truth had been staring her in the face the whole time. It should have been obvious, but Cora had been in fight mode for so long she didn’t know how to let go of it. There had been a few moments where she was able to set it aside and just…be. It was in those moments that she found happiness.
What she wanted, more than anything else, was to live beside her mate. It was the only option all along, but she’d been so intent on running from whatever trouble she brought in her wake that she never stopped to think that maybe they could take it on together. That they would be all the better for it.
The door was unlocked and so she let herself in. The smell of fresh wood filled the halls and lingered in the living room. It was refreshing, nearly masking the many scents of other shifters. Ashton. Wyatt. Ryker.
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