Ryker approached with the cork. He slammed it onto the counter, glanced back at Mina, and flashed a grin. “I’ll do it. I mean, we will do it.”
“What are you talking about?” Cora asked, looking between Jasper and Ryker.
“A king needs an emissary,” Jasper told her. Realization dawned in her eyes before they darted to Ryker.
Her lips pursed, like she might say no. Jasper couldn’t go. He needed to remain in his own territory. They needed to know that their king would always be there for them. Besides, they had a wedding to plan.
“Are you sure?” Cora asked.
Ryker nodded. “I never liked being stationary for too long. Mina has never seen the world. Nevada could be a good place to start.”
“Then it’s a deal.” Jasper approached his mate before addressing his court. “Take your fill of wine and get out of my house.”
Their laughs weren’t as loud as they could have been, but he could feel the joy in them. The war was over. Cal would not be a problem. Not anymore.
Cora was safe. She was strong.
She was his.
He lifted her in his arms before taking the stairs two at a time. Already, her hands were running down his neck, her lips on his ear. The demon in him writhed. He could barely take it. They didn’t even make it to the bedroom before Jasper set her on the floor of the landing and took her right there.
Chapter Nineteen
Cora missed her mother desperately.
There were magazines covering every inch of the coffee table. A binder sat open, but she wasn’t sure what to put in it. Cora never once thought she’d be planning a wedding. Yet, here she was.
Jasper leapt over the back of the couch to sit beside her. The coffee in her cup sloshed, earning Jasper a glare. He only grinned and leaned forward to steal a kiss from her. When they pulled away, his gaze slid to the table and the mess spread over it.
“Still can’t decide?”
She threw her hands in the air. “I don’t know a damn thing about planning a wedding.”
He shrugged. “Then hire a wedding planner.”
His words struck her. She didn’t know why she hadn’t considered it before. Her bank account was minimal, but marrying Jasper meant access to his funds. The owner of a resurging bank certainly had the means to hire a wedding planner.
“Are you sure you want to pay for something like that?” She bit her lip.
“If it takes some stress off your shoulders, I will have my assistant call one right now.”
Her brow furrowed. “When did you get an assistant?”
She couldn’t help but imagine a lithe young woman in a mini-skirt and blazer. Jealousy pierced her lungs even though she knew she had little to worry about when it came to a mate.
“You’ve met him,” Jasper said, trying to hide a laugh behind his lips.
“Him?”
The door swung open, bringing cool spring air and the smell of Ashton. “Speak of the devil,” Jasper muttered. He raised his voice to call out. “Check the reviews of every wedding planner in Grove for me!”
Ashton’s response was an annoyed snarl, but he didn’t say no. The youngest shifter in the family went to the kitchen, poured himself a mug of coffee, and joined them. Standing behind the couch, Ashton glared at the magazines on the table.
“Do you realize how much flak I’m getting for this? Every other question from Makenna is about getting engaged. When will I propose? When will I buy her a ring? How will I propose? If she sees me checking wedding planners, she’ll think I’m actually going to do it.”
Jasper pointed up. “My office is open. Go use it. Return with a list of the best planners in town.”
“I hate you,” Ashton grumbled.
While Cora was grateful for the help, she still wished her mother could have been here. Cal had taken her parents from her too early. He’d wanted Cora alone and defenseless. There were so many things happening in Cora’s life now that she wished her parents could have seen. She had no father to walk her down the aisle. One of the other metallic dragons would probably have to do it.
Or she could walk alone. Right into the arms of her mate.
He wound his arm around the back of her neck, and she leaned into him. They listened to Ashton on the phone with his own mate and struggled not to laugh. While Cora no longer had her old life, this new one was more than enough. She never thought she’d find a place where she was so loved.
Not even Ashton looked at her with malice. He teased and joked with her now, like she was one of them.
Because she was.
Cora hadn’t inserted herself into someone else’s life. She wasn’t an interloper. Instead, she’d found a family. They didn’t replace the one she’d lost, but they changed her life so that it would forever be better.
“Speaking of family,” Jasper whispered, his lips brushing her ear.
She was in the midst of pushing him back, about to remind him that they’d agreed to wait on attempting to start a family until after the wedding, when Ashton shouted at them.
“I am still in this house! I swear, if you start getting frisky down there, I will throw your computer out the window!”
They dissolved into laughter, which led to cuddling, which led to exactly what Ashton didn’t want to hear.
The sound of the computer crashing on the ground outside didn’t bother either Cora or Jasper.
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Aurum Court Dragons: Boxset Books 1-5 Page 68