Dante’s Circle Reborn: A Dante’s Circle Collection

by Carrie Ann Ryan

  He slid his arm around her, almost a claim, but more likely just because he wanted to touch. And she didn’t mind.

  “We were at the house. The whole thing’s lost, Jonah.”

  Jonah let out a growl, and Poppy reached around to pat his chest with her hand. “I’m sorry.”

  “You do not get to apologize for them again,” Jonah growled. “The place wasn’t my home, and I’ll rebuild or find something else. My home’s in the lion realm.”

  She didn’t have a home, so she understood not having connections, but she still blamed herself.

  “I need to go back to my mate and child, but I’m going to leave some of the lions to guard and protect you and Poppy.”

  “Thank you very much, Alpha,” she whispered, feeling as though she’d walked into a dream.

  “Call me Malik.”

  “Sorry, I’m not really good at the rules of etiquette with other realms. I was never taught.”

  “You have time to learn. You can always call me Malik. You’re Jonah’s, therefore, you’re family. Jonah, stay here as long as you need to. If you have to come to the realm to stay safe, do that, but I have a feeling that you’ll want to take care of it here.”

  “I’m not leading the gorgons to the lions.”

  “No, we can’t do that,” Poppy added quickly.

  “I figured as much. Take care of it quickly, and then come home.” Malik looked at her. “If the lion realm is where you choose to stay.” She didn’t know if he was talking to her or Jonah, but this wasn’t the time to dwell on it.

  “We’ll help you however you need,” Malik said.

  “It’s the queen though, she wants me dead.”

  “Do you deserve death?”

  Poppy opened her mouth, but Jonah was the one who answered. “No, they’re the ones that caused this, and now they want her head for their own mistakes.”

  She swallowed hard. “That might technically be true, but it’s not the whole story.”

  “It’s enough of it. So, we’re going to figure it out,” Jonah put in. “Thank you, Malik. You didn’t have to come here in person.”

  “If I didn’t, a certain lion cub would have tried to scratch my face off with her tiny little claws. Fix this, the both of you. We will have your back if you need it. And you know Dante is already here to help.”

  “Dante?” Poppy asked.

  “That dragon considers you part of his hoard.” Malik rolled his eyes.

  “Really?” Poppy asked.

  “Yes, you’re one of us now,” Jonah said.

  “Seriously, it’s like a cult.”

  “It’s not that bad,” Malik said. “You won’t be alone in this. My men will be here for you, and any of the seven and their mates will be here, as well. There’s a lot of us here that can help. Protect yourselves, and then come home when you’re ready. But I have a feeling that you two have more to talk about than just a fight to the death.”

  And with that, Malik nodded and walked out, his guards following. She could sense other lions near, but only just. She was learning that part of her powers.

  Jonah had his hand on her hip as the others left, and she turned in his hold, swallowing hard.

  “They’ll help you, no matter what. They don’t even know me.”

  “They don’t have to know you. You have the chance to be mine, so of course, they’re going to help. That’s who they are. That’s who we are. We protect those in our circle, we safeguard the innocents.”

  “I already told you, I’m not innocent.”

  “You are, Poppy.” He kissed her again, and she swallowed her words, just wanting his taste, wanting him.

  “I should tell you more about me, and then this will make more sense,” he said as he pulled away.

  “How?”

  “Because Malik was there for me when no one else was, and I want it to make sense for you. Why I am how I am.”

  And so, she let him lead her to the couch, and he squeezed her hand.

  “You told me your secrets, so maybe now I should tell you a few of mine.”

  She leaned closer and wondered if this was her next path set by fate. If somehow, amongst the darkness, in between the running, she had run smack into her destiny.

  Chapter 5

  Jonah hadn’t told his story. Ever. Malik had gleaned it, had been part of the end of it, the resolution, but Jonah had never gone through it all step by step, day by day for anyone before. But he would. For this woman that he hardly knew but felt as if he had known his entire existence, he would. Is that what soul mates did? Is that what true halves did in this world of supernaturals and paranormals?

  He hadn’t seen it happen with Eliana and Malik, but their mating had been far different than anyone else’s. After all, she hadn’t been a paranormal when they met. The way the lightning worked, meant that she wouldn’t have changed until she was bonded to her mate. And a lion shifter couldn’t mate to a human, so they were in a constant state of flux until Malik could mark her as his.

  So, no, while their connection might have always been there, it wasn’t like this. At least, he didn’t think. Maybe one day he would ask, but would that be too personal? Did he have a right to ask?

  “What are you thinking?” Poppy asked, her hands at her sides.

  He knew he needed to tell her, and he would. He just needed to figure out exactly where to start.

  “I’m not as old as many of my friends, but I’ve been through a few wars.”

  “You mentioned that. You call yourself a soldier. And I can see some of what you’ve lost in the turmoil.”

  He shook his head. “My physical scars and losses are only part of it.” He reached out and ran his knuckle down her cheek. She leaned into his touch, and he held back a smile. He wasn’t even sure she realized she’d done it.

  As soon as she did, her eyes widened, and she leaned back again, a small smile playing on her lips. “Sorry.”

  “Don’t be sorry,” he whispered. “I’ve been a soldier my whole life,” he continued. “I was born into the jaguars, and I fought for them. I grew up in the rankings, just like most jaguars my age. I was not of royal stock, but I wasn’t a commoner either. So, I went into our military, just like all boys and girls of my age and rank did.”

  “It was required?”

  He shook his head. “More like there wasn’t much else to do. I didn’t have land or a real income, and the best way for me to make sure I could take care of my family was to join the military.”

  “Your family.”

  It wasn’t a question, but he still answered.

  “My mother and my two sisters.” He knew his voice was a little soft, but he held back anything that could potentially make him break. It was hard to think about them. But he was doing his best to live on and honor their memory.

  “My father died in battle when my mother was pregnant with my youngest sister. We were fighting against other jaguar clans at the time. While some Packs and clans around the supernatural world have been at peace for long enough that there aren’t as many wars, the jaguars have never really been able to settle down. They don’t like to be in groupings, but they also can’t be by themselves for too long. Meaning, there’s constant infighting and blood battles. It doesn’t help that, during the time of the war where I lost so much, most children didn’t make it past the age of two.”

  Her eyes widened. “What?”

  This was where it got complicated. “Long ago, a wizard family cast a curse. A wizard who had married into one of the jaguar families.” This wasn’t a story he liked to tell. It wasn’t something the jaguars liked to think about.

  The fact that one of his friends was a wizard, meant that Jonah had been forced to deal with the repercussions of knowing and trusting someone such as he. But it wasn’t Levi’s fault that he had been born a wizard, just like it wasn’t Jonah’s fault that he had been born a jaguar. He wasn’t even sure Levi understood what had happened all those years ago. Not everyone did, and not everyone needed to.r />
  “A wizard family that was mated in to the jaguar clan put a curse on all children so they had to fight for survival.”

  “They cursed children?” Poppy asked. Her snakes popped out, hissing.

  He nodded and slid his hand over a snake on the right, the one that liked to coil. It licked at his finger, and he raised a brow.

  She blushed under the darkness of her skin, and quickly put her glamour back on.

  “Sorry. I usually have much better control. You just bring the lack of it out of me sometimes. It’s a little dangerous.”

  “You’ve only had trouble when we’re alone.”

  “Maybe. But it’s still a little embarrassing.”

  “Well, then we’ll just have to make sure it doesn’t happen around others.”

  “Good. Now, back to your story. Sorry.”

  “Don’t be sorry. It’s given me a little bit of time to figure out what I need to say next.”

  He raked a hand through his hair. “The curse was broken later when the wizard family died out, but the resentment is still strong within the jaguar clans. I’m friends with a wizard now. He’s one of Dante’s friends, as well. I don’t have the anger like some do, but it’s taken time. The curses that came from the wizards meant that children past the age of two had to be strong enough to survive any ailment that came at them. During that time, many illnesses came all at once to test the child. My family was strong enough, but only barely. My youngest sister will always be frail because of what she suffered.”

  “That’s horrible.” Tears filled Poppy’s silver eyes, and he wiped away the single drop that fell down her cheek.

  “It is. One of the worst curses I’ve ever heard of, and yet we don’t let anyone outside of the realm know what happened to us in the past. They can’t know we were ever weak.” He still wasn’t sure he agreed with that, but it wasn’t his place. Not anymore. He was of the lions now.

  “So, you fought them? This clan that did this?”

  “We all did. It was one of the worst battles and wars in the history of our histories. And one that isn’t written down in the books. Because if it were, the atrocities that came from both sides would destroy the realm in every way possible. Its foundation shaken to the core.”

  “What happened?” she whispered.

  “We went against the wizard and their clan, and we lost.” Jonah looked down at his hands, fisting them in front of him on his lap. “We lost. They used magic along with teeth and claws, and I lost my leg in the process. It was ripped from me, and the magic in the air sealed the wound shut. The limb couldn’t grow back. I couldn’t heal completely. I was lucky I didn’t die like so many others did.”

  “Jonah. I…I’m so sorry.”

  He nodded, not knowing how to take the comfort she offered. He’d been closed-off for so long, other than with the family he’d chosen to protect, that he wasn’t good at this. “I barely survived. A quick-thinking healer saved my life. Yet they weren’t able to save the lives of those closest to me.”

  She froze. “What do you mean?”

  He swallowed hard as bile filled his throat. “While some of our enemies fought us on the battlefield, others went to our homes, our villages, and they burned them to the ground. Our strongest fighters were on the battlefield, and we left some behind to protect the innocent, but it wasn’t enough.” He let out a shuddering breath. “My mother and my sisters were murdered, as were my wife and my unborn child.”

  Pain seared him at the memory, and his hands shook. Poppy’s glamour was once again gone, her silver eyes wide.

  “Your wife? Your…child?”

  “Everyone’s gone. We were newly married, but not mated.” He was firm in his voice, hoping she would understand. “She was not my other half, not my mate like what you could be. But she was my wife, and I loved her. And I was going to be a father.” His voice cracked.

  “My God, Jonah…how could they do that? How could they take her from you?”

  “I couldn’t understand then, and I still don’t. The jaguars who fought alongside me and survived took out the other clan. I wasn’t even able to avenge their deaths until I could be healed. And by then, the others had already taken care of it for me. We won the war eventually, but it took so much that I’m not even sure it counts for anything.”

  “Jonah, I’m so sorry.” Her hands were on his face then, slowly rubbing his temples, moving down his cheeks. No tears fell—he didn’t cry anymore. He didn’t need to. He had already grieved, wept, and raged. He was whole, but just barely. He wasn’t sure what he had left for Poppy, as he’d always thought he’d be alone forever. However, an instant recognition of souls had changed that.

  “I have a family now. One I’ve made, not one of blood.”

  “The lions,” she said, her tone understanding.”

  “Malik and Eliana and Penelope. They’re my family now, they’re the ones that helped to save me.”

  “I’m so sorry you went through that. It’s not fair that our worlds have to be so violent, so evil. And it doesn’t seem like I can find peace regardless of where I go. There’s so much heartache, so much pain.”

  “There is. I left the jaguars and went to the lions because of Malik. I went back to the jaguars when I had nothing left, and then met Malik centuries later during another war. He was helping the jaguars as a young cub on the brink of adulthood during his roam—a time when most cats leave their realms to search and gain an understanding for the meaning of time and life. I never had that, as I was too busy fighting in wars. Malik, however, survived the battles. And then I was able to, too. He was so young, not even a full adult yet at the time. I was far older than him.”

  “So, you were more like a father?” She understood so much for a woman who had been on the run and hidden for so long.

  “A little. The lions took me in, and I worked for them in other ways than on a battlefield. Now, I’m more part of the family than I was before. And I do not mind that at all.” He paused. “I think that, no matter what realm you find yourself in, that any of us find ourselves in, we have to look for the goodness, for that laughing child or the man that saves another. For the woman who does the same. I thought I lost everything on that battlefield, and not just a part of myself. Everything. But I only had to look up and wander until I met Malik. And now, I’ve met you.”

  She was silent for long enough that he was afraid he’d said too much. His history was awash in blood and heartache, and he didn’t know how to change who he was. He wasn’t sure he could.

  Or if he wanted to.

  “What are we doing, Jonah?”

  He shook his head. “Getting to know one another. I don’t want to rush this. I’ve never rushed anything in my life. And I’m not about to start now with this.”

  “Good, because I feel like I’m in a dream, and I don’t want to feel like that when I take the next steps.”

  “Deal,” he whispered. He was just about to lower his head when his jaguar perked up, and he growled.

  “We aren’t alone,” he whispered.

  “No, you really aren’t,” a woman with dark hair and a cruel smile said from the doorway. Blood saturated the bottom of her dress and sleeves, and she just licked her lips. “I was going to use my powers like you did, dear traitor, but I know the rules of the lands. One does not turn one to stone when you’re outside of the realm.”

  Jonah was on his feet in an instant, growling, his claws out. “Queen Mina, I presume?”

  “Oh, it seems the traitor does tell tales. You killed my men, animal. The others are injured, and I’m not happy about my losses.” She snapped her fingers, and two other women that looked just like the queen walked in behind her. “Madeleine, Marci. You see? I told you we had to do this ourselves.”

  “Did you kill everyone outside?” Jonah asked, seething. If those men and women outside had died because of him, he would never forgive himself. And he’d be damned if he let Poppy blame herself. He searched for their pulses and scents while keeping his
attention on the women in front of him. He held back a sigh of relief at finding them all alive. He didn’t know the extent of their injuries, but from the blood on the queen’s clothes, it likely wasn’t good.

  “No, they’re just a little hurt. It took a spell or two, and then they didn’t even notice that I was ripping them to shreds.”

  “Spells,” Poppy said on a gasp. “You used spells?”

  “I’m quite adept at it,” one of the sisters said, wiggling her fingers.

  “You should know that, dear traitor,” Mina added.

  “So, you admit it. You used a spell against me.” Poppy shook at his side, and he wanted to murder the three women where they stood. However, he couldn’t, not when he didn’t know what would happen if he did. He’d be damned if Poppy got hurt because of his recklessness.

  Mina shrugged. “It doesn’t matter if we do. You’ll be dead soon, with only Madeleine and Marci to back up your claims.”

  “And we would never do that,” the other sister said. Jonah didn’t know which one it was, and he really didn’t care. Because they were going to die right then. All of them. Even if it caused an inter-realm incident. He didn’t care.

  “You took everything,” Poppy whispered. “And yet, you still want more? Why?”

  “Because you don’t deserve to live,” the queen spat. “Because you are an abomination. A Medusa with too much power.”

  “I always knew you were jealous of me, but I didn’t know you were stupid.”

  Jonah’s brows rose.

  “How dare you?” the queen screamed.

  “You know that Medusas are needed to keep the realm healthy. Just their presence brings the realm more power and stability. Something we have long lacked over the years with so much infighting and segregation. And then you did that? Apparently, you’re not strong enough to handle it on your own. You’re the queen, but you aren’t a Medusa. You’re a gorgon.”

  “You’re a gorgon, too,” the queen snarled.

  “I am. And I have always been proud of it, I was always proud of who and what I was, until you made me feel like I was different. Like I wasn’t enough. You took everything. You took Alex, you took my family, and you’re trying to take the realm. I tried to run, I attempted to keep out of it, but you sent your people after me. Why? What good will my death do?”