Val was, for all intents and purposes, alone, but not bitter. She didn’t hate her life. Instead, she was thankful for the Guardians, for being alive, for Annie, even for Jake. He’d given her a glimpse of the way she hoped she’d feel when she found the man destined for her.
“I’m home.”
She couldn’t help but sigh in relief. Standing from the couch, her gaze met his, then scanned the rest of him. “Did everyone make it back all right?”
His jaw hardened. He nodded.
“Annie’s asleep.”
He averted his gaze from hers and nodded again. Lately, he never held her gaze for longer than a moment. She waited, silently hoping he’d say something, anything.
Her fault. She said she’d wanted them to remain professional, except this wasn’t what she had in mind. This was…so unemotional it was uncomfortable, awkward. That first night, she figured they would soon come to better terms. She wanted them to. She just didn’t know how to make it known without blurting it out.
When he didn’t say anything, she said, “Well, I’ll see you tomorrow then. Goodnight.”
She walked past him, pressed the button on the elevator, then heard him whisper, “Sweet dreams, Val.”
Her gaze went to him. His back to her, his head down. She wanted to ask if she heard him correctly, wanted to ask what troubled him, but she was too much of a coward to do either. The doors to the elevator parted, and she stepped through. Once the doors closed, she cursed under her breath, hating she hadn’t asked. She wanted their relationship to change, he’d given her the chance, and she let it slip by.
God, why? Why had she done this, created this distance between them? She didn’t want to fear falling for him either, but her fear was deep-seated. And Jake was the kind of man she would fall for. She felt it in the pit of her stomach every time she looked at him. Besides, she couldn’t let herself get hurt; the pain she already endured had been enough.
“Are you okay?”
She looked up and spotted Nathan. “Um…yeah. I’m fine.”
“Are you getting out?”
She glanced around, realizing the elevator had reached the ground floor. How long had she stood there motionless? She stepped through the doors.
“Ready?”
“Yeah.”
His gaze scanned her from top to bottom. “Are you sure you’re okay?”
“I’m fine.”
“We can do this another time if you’re not up for it.”
“No, I’d rather do it now.”
Valerie had spent the better part of the last several days tweaking and perfecting a protection spell. Still, she knew little of the war brewing. Over the course of the past several weeks, she’d grown fond of the Guardians. Earlier that day, she met with Lucas, the demon king, and told him she wanted to place a protection spell on his home and the area surrounding it. He agreed and thanked her. She replied simply, “It’s the least I can do.” Nathan volunteered to accompany her.
Nathan held the door of the building open for her and asked, “Where do we start?”
She walked outside, turned to face the fifteen-story building. “Right here.”
Closing her eyes, she concentrated and mumbled the spell she’d created. The energy around her shifted. Magic pulsed through her veins, then flowed around her. Reciting the spell, she walked around the entirety of the building.
She turned to Nathan.
“Done?”
“With the building…yes.”
“What’s the spell supposed to do?”
She smiled. “It’s primarily a protection spell. Anyone who means us harm can’t enter. It also creates an illusion. To anyone else, the building will look occupied by a business.”
He glanced up, then back to her. “Really?”
She nodded. “Yep. At the top, they’ll see a bank logo. On the door, the same logo. If they look inside on the ground floor, they’ll see a reception area and receptionist. On the other floors, lights, desks…the whole enchilada.”
He smiled. “What’s next?”
“The spell will hold even if anything should ever happen to me, but I wanted to place a protection spell around a mile radius, too. I’ll recite the spell in four spots a mile away, the center point being here.”
His brows drew together.
“It’s not the type that won’t allow anyone in. If that were the case, it would make Malums suspicious, make them think there is something they want inside. It just discourages them from entering.”
“How?”
She smiled. “A subliminal message.”
“I see.”
They walked around the side of the building into the garage. He pulled her into his arms. A moment later, the world shifted, then faded. She blinked and looked around the alley. Dazed, her hands tightened around him.
He released her, slowly. “Was that your first time traveling the demon way?”
“Um…yeah,” she lied, not wanting to discuss the other time, her first.
“Sorry, should’ve warned you. You can get dizzy. You’ll get used to it.”
Not likely. Besides, she wouldn’t need to get used to it.
He nodded. She closed her eyes and recited the new spell. When she finished, Nathan pulled her into his embrace and dematerialized again. This time, she forced her eyes shut. He released her a moment later and chuckled. Opening her eyes, she scanned their surroundings. They stood in yet another alley. When she recited the spell, he again wrapped his arms around her and took her to the third location: another alley. She repeated the spell and exhaled, exhausted. She’d had a long day, and spells always took it out of her, especially the strong ones like this. Thankfully, they were headed to the last location.
Opening her eyes, she looked around the desolate area with very little light seeping from the street and quickly recited the spell.
A stench overpowered her senses. Bile rose in the back of her throat. She forced herself to swallow, cringing as she did.
“Valerie, down!”
She turned to look Nathan’s way. Her gaze dead-locked on the blade headed straight for her heart. The breath rushed out of her. Her hands began to shake.
But she couldn’t move.
****
“Fuck,” he cursed under his breath, slumping on the couch.
Jacob hated the distance between them, hated he couldn’t comfort her or hold her when grief struck, hated she feared him, hated he was powerless to do anything. He hated the most he gave her his word he would stay away, his word he couldn’t break.
Checking on Annie moments after Valerie left, he found her still sound asleep. Thank God for small miracles. Annie, it seemed, was adjusting. Over the last week, she’d only woken three times in the middle of the night. A vast improvement and he couldn’t be happier, except for Valerie…
He missed her. The little time he had with her before hadn’t been much, but it had been something. Her being pissed at him was something more. And because of his vow, he couldn’t do anything about it.
It took every bit of restraint he possessed to stop himself from reaching for her when grief choked her. He couldn’t risk losing her altogether.
“Jacob.”
Too consumed in thoughts of Valerie, he hadn’t sensed Cain. He shot off the couch and materialized near the elevator where Cain now stood.
“Nathan’s sent us an alert.”
An alert meant he needed backup. Except he didn’t know why Cain would tell him. With Annie asleep in the next room, he couldn’t help.
“Valerie’s with him.”
Valerie? His Valerie? His fated? His heart dropped to the pit of his stomach. Why was she out at this time a night? Why hadn’t he known?
“Don’t know much of anything. Hades and Benjamin left as soon as we got the alert. Go, I’ll stay here.”
Without a word, he dematerialized.
****
The blade headed for Val. Nothing she could do. As each second passed, dread overwhelmed her, rooting her to
the spot.
An arm wrapped around her waist, a chest blocking the blade’s path. Next thing she knew, she hit the ground. That same chest, over her.
“Stay down, Val.”
Nathan. He saved her.
Before she could fully process that fact, he left.
Lifting her head, she spotted him fighting three immortals, their bodies and limbs a blur of movement. She didn’t know anything about hand-to-hand combat, but she realized Nathan could hold his own. Still, three versus one weren’t good odds.
Ignoring her trembling limbs, she pushed herself to her knees, reached out with her hands, and muttered a spell. Her gaze focused on one of the elves. Mid-chant, the male fell to his knees and groaned in pain.
Nathan withdrew a blade and struck the other elf through the heart. She took her chance, her hand aimed at the remaining immortal, the vampire. Magic pulsed through her. He fell to the ground.
Nathan flung a blade at the vampire, then another at the remaining elf. The blades struck their hearts, turning them to ash.
Two men appeared behind Nathan. Instinctively, she reached out with her hands. They stepped toward Nathan, light from the alley illuminated their faces. Benjamin and Hades. She closed her eyes, and the breath rushed out of her.
A pair of arms enclosed her waist in a death grip. She stifled a scream. Those strong arms lifted her off the ground and plastered her against an expansive chest. A palm pressed her cheek against his thundering heart. His chest rose and fell at a furious pace.
The feel of him, the scent of him…like coming home.
Jake.
God, Jake.
He’d scared the living crap out of her. She took a deep breath, his masculine scent soothing her shattered nerves.
Leaning into her, he buried his face in her neck. “Thank God. Thank you, God.”
She clasped the front of his shirt, wishing and praying, hoping he’d never let her go.
Pulling away from her slightly, his eyes scanned her, how she imagined she did to him. “Fuck. You’re hurt.”
She glanced down.
His gaze darted toward Nathan and hardened. He unleashed his anger, allowing it to spew from him. Fearing choking her, she flinched. Nathan, Hades, and Benjamin turned to face Jacob.
“Why was she out?” His voice low, but laced with fury.
“She performed a protection spell,” Nathan answered, calmly, fearlessly.
His arms around her tightened, he gritted his teeth. “All the way out here?”
As much as she hated to force Jake to release her, she pushed at his chest and glared. “Yes, out here.”
His gaze hit hers. He hesitated for moments. Finally, he set her on her feet.
“A protection spell is the least I can do to help the people who saved me. Nathan agreed to come with me, and he protected me.”
Those eyes darkened. A pained expression flashed across his face before a look of torment took hold.
“Thank you for coming, but we didn’t need you.”
He flinched.
God, why had she said that? Val didn’t mean it, and it wasn’t true. Even fearing him, she needed him, needed him to hold her. Wanting to take back her words, she parted her lips to speak. He didn’t let her.
His gaze went to Nathan. “Make sure she gets home,” then he disappeared.
She just stood there staring where he’d once been, her stomach turning.
“Val?”
She forced herself to look at Nathan.
He closed the distance between them. “Don’t worry, he’ll forgive you.”
An empath, such an unfair advantage.
“It’ll be okay.”
“I just…I…” She didn’t want him to blame Nathan. It wasn’t Nathan’s fault. She’d gone about it the wrong way, hurting Jake in the process.
“He has a temper. It got the best of him because he was scared for you. Never fear him.”
She wasn’t sure she believed him. Why would Jake care about her? Because as a Guardian he felt responsible for helpless witches?
“He cares,” he repeated, firmly.
Maybe Nathan had a point. Why else would Jake leave Annie in the middle of the night when Benjamin and Hades had been sent as backup? Even if she believed it, it wouldn’t make her feel better, just make her feel worse for hurting a man who tried to protect her.
He placed his hand on her shoulder. “Don’t worry, Val. He’ll forgive you.”
****
His heart ached. Deep and searing, and impossible to ignore. His fated didn’t want him. She said as much. He hadn’t saved her, hadn’t even been there. She didn’t want him in her life, so he hadn’t known his fated was at risk.
All of it left him gutted.
Jacob hadn’t hid the hurt. He couldn’t have even if he tried. He didn’t think he needed further proof she wanted nothing to do with him, but that hit home.
She didn’t care about him, not even a tiny bit.
That left him helpless and losing hope.
His fault. He kept messing up with her, couldn’t do anything right.
When he found her, he’d thought his days of misery ended. He thought finally he’d been given a second chance—at life, at family, at love. Jacob had family with Annie, had life and love with her, too, but he wanted more. He wanted what was fated for him—Valerie.
He’d never dared to dream of his fated, never thought his fated wouldn’t want him. Even so, he knew had he allowed himself, it would’ve been inconceivable to imagine. He should’ve known, for him, it wouldn’t be easy. Nothing in his life had ever been.
Chapter 19
His thoughts a flurry all night, a Malum took advantage and stabbed Jacob from behind. Luckily, the knife was silver instead of copper, and Benjamin stepped in, saving his ass. He bled more than he’d like to admit, but the injury healed rapidly.
It had been nearly six hours since he’d seen Annie, and he couldn’t stop worrying. He worried about Valerie, too, for other reasons.
When she showed up that evening, he’d said goodbye to Annie and left quickly, avoiding her gaze in the process. He felt she wanted to talk to him, but he didn’t want to listen then. Too focused with a night of hunting ahead of him, he couldn’t take hearing again how she didn’t need or want him, so he left, but he knew she would say whatever she wanted when he arrived and that worried him. Right then, it would have to wait.
Lucas, his king, wanted to have a word with him.
Entering Lucas and Jenna’s apartment on the top floor of the demon compound, Jacob waited for Lucas to appear, knowing the king would sense him.
Lucas’s brows creased. “Jacob.”
“Lucas.”
“It’s about Annie.”
His heart dropped to the pit of his stomach. “Is she—”
“She’s fine. She’s sleeping.” He paused. “There’s been word from Treconomia. It seems you aren’t Annie’s only living relative. Her father’s brother, Samson, and his mate, Claudia, have gone to the counsel seeking custody.”
His mouth fell open. “What?” His voice came out hoarse.
“The will left her in your care, but her father’s brother and mate think they’re better suited.”
A deep ache enveloped his chest; he pressed his palm to it. Then, anger so fierce coursed through him, conjuring his demon. “Better suited than me? Why? Because I’m raising her by myself? Because they think—”
“Because you’re a warrior and have been for centuries.”
He heard what went unsaid. Jacob, the bitter, angry warrior unfit to care for a child, but Annie was his. His kid, his life, his everything. They couldn’t take her away.
His gut twisted. Bile rose in his throat. He shook his head, unable to fight the tears welling in his eyes. “They can’t. She’s mine. The will says—”
“Nothing has been decided, but the council will vote on the matter in two weeks.”
Two weeks? The council would take her from him. He had just weeks with her. “
But it’s in the will. They can’t.”
He swallowed. “Why would they go against her parents’ wishes?”
“They can, and will if they think it’s in Annie’s best interest.”
He felt wetness stain his cheeks, but made no attempt to wipe it away. The tears, emblems of anguish, he’d wear them with dignity and pride like he’d worn anger.
“But I can protect her better. I’m a warrior. No one can protect her better than I can,” he argued. “I…I…” Shaking his head, he reasoned, “What good would it do to move her again? She’s just getting comfortable living here. It’d only hurt her in the end. I’m…”
His words trailed off. He couldn’t bring himself to say it, what he so desperately wanted to believe—he was best for Annie.
Deep down, he believed Annie deserved better than him.
“I’m sorry, Jacob. I know you care for her as if she were your own.”
He fisted his palms. “She is mine. She’s mine. The will says it, and they can’t take my kid.”
Lucas held his stare.
“What if I resign? What if I leave the Guardians?” He couldn’t give Annie up. Living without her wasn’t possible. She’d filled him with purpose, filled his life with meaning and love.
“You’d put your vengeance aside for her?”
“Yes,” he said without hesitation. “I’d give it up completely if it meant I got to keep her.”
Lucas nodded. “You are a good father. You deserve Annie.”
He gritted his teeth. “It doesn’t make a difference. They won’t care. I have a reputation…It won’t matter.”
“It’ll take more than your reputation to convince them to remove her from your care.”
The words of consolation didn’t soothe him. He’d already lost her, another piece wretched out of his soul. “I need time off. If I have two weeks with her, I’m making every second count.”
“Take all the time you need. You should tell your fated.”
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