She didn’t respond. Her body stiff, so unlike any other time he held her. He forced himself to draw away, and then he nudged her chin upward until her face met his. Still, she avoided his gaze.
“Val?”
“You don’t have to thank me for that, Jake. I love Annie. I would’ve done much more.”
He grinned. “Really? How much more?” he asked, playfully.
“Let’s just say if anyone had touched her beside you or me, they would’ve gotten a nasty surprise, ten times worse than that time you scared me out of sleep.”
His smile widened. “My fiery witch is very powerful, huh?”
She shrugged. Her expression didn’t change nor had the tension in her body faded, and she had yet to meet his eyes.
He forced himself to release her and take a step away. “What’s wrong, Val?”
Finally, she met his gaze. “I want to join the Guardians.”
No. She wouldn’t put herself in danger knowing he needed her safe, knowing she and Annie meant everything in the world to him.
“I’m sorry, what?”
“I want to join the Guardians.”
What could she be thinking inside that beautiful thick skull of hers? Was she purposefully trying to ruin the best day of his life?
Jaw hardening, his pulse spiked. Over his damned dead body would she put herself in danger! “No, you won’t.”
“There’s nothing you can do to stop me.”
“You have no idea what I’m capable of or how far I’d go to keep you safe.”
She didn’t flinch or cower away. Instead, she pursed her lips. “Funny, that sounded like a threat.”
“It is. Make no mistake about that. I have several ideas already. All I need is a pair of iron cuffs.”
Her eyes widened. Her mouth contorted in a lovely O, then all he could think about—her lips pressed against him.
“You wouldn’t dare. A man who loves a woman as much as you say you love me wouldn’t.”
He grabbed the crook of her arm and dragged her toward him until he felt the warmth of her against his chest. “That’s where you’re wrong, sweetheart. A man who loves a woman as much as I do would do the unthinkable to keep her safe.”
The air pulsed with magic around them. Jacob felt it, tasted it even smelled its power. He didn’t release his hold on her. He wouldn’t. She may be powerful, a royal, but he was a demon.
“I’m not defenseless, you know. I’d like to see you try to cuff me. I can have you on your ass in the blink of an eye.”
“I know very well just how powerful you are. It’s hard to forget, but it won’t stop me. Nothing will stop me from reaching you.”
Her anger heightened. He hadn’t meant to make her angrier, only meant to tell her why he couldn’t allow her to hunt. He loved her and couldn’t lose her.
“I’ll hunt on your behalf,” he said, hoping to appease her.
She freed herself from his grasp. “That doesn’t make any sense.”
“Why?”
“Because…If anything happens to you…You have Annie. What would she do without you?” She shook her head.
His eyes sparked, tinting crimson. “I can’t lose you.”
“Annie needs you.”
“Annie needs you. I need you.”
“You’re being unreasonable.”
“Am I or are you? You can’t seem to understand how much you mean to me. I tell you every hour of every day, but you don’t seem to understand. Now you want to put yourself in the line of fire. Why?”
She held still, didn’t offer an explanation.
Then it occurred to him. He’d won custody of Annie. She could now easily spend time with Annie without the entanglement of him. There was no longer a reason for her to stay. She’d given into his desires, made love to him, slept beside him, spent days on end with him for Annie, not him. Pity probably led her into caving. She didn’t love him at all.
How was it possible? He felt what she felt. She couldn’t have faked that. Or could she? She was a powerful witch. Could a simple spell make him think she cared?
It made sense, perfect sense. She’d been trying to find a way to tell him the truth. The reason she seemed lost in thought, why her body hadn’t melded against his when he held her last.
Fuck! It wasn’t just being lied to and fooled, but that she’d been the one to do it, his mate. The pain of it tore into him with the force of copper bullets—his poison. He didn’t know how he stood there frozen, staring at her looking back at him, emotionless.
“That’s…” His words trailed off. He had no idea what to say, what to do. Out of options, he couldn’t make her love him any more than he could make her stay. She found an out. She was his fated—the woman he’d waited for, for centuries, and it meant he’d do anything to keep her happy, even if it meant watching her walk away. His double-edged sword. It wasn’t a secret immortal males would kill themselves before hurting their mates.
He took a step away from her. “I get it. You don’t have to say it. Do whatever makes you happy.”
Chapter 29
Those beautiful dark eyes held so much pain. Valerie felt it in the middle of her chest as if it were her own. She’d known he wouldn’t be happy hearing her decision. Val thought surely he would be infuriated, rant, and rave until he cooled, but she never expected this—defeat.
Jake cared for her deeply, loved her even, yet she wasn’t his, and she couldn’t forget that—ever.
She meant to wait to tell him she’d been thinking of joining the Guardian League. She’d thought about it often since they rescued her. After learning her coven, too, had been fighting Malums, she thought about it more, thought it would be the perfect way to honor them. She owed the Guardians her life, and they were the reason she’d met Jake and Annie, the reason she’d fallen in love for the first time in her life. More than that, she wanted to protect them, Annie and Jake. She wanted to protect others, too. Even saving one person could mean one less child orphaned. Never one to make a rash decision, she gave herself time to think it through. She had time, and she made her decision.
His gaze moved away from her, and then he turned away as if he couldn’t stand to look at her.
“Jake?”
“You should go talk to Lucas. The sooner the better, no?”
She wanted to ask what was going on in that head of his, but he dismissed her.
“I suppose,” she whispered under her breath.
She walked away and into the elevator. Her stomach churned. The thought something worse than her decision bothered him made her nauseous. She realized it too late. The elevator door closed in front of her.
Maybe he just needed some time. She’d give him space, talk to Lucas, then she’d talk to Jake about whatever bothered him.
Sighing heavily, the door opened into Lucas and Jenna’s apartment. She heard voices at the back of the apartment and strode that way. The closer she drew the more familiar the voices became. Peering through the door leading into a large conference room, she stilled.
“Valerie?” Lucas’s voice boomed.
She flushed. “I’m sorry—”
“Val?”
Oh, God, she knew that voice. The next instant, Glen’s arms encased her.
“It’s good to see you.”
When he pulled away, she managed, “Hi.”
Lucas stood and neared, expressionless. “I assume you’re acquainted.”
“Y-yes, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to interrupt—”
“That’s all right. We were done. Did you want to speak in private?”
“I suppose it doesn’t make a difference. I want to join the Guardians.”
He hesitated. “Are you sure?”
“Yes, I am, very sure.”
Lucas spared a glance at Glen, who stood fairly close to her. “You’ll have to train first, then we’ll take it from there. You can train with Jacob.”
“Wait, but…I use magic.”
“You need to learn how to defend yourself
hand to hand, learn how to use weapons even if you never use them. It’s for your safety.”
She nodded. “I’ll talk to Jake about training me then.”
The warlocks, several of whom she recognized, walked out of the room. Lucas, Jenna, and Benjamin followed behind.
Glen lingered beside her. “How have you been?”
“Great.” They walked side by side into the living area where the others assembled. “How about you?”
“Good. Did your—”
“Yeah, my parents came by.”
“I hope you don’t mind. I saw your mom from a distance and thought it was you, I shouted your name. She told me she was your mom, then started crying. She still thought you were dead. I tried calling to tell you. I asked Lucas, but he told me you were out of town.”
“I arrived early this morning. They came.”
“So everything’s okay?”
“Yeah, they explained things to me. Why they gave me up, and I feel…” Too focused on Annie and Jake, she didn’t know how she felt, still. She shrugged. “I don’t know yet. Although it is nice to know I have family—that I’m not alone.”
“Alone?” His eyes widened. “Val, you’re surrounded by people who care about you. Maybe you don’t know them as well, but I know they care. Nathan…” His gaze darted toward him. “He hasn’t taken his eyes off you. I’m convinced he has a thing for you,” he whispered. “For that matter neither has the demon king. I’d think more of it if it weren’t for the fact he’s mated.” He chuckled. “A protective bunch. I’m glad.”
If only he knew. They watched for Jake’s sake. Nathan, especially, who knew she and Glen had a past.
****
What the fuck had he done? Jacob couldn’t stay away from her. As much as it hurt thinking she didn’t love him, as much as it hurt to admit it, as much as he needed to do everything in his power to keep her happy, he couldn’t stay away. He couldn’t let her walk away. To keep her happy, he’d attempt to give her as much space as she needed, but stay away completely? No fucking way. It had been merely a half hour and already he felt sick to his stomach, fighting the urge and trembling with the need to chase after her.
He needed to see her, talk to her. Hell, maybe he’d jumped to conclusions. Deep down, he felt like he knew her; knew her well enough to know she was a good person, she wouldn’t use her magic to fool him. He wanted to believe she loved him. If she didn’t, he wanted to hear her say it, so there’d be no doubts, but he wouldn’t know until he spoke to her.
Fishing his phone out of his pocket, he dialed.
“Yellow,” Benjamin chuckled. His standard hello.
Jacob wondered for the millionth time why Benjamin found it funny. “Hey, I need a favor.”
“Sure, what up?”
“Do you mind watching Annie for a sec?”
Silence.
What would he do if Benjamin didn’t agree? He could call Ashley, but he didn’t need to get into it with Clyde then. He didn’t have time for it.
“Ah, maybe you should ask one of the females. I don’t know a thing about kids. You know.”
“She’s sleeping.”
“Oh, then why do you need me to watch her?”
He had to be joking. You didn’t leave kids alone, period. Even before he’d been granted custody of Annie he knew that, which made him think he asked the wrong person for help.
Running his hands through his hair in frustration, he snapped, “You don’t leave children alone—ever.”
“Really? Why? She’s asleep.”
Would Benjamin argue the point? Didn’t he understand this was urgent?
“If she wakes up and I’m not here, she’ll be terrified. She’ll go looking for me or she could get hurt or—”
“Oh, I guess, but—”
“Just get your ass here now.”
Benjamin materialized in front of him. “Are you sure you want me to do this? I don’t know anything about kids.”
“It’s just for a couple of minutes, and she’s asleep.”
“Yeah, okay, but what if she wakes up?”
“You tell her I’ll be right back.”
“But what if she wakes up and starts crying or something?”
Befuddling. The warrior who’d battled evil for centuries by his side fearlessly looked terrified.
“She’s four. What the hell are you so afraid of?”
“Not all of us are naturals at the parenting thing.”
A natural? He wasn’t a natural. He just…It wasn’t like it was hard. A set schedule and follow through. Make sure they had everything they needed, take time to play with them, and watch them, constantly.
“I’m not—”
“Jesus, Jacob, take the damned compliment even if you don’t believe it.”
“You’ll be okay, then?”
Benjamin shrugged. “I hope so.”
He hesitated. What if she woke up? What if she was terrified? What if…
“Go, I’ll be fine. I’ll find you if anything happens.”
Assuring himself he wouldn’t be gone for long, he dematerialized.
Reappearing in Lucas’s apartment, he spotted her, and the breath rushed out of him. Her hair, her skin, her voice. Beautiful. He wanted to hold her, feel the warmth of her body. Right then, he needed her, soothing him, his body, his heart, and his soul.
His eyes caught movement and snapped toward the male standing too close.
Heart thundering, his jaw went hard.
The warlock.
Jesus. Proof, as if he needed more. She wanted nothing to do with him. Had she imagined the warlock when she’d made love to him?
A debilitating pain engulfed his heart and flowed out in waves until it seared every part of him. Red flooded his eyes, his blood boiling beneath his flesh. His muscles twitched involuntarily, tensing and jerking as rage and wrath pulsed through every cell in his body.
His demon battled for release.
Relief, he needed it now. He’d neglected his baser needs—turning, and now, no way to control it.
Fisting his palms, he grinded his teeth. He didn’t know why he bothered. It wouldn’t stop the unavoidable. His body shifted, tearing his shirt. His horns pierced his scalp, fangs lengthening.
Too late.
Chapter 30
Jake. Like a caress, she felt the familiarity of his anger flaring around her.
She quickly scanned the room, spotting him instantly. But his gaze, deadlocked on Glen and spitting fire, never met hers. His body morphed, grew a foot in height, above his already towering frame. Sharp black horns extended from his scalp over the length of his dark hair.
She’d never seen anything like it. Finally, she knew the stories she heard about demons were true. Terrifying, so big, so angry…She should’ve been scared, but she wasn’t. Not even a tiny bit. She loved him so much she wasn’t afraid of him at his worst. He didn’t know it, but he had all of her.
Materializing inches from Glen, Jake snarled. In a flash, Glen grasped her arm and dragged her behind him, so he stood between them.
Jake growled, loud, menacing. “Don’t fucking touch her!” He sounded different, not just inhuman and crazed, but deeper and almost slurred.
Before she could say or do anything, Lucas and Nathan, who’d also given into their demons, grabbed Jake and tugged him away.
“Control,” Lucas warned.
“They were just talking,” Nathan said.
The warlocks surrounded her and Glen. She pushed her way through. The need to comfort Jake gave her courage to move forward to face not one, but three turned demons.
Before she could move past Glen, he grabbed her elbow, drawing her back. “Are you insane?”
Jake fought Lucas and Nathan, trying to reach her. “Don’t touch her!”
“He won’t hurt me.”
Glen reluctantly released her.
She closed the distance between them, her gaze riveted to Jake’s mouth, fangs protruding, his breaths coming out heavily in spur
ts. Lucas and Nathan made way for her but didn’t let him go. They held each of his arms. She placed her hand on his chest, over his heart.
A memory assailed. She watched herself from afar.
Glen leaned in and kissed her. Jake shook his head. Clyde’s arm shot out in front of him. His blue stare filled with sympathy locked on his.
Jake frozen, immobile. Anguish marring his handsome face. His eyes tinted crimson. Still, he didn’t speak or move.
“Calm down,” Clyde demanded. “It’s broad daylight. Listen, she doesn’t love him. She’s never loved him.”
Jake’s gaze never left them, watching in horror when Glen caressed the side of her face. Jake gasped. The searing ache in his chest compounded, then finally Glen walked away.
“She’s mine. My mate. Mine,” he whispered. “I need…”
His eyes welled with tears.
She gulped, placing her hand over her chest, and took several steps away. Tears flooded her eyes.
She saw it and felt it. His pain, his anguish, all of it. He’d watched Glen kiss her—his mate.
Why hadn’t he told her? Why?
Glen took several steps in her direction.
“Don’t touch her. Don’t make it worse,” Lucas warned.
He halted feet from her. “Val, are you okay?”
Her heart beating so fast in her chest, she couldn’t think, couldn’t move. Her gaze met Jake’s. She read his eyes, as only she could—pain, anguish, fear, longing, and love.
All the pieces fell into place. She was his, the reason he wanted her named guardian of Annie, too, why Nathan had defended him. Nathan knew. The others knew too, the reason everyone urged her to go to him. Thinking on it then, even Annie knew. She’d told her how Jake felt.
How could she have been so dense? So possessive and attentive, constantly worried about her, her attraction, her ability to read him, how easily she’d fallen, a man she’d once feared. And she held back in fear of falling for him, in fear of losing him, thinking she didn’t belong to him. No doubt now, a connection existed between them, profound, unremitting, and incomprehensible, a connection fated long before he or she existed.
Don’t live afraid, Val. Take chances. Live, fully and completely. And love…You’ll never regret it.
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