by Amelia Jade
J turned to look at him, winking.
Then he began to dance.
Jared frowned as the head of the Agency jerked several times in a weird rhythm.
What the fuck?
It wasn’t until J turned that Jared saw the three darts sticking out from his back. His eyes flicked up the stairs to where Nadia stood, a tranquilizer gun retrieved from one of the Agents in hand.
“These, are, my friends!” she shouted and squeezed the trigger. Six more bolts appeared in J’s chest in rapid succession.
Jared’s heart soared with pride at the courage of his girl.
He reached J and broke his grip on Madison’s throat. She dropped to the ground, but rose swiftly. Together the two of them shifted, and turned their animals loose on the stunned half-breed dragon. Jared wasn’t sure if it was the tranquilizer or the massive blood loss as the two bears ripped him limb from limb that sent him into unconsciousness, but either way, he was done.
Dead.
It was over.
He and Madison looked at each other, then charged back out to help eliminate the last of the Agents, the toughest ones still on their feet. Less than a minute later, the Underground all gathered near the remains of J.
“You were amazing,” Jared said, sweeping Nadia into his arms and planting a kiss on her lips to the cheering delight of his team. His family.
“So, does this really mean it’s all over?” Connor asked, moving up next to Madison and gingerly embracing her.
All of them were carrying wounds to one degree or another, and would be in rough condition until their healing could fix them.
“I think so,” Jared said, looking around. “I actually think so.”
“What do we do now?” Josh asked, supporting Hannah as she held a hand to her side. The blow J had struck her had broken several bones when she went through the window.
Behind them smoke began to billow out from the elevator and the door to the stairs at almost the same moment.
“Get out of here, I think would be the prudent thing,” Madison said.
The others nodded and set about putting action to words as they fled the building. They got into their vehicles, and departed the scene. Jared was in the back of Josh’s truck, and he looked over his shoulder as the building began to burn in earnest.
His hand was linked with Nadia’s, and he vowed never to let go again.
As the Agency Headquarters disappeared from view, he took a deep breath and looked over at her.
She was staring back, her green eyes fixated on his face.
“Hi,” she said softly, reaching out with her free hand to run fingers along his jaw.
“Hello,” he said, and leaned in to kiss her once more. He wasn’t rushed this time, and made sure it was a much more thorough effort than before.
Nadia didn’t object.
Chapter Sixteen
Nadia
They were lounging poolside at a hotel near the airport on the edge of town. They were all relaxing after a few hours of frolicking in the pool.
She was new to this life, but seeing everyone else so relaxed, able to just do what they wanted without constantly looking over their shoulders was something that she noticed immediately. Everyone was just a bit more playful, and the laughs a bit easier to come by.
It was likely that most of them had slept better as well—though if their nights had been like hers, that may not have meant they got much sleep. Just more restful.
Her cheeks blushed at the memory of the night before, at how she and Jared had spent it together in an adrenaline- and passion-fueled daze. They had explored each other completely, learning every nook, cranny, bump, curve, and muscle of each other in a slow, intimate manner.
They had taken hours in their first coupling of the evening, not rushing a single moment of it. She grinned a little at the memory of the subsequent occasions throughout the evening. Not all of them had been quite so…gentle. Her ass still stung a little from one particular smack of Jared’s hand.
But she’d liked it. All of it.
Now, as they grouped around, the men in the water and the women sitting in a line out of it, she felt a smile blossom on her face. Looking around, the others all began to do the same, as it truly and fully sunk in that they were free. The building had been gutted by the fire. By the time firefighters arrived in force, it was burning too swiftly, and they had limited their efforts to ensuring none of the adjacent buildings went up.
The Agency was gone. Done. No leadership, no organizational structure, and most importantly, no members. Nadia knew that they had employed human Agents as well, any number of whom might still be out there, including the techs that had worked their computer systems. But they weren’t a threat, and would likely find other jobs.
For all intents and purposes, the Agency and its mission was dead. It would be a long time before anyone could revive it, or recreate something similar, if they ever could.
“So where do we go from here?” Madison asked into the silence.
“Home,” Jared said, and it was immediately clear that he was speaking for everyone.
“I’ve never been to Genesis Valley,” Hannah said. “Will they accept me there?”
“They will,” Josh growled, “Or I’ll make them.”
The others nodded their agreement. Nadia had learned how werewolves were generally outcasts from shifter society, and she hoped that Josh was speaking the truth, and that they would indeed become accepted. Hannah was an awesome person, and the two of them had spent much of the day hanging out already. Nadia had a feeling they were going to become fast friends.
Jared leaned over, placing his lips right next to her ear. “I know we haven’t discussed this my dear, but there is a place with me in Genesis Valley if you want.”
“Is that a temporary spot,” she asked nervously, “or permanent?”
Her big man grinned. “As long as you don’t shoot me with a tranq gun, it’s permanent.”
The others—who despite the soft-spoken nature of their conversation couldn’t help but hear it due to their enhanced hearing—all joined in the laugh.
Nadia grinned and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. “In that case, I accept.”
She was nervous about starting a brand-new life in a place she had never been, with the man she had met a week earlier. It sounded crazy when she thought of it that way, but from the inside, she just knew that it was meant to be. True love, fated love, whatever anyone wanted to call it, she had thought it crazy.
Until she’d met Jared. He completed her in every way that mattered, and some she had never thought of before. They were the perfect match for each other. She was nervous about her new life, but the one she was leaving behind didn’t have much going for it either. She was strong, and confident that the friends she was making truly liked her, which would make it much, much easier.
“Genesis Valley it is!” Justin said, pulling his mate, Shay, tight to him.
Nadia smiled, feeling Jared’s hand find hers. She leaned in on his shoulder contentedly.
***
The sun was just rising over the tops of the snow-capped mountains, coloring the sky a beautiful orange as they cleared the last hill, and she gasped in awe at the panoramic view displayed in front of her.
“This is Genesis Valley?” she asked in disbelief. “It’s stunning.”
“It is that,” Jared said from beside her at the wheel of his brand-new truck, bought to replace the one lost in the warehouse fire. His voice was soft, and filled with emotion. “It’s been a long time since I’ve seen it,” he said wistfully, and she saw his fingers tighten slightly on the wheel in response. “A long time.”
She squeezed his hand, the one that had rarely left her grip since he had rescued her.
“Well, we’re back now. For good,” she said firmly, giving him a nod of support.
Her eyes returned to the vista in front of the truck. The road dipped down and then wound back and forth through a forest of massive trees full
of green in the late-summer bloom. A small town was visible in the distance, nestled up to the foot of a titanic mountain, the biggest one nearby.
“That’s the town of Origin,” Jared said, noting her gaze.
“Do you live there?” she asked.
“No, I live up on the mountain itself,” he replied. “There’s a large complex there, owned by a company that employs me, and almost all the other shifters in the Valley.” He smiled at her. “But all of the Sentinels have an allotment of land just outside the city as well, where we are allowed to build a house if we so desire.”
She shot him a hopeful look. “I get to help build us a house?”
The big shifter chuckled, a pleasant sound that filled her with joy. “If you want, then absolutely, yes. I would like that very much.”
Nadia was filled with a giddy happiness at that prospect. Designing her forever home with her forever man? Nothing could be more perfect.
“Oh my goodness!” she gasped, pointing into the air. “What is that?”
Jared leaned forward and looked up through the windshield. “Oh. That, judging by the color, is Ferro. He’s our resident dragon shifter. Good person too.”
“A dragon shifter? Those are real?” she asked in surprise, feeling like a child all over again for some reason.
“They are very real actually,” Jared said. “Very real.”
“Wow.” She didn’t know what else to say.
“I love you,” Jared said abruptly, glancing over at her as his hand held the wheel steady.
Nadia blinked, taking a moment to reply as she stumbled over the words. Then her eyes met his, and suddenly it was easy as breathing.
“I love you too. I don’t know how I would have gotten through the past week or so without you, and I’m excited to discover how I’ll get to live the rest of my life with you.”
Jared smiled, and gave her hand a squeeze, which she returned tenfold.
“Trying to overpower me already?” he teased.
“You had better be careful, mister,” she joked. “I brought along my trusty tranq gun! I’m dangerous with it.”
Jared roared with laughter. “No argument. I give up!”
She smiled and leaned over to kiss him on the cheek. “I’ll never give you up,” she whispered.
“And I’ll never let you down,” he replied, giving her a wink as he quoted the popular song.
Nadia rolled her eyes. “Can I get out here?”
Jared laughed again and pulled her close.
Chapter Seventeen
Jared
He finished cutting the piece of lumber and turned around as his name was called. Looking over his shoulder, he saw Nadia waving at him. Standing next to him was a man he recognized, but had not seen in some time.
“Garrett!” he said loudly. “Garrett Hoffman! Boy is it good to see you.”
He quickly moved to embrace the other man, who returned his hug with equal enthusiasm. “It’s good to see you too, Jared. I’m glad to hear your mission was successful.”
“As am I,” he replied happily.
“I won’t take up much of your time, I promise. But I wanted to stop by and say thank you for letting me know what you found out. I really appreciate that, and though I still don’t remember any of it, knowing that I was able to give the Agency a big middle finger is a good way to help ease the pain.”
Jared smiled sadly. “I’m just sorry we couldn’t find more.”
The big Alpha of the Jade Crew smiled. “It’s more than I had before, so I’ll take it.”
“Anyway, I just wanted to let you know that.”
“Not a problem. Hey, how is the little one by the way?”
“Not so little anymore,” he replied with a big grin. “Daniella is growing so fast, I can’t believe it. Did you know that she’ll be one in two weeks?”
“Wow, time flies,” Jared said, happy for his friend.
“That it does. She has plenty of friends now too. Things are quite lively around here. With all the new cubs, you and your team returning with mates for each of you, and the influx of werewolves as well, there’s a lot of change going on.”
“There certainly is,” Jared said. “There certainly is. I have to admit, maybe it’s personal bias, but things have been much better around here with everyone mated. So much calmer.”
Garrett nodded. “Agreed. A lot less fights, and a lot more productivity. It’s good for the soul, I think.”
“Plus we don’t let you boneheads get too stupid,” Nadia chimed in, moving up next to Jared, who gave Garrett an innocent look.
“Pretend all you want boys,” she said with a shake of her head.
“I think I will,” Jared said, eliciting a laugh from all parties. Then he sobered slightly. “I wonder if Valen or Marcus will ever get a mate. I think that would do wonders for them.”
Garrett half-turned to look up the mountain, where the twin gryphon-shifter brothers lived. “I hope so. I don’t think they’re in any rush though. They’re still young for their species, so I don’t think there’s a big urge just yet. Who knows what a few more decades will bring though.”
“Hopefully a few cubs for us,” Nadia said, pulling him tight to her.
He grinned at Garrett. “Hopefully.”
The other shifter happily looked back and forth between them.
“Well, I’ll leave you two to it then. Better get to work.” He gave them both a lewd wink and picked his way back through the bare-bones structure of the house they were building.
In the quiet, he could hear the sounds of others working. If he looked, he could see Justin to his left, and Josh to his right, way off in the trees as they too worked away at building houses for them and their mates.
Nadia was looking at him strangely.
“What?” he asked.
“You heard the man,” she said.
He grinned and swept her off her feet, carrying her toward the tent they shared while living on-site. “Your wish is my command,” he growled into her ear.
“I know,” she teased, and then nipped at his ear, her hand reaching between them and past his belt, until she found what she wanted. “This is my wish.”
He grinned and set to work making it come true.
***
This concludes The Agency series & The world of Genesis Valley. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did. Although this story is over, there are more adventures to be had.
Flip the page to read Frost Dragon, Book 1 in a brand new world called Cadia! Enjoy the free Sneak Peak!!
Frost Dragon
Top Scale Book 1
By Amelia Jade
Frost Dragon
Copyright @ 2016 by Amelia Jade
First Electronic Publication: October 2016
Amelia Jade
All Rights Are Reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews. The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. No part of this book may be scanned, uploaded or distributed via the Internet or any other means, electronic or print, without the author’s permission.
NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR:
This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the writer’s imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locale or organizations is entirely coincidental. The author does not have any control over and does not assume any responsibility for third-party websites or their content.
All sexual activities depicted occur between consenting characters 18 years or older who are not blood related.
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br /> Frost Dragon
Chapter One
Asher
“What a waste of time.”
Asher Owens practically stormed from the small ranch-style house his parents called home and moved to the large circle of inlaid stone in their front yard. He knelt in the middle, noting how it stretched out thirty or more feet to all sides. It was big enough. Barely.
There were no intricate patterns, no runes or markings on the stones. It was not laid in any particular fashion, nor was it any special stone. It simply was not earth, and that was the thing that mattered. It wouldn’t do to be damaging the ground every time someone came to visit. Especially their son.
He reached into his core, and touched the spark of ice that was permanently a part of him. It burned brightly in him, a strong and powerful light, despite being completely devoid of heat. The effects of him touching it with his mind were both immediate, and startling.
A swirl of fog, like breath on a cool winter’s day, swept up and around him, enveloping him within its touch. The shroud grew larger, and little shards of ice formed and fell to the ground around him in a clatter that reminded him of just how ungainly his transition was. Inside the fog, the changes were taking place.
Asher’s legs abruptly grew to several times their normal proportion, throwing his torso into the air and then flopping him forward. He concentrated on his front legs, and just in time they began to change as well, preventing him from face-planting into the ground. The muscles on his back rippled and he felt the telltale bulges of new muscle and tendon alike.
His body seemed to suddenly be far away, as if he were having an out-of-body experience, but the way it bobbed and weaved, Asher knew it was simply his neck assuming the proportions of his other half. His flattened face jutted forward, becoming a muzzle, and then a snout. Icicles appeared across his skin and then shattered, falling to the ground to reveal scales covering every inch of him. Brilliant white, they reflected the faltering light of the night as the sun fell below the mountains to the west.