“Are not,” Jonathon shot back, but he was in no condition to argue further.
Leaning heavily on Maggie, the two of them made their way down the stairs. The grounds were full of vampires and bears battling it out. Jonathon growled; every instinct told him he needed to be out there, helping. Fighting. But helping who? Battling which side?
“Come on,” Maggie grunted as she tugged him down the hallway, away from the door. “We have to get to the garage. You know how to hotwire a car, right?”
“Yeah,” Jonathon admitted reluctantly. “Haven’t done it in a while, though.”
Maggie nodded, her expression stressed but determined. “Well, it’s our only shot at getting out of here. Come on. How are you holding up?”
“Fine.”
Their progress was painstakingly slow, but after some time Maggie had managed to drag him to the garage. They found an unlocked car, and Jonathon used the tools in the trunk to hotwire the engine. He slumped into the passenger seat, a hand clasped over his wound as Maggie stomped on the gas. Bears and vampires both jumped out of their way as they raced out of the garage. A bear roared behind them, most likely Josh, but Maggie crashed through the gates and they were gone.
“Look at you go!” Sweat dripped down Jonathon’s face as he sent a slanted smile in Maggie’s direction. “I love you.”
Chapter Twelve
Jonathon sagged in an unconscious sleep soon after they escaped the apartment complex. When Maggie pulled over to check his injury, though, the bleeding had stopped. She peered at him, worried, for several minutes as she listened to the beating of his heart. It was strong and steady, so he wasn’t in any danger… right?
In any case, they needed to find some place where they’d be safe, away from where Josh or the vampires could find them. Maggie drove for a few hours, before it occurred to her that Josh could report the car as stolen and then they’d wind up in jail.
With that in mind, she turned into a backroad, then a logging road and drove deep into the forest. There was less chance that they’d be caught way out here. By that time, Jonathon was awake. Maggie made him move into the back seat, where he could rest a bit more, and searched the car for any supplies they could use. Luckily, there was a pack of water bottles in the trunk and the normal tools. That was it, though.
“We’ll have to plan where to go from here,” Jonathon started, but Maggie shook her head.
“We’ll figure it out. Right now, there is something else I want to talk to you about.”
Jonathon nodded at her, looking apprehensive. He was laying on the back seat and she crouched just outside the car. She cupped his face in her hands, smoothing her hands over his skin, gazing intently into his eyes. Then she kissed him. His mouth was just as soft and inviting as it had been the first time they kissed and she parted his lips, wanting that smoky taste of him. Jonathon moaned in her mouth and cupped her head in his hands.
“I love you,” she whispered when she broke the kiss. “I love you, Jonathon. And it doesn’t matter what else has happened. I was angry with you when I found out you were driving off old boyfriends, but the fact is, I didn’t want any of them, anyway. I’m still upset that you wouldn’t just talk to me,” she added, “but I can’t be too upset because I never told you how I felt, either.”
“That’s different.”
Maggie shrugged. “Maybe. But when I didn’t know if you were going to be okay, I realized… I can’t see what my life would be like without you. I love you, and that’s all that matters. Everything else can be worked out.”
Jonathon pulled her in for another kiss and warmth bloomed throughout her whole body. It felt like she was on fire, such happiness radiated through her. It was almost more than she could take. She kissed him feverishly, almost forgetting about his injuries until he drew back with a hiss as he clutched at his side.
“I should take another look at that,” she said, pointing to the bloodstain on his shirt.
“I just need a little more time,” Jonathon reassured her. “And, in case it’s not clear enough… I love you, too. I’ve loved you for a very long time. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve come home from being out with a girl and I’ve tried to convince myself that since we weren’t a couple, I had nothing to feel guilty about.”
“And you didn’t,” Maggie was quick to agree. “Because we weren’t a couple. From now on, though… I think that might change. If you want it to, of course.”
“Of course, I want it to!” Jonathon sat and held his arms out to her. “I love you, Mags. I want to spend the rest of my life with you.”
Maggie gratefully wrapped herself into his arms. But a nagging feeling at the back of her mind whispered, He won’t spend the rest of his life with you once you’re human again. He’ll only get to spend the rest of your life with you.
She tried to banish those thoughts from her head as she curled into his arms. The events of the last few days hit her all at once and she yawned. Jonathon mimicked her and they both laughed as she laid back in the seat, resting their heads on each other, happy just to be in each other’s presence. They dozed there for the rest of the day. Maggie didn’t let herself think about what was going to come next, if they were going to try to find another way to make her human or if she’d just have to live, satisfied with her lot.
By the time midnight rolled around, Jonathon’s injury had more or less healed. He no longer winced when he moved, and the start of the fever Maggie feared had dissipated. Finally, it was time to decide what to do next.
The thing was, Maggie knew exactly what she wanted to do. And it had nothing to do with figuring out what they were going to do about Josh or the vampires who were after them. The only thing they could do about that was simply fly away. Leave the car so it couldn’t be traced back to them and go back home. Even then, she wasn’t sure what the lasting effects of it would be.
So she grasped Jonathon’s hands and guided them to her hips as she straddled him.
Jonathon’s lips quirked in a smile, and he rose a single eyebrow. “What’s this? Are you going to start using me for sex instead of talking things out now?”
“No. But it’s been a long day and we both need a proper sleep instead of just dozing. And in order to do that, we need to relax. You’re healed up enough.” She tugged his shirt off and ran her hand over the smooth skin where his injury had been. “But not enough for flying yet. And doesn’t sex promote the oxytocin that boosts the immune system and helps with healing?”
A sly grin answered her. “You know, I think you’re right.”
“You know I’m right.”
“True.”
They kissed again. Maggie’s eyes fluttered shut as warmth and heat surged through her body. It wasn’t as instant as it was when she drank from him, but it was more powerful in many ways. Not only was there the thrill of his lips on hers, but there was also a full, absolute certainty that this wasn’t some one-off thing. This wasn’t a mistake. This wasn’t just hormones talking.
This was love.
She crushed herself to Jonathon, wanting to feel every inch of him. Her hands roved his body greedily, taking in the contours of his sculpted chest, the strength in his arms, the muscles of his torso as he flexed and relaxed. His hands were equally all over her. He pulled her shirt off, tossing it to join his on the floor of the car. Getting their pants off was more difficult since they didn’t have the room they would have in a bedroom.
Jonathon laughed as his hands coasted up her side, and he nuzzled into her breasts. “It’s been quite a while since I’ve had sex in the backseat of a car.”
“Me too,” Maggie agreed. She rolled her hips against him, feeling him harden with only their underwear between them.
Her lips parted slightly as vibrations of pleasure ran up her thighs, pooling in her core. A shiver ran down her spine and her head fell back, loving the feel of his body against hers. After so many years pining for him, this did feel like the first time. The rush of excitement, the pleasant tingl
ing of nerves in the pit of her stomach.
Jonathon buried his face in her breasts, kissing along the top of her bra while his hands continued to roam her body. Maggie wrapped her hands in his hair, grinding harder against him. Jonathon twitched beneath her, his hands tightening on her.
The night was cool and starry outside the car, no movement in the forest, darker than any city. The moon shone, but within the car all they saw was each other, the pale light gleaming off their skin and glittering in their eyes. Maggie had never seen such a beautiful sight as Jonathon’s face lifting to hers. He was always too protective, always so in control, always the one who had to be planning and thinking and acting. Sure, he was impulsive, but with every impulsive action he took, he already had a dozen backup plans.
And he was always there for her. A surge of love went through her, even more powerful than the lust that burned in her veins. This was her mate. The man she wanted to be with the rest of her days. The man she never wanted to leave alone.
“I’m yours,” she whispered to him. “I’m yours.”
“I’m yours, too,” Jonathon whispered back. He brushed the hair from her face and kissed her lightly, moving his lips down her neck. He undid her bra and tossed it aside. The night might be chill, but he gave her all the warmth she needed. “Until the end of my days.”
There wasn’t much talking after that. Maggie pulled Jonathon’s boxers off and he removed her panties and they stroked and pleasured each other until they were both panting and moaning with need. Then Jonathon entered her, while she was still straddling him. Her hands rested on his shoulders as she thrust herself up and down on him. Their eyes remained locked on each other as the sweet smell of honeysuckles burst between them.
Everything tightened inside of Maggie as she stared down into the eyes of her best friend, her lover, her mate. She could hardly believe her good fortune as the sensations took her over. Soon enough she was crying out with every thrust hardly able to keep herself going because it was so powerful but unwilling to stop, either.
The muscles on Jonathon’s neck strained as he ground his teeth against his arousal. He let out grunts and moans. She felt him, heavy and hot, inside of her. Then everything clenched and exploded. A pool of heat spread through her, moving down her legs and up her back. She collapsed against Jonathon, her arms around him. Jonathon thrust into her desperately before she felt him finishing. His lips were all over her, and all she could do was revel in this moment of perfection.
We’ll make this work, she swore. No matter what. We will make this work.
***
There really wasn’t any way they could both sleep in the car and still be in each other’s arms, so they ended up redressing and going out to sleep on the forest floor. A thick layer of grass made it comfortable enough. The night was chill, but a puff of dragon fire lighting a few sticks warmed them both. Jonathon held Maggie tight in his arms, loving the feel and scent of her as he nuzzled into her neck.
“We’re supposed to be sleeping,” Maggie murmured, half-asleep. “So we can fly out of here in the morning.”
“We might be able to find something yet,” he said. Even though they had been so close to losing everything, they were also close to the cure. He didn’t want to abandon what Maggie wanted to badly just because it wasn’t going to be easy. They’d have to be smart about it, of course. Find a way to avoid Josh and the vampires… His stomach clenched as he thought once more about the crash that had almost claimed her life. “There is nothing else I can do to make up for what I took from you.”
Maggie let out a sigh. Not the sigh that was the usual, You’re not listening or even the, I don’t think I’m in the right place to deal with this right now. No, this sigh was pained. She might say that she’d moved on, but it was clear this was something that hurt still. If he had lost any of his children…
“I didn’t want you feeling guilty about that,” she whispered to him. “That’s why I didn’t tell you. Because in the end, it wasn’t your fault.”
“I was driving.”
“I should have told you to drive slower. I should have said that you shouldn’t be driving after you’d had something to drink. I should have said something. You would have, if I had asked. If you had known I was pregnant at that time, you would have been more cautious anyway.” Maggie lifted her head from his chest and frowned at him. “It’s not your fault. Okay? I never blamed you.”
Some of the pressure in his chest eased at hearing that. All the same, it was his actions that had caused her that pain. Josh was trying to get her to say that she blamed him for it. That was clear. Even if she didn’t blame him, though, that didn’t mean it hurt any less.
“I was afraid,” she admitted in a low voice. “Afraid enough that I considered not keeping it.”
“Oh, you would have kept it. That’s just the person you are.”
Maggie nodded. “Yeah. I know. But I was afraid.”
Jonathon nodded. He understood that all too well. She was afraid most of the time back then. Afraid of her stepfather. Afraid that his physical abuse would become sexual abuse. Afraid that he’d get too angry one time and kill her or her mother or Camille. Afraid that she was never going to get away from him. When Jonathon first found out about the bruises her stepfather left on her, he’d been furious enough to kill.
It was only because Maggie begged him not to, saying she didn’t know what she’d do if he want to jail, that he hadn’t done it. The day that her stepfather died had been one of the happiest of his life. It meant he could look Maggie in the eye and not have the conflicted feelings of betraying her by killing her stepfather or betraying her by letting him live.
He swallowed hard. Now, more than ever, he keenly felt the reliance he had on her. He wet his lips, considered her for a moment, then spoke in low tones. “When I first found out about Summer, I was terrified. I thought there was no way I could do it. You remember her mother… she didn’t want to have a kid. Didn’t want to terminate her pregnancy, but she didn’t want to be a mother. I struggled for a long time with what to do. If it wasn’t for you, I wouldn’t have kept her. Or Ned or Ronnie.”
Maggie stroked his chest lightly. “You would have. It’s just the kind of person you are.”
“I didn’t know the first thing about having kids. I didn’t know how to raise them. I would have dumped them on my mom.” He hated the words, even though they were true. He tried so hard, but it never seemed to be good enough.
“You’re being too hard on yourself.” Maggie propped herself up. She gave him a light, teasing frown. “Besides that, your mother never would have allowed you to do that. I might have been there to help you, but I didn’t know anything about raising kids, either. She’s the one who whipped us both into shape. And I meant what I said earlier. I love them. I wouldn’t trade them for anything.”
“Me, neither.” Jonathon considered her for a moment before nodding. “You said you wanted to be the mother of my children, but you already are. You’re their mother. And I want you to adopt them, so that you have legal rights to them. In case something happens.”
Shock rippled across her face followed quickly by love and gratitude. “Of course, I want that.” Her voice was choked with emotion. “My heart feels full to bursting!”
She buried her face in his chest. Jonathon smiled, glad to have been able to give her that. He nuzzled against her. Now there was only one thing left to do. They needed to find a cure for her. Things didn’t work out so well last time, but now he knew what he was up against.
“And as for the rest of this,” Jonathon murmured as he kissed her hair, “I am going to find a way to ensure that you can become human again. Josh couldn’t have destroyed all of the vampire’s underground cavern. Otherwise, how would they come back after him?” She tensed and Jonathon paused. When she didn’t speak, he continued. “So, I just have to figure out where they came from. There’s probably a vast underground tunnel system, even under the ocean. Unless that’s so deep that we’d be
getting into lava. Maybe they have tunnels in the sides of the island? Escape hatches?”
“Jonathon.” She pulled away slightly, closer to the fire. “Does it matter?”
Jonathon stared at her. “Yeah. You want to have a normal life again, right? I promised to get that back for you.”
Maggie hesitated a moment before she shook her head. “I don’t want to lose you. This is too dangerous.”
“No. It’s not. I can figure it out.”
“Then what?”
Jonathon’s brow furrowed. What did she mean by that? “You’ll be human again.”
Maggie let out a huff as she folded her arms. “I mean after that. You’re a dragon. You’re going to live for a couple of centuries at least, but humans barely live one century and lots of times not even that long. So what are you going to do when I’m growing old and frail and you’re… not?”
It was a fear that haunted him quite often. Most times, he just tried not to think about it. After all, there wasn’t anything he could do about it. From time to time he did some research online, but if he was honest, he hadn’t found anything that he thought would be actually useful. He shifted uncomfortably, not knowing how to answer her question.
“I’ll find a way to make it work,” he said stubbornly. “I always figure these things out. And I’ve got years to figure this one out, right?”
“Well… yes... I suppose.” Maggie put her hands on his chest and straddled him.
Jonathon grinned, letting her push him down. But what he was expecting did not come. There were no tender kisses and touches. Instead, she stared at him with such a hard expression he started to wonder if he had done something wrong. Her fingers splayed over his chest.
“If this does work… And by this, I mean, if I become human again… Then I don’t want you to waste the time you have with me going off on tales of the fountain of youth,” she told him firmly. “So whatever happens, I need you to promise me something.”
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