by Jaymin Eve
I ran like hellhounds were on my tail. My pack was actually pretty close to the four bridges. The heat in my chest and neck kicked in harder as I neared my mate. I never slowed or hesitated, but at the last moment before I was about to launch myself into the middle of the group, Maximus reached out and caught me.
“You don’t want to go in there, Jessa babe,” he said as he tucked me in under his arm.
My heart was beating so hard, the back of my neck burning hot. This burn seemed to be increasing the intensity of the dull ache in my lower back. Everything in me was straining to get to my mate.
My absolutely stunning and furious mate.
I was greedy in those first few moments of seeing Braxton – standing legs set, arms held out to the side as he prepared to attack. He looked massive, bigger than I even remembered. He was six and a half feet of muscled badassness.
His eyes locked in on me, the blue intense and shining, and there was almost nothing human left in that gaze. He was animal. He was predator. He was a lethal killing machine and I had no doubt he’d made a very good attempt at destroying the world to find me.
Maximus was the only thing stopping me from going to him, my need to touch Braxton so strong it was choking the breath from my lungs. My eyes frantically worked to examine every part of him. Had he always been so freakin hot? He was the sort of male that statues were carved from, with an ancient and timeless beauty and strength. Like the dragon itself, there would never be an equal to my mate.
Although, the douchebucket across from him, Larky, was almost a close second. Both of them had death in their eyes, both filled with dragon magic, but only one of them was mine, and I would not let anyone take him from me.
King dick growled then. He didn’t appreciate the intense and emotional moment between me and Braxton. Without warning, Larky attacked, moving so quickly he was a blur as he smashed out with a long-bladed sword. Where the hell had he gotten that from? Supernaturals are kind of old-fashioned; we don’t trust modern weapons, and for a lot of us they don’t even work. The human-made materials are not compatible with our magic.
But swords, they always work, especially those forged in dragon’s blood and with a bone of our beasts used as a blade. Which was what Larky had somehow pulled from his ass. These swords were rare, and highly prized, and my heart almost stopped as Braxton spun to defend himself against the king’s attack. I wanted to scream a warning as Larky swung the razor sharp blade in a broad stroke, but Braxton was already moving, his hands partially shifted into dragon claws, which allowed him to deflect the strike.
My heartbeats continued in an erratic rhythm as I watched, Maximus’ strong arms offering limited comfort. I’d never had to fear for Braxton’s safety before; there were very few creatures in the world which could best a dragon. But I knew Larky was old, powerful, and allegedly had sorcery at his disposal.
Braxton showed not an ounce of concern, moving aggressively, his claws cutting through the air and smashing with sickening clashes against Larky’s sword. The king was skilled with the weapon, but for now Braxton was holding his own. My mate fought with a cold fury, his movements methodical but deadly, aiming to not only hurt, but kill. I’d never seen him lose his shell of humanity before, to become nothing more than a base instinct of kill, protect, love. Those fundamental elements had risen inside of my dragon quad, squashing down everything else. He’d never looked more the ancient warrior than right in this moment.
A hand snaked out and grasped mine. I looked down to find Tyson now helping Maximus hold me back. Unconsciously I was still straining to reach Braxton. Sure, logic told me I’d be a bloody mess if I threw myself into this fight. But logic could kiss my ass.
The dragon king swiveled in a complicated motion and slashed across Braxton’s arm. My mate’s blood shot off in an arc, before dribbling down his tawny skin. A growling rumble rocked my chest. I was not okay with him being hurt.
Larky’s stormy gray eyes narrowed on me, as if he’d heard my inner thoughts. Braxton used this distraction to his advantage, stepping into Larky’s body and clipping the king in the jaw with an uppercut. As the lines of fury deepened on Braxton’s face, I sensed his need to hurt the dragon king. He wanted to draw it out and make Larky pay for what he had done.
I was damned impressed, especially against a dragon blade, to see how much injury Braxton was inflicting. He did suffer some return wounds, but nothing to slow him. Yet. With Larky’s invincibility, eventually he would gain the advantage, so we had to figure out a way to incapacitate him long enough to get to the island.
The dragon quad started to hit the king in a rapid succession of jabs, upper cuts, and slamming hooks. Blood and bruises blossomed across the king’s face, no time for him to heal with all of the damage inflicted under Braxton’s heavy fists. Larky swung out a few times and managed to slice some deep cuts across Braxton’s chest. Bastard! My mate roared then, and ran full force at the king, managing to side-step the blade. He must have realized he wasn’t going to win like this, and had changed tactics.
The two large bodies slammed together, the force shaking the ground. Braxton let more of the partial shift wash over him, blue flames licking across his skin, and as his body morphed into that huge fusion-shift state, he started to gain traction on Larky. Pushing him back toward the edge of the cliff.
Yes! Great plan. The struggle continued, and my worry increased as more blood poured from my mate’s wounds. The king gave an extra loud roar, his own hands partially shifted, but he wasn’t in a fusion state. Could he not achieve that? Or was he just so arrogant he didn’t think he needed it to beat Braxton?
I was pretty much breathless now as I watched the deadly struggle, both massive males teetering on the edge of this land. There was no way to tell what lay below us, the black ash was all encompassing, so Braxton could very well disappear forever if he fell.
Energy washed along my body and I realized that the quads were adding power to their brother, giving him the advantage he needed to dig both clawed hands into the king’s biceps and launch him off the cliff edge. In the split second before Larky tumbled away his stormy gray eyes found mine, and I really didn’t like the calculating smile he bestowed on me before he disappeared into the abyss.
Chapter 7
Braxton remained at the edge of the cliff, not moving, staring out into the emptiness as he fought for control. He needed me. I knew it, and so did the boys. But they were still holding on, as if they wanted to be sure of their brother’s mood before freeing me.
“Let me go,” I hissed, elbowing out with both arms, trying my best to dislodge the two hulking males. They had pulled their spandex on again, channeling superman. But it was Braxton. He would never hurt me.
His head whipped up then, face still filled with fury, blue eyes lit with fire as he locked the three of us in his gaze. He took a graceful stalking step in our direction. I knew Maximus and Tyson sensed the danger they were suddenly in. Nevertheless, they remained in their protective pose.
Maximus had his calm-the-fucking-psycho voice on. “Brax … brother, are you back with us, or is the dragon in control?”
“I would never hurt my mate.” Braxton’s words vibrated across the clearing, deep like they had been struck from a bass.
Truth.
The pair let me go and I lurched through them, stumbling a couple of times, crossing the distance between us as fast as I could. Something in Braxton’s hard features softened as my teary gaze met his. I didn’t have to go the entire way. He moved in his preternatural way and demolished the last of the distance between us. Our bodies smashed together and I was up off the ground and in his arms before I could even blink. My entire body clenched as need burst to life inside of me, both emotional and sexual in nature. Shifters were hot blooded, and sex was a large part of our society. It was bonding, it was beautiful, and it was damn enjoyable, especially when it came to someone as skilled as Braxton.
Right now was not the time for that. We had an audience, and a job
to do. But there was no way I could wait another second to kiss him, and he obviously felt the same. Our lips crashed against each other, soft yet firm, the kiss deep and hypnotic. His tongue swept across mine before sliding deliciously into my mouth. I was drowning in sensations, the taste, the feel, the scent, the warmth. Being wrapped in Braxton’s big body was like being home. It was everything.
The kiss went forever, and yet it was still far too short. With great reluctance, our lips finally parted, and Braxton rested his forehead against mine. We didn’t speak, there were no words needed, but I could feel him in my head and my heart. Our bond was deepening, our connection as hot and rich as anything I’d ever felt before.
We stayed like that for many moments, foreheads pressed together, Braxton’s strong arms wrapped around me as he held me up at his height. Images of the fight crossed my mind, and as I finally lifted my head up, I couldn’t help the smile which spanned my face. Braxton raised an eyebrow at me. “You held your own with the dragon king,” I said. “Weren’t you a little afraid? He’s like the scary boogieman of our world.”
Braxton shrugged, his own smile playing across his lips.
Jacob’s voice was filled with laughter. “Welcome to the new and improved ‘I don’t give a fuck’ Braxton.”
“It’s been both amusing and scary as hell to watch,” Tyson said.
Jonathon and Louis both groaned at the same time. As the shifter alpha and council leader, my father would have to deal with whatever mess Braxton left in his wake. Hopefully, he hadn’t done anything bad enough to end up back in Vanguard. Not that any of us would let that happen again.
“We’ve managed to keep his very effective form of information gathering under wraps,” Louis said, clearly noticing the stress on my face. “The fruit twins didn’t make it, along with a few of the dragon king’s other minions. But since they all deserved what they got, it was my pleasure to dispose of the evidence.”
I let out a relieved sigh. This wasn’t the first time Braxton or the quads had killed for me, and it wouldn’t be the last. It didn’t bother me in the slightest. We didn’t go looking for trouble, but if you messed with our pack, we put you down.
“My information gathering was not that effective,” Braxton said. “His castle location was a secret, even from his daughters.”
I could tell that had eaten away at Braxton, the fact that he didn’t know where I was, or what was happening to me. If the roles had been reversed, I’d have been just as crazy.
It was going to take more than a few minutes of us being back together for him to let go of the rigid anger which was riding his entire demeanor. I’m sure that rage was the driving force behind his actions for the past few weeks. It might have only been a few days’ separation for me, but for him it had been a lot longer than that.
The rest of the quads must have decided that their brother and I had had enough one-on-one time, they moved closer, stepping in to join us. The five of us were feeling the pull on our pack bond, we needed skin on skin contact, a moment to reinforce our pack ties. Jacob was on my right, Tyson on my left and Maximus at my back. Strength flooded through me, and the weird niggling of not-wanting-to-be-touched faded away. I closed my eyes, just breathing it all in.
Eventually Jonathon pulled his alpha voice out. “I know you guys need this, but Larkspur could return at any moment. We should start moving. We don’t know if next time he’ll call on the power of the marked to detain us.”
“We really have no idea what Larkspur is capable of,” Louis said from behind me. “When he was alive rumor had him displaying skills equal to a level six sorcerer. And yet, just now I got no magic vibe from him … which is odd. Still, we can’t forget that he has an army at his disposal. It was pure arrogance today which led him to believe he could take you all on with just his sword and dragon. He’ll not make that mistake again.”
With obvious reluctance the quads pulled back from me, all except for Braxton who kept me close to his side. Something told me I was going to be spending a lot of time in his arms in the coming days. Boy had been possessive before, now he was going to be downright annoying. Still, I was not complaining. His arms were my home, and I could stay there forever, no worries.
One of his large hands settled on my lower back and he started rubbing gently. Had he somehow sensed the dull ache which had been plaguing me there? As always, his hands were the most skilled of any I knew – oh, and his massages were pretty great also.
I was relieved to see that the gashes across his tawny skin were already healing, and a few muttered words from Tyson took care of the spatters of blood and damage to his clothes.
Right now I wanted nothing more than endless time with my quads, but alas, dragon dick was ruining my life again; we had to get to the Isle of the Gods.
I sighed. “Dad’s right we need to move. We have to go to the land of the shining ones. I believe they’re our best chance at finding a weapon which can take down the dragon king.”
A multitude of expressions crossed the men’s faces. I hurried to explain further. “The reason the king can’t be killed is because of the connection between him and the dragon marked. We have to find a way to break those ties, and since it appears this curse originated with the fey gods …”
I trailed off, and since no one looked surprised, I figured this wasn’t the first time they had heard of this. As a group we turned to face the four bridges. They spanned as far as the eye could see.
“How do we know which one leads to the Isle of the Gods?” I hoped one of the others would know.
“You ask them.” Power dripped from Louis’ words. “They’re an illusion. There’s only one true road from here. You have to make the choice. Tell them which path you need.”
I used my free arm to give him a hug. “I’ve missed you, big brother,” I said, my grin actually lifting into something real. Probably one of the first true smiles to cross my lips in some time.
“I missed you too, Jess. Please don’t get kidnapped again. It was stressful and worrying, and I had to deal with not only your guard lizard, but the rest of your men.”
Braxton grinned, probably impressed with his ability to piss off the sorcerer. My heart clenched tightly then, and it was as if I could finally feel the true depth of my heartache during my separation from the boys. I’d been numb during my time with Larky, too numb to really feel the pain, because the cut had been so deep. I couldn’t let that happen again, I could not lose any of my pack. I would not survive it.
We were already close to the edge of the land, I gave Louis a side look and he nodded, so taking a deep breath I stepped up to the first of the four bridges and yelled: “Isle of the Gods … the shining ones.” I felt a bit like an idiot shouting at a bridge, but I trusted Louis knew what he was talking about. He seemed to be a Faerie expert.
A shimmer of light beamed through the golden side arches and I was blinded for a second. By the time my sight cleared, the four-bridge illusion was gone and in its place was one massive structure. This single bridge was at least sixty feet wide, spanning off into the distance. I knew it would stretch for as long as it needed to reach our destination.
“Jess…” Jonathon’s voice stopped me right before I was about to step out onto the wide, glowing wooden planks. “I’ve stayed as long as I can, but now that I know you’re reasonably safe, I’m going to head back to Stratford. The town is falling apart. There’s no leadership, and if I don’t get this under control, the human world will soon be more than aware of our supernatural communities. I know you have your boys with you, you’ll be fine, but your sister and Lienda are alone.”
I didn’t need his explanations, I understood completely. I actually loved that he had so much trust and faith in mine and the pack’s abilities to take control of this situation.
“Totally fine, Dad. You have responsibilities. I’ll be happier knowing you’re there to keep everyone safe. We’ll meet you back home as soon as we figure out what the hell is on the Isle of the Gods which m
ight help us defeat the king.”
“I’ll take him back,” Louis said. “I’ll find you on the island. It might take me a while, but if you need me, just call. I’ll always come.”
Louis kissed me on the cheek, ignoring Braxton’s growls – though the sorcerer definitely got out of my personal space quickly. I gave my father a hard hug, trying to squeeze another few more precious memories from this moment. Some daughters might freak and feel abandoned by Jonathon, but I understood. My father had always had responsibilities outside of me.
I took a few, deep, steadying breaths as the pair disappeared through Louis’ step through. That was all the unease I allowed myself. The entire supernatural world was depending on us.
As I took that first step out onto the golden path, quads by my side, my wolf and dragon went into high alert. When nothing crazy jumped out in the first few feet, I relaxed and the five of us hurried our pace. It was wide enough for us to walk side by side.
There was no casual conversation. Our goal was to get over this bridge in record time. Still, sensing a gaze on me, I found a pair of burning blues locked on me.
“Are you really okay, Jess?” Braxton’s voice was not a whisper; he didn’t bother to hide his fears from his brothers. “What happened while you were gone?”
I rubbed a hand over my face, trying to decide what to tell them. I wouldn’t lie, but maybe there was some things to skim over so that they didn’t completely lose their minds. Ah, screw that. This was my pack and they deserved the full truth.
I started at the beginning, explaining Larky’s castle and the illusions, then moved on to Rose and my escape attempts, which was what ultimately led them to me.
“So he never laid a hand on you? He was trying to … seduce you? Romance our Jessa?” Tyson’s eyes had those streaks of gold through them. He wasn’t too happy.
