by Jaymin Eve
“So the most logical conclusion,” I mused, “they’re freeing dragon marked.” I was strangely relieved about this. No more babies in chains.
Tyson spoke up. “We’ve had some other drama here also. Kristoff has been arrested. The council’s a bit of a mess at the moment.”
I turned to my father. “Kristoff was arrested?”
He nodded. “Yes, caught trying to plant a spell on Jacob.”
I searched for the blond fey. He was against the wall, looking perfect. Not a hair out of place. “What was the spell?” I asked him.
“An influence spell. He wanted me to attack Tyson and Maximus. He had some sort of dark-fey crystal, which we all thought were destroyed. It made me very susceptible to influence.”
Jonathon cleared his throat. “Of course he didn’t know we were watching him. Caught him in the act.”
Tyson straightened. “Which was lucky, since this crystal would have hidden all of his magical essence. There would have been no way to trace the spell back to the sorcerer.”
“But it’s over now?” I asked.
Lienda and Jonathon exchanged a glance. “He still has to be tried, but he’s off to Vanguard right now.” My father grinned. “I’ll bet now he wishes that he hadn’t pushed for that quick little law change about holding those awaiting trial in the main prison.”
A grin also crossed my face. Nice to see karma was still doing its job.
Well, that was one asshole out of the way, but there were four now heading directly for me, and I was no longer safe from the hunters. “Can you block my energy again?” I asked Louis.
He shoved both of his hands in his back pocket, leaning back all sexy and confident. “I can try, Jess, but if my senses are correct, you’re probably too strong now.” He turned then and started to make his way out of the room. “We have a little time, find me tomorrow. You know where I’ll be.” Then he was gone.
Damn, hopefully he could help me or I’d have to run. Or fight. Shifting my head, I clashed eyes with Mischa. She had both of her hands covering her mouth. She looked to be sobbing into them. Before I could stop her, she ran straight up to me and threw her arms around my waist. Her hold was tight, her face buried in my chest. She didn’t seem to care or probably even know that she’d put herself into a submissive position to me.
“I was so scared for you, I haven’t slept for days.” She let the sobbing words trail off and it was clear she’d thought I was going to die in there. “And Maximus … he’s so angry.”
I held her tightly. “The boys are right, Max is hotheaded but he’s also incredibly smart, he’ll understand.” I sucked in deeply. “And I’m okay. Nothing too insane happened in Vanguard.”
Maybe if I repeated it enough I’d even believe it.
Although, in the end, it was true. Nothing too crazy had happened. I knew it wouldn’t take me long to get past my time in Vanguard. And Vlad was no longer kicking, so that made it much easier to bear. Lienda came in from the side and Jonathon followed. The four of us hugged, one big family group.
“I know you weren’t aware, but I owe you thanks for whatever you did to help your redhead friend long ago,” I told my mother. “She was a huge help.”
Lienda’s blue-green eyes flashed in my direction. “Cherise,” she breathed. “It had to be. She was my brother’s mate. She got herself thrown in Vanguard to be with him. Seems I owe her big-time.” Her grip on me tightened. “I was so worried for you. Your dad and I tried to get into the prison, but security is a hell of a lot stronger than it used to be. Lucky Jon was able to cover up our actions.”
“You tried to get in to find me?” I blinked a few times.
A soft smile graced her lips. “We will do anything … anything to keep our daughters safe.”
My heart swelled at her words, and I sent out a small beam of hope then. Hope that my family would find the time to become the strong unit we should have always been.
Chapter 16
I slept like the dead that night, and was thankful that no nightmares woke me from my slumber. Opening my eyes in the morning I wasn’t really surprised to find Braxton slouched in a chair across from me.
I rubbed my eyes a few times, smothering a yawn.
“You know stalking is illegal right?” I pushed my black hair off my face; it went everywhere when I slept.
He grinned, lazy and smooth. “I’m not leaving you alone while the Four hunt you.”
His words reminded me that I needed to go to Louis’ today. I jumped out of bed.
“I haven’t missed breakfast, right?” I’d never been so excited in my life to get to the dining hall.
Braxton straightened. He didn’t even bother to hide his grin. “You haven’t missed it. I’m going to head home now to change and shower. I’ll be back in forty minutes. Ty and Max are downstairs, so you won’t be alone.”
“Max?” I breathed, a beam of hope shooting through me.
Braxton flashed his dimple at me. “As you said he is hotheaded, but he’s never been able to stay mad with you.”
Thank God.
The dragon shifter dropped a kiss on my forehead before opening the window. With one leg out of the frame, he suddenly paused, looking back.
“I thought you should know, Nash is marked. Mom told me they discovered the branding on him. Louis spelled him, so he should be safe from the Four.”
We exchanged long intense glances for a few moments and I knew he’d told me so I’d know that my theory of the marked being locked in that secret room was true, that my urge to rescue those poor souls had come from somewhere, most probably the link I shared with them.
With an inclination of his head, he launched out the open window and dropped two stories to the ground. I leaned out after him.
“Five seconds to walk downstairs. Seriously, Brax. Five freaking seconds.”
But he was already gone, missing my ladylike cursing. I spun as my door swung open. I was still a little jumpy having anyone come in at my back. Mischa stepped inside; her hair was damp from her shower and she was dressed in dark-denim jeans and a white tank.
“Hey, you’re awake.” She flashed me her blindingly white grin. Way too chipper for this time of the morning. “Just checking on you.”
I stifled another yawn, not fully recovered from yesterday’s ordeal. “Yep, just about to jump in the shower and then … breakfast.” I pretty much rubbed my hands together in anticipation.
She wrapped a strand of her hair around and around her fingers. “I’ll go with you, I can’t wait.”
I snorted. “Oh yeah, I’ll bet you’re dying for your bowl of cardboard and piece of fruit.”
She flipped me off. I wrinkled my nose and stuck my tongue out at her. Very sisterly-like.
“So what happened with you and Brax in the prison?”
Her question caught me by surprise.
“What do you mean?” I hedged as I shuffled through my drawers, grabbing some clothes for the day. I went for the warmer items. The open window had let in some icy winds. It was freezing outside.
I could feel Mischa’s eyes locked on me. “Let’s just say he always had that too-gorgeous-brooding thing going on, but now he’s so intense. Like something happened.”
I slammed the drawer shut, clothes clutched in my trembling hands. “You mean besides the fact I was kidnapped by a crazy scar-guy and an ancient homicidal vampire, then almost raped and killed right under his nose.”
Yeah, I was unnecessarily harsh, but I didn’t want to think about Braxton’s intensity right now. It gave me thoughts that I didn’t know what to do with. Or what box I could put these feelings in. I liked my life, I didn’t want to lose anything. My heart was just too fragile to risk.
Mischa’s face fell, the smile wiping itself off like magic. “God, Jess, I am so sorry, that was really insensitive of me.”
I shook my head, waving my free hand at her. “No problem, I know you didn’t mean anything.”
And she hadn’t, my sister had an innocence
about her, an innocence most of us in Stratford had lost long ago, despite the fact we were pretty much imprisoned in the town, an innocence that could only have come from … no freaking way – she couldn’t really be. I’d likened her to it when she first arrived but there was no way.
“Are you a virgin?” I blurted.
Okay, tact was definitely not my middle name. I probably could have asked that a million different ways.
Mischa blushed, red as freaking lava. She opened and closed her mouth a few times before lowering her eyes to stare at what must be the sudden appearance of a sixth toe on her left foot. That’s how hard she was concentrating.
Holy effing hell? How was this even possible? No, not the toe part. The virgin thing was much crazier.
“How is that possible?” I repeated aloud. “We’re shifters, we need sex. It keeps our animals from ripping some asshat’s face off.”
A need that I’d been ignoring for too long now, it was going to make itself known soon. I mean, we aren’t like nymphos or anything, we could go a long time without sex, but at some point after coming into our powers – it was seventeen for me – we started to get the hot flushes, the urges to touch and be touched. I’d never heard of a twenty-two year old virgin shifter.
Mischa lifted her face, which was back to a ripe tomato color. “Now you sound like every man I’ve ever known. Babe … I like neeeed sex. I’ll die without it.” Her male mimicking was spot on.
I couldn’t halt the peals of laughter. Who would have thought that not even twenty-four hours since … Vlad … that I could be doubled over, holding my aching-laugh-stomach. Safe, with my sister. It was a gift.
When we’d finished losing it, she perched on the edge of my bed.
“So now that you know I’m yet to cash in my V-card, do you think I’m a loser?”
Her face, the mirror of my own, was blank. But the green eyes were depthless and in them I could see her pain and fear. I’m guessing she’d been called a loser on more than one occasion.
I dropped in next to her and put my arm around her shoulders. “No freaking way. I think you’re awesome and clearly a strong woman who knows her own mind. I’m sure the fact that your wolf was suppressed allowed you some reprieve from the hormones.”
She clunked her head onto my shoulder. “Yeah, but now I think I’m feeling them double-fold.” Her voice was an embarrassed whisper.
I snorted. “Well, it looks as if you and I both need to get some action. But I need to warn you-”
She lifted her face and met my gaze, interrupting me. The pause between us was extended.
“Still takes me by surprise,” she finally said. “Like looking in a mirror.”
It was eerie.
I nodded. “Yes, it takes me by surprise too, but back on point. Remember that we can find our mates through sex, and once you find your mate, you will be bonded to that shifter for life. So just be aware.”
“You’re making that sound really negative. Mom and Dad are so happy and in love. Why don’t you want that for yourself?”
I sat there for a few moments, then shrugged it off and waved her question away with a grin. I knew the reason, deep down in my heart, for why I was afraid of a mating. But now wasn’t the time for this confession.
“I’m gonna grab a shower, I’ll meet you downstairs.” I kissed her cheek and took my chance to escape her probing expression.
In the quiet bathroom I shed all of my clothes and stared at my reflection for more than ten minutes. Not because I was weird and vain, but because, finally, I could see the dragon mark. It was black with slivers of red threading through it. At first glance it looked tribal, but that was only if you couldn’t see the entire picture. The image was a weird, shadowy spectra of a dragon, larger than I expected, wrapping around from my lower back and up the left side of my stomach. I continued to turn and spin, trying to see it as clear as I could. But it seemed an impossible task, especially as it continued to shift and move. Finally I couldn’t stare any longer, I needed to finish my shower and get downstairs to find Louis. I couldn’t let the Four find me.
By the time I’d made it downstairs, the living area was filled with massive individuals. I was scooped up by Tyson. “Hey Jessa babe, you look like yourself again,” he said as he kissed my cheek and handed me off to Jacob.
The fey squeezed me tightly, before singing a few bars of my favorite song into my ear. He knew that calmed me like nothing else. Then it was Maximus’ turn. The massive vampire crushed me to his chest, and I knew – because it was his personality – that after Braxton he’d been the most worried when I’d gone missing. This was also the reason he’d taken the secret so hard.
“I’m so sorry.” I was babbling again. He just held me tighter.
His low growls started in my ear. “I told the boys we shouldn’t be friends with girls,” he muttered. “I told them that they’re mean, and will do things like break our hearts and scare the shit of out us.” His deep words washed over the room. I heard a few chuckles.
When he pulled back I examined his tense features. “When did you tell them that?” I asked.
Jacob snorted. “Remember when we were five and you stole Max’s piece of cake. Right around then.”
“And when we were eight and you ran him over with your bike,” Tyson added.
“Not to mention when you kicked him in the b–”
“Okay, okay. Apparently, Max has spent much of our childhood lamenting the fact I was an annoying girl.”
Braxton stepped in the front door, his dark hair damp, stylishly tousled. “Don’t let them fool you, Max loved you from the first second you came into our lives. Twenty years.”
Maximus eyed his brother. “I’m not the only one, bro.”
Their intense exchange continued for a few long beats. I didn’t even want to know what the hell that was that all about. I was only grateful to feel that things were repaired between Maximus and me. The small rift which had appeared last night seemed to be gone. Everything felt right and normal.
Lienda broke the moment. “Okay then, maybe it’s time to head over for breakfast?” She was all snuggly with Dad on the couch. Which no longer seemed to piss me off. I’d gone from hating the woman to respecting her strength and thinking of her as a mother. Mind you, it would be a long time before I called her that.
“Wait!”
I spun to find Louis in the doorway, his cheeks with the slightest flush to them as if he’d run the entire way here. Although, I knew he could magic himself from one place to another, so I doubted he’d ran.
“The Four are here. They just requested permission to enter the perimeter. I need to spell Jessa now.”
I let out a large sigh. “Those assholes could not wait until after breakfast, seriously.” My parents’ horror-filled eyes locked on me. “What? A girl’s got to eat. It’s just rude.”
I huffed my way across the room to stand before the sexy mage. “Come on, let’s get this over with.”
Jacob snorted. “That’s what all the girls say to Louis.”
With a grin the sorcerer waved his hand and Jacob seemed to freeze to the spot. The fey opened and closed his mouth but couldn’t speak again. I stepped even further into Louis’ personal space. We were mere inches from each other.
“First time I’ve ever seen someone shut up Jake.”
Tyson laughed. “I need to learn that nifty trick.”
Louis chuckled before sweeping me into his arms and striding out the door.
“Fucking sorcerer,” I heard Jacob curse as we stepped into some sort of blurry wormhole thing and out the other side. We were at Louis’ home. He dropped me to my feet.
“My wards here will protect us while I try to contain your massive energy.” He leveled all of his intensity in my direction. “Tell me what happened when your mark was released?”
His purple eyes regarded me, and I felt as if he already knew I’d shifted into a dragon.
But I trusted Braxton’s judgment. If he thought I should
keep my dual nature to myself for a while, well, that’s what I’d do. Even if Louis suspected, I wasn’t going to confirm it for him.
“Just a burst of power which released my wolf. I was no longer restricted by the securities on the prison.” I stayed as close to the truth as I could. “I sort of got some dragon features, but I locked the power back inside before anything too much happened.”
He nodded. “Your power is immense. I’m guessing that you’re so used to keeping it all contained that you haven’t even noticed the massive increase.”
It wasn’t exactly true, I could feel the curled sleeping power of my dragon. She was happy, content. It was strange, I’d expected a snarling beast and I knew that part of her could emerge at any time, but for right now … it was almost as if she was part wolf.
“I’m going to have to place my hands on your chest.” He had both of his arms aloft in front of him but hesitated to drop them on me. I knew he was waiting to see if I was okay with such intimate contact … especially after yesterday.
I bit my lip before nodding. “Thanks for checking in on my mental state, but I’m fine. Touch away.”
Dark streaks of blue flashed across his eyes. “I imagined you saying those words, just in slightly different circumstances.” He raised his eyebrows at me a few times. “But I’ll take it.”
We were still standing close to his hidden home and the waterfall that concealed it. Soft strands of green grass curled around my bare feet, and small slivers of sunshine broke through the canopy. It was cold today, but somehow Louis kept his area nice and temperate. My toes were thanking him for this. In one smooth movement he placed both hands on my chest, in the space just above the swell of my breasts. I flinched minutely, unable to stop my thoughts from returning to yesterday – my disgust and fear as that creature ran his hands over my body. I could still taste the bile and smell the fear which had permeated the air. My fear.
“Jessa.” Louis’ voice was commanding. I raised my eyes to meet his. “Look at me.” His voice softened. “Focus on me.”
