There was a chance he could be saved. Cohen had found a new path; Logan could, too. There was room for four Vancourt brothers, but Cohen saw the venom in his brother’s eyes. He would not stop until he’d won. He would force the world to it’s feet around him just to prove his worth.
That was not how being Alpha was supposed to work.
Cohen closed his eyes and jerked his paws. There was a sickening snap in his hands and the other bear’s body slumped.
There were no cheers around him, no cries of victory. This was a fight no one had wanted to witness. He could not blame them for their silence as he felt it echo through his own heart. If anything, all he heard around them were sighs of relief. It was over.
The fight was over. A bear’s body laid on the ground at his feet, eyes lifeless. His stomach churned. The fur fell away from the body and the shape shrunk into its human form. Cohen looked down at the man that had been his older brother. He’d been a monster, one that ran toward the darkness within himself.
Cohen had done the same, filled with shame instead of a false sense of power. It was all to easy to see where their steps had mirrored one another. Cohen looked at his brother and felt a small sense of kinship that roiled with guilt and revulsion.
This was what he could have become.
“Cohen?” a silken voice asked.
His bear turned and pulled Ashe into their arms. She immediately broke into a sob. He held her, confused as to why she would cry now. They’d won! The fight was over. No longer was there a reason to cry. He gently stroked her head with his paws, hoping she would see the victory even as his eyes sought the loss laying on the ground.
“My magic broke,” she said into his fur. “The connection snapped, and I was worried everything would fall apart.”
Her confession struck him like lightning. He froze, trying to process it. The bear did not care. The battle had been won, one way or another. She had done what she could; their plan had still worked.
His bear pulled back and released his human form. His muscled arms tightened around Ashe. He tucked her head under his chin and held her, both of them clinging to one another.
“Oh, hell no!” The shout split the air.
Both Cohen and Ashe looked up to find Killian backpedaling. He spun in the mud, tripping and scrambling to flee. Even Grover had a sickened look on his bloodless face. The Pack approached them, slowly circling from all sides until Killian and Grover were surrounded.
Grover fell to his knees. He pleaded for sympathy, for forgiveness. Killian looked down at the man with disgust. In the end, it didn’t take long for Archer and Gage to wrangle the men. Killian thrashed in Archer’s grip, but could not get free. Grover sulked as if he knew this was the end of the line and had accepted it.
Cohen felt a fire rage through him, one made of biting ice, when he looked at Grover. The man had betrayed his Pack. He’d tried to kill Cohen’s mate. Cohen wanted to watch him plead for his life. His lips pulled back from his teeth and a growl rumbled through his chest.
Ashe put a hand on his bare skin. It pulled his attention down to her. She wore a sly smile. There was a question in her sparkling eyes, a request. As the Alpha’s mate, she could speak for him. Cohen nodded. He knew she was smart enough for the both of them.
Ashe pulled away and approached the men. She pointed a long finger at Grover. “You, sir, are no longer part of the Vancourt Pack. You will spend the rest of your days wandering the world until some other fool decides to take you in. Until then, I hope you learn what it means to be strong and compassionate.”
Killian snarled and thrashed in Archer’s grip. Archer snarled and kicked the shifter’s feet out from underneath him so that Killian fell to his knees.
Ashe knelt before him so that she could meet him eye to eye. Her voice dropped low and Cohen could hear the vicious bite of it as she spoke. “There will be a hunt tonight. One for retribution. Your actions are inexcusable and therefore your life is now forfeit.”
The crowd around them rustled as people shifted from foot to foot. Normally few liked partaking in a hunt, but Cohen could see the hunger on their faces. Many of them were ready to be done with Killian, with the horror he’d brought into Stonefall.
Her words spoken, she lifted herself from the mud and turned toward her mate. Cohen opened his arms for her. This was not the life he’d ever imagined for himself. This was a dream, if anything. Yet, it was now his reality. He was Alpha, and his bear reveled in it.
The vicious beast that it had once been was now sated. It had what it wanted, a family and a mate.
As Cohen and Ashe made their way back to Vancourt house, Gage kicked Grover and chased him off the Vancourt territory. Archer dragged Killian to the basement to hold the man until nightfall, until the hunt.
Ashe stepped away from his arms and he felt bereft until he watched her stretch her hands over her head and his cock rose. Naked and exposed, Cohen gritted his teeth.
“I’m going to take a bath,” Ashe announced. “A long, hot, and luxurious bath.”
The thought of her naked and submerged in steaming water swirled through his mind and made his blood rush lower again.
“Woman,” he growled. “Wait until we’re inside to say things like that.”
She glanced over her shoulder at him and gave him a quick wink before ducking into the house. It didn’t matter if his Pack was behind him, Cohen chased her and swept her off the floor. She squealed with happiness until he claimed her mouth with his own.
Chapter Twenty
Ashe gripped the bouquet, her knuckles going white. Shifting from foot to foot, the music thundered in her ears. Joanna laughed, a high keening sound that echoed Ashe’s nervous energy. Their eyes met, and a burst of laughter escaped both of them.
Joanna’s lips were painted a dark, merlot red. A swath of cream-colored fabric wrapped around her in the shape of a wedding dress. Above them, the gray skies had opened to reveal a clear and clean blue. It was as if the world itself were smiling upon them today. It was the big day, after all. And, Ashe couldn’t figure out why she was so nervous.
She’d overturned the cards that morning, fearing they would still be blank. The horror, the war was over and yet she still worried another nightmare loomed on the horizon. Yet, the cards revealed only happiness. They spoke of new foundations and promises. She should have been filled with a sense of peace.
“Are you going to be alright?” Joanna asked, placing a hand on her friend’s arm.
Ashe jumped, her head snapping up. Her heart thumped, and she let out a nervous laugh. “Oh, who? Me? I’ll be fine.”
Joanna gave her a look that said she didn’t believe her, but before she could press the matter further, the colorful Kaylee sidled up to them. She wore a cocktail dress buffeted with rainbow petticoats and had a crown of flowers weaved through her hair. She tucked one over Ashe’s head, arranging her hair so that they matched.
“As long as Gage doesn’t think he’s proposing today, everything is going to be alright.”
Joanna spun toward their new friend. “You don’t want to get married?”
Kaylee snorted. “We’re already close enough. Don’t you think? I don’t need a rock or a contract to force me to be closer to him.”
Ashe shook her head. Gage and Kaylee would always be the strangest of them, but they were the light they all needed. A very loud and sometimes lewd light. Ashe had noticed, and she wasn’t going to say anything to Joanna, the words Fuck Truck painted onto the back of Archer’s vehicle.
A faint music drifted toward them, the first sign that things were about to begin. Ashe sucked in a deep breath and glanced down the deep red carpet that’d been laid out. She could do this. It was nothing, just a simple walk.
A gentled push from behind propelled her forward. Stumbling at first, she found her feet and commanded control of her knees.
***
His Mouth went dry. The world around him rocked to a sudden halt. All he could see was the woman standing beneath
the arch of flowers, a sheepish look on her face. Ashe’s curves were accented by the burgundy wrap dress. It clung to her as she moved, promising the bountiful rise and fall of her body. His eyes roved up her body to land on her mouth. The dark color of her lips was like fine wine or forbidden pomegranates. A wreath of pink blossoms and dark green leaves crowned her head and made her seem ethereal. The urge to run toward her and scoop her up was overwhelming.
It took all he had to keep his feet rooted to the ground and not ruin his brother’s wedding by stealing away the maid of honor. His mind filled with ways he wanted to undress her, the slow and tormenting tug of the belt that held her dress closed, the greedy tug of the fabric away from her skin until she was free and wild before him. He would leave the crown on, too, and fuck her like the goddess she was.
He patted the pocket on his breast to make sure the box was there. He hadn’t lost it or misplaced it. It was necessary for the day. He’d kick himself if he lost it.
Ashe moved to stand on the other side of the altar, too far away from him if he had anything to say about it. He leaned back, glancing behind Gage to catch his mate’s eye. Ashe smiled, her dark cheeks growing darker.
Cohen smiled. The bear sat, happy with where life had led them. A single phone call had brought him back on track, away from a life that might have killed him. He knew, if he’d stayed solitary for much longer, he would have pushed himself to insanity. The only option at that point would have been death, but the people standing around him had brought him back from the brink.
To think, he once feared hurting them. Now, the beast stood protectively behind them, an Alpha to it’s core. It threw its head back and roared with pride.
Kaylee marched proudly down the aisle, her eyes sparkling as she looked at Gage. They shared a secretive smile before she split off to stand beside Ashe. That one was the most perfect match for his youngest brother. Cohen didn’t know if there was a wilder, sneakier, or more determined beast out there besides Gage’s coyote shifter.
Then, Joanna appeared. Her dress fluttered around her legs. Cohen could see where her hips had grown ever so slightly wider. Ashe had been right in her guess. Joanna was pregnant, and she glowed with the beauty of it. Upon seeing her, Archer’s calm composure broke open.
His eyes watered, and a smile split his face from ear to ear. Cohen watched him swallow back his anxiety. It was now or never and there was no going back on a mate bond. The two of them would forever be bound to each other. What one felt, the other would feel. Where one faltered, the other would stand.
A priest officiated the marriage. When he was done, he looked to Cohen. As the new Alpha of the Pack, it was upon him to approve. He felt a strange stirring inside him as all eyes descended upon him. He could not stop true love, so he didn’t know why he had any say in the matter.
All he could do was nod. The gesture was all that had remained to approve the marriage; on cue, Archer grabbed his wife and bent her lower for a breath-taking kiss. Joanna’s eyes were dazed when he pulled away, a small, confused smile on her lips.
The crowd leapt from their seats and applauded, raucous cheers coming from Gage and Kaylee. The aura of the Pack had changed. Gone was the vicious griping and anger. It was replaced with newfound glee. The wedding couldn’t have come at a better time, most likely bolstering this new energy.
The wedding couple walked down the aisle together, arm in arm as they smiled happily up at each other. Gage and Kaylee slammed into one another, laughter erupting from them as if it was the only mode they knew. Ashe slowly approached him, her chin high and a defiant happiness in her eyes.
Tonight was going to be fun, he thought.
He held out his arm for her, the other hand still over the small box in his coat jacket. All eyes watched them move, the Alpha pair of the Vancourt Pack. They had taken three packs and consolidated them into one, a feat that took a fair amount of power and control to maintain.
Cohen could feel their emotions grating in his mind, the bond like a funnel that led toward him. They could offer power, but they also offered their problems. He knew there was a long road ahead of them. The happiness of the day could not last forever and there would always be bumps in any road.
Chapter Twenty-One
Cohen was acting strange. Ashe could see it. He kept patting his chest and pacing. All through the reception he acted strange. She could not feel what he did, the constant flux of emotions from his Pack. The adjustment must have been hard, and he was struggling. It was understandable.
She moved closer to him, placing her hands on his shoulders to steady him. He sunk his head low enough for her to claim his lips. He tasted like almond cake and buttercream, a flavor she eagerly lapped up, but he pulled away a moment too soon. She looked at him with concern in her eyes, but he flashed a smile. It was the kind he reserved only for her.
“Dance with me,” he whispered.
She looked at the dancefloor, not sure if she wanted to embarrass herself like that, but before she knew it Cohen was dragging her away. She squealed, trying half heartedly to pull back. Really, she didn’t want to. She wanted to stay in his arms, soaking up the heat that wafted from his body and the scent that she couldn’t get enough of.
Cohen spun her in circles, carefully commanding their dance in a way that made her feel like a queen. He dipped her low and brought her back up again, her head spinning. A wide smile touched her lips. If anyone had asked her if she thought her future would be this happy, she would have scoffed and ran away.
Now, she looked up at the nearly golden eyes that watched her and felt her heart swell. This was what she had dreamed of when she was a lonely and broken teenager searching for some kind of fairy tale to let her escape the torment that had been her reality. While it had been a long and hard road to get here, she knew her fairytale had come true.
Then, just as she’d realized her happiness, Cohen pulled away. She nearly cried out, already missing his warmth and wondering why he would leave her. Yet, her heart lurched into her throat as she watched him drop to one knee.
She slapped a hand over her mouth. Her knees gave up on her, and she fell to the floor in front of him. Inside an open velvet box was a single, faceted garnet on a thin band.
“You are the Persephone to my Hades,” he began, his voice trembling so lightly that only she could hear it. “I can’t imagine any kind of future without you and want to make sure you know my commitment is real. I would be a lost monster without you, without your brilliant kindness and huge heart. Hell, this Pack wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for you.
“If I could, I’d give you the sky and everything beneath it. You deserve all that and more, but what I can give you is this ring and a promise. I promise to forever stand beside you as long as you will have me.”
Ashe fought to speak through the tight feeling in her throat, the heart that had lodged itself there. “Is this… is this a proposal?”
He hadn’t exactly said the words. She didn’t know how to react. If this was only a gift and she said I do, she would look like a complete fool. Yet, if it was an actual proposal, he was completely dancing around the actual words.
He laughed, his cheeks becoming pink. It was an adorable and innocent look on a man who’d only recently worn shadows instead. “Yes, this is a proposal. Will you marry me, Ashe?”
She nodded, unable to speak as tears flooded her eyes. They raced down her cheeks. He wiped them away with rough thumbs and rose to kiss her cheek.
In the background they heard a single voice shout, “Don’t you fucking dare, Gage Vancourt.”
“Does it look like I was thinking about it?”
Together, Cohen and Ashe laughed.
Cohen plucked the ring from the box and slipped it over her finger. She held her breath, marveling at the dark gem against her pale skin.
Thank you!
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Mated to the Dragon
Emilia Hartley
Chapter One
Dakota flipped through the school’s flyer more times than she could count on the ten hour flight. There were only so many clouds she could bear to look at beyond the window. After browsing the highlights of the Art History program of Bangor’s University for the millionth time, she sighed and tossed it to the empty seat beside her. At least she’d gotten lucky in that regard.
The person beside her had gotten a free upgrade to first class. She didn’t complain. As a college student, just having the extra bit of space to spread out felt luxurious. She hadn’t been raised with much. Both of her parents worked overtime through her childhood to put clothes on her back and food on the table. College had been a distant dream for her as a child, a thing that even in youth she knew that her family could not afford.
Then, in high school, she got her very first job. Every penny she earned while serving pizza to the kids in her class went into savings. She was determined to reach her dream, to go to school, and escape the grind that her parents seemed doomed to endure. She began with community college. Then, with scholarships and loans that made her cringe when she signed, Dakota took the plunge and applied to universities.
Cohen Page 15
