“Both my father and I have been distant,” Jasper confessed, his voice small and his gaze trained on the stones near his feet. “The chromatic dragons forged a hierarchy of their own while my father and I locked ourselves away. The system…well, it was very broken. Mina nearly missed out on her own mate bond because she’d been convinced that a shifter of her station could never bond with a metallic dragon.”
“Sounds like you need to do something about that,” Cora said gently. She wasn’t trying to anger his beast, but the truth was the truth. Someone had to tell him.
Besides, she was clearly his mate. There was no denying their bond. If she couldn’t talk to Jasper, then no one could. That was not the marker of a good king.
Chapter Nine
The other mates brought Cora clothing options, but she hated them all. There was a sharp pantsuit, but Cora didn’t feel like the mayor’s wife. The suit felt wrong. Besides, it chafed her armpits in the most uncomfortable way. Then there was a dress, like something Jackie O would have worn. Again, it made her feel like a politician’s woman.
Cora was no one’s wife, certainly not a politician’s. She was the mate of a dragon king. Pretty dresses and ironed pant suits didn’t feel right. Nor did they seem comfortable. While she was bound to Jasper, she wasn’t his girlfriend. If anything, she was a prisoner of war. Cora might have put herself in this position and the feeling of being trapped might have faded, but she couldn’t ignore the circumstances that led her here.
She’d agreed to accompany Jasper, but that meant his clan would see her. She needed to decide how they would see her. The idea that she would still leave lingered in the back of her mind. This wasn’t permanent. Grove would become a memory someday.
In the end, Cora chose a pair of ripped jeans and a sweater. She slung a nice, padded vest over her shoulders and chose a long necklace with a pendant that looked like a dragon’s claw—only a lot smaller.
If it was the wrong thing to wear, Jasper didn’t show it. His lips split into a smile, eyes sparking with heat, when he looked at her. Her stomach did flips. No matter how hard she tried to ignore them, they shook her world. She thought they would go away when she got into the passenger seat of his truck, but as soon as he opened the other door and his scent wafted over her, the fluttering sensation in her stomach returned.
If he could tell, he said nothing.
Over and over, she told herself this wasn’t permanent. The only reasons he accompanied Jasper was to offer support while he attempted to become a better king. She didn’t want to present herself as the king’s mate. While he went door to door to meet his clan, she would stay in the truck.
The truck that smelled of whiskey and Jasper.
She sniffed the air and realized the scent of liquor was fainter than it usually was. When she mentioned it, Jasper’s smile was soft and shy. The look shook her core.
“I haven’t needed it as much,” he said.
Because they were spending more time together.
The thought filled her mind until it was all she could focus on. The changes in Jasper since she’d arrived were more than she thought possible. Beside her was not the monster she’d met in her dreams, the one that flew over the mountains with the intent of capturing her, but the man she never knew existed behind the beast. Perhaps he was not perfect, but he was far better than any man she’d ever known before.
He intended to become even better.
Cora couldn’t ignore the idea that she was possibly falling for him.
“I, uh, like your necklace,” Jasper said while turning the steering wheel.
She looked down at the stone claw resting between her breasts. Did he like it for where it sat? Or, did he actually like it?
“Are you wearing it for me?”
“Huh?” She was truly confused now.
He glanced at her, surprise evident. “The stone. It’s jasper. I didn’t know if you wore it on purpose, but I guess I know now.”
She touched the claw shaped stone. “I didn’t know that. It’s just pretty and it looks like a dragon claw. I thought it was thematic.”
“Now that you know it’s my namesake stone, does that make it even more thematic? I’m trying not to feel honored, but it’s not working.”
She grinned, shaking her head. Not only was Jasper dead sexy and trying to be a good person, but he was kind of funny, too. Had her situation been any different, she might have tried to make it work. But her scales and his beast sat between them, turning what was a short distance into leagues.
He turned into a small plaza, directing his too large truck into a drive through. “I’m buying coffee. We’re going to need it today.”
Her stomach twisted. “And donuts?”
He nodded, turned to the speaker, and ordered a dozen donuts. She laughed. While she hadn’t wanted that many, his eagerness was charming. How many others had the opportunity to see this side of Jasper? She hoped his clan got the chance today.
***
Down the street was a school, kids shouting at one another on the playground. At the other end was a dog park. They were parked in between, outside a craftsman home with wicker deer in the garden. She stayed in the truck as Jasper hopped out. He cast a glance back and she offered an encouraging thumbs up. Even though she hadn’t wanted to dress like a politician’s wife, it very much felt like they were canvassing the neighborhood for votes. Instead of getting the position, Jasper would be gaining their confidence.
Pride filled her chest, even though she told herself this had nothing to do with her. Jasper was his own man, affecting his own future. Cora was just someone passing through. No amount of fate could force her to keep endangering those around her. She would move on, assume a new name, and disappear.
Her beast would suffer in the long run, but if it meant Jasper and his clan were safe, then she could live with the pain.
Still, the thought of it brought tears to her eyes. She let her head fall back against the seat rest. Her vision swam with unshed tears. Cora didn’t just mourn for her beast’s cage, but for the life she was starting to see here. The scent of Jasper wrapped around her.
The man he was becoming, the true self he was showing her, wouldn’t last once she left. He would not devolve into a bad man; Jasper had never been such. She worried, instead, about his happiness. With her, he could be whoever he wanted. He did not have to hold up the visage of a king or the mountain’s ever powerful gold dragon. He could be a cook, a joker, a tired man.
If she left, he would have to hold up appearances all the time. It was exhausting and most likely allowed for his beast to slip through and grasp control. Cora didn’t want to stay just because of him. To owe herself to another man and his needs would be to trap herself in the same life she’d escaped from.
Or…would it?
Jasper had turned and was walking back to the truck. Behind him, the shifters in the doorway lingered, watching with pride and confidence written across their faces. His, though, was etched with exhaustion. She leaned across the seat and pushed his door open for him. Once it closed behind him, he let out a deep breath.
Cora hadn’t walked to any of the doors with him. She didn’t have the heart to meet each and every one of his shifters yet, but she’d seen the effect it made. They all shared similar looks. Whatever Jasper thought his shifters saw him as was wrong. This door to door visiting only revealed that many of them already adored him.
“Only a few more stops,” he muttered, hand on the gear shift.
“It looks like today has been a success,” Cora noted. “Why do you sound so apprehensive now?”
“I saved Mina’s family for last.”
Cora remembered what he’d told her of Ryker’s mate, how the woman had been trapped in a made-up hierarchal system by her family. Jasper planned to tell the wayward shifters what it truly meant to be part of his clan. If they didn’t like it, they could leave.
The house was in town, the front porch overgrown by wild flowers and weeds. A trellis at th
e side of the building was leaning precariously toward the neighbor’s fence. Cora’s hand was on the door handle. She pulled it back and told herself she had nothing to worry about. Jasper was the king of the mountains. No chromatic dragon was going to challenge him.
This meeting would be uncomfortable for both parties, but not dangerous. The only dangerous meeting would be facing Cal once again. Cora had no doubt that Jasper could take Cal, but that her mate had been holding back for some reason. Whatever Jasper was thinking, she couldn’t tell. His thoughts were his own.
Which, of course, was eternally frustrating when her thoughts were so open during their dreams. She did not have a sentient beast inside her that could stand between her thoughts and Jasper’s demon.
The door of the house creaked open, drawing Cora’s attention back to the present. The narrow opening revealed little save for a white beard. From where she sat, she watched Jasper’s back stiffen, each of his muscles coming together into a tight knot. He cared far too much for his family, even those who were new, who he didn’t know all that well.
Cora reached to roll down the window only to discover that it was a power window. There was no crank to bring the glass down between them. Her only option, if she wanted to better eavesdrop, was to open the door. Slowly, she pulled the handle. The door popped open and a rush of cold air greeted her.
“We need to talk about your behavior,” Jasper growled. The threat in his words was obvious, radiating off him.
The door slammed shut in Jasper’s face. Her mate sighed and glanced back over his shoulder at her. By now, she had the door partially open. If he was surprised, he didn’t show it. She gave in and stepped out, slowly joining Jasper.
“That went well,” he muttered. “I can save a bank from failure, but I can’t get one shifter to talk to me.”
“Don’t catastrophize the situation. You’ve gotten every other shifter to gladly meet with you. This guy,” she said as she took in the house, “is clearly a worm.”
“I think we need to make a distinction. You mean worm as in earthworm and not wyrm as in wingless dragon.”
Cora snorted. “We could make him a wingless dragon if he continues to cause harm in your clan.”
“Spoken like a true queen.”
Jasper stepped away to peer around the side of the house, leaving Cora processing what he’d just said. The word sat in her mind like a stone. It was never what she wanted. She hadn’t been angling for the title or trying to prove herself. In the end, she was going to leave.
She had to.
No one would be safe.
Her scales would always mark her as a commodity to be taken. Yet, Jasper spoke of her like an equal. She was not a valuable item, but the person he turned to for help, for love. The thought made her chest tight. No amount of measured breathing eased the tension in her chest. It stuck there until Jasper appeared at the other corner of the house, having gone all the way around, she assumed.
He must have noticed the strange look on her face because he moved to her immediately, his reason for being here forgotten as he touched her elbows.
“Are you alright? We can leave if you don’t want to be here.” His touch was steadying.
But she pulled away, putting distance between herself and the golden king. He did his best to hide his hurt, but Cora glimpsed it right before she turned around. Guilt coiled around her and squeezed tight.
She desperately wanted to stay. Not even as Jasper’s queen, but as one of his shifters, as part of his clan. There were a few bad spots, she thought as she glanced at the house they stood outside of, but already she could tell Jasper’s clan was a family. It was a feeling she hadn’t realized she’d been craving.
“I’m here for you,” he said, without touching her, without pulling her closer, without stepping into her space. “When you need me, I’ll be here for you.”
Only when he passed her did he touch her, laying a gentle hand on her shoulder, fingertips lingering as if he couldn’t bear to tear himself away now that he had her. But, he did, and he turned to the front door again.
His big fists banged against the frail wood, sending a resounding gong through the neighborhood. After maybe ten minutes, people were peeling back their curtains to watch what was going on. Some disappeared, uninterested, while others reappeared with drinks or snacks, like they wanted to watch the old chromatic dragon get what was coming to him.
Finally, the door swung open. “What in blazing hells do you think you’re doing?” the old man snarled.
Jasper towered over him. She could feel the gold dragon’s heat radiating off him. It slapped her in the face and sent the old man reeling back.
“I need you to pass on the word that your system of domination is at an end. No dragon of mine is any better than the next. Do you hear me? We are all equal and anyone who thinks to treat another shifter otherwise will have to answer to my beast.”
The blood drained from the man’s face. His hand gripping the door shook.
Good, Cora thought. She liked Mina. The small dragon shifter was sweet and understanding, far more patient than any other dragon Cora had ever met. Mina had kept Cora’s secret and let Cora approach on her own terms.
Though, Cora was wishing she’d come to the metallic dragons sooner. Maybe then a lot of trauma could have been avoided. Lilah would not have been changed and forced into a new life. The buildings…
Cora could not have done anything about them. She was already hiding beneath Jasper’s wing when that happened. It proved that her proximity to Jasper only served to further infuriate Cal. The man could not give her up. He would destroy anything in his way until he possessed her again.
There was one way that would keep him from taking her, but Cora wasn’t sure Cal would honor it. If she married Jasper, then she would be his dragon wife. While Jasper told her that was not a tradition among them, it was one among her people. Cora didn’t know if it would be enough to keep Cal at bay, though.
She feared he would try to take her no matter what vows she made. She could kneel at the altar of God and offer her loyalty and still Cal would drag her back home. Cora was tired of it. Tired of the fighting and the worrying.
Her life was fraught with fear, singeing her every nerve ending until she felt burnt out. Only her time with Jasper had done anything to heal those fraying ends. His secret smiles, easy humor, and his generosity was a balm.
“If I hear that you’re treating anyone like they’re beneath you or beholden to you, then I will pay you another visit. Until then, have a good day.”
She only caught the corner of his grin, but it was charming with an edge of monstrosity, his beast flashing in his amber eyes. He turned and held his hand out to guide her back toward the truck. But that wasn’t enough for the old man.
“You think you can lay down your law while you risk all our lives for a bitch?”
Cora’s blood ran cold. She tripped and stumbled. Jasper caught her before she could hit the ground. The heat rolling off him singed the hairs on her arms. He turned his ire back toward the old man standing outside the door now.
She grasped Jasper’s sleeve. The old man wasn’t wrong. This was her fault. She silently begged him to let it go, to walk away.
But he didn’t, pulling away from her and marching back toward the old man. His gray beard fluttered on the wind as he jerked back from Jasper. She expected her mate to unleash his furious heat on the old man, but he didn’t.
“Do you think we should turn our backs on those who need help? Ah, yes. You’re more the kind to walk on the backs of others.” Jasper’s voice was a low and ominous growl. He hadn’t yet touched the other man, but she could see his fists shaking at his sides.
Jasper turned down a dirt road. The truck bounced along stones and over holes. Cora held onto her seat while a maniacal giggle bubbled through her throat. She grinned, from ear to ear, unable to figure out where they were going. Outside, naked trees and dense evergreens blurred past. The air smelled of pine and snow, a re
freshing scent that eased her concerns.
Grove was seducing her.
There was no way around its charm and beauty. There was no ignoring the people who called it home and how inviting they were to someone like her. Cora had brought trouble into their lives. There was a war slowly encroaching on the small town, and yet no one treated her with disrespect. That could have been because of Jasper’s presence, but she didn’t think so.
No one actually blamed her. If anything, it felt like some of his metallic dragons blamed Jasper. She reached across the space between them and touched his hand. She didn’t take hold of it or lay any other kind of claim on him, but just wanted him to know that she was there, too.
He turned his hand over so that her fingertips played over the calloused skin of his palm. She traced the pads of rough skin and tried to surmise his history from them. Of course, she could tell nothing from them. She was no witch, able to peel back the veil to see beyond reality and into the past.
She was just Cora, the crystal scale dragon. Truth be told, she was more than a little annoyed that her regal scales didn’t come with any kind of magic. Maybe then all this trouble would be worth it.
“Your touch is like magic,” Jasper said.
Her head jerked up. She wasn’t sure she’d heard him right. How could he enter her mind while they were awake? He’d only even been able to delve into her thoughts during their dreams.
He looked down at her fingers on his hand. “When you touch me, my beast is at peace. He isn’t trying to fight me for dominance. I’ve never found solace like that before without seeing the bottom of a glass bottle.”
“The whiskey?”
He nodded. They turned onto another dirt road, this one curving around a group of trees before they fell away to reveal a crystalline blue lake. The truck bounced to the end of the road before he turned to face the lake and put it in park.
Cora took it all in, every breathtaking sight. Snow from the other night still hung onto the low evergreen branches and perched on the naked branches of the other trees. The clouds overhead were reflected on the lake’s surface, gently gliding by.
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