“Can you keep him safe, Logan? Can you do that for Elliana’s descendant?” She whispered the soft prayer under her breath even though she knew Logan would never hear a word of it.
“Son of a bitch!” Ember lurched into the narrow apartment kitchen and grabbed the curtain. Leaning forward, Ember peered down at the street below.
Baylee slowly stood. The ache in her skull faded as caution took over. “What is it?”
“Your brother is here.”
Baylee’s brow furrowed. She crept to the window and looked down at the street. Jensen wore an expression of determination mixed with a dash of regret, like he’d swallowed something bitter. Beside him, Uncle Callum waited with his hands in his pockets. Callum’s face was unreadable, but his presence told her all she needed to know.
A familiar truck rounded the street corner and slowed. Baylee’s stomach dropped. Gale took in Jensen and Callum just as they vanished inside the apartment building. She motioned for him to keep going, but he didn’t look up. Gale couldn’t see her. He pulled onto the side of the street and spilled out of his truck.
Baylee backed up from the window, a curse on her breath.
Moments later, someone knocked on Ember’s door.
“Ember, honey. It’s your father. I brought breakfast!” Callum’s voice boomed through the door.
“You’re a shit liar, Dad!” Ember laughed. “Did you really forget who you’re talking to? I don’t smell any food.”
Callum grumbled something. Baylee knew this intervention could go wrong quickly. Jensen must have told their mother, who must have called Callum. They were going to drag Baylee back home and lock her up until Mom could get a willing husband for her.
“This is a shitshow,” Baylee muttered.
Ember shrugged. Teagan sidled up beside her step-sister and gave Baylee a nod.
“We stand together,” Ember said. “It should have been that way the whole time, but we got tangled up in our own lives and forgot to look out for one another. I’m sorry we didn’t take care of one another sooner.”
Baylee twisted, opened the kitchen window, and threw a leg out. The jump was minimal for someone like her, but she still scanned the street to make sure no one was watching. Gale appeared on the sidewalk beneath her. An unspoken question twisted his lips as he reached up for her.
No jump had ever been as easy to make as this one. Gale caught her. His grip slipped down to her hand, so he could tug her back to his truck. She expected her heart to flutter with excitement, but this wasn’t a game. It wasn’t even a fun affair anymore.
She was running away from her own family. Ember and Teagan backed Baylee’s decision, but the rest of her family wouldn’t share the same kind of unconditional love.
She wanted to believe that they would be the ones to change the course of their family’s future, but she wasn’t sure if they could overcome the kind of hate that had become ingrained in everyone. Maybe Teagan didn’t have feelings for a Montoya, but Ember did. If Baylee couldn’t force change, then Ember would end up walking in the same footsteps.
“What is going on?” Gale asked, concern knitting his brows together.
“Same shit. Different day.” Baylee hopped into the passenger seat of the idling truck. “Can we get out of here?”
Gale nodded and ran for the driver’s side. She swallowed. She couldn’t change anything. Not by herself. Together, they could have had the power to make a difference, but that meant nothing if they were kept apart. There might come a time when someone had the power to change the way their families thought of one another, but Baylee wasn’t a revolutionary.
She was just a rebel.
A rebel. She nearly slapped herself in the forehead.
“This is it!” She twisted in her seat while her heart pounded wildly.
Doubt had crept into her heart, but the revelation kicked it to the curb. Baylee had struggled to find her purpose all this time because she’d been looking in all the wrong places. Her talent for pushing boundaries and breaking rules could be applied to one thing: getting rid of this family feud once and for all.
“This is my job. This is my dream. I’m not going to let them stop us,” she said, breathless.
“Are you drunk still? Or do you jump out of windows every morning? I mean, I wouldn’t be surprised if that was true now that I know you better.” Gale’s mouth quirked into a small smile. He took her hand and squeezed.
Baylee settled back into her seat. “Window jumping is child’s play. I started doing that when I was a kid.”
Gale laughed. He lifted her hand to his lips and kissed it. This was the start of a new future for her. She wasn’t going to sit back and allow others to dictate her life. That’s not the kind of person she was meant to be. She would break the mold so that her cousins could find their mates, too.
They deserved that much, at least, for helping Baylee escape.
The euphoria from her discovery faded quickly once they reached Gale’s home. She’d been there before, under the guise of night when she painted her own likeness on the side of the building. But she’d never visited with permission.
The way Gale held her hand made this different. She wasn’t sneaking in. She was being welcomed in. The two were very different experiences.
Baylee dug in her heels and drew Gale to a stop. “Is Cash here? I don’t want to…intrude.”
Gale sniffed the air and shook his head. “Even if he were here, he could suck a pickle for all I care.”
The weight of what she wanted to do had settled firmly onto her shoulders. The task was daunting. How did one approach dismantling a feud older than one’s self?
She pulled Gale close and breathed deep. His scent calmed her, putting her fears to rest, if only for a little while. With him in her arms, she knew what she had to do and that she could do it.
The expectations forced upon her were no longer her problem. They were the wishes of those who refused to understand what would truly allow her to bloom. Gale had given her water and light. He’d given her the life she’d needed all along.
“You’re not alone,” he said into her hair as he held her. “I would never let you do this alone.”
“It’s not going to be easy. There’s going to be pushback.”
“Let them push. Let them come to my door and try to knock it down. So long as you are with me, I won’t let anyone stop us.” He pulled back and tucked a finger under her chin so that she had to look at him.
Dragging her gaze up to his felt nigh impossible until she did it. The light of his beast in his eyes made her feel weightless. His beast held a promise for her. It would never break that oath. Just like she would never break hers.
“You don’t think fate expects too much of us?” she asked, softly.
Gale laughed, which made her narrow her eyes at him. The smile that overcame his face could have stolen her breath if she hadn’t been trying to stay mad at him.
“I don’t think anything is too much for you,” he explained. “My mate is a force to be reckoned with. There’s a reason this task is on us.”
Before she could respond, he lifted her into his arms and carried her over the threshold. The house smelled of Gale, like earth and wood and man. She breathed deep while her beast purred.
No future she’d envisioned for herself had ever come close to this. The comfort that permeated her bones once he kicked open his bedroom door was indescribable. It was as if every wall she had carefully erected over twenty-three years of life had come tumbling down. Fresh air rolled in, and she could breathe once more.
Gale didn’t set her down. He dropped her onto the bed and followed suit, the weight of his body a welcome presence.
She trailed a hand up his back. “If my family comes here, promise me you won’t start a fight with them. Not without Cash or Logan present.”
She didn’t even know if Cash approved of their relationship. Knowing the cold and distant shifter, he probably hated this. He likely hated her for dragging this drama into
his life. But he would be in for a surprise later.
So long as Baylee and Gale could make this work.
“Where is she?”
Gale didn’t spin to face his stalker. He turned, slowly.
Jensen emerged from the woods, his fists clenched at his sides. “Stop toying with my sister’s emotions. She has nothing to do with this grudge.”
So, Baylee’s family were under the assumption that Gale wanted nothing more than to break Baylee’s heart. His lip curled. The beast in him grew impatient with false assumptions. It was tired of this game. With his mate sleeping inside, the beast would do anything to keep her safe.
“Go home,” Gale said. His shoulders tensed as his beast prepared for a fight.
Jensen spat at him. Gale tried not to flinch as the spittle hit his chest, but fury stole every ounce of Gale’s restraint. A snarl slipped out of him and echoed in the night.
“Take your grudge out on anyone else,” Jensen demanded. “Baylee has been through enough. You’ve gotten what you want. Just let me take her home so she can get over you.”
“Leave.” Gale would give Jensen five seconds to turn around. If the man didn’t take the hint and leave, this would turn into a fight.
Gale looked back at the house. Cash and Logan were out. Gale couldn’t call for backup. He couldn’t alert Baylee in any way. This fight would break her heart. Gale didn’t want to hurt her any more.
But Jensen wasn’t to be deterred. He flew forward. Gale had barely a moment to dodge. He pulled back his shoulder so that Jensen’s punch flew past him. Reacting out of instinct, Gale took a jab at Jensen’s kidney.
The other shifter coughed but wasn’t about to stop. He spun on Gale and lashed out. His elbow connected with Gale’s jaw. Something popped as Gale’s head snapped to the side.
Jensen hadn’t come here to bargain. He had fire in his veins.
Gale flexed his jaw and pinned Jensen with a dark stare. “Do you even stop and listen to your sister? Have you ever respected her wishes?”
Jensen’s growl shook the trees around them. The last of the fall leaves rained down over head while Jensen struck. This time, Gale was prepared. He deflected the first three blows. The fourth hit his sternum and sent him staggering back.
Baylee had asked Gale to avoid fighting. He didn’t know if that was a promise he could keep. Jensen pressed every advantage he had because Gale held back for his mate’s sake. If Baylee hadn’t asked him to avoid fighting, then Gale could have ended this quickly.
Roars sounded above. Gale didn’t recognize the dragons’ calls. They weren’t Montoya shifters, coming to lend their aid.
Baylee’s family had come to “rescue” her. Gale’s jaw clenched. He grabbed Jensen by the front of his shirt and forced him to pay attention.
“Your sister is happy. Do you really want to be the one who ruins her life by taking her away from her mate?” Gale’s teeth were sharp against his tongue. His beast pressed against his skin, eager to be free so he could defend Baylee.
Jensen sneered. “You can tell all the lies you want, but you’ll never be my sister’s mate.”
Frustrated, Gale brought his forehead down onto Jensen’s nose. Jensen howled with pain. He staggered back, letting Gale go free. Gale turned back toward the house, but something heavy shoved him into the ground.
The massive black and red dragon looked down at him with contempt. Devilish horns protruded from the back of the dragon’s head. One wrong move and the beast would gore Gale upon those sharp points.
“How many donuts do you eat, Callum?” Gale groaned beneath Callum’s weight.
The dragon pulled its muzzle away from its teeth and unleashed a breath of hot smoke that singed Gale’s hair.
Jensen wiped the blood away from his nose and made his way toward the house. Gale put his hands against the earth. He wasn’t going to be stopped by two Barnes shifters. They weren’t going to take Baylee away.
Gale’s beast ripped out of him. Callum flew back and crashed into a tree. The sound was swallowed by the roar of another dragon. Gale didn’t know this one by appearance, but he could guess that it had to be a Barnes man. The dragon stared Gale down as if in challenge.
I dare you to make a move, the beast seemed to say.
Gale didn’t give a fuck. His mate was in trouble. He bounded over Callum and raced for the house. His dragon wasn’t going to give up control, though. He could charge through the door and wreck Logan’s house, or he could try to get her to jump from the window again.
Baylee woke with a start.
She reached across the bed, but the space was empty. The sounds of fighting reached her ears not long after. It made her heart lurch into her throat. Breath heaving, she jumped out of bed and raced to the window.
Gale’s green dragon stood outside, looking at her hopefully. Behind him, Callum and Adrien slowly approached. That meant Jensen would be not far behind. She couldn’t believe that they’d sent more family to get her.
A creak behind her announced Jensen’s presence. She turned, her back to the window even though she didn’t want to leave Gale alone with Callum and Adrien, another cousin.
“Don’t worry,” Jensen said softly. “We’re going to take you home. This will all be over soon.”
She rolled her eyes. “Will you listen to me for once in your life?”
His sigh was answer enough. He didn’t believe her. Once before, he’d called her brainwashed. Clearly, he still believed that was true.
No one wanted to believe that Baylee was capable of making her own decisions. She was sick and tired of it. Everything she did was because she wanted to. Her whole life had been that way. Why couldn’t Jensen acknowledge that? Why couldn’t he see the truth right in front of him?
“I love him. If you enforce these outdated ideas, then you’re setting me up to be the next Elliana. Do you realize that?”
Jensen didn’t waste time by throwing his hands in the air or arguing. He grabbed her by the wrist and dragged her out of the room. Inside, the area was too cramped for her to fight back. If she shifted, she would be trapped by the walls and narrow halls. She couldn’t use her beast to escape him.
But without her beast, Jensen had the advantage. Bigger and stronger, he would always be able to push her around. She hated it. She hated these old rules and false beliefs. No one was going to be happier. They were going to break her.
Outside, she called upon her beast until she saw that Callum and Adrien had Gale cornered. The two Barnes dragons had pounced on Gale. Though he thrashed wildly to get free, two against one was never a fair fight. When Gale threw off Adrien, Callum smacked her mate across the face. Gale’s skull hit the ground while Adrien leapt back into the fray.
“Stop!” she screamed.
Jensen tugged her arm again. He wasn’t forceful. The anger had bled out of him. Instead, he brought her attention back to him.
“It’s time to go,” Jensen said. “Come home and they’ll leave him alone.”
Baylee wasn’t sure she believed that, but she couldn’t take the risk. If Callum and Adrien killed Gale, then a war would ravage the town. Neither family would dare start a fight like that. Right? Her family wouldn’t kill Gale…
She pressed her eyes shut. “Fine. Fine! Just let him go. Let him go, and I’ll head home with you. That’s what you want. Right?”
Anything to make sure that Gale stayed safe. Bile burned the back of her throat. She hated the decision she had to make, but it was the only one she had any control over.
“Please?” She wished there was more fight in her voice, but it had all bled away the moment she saw Gale cornered.
A distant rumble warned of approaching dragons. From the look of surprise on Jensen’s face, she figured they weren’t more Barnes dragons. If they hesitated any longer, this could turn into a bloody battle. Baylee wasn’t about to let it come to that.
Baylee yanked on her brother’s arm, getting his attention. “If we leave now, I’ll do my duty and marry the fi
rst man Mom brings over. I’ll give up all the years I have left if we leave. Now.”
Behind her, Gale roared. The sound of destruction and pain followed. She cringed, but forced herself to turn and look. Callum had shoved Gale back into the earth. As she watched, Gale started to rise. He lifted the weight of two dragons because he’d heard her plea.
“I’m so sorry, Gale. I can’t watch you get hurt.” She tore her gaze away. To her brother, she asked, “Can we go now? Please?”
If Jensen waited much longer, he would find out that Logan had risen from his slumber. That was a secret meant for the Montoya family. If the Barnes found out, she didn’t know what they would do. All she knew was that she didn’t want to see that happen.
Not yet.
Baylee had a lot to protect. Though anticipation had turned into a many-toothed creature gnawing at her insides, she held her head high with the knowledge that she was doing everything in her ability to keep Gale safe.
She prayed that someday, he would understand why she made this decision.
Jensen signaled the others. Baylee stumbled after her brother as he pulled her along. She tried to look back, but her vision blurred with unshed tears. The last image she had of Gale was a smear of green with two golden eyes watching her.
Her spirit lifted as the green blur rose from the ground. Callum and Adrien took to the sky, flying back towards their side of town. It was over.
For now.
13
Baylee couldn’t eat. She barely had the energy to move. The determination that had empowered her the day before was nowhere to be found. That euphoria had left her the moment she’d promised to marry someone who wasn’t Gale.
Just thinking about it made her sick to her stomach. She could hear her mother’s conversations through the floorboards. Mom had been calling every dragon family she knew, making small talk before launching into an offer of marriage.
After a while, Baylee tuned them out. She heard nothing but the drone of her own misery when her mother came up to comfort her. Her mother’s words were lost on her. No plea got through to her.
Conquered Destiny (Great Plains Dragon Feud Book 1) Page 10
