Elemental Compass (Supernatural Prison Book 7)

by Jaymin Eve

  Fuck. This guy was killing me. "No," I whispered, opening my mouth to properly kiss him back.

  He let me have control for about ten seconds, before sliding his hands into my hair, fingers tightening in the strands near the base of my head to pull me even closer. His tongue dominated mine, destroying me.

  A tear seeped out from under my closed eyelids as I drowned in that kiss. A kiss that I wished was my first and only. So many things had been stolen from me in life, but this kiss … it shouldn't have been.

  "Justice?" Jacob asked, his face paler as he pulled away. "I'm sorry if—"

  I cut him off with a hand over his mouth, my grip firm. "Don't you dare say you're fucking sorry for kissing me. I'm a grown woman who’s not afraid of my body or sex. I let those men take a lot from me, but I refused to give them anything else when I left their world. What they did and what I choose to do now are two different things, and I've never had an issue separating them in my head."

  His eyes were so dark. I'd never seen them that color before and I wondered what it meant. Was he angry, sad, hurt … turned on? I couldn't tell and it was a little worrying.

  "We should go inside," he finally said, and I legit contemplated throat punching him. How could he just ignore that kiss…

  I jerked my head away, but Jacob captured my chin with his strong fingers, stopping me from moving. "I'm not ignoring the kiss, I'm postponing this conversation because your parents are standing in the front door, and I'm almost certain they're about to intervene."

  I narrowed my eyes on him. "Better get out of my thoughts, Jacob Compass. Especially when I'm mad at you."

  He laughed, a low sexy sound. "Better get used to that, Justice Winter. I'm not going anywhere."

  For the first time in my life, I prayed that he meant those words.

  21

  Jacob Compass

  I was barely keeping it together, but somehow I stemmed the fire inside, keeping my face neutral as I walked the long path with Justice. So much had just happened, from her confession about my song, to the kiss, to the fucking guard that was going to lose his head if he looked at her one more time.

  Jealousy was not something I was overtly familiar with, but it had ripped through my chest hard and fast, and the guard was lucky he was still breathing.

  If he hadn't walked away when he did…

  There was no time for me to continue planning his death though. I had parents to meet.

  Parents who clearly disapproved of me being near their daughter.

  Considering I knew Justice better than them, their judgement pissed me off. To dismiss me so easily, without even speaking one word to me, told me there were issues that went deeper than either Justice or I knew. They’d soon learn one irrefutable fact, though … I was here for the foreseeable future. Justice was mine, I felt it in my soul, and I would not give her up without a fight.

  Justice marched faster, trying to pull ahead of me. She had long legs, but mine were longer, so I had no issue keeping up with her.

  "You still mad, Ruby?" I asked. In my mind she was built from the colors of her land, in shades of red and black and gold and amber. The ruby fire was in her soul.

  Her footsteps slowed. "I'm not mad," she murmured, before taking a deep breath and turning toward me. "I'm horny, unsure, nervous, freaking out, slightly embarrassed to have dumped my life story on you, and beyond ecstatic that you're here with me."

  Damn. I wanted to kiss the shit out of her again. My hands actually ached at not being able to touch her. When she was bluntly honest, they were my favorite moments.

  I craved her raw and real confessions.

  "There is nowhere in the world I'd rather be than right here," I told her. "And there's not a single thing I'd change about who you are, standing here, proud and beautiful and strong. You're a treasure, Justice. Just like the rubies that claim your land."

  She blinked rapidly, her eyes watery as she shook her head. "You're a smooth one, Jacob Compass." Clearing her throat, she started walking again. "Too smooth," I thought I heard her mutter after, but the wind stole her words before I could be sure.

  It was a decent trek all the way up her front path, and by the time we reached the door, there were two decidedly annoyed faces staring down at us from the steps.

  "Your friends and family are waiting inside, Justice," her mother said, a snap in her voice. My power curled around me, but not in any sort of dangerous way. Just enough that it was clear I was annoyed, but not so clear that I was about to attack anyone.

  I'd save that for later.

  Justice's hand landed on my arm. "Calm," she said softly.

  Hmmm, maybe I wasn't hiding my annoyance as well as I hoped. Something else to work on, apparently.

  "I'm here now, Mother," she said, managing to keep her tone even. "Sorry we were late. It was a farther walk than I thought, and we had a few things to catch up on."

  Two suspicious gazes landed on me; I kept my face impassive. It was confusing for most people when you didn't react to their emotions. I enjoyed that air of mystery. Only my pack got to know the real me. A pack that was growing larger every day, and strangely enough, I didn't have an issue with that. If anything, it felt right to have so many more to care for and protect.

  Especially Justice. It was insane how quickly she'd worked her way into my mind, and then into my heart. Not to mention my soul. That bastard definitely loved her.

  "Follow us," Jepati said, spinning on his heel, shoulders broad and strong. He looked like a leader, his strides confident, as was his tone. Here in his kingdom he was used to being obeyed. I would respect that about him, and had no problem falling in with their preferred way of existing.

  The line I drew was Justice. She was a princess in her own right, and they were her parents. If they spoke to her with anything less than the respect she deserved, that was where we'd have an issue.

  I really hoped it didn't come to that.

  "I'm sorry," she murmured as we followed them into the large, airy, white-with-multiple-ruby-accents house.

  I shot her a slow smile. "Don’t even worry about it. If their annoyance is directed at me, I have plenty thick skin. As long as they're good to you, I can keep the peace."

  Unlike her words, mine were not whispered, and judging by the stiffening of her mother's shoulders, she'd heard me loud and clear. It was my first and only warning.

  Justice snorted out some laughter, covering it with a terrible attempt at a cough. Her hand slipped over her mouth to stifle it further, and as she turned, mirth in her eyes, the last of the light filtering through stained-glass windows, washed across her radiant skin.

  Her deliciously soft skin. Kissing her was beyond my imagination, and I’d imagined it a lot. I could still taste her lips against mine, and if her parents weren’t here with us…

  A distraction in the form of loud conversation was welcomed as we entered a large ballroom. It had been decorated in lavish red curtains, huge ruby chandeliers, and an array of other ruby-toned candelabras around the perimeter. There was a dark, almost Gothic feel to it, but it was perfectly suited to display the raw beauty of their jewels.

  The most beautiful jewel of all, though, was the princess who drew all attention when she stepped into view. A moment's pause from those who watched her closely, and then applause broke out, genuine smiles crossing the faces I could see.

  I fell back a little, giving her this moment that she so richly deserved.

  Or at least I attempted to. Justice reached out before we were too far apart, grasping my hand and pulling me to stand beside her. Some of the applause died off as shock replaced the smiles on their faces. This was clearly the upper society here in ruby land, wearing visible power and wealth. Their reaction felt a little overdramatic, but I didn't push the issue, allowing it to play out however they wanted it to. So far no one was being overtly rude.

  "Come, Justice," Deloria said, holding her hand out, a pointed look at where my hand was still joined to her daughter's. "It's time
to address your people. They’ve been waiting."

  Justice hesitated, and I could feel through the tendrils of our bond that she was nervous and unsure of how to handle this responsibility.

  "Just be yourself," I said softly, using my free hand to brush back a few strands of ruby hair that had escaped. "You're more than worthy."

  She shot me a smile, her natural confidence returning. Nodding, a fortifying gesture, she released her hold on me and stepped through the crowd. They'd left a small path, and I liked that respectful gesture.

  Jepati spoke first, smiling out to his people, his dark features tilted at a strong, proud angle. "Thank you all for being here to celebrate the return of our child. Justice is everything we hoped, dreamed, and prayed for, and the years we lost with her is my greatest regret in my very long life."

  He looked weary, some of the pride falling, and I noticed the way Justice reacted with concern, one hand on his arm as she comforted him, making it very clear how much she loved her father.

  Jepati continued on, and just as clear was how much he adored Justice. Did he truly know her, though, the real Justice deep down at her core, the one that loved country music, even the awful beats with more twang than words?

  Did he know that she had to be reminded to eat, but when she did she loved spicy Cajun food, red apples, hard raspberry flavored candy, red skittles, and spicy corn chips with huge chunks of salsa? Red had been her theme long before the ruby lands.

  Did he know that she trusted so rarely but if you made it past her barriers, she threw her whole heart into you? And she would fight for those she loved, more than anyone ever had before? She'd been fighting to save people in my pack for a long time now.

  Did he know about her past? The past that littered scars across her body and soul?

  Because if he didn't know that shit about her, it was not okay just to be proud of the beautiful face and perfect words she spoke. Even if she was pretty amazing at that as well.

  "Public speaking is not something I've ever had much opportunity to do in my life," she said, her voice a little strained. "My previous life, before I embraced the jeweled lands, was not one that bears any resemblance to the time I've spent here. I'm beyond grateful to have this opportunity." She flashed her smile, and I wished that there was about a few hundred fewer people in the room. "Thank you to my parents for welcoming me with such open arms. Thank you to my friends and family who journeyed to be with me, supporting my bonding with the jewels. I'm still not sure that I'm worthy to be your princess, but I can promise that I will always do the very best job I can to honor and respect you and your traditions."

  Her eyes clashed with mine, and I forced myself not to move toward her. Fuck, she drew me in like nothing in the world ever had.

  22

  Justice Winter

  The speech was almost done, and I didn’t even have the words to say how happy I was about that. If someone had told me that being a princess required public speaking, I'd have declined the role immediately. It did feel like a task I’d get better at with time, at least, so I’d just keep doing my best not to say anything stupid.

  The end of my speech was a list of supes to thank. My parents especially, their shiny eyes locked on me as they smiled proudly. I’d not let them down today and that was a huge weight off my shoulders.

  “I have one person left to thank,” I said when I was down to my last line. Finding his eyes in the crowd, I had to stop myself from leaping across this small dais and chasing him down. Whatever was happening between us, it was beyond anything I’d ever expected. These true mate bonds did not fuck around.

  "Jacob Compass literally changed my life." All eyes turned toward the tall, enigmatic, hot-as-hell fey standing by himself. He didn't show a single sign of being uncomfortable that hundreds of jeweled fey were staring at him, or that some of those stares were less than friendly. He just watched me. With an intensity that people wrote love songs about. It made me feel so … much. My stomach swirled at the memory of our kiss.

  "A few years ago I found myself in a bad situation," I continued. "It wasn't my first bad situation, and if my luck holds the same, it won't be my last, but it was the one that changed my life. I was rescued by the most amazing family, a pack of sorts. They took me in and made me one of their own. Jacob and his family are some of the most important supes in my world. As many of you know, Grace, another jeweled princess, is also part of this family, and I hope that one day Jacob and I can have the same dual bond between worlds, families, and responsibilities. I guess," I shrugged, even though my heart was pounding rapidly in my chest, "that's the moment all of my dreams would come true."

  Applause rang out, but I was almost past being able to hear or acknowledge that, with my own senses going haywire. I hadn't planned on publicly "claiming" Jacob, and now I wasn’t sure how he was going to react.

  Shit, shit, shit!

  I really needed to write speeches down, and stick to the script, because when I went with my gut on confessions, it never ended well. Truth be told, nothing had ever moved at a slow pace for Jacob and me, and apparently I was very much to blame for this new leap forward. But this past month I’d missed him with an intensity I hadn’t expected, and in growing up and releasing my darkness, I could acknowledge that I wanted this bond.

  I rubbed a hand over my chest as fey continued to clap around us. My emotions were raw, as if I’d just carved a direct path into my chest, leaving my heart and soul exposed, feelings spilling out everywhere.

  I couldn’t even look at Jacob for fear of what I might see.

  A hand roughly latched around my forearm as I stepped down; it wasn't painfully tight, but enough to jolt me from my panicked thoughts. My mom's face swam into view as she pulled me closer, like she was going to hug me.

  Instead her angry whisper landed in my ear. "Justice," she snapped. "What the hell was that?"

  Uh oh, looked like Mom and I were about to have our first real fight. A fight I'd somewhat known was coming from the first time she looked at Jacob. Maybe, just maybe, that was a little bit of why I'd been so honest in my speech.

  Best to break it to them all loudly and with witnesses.

  Reminding them of Grace and Tyson was an added bonus. If they could make it work, then so could I.

  "Can I speak with you in private?" she muttered between clenched teeth. She was attempting to smile, attempting and failing. People had crowded even closer to us, and I understood her want for privacy, but in truth, I really didn't feel like hashing out my personal business right now.

  My parents had come a long way with me, and I both cared for and respected them, but they had no say in my personal life. That wasn’t how this would work, and the sooner they realized, the better.

  "I'd rather not fight about it now," I said.

  Her grip tightened, and this time it was hurting a little. I wasn’t sure she even realized she was doing it though, consumed with whatever had taken hold of her.

  "Let her go," Jacob said, his voice a low rumble from behind me.

  My mom's head snapped up so she was glaring at him instead of me.

  "You're hurting her, Deloria," Jacob repeated slowly, and I could feel the heat from him as he stepped closer. "So remove your hand. Now."

  The warning in his tone couldn't have been more obvious, but he was holding it together. Only I could tell that his power was swirling like a fucking rocket about to explode.

  "This has nothing to do with you," she hissed at Jacob. "And you will address me as Queen Deloria."

  He crossed his arms, and with a shake of his head said: "You're not my queen. As a visiting dignitary, I’ll show you respect as a foreign ruler of state, but I’ll remind you to not forget who you’re speaking with as well."

  She spluttered, staring at him like he was a ghost, but she did release me, and before I could react, Jacob pulled me behind him, a barrier between my mom and me. "Do not ruin this moment for her," I heard him murmur, that musical voice sliding down my spine and settling
in with the butterflies twirling about my stomach.

  No one had ever defended me before. Not like this.

  Fuck … this was an addictive sort of feeling. I liked to fight my own battles, don't get me wrong, but it was different when you had a wingman in your corner too.

  I wasn’t fighting alone.

  "We will speak as soon as this is over," she warned both of us, before spinning on her heel and storming off. Peering around Jacob's broad shoulders, I noticed that my father was still there, and he didn't appear to be as upset as my mother. His look was more contemplative.

  "Your speech was beautiful," he said, before he turned to walk away. Looking back once to say, "Enjoy your night. I'll speak with your mother."

  My jaw might have dropped a little at the complete turnabout there. I blinked at Jacob as he shifted to face me. "Did you see that?" I asked. "It was my mom that lost her shit and my father that stayed calm. I've never seen a father do that before. Usually they're punching walls … or me."

  I wasn’t so shocked that I missed the way his jaw tightened at that, his face somber as he absorbed my words. "Not all fathers hit," he finally said. "Mine never hit us, and considering he was raising four powerful boys, that speaks a lot of how strong he could be in non-violent ways."

  "He raised some great men," I said honestly. "Whatever he did, it was perfect."

  Our moment ended then as fey pushed into us, all of them wanting to greet me. I put on my "princess face" as I sometimes thought of it, making sure to hide the stress that was festering inside. Until now, I'd been living in a beautiful bubble here, being the perfect daughter and doing everything that was expected of me like I didn’t have another family waiting for me on Earth. That bubble was on its last legs. My mom was about to get a rude awakening about who her daughter actually was.