didn’t get a pass for toxic behavior. No one that stole from your happiness deserved your time or energy.
I got to my feet. "Come on, Jake," I said softly. "I never wanted to be a princess anyway. That's not my dream, and it's actually easier this way."
He stared at my hand, and for a moment I thought he was going to try to talk me out of it again, then he wrapped his long fingers around mine, and got to his feet beside me.
"I support you, no matter what you choose," he murmured, leaning down so his face was right beside mine. "And maybe you won't even have to make the choice. There's always a first time for the jewels to accept an outsider."
Deloria laughed, a brittle, bitter sound. "There's no chance of that. I hope you're happy that you've now taken our only heir and the ruby princess away from her people."
She launched to her feet, ruby energy arcing around her. Jacob didn't even flinch, he just angled himself in front of me—bastard was always doing that, and I kind of loved it—and shook his head.
"I'm not here to fight you. Not unless you force my hand. I'm here for Justice. I want to do whatever it takes for her happiness. If you're not on board for the same, then I guess that might explain why this night hasn't gone the way you wanted it to."
The queen’s face screwed up as she screamed a long, guttural cry of pain and loss and fear. I hadn't seen her react this way, not even when I'd first returned and she was acknowledging the many years lost between us. "You won't take my daughter," she howled, and then … she attacked him.
"No," I shouted, knowing the insanely destructive power of the jewels. Jacob was powerful, and I rarely had to worry about his safety, but I wasn't sure if he was strong enough for this.
25
Jacob Compass
My dragon rose to the surface in a shimmer of green scales and ancient magic. The dragons … guardians of the gold, bonded to the shining ones, did not like being disrespected. And if our mates were in danger, that was usually a mistake one didn’t get to repeat.
Don't kill them. I warned my beast, before I released him from his hold. I also used my power to move Justice out of the way so she wouldn't become collateral damage in this battle between her parents and me.
I heard her angry protest as she was shuffled out of the door, but there was no time to worry about that.
Protect our treasure.
It was still uncomfortable to shift; breaking of bones, reforming of cells. The change in perspective was interesting as the dragons didn’t see in the same color wave, or use the same brain patterns as humans. Allowing my beast his own head in this situation was either brave or stupid. We’d only been bonded for a short time, not enough to truly be in tune as Braxton was with his dragon, but I knew without any doubt we wouldn’t hurt our mate. The rest should work itself out.
Ruby fire slammed into my side. The spell cast by Deloria had built up into something that was quite powerful. Dragons were unlike any other beast on the worlds though; magic did not easily penetrate our hide. The spell shattered against me as Justice let loose a shout and her mother screamed. There was an unstable quality to the queen’s cry.
This woman had lost her child, her life, and her freedom for many years. I had sympathy for her, and would have worked with her to ensure that Justice was always part of this world—as long as that was what Justice wanted of course. But putting her daughter in danger with reckless use of magic was where I drew the line.
My beast destroyed half of their office as we stomped toward them. I wasn't surprised when Jepati jumped in front of his mate, protecting her as any male of worth would do.
"Don't hurt them!" Justice shouted from behind me. She was back in the room, right under my front legs in the perfect position to be squished if I stepped wrong. This was a huge room, but I almost completely filled it, making it dangerous for anyone nearby.
"She's sorry," Jepati shouted, holding both hands up in front of him. "This is very hard for her, and she didn't mean to attack you."
"Yes, I damn well did," Deloria snarked from behind