I laughed, harsh from my painful and swollen throat. “I don’t submit to anyone,” I rasped.
He swung at me, which I saw coming from a mile away. It was easy to duck. Bears were strong but lacked speed. I spun around backwards, jumping so I could crack him in the head with my shin. I connected right at his temple area.
He shook himself out a little before tilting his head to the side and observing me closer. I’d surprised him. He charged at me, and just as I was bracing myself to dodge again, something hit the bear from the side. Braxton. Without pause the dragon shifter started to lay into him relentlessly without any kindness. He beat the other shifter until he was nothing but a bloody lump of supernatural on the floor.
The guards stepped in then and broke up the fight. Or more like wrestled Braxton off the unconscious bear. If we didn’t heal so quickly, there was no way the bear would have survived that beating. But he would live another day if he received medical attention. Although, as they carted him off, I had my doubts that that was where they were taking him.
Braxton, whose blue eyes were dark and stormy, was huffing in loud and long breaths. There were so many broken and battered bodies around us I wasn’t even sure what to think or where to look. So I focused on him. He noticed my gaze and took the two steps to my side. Reaching out, he hesitated before gently tracing a finger down my throat.
“Are you okay?” His voice was filled with death. Hard. Angry. And scary as hell.
I could only nod.
He spun away then, and taking one step, hopped up onto the bench seat and then onto the table.
“Listen up, and listen good.” His voice was powerful, and still scary. “If anyone lays a finger on Jessa, one fucking finger, I will end them. Do you understand?”
He seemed to look around the entire room, slowly, allowing everyone to meet his eyes. Power was bleeding off him, along with the commanding presence which he was born with.
“I know you think you can best us with numbers. But I promise you, anything you deliver I will return, and it will be a thousand times worse. I will never stop, I will come at you for the rest of your days.”
I could feel the winds of death in his voice. In that moment I didn’t even recognize Braxton. If I didn’t know him as well as I knew myself, well, I’d be afraid. Very afraid. And judging by the lowering of the eyes, I wasn’t the only one.
Braxton scooped me up in his arms and strode from the room. I hadn’t even noticed him leave the table; clearly my attention was still a little scattered. I wasn’t sure what signal he gave, but when I looked up again we were back in our cell and the door was secured behind us.
“I thought…” I had to clear my throat again to get the rest out. “I thought we couldn’t stay in here during mingling time.”
He sat me on the bed, his hands more gentle than the fierce expression he still wore. “Let’s call this exceptional circumstances, and a friend who owed me a favor.”
It must have been a pretty big favor, food was delivered to our room and everything. And it was freaking edible food.
“Almost worth dying for,” I said around my sandwich, my chicken-bacon-ranch-dressing-deliciousness sandwich. My throat had healed just enough that there was not too much discomfort in swallowing.
“I just can’t find the will to laugh at you right now, Jessa.” Braxton wasn’t eating, his tray untouched in front of him. “You have no idea what it was like to see you in trouble and not be able to reach you.” He stood as if his anger needed an outlet. “Twice in the past week you have taken ten years off my life, and I’m thinking of a way to collect.”
I narrowed my eyebrows at him. “Not my fault, and you better get used to it. I’m sure to get worse with age.”
“I don’t think I’ll survive it.” His voice was honest, no joke in his tone.
I licked a bit of sauce off my index finger. “Are you going to eat that?” I was on my feet and halfway across the room when he snatched the tray up and held it above his head.
“Yes!” he growled.
My face fell and he shook his head a few times before staring at the ceiling. With a sigh he reached up and grabbed something off the tray. The smallest smile finally graced his face as he handed me a paper plate. Nestled in the center was a slice of lemon cake.
I stared at it for a moment before a tear escaped the corner of my eye.
Braxton laughed. “You are still the only supe I know to cry about cake.”
I sucked down my sob. “There are very few things in this world which can move me to tears.” I hugged the plate close to my chest. “This is just beautiful.”