Page 41 of Dante's Circle Reborn

“You told me your secrets, so maybe now I should tell you a few of mine.”

She leaned closer and wondered if this was her next path set by fate. If somehow, amongst the darkness, in between the running, she had run smack into her destiny.

ChapterFive

Jonah hadn’t told his story. Ever. Malik had gleaned it, had been part of the end of it, the resolution, but Jonah had never gone through it all step by step, day by day for anyone before. But he would. For this woman that he hardly knew but felt as if he had known his entire existence, he would. Is that what soul mates did? Is that what true halves did in this world of supernaturals and paranormals?

He hadn’t seen it happen with Eliana and Malik, but their mating had been far different than anyone else’s. After all, she hadn’t been a paranormal when they met. The way the lightning worked, meant that she wouldn’t have changed until she was bonded to her mate. And a lion shifter couldn’t mate to a human, so they were in a constant state of flux until Malik could mark her as his.

So, no, while their connection might have always been there, it wasn’t like this. At least, he didn’t think. Maybe one day he would ask, but would that be too personal? Did he have a right to ask?

“What are you thinking?” Poppy asked, her hands at her sides.

He knew he needed to tell her, and he would. He just needed to figure out exactly where to start.

“I’m not as old as many of my friends, but I’ve been through a few wars.”

“You mentioned that. You call yourself a soldier. And I can see some of what you’ve lost in the turmoil.”

He shook his head. “My physical scars and losses are only part of it.” He reached out and ran his knuckle down her cheek. She leaned into his touch, and he held back a smile. He wasn’t even sure she realized she’d done it.

As soon as she did, her eyes widened, and she leaned back again, a small smile playing on her lips. “Sorry.”

“Don’t be sorry,” he whispered. “I’ve been a soldier my whole life,” he continued. “I was born into the jaguars, and I fought for them. I grew up in the rankings, just like most jaguars my age. I was not of royal stock, but I wasn’t a commoner either. So, I went into our military, just like all boys and girls of my age and rank did.”

“It was required?”

He shook his head. “More like there wasn’t much else to do. I didn’t have land or a real income, and the best way for me to make sure I could take care of my family was to join the military.”

“Your family.”

It wasn’t a question, but he still answered.

“My mother and my two sisters.” He knew his voice was a little soft, but he held back anything that could potentially make him break. It was hard to think about them. But he was doing his best to live on and honor their memory.

“My father died in battle when my mother was pregnant with my youngest sister. We were fighting against other jaguar clans at the time. While some Packs and clans around the supernatural world have been at peace for long enough that there aren’t as many wars, the jaguars have never really been able to settle down. They don’t like to be in groupings, but they also can’t be by themselves for too long. Meaning, there’s constant infighting and blood battles. It doesn’t help that, during the time of the war where I lost so much, most children didn’t make it past the age of two.”

Her eyes widened. “What?”

This was where it got complicated. “Long ago, a wizard family cast a curse. A wizard who had married into one of the jaguar families.” This wasn’t a story he liked to tell. It wasn’t something the jaguars liked to think about.

The fact that one of his friends was a wizard, meant that Jonah had been forced to deal with the repercussions of knowing and trusting someone such as he. But it wasn’t Levi’s fault that he had been born a wizard, just like it wasn’t Jonah’s fault that he had been born a jaguar. He wasn’t even sure Levi understood what had happened all those years ago. Not everyone did, and not everyone needed to.

“A wizard family that was mated in to the jaguar clan put a curse on all children so they had to fight for survival.”

“They cursed children?” Poppy asked. Her snakes popped out, hissing.

He nodded and slid his hand over a snake on the right, the one that liked to coil. It licked at his finger, and he raised a brow.

She blushed under the darkness of her skin, and quickly put her glamour back on.

“Sorry. I usually have much better control. You just bring the lack of it out of me sometimes. It’s a little dangerous.”

“You’ve only had trouble when we’re alone.”

“Maybe. But it’s still a little embarrassing.”

“Well, then we’ll just have to make sure it doesn’t happen around others.”

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