Page 36 of Smoke

Gate cleared his throat. “I really do hate to break in on this, but you realize it isn’t totally up to you. Right? Whatever happened to the good of the family? What happens when her uncle decides to declare war on us for keeping her?”

Alina beat me to a reply. “You’re right.”

Gate looked about as stunned as her words left me.

I almost reeled, while my dragon bellowed in outrage. “What do you mean, he’s right?” I asked.

“The longer I’m with you, the greater the danger for you and Jasmine,” she whispered. “Please, don’t fight me on this. I have to do what’s right.”

“Where do you plan on going?” Jasmine asked.

“I don’t know. I didn’t know when I ran away, either. But being with you has made me stronger. I’m grateful for that.”

“I don’t accept this.”

Her smile was sweet, sad. “I hate to say it, but whether or not you accept it doesn’t change anything. I want to be with you, but I want your safety even more. Yours, my sister’s. My uncle is probably hell-bent on finding me now. I can’t run the risk of him finding me when I’m with you. I’d never forgive myself.”

“Do you think I could ever forgive myself if anything happened to you? You’re all alone out here. I won’t let you do it.”

“And I won’t let you jeopardize your family or yourself for me.”

“You two.” Pierce put his hands on our shoulders. “Listen.” He cocked his head to the side.

I heard what he was listening for moments later. Footsteps outside the door.

“Could be someone walking past on the way to their room,” Jasmine whispered.

I shook my head. A nice idea, but too convenient. Plus, the dragon didn’t like it. He had never steered me wrong.

I turned to Alina. “You two, stay in this room. Do not leave under any circumstances.”

“What’s the matter? Something is wrong, isn’t it? I knew it.” Alina chewed her lip. “They came for me, didn’t they?”

“What are the odds that any of them would know where you are?” I asked. It wasn’t a completely rhetorical question. “You’re sure nobody saw you leave?”

“Nobody saw. I was careful, believe me.”

Pierce stared pointedly at her bruises. “Somebody was hurting you.”

She lifted her chin and answered with quiet dignity. “Yes. Bradley did. But not as badly as he wanted to once he married me off in my sister’s place.”

They held each other’s gaze for a long, silent moment. Even though my blood boiled when I imagined what she went through and my dragon screamed for vengeance, I was sure I would never love her more than I did right then. The way she held her own against my brother…

“We can handle Bradley and whoever he brought with him,” I promised, guiding her to the bed and sitting her down. “Please. Whatever you do. Stay here.”

“I’m not in any hurry to see him again, even if he is out there.” Her smile was an attempt at being strong.

But she knew he was, just as well as I did. There was no use in lying about it for the other’s benefit. She and Jasmine held hands.

Gate peered out from behind the curtain and nodded to signal that the coast was clear.

I took one more look at Alina, who gave me a firm nod. One more look at her bruises.

I would kill the bastard if he was out there waiting for us.

It had been too long since I was really, truly a dragon. Alina was as good a reason as any to be my true self.

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