Claimed by Ice (10 page)
Authors: Eris Sage
“
S
he still sleeping
?” his father asked.
“Yes,” Exander replied.
“Good. She needs her rest,” he said.
He’d been trying to console him all evening.
It wasn’t working. Only seeing Jane, knowing that she was really, truly okay, would.
“Sebastian is with the sister?” Father asked, voice brimming with scorn that didn’t nearly reflect back what Exander felt.
“Yes.”
“I don’t understand that, doing a thing like that to your own blood. And Janie, that sweet girl. Does she know?”
“I think so,” he said. “But I haven’t talked to her about it yet.”
“And what will you do?” Father asked.
“I have my wishes. But it’s for Jane to decide,” he said.
Father nodded, apparently satisfied with the answer. “You know she’s your mate, don’t you, son?” he said a few moments later.
“Yes. Yes, I do,” Exander said, the urge to see her suddenly too strong to resist.
He turned and left without saying good-bye, the need to see her overriding everything else. As quickly as he could, he made his way to the bedroom where she slept, slipping in as quietly as he could manage. His heart lifted when he saw her at the same time as his stomach began to churn. The memory of that knife against her throat, the realization of what could have happened, what he might have lost, what
they
might have lost, squeezed all the air out of his lungs.
To think that he’d been so blind, so foolish to have resisted for as long as he had, to not accept what she meant to him and then to have almost lost her…
He peeled off his clothing and then lay beside her, wrapping her tight in his arms.
It had been close; he’d almost lost her. And in that moment, he decided he’d spend the rest of his existence proving to her how much she meant. Promised that if she let him, he would hold her forever.
J
ane came awake instantly
, the memories of earlier flooding into her mind at once. And just as instantly, panic, intense, unrelenting, gripped her.
“I’ve got you, Janie,” Exander whispered.
Only then did she notice his arms surrounding her, feel his body behind hers. She calmed instantly, the panic and fear receding with her next breath. Just as she’d prayed, he’d come for her. And he was with her now. She let herself fall into the comfort he offered, knowing that she could face anything with him.
They lay entwined, Exander’s fingers tangled with hers as she burrowed in his embrace for Jane didn’t know how long. But with each second that passed, she felt stronger, certain.
Safe.
“I knew you’d come,” she finally said, hating to break the quiet peace but feeling compelled to speak.
“I hope you didn’t doubt it for a single instant,” he said. Then he turned her in his arms so that she faced him, his eyes soft with the naked affection that Jane now wondered how she’d missed. “Not a single instant. There’s nothing I wouldn’t do for you, Janie. If you know nothing else, know that.”
His eyes clouded a bit, and Jane could guess the direction of his thoughts. “I’m sorry you had to see that. I lost control, but I wish you hadn’t had to.”
Jane thought of the feeling of that man’s arm around her, the cold metal pressed against her skin, and waited for remorse to hit her.
It never did.
“Maybe it makes me bad, but I’m not sorry. He would have killed me without a second thought. Shot poor Henry. Henry,” she said, remembering something that had managed to slip her mind momentarily.
“I’m so sorry, Jane,” Exander said, voice brimming with pity.
She hated it. “Don’t,” she said firmly. “Don’t pity me.”
“I don’t pity you. I pity her,” he said with conviction.
“So it’s true?” Jane asked, searching Exander’s eyes for a denial that she knew would not come.
“Yes. Jewel and Henry were working with the other man.”
Jane closed her eyes against the stabbing pain that spread through her chest. Some small, stupid part of her had hoped…
“Where is she?” Jane asked a moment later, opening her eyes to meet Exander’s.
“With Sebastian and Kyr,” he said.
She glanced away again, not sure how she’d ever come to terms with this.
“I’ll be here, Janie. I’ll help you through,” he said.
And she believed him. Somehow this man, a dragon shifter with whom she had nothing in common, had become the only person in her life that she knew she could rely on.
“Thank you, Exander.”
“I love you, Janie,” he said.
“I—”
“
N
o
,” he said, pressing his fingers against her mouth, “don’t say anything. I just needed you to hear it. I was too close to losing you, and I couldn’t miss the chance.”
He wanted to hear the words from her, and he knew that he would, but not now and not like this. When she spoke them, it would be with a full heart, not weighed by her sister’s betrayal. She sighed deep and then curled into Exander’s arms, her warm, heavy weight against him just right.
“Exander,” she whispered, meeting his eyes with her own.
“What do you need, Janie?” he responded.
“You,” she said, her voice soft but the words reverberating through the very core of him.
He kissed her softly, increased the pressure when she opened to him. She smoothed her hands down his shoulders, pressed herself against him, her curves against his body igniting him. But he held back, kept his touch light and unhurried as he molded her flesh under his hands before he came to rest at the apex of her thighs, moaning when he found the wetness there, felt the hard nub of her clit.
She cried out when he strummed at the distended bud, and though his own desire raged, he kept his movements slow, controlled, stroked her until she cried out her climax. When she opened her eyes and met his, he pushed inside her, knowing that he had found his home.
“
W
e don’t have
to do this,” Exander said two days later.
“I can’t hide here forever. I need to face her.”
Jane had spoken with more strength than she felt, because her stomach was twisted in knots, her heart rattling around her chest untethered at the thought of seeing Jewel. But she had to do it, had to finally see her, put an end to this.
“She’s at her apartment,” Exander said.
“Then take me there, please,” Jane said.
He nodded, then turned the car toward the interstate. She hated to leave, to go back to the city, but she had to do this before she could move on with her life, with the life she hoped she’d have with Exander.
They made the entire forty-five minute drive in silence, but it was comfortable, or as comfortable as anything could be given what Jane would have to do next. And when they finally arrived, Jane was surprised at the memories that assaulted her. How long they’d searched for a place, how disappointed Jewel had been at the price, how excited when Jane had said she’d cover half.
Jane wondered if that was all she’d ever been, the paycheck, an unquestioning, undeniable place to land, wondered if all those memories of the loving bonds that she’d thought had tied them had all been a figment of her imagination.
Exander grabbed her hand, and she looked over at him, saw the love, the support in his eyes. Jane had always prided herself on standing strong on her own two feet, but right now she’d freely take the support he offered, hope that it would be enough to get her through this.
They nodded at the doorman, rode up the elevator, but it all passed in a blur. And when she turned the doorknob, she saw Sebastian and Kyr, and then finally Jewel, huddled in the corner of that white sofa that she was so proud of.
When she saw Jane, she jumped up and ran to her, pulled her into a tight hug that stole Jane’s breath. “How are you? They wouldn’t tell me anything,” Jewel said as she threw a disgusted look at Sebastian and Kyr.
“I’m fine.” She looked up at Jewel, locked eyes with her. “But tell me, and please be honest, were you a part of this?”
Jewel blinked, and Jane could see the lie forming behind her eyes. “Please, Jewel. Just tell me the truth.”
“You would have been fine, Janie. Nothing would have happened to you. You know I love you. We’re all each other has.”
“Had,” Jane whispered. “We’re all each other
had
. But not anymore. I love you, Jewel. Always. But I don’t ever want to see you again. Ever.”
“Jane, be serious. You’re my big sister. You raised me. You can’t just cut me out of your life.”
“I didn’t. You did. And I won’t take the blame for it. I would have given you all I had. I sacrificed everything for you! And it wasn’t enough.” She met Jewel’s eyes head-on. “But I’m done. Forever.”
She was happy at how even her voice was, but she wasn’t surprised. She had shed her last tear for Jewel, would not spare her another moment’s worry.
“This is him! He’s been filling your head with lies. You know what he tried to do? He came on to me, told me there was no reason we couldn’t be friends. He’s trying to break us apart, Janie. Don’t let him!”
Jane grabbed Jewel, held her tight, remembering the countless times she had done so before, remembering how much she had loved her baby sister.
“Good-bye, Jewel,” she said.
Then she turned, grabbed Exander’s hand, and left the apartment.
J
ane’s grip
on his hand was tight, but he welcomed it.
He’d driven without direction once they’d left Jewel’s apartment, but when they reached a small park, he stopped and guided her out.
“Are you okay, Janie?”
She looked at him, her eyes wet with unshed tears, and he regretted the stupid question.
“I will be. Soon. It’s just hard…”
“I know,” he said.
“Do you…? Do you think I did the right thing?” she asked.
And he was again amazed by this woman, his mate. “I know you did. Did better than most would have. Certainly better than I would have.”
“Thank you, Exander. For everything,” she said, eyes on his.
“Wait. That sounds like good-bye.”
“I don’t kno—”
“I love you, Janie,” he said, cutting her off. “Have I told you today how amazing you are, how your capacity to put others ahead of yourself awes and humbles me?”
She shook her head.
“Well, it does. Everything about you does. I hope you stay with me. Forever.”
And then he waited, breath frozen in his chest.
“I love you, Exander.”
Instead of responding, he captured her lips in a kiss.