“I’m going to destroy you both. I killed the queen of the dragons and shining ones. There’s no way you two stand a chance.”
He was already bragging, which is how I knew he was much more worried than he let on. No one talked a big game unless they were trying to figure out what the hell to do. Nope, they attacked and got it over with.
“Jess, baby,” said Braxton, “you know I love you more than anything in this world, but if you don’t give me the pleasure of killing this fucker, I’m going to be a real pain in the ass to live with for the next few years.”
I snorted, my heart flip-flopping at that confidence. My mate might be looking a little battle weary right now, but I knew he could take the king. Not to mention with the parallels between Braxton and Larky – which were probably due to the shining one’s interference – it felt like Braxton was the one chosen to end this. Still, for the sake of future relationship decisions I wasn’t rolling over for him that easily. Hands on hips, I tapped my foot.
“Give me one good reason why you should get the pleasure of killing him. I deserve this kill. It’s mine.”
Braxton captured my face in both of his hands. His lips were hard and fast as they crashed down onto mine. “The kill might be yours, Jess, but you’re mine. I’ve had to watch him kidnap and hurt you over and over. It’s my turn now to protect you.”
I sighed, and with a wave of my hand, let him have this one. Damn pregnancy hormones were making me soft. I settled back to watch the show. There would be no unfair advantages today. Larky was no longer impervious to true injury and Braxton was going to make him hurt bad.
As the pair started to circle each other, I found myself bouncing, as if preparing for my chance to be tapped into the fight. Wasn’t going to happen. I knew Braxton. There would nothing left but spatter for the supe council to clean up.
“You’re a dead man, Larky,” I said, throwing as much attitude as I could. I’d love to put him on the defense straight up.
He turned those stormy eyes on me. “I tolerated that horrible nickname initially, in deference to our mateship, but no more will you disrespect me.”
I snorted, before cracking right up. He could not be serious. Disrespect was the last thing he needed to worry about.
“You need to take your eyes off her now,” Braxton said, not a lick of emotion in his voice.
Uh oh, Larky was in trouble.
The dragon king gave me one last narrow-eyed glare, before facing my mate. “You’re powerful, I’ll give you that, but you don’t stand a chance against me. You’re young. A child. And after I kill you, I’m going to kill your brothers. Every single one. Then your mate, and lastly the child she holds nestled in her womb.”
I heard the sharp intake of breath behind me, and saw that both Grace and Jonathon were close enough to have heard his words. My father’s eyes, a cobalt blue, stared at me with both shock and awe.
“Is it true? You’re pregnant…?”
It took two steps for me to reach his side and capture his hand. “We don’t know that I am. There’s been no time for any confirmation spells, but the possibility is high.”
I had always talked a big game about not wanting children, and, truthfully, until I was faced with the prospect of having one, I had never wanted any. Now though…
“If I’m pregnant, Dad, then you should know that Braxton and I are already madly in love with our rugrat.”
He blinked a few times, as if trying to wrap his mind around that. “I think I’m a little young to be a pa, but Lienda is going to be overjoyed.”
There was no more time for hugs. I wanted front row seats to the end of Larky. Braxton looked like a statue, his features hard, eyes blazing blue. The taunting from the dragon king had struck a chord with my mate. The thought that he could lose his brothers, or me and his child … it was enough to have his temper flaring. Thankfully he had enough fight experience to compartmentalize those emotions, to focus on what he had to do.
Braxton side-stepped the king’s first well-placed jab before swinging around to clip the douchebucket up the side of the face. Larky stumbled and then righted himself, coming at Braxton again. My mate dodged for a second time and kicked out with a roundhouse, which knocked into Larky’s throat, slamming the golden-haired male to the ground.
I thought for a second that Braxton was going to draw it out, make him suffer, but he must have decided that this piece of shit was not worth one extra second of his time or attention. In his mind Larky was already dead. He’d been a dead man walking from the second he stole me away. Braxton yanked up the so-called dragon king, wrapping his arm across his neck and flexing tight enough to cut off all his air.
“How does it feel to know you can die now? That no longer will the lives of others keep yours unnaturally long.” Braxton’s voice was low, controlled. “Make peace with your gods, because this time when your head is removed, there’s no coming back.”
The king started to buck and kick out. His arms were flailing, knocking into Braxton – who looked quite immovable. I gasped as my mate released his hold, but I didn’t have to worry. He was fast enough to grasp Larky on either side of his head, and twist. The first crack was barely audible, and then in the same beat a much larger snap heralded the removal of the king’s head. Ironic that he would die again, in the same manner as a thousand years ago, only this time, as Braxton has said, there was no coming back for Larky. His curse and reign of terror were over.