Chapter 9

CHAPTER 9

Jaron made it back to the house he shared with Malkira just after sunrise, fully aware of how he must look, coming home late with tousled hair. He tried to sneak past the kitchen, but a knowing voice stopped him in his tracks.

"And where have you been all night, young man?" Malkira sat at the table, sipping tea as if she'd known exactly when Jaron would be home.

But then, she always seemed to know everything somehow.

Jaron felt his cheeks flush, heat creeping up his neck. He wasn't usually shy about his conquests, but last night with Keegan had been different. More precious, like a delicate treasure he wanted to guard close to his heart rather than share with the world.

Cozy and just for him, like the wool in his hoard.

"Oh, you know," he mumbled, rubbing his neck. "Out and about."

Malkira snorted. "Out and about? Is that what the kids are calling it these days?" She set her mug down, and her smile was not unkind as she looked at him. "Are you still seeing the same person?"

Jaron sighed, knowing he couldn't hide anything from her. His real mother would never acknowledge that he was seeing anyone unless he showed up with a marriage locket, but Malkira always knew when he had a crush. "His name is Keegan. He's…" Jaron paused, not sure how Malkira would react to this next bit of news. "He's a vampire."

Malkira quirked an eyebrow. "A vampire, mh?"

"Yes."

Malkira hummed thoughtfully. "Sit with me for a moment."

Jaron sat down at the table, his fingers drumming nervously against the wood. He could feel Malkira's gaze on him, assessing and curious.

"Is Keegan being a vampire going to be a problem?" she asked gently.

Jaron shook his head. "No, of course not. I don't care about that."

Malkira hummed. "And your parents? Will it be a problem for them?"

A bitter laugh escaped Jaron's lips. "I couldn't care less what they think. In fact, I'd be delighted to see them angry about it." His smile faded. They probably would explode, once they heard. They didn't have high expectations for Jaron, not anymore—which was why he got away with doing things like joining the Mortal Rights Task Force—but him dating a vampire would be hard for them to ignore.

They might decide that he was a bad influence and keep him from seeing Fei and Casca. They'd threatened to take those actions more than once. So far they hadn't, but this might just be the thing to push them over that line.

Malkira studied him silently, as if she could tell a bit of what he was thinking. "Family often complicates things," she said.

Jaron swallowed hard. "I'm not going to let them complicate this," he decided, and in a lower voice, he added, "I think Keegan is my fated mate."

Her eyes widened a fraction. "Your fated mate? Are you sure?"

"Yes." It still felt preposterous to say, to think that a powerless dragon like him should have been blessed enough to find his fated mate when there were so few of them left in the world, and yet… Jaron knew what he'd felt last night, that insane urge to claim Keegan, to solidify their connection. It had nearly made him lose his mind.

If only Keegan hadn't fought him so hard…

Part of him had wanted to overpower the vampire.

He could have.

He knew better than to force himself on anyone, though. That wasn't the kind of person he wanted to be. Certainly not the kind of mate he wanted to be.

He had wrestled a kiss goodbye from the vampire before he'd left, even though Keegan had tried to feign sleep as if it wasn't totally obvious that he was awake and brooding over whatever.

Malkira smiled softly. "Congratulations, Jaron. Finding your fated mate is a rare and precious thing. I'm happy for you." She reached a hand across the table to rest on top of his. "But there's something else, isn't there? Something that's making you sad."

Jaron sighed again. She wasn't going to stop until she had the full truth, was she? "Keegan is a seer. He… he saw something bad happening in our future if we mate."

"A seer?"

Jaron nodded.

Malkira frowned, her brow furrowing. "What did he see that makes him so scared?"

Jaron shrugged helplessly. "He won't tell me exactly what he saw, just that it's bad. Really bad, I think." He'd been able to tell that much just from the way Keegan behaved.

Malkira looked as if she thought hard about this. Jaron appreciated that about her. Anyone else might have waved his worries off with platitudes. Not her. "Seers can be… difficult," she said carefully. "I've known some of them who spent so much time looking at the future they completely forgot what was happening in the present."

"I don't know if Keegan is like that." Jaron bit his lower lip. The vampire had seemed pretty 'in the moment' in bed last night when he'd worked Jaron open and made him desperate for his cock.

Hell, if he continued that line of thought, he was going to blush again.

"Sometimes they forget that the future isn't set in stone."

Jaron pounced on that. "Exactly! That's what I said! Just because he saw a scary thing doesn't mean the scary thing has to happen, right? But he won't listen." Jaron ran a hand through his hair, tugging at the strands in frustration. "It's like he's completely convinced himself it's inevitable."

"That sounds rough." Malkira looked down into her mug of tea as if it might reveal something about the future to her.

"I'm not giving up," Jaron said, determined. "I'm not going to be scared of something that might not even happen."

"Good for you." Malkira smiled at him, and then she slowly rose from the table. "Do you still have that scarf I gave you?"

"Of course I do." Jaron watched Malkira curiously, that was an odd change of topic.

"Could you get it for me, please?"

Jaron blinked but got up and went to his room to retrieve the scarf from his hoard. It was one of his most prized treasures, not because it held great monetary value but because of the sentiment with which Malkira had bestowed it on him. Up until that point in his life, no one else had shown him so much kindness.

Jaron returned to the kitchen, the deep blue scarf clutched in his hands.

He hesitated before handing it over to Malkira, his dragon instincts screaming at him not to let anyone else touch his hoard. But this was Malkira, the woman who had taken him in and treated him like a son. She had made the scarf herself, and surely she wouldn't steal it from him now.

Malkira took the scarf from him gently, her fingers running over the fabric with a thoughtful expression. She held it up to the light, examining it closely before nodding to herself.

"Jaron," she said, her voice soft. "Did I ever tell you that I put a protective spell on this scarf before I gave it to you?"

Jaron blinked, surprised. "No, you didn't."

Malkira smiled. "I wanted to make sure you were always safe, even when I couldn't be there to protect you myself." She handed the scarf back to him. "The spell is still active, and it's a powerful one."

Jaron held the scarf close to his chest. He imagined that he could feel the magic thrumming through it now that he knew it was there, a warm and comforting presence.

"I think you should give this to your mate," Malkira said. "It will help keep him safe from whatever he saw in his vision."

Jaron's heart skipped a beat at that idea. "You think so?"

Malkira nodded. "I do. The spell is strong, and it's tied to you. If you give it to someone you love, it will protect them as well."

Jaron looked down at the scarf. Dragons didn't usually give away their treasures, but he'd already given Keegan a piece of his yarn, and that had been surprisingly easy.

When he gave something to Keegan, it didn't feel like he was giving something away. Mated or not, his dragon had already claimed the vampire. Keegan was his, and what was Keegan's was also his, and everything that was Jaron's was Keegan's.

Like this scarf.

If it could help keep his mate safe, he'd give it up without any hesitation at all.

To think that there'd been a protection spell on it all this time…

"Thank you, Malkira," he said, his voice thick. "For everything."

Jaron hugged Malkira tightly, the scarf still clutched in his hand. He was so lucky to have her in his life, and he wasn't too proud to admit it. She always seemed to know just what to say or do to make him feel better.

"Now, now. You don't have to thank me. Why don't you head upstairs and get ready for work? Don't you have that new case you need to work on?"

She was right, of course.

Keegan had given them a list of people the kidnappers might go after next, and Apollo was putting his team on guard duty in shifts. Jaron's would start in just an hour.

He couldn't be late.

Perched on a bench across the street from a popular café, Jaron and Ianair presented the picture of nonchalance. The women they watched laughed over their lunch, utterly unaware of their presence.

"Look at them, completely clueless that they've got their own personal dragon guard," Jaron mused, stretching his legs out in front of him.

Ianair grinned. "They should feel honored. Not everyone gets this kind of VIP treatment."

Jaron snorted. "Yeah, I'm sure the brunette would be thrilled to know she's potentially being targeted by a kidnapper."

Ianair shrugged. "At least it means she's got a fated mate out there somewhere. Isn't that what your vampire said?"

Your vampire.

A warm flush spread through Jaron.

He'd never imagined he'd feel so happy about claiming a vampire like that.

"You listening?" Ianair asked.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm listening." Jaron straightened. "Keegan did say the kidnappers are going after fated mates." Information that made Jaron a little uneasy when he thought about it. What if they targeted Keegan himself while Jaron wasn't with him?

Was that what Keegan had seen in the vision that scared him so much?

Jaron's fingers went to the scarf he'd slung around his neck. He'd better deliver that to Keegan tonight. If it truly had protective power, it might be of use to him.

Ianair looked at him curiously. "What's it like, being with a vampire?"

"It's…" Jaron thought for a moment, remembering Keegan's fangs piercing his skin. He grinned. "It's hot. I'm pretty sure he thinks I'm a total snack."

Ianair laughed. "A snack?"

"Yup." Jaron's grin widened. "I wouldn't mind if he ate me for breakfast, lunch and dinner."

Ianair shook his head. "You're a goner."

"Well, if he drained me dry, I'd die happy."

Ianair laughed again. "Must be nice, being with your mate."

"It is. His skin is so cold too, but I kinda like that. Super different from being with another dragon. We all run so hot."

"Well, I guess that's one way to keep cool in the summer," Ianair quipped.

Jaron rolled his eyes dramatically but chuckled along. The banter was a welcome distraction from the tedium of their stakeout.

Hours had passed since they'd started following this woman, and so far, she hadn't done anything interesting.

"You know," Ianair said as he watched a waiter approach the women with their bill, "if nothing happens soon, I might start hoping we get abducted instead—just for something to do."

Jaron let out a hearty laugh at that. "Don't even joke about that. Apollo will have our scales for belts if we manage to get ourselves taken."

"Probably true," Ianair admitted.

Jaron's tail flicked. "I can't believe we're spending the day babysitting."

Ianair stretched, his wings unfurling slightly before settling against his back. "Could be worse. We could be stuck in the office filling out paperwork."

"Guess you're right," Jaron conceded with a grimace. "At least we're out in the fresh air, and I don't have to smell that damn sandalwood incense Ceska has been bringing in lately."

"Cut her some slack," Ianair said, predictably. "She's trying to create a calming atmosphere."

"Yeah, yeah." Jaron waved his friend off and decided not to tease him about obviously being into Ceska. His gaze drifted back to the café as the brunette they were watching stood up, tossing her hair over her shoulder as she prepared to leave. "Time to get going," he muttered, nudging Ianair with his elbow.

They kept a discreet distance as they followed the mortal home, trying not to stick out. The woman walked with a bounce in her step, completely unaware of the shadowing dragons.

"She seems cheerful for someone who might be in danger," Ianair observed.

"Maybe ignorance really is bliss," Jaron replied, his eyes never leaving their charge.

When she went back to her house in the guarded community, Jaron prepared to pose as one of the guards when his phone vibrated sharply against his thigh, cutting through his thoughts.

Apollo's name flashed on the screen.

Jaron pressed the phone to his ear. "Tymera here."

"We need you back at the office," Apollo's voice was terse.

"What's going on?"

"Just get here." The line went dead.

Jaron exchanged a quick glance with Ianair. "Apollo wants me back at the office."

Ianair nodded. "Go. I'll keep an eye on the mortal."

Jaron's wings unfurled as he took to the sky, making quick work of the distance back to headquarters.

Upon entering the office, he found Apollo pacing like a caged animal. Ceska hovered nearby, looking displeased.

"What's happened?" Jaron asked, a sense of dread settling in his stomach.

Apollo turned to face him. "Someone's been taken. Someone who wasn't on Keegan's list."

Jaron's heart sank. "What? How is that possible?"

"I don't know." Apollo ran a hand through his hair. "But while we were busy watching the people Keegan identified, they slipped right under our noses and grabbed someone else."

Jaron cursed under his breath. This wasn't good. If Keegan's predictions were wrong, then they had no idea who might be targeted next. And if they couldn't trust Keegan's visions…

"You don't think he did this on purpose, do you?" His gaze narrowed on Apollo. He wasn't going to let anyone accuse his mate of misleading them deliberately.

"I don't know," Apollo said. "But I would like to know."

"He wouldn't," Jaron insisted. What cause would Keegan have to point them the wrong way? "Remember that his friends are caught up in this."

Apollo sighed. "He's still a vampire. Who knows what his motives might be?"

"Your mate is a vampire," Jaron pointed out.

Apollo grimaced. "My mate has also told me that Keegan works in mysterious ways."

Jaron swallowed down the response he wanted to give to that. Mordyn had helped him get closer to Keegan, and Apollo was still Jaron's boss.

And it was also true that Jaron didn't quite understand Keegan himself. He didn't yet know him well enough.

But he wasn't going to stand here and let Apollo drag his character through the mud. "I'll go talk to him," he offered.

Apollo nodded. "I would appreciate that. If anyone can get a good answer out of him, it's probably you."

Jaron left without wasting any more time.

He would get to the bottom of this—and hand Keegan the scarf while he was at it.

He only hoped his gift would be accepted.