Defy Me Read online

  "Stop doing what?" He took a step closer so she had to tilt her head back to look up at him.

  "Looking at me like that. One second your all crabby and the next I think you want to..." When her voice trailed off her little pink tongue darted between her lips, sliding across the bottom one leaving it shiny and wet.

  He wanted to know what else was wet. "What do you think I want to do to you, Yvaine? This?"

  Jett cupped her head and lowered his mouth to hers. He slid his lips over hers, teasing them both waiting to see if she would let him take the kiss even farther. Her little gasp was all the signal he needed. He took advantage of her parted lips and slipped the tip of his tongue between them, tasting her again for the first time. The flavor of strawberries and sunshine flooded his senses. He needed so much more.

  He got it when she wrapped her arms around his neck and sucked his bottom lip into her mouth. Jett lost all sense of time and space. There was only her and him and this fiery magic between them. She moved into his body and he wrapped his arms around her back, pulling her even closer. Their mouths moved together, their tongues danced with each other, and their breaths synced until he didn't know where he stopped and she began.

  Swirls of black light wrapped around them and sparks of fire exploded behind his eyes amping up his need for her. Jett's wings exploded from his back and he wrapped them behind her, creating a tight cocoon around them to keep her safe from the dangers lurking in the world.

  Mark her. Claim her.

  Yes. He wanted the rest of the world to know if they messed with Yvaine, they would feel his wrath. Because she was his. Curse or no. Soul or no, Yvaine was his. Jett broke the kiss wanting to work his way down to her throat, but she pulled him back to her and took what she wanted from him. One more deep, lingering kiss that she got to say when it ended.

  "It was either that or eat me." She smiled against his mouth and pecked him on the lips again.

  "But I do want to eat you." That too made her gasp and he loved seeing her eyes sparkle with the anticipation. That made it all the harder to say, "I don't know how to do this, Yvaine. I know how to fight, I know how to fuck, but I don't know how to--"

  "Shh." She shook her head. "I don't either. Do we have to? Everything else is so complicated at the moment. Let's just make this part easy. I like kissing you. I'd like to do it more. Everything else about today has scared the ever living shinola out of me. Except you. I don't know why. I kind of don't care at this point."

  "I don't scare you?" The darkness of his soul sure as shit made him worried sometimes.

  She rubbed her thumb over his cheek and across his lips. "You've surprised me a few times, but you're one of the good guys. I don't have any reason to fear you."

  One of the good guys. He wasn't. If he'd had a heart, it would have broken right then. She might be his. But he could never have her. Jett opened his wings and the rays of sunshine hit him right in the eye so that he had to turn his face and look away. His wings shifted, tucking themselves back into his body where they belonged. He took one last second to stare down at Yvaine, imprinting this shining memory so that when the bleak lonely days that were ahead darkened his days he could take it back out and savor what could have been.

  Jett smiled down at her hoping the muscles of his face didn't betray the gut-wrenching sadness he kept inside. "Let's go find this woman so you can learn to use your powers, huh?"

  "Okay." She took his hand in hers and he didn't have the strength to let go. Not yet.

  They found the shop that Jakob had described and a little bell rang when they opened the door. Jett sniffed the air, searching for the scent of whatever kind of being this Mrs. Bohacek might be. For a moment he thought he smelled something familiar. Jett pushed Yvaine behind him, and scanned the room for her enemies.

  The beast that had been at the pub last night, the one that had been lying in wait for Yvaine was here. In the same breath the scent was gone and his nostrils filled with old smoke, fresh cut grass, ocean water, and warm desert breeze. If all of those smells were here, this woman had helped many a dragon. Perhaps she was also counsel to other paranormal creatures. Even the ones that hunted his Yvaine. Just what was she?

  A tall man, with battle scars on his face and a prosthetic arm stepped up behind the little counter and greeted them. "Hello there, Yvaine. Nice to see you again. Welcome."

  Yvaine stuck her head out from behind Jett's back and looked at the man. "Do I know you? Have we met before?"

  The guy didn't take his eyes off Yvaine. He didn't even acknowledge Jett. "We have young lady. Come in, come in. Can I offer you a refreshment? My lovely mate left us some fresh baked lemon scones. They're vegan."

  "Ooh. Yeah, I'm starving. Thanks." Despite Jett's arm holding her back, Yvaine jumped at the plate of baked goods. She bit into one before Jett could warn her not to. "Mmm. Fro moof. Franksh."

  Clearly the only danger here was of Yvaine spitting scone pieces at her host by talking with her mouth full.

  "You're welcome. Please have a seat." The man indicated to a tall chair and a little breeze pushed it back for her to sit in. "I have good news and bad news."

  "Give us the bad news." Jett folded his arms and waited for this guy to tell him Mrs. Bohacek couldn't help them.

  "First the good news," he said once again completely ignoring Jett. "I know how you can break your curse."

  "Her curse? Yvaine is cursed?" Great. That must be what had her screwing with his shifting abilities. If this man knew how to break Yvaine's curse, he might have knowledge that would break the demon dragon's curse too.

  "Uhh, I don't know what you're talking about. What curse?" This time she waited until she finished asking her question before taking another bite of her scone.

  Jett reached for one of them and she slapped his hand away. He needed to remember to feed her more often.

  "The one keeping you from knowing who and what you are. The same one that has every magic dealer this side of the Mississippi hunting you since you escaped the evil clutches of the convent."

  Yvaine paused with her next bite of scone halfway to her mouth. "Holy shirt. I knew it. There were people after me. I was trying not be paranoid, but it's true. Did you say evil nuns? Did they curse me? They didn't seem evil. Maybe Mother Superior, but the rest of them were god-fearing women who cared for orphans like me."

  The man laughed. "You're right. They aren't evil. Nuns just always creeped me out. Can't charm their pants off even if you tried. That ain't right. But don't tell Mrs. Bohacek I said that. She'd be mad and I wouldn't be getting any nookie tonight."

  Yvaine grinned and winked at him conspiratorially. Jett didn't like that even a little bit. She didn't need to have secrets with anyone but him. He moved closer to her and put a hand on her shoulder, playing with her hair so this guy would know exactly who she belonged to.

  "I won't. Promise. Where is Mrs. Bohacek? Ciara and Jakob thought she might be able to help me with my magic. I keep turning poor Jett into a dragon and back again. I don't get how any of this works."

  The man glanced down at the now empty plate avoiding looking at Yvaine. "That's the bad news, I'm afraid. She, uh, couldn't be here."

  Yeah. He knew it. There was something fishy going on here.

  "Oh. Shoot. Why not?" Yvaine's disappointment filled his nostrils. Dammit. He was going to have to teach her not to rely on anyone but herself.

  "Well." He sighed long and loud. "That's my fault. She's mad at me and left in a huff when she heard you were coming. In fact, she didn't really want me to be here when you got here either. I had to make certain promises."

  "What did you do to make her mad?" She gasped. "Wait. Did I do something?"

  "No, sweetness. She likes you. It's the only reason we're talking instead of me getting my ass chewed. Again. She's mad about something that happened a long time ago." For the first time since they walked into the shop the man lifted his eyes to Jett.

  What the fuck? He didn't do anything to these people. He
didn't even know who they were. "Come on, Yvaine. Let's go. This guy can't help you."

  Once again he was ignored. The man slipped something out of the pocket on his shirt. "There is a sure fire way to break any curse, Yvaine."

  Hold up. They could stay one more minute. This was the information he'd been waiting on last night.

  "You have to find the unicorns. Curses are dark magic and unicorns come from pure white magic.”

  Yvaine snickered. "I freaking love unicorns. You're telling me they’re are real?"

  Even Jett didn't know that. He'd never seen one, heard of one just hanging around. If anyone had known of their existence and what it could mean to Jett, it would have been Geshtianna. Not like she had been forthright with her information. If there was even a chance this mythical creature could save him and his brothers, they had to find it.

  The man nodded, very serious and Yvaine looked as dumbstruck as Jett felt. "I mean, I guess if dragons are, they could be too.”

  “Yes. Their blood can break any curse almost instantly."

  Jett's own blood rushed through his ears, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh-whoosh. Break any curse. Instantly.

  “Eww, no. Are you sure we need its blood? I wouldn't want to hurt it."

  Jett would. He'd bleed the thing dry if it meant saving Yvaine from whatever was hunting her. He couldn't be there for her forever. She needed to be free. If sacrificing one creature meant he could also save his brothers from their cursed life in hell. He would absolutely do it. "Where can we find a unicorn?"

  "That's a decision you'll have to make and sooner than I think you'll want to." He slid a tattered brown piece of paper across the table to Yvaine. "This is where you'll find what you're looking for."

  "Really? A map to a unicorn?" Yeah, and he had a bridge he could sell her too.

  "I have given you everything you need." The man changed his voice into a weird stage whisper. "But sometimes you have to mark and claim the gifts in your life for yourself. So everyone knows they are yours."

  Yvaine raised an eyebrow at the guy. "You mean like X marks the spot?"

  He stepped back from the counter and continued speaking in that whisper, but as if he were addressing the whole room. Even though Jett and Yvaine were the only ones here. "When there is something you know belongs to you and you to it, even when you don't think you deserve it, you must do everything in your power to hold that precious gift close, protect it with all your heart and soul. You know what to do. So do it already."

  "Uh. Okay. I guess. Thanks for the scones, the map, and that bit of cryptic advice. We'll just be going now." Yvaine held the paper to her chest and backed away toward the door.

  Jett waited for her to slip outside before confronting the man. "Who are you?"

  The guy still didn't look at Jett and he was starting to get irritated. A to punch arm or the face would get his attention. Jett clenched his fist, readying to sock the guy when he up and disintegrated into a thousand colorful petals that swirled around the room. Half of them smacked Jett in the face. He grabbed a few out of his eyes. These were no soft bits of flowers, they were hard as diamonds. In the palm of his hand Jett rolled six of the things over and over. There was a rainbow of colors, red, green, blue, gold, white, and black.

  Scales. These were dragon scales.

  He glanced around the room looking for any clue he could find to the identity of the man. The door reopened and Yvaine stuck her head in. "You coming, Jett?"

  "Do you know who that was we, I mean you, were just talking to?" Jett stared at his hand and lifted it for her to see.

  "I assumed it was Mr. Bohacek. Where did he go?" She stepped back into the little shop and glanced down into Jett's hand.

  The scales there turned to nothing more than a handful of rainbow glitter. It lifted into the air on a breeze and landed on Yvaine, most of it right on the soft skin of her neck. It sparkled in a ray of light coming in through the only window in the place. Jett swore they landed in a pattern of an arrow that flashed at him.

  Mark her. Claim her. Mate her.

  Jett could resist no more. He may be condemning them both, but Yvaine held in her hand the cure for any curse, so maybe they could both be saved. He pulled her into his arms and kissed her like they were the stars in a blockbuster Hollywood movie. She squeaked in surprise, then melted into him, taking his face in her hands and returning every bit of fervor.

  Jett took a long deep breath. "You are mine, Yvaine. Mine."

  He pushed the chain of the necklace she wore aside and it too turned to dragon scales in his hands. They joined the swirls of black light and fiery red sparks in the air around them. If they spelled out the words 'mark her' in the air their intent would be any clearer than it already was. Someone or something was conspiring for the two of them to be together.

  "Jett? I need you. Please. Kiss me again. Make me yours." Yvaine's soft plea made his mouth water for her.

  Jett pressed his lips to her throat, gave it a gentle kiss and then let his dragon's fangs extend. He scraped them across her skin being careful not to break her tender flesh, but he had to leave his mark on her. He gently bit down and sucked hard, pulling and lapping at the wound he was making on her.

  "Jett, holy, oh, wow, Jett." She trembled in his arms and her knees gave out. She clung to him and he held her tight until he was satisfied her throat would bear the mark of his love for her.

  Love?

  No. It wasn't love he felt. It couldn't be. He didn't know how to love.

  No Soul, No Soulmate

  Holy. Cow. Bells. Or maybe that was church bells ringing in her ears. There were definitely angels singing.

  Whatever Jett had just done to her had turned her into a big ole pile of flaming girl goo. She couldn't talk, she couldn't think, she couldn't think about talking. All she could do was hold him in her arms and hope that he would never ever stop.

  "Yvaine? I'm sorry if I hurt you." His voice was dark and husky, but with an edge of worry.

  He didn't have anything to be worried about. "Don't stop. Whatever you're doing feels incredible. Do it some more."

  She pushed her hands into his beautiful black hair and pulled him back for much, much more kissing or maybe this was what they called necking.

  He stopped before he his lips and teeth touched her again and hissed out a breath. "That's not what I thought would happen."

  "That I want you to make out with me some more? Why? I thought we did a pretty good job of it." Granted she didn't have a ton of experience. He was her first real kiss and all. They both seemed to like it though. That was good. If she was honest with herself, she hoped kissing would lead to other fun activities she knew she'd been missing out on.

  "Not that. I do want to spend a lot more time doing that." He licked his lips and stared at her mouth making her go all weak in the knees again. "And a whole lot more than just kissing you. That's not what I'm talking about. Look."

  Ooh. Yay. He did want to do naughty things with her. She could hardly wait. But where were they going now? Jett took her over to the window and pointed to her reflection. On her neck, where Jett had gotten deliciously aggressive with his kissing, she thought she'd see a big ole hickey. Instead there was a sparkling black dragon with eyes that literally looked like they were little balls of fire.

  She reached up and touched it. Her skin was smooth, the mark as much a part of her as anything else on her body. "Jett, it's beautiful. Thank you."

  Jett blinked, surprised by her appreciation. "Yvaine. No. I'm afraid I've cursed you as I am. That mark binds us together. I've claimed you and no other dragon or any other beast in the supernatural world will ever want to mate you."

  "That's so sweet." She'd never felt a connection to anyone else like this. Several times she'd tried to walk away from him, told herself she was feeling nothing more than a crush. Ciara implied that it was more. Yvaine wanted very badly to believe that. She'd never belonged to anyone and no one had ever belonged to her. She'd pushed down that particular unmet nee
d her entire life, pretending that it didn't matter that she didn't have any family, no one to love.

  But it did matter.

  Jett scowled at their reflections. "You don't get it. I have nothing to give you. I'm a rogue with no Wyr. A bastard of the King of Hell. I'm cursed. I have no soul to be your mate."

  Yvaine turned from the reflection to make sure that Jett didn't misunderstand anything she said to him. "You listen to me. I don't care about your past. I barely have one myself. I've never known my family or who I am. Today I found out I don't even know what I am. None of that matters. Because I like who I am when I'm with you."

  She didn't know that was true until the words came out of her mouth. Until recently she'd been a scared little girl who used her special power to hide and run away from people. With Jett, she could be something different, someone better than before. Instead of being the girl who ran, she could be the girl who fought back.

  Jett closed his eyes in a very long blink. "What are you talking about? Since we met you've been hunted by mermen, another beast I haven't yet identified, the Black Dragon, and you were killed by a demon dragon. Killed. Your life has become a complete shit show in the past twenty-four hours."

  Her life had been that way long before yesterday. She just hadn't realized it. Now it was filled with magic, and the potential of love and family. She was going to embrace it all. "Really? Mermen. Cool."

  The ever present fires in Jett's eyes changed from being fueled by fear and anger, to the tiniest bit of amusement. "Thats what you got out of what I just said to you?"

  "No." How could she put this? She wanted him to understand that he wasn't to blame and that they were in this together now. "I also got that you've been helping and protecting me even though I stole your beer and basically sexually harassed you in the first minute we met. So I was murdered a little bit. It turned out fine."

  There was his smile. He had no idea how it lit up his whole face. How it took her breath away. "I don't think one can be murdered a little bit."