Jaguin's Love: Dragon Lords of Valdier Book 8 (8 page)

Jaguin gave her that lopsided grin she found endearing. She turned toward him, realizing they were already standing in front of the lift. At that moment, he looked like a little boy who was about to be told he wasn’t going to get his favorite toy.

“I was hoping when you pressed your lips to mine…,” he started to say before his voice died.

Sara tried to hide her smile, but failed. Her gaze softened when she saw his crestfallen expression. The humor of the situation wasn’t lost on her, or the fact that if they hadn’t been interrupted, their time together would have ended much differently. Raising her hand, she laid it on his chest.

“I enjoyed it,” Sara said, not making any excuses. “I’m attracted to you, but I need to take this slowly. So much has happened….” For a moment, her gaze lowered to his chest where her hand rested as she thought about that fact. “Now, finding out what could happen if we… I’m not ready for this yet.”

Jaguin raised his hand and covered hers, pressing it against his chest. She lifted her gaze and locked with his. His eyes had lost their twinkle of amusement and he stared back at her with an intense, serious expression.

“The change can only happen if I share my Dragon Fire with you. It would be very difficult to come together with you and not do so, but it is possible as long as I do not lose control of my dragon. The human male… Did he….?” Jaguin pressed his lips together.

Sara knew what he was asking and shook her head. “No, Cuello wasn’t sexually interested in us. He wanted to hurt us in a different way…” Sara’s voice broke and she looked away. “I’d better get back to my room and check on Emma.”

Jaguin released a deep sigh and nodded. “I will escort you,” he said, reaching around her to wave his hand in front of the lift control. “But, I warn you, my dragon and I will not give up.”

Sara giggled when she saw his symbiot trotting down the corridor toward them in the shape of the jaguar. It was holding another stuffed sloth in its mouth. Shaking her head, she stepped into the lift.

“Neither will Honey,” she chuckled.

“Honey?” Jaguin asked with a confused frown, turning to look at where she was staring. “You have named my symbiot Honey?”

“Unless you have a better name for it,” she said.

Sara watched as Jaguin gave his symbiot a skeptical look. It stared up at him with a sharp-tooth grin, the sloth hanging by one foot from its mouth. The combination of the two, powerful creatures staring at each other with a mixture of confusion, resignation, and flat-out goofy expressions was too much for Sara. She burst into a fit of giggles that soon had them all laughing.

Jaguin scowled at Carmen. His gaze flickered between her face and what she was holding in her hand. Reaching out, he took the small box from her.

“How will this make her like me more?” He asked in confusion, staring down at the brightly wrapped package.

“It’s chocolate. Sara mentioned earlier that one of the things she missed from Earth was the chocolate. I happen to have a lifetime supply thanks to Creon. I was having a major chocolate attack before we left. I don’t know how he did it, but Creon had a ton of it delivered to Paul’s ranch before we departed,” Carmen explained.

“But… This was a gift from your mate,” Jaguin said, frowning at Carmen. “You should keep this.”

Carmen shook her head and pushed Jaguin’s hand away. “Trust me, I have more than enough,” she said with a smile. “Besides, I think Sara could use it more right now.”

Jaguin looked skeptically at the package. “You are sure this will make her happy?” He asked, looking up at her face again.

Carmen chuckled and nodded. “Yes, trust me,” she promised.

“Thank you,” Jaguin responded, his expression clearing when he saw Creon walking toward them.

“Jaguin,” Creon greeted. “How is your female doing?” He asked before he grunted when Carmen elbowed him in the stomach. “What?!”

“I’m not even going to tell you how condescending that sounds,” Carmen retorted with a roll of her eyes. “That female has a name and it is Sara.”

Creon grinned. “I know what her name is. I also knew I would get a reaction out of you,” he teased, bending forward to brush his lips across hers before he wrapped his arms protectively around her waist. “I feel the girls moving. They are anxious to see the world.”

“Not as much as I am to see them,” Carmen murmured, turning in his arms and wrapping her own around Creon’s neck.

Jaguin shook his head and turned to leave Carmen and Creon alone. It was obvious they had already forgotten his presence. He glanced down at the small package in his hand, turning it over thoughtfully as he walked toward the room that he now thought of as his and Sara’s.

Just as he stepped off the lift, Carmen had stopped him to hand him the delicious treats. He wasn’t sure how they were supposed to break down the fragile barrier that Sara tried to erect between them earlier. At this point, he was willing to try just about anything for another kiss.

He stepped into the room, frowning when he saw it was empty. Disappointment washed through him and he instinctively reached for the symbiot wrapped around his arm. He knew waited, staring out the window and turning the box over in his hands. He felt as nervous as a youngling waiting to sneak a quick peek at the girls in the village for their first dragon races. He ran a hand through his hair.

So much for the fierce warrior,
he thought in disgust.
I’m more like the
….

All thoughts deserted him when Sara suddenly appeared in the doorway. She gave him a nervous smile before stepping into the room. Jaguin swallowed and ran a damp palm along his pants leg.

“You look tired,” he stated, wincing at his thoughtless words.

Sara released a self-conscious sigh and pushed her hair back from her face. She was wearing the blue cloth pants that she liked and a red blouse that hung loose around her. His brow furrowed when he noticed that she was wearing only socks.

“You have lost your shoes?” He asked, puzzled.

Sara chuckled. “No, I didn’t lose my shoes; and yes, I’m tired. I’m still having difficulty sleeping,” she admitted in a husky voice. “The memories… I can’t seem to control them.”

Jaguin’s eyes darkened with concern. He opened his arms. Sara didn’t hesitate. She stepped into his arms and hugged him in return. Her face turned into his broad chest. He felt the shudder go through her before she relaxed.

“Every time I think I have them under control, they hit me from out of nowhere,” she whispered, rubbing her cheek against his shirt.

His arms tightened around her and he held her close. Closing his eyes, he ordered his symbiot to show him. This time, it must have understood he would not accept its refusal. Faint images, almost like shadows, danced in his mind before they solidified. He was seeing her thoughts, feeling her suffocating fear as the sound of footsteps echoed along the stone floor. The sound of metal on metal resonated through his mind before the first slash of pain tore through him. Almost as suddenly as it started, it stopped.

“Sara…,” Jaguin whispered in a husky voice.

“Don’t, Jaguin,” Sara murmured, breathing heavily and holding him tight. “I don’t want you to see it… to feel what it was like.”

Jaguin pulled back and carefully lifted his hand to touch her chin. “Look at me, Sara,” Jaguin ordered in a soft voice. “Look at me.”

Sara reluctantly lifted her gaze to his. Her lips parted and she drew in a trembling breath as she stared up at him. He wanted her to see that she was not alone. He would never let her be alone again in the dark nightmares that held her captive.

“Trust me,” he whispered, sliding his hand up along her cheek to cup it. “I have seen many things in my life. I have lived far longer than you, fought and watched those I care about die in a senseless war caused by those who crave power. You are no longer alone. Trust me to protect you.”

Sara’s eyes glistened with unshed tears. “I’ve never had anyone before,” she admitted.

“You do now,” he promised, drawing her closer. “You are my mate, my
elila
, my love. Give me your nightmares so that I may slay them.”

“I’m… afraid,” she finally choked out in a husky voice. “I’m afraid if I let them out, I’ll never be able to capture them and put them back in the box. I’m not sure if I’m strong enough to survive it if I can’t.”

“I am strong enough,” Jaguin assured her, leaning closer.

A single tear escaped to slide down Sara’s cheek. The moment it struck his finger, he felt her let go of her nightmares. He drew in a deep breath as the suffocating fear returned a hundredfold. This time, the images weren’t cast in the shadows, but in vivid, striking detail. The sight, sounds, and smells of the prison that Sara and Emma were held in struck him with a savage blow. The painful memories would have sent him reeling if not for his determination to pull them away from Sara.

Agonizing pain ripped through him when he saw the brutality of Cuello and his men. It was not just the physical blows, but the mental ones that left scars no healer could see. He lived through Sara’s abduction and the brutal murder of her friend and co-worker. The dark cloth over her head not only blinded her, but made it difficult to breathe. She fought to draw in each breath, afraid it would be her last. Her arms were savagely twisted behind her and bound while the laughter of the men echoed in the vehicle they placed her in.

“Oh, my
elila
, my precious mate,” Jaguin groaned when he felt the first slash of the whip against her flesh.

Rage and sorrow fought with each other, threatening to drown him. Inside, he felt the strength of his mate – and her will to live. It was what made her who she was and his respect for her grew. Images from her childhood blended into her time in captivity. She thought of her aching loneliness after Delilah died, as well as, running through the forest near her home to escape the taunts of her cousins. She also remembered, the peace she found in the plants she discovered and the small garden that she grew deep within the woods.

He sorted through them, capturing the good memories and focusing on those so that they blossomed inside her and grew. He could never erase what she went through, but he could be there when they came and soothe her battered soul.

He moved his hand that was pressed against her cheek to thread his fingers through her hair. Her eyes were wide, haunted. Deep in their depths, he saw the frightened little girl and the brave, beautiful woman begging for help to protect her from the ravaging pain.

Hopelessness threatened to drown them, but he pushed through choking memories. Instead, he surrounded her with warmth, love, and hope. His dragon rose up inside him, connecting with him and his symbiot, making them one as they battled the dark shadows of Sara’s memories. His dragon roared, snapping and breathing fire at the inky shadows greedily reaching for her. His symbiot surged forward, wrapping Sara in golden armor that lit her mind with the memories of the beauty of her world. Through it all, Jaguin held her close to his body, his heart beating as one with hers, his mind and soul joined in a way that usually only happened after the Dragon Fire.

He scooped her into his arms when her knees gave out, cradling her and murmuring a soothing lullaby from his childhood. The deep chords encased her in the rhythm.

In the valley the warrior stood

As the battle drew close to home

The warrior’s shout, mixed with blood

The Great War had begun

Warriors fought and won the fight

But not all would live to go home

In the valley the warrior lay

A blade thrust through his heart

His dragon roared and his symbiot shimmered

As his life blood soaked into the soil

The goddess heard his true mate’s cry

And healed the thread that was severed

In the valley the warrior stood

His true mate by his side

Forever more they would be together

A warrior and his mate watch frozen

As they stand guard and protect

Lest we forget the cost of war

Jaguin sank down on the long sofa, holding Sara tightly to him as he sang. Slowly, the battle with the dark memories that held her captive grew fainter. He continued to sing the chords that were written by a grieving mate from his village shortly after the Great War began. He knew the warrior that died that day. It was his cousin and close friend. His grieving mate knelt beside him, holding him and begging for the Goddess to heal the wound through her mate’s heart.

Like the song, the Goddess joined them together forever. Both his cousin and his cousin’s true mate died that day. The people erected a statue in the meadow where the battle took place, not far from the mountain village, to help remind those of the cost of war.

Jaguin’s voice faded when he felt Sara’s body relax. He raised his hand to tenderly brush a stray strand of her hair from her face before lightly tracing the curve of her jaw. A tender smile curved his lips at the peaceful expression on her face. Leaning down, he brushed a kiss across her forehead.

"Sleep, my mate. I will protect you,” Jaguin whispered. “Even in your dreams, we will protect you.”

Jaguin carefully switched the slightly crushed box in his left hand to his right. Leaning over, he placed itt on the table beside them and leaned back. He would give her the treats tomorrow when she woke.

Settling back against the cushion, he gazed out the window into the darkness of space. He was a shadow in her mind now. Whenever the dark memories rose, he replaced them with the happy ones he captured. He pushed away his own desire to strike out. There was no changing the past, they could only move forward. His eyes grew heavy, but his heart was light as he realized that Sara had given him a gift beyond measure. She had given him her trust.

“My precious,
elila
,” he murmured, sleepily. “So brave, so beautiful, so fierce.”

*.*.*

Far away, a golden figure stared into the swirling river of gold. The Valdier, Curizans, and Sarafin species considered her a goddess. She did not think of herself or her species as such. They were simply much older and had traveled vast distances through space and time, exploring, learning, and studying others.

On some worlds, they left a trace of their presence, while on others they were merely silent observers. They tried not to interfere if possible. It was not their way to command or change the course of a world. Yet, the more she studied this species and the new one her sisters discovered, she could not help but be curious about them.

Aikaterina watched the two figures in silence. Once again, this species drew something from deep inside her that she was unfamiliar with. Her fingers caressed the image of the two sleeping forms. Tiny strands of gold formed on each, adding a touch of her own blood mixed with the symbiot given to the warrior at birth. It was added protection to guard against the dark forces in the universe.

“I feel something, Aikaterina? You are well?” Arosa asked, settling down next to Aikaterina.

Aikaterina glanced up at the young figure of a woman. Arosa and her sister, Arilla, were very young for their kind. Aikaterina discovered them among the stars and invited them to return to Valdier with her. Their species were few and far between. Many were lost among the stars.

“Yes, I am well,” Aikaterina responded, looking down at the image of Jaguin and Sara.

Arosa tilted her head and stared at the two forms reflected in the river. “I like these species. There is something about them that makes them – different,” Arosa said with a smile. “They make me feel warm inside.”