Page 32 of Dante's Circle Reborn

“We can’t.” She wanted to believe him, wanted to do something.

“Wecan. I might not be a king or the most powerful shifter in the world, but I know leaders. I know those with power. And I have strength of my own. We will fix this.”

She couldn’t say anything, didn’t have the words. Before she could even think of somethingtosay, the sound of an explosion slammed into her ears, and fire engulfed the house. Jonah roared, throwing his body over hers.

ChapterThree

Jonah’s jaguar came to the surface, wanting him to shift, clawing for action against the inside of his skin, only Jonah couldn’t let the cat out yet. He needed to be in human form to get out of the burning home as well as carry Poppy if he needed to. She wasn’t a cub where he could just use his mouth on the scruff of her neck to drag her out.

They were both on the floor, the house burning around them. He didn’t have a single feeling within him for anything in the house other than the woman below him. Nothing within the walls was personal or had anything to do with him other than providing a place to sleep and shelter.

As it turned out, it hadn’t been a place for shelter at all. He hadn’t scented those who laid siege to his place. No, he had been too focused on Poppy and had missed the warning signals.

He scrambled to his feet, ducking low as smoke billowed overhead. They hadbombedthe house, windows shattered, planks of wood splintered all around them. Poppy lay on the floor, a thin trickle of blood trailing from a cut on her head, but he could feel her pulse, even as his jaguar growled, wanting revenge for someone having dared to hurt her.

He quickly lifted his head, trying to scent any intruders, but there weren’t any about. They were waiting outside, watching. He would get to them, but first, he had to make sure Poppy was okay.

“Poppy,” he whispered, checking her body for burns or other injuries. There was just the head injury it seemed, and there wasn’t anythingjustabout it.

He growled low, sliding his hand over her skin to make sure that she was whole and unmarred everywhere else. Her glamour faded in and out, and he let out a shuddering breath as one of the snakes wrapped its body around his wrist. It looked up at him, its beady eyes searching.

The baby viper didn’t bite him, and he blinked, realizing that he hadn’t actually turned to stone. He was her mate, after all, and she wasn’t looking directly at him with those silver eyes. He would be safe from her snakes. In fact, the snakes she wore like a crown now seemed to look at him for help, as if wanting to wake their master and unable to do so.

He understood that, because he needed her to open those pretty eyes, as well.

“Poppy,” he growled again and went to pick her up.

She slashed out with her hands, her eyes wide. Suddenly, he found himself staring into those silver pools, her snakes all around her, hissing at him.

He hadn’t turned to stone, hadn’t ended right then and there.

Because he was hers. Something he could not ignore. Neither of them could ignore it.

She quickly closed her eyes and slid her hand over her snakes, whimpering.

“How…I didn’t…are you okay?”

“You’re the one bleeding.”

“You’re not stone.”

“I’m your mate.” His tongue tripped over the word, but it was getting easier to say. After all these years, after everything he’d lost, he could at least get the word out. “You’re safe with me. And I’m safe with you. But we need to get out of here. The flames are getting worse and closer, and we’re going to die of smoke inhalation if we’re not careful.”

“Okay, I’m okay.” Her snakes still writhed around her head. She hadn’t yet put on her glamour.

“Keep your glamour off,” he ordered, and her silver eyes widened.

“Why?

“Because it’s a good defense against those that are coming after you.”

“But what if there’s an innocent?”

“Then close your eyes and pull your glamour up quickly. But I only scent smoke, fire, and those three damn gorgons. Apparently, I didn’t stab the bastard hard enough.”

He ground out the words, and her eyes widened for a minute before he lifted her to her feet, both of them coughing.

“Let’s go.”

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