Page 44 of Dragon's Code

“You know what, I’m not going to stand here and take this from any of you.”

Jerrick blocks her exit. “You’re not leaving. I’m afraid that you’ll have to hang out in a holding cell for a while until we decide what to do with you.”

“You can’t keep me here.”

Jerrick moves so fast, grabbing her around the neck, while Khalid snaps a choker around her throat, just above Jerrick’s hand. Then Khalid grabs her wrists and pulls them behind her.

“The choker will keep you from shifting. The cuffs will keep your strength at a puny human’s level. Don’t worry. This is a five star hotel. Even our holding cells are nice.” Jerrick jerks his head and Khalid and Gavin escort Jasmine out of the room.

“What the fuck?” I say on an exhale. “Something isn’t right.”

Jerrick nods. “I agree. I’ve never seen two more incompatible people. There’s no way she hasn’t done something to rig her heartstone, but I don’t know how or why she would do that.”

“You don’t think she’s hyped up on Dragon’s Fire and working for Grey, do you?” I ask.

“It’s a possibility. One I’ll have Penelope look into. In the meantime, you should track down your mate, she looked really upset.” Jerrick claps me on the back.

I shake my head. “She can never be my mate. I can’t…I can’t do that to her.”

Jerrick frowns but doesn’t question me. “Go find her.”

I glance at everyone in the room who is staring at me. I’m sure they don’t know what to think. Neither do I.

I exit without a word, trying to figure out what the hell is happening. I don’t understand what’s going on. Is fate fucked now too because of whatever Grey has done? I certainly don’t know what to think of Athena’s reaction either. Is she pissed? Is she upset that someone else might be my mate?

I feel all screwed up. I’ve been protecting her from all this crap since I met her. Not wanting her to ever feel like there’s something wrong with being human. Even my brothers have said some shitty things about humans. Of course, now they’re mated to humans. But there was no way to know all this was going to happen.

By the time I get up to my room, the adjoining door is surprisingly open. But then I see her bags on the bed in her room, including new luggage she couldn’t have had time to buy. Did Jonathan bring it up for her? Is she seriously considering leaving?

“Athena?”

She appears from the bathroom with her toiletry bag. “Yes?”

“Where are you going?”

She doesn’t look at me while she speaks. “I’m going home. I need to deal with my ex-boyfriend and then get back to my life. You’ve made it clear that you don’t want me in your life.”

“Athena—”

She spins around with anger flashing in her eyes. “What, Kash? What could you possibly want? Why aren’t you figuring out things with your mate?”

I study her. Her dark brown eyes are glossy with tears. Her breaths are labored. Why is she so upset? Is she…jealous? That can’t possibly be the reason.

“What’s going on? Why are you so upset?”

Athena pulls off the necklace around her neck and thrusts it at me. “Here. You should give this to who it belongs to.”

My dragon pushes on my chest and I growl at the same time. “Put it back on, Athena.”

She throws it at me. I catch it and then charge toward her. She turns away from me. I grab her around the waist and pull her back against me.

“Tell me what’s going on with you. You’ve never shown any interest in me romantically or otherwise. Friendship, that’s all we’ve ever had.”

A sob erupts from her as I hold her from behind. “Talk to me, my goddess.”

“Why did you give it to me if you never intended anything by it?”

“When we met, I knew you were special. That’s why I wanted to keep in touch with you. The more we got to know each other, the more…the more I knew you were mine.”

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