CHAPTER SIX
“Okay, everyone, you have about twenty minutes before Miss Celeste gets here.” Standing at the edge of the sand that surrounded the playground in the Garden, Jaiyu grinned as she waved her class toward the equipment. “Remember, take turns and no pushing.”
“Yes, Miss Zhao,” several of the students answered, while others just bobbed their heads.
It had been almost three weeks since Draken had claimed her, and two since she’d filed to officially have her name changed to Jaiyu Marcor. No matter how many times she corrected her kids, though, she didn’t know if they would ever call her anything except ‘Miss Zhao.’
She really didn’t mind, though. Sometimes, it was difficult for her to remember. On more than one occasion, she’d failed to answer to the summons of her new surname. Thankfully, instead of being offended, Draken found it amusing.
“I don’t know how you do it.”
Jaiyu glanced up at her mate as he came to stand beside her. Speak of the devil. “What do you mean?”
“The kids are great, but they’re exhausting.”
They had been more animated today than usual, but it was to be expected. They’d been looking forward to the field trip for weeks, and the day had been a major success in her opinion. Being mated to the Director of Education came with quite a few perks, meaning she and her students had been granted special permission to collect leaves, twigs, flowers, and even little vials of water from the pond to take back to their classroom.
The children had been quiet and attentive as they’d listened to Draken talk about the different trees in the small forest area. When he’d begun describing the various animals that called the trees home on Aleucia, they’d been utterly mesmerized. Then, he’d secured his place as their hero by offering to bring pictures of the creatures to class one day.
So, he could bluster and posture all he wanted, but Jaiyu knew he’d had just as much fun on the outing as the kids who he found so ‘exhausting.’
“Draken,” a couple of the boys called from atop the monkey bars. “Come play with us!”
He glanced back and forth between the playground and Jaiyu a few times until she finally had to laugh. “Go,” she ordered, pushing against his back. “You know you want to. I’m just going to gather up the samples we collected.”
Her big, scary mate looked like a kid on Christmas morning as he bent to kiss her. “I love you.”
The words never failed to amaze her. Despite the fact that most Aleucians generally sneered at the abstract notion of what they considered a fleeting, fallible emotion, Draken never missed an opportunity to tell her he loved her. Whether because he knew how much she liked hearing it, or because he’d been influenced by the time he’d spent on Earth, she neither knew nor cared. The fact that he put forth the effort meant more to her than the actual words.
“I love you, too.” She pushed at him again. “Now, go, before they riot.”
Watching him jog through the sand toward the playground, Jaiyu sighed wistfully. He was going to be an amazing father one day. Maybe she’d bring up the idea of discontinuing her birth control at dinner. She laughed as she pictured the look on his face. Oh, yeah, the idea definitely had merit.
She allowed herself a few more minutes to just watch, laughing out loud when Draken fell to the sand in the most dramatic death scene anyone had ever performed. Eventually, she turned away, hitching the strap of her bag higher on her shoulder as she followed the stone pathway back to the small forest area.
The samples were right where they’d left them. Not that she really thought anyone would mess with them, not when they knew they’d have to answer to Draken. Picking up one of the small, cylindrical vials, she held it out in front of her, watching the way the sunlight glistened through the water. Maybe she could negotiate an hour or so in the science lab the older students used. Her class wouldn’t really understand what they were seeing through the microscopes, but she had no doubt they’d be fascinated all the same.
Settling down in the grass, she opened her messenger bag and pulled out three, rectangular boxes. In one, she placed the leaves and flowers. In the next, she carefully arranged the pebbles, seeds, and twigs. The last box contained a foam insert, and she took her time sliding the glass vials into place, separating the water samples from the fluorescent green sap they’d collected from one of the trees.
Finished, she secured the latches on the silver boxes, then stacked them inside her bag, one atop the other. She’d just gotten to her feet and was adjusting the strap of the satchel when movement from the trees caught her attention.
“Jaiyu.”
She gasped and stumbled backward, but Jason caught her by the wrist and jerked hard, pulling her toward the tree line.
“Let go!” she demanded, twisting her arm as she tried to yank free of his grasp. His fingers were like iron, though, and the more she struggled, the harder they bit into her skin. “Let me go, or I swear to the cosmos—”
“Stop it,” he barked at her. “I just want to talk. You can spare five minutes to talk to me.”
“No.” Despite her racing pulse, her voice was calm and icy. “I don’t care what you have to say.” She looked down, staring pointedly at her bound wrist. “Unless you have a serious death wish, I suggest you get your hands off me.”
They weren’t far from the playground. If she screamed, Draken would hear her. The only thing that kept her quiet now as the unwavering certainty that if her mate did come to her rescue, Jason wouldn’t leave the observatory alive. She may not like him, but she didn’t hate him enough to want to see him dead.
He pulled her again, making her stagger, but she dug her feet into the grass and swiveled sharply. She managed to pull free, but before she could fully turn, Jason had ahold of her again, this time around the waist with his other hand clamped over her mouth.
The cuff of his long-sleeved shirt had ridden up, revealing a white bandage around his wrist, a crimson stain right in the center. At first, she didn’t know what to make of it. Yes, he was unstable, but it had always been directed outward. She wouldn’t have pegged him as suicidal.
Then, realization dawned, the truth worse than any of her imaginings. He hadn’t tried to hurt himself. He’d removed his MINT implant. Without the Monitoring and Identification Neurological Transmitter, Jason was free to move about Hope without being tracked.
She didn’t know what the hell he hoped to accomplish. It wasn’t like he could leave the city with her. Hell, he wouldn’t even be able to get out of the Garden without someone seeing them. When he lifted her off her feet and hauled her into the shade of the trees, she didn’t care what his plan was.
Contorting her body, she kicked and flailed, struggling in earnest to break free of his hold. The hand over her mouth muffled every sound she made, but that didn’t stop her from screaming into his palm.
Jason wasn’t nearly as big or muscular as Draken, but he had a good six inches and at least forty pounds on her. That didn’t stop her from doing everything in her power to inflict bodily injury on him, though. She threw her head back, wincing when it connected with his collarbone. She twisted her shoulders and kicked her legs back blindly, trying to connect with any part of him she could reach.
When her heel connected with his shin, he grunted and cursed, loosening his hold just enough for her to wrench one of her arms free. Grabbing hold of his wrist, she dug her thumb into the bandage, clawing at it with her nail until he screamed and finally—mercifully—released her.
The instant his hand was free of her mouth, she screamed, but it was short-lived when a solid backhand connected with her cheek.
“Stupid bitch,” he spat.
Jaiyu knew her limits. She wasn’t a fighter, and even if she tried, she’d never be able to overpower him. Choosing the only option available to her, she spun around, ducking the arms that reached for her again, and sprinted full out down the pathway toward the playground. Footsteps pounded behind her, growing louder, closer, as Jason’s long legs easily closed the distance between them.
Rounding a curve in the path, she chanced a look behind her…and ran smack into a wall of solid muscle. She stumbled backward, but Draken’s hands shot out to steady her before pushing her behind him, all in one, fluid motion.
“The kids are with Celeste.” He turned away, taking a purposeful step forward. Stay there.”
He couldn’t see her, but Jaiyu nodded anyway. It would probably be more prudent for her to find help, but since she was the only person in the universe who could stop Draken from committing murder, she did as she was told and didn’t move.
When Draken had heard his mate scream, he’d been filled with fear and rage in equal measure. Seeing her now, knowing she was okay, the fear ebbed, leaving only a raw, primal fury. He took another step forward, smirking when the male’s eyes landed on him and widened. It was too late, though. He couldn’t stop, and his forward momentum carried him right into Draken’s outstretched hand.
“I don’t know if you’re crazy,” he said, tightening his fist around the human’s throat, “or just stupid.” Slowly, he lifted the male off the ground until his feet dangled helplessly over the stone path. “I’m leaning toward the latter, because it takes a special kind of stupid to come after my mate.”
“Draken,” Jaiyu gasped, rushing forward, placing herself between him and the asshole clutched in his grip. “Don’t kill him.”
Looking down at her, Draken frowned. She wasn’t begging, and she didn’t seem overly concerned, but there was something in her eyes. He didn’t know exactly what because he was too distracted by the shadowy bruise that was beginning to form across her left cheek.
White-hot rage burned through him, and his hand tightened reflexively around Jason’s throat. The male wheezed and gurgled, his face turning an unattractive shade of red as his eyes bulged and watered.
“Draken,” Jaiyu said again, almost conversationally. Her hand landed on his chest, and she stroked him in soft, soothing circles. “You can’t kill him.” When he ignored her, she swatted him in the stomach. “Listen to me. He’s not worth it.”
“He hurt you. He put his fucking hands on you.” Draken was definitely going to kill him for it. “It’s worth it to me. You’re worth it.”
“That’s sweet,” she answered with a smile, “but also totally barbaric. Put him down, love. Let the captain deal with him.”
It wouldn’t be nearly as satisfying, not when every part of him screamed for the male’s blood. Jaiyu deserved better than a killer for a mate, though. The only thing more important than his thirst for vengeance was making sure she never looked at him with fear in her eyes. So, while he felt justified in ending the asshole’s life, he couldn’t do it, not when there were other options.
Reluctantly, he lowered Jason to the ground and released him to cough and sputter all over the sparkling stones. When Jaiyu stepped to the side, however, he couldn’t resist the urge to drive his fist right into the fucker’s face. Blood sprayed from his mouth and nose, and he crumpled into a heap on the walkway, unconscious but still breathing.
“I didn’t kill him,” Draken said defensively when Jaiyu arched an eyebrow at him.
His mate shook her head and sighed. “I guess he had that coming. I did try to warn him.”
He didn’t know how she could be so damn calm about the situation, but he adored her for it. “Come here, isha.” Gathering her into his arms, he stroked his thumb lightly over her abused cheek. “Are you okay? Does it hurt?”
“Just a little.” She smiled, tilting her head to nuzzle into his palm. “This helps. Thank you.”
There wasn’t anything in the cosmos he wouldn’t do for her—including not committing justifiable homicide, apparently—yet, she was simply grateful for his touch. She amazed and humbled him, and he didn’t know how he’d ever lived without her.
By some miracle, he wouldn’t ever have to wonder again. She was his, and he was never letting her go.