“Stop,” I said loudly, using my power to slam the door closed so Jesse couldn’t leave. Droplets of water crashed around us as I pulled moisture from the air, using it to do my bidding. It was almost second nature now to control the element in this way. It might have been an unfair advantage to use it against a shifter, who didn’t have his own active magic, but I was desperate.
Jesse remained facing the door, his shoulders heaving as he struggled with himself. “I’ve gotta get to class,” he muttered, sounding pissed off.
I moved closer, and even though I felt Asher’s resignation, he didn’t try and stop me. He’d learned that I could fight my own battles, and that I didn’t particularly like being “saved” all the time.
“You’re not going anywhere until we talk,” I said to Jesse’s broad shoulders, because the asshole still wouldn’t turn. “What the hell is going on with you lately? You’ve been grumpier than the bear shifters at hibernation time.”
The bears didn’t actually hibernate, but I’d noticed they were crankier in the winter months. Had to be something to do with their animal counterparts. Or maybe they were just dicks.
“Do we have to do this here?” Jesse asked, his head cracking against the wood as he dropped it forward. “It’s not even a thing. I just need some time.”
My throat was burning and so were my eyes. Jesse was hurting and it was hurting me. Especially since I had no idea how to fix it. I turned to Asher. His eyes were traced with gold as his powers fought to surface. He was only a few feet away, but I knew he was about to move closer. Whatever it was that bonded us, the thing that drew me to Asher, and had from the first moment I saw him, it was getting stronger. Along with those errant thoughts, I could feel his emotions now.
I held a finger up asking for one more shot. He crossed his arms, a blank expression descending over his face as he nodded.
Turning back to Jesse, I reached out and touched him; his entire body seemed to rumble as a lion roar filled the room. No one moved, even though that roar would have scared most supes away. But it was Jesse. He wouldn’t hurt us.
He wouldn’t hurt me.
“Talk to me,” I said softly, stepping even closer, my hand firmly on his back.
In one smooth movement, he spun and I was up in his arms. He slammed me into the door, his entire body pressed to mine as he held me, chest heaving, eyes wide. His pupils were like cat slits, the green in his eyes bright and glowing.
“For fuck’s sake,” I heard Calen say from behind Jesse, and I felt Asher’s rage—it was crashing into the room and shaking the foundation. I felt all of that, but I couldn’t see any of them around the raging lion shifter.
Jesse’s eyes bore down into mine, his jaw changing shape as the beast took him over. “You can’t fucking see it, Maddison,” he rumbled, leaning in to run his nose along my neck. Inhaling my scent. “It’s always Asher. Even though I’m the one who picked up the pieces over and over again.”
Ah, fuck. I had really been hoping this wasn’t the shit he was dealing with. I mean, I’d known deep down that this was all probably to do with errant feelings, but a tiny sliver of me had prayed to be wrong.
“Jesse,” I said, trying to be gentle, but an undercurrent of “fuck you for manhandling me” still slipped into my voice. “I’m going to give you exactly five seconds to let me go, and if you don’t, you won’t have to worry about the pissed off Atlantean dude that’s shaking this room apart.” My voice got lower as my hair started to swirl around my head like it had a will of its own. “You’ll have to deal with me.”
Jesse’s chest was heaving, and for a moment I thought he was going to fight my desire to be free, but at the four second mark he roared again and stepped back, letting me fall to the floor.
Fuck.Ouch.That kinda hurt.
Before I could stop him, he ripped the door open, barely missing my head, and stormed out.
I was an Atlantean demi-god so Jesse really couldn’t hurt me. He knew that. Everyone knew that. But that didn’t stop Asher from smashing his fist through the door that his best friend had just stormed out of. In the same instant, he reached down and gently lifted me into his arms.
We were all silent; no one moved until Axl stepped forward to magically repair the door.
“I’m going to kill him,” Asher raged, the heat pouring off him in waves, the water in the air around us crackling and turning into steam as he got angrier.
Part of me ached at the way Jesse had just treated me, but I also got it. He’d let whatever this was bottle up inside of him for too long. He hadn’t spoken to anyone about it and he clearly was not dealing with it. I hadn’t been the only one to go through shit last year. Everyone had. Jesse had to deal with Asher and me both “dying.”
It was all too much.
“He’s hurting,” I said softly, tears in my eyes because my heart ached. Axl and Calen pushed closer, both of them reaching out to touch me … offer comfort. Rone remained back, perched against a desk, his face a mask, even though his eyes were blazing. “We need to figure out how to help him,” I choked out, sobs muffling my words.
“Jesse has timing,” the vampire grumbled, his head shaking. “The entire world is falling the fuck down around us, and he wants to sulk because Maddi loves Asher.” He tilted his head toward me. “Not that you’re not worth crying over, Mads, because you are. But it’s not like this is a secret dropped on him—it’s been Asher and Maddison pretty much from day one. So why the hell is he taking it so hard now?”
I knew why.
“Because I was gone,” Asher said, pain and anger bleeding into his words. “I was gone, and Jesse was there for Maddison. I’ve felt their emotions, and I know they love each other.”
“Not the way I love you,” I said without a moment’s hesitation. “Not even close.” I didn’t have to think about it. Jesse was my best friend. My family. But Asher … he eclipsed every other possible mate, and no matter what Jesse …or Sonaristhought about it, there would never be another.
It was exactly as Rone had said, Maddison and Asher from day one.
