Jess spun in his hold, and Mitch refused to let her go. He wrapped his arms firmly around her.
“If my mate isn’t welcome, then I’m not either. Don’t bother making a decision; I’ll make it for you. Mitch and I will leave.”
“Jess! No!” Rhett exclaimed. “We’re trying to protect you. Mitch seems genuine, but he’s from Hunter stock. We can’t rely on him.
“And Emmaline arrived with three wounded shifters, and you threw her in prison. Mac was thought to be public enemy number one, and now Mitch is. You guys don’t need to trust him; only I do.”
“And what if Mitch creates another plague?” Vladimir demanded, and Jess paled.
“You’ll get to crow about how right you proved yourself and how foolish I was, yet again.”
With that, Jess grabbed Mitch’s hand and dragged him away. The board followed them, but Jess raced for the tower and stormed through her mirror, taking him with her.
Chapter Thirteen.
Jess
They’d never let Jess forget. They kept harping on about the plagues as if Jess had forgotten. If Mitch were playing her for an idiot, then she would walk into a Hunter’s headquarters and give herself up. Jess would never release another plague.
“They wound you up mentioning a plague,” Mitch said as they curled up in front of a fire at his home.
“Yes. It’s something they refer back to about my loss of control.”
“Want to talk about it?”
“Not really.” Jess fell silent, fiddling with her fingers nervously, and then spoke in a rush. “In sixteen-sixty-five, Charles the Second was king. One of his advisors was the Earl of Cumberbach, a handsome man with learning and wisdom. Or so I thought. Simon was widowed and looking for a second wife. I’d been in love twice before him, and both times had been betrayed.
“Simon was serious and in his thirties. He was clever, had the ear of Charles, and was considered steady. Not flirtatious or whimsical. Simon loved hunting, cards, and a good ball. While Charles was recognised as the Merry Monarch, Simon balanced him. We became close, and he asked for my hand in marriage. I agreed despite knowing he’d die before me, but I wanted love so badly, and I was so desperate.” Jess took a deep breath, and Mitch reached out.
“You don’t have to tell me.”
“Oh, this is the least horrifying of the four plagues I let loose. Things proceeded smoothly until three days before the wedding. I was at court and attending Queen Catherine. I’d gone inside to fetch a shawl, and I heard a couple of ladies-in-waiting chatting about Simon. They were praising him for being stalwart, for marrying me, and for his loyalty. That made me smile, and I hurried to rejoin the garden party.
“On returning to the Queen, I overheard two men talking. They talked about the wedding and the surprise they had arranged. Cutting a long story short, they were planning treason with Simon. I rushed back, informed her majesty, and then, in turn, Charles. Simon was arrested, the marriage ceremony was cancelled, and he was tortured for a confession. They’d planned to put James on the throne, the king’s younger brother, because they believed the king to be sterile.
“Once again, someone I loved betrayed me, and the future. Disease escaped my leash, and the Great Plague of London was released. Fortunately, although it only caused the deaths of approximately one hundred thousand people, a quarter of London’s population, it was contained.”
“Fortunately?” Mitch asked cautiously.
“The Justinian plague killed around thirty-five million people. The Black Death wiped out fifty million,” Jess uttered with sorrow cutting through her.
Mitch stared, aghast. “How did you take the risk of falling in love with me?”
“Good question!” Jess said with a hitch.
“Sorry, Jess,” Mitch murmured as he pulled her back into her chest.
“The final plague I released, would you like to know about it?” Jess asked, her gaze distant.
“No.”
“Didn’t think so. Now you realise you love a monster,” Jess whispered, steeling herself for rejection.
“I’m in love with a wonderful woman. And anyone else who says differently can face me. Jess, you didn’t cause those plagues out of spite or any other reason. You were deeply hurt and lost control of something that isn’t even yours to own! Don’t blame yourself for having feelings,” Mitch stated passionately.
“But I can’t help it.”
“Then, I’ll remind you daily of how beautiful and wonderful you are,” Mitch said.
