The last two gorgons came at them, and Jonah wasn’t playing anymore. He sliced out, twisted, jabbed again, tucking Poppy behind him, thankful that she could at least still stand. His jaguar was out in full force, taking over but still letting him stay in human form. Poppy shook against him, her eyes still closed, and he was glad for that. He didn’t want her to use any more strength, didn’t want her to harm her soul any more than she already had by having to kill. He knew she didn’t like it, but it wasn’t like he did either. However, this was a necessary means to an end, something he was used to. He had been a soldier for so long that he had forgotten what it felt like to not have those scars on his soul.
He slashed out, one strike to the jugular, a twist of the neck, and then there was nothing else. No more screams, no more sounds of fighting. Just the spark and crackle of fire behind them as the house burned. There were sounds of humans outside his home, sirens, but the warding he’d put on the place would keep it safe for a few more minutes. Not long enough to stay safe for long, however.
Jonah looked at the carnage and knew they’d have to clean this up soon. Perhaps not the two of them, though. Not when others could come after him and Poppy. One gorgon stood as stone, death within marble. The others were on the ground, blood pooling, death taking them.
“We need to get out of here,” he growled, knowing that even though the battle had taken no time at all, it had taken long enough that the authorities would be on their way any minute.
“Where do we go?”
He took out his phone, grateful that it had survived everything that had just happened, and dialed Malik.
“We’re on our way,” Malik growled, and Jonah’s eyes widened before it hit him.
“The wards?”
“We felt them go off, but we’re still a couple of minutes out.”
“I need to get Poppy safe.”
“Poppy? Are you okay?”
“We’ll be fine. One’s stone, and there are four bodies, and my home is on fire.”
“Dante’s close, as well. He’s going to be there to take care of any authorities. We’ll glamour what we have to.” A pause. “Wait, stone?”
“They’re gorgons. They’re after Poppy.” Jonah paused. “She’s my mate, Malik.”
Poppy let out a little gasp, and he shook his head. He would explain Malik and everyone else later. They didn’t have enough time now.
“Well, damn.” He could hear someone else whispering, but then Malik was back on the phone. “Go to the place on Fifth. It’s protected behind wards, and you’ll be safe from the other gorgons. And then you’re going to tell me exactly what’s going on.”
That was an order from an Alpha, not just a friend, but Jonah understood. “Yes. Of course. Just make sure the humans don’t find out. We weren’t exactly quiet.”
“We never are when we’re protecting our mates. I’m glad for you, Jonah.”
Jonah couldn’t say anything because he had no idea what to feel. Adrenaline coursed through his system, so he just cleared his throat and said, “thank you,” before hanging up.
“There’s another safe house. This one’s an actual safe house rather than a home. It’s hidden deeper beneath wards and is harder to get to.”
“Was that the man from the bar earlier?”
“Yes, my friend and Alpha. They’re on their way. We’ll be safe.”
“You said I was your mate.”
“I’m staring at your snakes right now, and they’re not killing me, I am not stone. I am your mate. We can discuss exactly what that means later, but first, we need to be safe.”
“Okay, you’re right. It’s just a lot to take in all at once.”
“Yeah, I get that.”
And then he tugged at her hand, and they were off again.
They ran through the alleys, and while he probably could have stolen a car or something to get them there faster, he didn’t want to risk it. The humans had no part in this. He didn’t want them to have to deal with a stolen vehicle or motorcycle if he took one.
They kept going, even as Poppy lagged behind him. She had to be exhausted, using that much power to turn another gorgon to stone, and she had said that she was tired before the battle. He could pick her up and carry her, but then his hands wouldn’t be free to fight if needed.
By the time they got to Malik’s place, he knew Poppy wouldn’t be able to see it, but he could. He was Pack. He could sense the home behind the wards. So, he sliced his hand using his claw, even as Poppy gasped beside him. Then he slid his palm along the wards, creating a doorway. He pulled Poppy through as he closed the opening behind them.
“That was…I’ve never seen that kind of magic.”
“It’s Pack magic. Others have it, too. Do the gorgons?”
She shook her head. “The gorgons don’t have much. They’re so secretive that they don’t evolve in powers and magic or align in treaties with others. They keep trying to find new Medusas so they can replenish their powers, but we’re dying out. Centuries of forgetting the rest of the world. We’re dying.”
“You’re not dying today.”
“I feel like I just might.”
Alarmed, he moved forward. “What is it?”
“You’re not supposed to turn another gorgon to stone. It hurts, takes more out of you. She slid her hand over her hair, now under full glamour. “My snakes are sleeping. They’re exhausted, too. They’ll be fine, but we need to rest.”
“Then that’s what we’ll do.”
He pulled her inside, locked the doors behind them, and checked the security system. Magic and technology didn’t always work together, but in their safe houses, they had found a way. Malik was a genius at protecting what was his.
“Thank you,” she whispered. “Thank you for saving me. I hate that I couldn’t save myself.”
His gaze was on her, his jaguar rising to the surface again. She didn’t move back, though, and he was grateful for that. “You did everything you could, and you saved me. I was able to do what I did because you were there. I wasn’t alone, and you fought. I can teach you self-defense. I can teach you how to use more than your powers. And you’ll learn. But don’t negate the power that you have.”
“You want to teach me?”
“Of course, I do. You’re my mate.” And before he could stop himself, his hands were on her face, her silver eyes wide, and his mouth was on hers. Consequences be damned.
Chapter 4
Poppy’s body shook, but it had nothing to do with the escape, the bombing, the fights, or the other gorgons. No, it had everything to do with the man in front of her, the jaguar who held her close, his hands on her face, and his mouth on hers.
She shuddered in his touch, wanting more, craving him. She didn’t have an animal inside her, didn’t have a beast clawing its way through her in order to escape. She was that beast. She was a Medusa, and the magic within her pulsated, arcing out of her so it could wrap around the man in front of her.
Her glamour fell, and she heard her snakes hissing, moving around her head as they stared at Jonah. She pulled away, gasping. She never lost control like this. She could have hurt him or someone else just then. If they had been in public? No, she didn’t want to think of what could have happened. She’d have to remember that part of her control, make it rote.