26. Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Five
Key
Twilight had fallen. The following day, Key would either see her plan come together or fail in spectacular order. It was the goal she’d worked centuries for, and it was finally coming to a head.
Little could be done now to sway the course of events. Key had finished her preparations. As the humans would say, she had dotted her i’s and crossed her t’s. If she had any energy left, it’d disappeared the moment she teleported to Jax’s doorstep.
He heard her before she ever knocked. After one hesitant tap on the heavy metal door, he opened with a grin that was as happy as it was surprised. “Key. You’re here!”
While she’d forbidden the Raeths from teleporting, she made no such rule for herself. She had to see Jax—to know he was safe. “Can I come in?”
“Of course.” Jax scrutinized her from head to toe as his mouth tightened. “You look tired, Key.”
“I am,” she sighed ruefully, “but it’s almost over, now.”
“Come on, I’ll feed you.”
The warmth of his fingers linked with hers, tugging her along toward the kitchen. Electricity sparked up her arm, causing a pleasant shiver.
Red dish towels complemented the red coffeepot, and newly-washed dishes sat on a drying rack near the sink. The domesticity of it made Key smile as Jax sat her at a small table.
He crouched to grab a pan out of a large drawer. “I don’t really have anything in my fridge; I was planning on stopping at the store tomorrow. What are you in the mood for?”
“Oh, I’d eat just about anything.”
Grimacing as he looked in the fridge and then the cupboards, he pulled out a can with a red and white label. “SpaghettiOs are about the only thing I have left.”
“I’ve never had the pleasure.”
For some reason, her response caused him to laugh out loud. “I’m not sure anyone could call it a delicacy, but it’ll do.”
“I’m not picky. Do you like them?”
“The greatest thing since sliced bread!” Grinning, he opened the can and poured it into the pan. “And there’s meatballs!”
Key adored his enthusiasm. “I’ve never had the appetite for sliced bread; I much prefer pasta.”
“Good news: SpaghettiOs are pasta.”
“My hero.”
She was pleasantly surprised. In five minutes, she’d cleaned the bowl, and Jax, as a dutiful host, had offered to make her a couple of fried eggs to top her up.
Four fried eggs and three slices of toast later, she was happily sprawled out on his couch with her head in his lap. Gently, his magic fingers massaged her scalp while she let out mewling sighs of contentment.
“Key?”
“Hmm?”
“How is the plan going? Is there anything I can help with?”
Even though his ministrations continued, her peace had suddenly vanished. An involuntary shudder tightened her shoulders, and Jax’s face twisted with concern for her.
“Forget I said anything, Key. We don’t have to talk about it.”
His thumb gently tracked across her cheekbone. When she’d asked him to compromise his life for her, he’d done it. The least she could do was tell him the truth. Sitting up, she struggled to find the words.
“Everything has fallen into place so far.”
“But?
She hesitated. “But so much could still go wrong.”
A hint of a chuckle. “Key, you’ve been plotting our victory for centuries. You’ve woven fate like thread, and you have the brightest immortals on the planet on your side. Of course we’ll win.”
Jax’s naivety endeared him to her, and she smiled sadly at the man she’d fallen fast for. “I wish it were that simple.”
“Have faith in yourself. I do.”
She let her mind wander as their Hallmark movie marathon kicked off once more. Though she’d given Aidan Jax’s contact details, he hadn’t reached out to the other wolf yet. Seeing as their battle was nearing, Key could understand the need to hold off.
“When you’ll connect with Aidan, he will teach you more about the immortal societies,” she said. “He’ll introduce you to the pack alphas.”
His thumb brushed against her chin, but his gaze was on her lips. “What about you? Can’t you teach me more?”
A tragic chuckle. “If I could, I would, Jax.”
Tomorrow was still a mystery. Whether or not her plan would succeed remained to be seen. One way or another, Key’s time was nearing an end. Exhaustion beat at her, and sleep claimed her before the movie’s first kiss.
Yawning, she let Jax link his arms around her back. Gravity shifted as he drew her up against his chest and carried her to his room. The only thing she truly wanted was to curl up with him.
The strong, masculine scent of spice and leather filled her as she slipped beneath the sheets. He drew alongside her, twisting her so that she was fully cocooned against him.
Gently pulling her hair from her neck, his lips pressed into the sensitive flesh just below her chin. Suppressing a shudder, she leaned back into him, tracing her fingers along where his hands linked over her waist.
It was bliss.
A night of heaven sleeping in a stranger’s arms. But Jax wasn’t a stranger anymore—not really. He was the man she had begun to fall for, the one she’d never seen coming.
***
That night, Key slept without the nightmares that typically plagued her. The soft breathing of the man behind her was like a purr, his warmth cocooning her from behind. His legs had entangled hers during the night, the intimacy of their position leaving her feeling claimed and treasured.
The day all her plans had been made for finally dawned. It would either end in the devastation of defeat or in sweet victory. One would mean the complete annihilation of every immortal on the planet. The other … Key’s gut clenched painfully.
“You awake, Key?”
Jax’s muscular arms tightened around her at her startled reaction. “Sorry. Didn’t mean to frighten you.”
“I’m used to waking up alone.”
The deep rumble of his chuckle warmed her inside and out. “Perhaps we can change that.”
The sensual caress drew another shudder from her. Her hands began to roam upward, cupping his head as she relished the feeling of being wanted. The bed dipped as Jax hovered over her, his teeth delicately nipping. A primal growl built in his chest, the sound both a warning and a claim.
The wolf that lived beneath his skin wanted to play.
Key linked her hands around his neck and pulled him into a kiss. The weight of his body against her was a foreign sensation, but a welcome one, and desire roared through her like a flame to kindling.
Infused with both the raw masculinity and the confidence of an alpha, Jax claimed her as thoroughly as she claimed him. While the wolf’s nature compelled him to be dominant, it was tempered by the sweetness of the man. And though Key wanted nothing more than to give herself to him completely, she couldn’t hurt him like that.
Not today.
Not ever.
Fisting a hand in his shirt, she turned away, closing her eyes to keep tears at bay. If she continued down this line, leaving would be impossible—and leaving was imperative.
“I have to go, Jax.”
A tragic sound formed in his throat. “Now? Where?”
Deliberately shifting out from beneath him, Key moved to the side of the bed and simply said, “Today, Jax. Today is the day it all ends.”
Somehow, the man knew . “Don’t go. Don’t do it. Please, Key, I’m begging you.”
“I have to.”
It felt as though she was being torn apart, piece by piece. She stood, half to convince him and half to convince herself. He was on his feet only seconds later, his expression pleading with her.
“Stay with me. Just think about it, Key—I can protect you here. I can take care of you. You wouldn’t have to worry about any of this anymore. You could just be here. With me.”
And for a moment, she could imagine it. No more visions, no more pressure. She’d let the earth spin as it was meant to, and she’d leave the guilt and the weight of trying to make everything perfect behind her.
She could spend every day with Jax: eating SpaghettiOs and watching Hallmark movies at night and waking in his arms every morning. They’d go hiking with Zeus and visit every food festival the world over. It was a future she’d never foreseen but desired with every cell of her body.
“I can’t, Jax.”
When he enfolded her in his arms, it was everything she’d ever needed and always been too scared to want. “Then take me with you. Let me take care of you.”
The heartbreaking plea was nearly her undoing. “I’m sorry. I have to leave you.”
And she did.