Abby shivered, then looked up at him again, “Why do you two look so different?” she asked. “He’s all covered with those nasty-looking scales, his eyes were glowing in an evil way, and he smelled terrible. You’re not like that, you didn’t scare me the way he did, I just felt protected when I looked at you, and you definitely don’t smell bad.”
He couldn’t help but grin at he., “Well, that’s good to hear,” he said, then became serious again. “I’m not completely sure, but I think it has something to do with the way he chooses to use his gifts. My family and my clan only use the magic we’ve been given for good, Diego’s people don’t. I think it does something to them deep down inside.”
Abby was silent for a second. “You mean it rots them from the inside out?” she finally asked. “Like an abscess or cancer or something?”
“I’ve never thought of it that way, but that’s a good way to explain it,” he said. “The Kappas belong to a clan that has been a rival to mine for generations; they showed up on campus our freshman year, and up until now, we’ve been able to ignore them, but what happened today is going to start a war. My clan will never let this go unpunished. Innocent people were hurt. I just wish I could figure out what the Kappas were trying to achieve. I can’t help but think there’s more to the whole thing than just getting rid of Dean Proctor.”
Abby looked up at him. “They can’t expect you to fight them on your own,” she said, her eyes filled with fear. “Oh, this is all my fault. I never should have gotten involved. All I did was make things worse.”
He put his arm around her and pulled her close, “Abby, it’s not your fault. This feud has been raging for a long time, and I’m not alone,” he reassured her. “My clan is backing me up, and don’t forget about the rest of the boys. We’re a team, any threat against me or someone I care about is a threat against them. That’s the way it works with us.”
Her eyes widened. “You mean…they’re all…oh…I guess I should have known…but…wow,” she stammered, then took a deep breath. “Okay, any other little secrets I should know? You might as well get it over with all at once.”
He knew that Abby was kidding, knew that she was a bit overwhelmed by everything he’d told her, but he had to take the last step, had to reveal everything right then. “I wish I could tell you that was it, but there is something else we need to talk about,” he said. “This might finally be the thing that scares you. It sure as hell scared me when I figured out what was going on.”
***Abby***
Abby could only stare at Jackson for a few seconds, wondering first what else he could possibly have to tell her, then if she was even capable of hearing more. “If you’re about to tell me the vampires, goblins, and fairies are real, I don’t think I want to hear it,” she said, shaking her head. “I think I need some time to come to terms with what you’ve already told me.”
“It’s nothing like that,” Jackson said. “I probably shouldn’t have phrased it the way I did, but…well…this thing between us, I think it might be a forever kind of thing, Abby. It scared me at first…I mean, we all heard the stories growing up, but I never thought it would happen to me. I don’t know why, my parents are still deeply in love even after all these years, I guessI thought…well…I don’t know…I didn’t have time for love.”
Her heart started to pound faster and a pleased thrill rushed through her, but some of what Jackson said didn’t make sense. “Hold on a second, what do you mean you heard the stories?” she asked. “I feel like I’m missing something.”
Jackson didn’t say anything for a second, then looked over at her, his eyes full of uncertainty. “When a shifter finds their perfect mate, they bond for life. It doesn’t happen to everyone, but when it does, it’s a very powerful connection,” he said, then let out a sigh. “So powerful that once the bond is formed, if the couple is separated, they’re both miserable; neither can be happy without the other one, and the bond lasts for their entire lives whether they like it or not.”
What he was trying to tell her slowly sank in. “You think we’ve got that kind of bond?” she finally asked, not sure if she was thrilled or panicked at the thought. “I don’t know what to say…I don’t know what to think…”
“You know I’m right, you’ve felt the connection between us. You just didn’t know that was what you were feeling,” he said, taking her hand. “But it’s not too late. We’re not bonded yet, Abby, you can still walk away if that’s what you want. We haven’t taken the last step.”
She opened her mouth to ask him what he meant, but understanding flooded her with a thrill that made her shiver and her cheeks turn pink. “We haven’t had sex,” she whispered. “That’s the final step.”
Jackson nodded, “Now you know everything,” he said, then looked over at her. “Abby, I’ll understand if this is all too much for you, and I won’t blame you if need some time to think about it. The last thing I want to do is scare you, but I just thought you should know before we…well, you know.”
He’d been right, she realized, sitting there as darkness fell around them; of all the things he’d told her that night,forging a bond with him like he’d described was the only thing that scared her. She’d worked so hard to get where she was, but still had a long way to go before she achieved her goal. She couldn’t let anything stand in her way, not even the love of a wonderful man like Jackson.
“I don’t know what to say. All I’ve ever wanted was to be a doctor,” she said, looking over at him, hoping he would understand. “I can’t let anything stand in the way of that dream. I care about you Jackson, but what you’re talking about scares me. What happens when we both go off to medical school? What happens when we can’t be together? I can’t risk blowing everything I’ve worked so hard for even if it means I get you in the process. I just can’t do it.”
She could see that she’d hurt him, but he smiled at her. “I understand, or at least I’m going to try to,” he said. “I’m willing to wait, Abby. We’re meant to be together. I know it deep down inside, and so does my dragon. I don’t care how long it takes; I’ll be ready when you are.”
When she saw the sincerity in his eyes, she was tempted to give into the feelings rushing through her, but visions of a future where she gave up all her dreams for him spun out in front of her, and she pushed them away. The thought of losing him made a cold spot form deep inside her, but the idea of losing herself scared her even more. She’d seen it happen too many times to the woman in her life. If what Jackson said was true, if they were meant to be together, the connection between them would still be there when she finished medical school.
“I’m going to count on that,” she said, smiling up at him. “I can’t give up now, Jackson, you have to see that. As much as I care about you, I need to finish what I started, or I’ll never be able to forgive myself.”
“I don’t want you to give up anything for me. I would never ask that of you,” he said, pulling her closer. “But thatdoesn’t mean I’m giving you up completely. I don’t know how it will all work out in the end, I just know that I want to be a part of your life until you’re ready for the next step.”
“I’d like that,” she said, finding it impossible to imagine her life without Jackson in it. “I didn’t expect you, but now that you’re here, I’m not willing to give you up.”
“That’s good, because I’m not going anywhere,” he said, smiling down at her. “I plan to be in your life for a long time, even if we’re separated for some of that time. Medical school and residency only last a few years. We’ll be together after that, you’ll see.”
An entirely different future unfolded before her as she looked into his eyes. She let out a little sigh, feeling the connection between them warming her from the inside out. “Well, at least I know what that feeling is now,” she said, shaking her head. “I was beginning to wonder if there was something wrong with me.”
“Nope, that’s just what it feels like to fall in love with a shifter,” Jackson said, grinning at her. “Now let me show you what it feels like to kiss one.”
CHAPTER 19
***JACKSON***
Jackson was surprised when Abby pulled away and put her hand on his chest. “I don’t think that’s a good idea,” she said, slipping out of his arms. “When you kiss me, I can’t think straight. I just want more, and we both know how dangerous that is. Maybe we should…I don’t know, take a step back for now…give ourselves a little more space.”
