Content Warnings:
Talk of domestic violence, attempted murder, and abuse
Please keep yourself safe, and skip this chapter if you must. And if you or anyone else needs help, please know that you are not alone. The National Domestic Violence website is available if you can’t access the Internet for any reason. The hotline number is 1-800-799-7233.
I am not here to preach, but I am here to let you know that I have been there. Here. In Jasper’s shoes. And they are not fun or comfy. I don’t write about DV with a light heart, it’s something I take seriously and handle with care because I have experienced it. Again, this chapter isn’t heavy or dark, but it isn’t fluffy; it’s sad and heartbreaking.
I will leave you with this:
All MCs who are hurt, maimed, and/or assaulted in my books will get their revenge. One way or another, the villain will not see peace.

Buck

Bunny’s wasn’t anything Buck hadn’t seen before. The tea room was peaceful with meditative music and mellow lighting. Harrison, the owner, made certain that whoever walked into his establishment felt welcome and lighter, stress-free upon departure. Tea was top three for Buck. Best way to take the jagged, rusty edge off was Nieema, skipping in the forest ass naked and tea.
He’d entered the tea room hundreds of times and thought nothing of the atmosphere or decor. Sipping with a newbie made him appreciate the fine establishment even more.
Jasper was in awe. As they lounged in his favorite room within the multi-floored space, she smiled into an orange blossom blend.
“You like it?” Buck asked.
She nodded and sniffed a bouquet of tea roses. The Verdant Suite was a haven for those who preferred the greener side of life. Comfort and calm surround them.
Fiddle Leaf, Monster, and Ferns cradled the cushy, well-used couch Buck slouched into. It seated four, which gave Jasper the space she required.
“I’ve never had tea so good.”
Buck shrugged, curling a finger into the dainty ring of his favorite porcelain. Bunny kept the customer in mind and offered cups in various shapes and sizes. Buck liked the mushroom set best.
“They got tea in hell?” Buck asked.
Jasper relaxed into the cushions and canted her head. “Not in a traditional sense. Not like this. We make mineral tea from rocks, bones, and teeth.”.
Buck coughed and dribbled his good bit of Slatewall Tea. He cussed, wiping his chin. That god damn royal jelly was going to waste.
“I’m sorry, you say what now? Teeth? Bone—okay, we do a ceremonial thing with ashes, but it’s not an everyday typa thing.”
“Weellll, you have your customs, we have ours.”
“Fair enough.”
The melody of trickling water filled a momentary silence while Buck watched her contemplate.
The urge to soothe Jasper frothed deep in his guts yet again. He imagined kissing the tip of her horn and forehead. To be that shoulder, the one she obviously needed but didn’t have.
“Jasper, can I ask you somethin’?”
Her inferno-like gaze found his, and Buck almost moaned. The flame danced on his soul and laved his skin. Mischief and madness lay behind her eyes. She smirked as steam billowed, framing such a fine portrait.
“Was my refusal not enough for you? Where is the respect you claim to have?”
He laughed and nursed a specific blend fit to squelch his desire better than sticking his dick in an ice bath. Not that Buck didn’t trust himself. He just knew how seductive her kind could be, and oftentimes, it was unintentional. But more than that, there was something about Jasper he couldn’t place.
It made him desperate.
Buck was a simple man who’d fall headfirst in a matter of minutes. Slatewall tea slowed the blood and brain.
“Contrary to what the world done told you,” Buck started, “we don’t always think with our second head.”
“You’re wasting your breath. I have a doctorate in manspeak. I’m a Succubus, I know men and know for a fact y’all are obsessed with hot holes. It’s all you think about. How to mount, get between, and behind.”
He smiled against the rim of his mushroom tea cup. “Alright, okay. It had crossed my mind a while ago. Once or twice. But no means hell no! Now, back to my question. This is serious, so stop trying to cast spells on me, demon.”
Jasper placed her unicorn cup on its saucer and snagged a finger sandwich.
“I’m not a witch.”
“Spells aren’t a witch thing. It can be taught. Now—”
“Wait, what?”
“Spells and charms are about intention. Pulling the magic from this very land and making it your own. Some, like me, are born of magic. It’s in my bones. Magic ain’t ‘for faes’ only.”
Jasper’s smile was so bright that Buck wanted to shield his eyes. And damn it, did elation look good on her.
Nibbling on a filthy cucumber and olive morsel, she hummed.
“What?” Buck asked, curiosity biting him in the ass.
“Can you teach me? Magic, I mean.”
“I can teach you some things, but Maggie is a master at spells.”
“Who?”
“My daughter. She lives on the ranch.”
“When can I meet her? After tea?” Jasper was cute and innocent as hell.
Buck knew she wasn’t, not really, but right now, she was doe-eyed and filled with wonderment. He couldn’t deny her anything.
“Whateva you wanna do, Jasper. But, you gotta answer my question first.”
She shoved the lucky corner of bread into her mouth and nodded. Buck was chillin’ thanks to the tea; he didn’t glance at her lips once.
“Go ahead. Ask.”
Getting real for a moment, he put his cup on the tiny plate and faced the woman. She recoiled a tad, but didn’t move.
“When you said, ‘again’. What did you mean by that?”
She shrugged, blinked, and set her mask in place. Jasper locked up that second and sighed.
“Three years ago, I met a guy. He turned sour. I lost myself. The piece of shit was a demon hunter who wanted my limbs, horns, and heart. I took off. My friends told me not to worry because he was rich, handsome, and connected. I was raised by a connected male, it seemed fitting. They didn’t understand, though.”
Jasper paused here, staring at a thriving fringed fern.
“He wanted me in the ground,” she continued. “I couldn’t tell my siblings or my Dad. I severed relationships and now I’m here.”
Buck scratched his denim-clad thigh, knowing it’d create a hole. He reached into his pocket, retrieved a piece of gum, then unwrapped said strip of cinnamon. Chew and snap. He popped and glared.
“Is he still alive?”
“Of course.” Jasper chuckled, though clearly nervous. “He knows too many people. I was terrified. And like I said, I couldn’t tell my dad. I thought this sorta thing was…It’s humiliating, shameful. But I’ve gone to therapy. I’ve even forgiven—“
“What’s his name? Curious is all.”
“Buck, I can read your soul like a paperback. You’ve gone from gray to black. What’s wrong?”
Dark fae, at their core, were wicked. Tricksters, murderers, or pests. They were untrustworthy and spiteful. Buck landed somewhere in the middle. Thanks to the tea, he was placid. Any other day, he’d slide into a dashing Teflon vest and load his Ruger.
He smiled, folding the flimsy aluminum wrapper, and pinned all of his attention on Jasper. Brows tight and mask gone, she was concerned.
Good for her.
“If you don’t wanna tell me, fine.” Buck cracked and popped during a pregnant pause. “But I’ma find out either way. Nothing online is truly erased. I’d rather not go snooping about your affairs, but I will. Ask Nieema. I’m stubborn as I am kind. My grandbaby, Mace, is a tech god, fuck genius. He can find anyone whether breathin’ or not.”
She sniffed, thought to speak, then huffed. Jasper’s resolve faltered as she pinched another sandwich between her claws.
“Trevor. Trevor Voaremont.”
Buck grunted and dropped the paper in his tea. What a shame, wasting such a nice cup, but this churned his stomach.
“Fortuitous,” he said, staring at a dazzling fern resting in a cow planter. “Chance in hell.”
“What is it? Talk to me.”
Clearing his throat, Buck turned to Jasper. “You hear me, and I mean good. No one is going to touch you while you reside here. Indigo Plains ain’t just any ol’ place. You will be fine.”
“You’re scaring me.”
“It’d be irresponsible if I didn’t tell you that the Voaremont family is fronting the bill for the new mall in town.”
“Holllly!” Jasper shot to her feet and paced.
Hyperventilation was around the corner, and he couldn’t have this woman fainting. Buck rose and stopped Jasper mid-stride. He grabbed her hands and spoke the truth.
“Nothing and nobody will bring you harm.” He met her frenzied, blown stare and said, “I won’t allow it. The ranch is protected.”
Jasper wanted to refuse, but he wouldn’t let her.
Buck dropped the woman’s palms and cradled her face instead. “You with the Sunsides now. Which means, you are untouchable. My grandson is the mayor, Jo is the sheriff, and a good friend of mine is a lawyer. I know we’re a small town, but you’d be surprised by what we can do. And to be frank, Nieema is the one who runs Indigo Plains.”
“What do you mean?“
“She owns Ravensguard.”
Jasper’s jaw touched the floor. “Are you saying she’s—“
“Yeah, she’s more than just my queen. But she’s queen of Ravensguard and the vampire species.”
Buck let his pride talk for him, and Jasper gobbled it up. She showed teeth and fangs again, a smile returning. He liked this look better. It complemented her angular features and plush, blood red lips.
“I knew she was royalty.”
“How so?”
“Because my Dad is a Duke. We are close with the King of Undervell, which is split into five sects. Our king owns two. He wants everything. War and politics bore me.”
Buck nodded, trapped in her smoldering gaze. She was warm-blooded and beautiful. He wanted to reassure her with affection and gifts.
With a kiss.
And Jasper was well aware. The pretty girl pulled away and went for her satchel.
“What about my house?”
“Oh, we’re not gonna stop living because of this pig. But, you ain’t going no where by yourself. We don’t know who done saw you in town. Anybody coulda run back and told him.”
“True. I just…I thought demon hunting was against the law.”
Buck nodded, opening the door for Jasper.
“Alotta thangs are against the law. Humans don’t give a damn about them. They never have. Most fae don’t, either. A law don’t mean nothing to somebody who got greenbacks to buy what they want. Like a free pass and silence to do dirt. But, this ain’t necessarily a true democracy. And I bet, Nieema will have something to say about all this and some. The governor of Misthill is gonna need a lawyer at some point.”
Buck would let Nieema handle the political end while he, introduced himself to the Voaremont Boys.