Eva kept giving me that look of pity. “I have a friend. He’s been living under the radar for decades, but I think I can get in touch withhim.”
Okay…
She went on: “I’ve sent a message to this friend to reach out to me. He will know more about this … situation, and possibly be able to help. I wanted to tell you all of this privately because I feel it is your story to tell once the timecomes.”
“But ... you said Imightbe part druid.” I sounded like an arguingchild.
Eva pursed her lips. “I’m ninety-nine percent sure. I smelled it on you before I capped yourscent.”
Fuck.I put my head in my hands and tried not tocry.
“My friend will be able to tell me with one hundred percent accuracy, but I would need a sample of yourblood.”
I froze. Myblood.
Eva looked serious, her lips tightening into a thin line. “You should never, ever give a sorcerer your blood. Ever. Except this one time,” she said. “Unless you don’t want to know, and that’s okaytoo.”
I sighed. Of course I didn’t want to know. I wanted to go on thinking I was a dragon shifter, and that was enough crazy for one day. Logan had expressly told me to never give a sorcerer my blood, but he also told me I could trust Eva, and Idid.
“I don’t want to know … but I need to know,” I told her, resigned, and extended myfinger.
She gave me a sad smile. “I’m sorry you’re going through this.” She grabbed a small vial and pricked my finger before quickly catching one drop and releasing myhand.
I pulled my finger to my mouth out of habit and sucked it clean, then I rested both hands in my lap and looked out the window at thehouse.
“What do I do?” I asked her, turning my head to face her. There was a reason she’d asked Logan to stay inside and I thought I knew what it was. If he knew I was halfdruid…
“Well, dear,” she said, “you’re living in a house full of diehard druid haters, so perhaps it’s best you make them all love you before revealing this littlesecret.”
My head whipped up and my mouth popped open.Oh God. It was exactly as I thought. They were going to kill me. Logan was going to kick meout.
Her face fell and she reached her hands out to me. “Oh shoot. That was a joke, dear. I’m sorry. I’m awful atsarcasm.”
I exhaled the breath I was holding; it may have been a joke but it was half true. I gave her a fake smile so she wouldn’t feel sobad.
She patted my hand. “Just hang tight until my friend can get in touch with me, okay?” Inodded.
After exiting the car, I stood there and watched her drive away. Once her car reached the end of the property line, I stood there a little longer, not yet ready to go inside. My brain had concluded that Eva thought I was half druid. Druids were evil. I was half evil.Shit.Somewhere in that conversation with myself I had started wondering about the science of it. One of my parents had to be a dragon … and one was a druid … so which one was my mother? And how and the hell did she die of cancer? I was only one hundred percent certain about one thing: my mother, Lilly Murphy, was my biological mother. We had the same hair, same face—hell, I even had this weird birthmark on my left hip that she had. Shewasmy mother. Which meant she was a druid or a dragon, and either way she had lied tome.
That’s what hurt the most.Shelied.
“Sloane?” Logan had come outside and I was too busy freaking out to even hear or smell him. I spun around, hugging my arms to my sides as a chilly breeze swept pastme.
Logan was assessing me, lips pursed, eyes half lidded. If the man couldn’t read minds, he sure wastrying.
“What did Eva want?” He tried to sound casual but his voice was cloaked withinterest.
Don’t panic.I was honest to God the worst liar in the world. I hated doing it and it made me so nervous I usually just blurted the truth out. But this truth could get me killed or abandoned by my new “pack.”
So … I lied. I shrugged, acting nonchalant. “She was just checking in with me. Seeing how I wasdoing.”
He relaxed a little and then looked concerned. “How are you doing?” He stepped forward two steps and then stopped as if he didn’t want to spookme.
I shrugged again. “I’m teetering on the edge of insanity. Ya know, theusual.”
Thank God I was raised by a mother who had a healthy dose of sarcasm, because humor and sarcasm were nice shields to hide behindsometimes.
Logan frowned slightly. “It’s going to be okay.” The typical lie to make the scared female feel safe. I wasn’t in the mood forbullshit.
