“Hey. You’re quiet tonight. You okay?” Logan had sat next to me and was now whispering in my ear, which brought that unique woodsy Logan smell withhim.
I shrugged. “Just the run-in with the druids I guess. I’m fine though. I’m actually tired. I wasn’t able to nap much earlier with Mittens attacking myhead.”
Logan smiled. “You know she’s your cat now,right?”
God … he’s sweet and funnyandgood looking. How much longer was I going to be able to fight this undeniable attraction I had tohim?
I returned his smile. “Can’t help it if she loves memore.”
Logan’s hand reached under the table and squeezed my thigh. As he leaned in close, I felt the heat of his breath on my neck. “Don’t worry about the druids. I’m not going to let anything happen to you,” hewhispered.
I barely registered hiswords.
Hand onthigh…
My dragon shook herself; I was flushed with adrenaline. His promise. His hand. It was all possessive, but … in an intimate, caring way I couldn’t explain. My dragon was slithering around inside of me like a two-year-old hopped up on sugar. It’s like she was trying to tell me something but couldn’t speak. Yeah, screw what Logan said, I was stuck in heat; I was sure of it. I wonder if I needed to see a veterinarian about that orsomething.
Logan pulled his hand back and went back to finishing his taco, but it was too late. I was flushed and … well, hot and bothered. I needed some space tothink.
I set my spoon down into my empty chili bowl and stood. “I’m tired, everyone. I’m just going to head up to bed early. It was so nice to meet you guys,” I told Roxy andRuben.
Roxy and Ruben nodded. Logan looked at me a little concerned but nodded too. “Goodnight.”
As I made my way up the stairs, their chatter started up again, and I was relieved to have some quiet time. The moment I stepped into my room, my butt pocket started tovibrate.
I pulled the phone out hastily, closing the door shut. The only people who had this number were the pack and Eva. Pulling the screen up to my face, I saw that Eva was calling.Finally. Did I want to answer? Did I really want to know what my blood was—what I was? Yes. I hadto.
I pressed the green circle and held the phone to my ear. “Hey,Eva.”
Her voice was warm and polite but there was an underlying tone I couldn’t read. “Hi, honey. Are youalone?”
Oh shit. “Yes. I’m up in myroom.”
She was silent for a moment and I knew then without a doubt—I was half monster. Then she confirmed it. “Sweetheart, I took your blood to my friend and he confirmed that you are in fact halfdruid.”
Tears pricked my eyes; my throat tightened with emotion. “How?”
Eva sighed. “Well, If I had to guess, I think it was your mother, sweetheart. She was a druid and fell in love with your father, who would have had to have been a dragon. She probably left the druid clan and they magically stripped her of her power, making her essentiallyhuman.”
I gasped. “They can dothat?”
Eva gave a sarcastic chuckle. “They can do almost anything,dear.”
Frick. I was in shock. “My dad … a dragon.How?”
“You’re twenty-one years old. Twenty-one years ago, there were two dragons alive, Logan andMarcus.”
I gasped. “Logan … could be my father?” I couldn’tbreathe.
Eva rushed her words. “Of coursenot!”
I exhaled all of my breath in one rush, unable to handle the kind of mental torment that would have held. “Who is Marcus?” Where did I know that name? It hit me then. Logan had mentioned a Marcus. He’d said he was a sucker for redheads … like mymom.
Eva exhaled and I could tell this story hit her personally. “He was Logan’s mentor. They had a falling out. Marcus started talking crazy, talking about having sympathy for some of the druids. How not all of them were bad. Things like that. They had a disagreement and Marcus left. Logan looked for him for a few years, but finally only found him when he died. Killed by druids when you were probably ababy.”
“Shit.” I couldn’t take any more; I couldn’t breathe and it felt like a five-hundred-pound rock was sitting on my chest. Maybe I was having a heart attack. My mother … my sweet mother, who gardened and dedicated her life to teaching children … a druid. A dragonkiller.
“You’re sure? You’re sure that your sorcerer friend is one hundred percent certain I am half…?” I couldn’tfinish.
