Page 30 of Silent Jay

I folded my arms and tapped my elbow. Right, except Betty wasn’t real, and Jaiyana Adel was a wealthy immortal with a vampire accountant who wouldn’t believe shit unless my dead body was bleeding across his precious laptop. Either Scalehive didn’t do anything, these guys were lying to me, or they didn’t know what was going on either.

Ryker stood with the tablet, making his cream button-down glow and casting his face in a sinister shadow. I looked at Doctor Raba again, who watched me like a hawk. Either of them could be in on it.

Fuck.

“You don’t seem very upset.” Doctor Raba said, furrowing his bushy eyebrows.

I tossed my hands into the air and poked my forehead so hard it made a solid thunk.

“Even if she could return.” King Ryker ignored me. “We’d have to fund it. just give her to the water dragons, son.” He turned, dismissing me. “My people will get her outfitted for the social tonight. We’ll turn her into something Rehan can’t resist.”

Tyson’s gaze wavered before he followed his father’s lead, deliberately turning his back and walking toward the exit.

My heart cracked open again, and I gritted my teeth. Two days. I’d only been with him for forty-eight hours, pretending to be something I wasn’t. I had not fallen for the asshole.

He made you happy.

Shut up.

I wouldn’t waste another tear on Tyson’s ass. Maybe I’d have better luck with the water dragons. At least now I had a better understanding of what was going on, I could approach them differently – starting with telling Rehan the truth.

To my surprise, Tyson paused at his door and looked back at me. His gaze shifted to Doctor Raba, still standing at my side. With a growl, he lunged forward, pulled the Doctor away from me, and shoved him out. Tyson paused with his door mostly shut, his gaze roving over me like he was memorizing me a final time.

“Jay.” He swallowed, and his Adam's apple bobbed. “I didn’t want this.” He curled his fist and knocked on the wooden frame. “I…”

Before he could continue, I held my hand up, pushing down the swell of emotion. Despite his angry words the day before, if I could have been his Betty, I would have. But it never would have worked, and we both knew it.

‘It’s not your fault,’ I mouthed.

His face pinched. Instead of exiting, he rushed me, crushing me to his chest and kissing me hard.

“Tyson!” Ryker’s voice drifted through the open door.

Tyson released me. A little line of static shock jumped from one part of his dramatically spiked hair to another. Without a word, he limped out the door, holding his balls. The lock clicked into place, leaving me in his quiet, empty apartment.

Despite my promise not to cry, a single tear slipped down my face.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

REHAN

The sunset colors bathed the cliffside in rays of purple and pink. A few tiki torches sprang to life prematurely around a dance floor made of lava stone and earth magic. Off to one side, a tiki bar dished out drinks. At the other, a fire dragon DJ spun tracks of techno and Spanish guitar. His dragon ears and tail whipped through the air, just behind the beat, as he bobbed his head. Behind all of it, the forest loomed, getting darker as the daylight abandoned it.

Tyson had yet to bring my mate to The Social, but the event was just kicking off.

Elemental dragons rarely mixed. It was really just this event and the semi-yearly Elemental Meetings. Even tonight, pods of red-haired dragons, in their red jeweled button-downs, clumped together, keeping their distance from similar pods of blue and brown. As it had been for years, only a few air dragons were in attendance.

Ogden caught my attention. The earth dragon was around my age. I’d seen him at every social and Elemental Meetings for years, but we’d never exchanged more than greetings andsuperficial small talk. With my nerves rattling my mind, I found myself nodding at his familiar face.

The lanky earth dragon, dressed in a brown shirt and black pants, blinked at me in confusion, took a step toward me, then turned back to his fellow earth dragons, frowning.

We’d never approached each other before. Why would tonight be any different?

Mate. Mate. Mate.

My dragon chanted in the back of my mind. I turned away from the earth dragons, willing complete control over my body from my overly excited beast who felt Giggles moving toward The Social through our bond.

Tukaqu gaze bore into me from across the room. I took a deep breath and let it out. Although Grandad hadn’t said anything, he knew everything I did. I was sure of it. He would wait until he needed something and then use my secret to his advantage. I had to make Giggles mine tonight. Nothing could go wrong.

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