Page 15 of The Dragon's Warlock

5

Diem

“Seriously, how can you be hungry again?” Gideon asked.

The night before, she hadn’t slept a single minute, even after Gideon fell asleep next to her. Each time she tried to close her eyes, images of his naked chest flashed through her mind. He didn’t look a day over thirty.

“I can’t control my stomach. Maybe I should’ve had Lucy check for a hole.”

Kia had cooked enough to feed an army. When Diem walked into the kitchen and saw a pile of pancakes, eggs, waffles, and bacon, she wondered who else was coming, but nobody else showed up. The food tasted so good she hadn’t even realized she’d eaten six pancakes, three waffles, and a large portion of the bacon.

“If you let me drive, you could eat.” Gideon held up a candy bar. “Or you could take a nap.”

“You just don’t like that I’m driving.”

“Jumping into the driver’s seat and locking the door was childish. This is my car.”

“Did your mother not teach you to share?” She didn’t know anything about his family. In her short time in his house, she hadn’t seen a single photo.

As for her family, the landlord had thrown away the only things she had that had belonged to her sister. Once she found her sister, she would do anything to make sure she was okay. Hopefully, the two of them would be able to figure out their new dragon sides—if she was also a dragon. Growing up, they’d figured out everything together. Her last night in the lab before she was shipped away, she’d caught a glimpse of a blonde who looked like her sister.

Gideon’s voice brought her out of the haze. “I don’t remember much from my childhood, so I can’t answer your question.”

“Do you remember your parents?”

“Yes, but my childhood was different during that time. I’ve seen and done so much over the years. I don’t deserve happy memories.”

Her heart ached for the warlock. Gideon was wrong. Everyone deserved a happy memory. She would figure out a way to make him smile more over the next few days.

“Everyone deserves to be happy,” she said. “I’m sure you had a reason for all the bad you did over the years.”

“Money and greed led me to do a lot of evil things.”

“Then spend the rest of your life making up for it.”

“It’s not that easy.” Gideon reached over and turned up the music. She guessed that was his cue. He no longer wanted to talk.

Diem enjoyed watching the scenery pass by. When she’d been a pilot, she’d worked well over fifty hours a week. She’d spent more days in hotels than in her own bed—which no longer existed, thanks to Kael. When Gideon had killed the man, she’d felt no remorse.

Relief and shame washed over her. He hadn’t gotten a trial. Kirin had brought in some man who made the decision that Kael would die. The supernatural world had its own set of laws, which she couldn’t find a book about.

She still didn’t know if sitting in a car with Gideon for sixteen hours was the right decision. Her dragon thought it was and sat in the back of her mind, purring. Gideon was one thing Diem still didn’t understand. He’d confirmed they were mates, but she hadn’t gotten the full meaning of that. Lucy had said something about them being made for each other.

Does that mean we’ll date, or is he going to ignore the fact that he demanded I have his kid?Over the years, she’d saved enough money and wanted a family but never found a man she clicked with. She’d had a plan to cut down at work once she was pregnant. Kayda kept telling her she was crazy for wanting to become a mom by herself. Now she still didn’t know if she would get to be a mom.

Her foster parents had been neglectful. Diem knew what not to do. She just wanted to love someone. Maybe that wasn’t a good reason to get pregnant, but it was her decision.

“Why do you want kids?” Gideon asked, breaking the silence.

“Can you read minds like Kirin’s daughter?”

“No. I was just thinking about what you said. I was curious why you went to the fertility clinic.”

She had two choices: to have a conversation with Gideon or tell him it was none of his business. She found herself wanting to talk to him.

“I wanted a kid.”

Gideon didn’t respond immediately. He glanced out the window before turning his light-green eyes on her. “Then why didn’t you date?” he ground out between clenched teeth.

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