Page 139 of The Dragon's Mate

Or he hates you and wants nothing to dowith you.

Her dragon made a second grief-filled cry andshe soothed it as she tried to focus on the conversation around her.

“Well,” Mara was sitting on the other sideof Corey and she reached out and took Corey’s hand and Tyler’s hand in hers, “I’mso sorry for what you’ve gone through. You didn’t deserve to be blasted allover social media and the television like that. Poor sweet boys. No onedeserves to feel bad for loving someone. It’s terrible that your classmate sentthose videos to the media.”

The wolf shifter radiated kindness and amotherly instinct that Kaida could only hope to replicate. Tyler and Coreywere already fixated on her, she could smell their fascination. Knowing theywere both starved for a mother type role model, she wasn’t surprised in theleast by their immediate affection toward her.

“Did Jeff admit he did it?” Bren asked.

“No,” Tyler said. “But we know it washim. Who else would have done it?”

Kaida’s phone buzzed and she looked at thescreen. A low growl slipped out of her throat and Bren said, “What’s wrong?”

“It’s Sika. I know how they got the videoof us this morning.” Her anger grew and smoke drifted from her nostrils.

“That’s so cool.” Tyler stared in fascinationas Kaida waved the smoke away.

“How did they get the video?” Bren said.

“Drago,” she replied.

“Drago?” Tyler turned to Corey. “A dragonnamed Drago. Hilarious.”

The two boys’ snickering turned to outrightlaughter and Bren said, “Enough, you two. Why would Drago take that video,Kaida? More importantly – why would he release it to the press?”

She rubbed the back of her neck. “He is beingsent to Belinda’s clan to join their council. He asked me to go with him ashis mate and I refused.”

“Ah, the old spurned lover bit,” Willowsaid.

“Drago and I were never lovers,” Kaidasnarled.

Willow held up her hands. “Sorry.”

Kaida slumped against her chair andgrimaced apologetically at the tiny human. “No, I’m sorry, Willow. I didn’tmean to snap.”

“You’ve had a hard day,” Willow said. “It’sperfectly understandable.”

“When they saw the video online, Sika and Jarviswent to Cadmus with their suspicions that it was Drago. Other than Bones, Sika,and Jarvis, he’s the only one in the clan who knows where Bren lives,” Kaida said.

“It could have been a human,” Tyler said. “Someonewalking by at the right moment.”

Kaida shook her head. “It was Drago. Hetold me I would regret refusing to be his mate.”

“What did Drago say when Cadmus confronted himabout it?” Bren asked.

“Drago has already left for Belinda’s clan.Cadmus called him and Drago denied it was him. He said that they had no proofhe did it.”

“Bren’s a cop,” Tyler said. “He can findthe proof. It’s, like, what he does.”

“It’s not worth it,” Kaida said. “What’sdone is done.”

She wanted to reach out and take Bren’s hand,but resisted. Sika had also texted Cadmus’s request that Kaida return to herclan immediately and to bring Bren with her. She couldn’t refuse the high elder’sorder, but she also couldn’t force Bren to return to the clan with her. Now thathis father knew the truth, now that his and Tyler’s life had been completelyupended, she was pretty certain it was over between her and Bren.

Her dragon wailed in misery, and sheshuddered again when pain sliced through her chest at the thought of losing hermate.

The front door slammed and Mal and Bishopjoined them in the kitchen.

“Hi, honey.” Willow smiled at Mal as he bentand kissed her.

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