Page 88 of The Dragon's Mate

She hesitated and he squeezed her hand. “How?”

“There’s a female in our clan - Javee. Sheis Bones’s mate. She has a particular skill with computers that makes her valuableto certain people. The kind of people who can get these types of documents withvery little notice.”

He looked at the passport again. “Is thatthe picture from my driver’s license?”

“Yes, Javee got it.”

“How did she… you know what? Never mind. Idon’t want to know.”

“You need to leave, Bren,” Kaida repeated.

“Why?”

“It’s for your own safety, please trust me.”

He barked out harsh laughter. “I’m gonnaneed a little more than that, Kaida.”

She swallowed hard. “The council wants tosee you tonight to decide your fate, Bren. Humans cannot know about the dragons.”

“I’m aware of that, and I’ll tell them thatI’ll keep your secret,” Bren said.

“It won’t be enough. They’re going to vote,and they’ll vote against you.” More smoke drifted from her nostrils and this timeher hands grew so hot, he had no choice but to release them.

She stared at his hands and then hersbefore saying, “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt you.”

“It’s fine. So, when they vote against me,that means what? Death?” His voice sounded remarkably calm considering hisguts were churning so hard they were moving up into his esophagus.

“Yes.”

He sat back in his chair, the blood poundingdully in his ears.

“I’m sorry,” she said. “I’m so sorry. Ishould never have brought Sika to you, but I was panicking and I… I’m sorry.”

“You brought Tyler to your clan,” he said.Anger was starting to replace the shock. “You brought Tyler and Corey to yourclan and if they had discovered you were dragons, Tyler would have beenkilled. Is that what you’re saying? What the fuck were you thinking, Kaida?”

She didn’t cringe at the fury in his voice,and a small part of him admired her for it.

“I was confident Tyler wouldn’t realizewhat we were. He is in no danger from my clan if he continues to believe weare bear shifters.”

“Did Corey figure it out?”

She hesitated and he frowned at her. “Didhe?”

“Yes.”

“Fuck.” He ran his hand through his hair.“If he tells Tyler -”

“He won’t. Trust me on this, Bren. The foxyearling will keep our secret.”

Unable to sit still any longer, Bren stoodand paced the interview room. “Did Corey meet with the council?”

“He did,” Kaida said slowly. “The council votedto let him live.”

The tension eased a little from hisshoulders. “All right, that’s good news. If they let him live, then -”

“They let him live because he is a shifter,”Kaida said. “They have no trust in humans. Especially a human whose father is…”

“A senator hell-bent on destroying shifters,”Bren said.

---