Page 12 of The Dragon's Mate

Kaida smiled briefly. “Eat, little fox.The sooner you regain your strength, the sooner you’ll be able to leave.”

“Right.” He ate some of the soup as Kaidasat down in the armchair. “Did you tell Tyler you were a bear shifter?”

She shook her head. “I did not.”

“He thinks you are.”

“That’s better for him. In fact,” sheleaned forward and stared directly at the teenager, “if you tell Tyler what wereally are, it will not end well.”

“What do you mean?” Corey whispered.

“We will burn you to a crisp, little fox.You, your boyfriend, and his brother.”

“I…what?” Corey’s face had turned white andshe hated that she was scaring him, but she had no choice.

“No one can know of our existence. I broughtyou here because I feared you had a serious head injury and my grandmother is ahealer. But, by doing so, I have revealed a secret you were never meant toknow. In the morning, you will go before the council of elders. They willdecide your fate.”

“My fate?” Corey held the bowl of soup ina tight grip.

“If you can convince the council that youwill not reveal our existence, they will allow you to live. If they believe,even a little, that you won’t keep our secret…”

She inhaled and then allowed a small plumeof smoke to escape when she exhaled. Corey’s eyes widened and in a quiveringvoice said, “They’ll kill me.”

“Yes, little fox, they will.”

He’d lost so much colour now, he waspractically transparent. He stared at the bowl of soup in his hand beforesetting it on the coffee table. “I won’t say anything,” he said. “Not to Tyler,not to anyone. I promise.”

“I know,” Kaida said. “Be very clear onthat point when you meet with the council in the morning.”

“I-I will.” His voice was quivering again,and she leaned forward and rested one hand on his shoulder. He flinched but sheonly squeezed lightly.

“Get some more rest, little fox. Do notworry about tomorrow. If you truly mean what you say about keeping our secret,the elders will see that.”

When he curled up on the couch, she drewthe blanket over him before taking his bowl to the counter. She rubbed at herforehead, feeling nauseous and a little like a monster. What kind of shiftertold a child he would die?

It’s for his own good.

Yes, it was. And, she took a deep breath,Cadmus would let him live. He would never harm a child. The other elders inthe council might argue but Cadmus was the high elder. They would bend to hiswill.

She stood in the kitchen and ate a bowl ofsoup before washing the dishes and putting the leftovers in the fridge. By thetime she was finished, Corey was sleeping again on the couch.

There was a knock on the door, and shehurried to open it before Corey woke. She groaned inwardly at the shifterstanding on her front porch. He was over six feet tall with broad shoulders.His shoulder length dark red hair had streaks of green throughout it, and therewere flecks of emerald in his golden eyes.

“Good evening, Drago.”

He peered around her at the fox shifter sleepingon the couch before snorting in disgust. “The council wants to see you.”

“Yes, I imagine they do.” She threw hercloak over her shoulders and followed the red-headed dragon into the darkness.

* * *

Bren stepped intothe foyer of his apartment building. He usually took the stairs but, bone tiredand ready for a hot shower and cold beer, he took the elevator up to hisapartment. He’d just slid the key into the lock when the door across thehallway swung open.

“Bren!”

He groaned inwardly. It wasn’t that he didn’tlike his neighbour, he was just really fucking tired and in no mood for smalltalk. Pasting a smile on his face, he turned around. “Hey, Helen.”

Helen eyed him up and down, her light blueeyes studying his before a frown crossed her wrinkled face. “You look like shit.”

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