Page 38 of Destined By Dragonblood
Throat tight, I nodded over what Father had assured us of. Still, my stomach roiled. “I’m a philanthropist and donate to those in need,” I continued, my voice barely above a whisper. “Especially to dogs that deserve to be cared for when their owners abandon them.”
“Dogs?”
“Yes. I’ve had two shelters built and continue to cover all expenses for the aging and sick, the unselfish creatures no one can be bothered to love.”
I didn’t share that I’d adored one such creature decades earlier and had left them behind out of selfishness and a broken heart.
My beast didn’t mourn that part of our past as much as my human side, the cold bastard. He didn’t give two shits about domesticated animals, cats especially. As for the homeless creature who’d found me twice while trailing after Ashley, I planned to locate him and take him north of the city to one of the shelters where he would be properly looked after.
Waste.
Liar, I wanted to speak to my beast but kept my lips sealed. Nothing about caring for needy dogs was a waste of my time or money.
Ashley stirred her hot chocolate with a shaky hand, still studying me intently enough I shifted my weight in the plastic chair beneath me.
“You’re suspicious,” I stated, easily reading the wariness on her face.
“As any woman in her right mind would be.”
I nodded, leaning forward onto the table. “How can I prove myself to you, Ashley? What do I have to do to earn your trust?”
She glanced around the nearly empty seating area but didn’t make a move to leave as I got the impression she suddenly wished to do. “That’s the second time you’ve called me by name when I didn’t supply you with one,” she accused, meeting my stare.
Curses rang through my head from both my beast and human side alike.
Partial truth.
“An old friend of mine shared your personal information with me,” I answered, believing the proposal that Elijah would be willing to vouch for me since his female had revealed Ashley to be my fated mate.
“Who told you about me and why?”
“Elijah Tolzman because I lost my heart the second I first saw you.”
Ashley blinked, settling back into her chair. “Mr. Tolzman? I’m one of his secretaries.”
“I’m well aware.”
“I’ve never seen you in his office before, nor have I heard him mention your name.”
“Even though we don’t have in-person interactions at his building, I have known him for many years. We were even roommates for quite a few of them.” Elijah and I were a lot more than that, but my female never needed details about how her alpha had submitted his body to another.
“Huh.” A hint of a smile flitted over her face, relieving some of the tension in my stomach. “That man saved my life. Well, not really, but I smashed into him with a tray full of coffee a couple of years ago. He hired me hours later. Elijah, while my boss, is like a big brother to me, the one I never had but always wanted.”
Elijah must have unknowingly sensed the hint of dragonblood in her veins and instinctively looked out for her.
Such knowledge had taken first scenting her then skin contact in order for me to sense she was more than human.
Because Elijah is in tune with his inner beast, and you selfishly keep me shackled up inside, only allowing me out to play when your human half is too weak to obtain what you want.
I fought to keep from clenching my jaw over my beast’s spewing of bullshit. Ashley’s presence lowered my defenses and gave him more strength than usual, but as long as I held control in my hands, he would remain unable to affect my physical body.
Ashley might be mostly human, but the fact I was now convinced her line had spawned from dragonblood generations ago, I told myself I could accept her lesser bloodline as my mate. Some might think me arrogant to believe destiny had allowed her to be born specifically for me, but Father had insisted I remember who I was.
Worthy.
Wanted.
Deserving of greatness as a pure Blood Born.
