“Don’t be sorry. I escaped them. All of them are gone now. And I have a home with Niall, and with our friends, Davi and Carolina, and all of our extended family in Texas. And now I have Eli and his clan, too.”
“I’m glad,” Ava said. She had no idea what else to say. “Is that kind of thing common in your world?”
“Until I met Eli’s clan, I would have said yes. The stories I knew were mostly of strife.” Her voice broke. “But that was because of my coven.” Nora wiped her eyes. She leaned her head against the car window. “But Eli’s clan hasn’t been touched by that kind of tragedy. I don’t want to tell you what to do, but please hear him out. Give him a chance.”
A chance? He could turn into a dragon. Anytime he wanted to. That was crazy enough by itself. But she hadn’t known any of that. He hadn’t told her. He had this whole other life he lived, the biggest part of him, bigger than the scientist part, and she’d had no idea.
He’d been able to track down the aliens that were a threat. And then he’d been ready and willing to fight them, to physically wrestle them until they were subdued. Eli wasn’t the nerdy scholar she’d thought.
He wasn’t a scientist first. He was a dragon. And he had a family and friends, and they were all dragons, too. She hadn’t really known him at all.
They’d just decided to date the night before. Would he have told her eventually? Would she ever have known? If they’d gotten serious, maybe he’d have told her. Or maybe he would have ended things before they got to the point where she’d need to meet his family. That thought hurt more than any of the rest, that he’d have ended their romance before it ever really got started to keep his secret from her.
Ava pulled the car back into Nora’s driveway. Ava would have to find a way to thank her. They’d disrupted her life and put her and her husband in danger again. Ava’s frantic call in the middle of the night must have brought up a slew of bad memories. “Thank you for everything you’ve done for us.”
Nora’s hand landed on hers. “We’ll consider you family now.”
Warmth spread through Ava’s chest. “I’d like that.”
“Can I ask you one more thing?”
“Of course.”
She was really being presumptuous to even ask this, but she had to know. “If—and this is a really big if—if Eli and I were to have a baby, would it be a dragon shifter?” Right after she asked, she wondered if it was even possible for them to have a child together.
Nora smiled. “Yes, the baby would be a dragon shifter. And yes, I could see you wondering if it was possible at all.” She picked up her phone and turned it on. She held up the screen, showing off the photo of her own child. “I wondered the same thing. I didn’t know what would happen if a witch and a dragon shifter had a baby. But our little one is mostly shifter with a few of my traits, too. That’s been the same with our family members who are Fae as well.”
Ava’s chest tightened. She wasn’t sure what answer she wanted. She only knew that the thought of a little Eli that was part of her, too, was more than she could handle at the moment.
17
Eli
As Eli pulled up to Nora’s cottage, his mind was spinning.
He could feel Ava’s presence inside the cottage, and he was grateful that she hadn’t bolted. He wouldn’t blame her if she had.
It had taken him too long to figure it out, but Ava was his mate.
He loved her.
And he’d dragged her into the middle of a goddamn alien invasion.
She’d had to witness him transform into a dragon and fight those things that wanted to steal their DNA and manipulate it for their own sick purposes. They wanted to clone humans and shifters and use them for parts. His stomach churned again. He could throw up just thinking about it.
He desperately regretted that he’d had to leave her the night before, but he had to get the aliens away from Earth. That had been the priority. Not his own personal screwups.
He raked his hands through his hair. He was a mess. Of all the things he’d expected when he went to confront the investors the night before, their being aliens had not been one of them.
He hadn’t matched up their arrival with the signals he’d been getting from his extraterrestrial monitoring equipment because he’d treated it as a fun hobby and never really assumed anything would come of it. That was a mistake, and he knew better now. He hadn’t even really decided who to tell yet.
He probably wouldn’t attempt to tell any humans. But he would be notifying the Texas shifters, and he’d tell his own clan, including his cousin at NASA. And of course, Owen and Niall knew.
He looked over at the passenger seat where Owen slept. He hadn’t woken up even when Eli parked the car. Niall, however, had slipped outside the moment the car stopped moving.
The sun had risen over Nora and Niall’s quaint home. Owen had flown them back as soon as the aliens had taken off in their spaceship, and he’d insisted that Eli sleep, but his sleep had been patchy. There was just too much to think about.
He’d always been good at separating his issues into parts and making lists. He rested his head on the steering wheel and started trying to break down all the whirling thoughts in his mind.
Ava was his mate. He loved her.
She knew he was a dragon shifter.
He’d met aliens. They had been semi-hostile.
His monitoring equipment worked!
He’d barged in on his friends and forced them into a dangerous situation.
He now knew a Canadian shifter.
If there was anything else, he was too sluggish to think of it.
He wanted to run into the house and grab Ava, pull her into his arms, and tell her he loved her. He wanted to explain the concept of mates to her and beg her forgiveness.
But what would her reaction be?
She hadn’t signed up for any of this.
But she was so brave. Her naturally curious mind had obviously propelled her to follow him the night before. She’d called in Niall and Nora for help. And honestly, if she hadn’t done that, Eli might be dead by now. He certainly wouldn’t have been able to force the aliens off Earth by himself. Having Nora had been a godsend, and he credited Ava’s quick thinking.
She’d stuck around, even once she’d seen who he truly was. And instead of freaking out and running away, she’d barged right into that lab and told the aliens she was going to expose them. She was an amazing woman. He just hoped he hadn’t lost his opportunity to love her.
He nudged Owen with his elbow. “We’re here.”
Owen jerked awake. “What?” He blinked a few times. “Oh. Okay.” He inhaled. “It was good to meet you.”
He popped the car door open and Eli grabbed his sweater. “Wait.” He wasn’t going to let Owen just leave like this. He was going to have to intrude on Nora and Niall’s hospitality once more. “Come inside with me.”
“You’re sure?”
“Yes.”
“They really won’t mind?” he asked.
“They’re family.” He really was going to have to make this up to Nora. She’d saved his ass twice now, first by helping his clan survive the demon attack and then last night. And she’d stayed with Ava last night, too. What had she told Ava? What was there to say?
He walked slowly to the front door. Ava was still his girlfriend. For now. That could change as soon as he went inside. He didn’t know what to expect. But he’d never avoided a tough situation in his life.
He raised his hand and knocked on the door.
One second later, the door flew open and Ava stood there.
“Eli,” she said.
“Ava.” He couldn’t stop himself. He gathered her into his arms and breathed in her vanilla and honey scent. “Thank God you’re okay.”
“I’m fine,” she said. She didn’t move away from him but left her head on his shoulder. “What about you? You were the one fighting.”
“I’m good. We heal quickly.” How strange it was to be able to tell
her the truth for once.
She pulled back then, and he missed her small form immediately. She ran her hands up and down his arms. “You’re really okay?”
“Yes.”
She turned to the side, peering over him. “Someone’s behind you.”
Oh, hell. He’d just left Owen out there, waiting for him to move out of the doorway. He stepped into Nora’s house, holding the door open for Owen. “Ava, this is Owen. He was our pilot on the flight over. He’s a dragon shifter, too.”
“Hello, Owen.”
Owen said hello and came to stand inside the foyer with a great deal of uncertainty. “I hope I’m not interrupting anything.”
Niall came out of the kitchen then. “Absolutely not. We love meeting new shifters.”
Even Niall’s easy tone and friendly manner weren’t enough to put Owen at ease. But Nora and Niall were kind, and they were generous. For now, Eli would leave them to it, and he’d talk to them later. For now, he needed to be alone with his mate.
They all just stood there staring at each other until Nora came breezing in. “Hello, everyone. Owen, why don’t you join Niall and me for brunch?” She pointed to the kitchen. “I have food in the oven. And Ava and Eli, you two can have the back garden to yourselves.”
Owen made a beeline for the kitchen, and Eli held his hand out to Ava. “Would you join me outside?”
Ava nodded, and she slipped her small hand into his.
Once they’d settled onto the padded bench Nora kept in her garden, they were both silent. Nora came out once more and handed him a plate of bacon rashers and a fried egg.
“Thank you,” he said. He was starving, but he hadn’t been willing to impose on them any more than he already had.
Nora patted his shoulder. “I know how much food is needed to keep you brawny males going.”
She handed a mug of tea to Ava and patted her shoulder, too. Then, she was gone and he was alone with his mate again.
He looked across the lush green yard, with its blooming wildflowers and the pond that stretched across part of the property. They really did have a beautiful home.
He didn’t have time for plants, but his clan often spent time gardening. The scent of lilacs drifted by, and he spotted the patch of light purple flowers. Next to the lilacs sat a wagon, and beside that, a tiny pair of rain boots, which reminded him that he had disrupted their family life in a spectacular way.
He took a moment to be grateful he had not brought the fight to their home.
He took a bite of bacon and steeled himself. “Ava,” he started. “I want to apologize to you.”
“For what part?”
She didn’t look angry. She just looked blank. He would have preferred anger. If she yelled at him or maybe told him off, then he’d know where he stood with her.
“For all of it.”
“Is this the first time you’ve dated a human?” she asked.
He hadn’t expected that question. “Yes.”
“You’ve only dated other dragon shifters?”
“Yes.”
She sipped her tea. He could see the steam rising from the mug as she held it in her hands. “And those were the women who didn’t like it that you had astronomy and astrophysics as a hobby.”
“Right.”
“Were you ever going to tell me?” she asked.
“I’d started thinking about it. There is some precedence in our clan for dating a human.”
Her eyebrows rose. “Really? How many humans are in your clan?”
“One.”
“And how many members are in your clan?”
“Eight hundred.”
She nodded. “You left without telling me anything.”
“I know.”
“I don’t like that.”
“I wouldn’t either.”
“If I hadn’t followed you, what would have happened?” she asked.
He took a few bites, needing something to focus on. “It’s hard to say.”
She sipped her tea again. “Nora said this sort of danger has always been a part of her life, but that it was new to you.”
He was grateful that Nora had spoken to her and given her some details. “That’s right. Nora has survived quite a bit. My clan has been lucky.”
“She said she visited you last year and helped your clan with a battle.”
He might as well tell her everything. He wanted to build trust between the two of them, and if they were ever going to have a future together, she needed to know all of it. “Yes. Demons attacked us.”
“Demons. Demons are real, too?”
“Yes. We were lucky to have Nora. She knew how to enchant the daggers we used, and we also had some warning.” This part would probably also sound crazy to Ava. “My best friend Jackson is married to the daughter of a demi-god.”
“What? A demi-god? You mean like the son of Zeus?”
“Yes, exactly like that. She’s the granddaughter of Ares.”
“The God of War.”
“Yes, and she was an FBI agent, at least until her baby was born.”
“Does she live in your clan?”
“Yes, she does now. Until the baby came, she just lived there on the weekends like I do.”
“Aliens,” she said to herself. “Demons. And witches, and dragon shifters. And demi-gods. What else exists that I don’t know about?”
Should he tell her all of it? He couldn’t see why not. She was in this deep now. “There are also wizards, which are the male versions of witches. There are Fae, there are vampires, and wolf-shifters as well.”
“Anything else?”
“Not that I know of,” he said. “But I didn’t know about aliens either.”
“Hmm.” Now she took a moment to gaze out at the yard.
He waited, but she said nothing else. He would confess to her. It was time. He put his plate to the side and leaned forward, taking her hands in his. “Ava, I have to say this. I love you, and I—”
She pulled one of her hands out of his and held it up. “Eli, I love you, too. But I need time to think.”
His heart soared as he heard his mate say the words, ‘I love you.’ Then, it crashed. He couldn’t breathe. But he didn’t blame her. She deserved a human mate who wouldn’t put her in danger. She deserved to have a life that didn’t include gods and monsters. Hell, he’d just told her demons existed.
It would be information-overload for anyone. He was still reeling from finding out about the aliens.
“I understand.”
She stood up. “I’m going to go pack. Nora and Niall have been more than generous, but I know they’re ready to get us out of here so they can get back to their baby.”
“I agree.” He picked up his plate and followed her inside.
18
Ava
Ava wasn’t angry. She didn’t feel lied to or betrayed, as Nora, Niall, and Eli all seemed to think she’d feel.
She did feel shaken, though. There was so much in the world that she hadn’t known about. Until this week, she’d felt secure in her place in the world and what her view on reality was.
She’d been wrong about all of that.
Not because she’d been ignorant or hadn’t done her research, no. All of it was just unknowable to her. And who knew what else existed out there? Eli was very open about the fact that he hadn’t known about aliens, demons, or demi-gods until recently.
The demi-gods were the hardest for her to accept. She’d read about Greek and Roman mythology in literature, just like everyone else in high school and college. But to find out Zeus and Hera were real? Along with Apollo and Athena and all the others?
It was mind-boggling.
She loved Eli completely. That wasn’t in question. Not only was he her boss, which was complicated, but he had a whole other life. She just needed time to think about what she wanted for herself and what she had to offer him.
They had only just begun to date, but if they became serious later on, then she’d have to accept that
her life would always include a dragon shifter. And because she’d asked Nora that question while Nora was being so patient with her that night, she knew that if she stayed with Eli, then she could have a child that was a shifter.
From what Nora had said, it was a pretty big deal. The thought of her child being different didn’t bother her, but there would be considerations, Nora said. Such as making sure she didn’t let the rest of her family know the truth. And being vigilant while her child was small to make sure he or she was never too rough with other kids.
Nora told her a story about their extended clan in Texas, about the two little boys named Declan and Rowan who were so wild when they were toddlers that they couldn’t attend preschool. It was obvious that Nora adored both boys and spoke fondly of them.
As she spoke of her clan, it was obvious that they were a tight-knit bunch. That would be nice to have. Ava loved her family, but they weren’t close, not like Eli and his family and friends seemed to be. What would it be like to raise a child in a clan with all that unwavering love and devotion?
Those thoughts swirled in her head even as they flew back to Oregon and resumed their lives working in the lab. Eli treated her with the same respect he always had. He wasn’t standoffish, but he didn’t kiss her or hold her hand, although he did put his hand on the small of her back quite often and brush her hair over her shoulder when no one was nearby.
But he didn’t ask her on a date. He didn’t bring up dating at all, and she only saw him during work hours. He also didn’t go out to lunch with her anymore, and she began to miss him terribly.
She didn’t ask him about it, though. Before she did that, she had to decide what she wanted.
She already loved Eli. That was not in question.
Could she date a man who wasn’t human? Could she see herself as part of a clan? Could she raise a child that was part of another world? One she’d never be a part of, not in the same way Eli was.
She didn’t have answers to those questions.
She decided to give it some time and see what Eli said.
But each day passed, and Eli said nothing.
Scientist Dragon's Assistant (Irish Dragon Shifter Brothers Book 9) Page 10