“She’s been hurt.”
“How do you know?”
“Mom saw her, too. You’re going to need me, but not yet.”
Zarin wanted to growl. This kid knew more about his mate than he did. “Fine. We’ll talk more about it later. For now, I’ll be right back. Do you want anything to eat?”
“I don’t require human sustenance. But I am thirsty. Water please.”
He nodded and slid out of the car. The kid talked like he was already a thirty-year-old man. He wondered what the kid had gone through. He just lost his mother, but he wasn’t mourning. He acted as though he didn’t have a care in the world except for Zarin accepting him.
Chapter 6
Zarin stood inside the diner, waiting for Willow to notice him. She turned toward him and frowned. That wasn’t what he was hoping for, but she didn’t run into the back. He strode over to her with purpose. She played a part in an innocent child’s destiny. It was time she knew that her life was part of something bigger.
“We need to talk,” he said, and placed his hands flat on the counter.
She sneered. “I doubt that. We don’t know each other.”
“I think you know that something is going on. But you’re afraid of it.”
“I think you’re crazy. I think you see something that isn’t there, and if you keep bothering me, I’ll call the police.”
Zarin was stunned by the venom in her voice. This wasn’t anything like how she acted before. She wasn’t snotty or even rude to him prior. She was protecting herself. “I’m sorry, but I can’t leave you alone. There is someone I know that relies on you.”
She laughed now, but it wasn’t the happy kind. No, it was the sarcastic kind that made his skin crawl. It reminded him of his adoptive mother. He shuddered.
“Right. This is like those crazy perverts who lure kids to their van to see puppies. I’m not stupid, and I’m definitely not a child,” she said.
Her voice was low, and luckily, they hadn’t garnered any attention from the other customers. This wasn’t going well. “Will you at least let me prove it to you? Come talk to me and my family, hear what we have to say, and if you’re still not convinced, I swear I’ll never bother you again.” It was the most he could do. He had to get her away from the diner. He had to be able to show her.
She seemed to think about it. “Fine, but I won’t go to your house alone. And I don’t want the broody one present. He freaks me out.” She sighed. “I really don’t see what you’re going to get out of this. But I can’t seem to say no, so I’ll humor you. Other than that, don’t expect anything from me. I’ve sworn off men for good.”
Zarin held back his triumphant smile, ignoring her last statement. She was drawn to him, too. It was the only way to explain the fact that she couldn’t tell him no, and lucky for him. “Done, it’ll be me and the other person that relies on you. We’ll meet—”
“At the park tomorrow morning. There should be people around.”
Zarin nodded. “Fair enough. I’ll see you then, sweet Willow.”
Her face turned red, and she spun on her heals, leaving him standing there like a fool. He didn’t care, though. His heart thumped against his chest.
‘Finally, we’re getting somewhere.’
Zarin couldn’t agree more. Not that he’d put a lot of pressure on her. Since seeing her, he didn’t know how to approach her. Now he didn’t have a choice. It wasn’t just about them anymore. The strangest thing about it all was that it had only been a few days since she’d run into him, but it somehow felt like a lifetime.
When he went back to the car, he realized he forgot Cai’s water. He looked back and saw Bev staring at him with that same knowing look she always had. The witch always knew everything, and it drove him nuts. He didn’t understand why she didn’t explain everything to Willow. Some shit about ‘not interfering with free will.’ Explaining a situation wasn’t interfering with Willow’s free will. It was helping her to make an informed decision. At least, that’s how he took it.
Instead of going back, he got in the car. Cai looked at him and frowned.
“Sorry. You’ll get your water when we get home. It’s time to meet the rest of your new family.”
The scent of rain and jasmine filled the car, and he swerved. “Calm down. You can’t be knocking me out again, especially not when I’m driving.”
“Sorry,” he replied in a tight voice.
Zarin sighed. “It’s going to be fine, I promise. They are going to love you. You’ll fit in just fine.”
“But I’m not a dragon like the rest of you.”
“That isn’t what matters. Willow, she’s actually human. Sophie was human, and so was Andrea before they mated with Ilias and Aris.”
After ten minutes of trying to ignore Cai’s magical scent, he’d finally managed to soothe the boy. The scent faded a little bit as Zarin drove. To be perfectly honest, he was a bit nervous himself. He was bringing home a kid to a house full of moody dragons and a pregnant queen. Would everything actually be okay, or did he just assume they would? What if Cai was right? He ignored those thoughts. There was no need to worry.
He drove around the last curve to their driveway. Most of the tension left his body as he neared home.
When he turned down the drive, he let out a breath. In the silence, he could hear Cai's heart racing. The closer he got to home, the faster it beat. “It’s okay. We’re almost home.”
There was no response. Zarin watched his eyes widen as he took in the vast surroundings. “It’s over 150 acres of land, with a natural spring on the property. That will be good for you, right?”
“Oh yes!”
Finally, Zarin smiled. Something that helped him calm down. He parked the car in the drive instead of in the garage. When he got out of the car, he noticed Cai was frozen. He went around to his side and opened the door. “I’m going in with you. Don’t worry.”
Cai held out a shaking hand. His skin was even bluer than before. Zarin took his hand, gripping it in his much larger one. He tugged him out of the car and held his hand. The boy’s body shook, and he wobbled on his feet.
“I don’t know if I can do this.”
“I’ve got you, okay? Your mom wanted you to trust me, right?”
“Yes,” he replied, seeming to glue his body to Zarin’s.
“Then listen to your mom. She wouldn’t have sent you to me if she didn’t believe I would keep you safe.”
His body stopped shaking, and his grip loosened. “Okay.”
Zarin led him up the stairs to the front door. He pushed open the door and took in the scent of home. The rest of the stress he felt fell from his shoulders, almost as if it slipped under him.
“Hey, guys. I’ve got a surprise!”
“What’s that smell?” Max hollered.
Cai tensed. “I can’t help it,” he whispered.
“It’s okay. Relax.” Zarin led him to the den and held him close. Everyone was in the room, which was no surprise.
Several sets of eyes landed on him, and Cai was shaking like a leaf by his side. He’d done his best to sidle next to him and hide.
“What—” Max went to ask, but Zarin held up a hand.
“This is Cai. He’s a Half-Nymph, and it seems that the goddess chose Willow and I to raise him as our son.”
Everyone went to talk at once until Aris growled. “First off, hello, Cai, and welcome to our family. Second, what is a Half-Nymph, and why do you need to raise him?”
Cai’s eyes widened at Aris’ authority. Good saved them having to explain. So, he was surprised when Cai answered the question.
“I’m a male water nymph. We’re called Half-Nymph because mom was a nymph; dad was human. And it’s his destiny to save me from being killed since I’m not pure blooded.”
Aris glanced at Zarin who in turn nodded. “His mother sent him here, and he’s known his whole life about me and Willow.”
“Okay, so let me be the one to ask. Who the hell is Willow?” Max aske
d impatiently.
“My mate, and she’s finally agreed to meet with me tomorrow.”
“So, now you’re bringing not only another woman into this house, but a kid.”
“Shut it, Max. Your turn is coming. Besides, we’re going to start building on the property right?”
“Yes, we were going to build for Ilias and Andrea, but since you have a child now, maybe we should start on your house.”
“Oh, I don’t want to cause any problems,” Cai said.
Sophie gushed just like he knew she would. “Oh, honey, it’s no problem at all. It just might be better for you guys to have your own space. We’ll have to get on it much faster now. We’re so happy to have you. Fate is mysterious in many ways.”
Instantly, everyone settled down. For that, Zarin was relieved.
“So, what’s that scent? Is it coming from you?”
“It’s my power; I don’t know how to control it.”
Zarin sighed. “Oh, and he reads minds, so be careful. He has to learn to control it.”
“I can help with that,” Ilias said with a small smile. “It’s the least I can do since you’re helping Andrea.”
Sadly, even though they’d made up, he still didn’t want to work with her. But a promise was a promise. “Yes, after I get things settled with Willow.”
Sophie clapped. “So, Zarin helps Andrea with her problems. Ilias will help Cai learn to control his gift, and we’ll get started on building Zarin’s house first thing next week. And Zarin, your main focus right now is to get Willow to see the truth.”
“Before the nymphs come after Cai. I’m probably going to need her to save him.”
“And they want him dead because he’s not pure nymph?”
Zarin cringed at her pitch. She hated injustice, and since she was about to be a mom, other parts of her were opening up. “That’s about right.”
She huffed. “Well, we’ll just see about that now, won’t we? Cai, come with me, and I’ll get you settled while Zarin talks with the guys.”
Cai looked at Zarin. “Go ahead. She’s now your queen, too.”
He nodded and followed Sophie. Just as Zarin knew would happen, Sophie took him right under her wing. He had a family who would help him with his new destiny. Or maybe it always was. He’d never really pictured himself as a father; he never wanted to hope too much, but now that Cai was in his home, things felt different, and Zarin wasn’t sure if that was for better or worse. Only time would tell.
***
Zarin hadn’t slept; his stomach was in knots as worry filled his every thought. He’d given his bed to Cai, wanting to keep him close. He had no idea how or when he’d have to protect him against the nymphs, but he didn’t want to leave it to chance. He shook his head, realizing the more he and his tribe grew and the more powerful they become, the more other creatures were coming out of the woodwork. There was Bev, the witch, and now nymphs. Next thing he knew, there’d be other shifters coming to town. Stratham wasn’t the biggest town in the world; he didn’t believe there was enough room for more than one flavor of shifter. Dragons, after all, were territorial, and he knew his tribe thought of Stratham as their home.
It was going to be a long day. After his meeting with Willow he had to work. He’d already missed yesterday, and he wouldn’t ignore his obligations. He wanted to take over the gym, so missing any more days wasn’t an option. He had to keep up his human appearances. It was the only way the town would come to accept them. See Zarin had a plan, and it involved the humans eventually coming to know of the tribe’s true nature and, hopefully, accepting them so they didn’t have to hide so much. It was tiring always pretending to be the average human. Aris told him not to get his hopes up, and Max told him not to hold his breath. Humans would never accept them, but then Sophie and Andrea did, so why not more?
Zarin groaned, pulling himself from his thoughts and out of the chair, where he had watched Cai sleeping. The boy shifted in his sleep, but didn’t wake up. He tiptoed out of the room and shut the door, leaving the boy to his sleep. When he went downstairs, it was quiet, and he sighed in relief. He needed to get out of the house without being stopped. He loved the tribe, being so close to his brothers and now the females, but they were overwhelming. Sometimes, he wanted to be alone.
***
An hour later, he was driving toward the park to meet Willow. Excitement rushed through his veins, and both dragons were awake and aware. They paced restlessly within him, fearing her rejection. Zarin had never been so nervous in his life. Not even when he was a kid and his new family started to point out his differences, or when they started asking him strange questions, and last, after they tested him like some sort of lab rat. He cried and cried, asking them why, but his parents never gave him a real answer. They didn’t hide their feelings from him. They thought he was a freak, but one they could use, and that was all that mattered. And the poor girl…he shuddered, pushing off the memories of the past. That’s what they were; the past, and he would never live like that again. The thought of anyone using him as an experiment again brought more fear than rage.
The dragons in him whimpered. He erased the old images and filled his mind with images of Willow with her bright red, pixie hair and green eyes. She was so tiny. He wanted to wrap her up and protect her, but mostly, he wanted to love her. His body reacted to the thought of her in ways he never thought would happen. His body heated, and he felt his eyes shift under his sunglasses. He hadn’t even gotten to touch her yet, and he could already imagine what it would be like to kiss that perfect, pale skin. He purred, realizing that soon, she would be his. She couldn’t turn him away. He would make sure she wanted him as much as he wanted her.
“Get it together,” he muttered when he realized his body was raging out of control. He was nearing the park and didn’t want her first real impression of him to be the raging hard-on in his pants. That wouldn’t help matters, he was sure. She didn’t seem like the type of girl that would be happy about that—not like the girls in his past.
Zarin slowed and pulled into the parking lot. He scanned the whole park but didn’t see Willow, so he took that time to close his eyes and center himself. Breathe in. Breathe out. Body under control. He repeated his mantra until he felt certain nothing would happen during this meeting. It wasn’t like she was going to jump in his arms and let him cart her off—if only it would be that easy.
A few minutes later, he watched as a small, lone figure walked toward the table. She wore a gray hooded jacket that covered her hair, and she looked over her shoulder. He watched as she nibbled her lip and scanned the area before she plopped down on the table. Not on the bench, but on the table facing the street. He could see that she, like him, must not have gotten much sleep. Her posture and tired eyes said it all. She was anxious, too, but was it because she was excited or scared? He frowned, hoping she wasn’t afraid of him. He would never hurt her, and now was the time to show her that.
Zarin sucked in his breath and let it out slowly. It was time.
***
She watched him approach, slow and at ease as if he were trying to help her be more comfortable. She didn’t even know why she came, but something told her she had to. There was no choice. It was a like a compulsion. Willow had to know why this man wanted to be near her and what he wanted from her.
“You came alone.” He was supposed to bring someone with him. She remembered him saying so.
“I didn’t want to disturb his sleep. He’s had it rough.”
He stepped in front of her, leaving distance between them, but his warmth settled over her, and she wanted to close her eyes and relax. He was so calming. Willow blinked her eyes a few times to wake up. Walls up. “So, I’m here. What did you want?”
She watched a change wash over him, and a multitude of thoughts appeared, as if there was so much he wanted to say.
“Do you believe in Fate?”
This wasn’t what she expected, and she laughed. Fate? “If there is Fate, then she hates me.”
“Why do you say that?”
“I’ve had a lot of bad luck in my life, why would I want to believe that someone forced that upon me, as if I deserved it?”
‘Shut up, Willow.’
Zarin ran his fingers through his hair and chuckled. “I used to think like that, too. But then I realized she wouldn’t give us anything she knew we couldn’t handle. So, really, she wants us to realize just how strong we are.”
It was almost as if he had trouble believing his own words, yet he tried.
Willow tapped her foot impatiently. “I hate to be pushy, but can we get on with this? I haven’t been sleeping well, and I have to work today.”
She narrowed her eyes and waited for him to open his damn mouth.
Chapter 7
She wasn’t the most patient person in the world, and Zarin wanted to laugh. Why on Earth would the goddess stick him with a woman that was so much like him? He thought they’d be more different. Willow might be human now, but she was cut from the same cloth as him. Her eyes were guarded, yet curious, as if she couldn’t help herself. Her body tense, as if she was ready for an attack at any time, and from the look of her face, she probably was.
His dragon growled.
“Look, this is hard because I’m not used to opening up to people, better yet strangers, but here goes.” Zarin rolled his shoulders and shoved his hands in his pockets so he wouldn’t reach out to her. He had a feeling if he so much as brushed her skin, she would bolt. “I’m not human, and fate has deemed you my mate. You’ll take my second dragon, and she will live inside of you, thus making you a dragon. We’re destined to be together forever, and to make matters a bit more complicated, it’s also our destiny to save a boy—a boy who is being hunted because he isn’t one or the other. He’s somewhere in between, and in his world, that’s not okay. He’s waiting for his new mother to help him adjust to his new world filled with a dragon family.” Zarin held up his hand. “I know this sounds crazy, but I’m telling you the truth.”
She stared at him. Her mouth agape, but she didn’t run, and she didn’t laugh. So, he did the only thing he could think of to prove to her that he wasn’t crazy. He pulled his hands from his pocket and held his hand out palm up and cupped. For the second time, he used his fire. He closed his eyes and let the magic soar through him. In his hand, a ball of fire built. He kept it small, just enough to show her he had magic. He didn’t need to give the whole town a show. Not yet anyway. He opened his eyes and prayed she could accept him. He needed her, and she needed him, even if she didn’t realize it yet. “Don’t be afraid. I would never hurt you,” he whispered when it looked like she was about to panic. “This is my magic. And to be honest, I’ve been terrified of it for the past two years, until now.”
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