“What the Hell Ryleigh!” Declan yelled, crouching over his desk, planting his hands, and staring right her. He needed her to realize how bad this was and how serious he was. She needed to start talking, but he needed something to ground him. For the moment, his desk would have to do; he ignored the loud cracking noise. He would never strike out at his daughter, but he was infuriated. This was even worse than Declan had expected. If word got out about what he was or what his people were, the damage would be horrific. His people lived by rules of secrecy which would put the government to shame. He was a Shifter, a man who could turn into an animal at will. He and his clansmen had lived thousands of years right alongside humans without detection, and now it looked like his daughter might be the reason behind the downfall to his entire race. He had been so cocky to not realize that Ryleigh had picked up on some of his Shifter traits. Never once did he detect her discomfort or even her curiosity. She never mentioned a thing.
Declan didn’t like the position that this new information put him in. He knew that his shifter DNA couldn’t be traced, his lineage and bloodlines were long extinct. Humans had no Dragon DNA to compare to his, but that didn’t mean the others were out of the woods. Apex predators were common, and although they were different from the traditional animal varieties, there would be similarities. Someone with Ryleigh’s brain or the others on her team could easily discern those similarities, and if that information ever got out, Fuck! He wanted to scream at her to forget about this, to never mention it again, but he also needed to know it all. What all did The Holly Group know? How could he protect his people while also keeping his daughter safe? Were all the members of The Holly Group like NAC, could all her people be trusted? Fuck, the list went on and on.
Her Dad never had so much as raised his voice to Ryleigh in all the years that they had been together. So, to have him yelling now, Ryleigh knew that all the theories her team had come up with were true, at least in part. He hadn’t denied anything yet, but he also hadn’t confirmed it. Her Dad was more than met her eyes.
“Did you know we are related?” Ryleigh sneered. This was the thing she hated most about all that she had learned. Ryleigh could feel her lip pull up and quiver, but she forced her body to remain planted where it was, desperately wanting to see his reaction. They were blood-related, and he had either not known, which she hoped he hadn’t, or kept it from her, which she hated. Didn't she have a right to know? Wasn’t family supposed to be the most important thing? That was what he had taught her.
“Those extra chromosomes led right back to you or at least someone in your family,” Ryleigh declared. “The rest, the standard ones, they lead right back to those people who created me. I have to ask, is that why you took me from that place? Or how about we start with the simple question, what are you?” Ryleigh wanted to be pleased by the flinch those words invoked, but she wasn’t, this all hurt her too much.
Turning his back to her, looking up at the ceiling like it held some answer he was never going to find, Declan was at a loss. Fuck, the hits kept coming. He had no idea he and Ryleigh were related. It wasn’t possible, his brother had died young, and he had no other siblings. His father would have been too old to have created Ryleigh. It was possible, but the old man had been so depressed after Seamus had passed, he was pretty sure he never left his home. Looking at the paperwork Ryleigh had given him, he noticed that he and Ryleigh did share a twenty-five percent DNA match. Not really knowing what that meant, he had to ask.
Turning back to his desk, he moved his chair into place and took a seat. He wouldn’t get anywhere if he kept on ranting and raving. It looked like Ryleigh wasn’t the only one who needed answers.
“What does all this mean, Ryleigh,” he said pointing at the open folder. He was avoiding her questions, and he knew it. She knew it too because her shoulders slumped, and she looked down at her feet.
He wasn’t ready to disclose everything just yet. There was still a chance that some of the secrets could be kept. There was one in particular he would always keep from her. It was better for both of them that way. They had always had a bond; he was really never sure where it came from, it was instant and insistent. Never having children, he assumed it came from his human side. Blowing off what he always knew was true that his dragon had also claimed Ryleigh. It was unheard of, and he couldn’t name a single time it had ever happened in all his years.
He knew the moment he saw her that he needed to protect her. His instincts had always driven him, and that day, they had been screaming at him. His dragon had been clawing at him. Declan had a firm grip on the beast, but now that he really got down to the brass tacks, he realized how much he had already let slip. Ryleigh was family. He had no idea how or why but knew what she was saying was the truth. It didn’t change his feelings, but it explained so much.
“What that means Ryleigh…” he tried again, still pointing to the paper.
This time she answered, taking her cues from him. She released one of her arms from around her stomach, but kept it close, like it would somehow protect her from what was going to come. She pointed at the papers on his desk like they were going to jump out and bite her. Clearing her throat again, she said, “What that means is you and I are blood-related. More specifically, you are either my Uncle, Grandfather, or Nephew. We had a twenty-five percent match.”
Declan shook his head. He still couldn’t get his mind wrapped around what she was saying. When that didn’t work, he got up and started pacing. Pacing always helped him concentrate, but this time it did nothing. He kept stopping and looking at Ryleigh, wanting her to finish, but at the same time he was unable to accept what she was saying. It didn’t make any sense. Instead of expressing this verbally, because he wasn’t quite sure how it would come out, he gestured at her on his next pass to continue.
God, Ryleigh really hated this. Her dad was agitated and angry. It was instinctive for her to never want him to be that way, but she couldn’t just brush any of this under the rug. She couldn’t pretend she hadn’t seen something like when she was a child. She couldn’t ignore the evidence her team had discovered. She could make him happy and pretend that everything was all right, but it wasn’t. So, she gave him the facts. Sometimes it was easier to deal with data than with emotions.
“I discounted Grandfather because you said that you’ve never had any children. Furthermore, since you are only in your late forties, there is no way that one of your offspring could be my parent. Unless you are way older than I ever knew,” Ryleigh accused. “Same thing goes with Nephew, the timeline doesn’t add up, so Uncle it is,” she said, shrugging her shoulders. The move helped her relieve some of the tightness. She couldn’t resist one more dig, “Or is there more to this than meets the eye here, like everything else I am finding out?”
Declan flinched at her accusations. He had kept things from her, but he never lied and hoped he wouldn’t have to. She had never mentioned any of this before. Not about his shifter traits or even his disappearances from the house. Why had she waited so long to confront him? Shit, he was just as clueless, not even knowing they were related until this very moment. Even hearing and seeing the information didn’t stop him from his duty; protecting her.
“Listen, little girl, you are treading in waters that could get you killed. There are people out there who will hunt you and your team down if this information got out. Shit, even if they get wind that you have knowledge of this information. Do you understand me?” Declan continued his pacing. When he got back to where she was standing he continued. “If not, let me make it clearer; just having my DNA and running it without my knowledge or consent is an act of treason in my world.” More pacing. “Not the kind of treason that gets you put in jail either,” he said, throwing his hands up in the air and quickly turning back and adding, “the kind that gets you eliminated. Do you understand me better now?” he said, perching himself on the edge of his desk.
Ryleigh jerked. Surely the man who had been so loving and raised her as his own wouldn�
�t eliminate her or allow someone to ‘eliminate her’ as he so eloquently put it. She was confused and angry, but she still loved him as she had prior to this knowledge. She just wanted answers. Was that so bad? This stuff didn’t only affect him, she was right in the middle.
Authors Note:
They say it takes a village to raise a child. I get that. What I didn’t know when I first started writing these stories was that it took a village to write a book. I have had so much support and encouragement. I will always be eternally grateful.
A special thank you needs to go to my editor, Sandy Ebel, with Personal Touch Editing. You have helped me make a good book great. DeAnne and Rachele, thank you so much for being my beta readers. Your feedback helped me more then you will ever know.
To my sister, you always have my back and that is something I will never be able to repay you for, thanks for always being there. Thanks for the encouragement and supporting my dreams.
To my husband, I know I make you want to pull your hair out sometimes, but your unwavering support and confidence in my abilities astounds me every single day.
To my readers, thanks for giving a me a chance. I hope you stick with me and discover all the trials and tribulations yet to come. I hope I leave you guessing, but most of all, I hope I leave you intrigued. Enjoy the ride and happy reading.
Please check out www.chelseahandcock.com for updates and future books. You can also reach me on Facebook at any time, https://www.facebook.com/AuthorChelseaHandcock/.
Cash: NAC & The Holly Group (Alpha Team Book 6) Page 20