Now that she wasn’t naked, Gena threw the pillow aside and faced him squarely. She no longer had to hide behind the pillow, and she refused to shiver and cower before Kieron.
Who the hell was he to say that Robert and Emily weren’t her real parents? They were her parents, in every way that mattered.
She stepped up to him and stood toe to toe with him.
“Why are you behaving like this?” Her violet eyes flashed with pain and anger. Why are you behaving like a jerk all of a sudden?
“What’s the matter with you?” She was yelling, but she was glad that she was able to keep the quaver out of her voice. “Just what is your problem? You catch sight of my mark, and you immediately push me away. I know it looks bizarre, but I didn’t think you’d be spooked that easily. Just one look at my mark and you treat me as if I’m diseased, or...unclean...”
“You are!” Kieron roared. “You...you come from evil. You have her mark. You—are Vanora’s daughter! The daughter of that vile, evil sorceress who enslaved me and Lachlan. And Vanora hurt Breene, Lester and Simone as well. She was an evil, cold-blooded, blood-thirsty fiend!”
He advanced towards her and snarled, “You—are a sorceress, Gena. An evil sorceress, like your mother!”
Gena paled but managed to whisper, “She’s not my mother.” In a stronger voice, she said, “My mother is Emily Martin. And she was a kind, sweet, loving human woman.”
Kieron let out a pained laugh. “You are Vanora’s daughter. You...you even have her hair and eyes. Dark blue hair, violet eyes...” His face twisted in disgust. “I knew I’ve seen those eyes before. Those hypnotic, soulless eyes. But I couldn’t remember where. I...I didn’t want to remember...”
Gena swallowed. “Just because I have blue hair and violet eyes doesn’t mean...”
Kieron spat, “You bear her mark. Look in the mirror. Only her daughters bear her mark.”
Gena shook her head, refusing to believe what he was saying. Kieron grabbed her by the arm and pulled her into the bathroom. He held up another mirror so that she could see the reflection of her freakish mark clearly in the bathroom mirror.
“Look,” he ordered. “Your serpent is moving. It is swallowing its own head. Can’t you feel it?” he whispered dangerously. “Can’t you feel the mark on your neck moving, growing and glowing?”
Gena stared unblinkingly at her glowing mark, watching the serpent devour itself.
Kieron threw the handheld mirror against the wall, shattering it.
“You are a sorceress, Gena,” he whispered angrily. “Your mark confirms it. And your powers...” He let out a harsh, bitter laugh. “You said you’ve never used your powers before. But I think you’re lying. You were hiding your powers, Gena. You’re exactly like Vanora. That’s what she did. She hid her powers and pretended to be a human woman. She tricked me and Lachlan into helping her, and then she gave us a drink laced with poison. We woke up in her dungeon, and our torture began.”
“No...” Gena shook her head in horror. “No.”
“Vanora caused so much pain and suffering to a lot of innocent, good people. She was a shrewd, scheming, powerful sorceress. But she pretended to be a weak, helpless human woman. She had no scruples, no conscience, and she preyed on good, kind people. She used their kindness against them. Isn’t that what you are doing now, Gena? Coming into our home, our lives, so that you can use us and hurt us?” Kieron hissed. “You take after her, don’t you? You are just like your mother!”
“No...I’m not my mother.” Gena shook her head rapidly. “She...Vanora is not my mother!”
Her denial enraged Kieron and he shoved her forward towards the mirror. “Look in the fucking mirror,” Kieron snarled. “You are her daughter! You have her power, her eyes, her mark!”
Gena stared at Kieron’s face in the mirror. He still looked like an angel, with his strong, handsome face, but she suddenly realized that this angel wasn’t here to save her. He was an avenging angel, here to avenge all the sins and evil committed by her mother.
He tightened his grip around her neck, and Gena knew that he could snap her neck in a heartbeat. He could kill her right now and have his revenge. Would he do it?
With a strangled cry, Kieron released her suddenly and staggered back. His blue eyes swirled with turmoil and anguish. “Why?” he said in a pained whisper. “Why…you?”
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
Gena stared at herself in the mirror, taking in her dark blue hair and strange violet eyes. It was as if she were looking at herself for the first time. She wasn’t who she thought she was. She was...someone else.
She wasn’t human. Her birth mother was a sorceress.
She knew that her hair and eye color were unusual. People kept asking her if she dyed her hair and they thought she wore colored contact lenses. They didn’t believe her when she told them that this was her natural color. Finally, she had just learned to smile non-committally and let them draw their own conclusions. People would simply believe what they wanted to believe.
And right now, Kieron believed that she was evil.
She was Vanora's spawn, so she had to be evil. Like her mother.
The truth slammed into Gena like a blow. She gasped at the sharp pain in her heart, and she had to grip the edge of the vanity counter for support.
The pieces all fell into place. Her birth mother was a sorceress, a cold-hearted, evil sorceress. There was no love, no compassion in her heart, not even for her own daughter. She had thrown Gena to the wild animals, left her to die in the woods soon after giving birth to her.
Gena turned her hands over slowly in front of her.
She finally understood where she got her power. From Vanora, her birth mother. She was a sorceress.
“I...I’m not evil,” she whispered. She didn’t know if she was talking to herself or to Kieron. Most likely to herself, since Kieron didn’t seem inclined to believe anything she said.
To him, they were lies. All lies.
He was standing at the door with his back to her. She could feel his rage, pain and conflict. He wished that she wasn’t Vanora’s daughter. But he had seen the truth with his own eyes.
“Kieron...I...I’ll leave,” she said. “I’ll leave right now. I will never, ever hurt your family. But I know you don’t believe me. I...”
He raised a hand to silence her but he wouldn’t look at her. “Stay,” he grated out.
“But...”
“If you leave, the wolves will find you and kill you,” he snapped.
Gena’s eyes rounded. He was concerned about her safety. Why would he still care for her?
“No one will hurt you here,” he snarled.
Gena bit her lip hard. You just did. You just broke my fucking heart, Kieron!
“I...I may be Vanora’s daughter,” she said, hating the quiver in her voice. “But I am not my mother. I will never be like her!”
Kieron forced ragged breaths into his lungs. Finally, he said, “For years, I dreamed of spilling Vanora’s blood. She may be dead, but the damage she inflicted on my brother cannot be undone. She destroyed his dragon! Lachlan may never shift again. His dragon will die, and so will he. He won’t be able to heal quickly. He will grow sick, old and weak. I vowed that I would hurt Vanora’s family the same way she hurt mine! I knew she had daughters, and I wanted to hunt them down and destroy them all. But Lachlan made me promise not to go after Vanora’s daughters. He didn’t want me to be consumed by vengeance and hate.”
Kieron turned around with a painful laugh, and Gena saw the utter devastation in his eyes.
“You’re going to kill me?” Gena whispered.
Pain flickered across his face. “I won’t hurt you, Gena,” he hissed.
Gena looked down and saw blood oozing between his fingers. He had gouged his claws deep into his palms to stop himself from attacking her.
Kieron wrenched the bedroom door open, smearing his blood all over the door knob. He stopped and turned his head over his shoulder but he couldn’t
bring himself to look at her.
She was the daughter of his enemy. That was all she was.
That was all she would ever be to him.
The door closed firmly behind him, and Gena was left alone in the room. She finally sank to the floor, and buried her face in her hands.
Violent sobs racked her body as her world titled on its axis and splintered into a million jagged shards.
Everything she knew and believed about herself was a lie. Her parents were good people, and they believed that she was good too. They had seen that ominous mark on her, but still they believed that there was no evil in her.
“What if...” Gena whispered through her tears. What if she was evil, like Vanora? Was evil like a disease that insidiously invaded her cells and bloodstream until it reached her heart?
Would she really hurt Kieron and his family?
“No,” she whispered. “No!”
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
Kieron walked into the kitchen and saw Breene, Simone, Lachlan and Alex sitting at the table, digging into the sumptuous breakfast that Lester had prepared for them before he retired for the day. Lester’s favorite resting place was the top of the pillar by the castle gates. From his perch beside the gates, Lester could see who was coming and going. He might be stuck in stone form during daylight hours, but his mind and eyes were fully alert, and he liked to keep an eye on things throughout the day.
Conversation flowed easily around the breakfast table, and Lachlan was chatting cheerfully with Alex. Breene and Simone had obviously filled Lachlan in and introduced him to their guest.
“You okay?” Kieron asked tersely. Lachlan looked fine but he wanted to be sure.
His brother smirked and flexed his muscles. “Of course. I’m tough. You should know that.”
“Any pain?” Kieron said, keeping his eyes on Lachlan’s face. He would know if his brother was lying. “Anywhere?”
Lachlan tilted his head. “Hmm, my throat feels a little sore. Probably from screaming so much.”
When Kieron tensed, Lachlan rolled his eyes and said quickly, “I’m kidding! Geez, you’re in a mood today. So—where’s your lady friend?”
Alex glanced expectantly at the door. “Yeah, where’s Gena?”
Kieron grunted and shrugged.
“Isn’t she with you?” Alex’s eyes widened. “I thought you two...”
Lachlan saw the scowl on Kieron’s face and gave him a commiserating smile. He had come to the conclusion that Gena had spurned Kieron’s amorous advances. That would explain Kieron’s foul mood and bad temper.
Lachlan cleared his throat loudly and tried to change the topic. “So, where would you guys like to...”
“Everything okay, Kieron?” Simone asked.
He poured himself a big cup of black coffee and sat down without a word. He didn’t even answer Simone. He didn’t want to lie to his sister-in-law. Everything was not okay. But he didn’t want to tell his family that.
Alex shot to his feet. “I’ll go get her,” he said worriedly. “I know she’s an early riser and she never misses breakfast.”
After Alex flounced out of the kitchen, Breene, Lachlan and Simone stared at him in silence.
“What,” Kieron barked, slamming his cup on the table and sending hot coffee sloshing over his hand.
Breene and Simone exchanged glances but Lachlan kept his eyes on him. “What’s going on?” Lachlan said quietly. “What have you found out?”
Kieron jerked. He didn’t dare meet his brother’s piercing, scrutinizing gaze. Lachlan could see right through him.
He couldn’t tell them what he’d found out about Gena. Couldn’t tell them what and who she was.
Vanora was their enemy. She had enslaved Lester for decades, tortured and mutilated him. She had poisoned Breene and tried to trap him and use him. Simone had almost died fighting the evil sorceress. And Lachlan…
Vanora had hurt his whole family. She was dead now, but some wounds ran too deep to heal. What would his brothers do to Gena if they knew that she was Vanora’s daughter?
He hated her.
He hated that she was Vanora’s daughter.
But he had to protect her from his brothers’ wrath. Breene was a powerful dragon, fiercely protective of his family. Kieron knew that Breene was a reasonable man, but his dragon was a fearsome, ancient beast that was more than two hundred years old. More than a century older than Kieron and Lachlan. Their dragons were young, compared to Breene’s.
If Breene’s dragon killed Gena…
Kieron clenched his fists. No!
He hated her, but he needed her to be safe. He couldn’t let them throw her out either. The Lightning wolves would find her, and they would finish her off.
“Kieron,” Lachlan said. “Alex and Simone told me that Gena possessed some...special powers. She healed Alex last night. But no one knows what she is. Is she a human psychic and healer, or some kind of...witch or sorceress...”
At the mere mention of the word “sorceress”, Kieron exploded. “Enough!”
Three pairs of eyes widened at him.
“Enough of what,” Breene said.
“Stop.” Kieron growled. “Stop fucking talking about her!”
“Kieron!” Simone gasped. “What is wrong...”
“Nothing.” He forced himself to take a deep breath. “Nothing is fucking wrong.” He looked at Simone and said, “I’m sorry. I’m sorry, Simone.”
Breene was standing up, ready to rip into Kieron. “If you don’t feel like talking, then don’t. But don’t talk to Simone like...”
Simone put her hand on her mate’s arm and said, “It’s okay, Breene. Really. Please, just sit back down. And eat. All of you,” she scolded.
Kieron mumbled another apology and tried to ignore his brothers. Both Breene and Lachlan were glaring at him, their silence angry and ominous.
Alex came skidding back into the kitchen, panting and wheezing. He had probably run all the way down the long corridors and down the endless flights of stairs from Gena’s room to the kitchen.
“I can’t find her!” he gasped.
Kieron jumped up and was in front of Alex in two strides. “What do you mean...”
“She’s not in her room! She’s not anywhere!” Alex cried.
“Did you go to the right tower? The castle is very big...”
“Yes, yes! I know which tower she’s at and which floor. Breene and Simone told me this morning. She’s not there!” Alex wailed. “I ran down all the corridors shouting for her. She’s not in the castle! Gena is gone!”
“There is no way...”
Breene held his hand up suddenly. “Wait. Lester just communicated with me,” he said.
Breene and Lester could communicate mentally even when Lester was in stone form. The two of them had been through a lot together, and they shared a very close bond.
“Does he know where she is?” Simone asked anxiously.
Breene nodded once and frowned.
“Lester said that Gena is at the castle gates. He said she’s kicking and cursing at the gates, trying to open them. And now—it seems she’s attempting to climb the gates! She’s determined to get out.”
CHAPTER THIRTY
Gena cursed as she pushed hard at the tall metal gates. “Come on! Just open up, goddammit!”
She backed up a few steps and ran at the gates again. She aimed a flying kick at the castle gates and almost landed on her butt. But all she got for her trouble was the barest shudder.
The imposing, impregnable castle gates remained closed.
Passing a hand over her forehead, which was now covered with a light sheen of sweat, Gena looked up and saw the stone gargoyle perched on the top of the right pillar.
She squinted at the statue and saw a flicker in those ruby eyes. “Lester?” she asked tentatively.
The gargoyle didn’t move, didn’t blink. But his eyes seemed to be following her every movement.
“Can you open the gates for me, Lester?” Gena tried
. “I...I need to leave. Please.”
The gargoyle simply gazed at her. But he looked very unhappy.
“Please,” she whispered, glancing over her shoulder. “I can’t stay here. I...I’m not who you think I am.” She gave a small, bitter laugh. “I’m not even who I think I am. I...”
“Gena! Gena...”
She spun round at Simone’s shout. The woman was hurrying towards her, cradling her swollen belly in both hands.
“Oh, Simone...” Gena cried and went to her immediately. “Don’t run! Please, you shouldn’t be moving around so much...”
Simone waved a hand, and grabbed Gena’s arm once she was within reach. “Gena...you...” Simone put a hand on her back and panted, struggling to catch her breath. “Oh my, I just get tired so easily now,” she wheezed. “Where are you going, Gena?” Simone asked, clasping Gena’s hand tightly. “Why do you want to leave? Are you not comfortable here? Is there something...”
“No, no,” Gena said quickly. “You’ve been wonderful hosts. Your home is so warm and comfortable. It’s luxurious! And all of you have been so kind to me. It’s just that...”
“Gena!” Alex was running up to them, looking distressed. “You...you’re leaving without me? Why? What’s wrong?”
Alex saw her grimace and went to her side. “If you’re leaving, so am I,” he said firmly, linking his arm through hers.
“Alex, you’re safe here,” she said, pulling away gently. “Don’t leave because of me. You can...”
“No. If you go, I go,” Alex repeated.
Gena looked up and saw Breene, Lachlan and Kieron coming towards them.
Kieron walked behind his two brothers, but his eyes locked on her, pinning her to the spot. Gena swore under her breath. Even now, even when she knew how much he hated her and wanted her gone, she couldn’t deny that she was attracted to him.
He was strong, stubborn, fierce and protective of those he cared about. He didn’t want his family to be hurt, but he also didn’t want his family to hurt her. It was clear from their words and expressions that Kieron hadn’t breathed a word about her lineage.
The Dragon's Match: Paranormal Shifter Romance (Hearts on Fire Book 3) Page 8