Dragon's Hope: A Reverse Harem Serial (Blood Prophecy Book 3) by Lili Zander & Rory Reynolds

Author:Lili Zander & Rory Reynolds [Zander, Lili]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2018-02-14T16:00:00+00:00

11

Erik

The next morning, I’m eating breakfast when Aria comes into the kitchen. “Erik, can I talk to you? Somewhere private?”

“There’s no one here, princess.”

Her lips twist into a wry smile. “Somehow, when you call me princess, I don’t think you mean it as a compliment” she comments.

She’s right. “Sorry,” I sigh. “This isn’t about you.”

“I know.” She pops a bagel into the toaster and pours herself a cup of coffee, holding the pot out to me with a raised eyebrow when she’s done. I refill my mug and wait for her to continue. “Casius let the cat out of the bag last night. He said Zyrian killed your mate. I’m so sorry.”

My emotions oscillate between anger at Slater and relief that the truth’s finally out in the open. “It was a long time ago,” I say after a moment or two of silence.

“And some wounds don’t really heal.” She butters her bagel, her head bent. “My mother abandoned me when I was two,” she says quietly. “I will always wonder why she left me. Did I cry too much? Was I too much trouble? It doesn’t go away.”

And so she clings to the family she does have. The family she’s made for herself. Her wolf-shifter father. Her Norm friend. I can relate.

“I was arrogant.” I stare into my coffee. “My skill on the battlefields was legendary. My honor guard was powerful. I thought nothing could harm Gisele.”

“But Zyrian did.”

“The Dark Dragon should never be underestimated. I learned that lesson the hard way.”

She takes a deep breath. “I never thanked you for paying Silas’ hospital bills.”

I lift my shoulder in a shrug. “It was nothing, Aria.”

“It was kind. Thank you.”

She sits at the table opposite me, her blue eyes determined. Trouble. I’m convinced of it. “You’re plotting something, aren’t you?”

She chuckles ruefully. “Am I that easy to read?” she asks. “I had a spiel all prepared.”

My lips twitch. “Seems a shame to waste it. Hit me.”

She rolls her eyes. “The short version: There’s no reason we can’t be friends.”

I consider that statement. “You’re right,” I agree. “However, I have a feeling that you’re about to ask your new friend for permission to do something dangerous.”

She sets her coffee down on the table. “I don’t need permission, Erik. I’m not a prisoner, remember?”

“That’s Bastian’s opinion,” I retort. “If you were in danger, I wouldn’t have the slightest qualm locking you up to keep you safe.”

Her lips tighten. “I hate to yell on an empty stomach. As my friend, why don’t you give me the benefit of the doubt and hear what I have to say first?”

I’ve ruled over my fiefdom for hundreds of lonely years with absolute authority. I’m not used to answering to anyone. My next words surprise me as much as they do her. “Sorry. You’re right. Please continue.”

“The only reason I’m alive is because Zyrian doesn’t understand who I am,” she says bluntly. “I don’t like being behind the eight ball.”

“What are you thinking?”

“I have a very good theory about who’s responsible for my missing CPS records.

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