Dretnor, pleased with himself stepped back and crossed his arms. It was over. He’d won. The crowd went wild.
But wait… Drake strode to the microphone and held up his arms. It took a moment for the audience to notice, and when they did the heavy silence hung with anticipation.
“Cast the spell of truth on me.” A cacophony arose at Drake’s words.
What the fuck is he doing? Even in my pain over his betrayal, a part of me didn’t want to see him hurt, not until I’d had a chance at him, the rotten, lying asshole.
The mage stepped quickly onto the stage for the second time and cast the spell of truth. The blue flames sprung up around Drake, dancing along his tanned skin.
His eyes met mine and I couldn’t look away. “Yes, I am a dragon shifter. I didn’t tell you because I wanted to get you used to me before I let you know of my beast. It is not easy for me to trust, knowing how my kind are hunted.” The flames burned steadily, his words truthful. But we both knew his dragon wasn’t the real issue.
My hands squeezed tight around the armrests of the throne. “And when we met, were you there to discredit me?”
“Yes, I admit someone hired me to make you look bad, or if I had the chance, allow the soul we both hunted to kill you. And I’d planned to do it. I’m a mercenary and bounty hunter. Give me the right price and I will do just about anything. But once I saw you, I changed my mind. I couldn’t hurt you.”
“You stole my bounty.”
“Aah, but that didn’t actually hurt you did it? However, it did get your attention right where I wanted it. On me.”
“Were you hired to kill me?” I wondered if I should feel flattered he’d decided to fuck me before killing me. When did he plan to do it? The next time we got naked and I was vulnerable?
“I did make myself available should someone wish to put out a contract on your life.”
One large tear rolled down my cheek and a crushing pain enveloped me, not a physical one but mental, a debilitating sensation, one which made me drop my head and stifle sobs.
“But I never intended to actually kill you.”
I waited for him to start screaming at his obvious lie. When not even a whimper sounded I looked up and met his eyes filled with sorrow.
His eyes pled with mine. “The offer of my services as assassin was to flush out whoever wanted to hurt you, so I could kill them and keep you safe. I would never harm you.”
“Why not?” A simple question meant to convey a dozen questions I couldn’t voice.
“The moment I met you, my beast recognized you as our mate.” I snorted. “Great, so because your dragon wants me, you decided to pursue me instead of killing me.”
“My dragon wants you, very much, but the man, he wants you even more. You intrigue me Sally. I love your feisty attitude. I love the way you kick ass. I love that thing you do with your tongue. Don’t you get it, I love you.”
Now I really expected him to start screaming as the Fire of Truth seared his lying skin from his body, but the flames still danced harmlessly.
Oh, by Satan’s horns, he told the truth. I tried to get up and run away from the love in his eyes, from the love bursting forth from my heart. I couldn’t give in to it. Love would hurt me, destroy me. Make me into someone I wasn’t.
A force held me in place though. I vaguely heard the crowd cheering and whistling.
Then the emcee boomed. “Both have told a deep dark secret and proven their worth.
There is only one challenge left now. Tune in tomorrow to see who will be the Last Sidekick Standing.”
The curtain dropped and the invisible force holding me let go and I ran, straight to Daddy.
Chapter Seven
My father’s reception room overflowed with females—demons, souls and beings belonging to realms outside Earth and Hell. I pushed my way through them, looking for my father who lounged amidst his harem.
As soon as he spotted me, he clapped his hands and shooed his lovebirds away. As a demon of lust—some humans once upon a time had even worshipped him as a god—he was never without female company, and sometimes even males accompanied him.
I threw myself on my father, burrowing my face into his chest.
“Whom do I need to kill?” he asked in a voice dripping with frost.
Daddy dearest always knew what to say to make me feel better. “Me, for being such an idiot.”
“What is it, Sally-bird? What’s happened?”
Um, was my father the only one in Hell not watching HBC and its ongoing saga also known as my life, the unfolding disaster.
“Is this about that Drake boy? Do I need to have him hung up by his toenails and have his entrails ripped out?”
“Yes and no. He said me loved me, Daddy.”
“The bastard,” said my father in a choked voice.
I peered up at him to see him stifling a grin. “You jerk. You knew why I was here.” Daddy laughed. “Of course I did, you idiot. You’re my little girl, I know about everything that happens to you. So Drake admitted, under a spell of truth no less, he loves you. What’s the problem?”
“I don’t want love,” I grumbled.
“Excuse me?”
I shouted. “I said I don’t want love.”
“Why ever not?” I couldn’t believe the note of incredulity in his voice.
“Love is for pussies. It makes a person weak and do stupid things.” My father dumped me off his lap and stood up. “Listen here, young lady, I don’t know where you got those foolish notions, but you need to readjust your thinking. Love, contrary to your belief, makes you stronger.”
“I notice you don’t deny it makes us do dumb shit though.”
“No, I won’t deny it. Love will make you do things you never would have dreamed of, but you want to know a secret?”
“What?”
“Those stupid things will make you insanely happy.”
His answer made no sense. How could acting like an idiot make me happy? Then I thought of Drake and the laughter we’d shared the previous night, and to my disgust, actually understood what my father was telling me. I really hated it when he was right.
But it didn’t mean I forgave Drake. The prick had lied to me. Maybe I would skin him and make boots out of his dragon hide.
As if thinking of him conjured him, he strode into the room. My father looked at Drake with his stony face, then to me with my stubborn look. He sighed. “Good luck, son, you’re going to need it.”
Then my father left me with him. My eyes couldn’t help drinking him in, from the partially unbuttoned shirt which strained over his bulging muscles, to his snug jeans where evidence of his arousal distended them. I left his eyes for last because once I gazed them into, I found myself caught as if in an emotional vortex.
“What are you doing here?” I tried to control the trembling of my voice.
“I’ve come to collect my mate.”
“I’m nobody’s mate. Go find yourself somebody else.” Brave words considering just the thought of him with another woman made me want to growl.
“You are mine. I thought to give you time so that you would come to me of your own volition, but I see now it would have never happened. I don’t know why you refuse to admit you love me.”
“Maybe because I don’t love you.”
“Liar.”
“I don’t care what you think. Now go away.”
“Not without you.”
The steely glint in his eye gave me a moment’s warning and I whirled to flee. But he had no intention of letting me go, and while I’d never admit it aloud, I didn’t want to escape.
But just because he’d caught me and proceeded to carry me back to his lair didn’t mean I’d give in easily. Stubbornness was one of my most endearing qualities.