Ever Mine (Dragon Lore) by Eden Ashe Read Free Book Online Page B

overwhelming, it hurt. “Something is not right here.”
    When she finally turned to look at him again, his gaze was locked on her face, searching. “Okay,” was all he said. There was no judgment in his wild, dark blue eyes. “Can you stand it for a couple more minutes while we try to get answers?”
    She opened her mouth, prepared to tell him she wanted to leave. There was something very wrong with the place, but leaving meant longer to get answers. Though she wasn’t ready to say good-bye to Nathan yet, she knew staying would be bad for both of them. “I’ll handle—” Her words cut off as a figure popped its head around the side of the house.
    Dark, nervous eyes flittered around, then flicked from her to Nathan. For a second, she was sure she saw triumph and avarice curve his twisted mouth. She darted into Nathan, gripping his arm.
    He spun around in reaction, every honed and massive muscle in his body tensing until he saw the small, mole-like figure peering at them. Nathan relaxed slightly, though he reached around and hooked his arm around her waist, pulling her into his back. “Uncle Thad.” For the first time, there was absolute steel in his voice. “What have I told you about skulking around?”
    Thad smiled, but it did nothing to ease the malice emanating from him as he lifted a hand and pointed at her. He grinned. “Fairy mine.”
    And then he was gone.
     

 
    Chapter 8
     
    What the hell was that about ? Nathan stared at the spot his uncle had just been standing in. Gritting his teeth, his arm still looped around Katenia, he turned and yanked the flimsy screen door open, and roared for his aunt.
    “What?” She snapped as she came scrambling out, an old leather-bound book clutched to her chest. “Since when do you think you have the right to bellow at me?”
    He leaned down until they were at eye level, and bared his teeth at her. “I am not playing games with you, Aunt Mellie. I want to know what the hell is going on. Where did you get Katenia? How do I get her home? And how do I make her fairy-sized again?”
    His batty aunt peered up at him, her wire-rim glasses perched on her large, hawk-like nose. “Don’t use that tone with me. If you don’t like your gift, you say so. You don’t get nasty.”
    He curled his free hand into a fist so he didn’t strangle her. “She is a person,” he gritted out through clenched teeth. “Not a gift.”
    She waved that away with a flick of her bony fingers. “Semantics.” She sighed and leaned to the side, peering at Katenia. “What’s wrong with her? She seems like a viable female to me.”
    Feeling like he had missed the moment his family had turned bat-shit crazy, he took a step toward his aunt, deliberately crowding her space and making her scramble back a step. “You did this to her. Quit the games, quit talking, and fix her!” he roared.
    “Nathan.” Katenia’s soft voice barely penetrated the haze of his fury.
    “In a second,” he snarled, his attention still on his aunt. “I’m waiting.”
    Mellie shook her head, but he was glad to see the fear in her eyes along with the disdain. Good. She should fucking be afraid of him. “I can’t,” she said, her naturally sharp voice like nails on a chalkboard. “What’s done can’t be undone.”
    “Bullshit!” He straightened and pointed at her. “Bull. Shit. You’re still playing games, and I want to know why.”
    Mellie lifted her chin. “Does she want to go home, nephew? Have you even asked her?”
    Sure if he stayed for another minute he’d do something he’d regret, he grabbed Katenia’s arm. He leaned down into his aunt’s face again. “You have two days to figure out how to fix your mistakes. All of them. Or you can find out exactly what kind of madness runs in my veins.”
    * * * *
    It was like the man had grown wings. Still unsteady on her feet, Katenia was having a hard enough time walking without the man dragging her along with him. She knew if she said something,