Page 56 of Dragon His Heels
“Pretty much.” The man sounded down right miserable. Was it because he’d ditched his kid? Or because he’d let his entire fucking colony down? Or because he realized how godsdamned embarrassing it was to share all this family shit with everyone staring, hanging on every word?
“Hydra, my mate, was petrified. She was convinced our life would become that whole bunny boiler scenario. You know, from that movie? It came out in the late eighties. It was—”
“Yeah, I get it,” Gabe snapped.
“Right. Anyway, Hydra alternated between wanting to move out west so Dahlia couldn’t find us and wanting to try to get pregnant. But you know what it’s like when you’re part of a colony—most of us can’t just up and move. We feel…obligated, I suppose. The colony is like family.”
“Yeah. I get it.” Gabe doubted his father caught the sarcasm in his voice. Clearly not, when he continued his story as if Gabe hadn’t said anything.
“Hydra would convince herself Dahlia was coming after the baby—you—so then we’d quit trying to have one of our own. She was getting more paranoid by the day, even though nothing had happened for years. Like I said, you were almost four when the curse struck.”
He started twirling the hat so fast it became a blur in his hands.
“Then one night, Hydra had this dream. A nightmare, really. Maybe a vision. She woke in a panic, drenched in sweat, absolutely convinced something terrible was about to happen. It was everything I could do to convince her not to run that very morning. But then a few hours later, something did happen.
“It was like…like a blanket draped over us, snuffing out the fated mate flame, so to speak. Something was gone from our relationship. Just like that.” He snapped his fingers. Several people in the crowd nodded.
“That was the last straw for Hydra. She couldn’t take the stress of it all, so she just up and left.”
Boy, his dad sure knew how to pick ’em.
“I haven’t seen her since. Although I continue to hold out hope that if I can lift the curse, she will come back to me.”
Gabe shifted Ruby from one arm to the other and flexed to get the blood flowing again. What the hell was he supposed to think about this story? What the hell was he supposed todo?
“So how is it possible I’m immune?”
His old man scratched his head. “Well, your mother wasn’t from this colony.”
Another collective gasp from the crowd. Great. Now they all knew their reeve wasn’t even a full-blooded Zilarra dragon. What the hell was next?
“So I’m thinking you’re immune because you’re her son, and half Rojo.”
“Fuck.” Gabe flung his free hand in the air while Ruby gasped and slapped her hand over her mouth. “Sorry,” he said to his daughter.
He turned around, looking for Talia. He needed her. Needed her reassurance. Needed to know she wouldn’t abandon him. He needed her to be the rock he’d never had. Never knew he needed.
But she wasn’t there.
“Son of a…” He turned back around and lifted his hand, palm out, toward his father. “I can’t do this right now.”
I need Talia.
“Adelbern, talk to this man. Get all the information you can out of him. Then call a meeting of the Elders for tomorrow and we’ll figure out what to do with whatever you know. I gotta get out of here.” He whipped his head around, checking the table where the Elders sat, the sections of the stage near the edge of the curtains. Still no Talia, and how was he supposed to go after her with Ruby in his arms?
“Gabe.” Ilsa motioned for him and reached for Ruby. “Give her to me. I’ll take care of her. Go. Find your mate.”
My mate.
He nodded and stormed toward the side of the stage. Fuck his dad and the curse. Screw his mother for destroying so many people’s lives—if she was even the one who created the curse. And all those dragons in there who expected him to perform fucking miracles could go to hell. He’d been off kilter for two weeks now, and he’d finally—finally—realized there was only one way to fix what was broken.
He needed Talia.
When he stepped into the darkness backstage, he paused, giving his eyes a minute to adjust. He heard a sniffle and turned sharply to the left, where he could just make out the form of two figures who looked like they were embracing.
Talia.And who the hell was holding her in his arms? His dragon prowled restlessly in his head, ready to rip someone’s head off.
He moved closer, and once his pupils were dilated enough, he recognized the couple as Talia and her sister.
