Page 30 of The Mating Magic
Instead, he took her hand and tugged her to thestaircase.
In the living room, Charlotte and Cal Burke stared at the half-disintegrated sofa. They wore matching white shorts, with matching green polo shirts and white sweaters tied around theirnecks.
“Hullo Mother,” Chase drawled. “Sorry about the sofa. I used it for targetpractice.”
“Chase?” Mr. Burke squinted at him. “Where are thetwins?”
“Probably halfway to Kansas by now.” He smiled, a terrible, awful smile showing jaggedteeth.
“Chase darling, are you feeling well?” Charlotte Burke looked nothing like her photos in the newspaper’s society section. This Charlotte Burke looked more delicate, worried…andafraid.
Of her own son, her darling boy, as Chase used to tell herjokingly.
“I’m perfect.” He drew Evie forward, and she became glaringly aware of her wrinkled T-shirt and shorts with the frayed hem. “This isEvie.”
Evie swallowed hard. “It’s a pleasure to meet you both,” she said feeling shy and desperate all atonce.
Both his parents looked shocked and then equally confused. Mr. Burke frowned. “Chase, this is the girl you said you invited the ball? Helen said she broke it off with you and left you because she was bored and had no desire to meet us because we were stuffy andold.”
Mrs. Burke offered a hesitant smile. “You seem like a sweet child, not at all like what the twins said. And you’re still withChase?”
Evie forgot about Chase’s condition. Forgot about everything. “Helen said I walked out because I was bored with a society ball and I didn’t want to meet you? Nothing could be further from the truth. Helen threw me out of the ball because she said I wasn’t good enough forChase.”
Sudden ice frosted her hand. Evie cried out as Chase dropped her hand. “Helen, the bitch, will pay for her lies. As willLynna.”
Mrs. Burke stepped forward, wringing her hands. “My dear, I had no idea. If I had known you had been there thatnight…”
“What mother? You’d have welcome Evie with open arms?” Chase’s tone remained scornful. “You would have kicked her out on her behind surely as Helendid.”
“Don’t be ridiculous, Chase,” his father snapped. “We aren’t snobs. If you’re in the love with the girl, damnit, tell us and stop hiding in the shadows. Make up yourmind.”
A wider smile, showing those jagged teeth as he glowed cobalt blue. No, ice blue. Chase stretched out his palm and flicked hiswrist.
His parents cried out as they fellbackwards.
Evie ran to help them up. “He’s not feeling himself these days,” she whispered. “Please don’t provokehim.”
But Cal Burke stood and scowled at his son. “What the hell is going on here,Chase?”
“Oh, you’ll find out. All of you need discipline. Punishment for making my Evie feelunwelcome.”
“Chase.” Evie tugged on his arms, alarm racing through her at the glow in his eyes, the menacing stance. “You love your mom and dad. Don’t dothis.”
But he shook off her hand and focused on his parents. “Both of you think no one is good enough for me. Especially not Evie. You never asked me about her, how she’s doing or not once invited her over for dinner. You were hoping she was a fling I’d get out of mysystem.”
Summoning one of those dreadful blue glowing fireballs, he laughed. The maniacal sound terrifiedher.
Reason urged her to leave, let him alone with his family. She would not be toblame.
Love urged her to stay, for Chase would never hurt his parents if he hadn’t been affected by the dragonspicepotion.
“No Chase.” Evie ran to his parents and splayed out her arms, shielding them both. “They’re not to blame. I am. Remember, you had to convince me to attend your parents’ball!”
The glow faded slightly from his body. Behind her, she felt Mrs. Burke tremble, heard her teeth chatter ever so slightly. Chase was their adored youngest son. To see him filled with hate and wrath must be breaking his mother’sheart.
She turned to Mrs. Burke. “It took everything for me to show up that night here at your house. I wanted to meet you, but I was afraid. I was afraid I wouldn’t meet your expectations. Not as a Skin… or as adragon.”
Her voice dropped, but she was no longer ashamed. “Because something is wrong with my left wing when I shapeshift. It has been since my first transformation into dragon. I can’t fly for very long without tiring. I didn’t want… you to think I was dragging your son down. And then when Helen tossed me out…I figured it was with yourblessing.”
