Page 33 of Burn for the Dragon
Kohl grabbed one and kissed the inside of her wrist without taking his eyes from Hawke. “It’s not a threat, man. It’s just a reminder.”
Hawke’s shoulders relaxed as he remembered Kohl’s self-hatred from earlier. “You don’t have to remind me. I’ve got things under control.”
Kohl stared at him for a moment, the tension slowly leaving his jaw. “Thank you.”
With a wink at Devon, Hawke left.
Down in the caverns, Kohl’s words echoed over and over in his head.
Everly is not yours.
Everly is not yours.
Fucking funny, because she sure as hell felt like his.
But there was a reason for the old laws. A good reason. Unlike Kohl’s mother—who was a very kind female, but weak-willed and easily controlled—once Everly shifted the first time, she would become someone else. Someone who wouldn’t like being under the rule of a male who was half her kind. Someone who wouldn’t want to be with a male she would see as the weaker of the two species.
When Everly discovered who she truly was, it wouldn’t take her long to figure out she was no longer the poor, little, deaf girl.
She could rule them all.
Chapter 16
Fed and in her normal attire of jeans and a rainbow T-shirt with her purple sweater tossed over her shoulders and her unruly hair pulled back in a low ponytail, Everly followed Hawke back up to the club.
He’d been more subdued than normal while he’d waited for her to change out of her pajamas, answering her questions with as few words as possible and only looking at her when he absolutely had to. As soon as he could, he’d told her he would wait outside and hauled his ass out of the room.
Everly tried not to be offended. She knew where this all came from. He was beating himself up over what had happened earlier because he refused to see that rules could be changed. She just didn’t see the logic in why two supernatural creatures, even if they were different species, couldn’t be together. Or anyone, for that matter. It didn’t make any sense. If she cared about him and he cared about her, they could make it work.
The real question was, did Hawke care about her?
She stared at the stiff set of his broad shoulders as he opened the door at the top of the ramp and led the way out of the caverns. It was hard to tell. Sometimes, she would swear he did. And other times he made her feel like nothing but a means to an end. The end being finding out information about her brother, who was obviously more of a danger than she ever would have guessed by his shy nature and quiet manner, and why Parasupe had chosen him.
Maybe it was the way vampires worked. If there was a free meal available, they would take it. And if they could get off in the process, then even better. Feelings didn’t need to play into it. Not even brand new, experimental feelings.
Everly felt her face heat at her own vulgar thoughts, and she put her hands on her cheeks as they reached the office door. She started when Hawke pulled them away and looked up at him.
“Are you okay?” His dark eyes were filled with concern.
She pulled her hands from his and nodded as she took off her sweater and folded it over her arm. “I’m fine. Just a little warm.”
His eyes narrowed as he scanned her from head to toe and back again, but he didn’t pursue the topic. Opening the door, he indicated for her to go in first.
Devon grinned from behind the desk, the only one who looked genuinely glad to see her. Everly was surprised to see it covered with actual office stuff, like a computer. “What’s going on?” she asked Kohl, who had pulled one of the comfy chairs around and was sitting beside Devon.
He stood as she and Hawke entered. “Hey, Everly. Did you eat?”
“Yes, thank you.”
Hawke steered her toward the remaining chair, but she shook her head. “I’ll stand, thanks. I’ve been sitting or lying down all day.” She walked around the desk but stopped before whatever was on the monitors came into view. “What’s going on?” she asked again, looking between Devon and Kohl.
Kohl’s eyes flicked to Hawke, and Everly followed the direction of his gaze, but only caught the end of whatever he was saying. “…to show her.”
“Show me what?” she asked Hawke.
His eyes flicked over to her face and back to Kohl. He didn’t answer.
She tried Devon. “Show me what?”
