was saying a lot considering Leigh thought she had the market on that. But this man, he radiated discontent.
Leigh barked out a laugh. “You’re right. At first, I didn’t run. I fought with him at every turn. Once he discovered I was still alive, he decided that we should repopulate the world with dragons. But I didn’t see it that way. I have always been a free spirit, and I wasn’t about to become his property. Which is what he wanted.
“He caught me one day and took me to his home. When I tried to leave, he trapped me in a magical cell, chained to the damned walls. He seemed to think that would sway me to his thinking.”
“I’m guessing that didn’t work out well for him,” Gage offered. Leigh looked at him. He was sitting in a chair with his elbows on his knees, leaning forward. She noticed that the rest of the group had assumed similar positions. They were very interested in what she had to say.
“No,” she continued. “It didn’t. I was trapped there for years before I had saved up enough strength to break free. And even then, I needed him to release me from the cell. So I pretended to have a change of heart. Not all at once, you understand. Over time. I had to let the slimy bastard do all kinds of things to me before he believed me.
“Once I was free, I decked him good and teleported away to America. Or what is now America.”
“Wait,” Rebel interrupted. “You can teleport?”
“Yeah,” she answered. “among other things. Do you want to hear this or not?”
“Of course I do,” he snapped. “But I was just wondering, if you can teleport, why drive?”
“Because if I use my power, he can sense it. He could find me,” Leigh said in an exasperated tone. “I have to be as human as possible if I want to hide from Merrick. He’s very powerful.”
“Please,” Antonio said, “Tell us the rest.”
“At least someone has some damned manners,” Leigh said. “So anyway, after I teleported away I ran. And I kept running. I have been hiding from Merrick for two centuries. I never stay in one place longer than a couple of years. I don’t do friends, I don’t make commitments because I know I will just be leaving them behind. And I don’t do relationships. Ever.” She ended that with a pointed look at Rebel. Better that he understand her point of view right off.
“But why deny yourself companionship?” Angel asked. “What kind of life can one live without others to share it with?”
“A safe one. For me and the companion. I cannot risk Merrick hurting anyone because of me. And he would. He would kill anyone who tried to be close to me.”
“He will not kill me,” Rebel offered. He was looking at Leigh with determination. It was unnerving. He looked at her with adoration and possessiveness. “You are not his. Not now, not ever.” Rebel silently added Because you’re mine , at the end of that thought.
“Yeah,” Leigh agreed. “I belong to no one.”
Rebel muttered something unintelligible under his breath.
“So, if Merrick can follow you anywhere, why do you not just kill him and get it over with?” the vamp with the light blue eyes asked.
“Because, Blue Eyes,” Leigh remarked, “He isn’t exactly easy to kill. And even if he was, I wouldn’t want to because of the whole dying out species issues.”
“Sebastian,” he said.
“Huh?”
“My name is Sebastian. And, is there any other way for a dragon to reproduce? What I mean is, can you produce offspring with another species?”
“Oh, well, sometimes. The only kind of preternatural creatures that I have ever known to successfully mate with a Magi are fairies and humans. But that’s rare.” Leigh shifted her weight on the couch and tried to move away from Rebel. He shifted with her. The man had serious personal space issues.
“What about with a vampire?” Rebel asked in her ear. The rasp of his breath against her sensitive skin cause goose-bumps to break out all over her body.
“Didn’t your mother
Leigh barked out a laugh. “You’re right. At first, I didn’t run. I fought with him at every turn. Once he discovered I was still alive, he decided that we should repopulate the world with dragons. But I didn’t see it that way. I have always been a free spirit, and I wasn’t about to become his property. Which is what he wanted.
“He caught me one day and took me to his home. When I tried to leave, he trapped me in a magical cell, chained to the damned walls. He seemed to think that would sway me to his thinking.”
“I’m guessing that didn’t work out well for him,” Gage offered. Leigh looked at him. He was sitting in a chair with his elbows on his knees, leaning forward. She noticed that the rest of the group had assumed similar positions. They were very interested in what she had to say.
“No,” she continued. “It didn’t. I was trapped there for years before I had saved up enough strength to break free. And even then, I needed him to release me from the cell. So I pretended to have a change of heart. Not all at once, you understand. Over time. I had to let the slimy bastard do all kinds of things to me before he believed me.
“Once I was free, I decked him good and teleported away to America. Or what is now America.”
“Wait,” Rebel interrupted. “You can teleport?”
“Yeah,” she answered. “among other things. Do you want to hear this or not?”
“Of course I do,” he snapped. “But I was just wondering, if you can teleport, why drive?”
“Because if I use my power, he can sense it. He could find me,” Leigh said in an exasperated tone. “I have to be as human as possible if I want to hide from Merrick. He’s very powerful.”
“Please,” Antonio said, “Tell us the rest.”
“At least someone has some damned manners,” Leigh said. “So anyway, after I teleported away I ran. And I kept running. I have been hiding from Merrick for two centuries. I never stay in one place longer than a couple of years. I don’t do friends, I don’t make commitments because I know I will just be leaving them behind. And I don’t do relationships. Ever.” She ended that with a pointed look at Rebel. Better that he understand her point of view right off.
“But why deny yourself companionship?” Angel asked. “What kind of life can one live without others to share it with?”
“A safe one. For me and the companion. I cannot risk Merrick hurting anyone because of me. And he would. He would kill anyone who tried to be close to me.”
“He will not kill me,” Rebel offered. He was looking at Leigh with determination. It was unnerving. He looked at her with adoration and possessiveness. “You are not his. Not now, not ever.” Rebel silently added Because you’re mine , at the end of that thought.
“Yeah,” Leigh agreed. “I belong to no one.”
Rebel muttered something unintelligible under his breath.
“So, if Merrick can follow you anywhere, why do you not just kill him and get it over with?” the vamp with the light blue eyes asked.
“Because, Blue Eyes,” Leigh remarked, “He isn’t exactly easy to kill. And even if he was, I wouldn’t want to because of the whole dying out species issues.”
“Sebastian,” he said.
“Huh?”
“My name is Sebastian. And, is there any other way for a dragon to reproduce? What I mean is, can you produce offspring with another species?”
“Oh, well, sometimes. The only kind of preternatural creatures that I have ever known to successfully mate with a Magi are fairies and humans. But that’s rare.” Leigh shifted her weight on the couch and tried to move away from Rebel. He shifted with her. The man had serious personal space issues.
“What about with a vampire?” Rebel asked in her ear. The rasp of his breath against her sensitive skin cause goose-bumps to break out all over her body.
“Didn’t your mother
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