“Sure, kid,” he sighed and sat back down.
I walked past him and squeezed his arm. His eyes met mine and I gave him a small smile letting him know I appreciated everything he was doing for me, even if it didn’t seem like it, but nulling my powers entirely would seem so… wrong. He seemed to understand and smiled back.
Matias was waiting for me at the door and fell into step beside me as I walked by him. His hand wrapped around mine, and when we made it several more steps down the hall, he twirled me around and backed me into the wall. His lips descended onto mine in a passionate kiss that would make anyone forget where they were.
My hands went up and under his shirt, and his were in my hair, effectively messing it up. He was the one to pull back though, and he did with the smirk of a man who knew exactly what he was doing. The bastard.
“Don’t you dare say it,” I warned and pinched his side, making him flinch.
“I wouldn’t dream of it,” he laughed.
Matias pulled his shirt all the way back down and I smoothed out my hair the best I could under the circumstances. The jerk. He loved to work me up in random places. I guess to keep things exciting? Not that we actually had to work at keeping it exciting.
“Now tell me, what are you supposed to think about?” he asked as we began walking again toward Amos’ office.
“Dev and Irna made a potion that is supposed to nullify my caster side. It isn’t permanent, but it would make me feel like that part of me doesn’t exist while I am under its influence.”
“And you aren’t sure you like that idea?”
“No, I know I don’t like that idea, but it feels like I don’t have much of a choice. My magic is just too unpredictable. I just want it to seem like it’s my decision, ya know? Then maybe it won’t be so hard.”
We walked in silence for a few seconds while he thought about it. When he came to a conclusion, he stopped and cupped my face in his hands staring down into my eyes.
“I understand how difficult it is to feel like your choices have been taken away from you, but if it’s out of your control, why worry about it? Focus on the things you can control, like this temporary solution that the uncle you love has given you, and it’ll work out like it’s supposed to. You can take this potion and it’ll calm your caster side enough so you don’t hurt anyone or yourself while we try to figure out how to fix it permanently and get your caster mate by your side. Yes, it’ll be uncomfortable and I wish it wouldn’t be. Your caster side is as much a part of you as your own heart, but this is something you can do to control the problem for the time being.”
I sighed. “So your advice is to take it.”
“I’m not going to tell you what to do.” I gave him an incredulous look, making him smirk. “I’m not going to tell you what to do outside of the bedroom,” he added. He did love being a bossy son of a bitch while we were having sex, but that was a different story. “It’s up to you, my love, and what you feel like you can live with.”
“Thanks for the help,” I deadpanned, making him laugh out loud.
We descended the final set of stairs down to the first level and rounded the corner toward the hall that Amos’ office was at the end of.
“I’m always at your service, little one,” Matias joked as we approached the office door and knocked.
After a few seconds, Xander, my dragon mate, answered the door. His jaw was clenched until he saw it was Matias and me who was there. His eyes softened, then became apologetic as he opened the door wider, letting us see inside.
My grandfather, Amos, became the faction leader of the rebellion that we were technically a part of, took over when Di “stepped down.” Since then, he’d become much more important to the cause and a lot of the meetings that involved the leaders of the rebellion were happening in the mansion we called home.
That in itself was a big change after the battle at Devlin’s cabin, so when I peered inside, I expected to see the powerful supernaturals huddled around the large table Amos had brought in.
What I didn’t expect to see was Chei Yun Liu as one of them.
Chapter Two
“You have got to be shitting me,” I muttered out loud to no one in particular.
Chei Yun was a powerful dragon shifter, head shifter councilman for the very council we were trying to overthrow, and Xan’s father. He turned me in to the Council when I shifted for the first time when I was younger, and that led to my father’s death and my curse. To say I didn’t like the man would be an understatement of ultimate fucking proportions.
He helped Xan and me out when we fled from my dragon mate’s home in Tennessee, but that was more for his son than for me. He said he felt bad for the situation he caused my family and me, but he was doing his duty to the Council. I couldn’t find it in myself to feel bad for him, even though I knew Xan still looked up to him.
Chei Yun was a good father and a powerful dragon, and like everyone else in the world, human and supernatural alike, he was flawed and made mistakes. The mistake he made cost me my family. I didn’t
