Dragon Kings. It explained how he’d gotten the information and drawn Asher to such detail.
Oh God. She was going to be sick.
Something was placed in her hand, and then Asher’s voice ordered, “Drink, Rae. Drink now.”
She lifted the glass to her lips and took a big swallow. Then promptly coughed as the whisky burned down her throat before spreading its warmth when it hit her stomach.
Her eyes watered from the coughing, or at least that’s what she told herself. All her life she’d made it her mission to expose the wrong kinds of people, but she’d been used and duped as she swore she’d never let happen again.
It felt horrible, and the anger that bubbled within her was powerful. What an utter fool she must look like in Asher’s eyes. All that time being so confident that she had been able to be both places without him knowing it was her.
“Finish it,” he urged and pushed the glass to her mouth once more.
This time she took a much smaller sip. She then put the back of her hand over her mouth and squeezed her eyes shut. All it had taken was Ulrik’s words and the video to convince her to look into the Dragon Kings––that is, after her initial freaked out reaction to knowing there was another species on the earth.
Then she turned everything she had on exposing them.
Now she learned there were Druids and Fae as well. Dark Fae who killed by sex. She coughed, gagging a little as she realized she had chosen a side, just as Asher said.
The sofa dipped as he sat beside her. “Look at me.”
She inhaled deeply, dropping her arm as she opened her eyes while turning her head to him. A lock of black hair had fallen over his forehead ever since he ran his hand through his hair. In his green gaze she saw concern.
How could he care for her after what she had been about to do? Then she recalled his words. Everything she’d learned about Asher in the days following him, talking to him, and even making love to him, pointed to him being a good man.
It had killed her to admit it before, but now that she heard his story and knew who Sam was, she was glad of it.
“How long have you known?” she asked.
He twisted his lips. “Today. I noticed your thumb ring as well as someone I kept seeing at the WWC with the same ring, just on a different hand.”
She twisted the ring. “What happens now?”
He tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear. “That depends on you. Ulrik normally waits until a King has shown interest in a woman before he tries to either turn her against the King or kill her in some way.”
“Now it makes sense,” she said, shaking her head wryly.
He frowned. “What does?”
“Sam asked me if I would fall for you. I told him that wouldn’t be a problem since I didn’t feel desire.”
“At all?” Asher asked, his frown deepening.
“Never. Until you.”
The frown was replaced with a grin. But that lasted only a second before worry contorted his features. “Are you still going to write your piece?”
“I don’t think you should be hiding. I think eventually it’s all going to come out. But I won’t be the one to tell the world.” She didn’t know when she’d come to that conclusion. Perhaps it was during his story. It might have been when he forced her to think of him and the other Dragon Kings and what they wanted.
“Then I can help you. Have you spoken to Ulrik since you’ve been in Paris?”
She gave a shake of her head, comforted when Asher’s hand covered hers on her leg. “He told me he was going to be at Dreagan. I’ve never not written a story, so he fully expects me to gather as much information on you as I can and then write my article to be released a week or two later.”
“If we doona have to worry about you answering to him, that helps. However, I wouldna put it past Ulrik to have you watched.”
“Why?”
“To make sure you doona fall for me.”
She couldn’t hold his gaze. She looked at their hands atop her lap and thought of what she wanted.
Oh God. She was going to be sick.
Something was placed in her hand, and then Asher’s voice ordered, “Drink, Rae. Drink now.”
She lifted the glass to her lips and took a big swallow. Then promptly coughed as the whisky burned down her throat before spreading its warmth when it hit her stomach.
Her eyes watered from the coughing, or at least that’s what she told herself. All her life she’d made it her mission to expose the wrong kinds of people, but she’d been used and duped as she swore she’d never let happen again.
It felt horrible, and the anger that bubbled within her was powerful. What an utter fool she must look like in Asher’s eyes. All that time being so confident that she had been able to be both places without him knowing it was her.
“Finish it,” he urged and pushed the glass to her mouth once more.
This time she took a much smaller sip. She then put the back of her hand over her mouth and squeezed her eyes shut. All it had taken was Ulrik’s words and the video to convince her to look into the Dragon Kings––that is, after her initial freaked out reaction to knowing there was another species on the earth.
Then she turned everything she had on exposing them.
Now she learned there were Druids and Fae as well. Dark Fae who killed by sex. She coughed, gagging a little as she realized she had chosen a side, just as Asher said.
The sofa dipped as he sat beside her. “Look at me.”
She inhaled deeply, dropping her arm as she opened her eyes while turning her head to him. A lock of black hair had fallen over his forehead ever since he ran his hand through his hair. In his green gaze she saw concern.
How could he care for her after what she had been about to do? Then she recalled his words. Everything she’d learned about Asher in the days following him, talking to him, and even making love to him, pointed to him being a good man.
It had killed her to admit it before, but now that she heard his story and knew who Sam was, she was glad of it.
“How long have you known?” she asked.
He twisted his lips. “Today. I noticed your thumb ring as well as someone I kept seeing at the WWC with the same ring, just on a different hand.”
She twisted the ring. “What happens now?”
He tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear. “That depends on you. Ulrik normally waits until a King has shown interest in a woman before he tries to either turn her against the King or kill her in some way.”
“Now it makes sense,” she said, shaking her head wryly.
He frowned. “What does?”
“Sam asked me if I would fall for you. I told him that wouldn’t be a problem since I didn’t feel desire.”
“At all?” Asher asked, his frown deepening.
“Never. Until you.”
The frown was replaced with a grin. But that lasted only a second before worry contorted his features. “Are you still going to write your piece?”
“I don’t think you should be hiding. I think eventually it’s all going to come out. But I won’t be the one to tell the world.” She didn’t know when she’d come to that conclusion. Perhaps it was during his story. It might have been when he forced her to think of him and the other Dragon Kings and what they wanted.
“Then I can help you. Have you spoken to Ulrik since you’ve been in Paris?”
She gave a shake of her head, comforted when Asher’s hand covered hers on her leg. “He told me he was going to be at Dreagan. I’ve never not written a story, so he fully expects me to gather as much information on you as I can and then write my article to be released a week or two later.”
“If we doona have to worry about you answering to him, that helps. However, I wouldna put it past Ulrik to have you watched.”
“Why?”
“To make sure you doona fall for me.”
She couldn’t hold his gaze. She looked at their hands atop her lap and thought of what she wanted.
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