there be anything else?”
“A pitcher of water, please,” Bane said, his eyes on Lily as
she dug into her plate of pasta. She’d slept soundly for almost twenty hours,
which hadn’t surprised him. Bonding was a physically draining process for
dracambri—it was likely even harder on her human physiology. Add to that the
aftereffects of ether and the stress of so much new information on her psyche and
they’d had one exhausted woman. Darek had worried over her but neither of them
wanted to wake her. Bane’s greatest concern was keeping her hydrated. His gaze
flicked up to the waitress, whose mind was a noisy sea of erotic hope.
“Thank you,” he said firmly. Deflated, she left, and Bane
returned his attention to Lily.
They were seated at a booth in the rear of the restaurant, a
small steakhouse about a mile from the hotel where they had been staying in the
Outer Banks of North Carolina. He’d chosen the site because it was close to the
coast and not far from where Kai and Savara lived. They had checked out of the
room and walked, carrying only Bane’s black physician’s bag and a flowery tote
Savara had given him full of clothing and essentials for Lily.
When they got to the restaurant, Bane had insisted that Lily
sit between him and the wall, with Darek across from them in the seat facing
the door of the restaurant. His fear wasn’t that Lily would run away. He was
concerned about what might happen if Anthony or his other Council members got
wind of their relationship with Lily. He trusted Kai and Savara, but it was
possible he’d been seen coming and going this morning.
Oblivious to this problem, Lily ate happily next to him. She
was wearing one of several sets of clothing Savara had given him—a flirty black
miniskirt and a tight pink T-shirt. The word “babydoll” was printed across her
breasts in sequined silver letters.
The previous morning, both Kai and Savara had been helpful,
offering answers and advice. Savara, thrilled at the discovery of Lily, had
given him a number of things for her “sister”—clothes, shoes, hats and a
bewildering array of bottles and potions she’d insisted were absolute
necessities for female existence. He’d taken them graciously, exchanging amused
glances with Kai.
Savara had also proffered an overwhelming variety of barely
decent outfits before huffily conceding that yes, Lily probably needed to look
inconspicuous. Her eye for sizes was uncanny, considering she’d had only a
photo of Lily to work with, but her idea of “inconspicuous” was a far cry from
his own. Still, he thought, glancing at the generous amount of Lily’s cleavage
revealed by the shirt, he had to appreciate her style.
On the way to the restaurant, he and Darek had told Lily more
about the dracambri and the war. Bane could only imagine how strange their
story must seem to her. After all, she’d been raised as a human woman. The
story of the war had troubled her, particularly the idani’s role in the
conflict, giving birth to armies of náladon .
She’d asked to see them in dragon form. He grinned,
remembering her wide-eyed, excited expression. They couldn’t shift there, of
course, not when they might be spotted by the odd hiker. Only those of the sovrán s’
bloodline had the ability to cloak themselves from human detection. Lily’s
dragon show would have to wait until tonight. He knew of a quiet little cove
off the inlet near Cape Hatteras.
Between bites, Lily asked, “About the hybrids—the náladon .
If their mothers are idani and their fathers dracambri, does that mean that I…
That we could… Well, that I could get pregnant with a náladon ?” She
shuddered.
“Your IUD will prevent a pregnancy, Lily,” Bane hedged. It
wasn’t a lie but it wasn’t an answer either. Honestly he didn’t know what would
happen if her IUD were removed. Without the shots, a full-blooded idana could
not have borne his or Darek’s offspring. But Lily was half human. If her IUD
were
“A pitcher of water, please,” Bane said, his eyes on Lily as
she dug into her plate of pasta. She’d slept soundly for almost twenty hours,
which hadn’t surprised him. Bonding was a physically draining process for
dracambri—it was likely even harder on her human physiology. Add to that the
aftereffects of ether and the stress of so much new information on her psyche and
they’d had one exhausted woman. Darek had worried over her but neither of them
wanted to wake her. Bane’s greatest concern was keeping her hydrated. His gaze
flicked up to the waitress, whose mind was a noisy sea of erotic hope.
“Thank you,” he said firmly. Deflated, she left, and Bane
returned his attention to Lily.
They were seated at a booth in the rear of the restaurant, a
small steakhouse about a mile from the hotel where they had been staying in the
Outer Banks of North Carolina. He’d chosen the site because it was close to the
coast and not far from where Kai and Savara lived. They had checked out of the
room and walked, carrying only Bane’s black physician’s bag and a flowery tote
Savara had given him full of clothing and essentials for Lily.
When they got to the restaurant, Bane had insisted that Lily
sit between him and the wall, with Darek across from them in the seat facing
the door of the restaurant. His fear wasn’t that Lily would run away. He was
concerned about what might happen if Anthony or his other Council members got
wind of their relationship with Lily. He trusted Kai and Savara, but it was
possible he’d been seen coming and going this morning.
Oblivious to this problem, Lily ate happily next to him. She
was wearing one of several sets of clothing Savara had given him—a flirty black
miniskirt and a tight pink T-shirt. The word “babydoll” was printed across her
breasts in sequined silver letters.
The previous morning, both Kai and Savara had been helpful,
offering answers and advice. Savara, thrilled at the discovery of Lily, had
given him a number of things for her “sister”—clothes, shoes, hats and a
bewildering array of bottles and potions she’d insisted were absolute
necessities for female existence. He’d taken them graciously, exchanging amused
glances with Kai.
Savara had also proffered an overwhelming variety of barely
decent outfits before huffily conceding that yes, Lily probably needed to look
inconspicuous. Her eye for sizes was uncanny, considering she’d had only a
photo of Lily to work with, but her idea of “inconspicuous” was a far cry from
his own. Still, he thought, glancing at the generous amount of Lily’s cleavage
revealed by the shirt, he had to appreciate her style.
On the way to the restaurant, he and Darek had told Lily more
about the dracambri and the war. Bane could only imagine how strange their
story must seem to her. After all, she’d been raised as a human woman. The
story of the war had troubled her, particularly the idani’s role in the
conflict, giving birth to armies of náladon .
She’d asked to see them in dragon form. He grinned,
remembering her wide-eyed, excited expression. They couldn’t shift there, of
course, not when they might be spotted by the odd hiker. Only those of the sovrán s’
bloodline had the ability to cloak themselves from human detection. Lily’s
dragon show would have to wait until tonight. He knew of a quiet little cove
off the inlet near Cape Hatteras.
Between bites, Lily asked, “About the hybrids—the náladon .
If their mothers are idani and their fathers dracambri, does that mean that I…
That we could… Well, that I could get pregnant with a náladon ?” She
shuddered.
“Your IUD will prevent a pregnancy, Lily,” Bane hedged. It
wasn’t a lie but it wasn’t an answer either. Honestly he didn’t know what would
happen if her IUD were removed. Without the shots, a full-blooded idana could
not have borne his or Darek’s offspring. But Lily was half human. If her IUD
were
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