Wicked Burn (Realm Enforcers #3)(56)

“Not really,” her brother said. “Don’t tell me you didn’t get a rush out of taking that money and hiding it from the Coven Nine, even if your purpose was honorable and your ends just. The taking and manipulating of riches is like a drug to us.”

She shifted in her chair and glared at him through antique candlesticks. So he knew all about her current situation. Made sense. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.” Yet she understood completely. “Why haven’t you contacted me before?” Yeah, it kind of hurt.

He sighed, his black eyes softening. “We didn’t know you existed until you joined the Coven Nine Council, which, of course, we keep dossiers on. Then our father put two and two together, and as you know . . .”

“Aye. He tried to take me and was willing to kill me if he failed.” Although bewilderment filled her, she kept her voice calm and factual.

“Well, yes.” Desmond poured more wine into the glasses. “He ruled our nation, and some say he had been slipping mentally for years.”

“I didn’t know,” Flynn broke in, his eyes burning with an emotion she couldn’t read. “I was on a mission on the other side of the planet, and I was unaware of your existence or his plan to take you. Beauregard only found out the day they visited you, and it was too late for him to contact me.”

Beauregard. Simone nodded. “I believe he goes by Bear now.”

Desmond snorted. “That name is silly, and he will be referred to by his given name here.”

Simone squinted at her brother. “What if you had known about me and the threat?”

Flynn paused and studied her. “I would’ve protected your life.”

“Really.” Surprise filled her at how badly she wanted to believe that.

“Aye. You’re my sister, and I’d do anything to protect you.” Flynn’s eyes morphed to reptilian and back. “I’ve lived nearly five hundred years on this earth without a sister, and I’d very much like to change that.”

Five hundred years? Man, that was as old as Nick. Simone nodded, almost afraid to believe she could be close to a sibling. Maybe she, Bear, and Flynn could get to know each other. Perhaps the baby would love having uncles. A bear and a dragon uncle. How fascinating. “I would like to know you,” Simone murmured.

Flynn smiled, the corners of his eyes crinkling. “Good.” He moved to allow a small blond woman to refill his water glass, giving her a gentle smile. She smiled back, no fear showing.

Yet she changed as she neared Desmond, her shoulders hunching and her steps slowing. When she’d refilled his glass, she scurried out the door.

Simone watched the exchange, her instincts kicking in along with an unnerving sense of nausea. Morning sickness? At night? “How many dragons are here?” she asked mildly.

“We go deep into the cliffs, and about a hundred or so live here permanently,” Desmond said. “In addition, only about twenty percent of shifters with dragon genetics can actually shift into dragons. We have another hundred of our people spread throughout the world, most of whom can’t shift. Immortals can only have one true nature.”

“So I won’t be able to shift,” she breathed, her eyes widening.

Flynn nodded. “Only male dragons shift, anyway.”

Oh. Well, that bit. “Bear can shift into a dragon?”

“Yes, shifters can sometimes take different forms, but his true nature is a bear, so it harms him,” Flynn said quietly.

No more shifting into scales for Bear. “Why are there only two hundred immortals with dragon genetics across the globe? That number seems really minute,” she said.

“Dragon offspring are rare, even rarer than vampires or demons. It’s possible for a mated dragon to live thousands of years and not procreate,” Flynn said.

“Yet our father had three kids and was unmated,” she said.

Desmond shook his head. “Believe me, Roman was an anomaly. One we can’t explain and haven’t seen the likes of before or since. It was a shock that he’d procreated with a shifter, let me tell you.”

Poor Bear. How alone he must’ve felt. For so many years, she’d wanted to be close to Bear, but they hadn’t had a chance. Now she understood better why. Bear kept secrets, especially about his having dragon genetics, and that needed to end right now. “Are you and Bear close, Flynn?”

Flynn’s nostrils flared, and a veil dropped down over his eyes. “We were close when he was young, but I was on mission quite a bit, and then he was excommunicated.”

Simone frowned. “Why?”

Desmond shook his head. “Let’s not go into tragedy, shall we?”

Simone glanced from one man to the other. There were undercurrents she couldn’t quite grasp. “He’s in Ireland now.”

“Yes, I know,” Desmond said smoothly. “In fact, I’ve sent our soldiers to fetch him. He will join us soon.”

Tension emanated from Flynn as the men waged a silence-filled war, not quite glaring at each other but coming damn close.

Finally, Simone couldn’t stand the swelling atmosphere. It probably wasn’t good for the new babe she carried, right? “If you don’t mind my asking, why is Desmond the leader and not you, Flynn? Considering your father was the ruler. Our father, that is.”