Her Dragon (Book 2 of The Circle Series)

CHAPTER 6: THE TRUTH I

VALENTINA

I hit the library on campus for the day. My classes begin next week, and with the holidays and Giada’s wedding, I haven’t had much time to go over the material I’ll be teaching. It’s a requirement of my program and something I’m looking forward to. Teaching at the university level is something I’ve always wanted to do. That’s why I’m working towards my PhD, and obviously, I want my work to be published.

I plan on being nowhere near my house around dinner time because I know Amadeo will show up, and I’m not interested in any more of his lies. If whatever he’s up to is problematic, all will reveal itself eventually, and I’ll be prepared.

Besides, I need to stop thinking about that domineering dragon and concentrate on my work. He already cost me last night and my sleep.

I’m not the least bit prudish, but I’ve never done something as brazen and calculated before, and it’s been running through my mind since. More surprising was how much I enjoyed every minute of making him feel good. I enjoyed the way he tasted on my tongue and his belt around the back of my head—all of it, which is precisely why I need to stay away.

*******

By the time I get home, it’s late and snowing quite heavily. I love the winter, but my driveway takes a while to clear, and my thoughts are on the time I should wake up tomorrow to shovel when I nearly bump into a figure sitting on my steps.

“I’ve been calling you for hours. Where have you been?” Amadeo asks gruffly, cloaked in the dark.

“My phone is off.” Even though I can’t see his face, I can feel his anger. “What are you doing here?”

He grunts and picks up two boxes of pizza and a takeout bag.

“Where were you?” he asks again, more softly.

I don’t owe him an explanation. What’s wrong with him? It’s nearly 10:00. I put the key in my door, and he’s close behind me.

“You can’t come in.” I spin to face him. Dark eyes stare back at me unflinchingly.

“I brought food.” He steps forward, crowding my space, and his smoky scent makes it difficult to concentrate.

“I don’t care.”

“Valentina-”

I place my hand on his chest and push, cutting him off. “I want you gone.”

“You asked me at the coffee shop why I’m here. I’ll tell you. Let me in, and I’ll explain.”

“You’ll tell me everything?” He nods and follows me inside. “I can’t believe you waited out in the cold this whole time. I told you not to come here.”

“The cold doesn’t bother me much.”

“Okay, Elsa.” I remove my jacket and take his to hang in my closet. He removes his brown leather ankle boots, and I quickly admire how he fills out his black jeans and v-neck black sweater. He looks good, but that’s nothing new. I sneak a peak of myself in my hallway mirror and smooth back some flyaways.

“Who’s Elsa?”

“From Frozen?” He looks at me strangely. “The Disney movie?” Of course, he doesn’t know Disney movies. Why would a centuries-old dragon watch them?

He throws his head back and laughs, taking me by surprise. It’s a full belly laugh, and my stomach burns all the way down to my core because of the canorous sound. I take the food and bring it to the kitchen. He follows and laughs the entire way, and my cheeks are on fire. I’ve blushed more since I’ve met him than I have in my entire adult life. I need to get it together.

I turn around to ask him if he’s hungry, and he’s suddenly right in front of me, tangling his hands in my hair and tugging so I lift my head. He makes me feel so small when he’s cocooned himself around me. I hate it and love it at the same time.

“I didn’t take you for the fairytale and Prince Charming type.” He gives me one of his perfect smiles, and I want to tell him I’d let him be my Prince Charming.

Wait a minute!

Wait. A. Minute! What the hell is wrong with me!

He has to be messing with my head on purpose. Dragons can do that. There’s no other reasonable explanation for this. There is no practical reason why I’m bending for him when I wouldn’t for anyone else.

I step out of his grasp. “The more recent ones have young women going off on adventures to find their destiny,” I pause. “Free from men.”

“That sounds more like your type of heroine,” he grins.

I turn on the oven for the pizzas. “Enough Disney talk. Explain why you’ve been following me for the last few weeks, and maybe you can stay.” His eyebrows lift. “Don’t deny it. I sensed someone was.” I initially thought it was Katya or someone working for the Syphon looking for revenge on my Circle and Sebastian’s pack. “You show up at the coffee shop where I normally do my work, you have my number, and you know where I live. It adds up. So why?”

He doesn’t say anything. He simply stares with a bemused expression on his face.

“What are you really doing here? If you tell me it’s because you’re interested in me one more time, I will kick you out right now.”

I grab two plates, put the pasta from the takeout bag on them, and pop them in the microwave. I turn to face him and cross my arms.

He’s sitting on a stool at the island, eyeing me with his hands clasped in front of him.

“Do you know how I met Sebastian?”

“The shifter training camp?”

“As a Sergeant in the army, I occasionally run those camps for shifters. Nowadays, I work mainly in Europe and North America, recruiting supernaturals to work for the Tribunal in various capacities. Within days of observing Sebastian, I could tell he would be an asset in the Canadian Enforcement Division. I even tried enticing him to join the army. He is one hell of a good fighter and a natural leader.” He continues, and I can sense his admiration for him. “Unfortunately, he was determined to return home.”

Enforcers are a bit like police officers but for the supernatural world. While I don’t doubt that Sebastian would excel in a position like that, I can’t imagine him as anything other than Alpha of Silver Moon.

“What does this have to do with me?”

“Only around a dozen or so witches alive worldwide have completed a third-generation Circle. Yours is the only one intact. The five of you are a bit of a hot commodity.”

I know this. Third-generation circles are rare because they require at least one parent and one grandparent to have been in circles together. Our five families have been linked for three generations, and each generation from the same bloodline to form a circle becomes stronger than the last.

“The Witch Council hired me to observe the five of you and assess your powers and strength. I had no idea Giada was Sebastian’s mate or that any of you were connected to him until I got here and started following you around. I was supposed to be here before I even received an invitation to the wedding.”

“What a coincidence.” I pour him some wine and sit across from him at the island, unable to eat the pasta. It smells delicious despite being reheated. “So you were following all of us?”

“Just you. I was trying to understand who you are and the best way to approach you. You’re not very easy to read or approachable. When I figured you’d be at the wedding, I decided to talk to you there.”

“Why me?”

“When your aunt requested help with your new magic, Dame Sandrine and Dame Amira did most of my initial work. They were able to observe all of you. Once they returned, I was told they wanted to meet you solely.”

The two members of the Witch Council stayed with us for one month to help us develop our new powers and teach us how to harness our new magic. Going from only being a seer to having more active abilities was difficult, and they taught us a lot. Now he’s telling me they were secretly keeping tabs on us the whole time.

“Don’t be upset, mi cielo,” he reaches out his hand across the island, but I pull back from him. I don’t want him touching me or being suave right now. “They came here intending to help your coven like your High Priestess asked, but they walked away extremely impressed. It makes sense that they would take an interest in you.”

“No, it doesn’t. Giada is very powerful witch blessed by Hecate and Selene, and the others’ powers would be useful when fighting. Everyone has heard about the rebellion and how attacks on the Tribunal have become more frequent, with many casualties worldwide. If they need powerful witches, it would be wiser to use them.”

“There will come a time when the four of them will be needed. Dame Sandrine would like to retire, and she’s specifically expressed an interest in you. They’re also always in need of strong witches in other roles, not just on the Witch Council.”

“Like what?” As unexpected as this news is, I’m curious about the inner workings of the different Councils and the way the Tribunal works.

“They’re expanding the newest magic school. Dame Amira is the headmistress there and she’s hoping to take on more students, so they’re currently looking for more teachers.”

He helps himself to a second serving and grabs the pizza out of the oven for me. I don’t know what to say. This is a lot of information to be given in a matter of minutes. I do appreciate how he seems to know I need some time to digest it all. He can be pushy, but he isn’t entirely insensitive.

“I can’t fathom how a regular witch like myself has caught the attention of the Witch Council. Seers are valued, sure, but not uncommon.”

“There is nothing about you that is regular, and you know it.” His words make me warm, but I try to ignore the compliment. “I have come across magical beings of all types. Your magic is very strong. The way you keep me out of your head is quite impressive.”

I roll my eyes and his jaw ticks. Someone doesn’t like my attitude. I think back on yesterday and his belt and my stomach tightens.

“To be on the Council or to work closely alongside them, you need extensive knowledge of herbs, potions, and spells as well as powerful magic,” he adds. “You’re well versed in all those things, more than your friends.”

“Is that what your notes say?”

“Indeed.”

“So you were sent to seduce me?”

He laughs, and his eyes sparkle. His lickable dimples make it hard to focus.

“I was sent to wine and dine you, talk about the Tribunal and the Witch Council, and make them seem like the most amazing employer in existence. Then I was supposed to try to convince you to have dinner with them. They do things differently than most of the other Councils. The five of them are an eclectic bunch and don’t do formal interviews and examinations. They’re interested in getting to know you and if you would be a good fit amongst them. Two of them have already seen you in action. Now you just have to convince the other three.”

It makes sense that the various Councils would send him out to persuade people. He’s alluring. Like a moth to a flame, people gravitate to him.

“Why didn’t you come out directly and tell me this from the beginning?”

“You kept shutting me down,” he admits emphatically. “I tried to get you alone to talk about all this.”

“You tried to get in my pants. That’s what you tried.”

He stands up and walks over to my seat. Grabbing my fork, he puts some pasta on it.

“You’re right. I usually stay away from people I have to recruit. It’s a rule of mine.” He picks up the fork and brings it to my mouth. Like a moron, I let him feed me. Not once, but twice. I know I’m giving him mixed signals, but I can’t think with him hovering over me, the desire so evident in his dark eyes. “You want the truth?”

“Always.”

“These lips of yours, Valentina, I can’t get them out of my head. I can’t get you out of my head. I know I’m behaving obsessively here, but I can’t help it.”

He picks up the fork again, and my hand wraps around it to stop him.

“Amadeo,” I start.

“You know I want you to call me Deo.” He begs softly, his face inches from mine.

“Deo…” I clear my throat. “I need time to think about everything.”

“Let me take you out in a few days,” he suggests. “It’ll give you some time to think, and you can ask me any questions you may have about the Witch Council and the meeting in Spain.”

Spain? Holy hell.