Hidden Mate

13

They’d hated each other since they’d laid eyes on each other. “We all have to remember we’re around humans.” We’d all grown up around shifters. Even our high school was on shifter grounds.

“You’re right.” Roxy sighed. “Which I don’t have a problem admitting, unlike some people here.”

Egan continued eating, watching the meltdown going on. “I do have a question.” He paused, drawing our attention to him.

“Sure.” Brock took a sip of his soda. “We’re all ears.”

“Why does it matter if Roxy was hitting on me?” Egan asked slowly, choosing his words carefully.

“Because her father is the weakest shifter in Tyler’s pack, and you’re a strong dragon,” Brock said condescendingly. “Surely you know that.”

“Actually, I don’t.” Egan fidgeted in his seat. “So why is that? And what about humans?”

“Humans are definitely off the table.” Brock scoffed. “They’re so worthless and annoying. If not for their sheer numbers, we’d exterminate them permanently.”

Instead of being straightforward, Brock still spoke in riddles. “What he’s saying is that my family has proclaimed that only the strong can mate with the strong.”

“Since when?” Egan seemed shocked by the information. “It used to be what most adhered to, but there isn’t necessarily a law.”

“It’s relatively new.” Roxy side-eyed Brock. “It was established in the last fifty years.”

“Sadie’s grandfather initiated the rule a couple of years before he passed away and Tyler took over.” Brock beamed at me. “Her family saw how strong our race could become if we separated the strong from the weak.”

Egan tore the crust off his pizza. “But isn’t that kind of elitist?”

I could tell he wasn’t happy about it, which made me curious.

“You’d be smart to listen and respect his decision.” Brock didn’t even notice that everyone but him was uncomfortable with this conversation. “Her family built most of the supernaturals’ neighborhoods and businesses. If anyone knows how to hit the offender where it hurt, it’s her family.”

Roxy chewed her pasta in anger. Wow, he’s even more of a jackass than I realized.

Oh, I’m not surprised. He’d been this arrogant as a child when I’d had to hang around him during annual alpha conferences among the packs. I’m pretty sure he was born this way.

She laughed loudly, causing Brock to go still. He asked her, “What’s so funny?”

She stabbed a piece of chicken with her fork. “Nothing.”

“Like hell it’s nothing.” Brock shifted his attention to me. “What is it, Sadie?”

“It truly was nothing.” He didn’t like people making fun of him. He’d beat up one of the betas at the last conference because of it. “She was laughing at the humans’ reactions when they found us here.”

An uncomfortable silence descended.

I needed to redirect the conversation. “It’s not that supernatural races can’t intermingle. They can even though we tend to stick to our own. And there are rare occasions when an alpha will mate with a weaker partner. However, humans aren’t an option.”

Egan chewed slowly and swallowed. “So, the entire supernatural race is divided into weak and strong?”

It wasn’t quite that simple. Nothing ever was. “You could say it’s a three-tier structure.”

“That’s fair.” Brock bobbed his head. “You have the strongest, so think alphas and beta shifters, older vampires that have lost their humanity, priestesses, and strong wizards. Then, you have your middle tier where they aren’t the strongest or weakest in the race, but they may have other redeeming attributes that would allow them to mate. And then you have the lowest tier. They’re the omegas who can’t hold their own, or their bloodline is so diluted that their powers have dried up.”

“That sounds complex.” Egan scratched his cheek. “I’m not sure where I’d fall in that structure.”

Wow, a modest dragon. Who would’ve thought? “Dragons are right at the top.”

“When Sadie and I inform her father about you, I’m sure he’ll want to meet you.” Brock pulled his phone from his pocket. “There was a rumor you had all died off completely.”

“Obviously, we haven’t.” Egan ate some more, clearly uncomfortable.

He didn’t sound impressed with everything he’d learned, which made me like him even more. “What do you like to do?”

“Believe it or not, I enjoy reading.” He motioned to the trees. “And hiking. All the same things as you guys.”

“And eating.” Roxy motioned to his two trays, which were almost completely empty. “That was enough food to keep me stuffed for a day.”

“Every shifter enjoys food.” Brock chastised her. “Don’t make it sound like it’s unique to dragons.”

I finished the last of my pasta and yawned. I’d enjoyed learning more about Egan, but Brock had made the whole situation uncomfortable. “I hate to do this, but I’m exhausted and have more work to do.” I don’t think I can take being around Brock much longer.

Girl, you and me both. Roxy stretched, following my lead. “Same.”

“Go on and head back.” Egan stood and grabbed my tray. “I can take yours and Roxy’s trays back to the Student Center.”

“Thanks.” Roxy smiled as she climbed to her feet. “It was really nice meeting you.”

“Same to you.” Egan turned to Brock and frowned.

It was clear Brock had no intention of leaving. I felt bad for my dragon friend, but I had a feeling he could hold his own.

Roxy and I were watching television when my cell phone rang. I picked it up, and Dad’s name flashed on the caller ID.

Great. Brock must have talked to him. I’d been kidding myself that he wouldn’t tell Dad right away. “Hello?”

“Sadie,” Dad said with annoyance. “I received an interesting call from Brock a few minutes ago.”

“I’m good.” I shouldn’t run my mouth with him, but I couldn’t stop myself. “Thanks for asking.”

“Stop acting like a woman,” he bit out. I could always count on good ole Dad for sexist comments like that. “Why didn’t you call me earlier?” He didn’t even sound the least bit remorseful. “You met a dragon, for God’s sake.”

“Well …” I should’ve called him, especially if I’d planned on Brock meeting Egan, but he wouldn’t have believed me until Brock had confirmed he was, in fact, a dragon. “I figured you’d want a full report from Brock first.”