Chapter 5 #2
Ignoring his beast, he replied, “The so-called doctors left Lochguard long ago, and Dr. Innes ensured the other clans knew about them, back when he still lived there.”
“Good. I still would’ve liked a chance to try and convince the old leader of the truth, as hopeless as it might’ve been.”
He smiled and quickly added pasta to his boiling water as he said, “Aye, and you would’ve made a good case, too, Emily. But I doubt even you could’ve changed the old clan leader’s mind, no matter how many lectures you gave.”
She sighed, making him glance back. He watched her long fingers play with the stem of her wineglass as she replied, “Whilst I know you’re right—those who rule through fear are afraid of truth and facts—I still would’ve liked to try.”
“You’re mighty fierce for a human female.”
She sat up a little taller. “I may not be super strong or intimidating, but I learned early on to fight for myself and my accomplishments.”
He frowned. “Why?”
She shook her head. “You won’t distract me that easily, Cam. You still haven’t told me how part of Lochguard ended up convincing a majority that those with human mates should leave?”
He could deflect, ask about her family and history, and leave the topic behind.
And yet, his mum would share it without a thought.
And for some reason, he wanted to be the one to tell Emily, so he replied, “My dad had to fill me in when I was older, because as a lad, I didn’t understand it.
How could our friends turn on us so completely?
But according to him, the old clan leader didn’t like the humans challenging his beliefs about dragon superiority.
And unlike previous leaders, he issued harsh punishments to anyone who contradicted him.
Some tried to stand up to him, like the MacKenzie or MacAllister families, but the old leader said he’d take their children and kick them out of the clan if they continued to disagree with him.
And unfortunately, there was nowhere for them to flee with their families.
The old leader would’ve found them anywhere in the UK, taken their pure-blooded children back to Lochguard, and maybe even would’ve killed the parents, too. ”
“And so, to protect their children, they had to back down and stay quiet.”
He nodded. “I heard later that once the old leader was gone, Lorna MacKenzie and her friends tried to reach out to us here, but we were still hurting and ignored them.”
“Which I understand. You didn’t want to risk being welcomed back only to be banished again.”
“Aye, that was probably part of it. But by then, we’d formed closer ties to the humans in the nearby villages and towns, and they’d learned to mostly accept us.
Lochguard, on the other hand, is miles away.
If we’d focused on strengthening relations with them, we might’ve destroyed our ties to the humans here. ”
“Except now, it seems the two clans are trying to reconnect more.”
Cam grunted. “It wasn’t as necessary when the Dragon Knights were still around since they focused mostly on the bigger clans, and we’re fairly isolated way up here.
But the dragon hunters have a wider network, more resources, and Lochguard simply has more people and connections, meaning we’re easier pickings for the hunters.
So, to survive, we’re doing what we have to. ”
His pasta timer went off, so he turned around to check his dinner. Emily remained quiet, and he mentally sighed in relief. Maybe they could stop talking about the past and focus instead on the rules of their pretend dating situation.
Emily watched Cam as he cooked, and she sipped some more wine.
Much like the dragon hunters, Clan Seahaven had been mostly an abstract to her.
Oh, she knew they existed, and they had a history.
But to hear some of what Cam had experienced as a teen, when his clan leader had basically said his bloodline was tainted because of his human mother, made her heart ache for him.
While her teenage years had mostly been spent studying in libraries—she’d entered university two years before most and she’d been determined to excel despite her age—she’d had her fair share of not quite fitting in and being teased for her weight and lack of fashion.
But that was nothing compared to the equivalent of a local politician berating her mother for existing and diluting the gene pool, like what had happened with Cam.
What she wouldn’t give to find those ignorant arseholes and school them on basic genetics. Or reveal how adding humans to the dragon-shifter gene pool often strengthened it, providing new resistances that pure-blood dragons didn’t have.
She was so lost in thought about how to take down the former leader a few pegs that she jumped when Cam placed a bolognese-filled bowl in front of her.
“Penny for them?” he asked.
“Okay, I never expected you to ever use that phrase.”
“Why not?”
“I don’t know, it’s not very Protector-like.”
Snorting, he turned, fetched his own dish, and sat down across from her. “If we’re going off stereotypes, where’s your glasses and lab coat, or even a clipboard or tablet?”
“Why would I wear glasses when I have perfect vision?”
She knew she was being obtuse, but there was something about Cam that made her want to tease him.
“Ah, but my vision is better. So, to a dragon-shifter, your vision could improve.”
“That’s not how it works. Glasses won’t give me the eyesight of a dragon-shifter.”
“Yet.” He gestured toward her food. “Eat before it gets cold.”
If she were being picky, she’d tell him not to order her around. However, as the tomato and meat smell reached her nose, her stomach rumbled. So she picked up a fork and twirled some spaghetti before placing it in her mouth.
As soon as she did, she moaned. She’d never tasted bolognese this good before, not even at a restaurant.
Once she swallowed, she was about to suggest he’d missed his calling. But as she met his flashing dragon eyes, the words died on her tongue. Because she swore she saw…desire there?
No, she had to be wrong. She was the strange and awkward scientist, and Emily didn’t exactly inspire lust and desire. At least, she never had in the past.
Not wanting to remember her previous attempts at sex, she blurted, “This is good, really good.”
His pupils remained round as he cleared his throat before replying, “Thank you. My mum taught me to cook, and when I have some spare time, I try to improve.”
“Does your dragon appreciate it? I’ve always been curious since they like to hunt in their dragon forms. This meal is a long way from a dragon eating a raw catch.”
Bloody hell. There she went, being odd again.
But she couldn’t help it. There was so much Emily didn’t know about dragon-shifters, and living with one meant she could get closer and more personal than ever before.
Not in that way, of course. There would be no sharing beds or getting naked. Although if it happened, it wouldn’t exactly be a hardship, would it?
Stop, Emily. Just stop.
His lips twitched, but thankfully he didn’t laugh at her.
“He enjoys food as much as the next person. However, he’s more about eating as soon as we’re hungry and doesn’t understand all the fuss of making something like lasagna from scratch.
” His pupils flashed a few times before he added, “He definitely still doesn’t understand it. ”
“Neuroscience isn’t my specialty, but it still fascinates me how two distinct personalities can exist in one head.”
“I’m not sure I can help you much with understanding how it works. My dragon has just always been there, from when he spoke to me when I was six.”
“Hmm. I’m sure a series of questions would reveal a lot more than you think. Er, not that you have to answer them, of course.”
He shrugged. “Ask me whatever you wish about my inner beast, but don’t write about me in a study or some such thing, aye?”
“I never write about someone without their consent. Although, to be fair, my work usually involves DNA and mRNA, and can be tedious for the average person.”
He put down his fork and stared directly at her as he said, “What you’re doing to help my kind is remarkable, Emily. Just because it’s not exciting to the average person doesn’t mean shite when it can save countless lives.”
Her cheeks heated at his praise. “I know I’m brilliant, that’s not the problem.
Unfortunately, getting funding or backing, or even publishing, often requires making it sexy to everyone, regardless of how sound the science is.
People who can blend those two things together often get the most support.
Well, either that or they sideline their entire scientific careers to support grifters and charlatans for money. ”
She stabbed her pasta just thinking about some of her former colleagues doing exactly that.
“There are dragon-shifters like that as well, willing to turn their back on their own kind if it means getting rich.”
She glanced up. “Is that common?”
“Common, no. But Clan Skyhunter’s former leader did a lot of horrible things to his own people, all for power and money. Humans aren’t the only ones who get tempted.”
“You’d never do that, though.”
He shook his head. “Just like you wouldn’t turn your back on science for money.”
“Of course not. I’d rather live in a studio flat and discover ways to improve lives over creating some online channel or podcast to promote what’s no different from snake oil.”
He chuckled. “I haven’t heard that term in a long while, but aye, I agree. Some humans try to hire dragon-shifter bodyguards, treating it as some sort of proof they have the money to do so, which I’d never do. All I want is to protect my clan.”
She studied him, but saw only the truth in his eyes. As difficult as his job had to be, he loved it. “So we do have some views in common.”
“I bet there are more, lass, but as much as I want to keep chatting, it’s getting late. You look exhausted again, and we still need to discuss and set the rules for living together.”