Ryland didn't bother waiting for Draco to leave the room before he started scrubbing his pots again. It wasn't so much that he didn't believe Draco would try to get him free… actually, that was exactly what he thought. Men had promised in the past to help him escape his chains, yet they never did. They just wanted to get into his pants.

He paused while scrubbing an especially dirty pan. He went over the conversation in this head twice before he realized one important thing. Draco never attempted to get into his pants. He even claimed he was his mate and he didn't do anything more than give him a kiss on the forehead.

There had been a few in the past who had claimed being mates.  Ryland had never believed them, nor had any of the men actually even seemed sincere.  The fact that they would just fuck Ryland whether he said yes or no, which was usually the latter, and then left him, only to be seen again when they needed a hole to fuck, proved how easily it was for shifters to lie.

Yet, with Draco, there had not only been sincerity, but for some unknown reason, Ryland actually wanted to believe him. No longer sure what to think, he returned to scrubbing the pots and pans hoping to lose himself in the task.

Just because he wanted to believe Draco and not be just some lowly human who, according to the others, didn’t deserve respect, didn’t make it so.  Then again, what did it matter? There was no changing that he was a human, lower than even one of the shifters’ pets.

Pushing all thoughts of Draco and the shifters from his head, Ryan attacked the dishes with even more vigor. It was best just to forget about the sexy shifter. Ryland immediately shook his head as if that would dispel his wayward thought. Thinking of the shifter as anything more than a bully would likely get him killed.

Draco might be tall and built, with dark hair that curled at his shirt collar, and had the most amazing green eyes that looked just like emeralds. That didn't mean Ryland should be stupid enough to fantasize about him. Nor was he naïve enough to actually believe Draco's line about them being mates.

There was no way a human like Ryland would ever be good enough for a shifter like Draco.

"So, what were they like?" His sister whispered from the doorway that led to the servant’s quarters where Ryland's room was.

Ryland scowled his sister. "You were supposed to stay hidden." Not that it helped to remind her. Kiera was too stubborn to stay put for long.

She waved away his concern with her hand. “I waited until I knew everyone was out of the kitchen. I heard you talking to one of them." She came over and put her hand on his arm in concern. "Are you really his mate?"

Not that he was about to admit this to her, but just hearing her say it had his heart pounding faster and his palms sweating. It made no sense after all his experiences with shifters, but Ryland actually wanted Draco to be telling the truth. He wanted to be the man's mate. "We both know shifters have no trouble lying," he told his sister. "You, out of everyone, should know that."

When tears filled her eyes, Ryland instantly regretted being so harsh. Keira had been young and naïve when she’d believed Refugio's declaration they were mates. It wasn't until she was trapped within these walls that she learned the truth. She had been nothing more than another body for him to fuck whenever he wanted. "I'm sorry, Keira, I never should've said that."

His sister shook her head. "Why not? It's truth. I was the one who got us into this mess when I stupidly thought someone as powerful as Refugio could actually love me." She blew out a harsh breath. "I really was an idiot."

"If it makes you feel any better, you weren't the only one." Both Keira and Ryland whirled around to find Draco standing at the entrance of the kitchen with a pair of bolt cutters in his hands. "He had thousands of people fooled into believing that he was doing right by the paranormals." Draco strode over to Ryland and knelt down at his feet.

In seconds it cut through the chain that surrounded Ryland's ankle. Then Draco's piercing green eyes stared up at Keira and he gave her a small smile. "So you shouldn't feel bad. It may sting your pride a bit but Refugio was able to convince thousands that he actually had a soul."

Ryland's heart melted at Draco's attempt to make his sister feel better. There hadn't been many who had bothered to consider either of their feelings in the past.

"And just who the hell are you that you think you can butt into our conversation?" Keira asked with her arms crossed over her chest and her hip cocked to the side as if she were about to tell Draco exactly what she thought of him.

Ryland couldn't explain it, but suddenly he desperately wanted his sister and Draco to get along. It didn't make a lot of sense, since he still didn't believe that he and Draco were mates, yet something deep within him yearned for a man like Draco to actually want him. He would be the first one to call his fantasy stupid, yet he still couldn't help wishing for it to come true.

But before he could stop Draco from saying a word, the shifter told Keira, "I'm Ryland's mate." He stuck out his hand to her. "By your ability to stand up for yourself, I assume you are in some way related to Ryland, so I guess that makes us family. My name's Draco by the way.”

"Oh, hell no," Keira said as her hands moved to her hips. Ryland couldn’t help but be proud of his sister.  She’d been through a lot, yet she didn’t just cower in a corner like a scared little rabbit.  Well, she had whenever Refugio and a few of the guards who had proven what they would do to her if she dared to talk to them that way, but not when it came to defending her Ryland.

"I am not about to let some fast talking shifter convince my baby brother that having a human mate is real." She stuck one finger in his face and wagged it at him as she said, "We've been there, done that, and burned the T-shirt. So you can just turn around and walk right back from where you came."

Ryland had no idea where all his sister’s bravado was coming from.  He knew he was grinning like an idiot at her for her standing up for him.  He just wished she’d been able to do the same for herself when Refugio had treated her like crap. He just wasn’t sure it was wise for her to find her backbone while facing Draco, one of the fiercest shifters Ryland had ever met. Then again, there was just something about Draco that made Ryland believe he would never hurt a soul unless he was backed into a corner.

Just because he had that feeling, didn't mean he shouldn't worry about his sister.  Ryland was usually a good judge of character, but that didn’t mean he was right now. For all he knew, Draco would snap his sister like a twig for talking to him like that.

Hoping to diffuse the situation, he started pushing his sister back out of the kitchen and to the hallway where his room was located.  "Look, I am not discussing whether or not Draco is my mate with my sister. I appreciate your concern, but this is between myself and Draco." When she looked like she was going to argue, he added, "Now, you need to go hide again before that asshole Gerald decides that with Refugio gone you are up for grabs."

A low growl rumbled through the kitchen. "Who is Gerald?" It was in the form of the question but Draco demanded an answer.

Keira actually backed up several steps. Her face draining of color as fear took hold. Not that Ryland blamed her. The sound had definitely been one of the most menacing sounds he had ever heard. So why wasn't Ryland afraid? Hell, not only was he not afraid, Ryland had never felt safer in his life.  He must be having a nervous breakdown.  It was the only explanation.

No matter what the reason, he wasn't going to allow anyone to make your sister cower in fear ever again if he could help it.  He got right into Draco's face. "Stop terrifying my sister. Gerald is a guard who is nothing more than a bully. If you're mad, take it out on him, not on Keira."

What had Ryland expected? He couldn't have said. But it definitely wasn't Draco grinning at him or picking him up and whirling him around before the softest lips he had ever known landed on his in a kiss that, embarrassingly, made Ryland's toes curl and body heat up.

When he was put back on his feet, he stared up dazedly at Draco, who continued to grin down at him. "What was that for?" Ryland managed to ask even though what he really had wanted was to beg Draco to do it again.

Those green eyes sparkled as Draco said, "Let's just say, we will both appreciate that you’re able to stand up to me without any fear in the future."

That didn't make any sense. The interactions Ryland had observed while working for the shifters tended to lead him to believe the predators preferred submissives, not equals. He may not know what animal Draco turned into, but the man screamed predator. So, shouldn’t he want his mate to cower at his feet?

Then again, Ryland had always believed he shouldn't look a gift horse in the mouth. If Draco wanted somebody who could stand up to him, Ryland was definitely that person. He had more bruises and broken bones than he could count during his time in the Council house to prove he had a hard time being submissive.