Garath
Kallore spoke for the first time into the silence. “Uh, what the fuck was that all about?”
Typical red dragon. So crass.
“It’s a long story,” he said tiredly, not wanting to get into it.
“Uh-huh.” Kallore looked at him, then back at the kitchen. He made to say more, but Colonel Mara interrupted him.
“You should go apologize.”
“For what?” He wasn’t sorry. He’d done nothing wrong. Marie had lied to him. She and Liam had set him up from the beginning, but even after being caught and called out, she’d kept up the lie. If there had been even a shred of true caring there, she would have at least admitted to knowing more. Instead, she’d played it dumb. The only time he’d caught her telling a bald-faced lie was when she claimed not to know a secret. Well duh. Of course she knew it. She was in on it.
“For being an asshole.”
“Fuck you.”
BANG! Kallore’s hands slammed down onto the table. He growled threateningly. “Be careful how you speak to her.”
“If she wants to speak to me rudely, then she’s going to get it back in spades. I’m not afraid of you, crimson. Respect given will be reciprocated. It’s an easy concept. I should think even your thick skull could get it eventually.”
The big red dragon exploded out of his seat.
“Kallore, if you can’t keep your temper in check, then go outside and pick on some new recruits or something.” Colonel Mara’s voice was like a whip, cracking through the building conflict between the two dragons.
Garath watched smugly as the crimson was brought to task and given the boot by his mate. He shrugged off the angry glares from the ash-blond giant. If he thought his electric blue eyes were intimidating, he should try trading stares with Marie. She could teach him a thing or two.
He could picture them now, the icy orbs that had pinned him down with their intensity, anger at her destroyed kitchen growing by the second. She’d stood there, furious and covered in food, but the only thing he’d been able to see were her eyes. Blue circles like the calm at the center of a hurricane, they’d warned of impending danger as the temperature in them dropped. Garath hadn’t seen it coming, and he’d walked right into it.
Conflicting emotions filled him. Anger at what he’d seen, what he knew was going on between Marie and Liam. She knew more than she was letting on, and for some reason she was determined to protect the asshole. What else could that reason be besides trying to salvage their plan to humiliate him? If she truly cared about him, she would tell him, wouldn’t she?
“You look upset,” Colonel Mara said as Kallore departed the room.
Of course he was upset. His dragon was still trying to tell him that Marie was his mate. It was trying to convince him that the pain she’d faked was real, that she truly was hurt by his actions.
“Humanity’s ability to lie has left me confused. You are so adept at it you do it without thinking, and it makes separating the truth from the lies more confusing.”
The military officer laughed, a bitter, biting sound. “Like dragons don’t lie.”
“Rarely. We simply refrain from giving out all information unless absolutely necessary. There is a difference between outright deception and lack of information.”
“Some would call that semantics.”
“Some would be wrong.” He shook his head. “I am not here to debate that.”
Colonel Mara studied him. “Why are you here?”
“You invited me.”
“I mean now. Why are you still here?”
“Because you have not given me an answer as to whether you will let me go and be free, unpursued by the military.”
The short woman sighed. “Not that, you dolt. I meant why are you not going after her?”
“Why should I? She’s not my mate.”
Liar.
“Are you sure about that?”
“Yes.”
Liar.
The word echoed inside him over and over, pounding his skull every time he tried to deny his interest in Marie.
“Either way, it sounds like you need more information, Garath. Go after her.”
She was right. He needed more information. Like where on this retched planet Liam was currently hiding out. If Liam was alive after all these years, perhaps he could find him and track him down. Then he could either get his treasure back, or hand out punishment to Liam. Or both.
“Fine.” He rose from the table and headed through the doors into the kitchen, ready to confront Marie and find out just what the hell was going on.