Azure Dragons (Supernatural Shifter Academy #2) - G. Bailey Page 0,33

where to look. Working for the school administration doesn’t hurt, either.” He turns back to me. “You know, it’s almost enough to make me feel bad for you. Almost. A poor little human girl, abandoned by her parents, left to the whims of a bunch of sadistic human scientists… it almost makes up for the fact that you’re just like all the other girls at this school.”

My eyes narrow. “Abandoned? What the hell are you talking about?”

“Boots,” Landon says, taking hold of my arm and tugging at it gently, “leave it. Just ignore him.”

I shake his hand off, taking a step closer to Lyle. “What the fuck are you saying?”

Lyle raises his eyebrows. “You mean… you didn’t know? Your boys here didn’t tell you? Granted, they were just babies then, too, so I guess they wouldn’t know either, but still…”

“Know what?” I can feel my nails digging into my palms, my heart leaping to my throat. I’m taking the bait, and I know it, but I can’t help it. There’s something in Lyle’s eyes that gives me pause - a look that says he knows that he has the upper hand.

“Boots,” Landon warns me again, “he’s not worth it.”

“I think that’s for her to decide,” Lyle says, not breaking eye contact with me. “What do you think, Brix?”

“What are you talking about?” I ask him. “What did you find out about my parents?”

“If you thought the humans took you away from them, you were wrong,” Lyle replies, his tone sharp and cutting. “Your parents were the ones who gave you up. They abandoned you.”

Chapter 13

“You’re…” I swallow the lump in my throat, trying desperately to fight off the dreadful sensation I can feel rising in my chest. “You’re lying.”

“Am I?” Lyle crosses his arms. “I took a little field trip to the registrar’s office. I’m an RA, so they won’t let me look at everything, but… I saw enough.” There’s a pause, and he furrows his brow thoughtfully. “It’s funny, though. The one thing I couldn’t find any information on was the witch shifter - you know, the baby. You’ve got one of every form, so there had to have been one. It would’ve had to have been a girl, since witches are always girls, but it sounds like she’s long gone… Although maybe that suits you just fine, Millie. This way you don’t have to share the rest of your little boy toys with anyone else.”

“Shut up.” My hands are clenched into fists, and I realise that I’m shaking, although not from anger, but from dread. “You don’t know anything about me, Lyle.”

“Are you sure about that?” he asks, advancing on me. “I know enough about you, Millie Brix. Enough to tell you with complete certainty that you never had any chance of having a normal life. I guess that’s what happens when your parents don’t want you, though, right?” He shakes his head in a mockery of sadness. “Poor, sweet, little Millie, with no one to love her… except for the people who had their powers dumped on you.”

“Knock it the fuck off, Lyle,” Landon tells him, his voice venomous as he comes to stand by my side. “That’s enough.” I see his eyes flash green, and I can tell he’s on the verge of shifting. One panicked look around us tells me that would be a recipe for disaster; there are humans everywhere, and we’re no longer in the safety of the convention center. I grab his hand, giving him a warning squeeze as I shoot my eyes over to his. That seems to calm him a little, his eyes going back to normal, although he still looks like he’s ready to kill Lyle with his bare hands.

“Easy there, tiger,” Lyle says, holding his hands up and taking a step back. “I’ve had my fill of siren songs for one lifetime, thank you very much.” His eyes dart over to me. “I just figured I’d come share the love. That’s what you guys are all about, right? Sharing the love.”

“Leave. Us. Alone,” I tell him, and although I’m trying for dangerous and intimidating, my voice quivers in spite of myself. It’s enough to make me want to cry, and I bite down hard on the inside of my lip.

“I’m going, I’m going.” The vampire shifter backs up another few steps and turns to go, but not before giving me a venomous smile over his shoulder. “See you around, Millie. I’ll be curious to see what ends up