His palm was warm and strong. “Tell me. What did we do to you?”
The gentleness of his touch made her toes curl inside the sneakers. Sienna took a deep breath for courage. Maybe if he knew, he’d cut her a break and let her stay.
“I’m not pure-blooded Sidhe. I’m only a half-breed. Half Fae and half Draicon.”
At his startled look, she yanked away and grated out the damned truth. “Mothered by a Fae from the Los Lobos colony, and fathered by a Draicon who raped her … and then killed her when his pack came back to try to claim me.”
Panic squeezed her heart as flashes of the past emerged, like a rapid slideshow. “Probably killed her when he raided the Fae colony to get me.”
“Sweet gods. How old were you?” His voice was gentle, contrasting with the hard edges of his expression.
“I think around five, maybe four. I don’t remember that much.”
“No wonder you dislike Draicon.”
Dislike was a lukewarm term. For years she’d hated them. It was a relief to finally talk about what happened. Among her people, it had been an ugly secret no one ever discussed. “It’s so much easier to hate than try to understand. It’s fueled me for so long that it’s hard to let go.”
“Hate does that to you. It feeds you power to seek justice.” Matt’s expression tightened. “You were just a little thing. I’d kill the bast … the Draicon who did that to your mother. Did she ever say who it was?”
“I don’t remember much. I’ve tried.” Hands curled tight, she watched her knuckles whiten. “Aunt Chloe rescued me during the attack. The Fae beat back the Draicon pack. I think … they killed my father. I don’t know! I want to know, but I can’t remember.” Misery knotted her throat. “I have snatches of dreams, of images. Chloe told me when the time was right, I’d learn the truth. About what, and who, I really am. But I know what I am. The daughter of a vicious killer.” Her voice dropped to a bare whisper. “So what does that make me?”
Compassion flared in his gaze. “You’re Sienna McClare. What your parents were isn’t important. It’s what you make of yourself that counts.”
“That’s why the Orb is so important to me. If I find it and bring it back, my people will accept me back into their colony.”
At his incredulous look, she sighed. “They turned me out on my twenty-first birthday, because I’m a hybrid and don’t belong. I do belong, and once I prove my loyalty to their side, I will.”
“Is that what you truly want?” he asked quietly.
“More than anything. I need my people. They’re all I’ve ever known. With them I’ll feel …”
Connected.
“Wolves aren’t so bad, either,” he murmured. Matt stroked a thumb along her jawline. “Draicon. No Fae could pull off that effective a glamour with scent, as well. I knew there was something sweet about your scent.”
A half smile touched her mouth. “That’s my Fae half.”
His gaze locked on her lips. “So sweet,” he murmured.
He’d put his life before her own. Gotten burned, cushioned her fall, kept her safe. For so long, she’d functioned on her own, accustomed to fending for herself. Not one single Fae had risked his life for her.
She thought about how much she wanted to draw close. Feel that tensile strength holding her close, the slight abrasion of his day whiskers against her soft cheek.
As he leaned down to kiss her, Sienna closed her eyes.
She sighed on a breath as his mouth met hers. It was a sweet kiss, his lips warm and soft. He was gentle, his mouth reverent as if he held back, waiting for her. All the other kisses from the few Fae males had been cold, lacking in passion and tenderness. Sienna wanted more. When she parted her lips and licked his mouth, he deepened the kiss. He tasted like the most exquisite wine, of moonlit nights and dazzling starlight. The kiss melted her bones and spoke of sheer need, a painful longing finally met.
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