I assumed she was like any other girl from Kyperian—a pampered, spoiled princess. Despite Givvens trying to throw us together, I purposely kept my distance. I vowed a long time ago to never allow myself to succumb to the lure of a mate. I refuse to allow any child of mine to fall prey to the council.
They deserve better than a lifetime in chains…yet I can’t get over my fascination with the girl.
Francesca Landcaster.
Frankie.
A rumbling purr fills my chest at the very thought of her, my beast smitten. Though I did my best to keep my distance, mydragon had other plans. Every spare second not on the job, he spends obsessing over her.
Back in Kyperian, any time I wasn’t actively paying attention to what I was doing, my dragon subtly sought her out. I would be shopping, veer off course, only to discover her walking ahead of us. No matter where I was, she always seemed to be near.
I would almost accuse her of orchestrating the whole thing, but she appeared completely oblivious. I’m an Orion, after all. If I don’t want us to be seen, then we remain hidden.
Unfortunately, no matter how much I tried to rein in my beast, my dragon couldn’t resist stalking the girl.
Despite doing my best to prevent it, I’ve found myself inexplicably drawn to her as well. I’d fall asleep in the barracks, only to wake up at dawn, sitting in the spires of the west capital building—the one that allowed me to see over the rooftops and directly to her house. Thanks to my enhanced sight, I could see her shape move behind the curtains.
My beast watched over her every chance he got.
That’s where my fascination with her really began. She is nothing like I expected. Givvens raised her like one of his recruits.
No, he trained her harder than us.
And she took it without a word of protest.
Watching her fight was like watching a deadly dance, and I was mesmerized. Day after day, she would be broken and beaten, but she never gave up, her quiet determination a thing of beauty.
I couldn’t look away.
From that day forward, I tried to learn everything I could about her without drawing unwanted attention her way. Much to my frustration, there was precious little to be found.
She is quiet, almost secretive, like she’s hiding something, and she dragged Givvens down with her.
She got him killed.
She heartlessly left him to die while she fled, his last act to protect her, and I want answers. If she’s guilty, I will take great pleasure in bringing her to justice, completely ignoring the way my dragon huffs in protest, his claws sinking into my flesh and bones in disapproval.
Givvens always said he would die on the job. Once an Orion, always an Orion. It’s in our blood. The last thing I expected was for him to be killed by the very men he trained.
I want to know what really happened, not the bullshit lies the council is spreading, and only Francesca knows the truth.
Over the last few weeks, I’ve been allowing my dragon to take over more and more. Whatever connection I have with her allows me to track her, not that I tell the other Orion fucks anything. I’ve been following her from town to town for the last three weeks, observing her interactions with humans, witches, and shifters alike.
She’s so much like Givvens that my chest aches. Her quest for justice sends her zigzagging across the country in what seems like a random pattern. It’s a struggle to track her, figure out her plan. I’m man enough to admit that if it weren’t for my dragon and his obsession, I wouldn’t have been able to locate her.
It took me a pathetically long time to realize that she actually has no grand plan to escape us.
I grit my teeth at the notion that she would leave her fate to chance.
She’s too smart for that.
Givvens trained us better.
Still, I can’t argue with the fact that it worked.
She’s been eluding us for months, and everywhere she lands, she helps people. She uses her training to rescue others who are trapped in situations they can’t escape—spouses who hurt theirsignificant other, children running from abuse, shifters who are turning feral, and even hunting vampires lost to bloodlust.
She challenges any wrongs when confronted with them.
