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Bronx raised his brows. “I am supportive. However, you need to pull back sometimes, Vi, or you’re going to burn yourself out one day. I do it because I love you.”
Violet huffed but then laughed. “Maybe.”
Watching the father-daughter pair was fascinating. Percy had never witnessed such a relationship before and didn’t know if a TV show could even compare to the real thing. They were so at ease around one another and didn’t hold back teasing or gently pointing out faults. It seemed almost as if nothing was off limits between Bronx and Violet.
Well, almost. Anytime Violet had tried to bring up her mother when cooking dinner, Bronx had quickly changed the subject.
Not that it was any of Percy’s concern. Worrying about a crack in their family didn’t help her with getting her dragon back, let alone get her closer to shifting.
She finally took a spoonful of the orange-red curry and put it in her mouth. An explosion of flavor hit her, but she didn’t have words to describe it beyond savory and a little hot, given how her mouth tingled.
Once Percy swallowed, Violet leaned forward. “Well? What do you think?”
She thought about it and then said, “It’s different.”
Violet frowned, and Bronx chuckled. He said, “That’s not bad, Vi. But just imagine if you’ve never had spices before, except for salt, and then have curry. It’s bound to be a bit confusing.”
“I suppose,” the teenager grumbled.
Percy took another bite before saying, “It’s better than what I had as a kid, and that’s the truth. But I think I liked the panini better.”
Violet nodded. “Well, we’ll have that for lunch again tomorrow. But I’ll have to think of what else I can make without potatoes. Maybe stir-fry? Or pizza? Tacos? I guess there are a lot of options.” She waved a hand. “Look, the show’s starting. I’ll try to fill you in as much as I can, but sometimes even I don’t know every character and their past. Some of them leave for years and years before returning. And Dad wouldn’t let me watch it until I was thirteen.”
For a second, she wanted to ask why. But the show started, and she did her best to follow who was related to whom, who had married or dated whom, and what was the current storyline.
The whole thing was confusing, and yet it was interesting to watch these fictional people’s lives. Most of them had a lot of problems, and often, it was relationships with friends or family that helped them survive it.
That only reinforced her drive to be friends with her dragon again. Her inner beast was the only friend she needed, and with her, Percy could keep fighting and surviving, no matter what.
ChapterFourteen
Over the next two days, Percy worked with Bronx and Violet on her lessons, met with the female doctors a few times a day, and even watched dragons fly overhead, coming and going from Stonefire.
The first time she’d seen the magnificent beasts, she almost cried. She’d kept it together only because Violet could see her through the kitchen window.
A real-life dragon didn’t compare to what she’d seen inside her head as a child. They were big, powerful, and beautiful. She loved how their scales glinted, even on a cloudy day.
Her beast had been purple, and one of those overhead had been the same color. Later, when she asked about it, Bronx had said it was Nikki, the half-human dragon-shifter who helped protect the clan. He kept saying she would meet Nikki, but Percy didn’t dare hope he’d follow through. Bronx had been patient with her reading, had answered all of her questions without complaint, and never yelled or belittled her.
It all felt too good to be true.
And as she stared at the sky, hoping to see yet another dragon flying, Bronx’s voice came from the back door. “Someone’s here to see you, Percy.”
She turned from the empty sky and walked toward him.
He moved aside to let her through and shut the door behind her.
“Who? Dr. Sid? Or is it Layla again?”
A female voice came from the hall. “I’m afraid not. You’ll just have to settle for me.”
A woman who was older than her, but probably not by much, walked into the room. From the tattoo on her bicep, Percy knew she was a dragon-shifter. Her stature was shorter than the other adult females Percy had met, though. Her skin was more tan than pale, and she had thick black hair pulled back into a ponytail.
The female smiled. “I’m Nikki Hartley-Gray. I’ve heard about the crap they told you about dragon-shifters with human mothers, and I’m telling you they’re all lying wankers.”
Percy blinked, unsure what to say. Bronx stepped closer, and she almost closed the distance to be at his side. Somehow, some way, he felt safe to her already.
What the fuck?No, she wasn’t going to think he was safe. Males always betrayed her—everyone had, really—and just because he was patient and nice didn’t mean anything. Once he’d finished his assignment, he would leave her and move on to the next thing.
