AllFreeNovel
Share Us
desperation has led you to consort with livestock, brother.”
“Of course not!”
Everard shrugged. “You can’t blame a dragon for inquiring.”
Hugh sighed. “Why are you here?”
“My, aren’t we testy today? What’s got you in such a mood?” Everard tucked his hands into
his back pockets. “I’m here to relay some news about Father.”
The heat in Hugh’s cheeks burned into nothing, leaving him chilled over instead. Their father
was an old dragon, but hardly that old. He had many hundreds of happy years ahead of him.
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing is wrong. In fact, everything is very right.” There was a hint of hesitation in Everard’s
voice that suggested it wasn’t the entire truth. “In a twist of fate, Father has fallen in love and
mated with a young Topaz dragonet. They’re expecting their first child in seven months—our
future brother or sister.”
Hugh’s soul crumpled, and while he tried his best to hide it, he was sure his despair showed
on his face. “He… he what?”
Everard clapped Hugh on the shoulder and steered him across the floor, putting distance
between them and Francis, who’d fallen back to sleep. Once they were all the way across the
room, Everard half-guided, half-pushed Hugh onto a couch while he remained standing. It
hadn’t taken much effort on his part at all to get Hugh to sit—his knees had turned to jelly. If
he’d remained on his feet, he very well might have collapsed.
“This is good news, Hugh,” Everard assured him, but Hugh wasn’t so sure that was the truth,
either. He lowered his gaze and watched his hands, which were on his thighs. They’d tightened
into fists. To distract himself from his utter desolation, he focused on the sensation of his
fingernails as they dug into his palms.
“Father really doesn’t believe I’m capable of raising a clutch, does he?” Hugh asked in a small
voice. “First he chooses Rey for the experiment, and now he settles down as well? I’m the only
one left without children, Everard, and I’m the only one who wanted them!”
“Hugh…” Everard sat beside him and patted his knee. “Father’s mate is a… special case. I
doubt he was looking for love when he took the boy in. This wasn’t meant to be an attack on
you.”
