“You’re making a grave mistake. Trust me. If Lily is being coerced, then she’ll know she can trust you. If she isna, then you’ll know that as well. Besides, if she’s your mate, you’ll have to tell her sometime what you are.”
“And what is that?” Rhys asked angrily. “What am I but an immortal who can no longer shift? She’ll really believe I’m a dragon when I can no’ prove it to her.”
“Tell her, Rhys. You know it’s the right thing to do. For everyone.”
Kiril closed the link, leaving Rhys with his words reverberating in his head. Was it the right thing to do? Probably.
The fact of the matter was that he was afraid to tell Lily. Not just fearful of how she might react, but terrified of her turning away from him. It was a proven fact that some humans couldn’t handle that there were other beings on the earth with them. Rhys wouldn’t be able to handle it if Lily turned away from him.
He had already lost his ability to shift. If he lost her …
But he wanted her to trust him. If she knew that he could protect her, then she might very well tell him everything. As much as he wanted to think this was all about him, it wasn’t. What was happening involved not just the Dragon Kings, but the mates there, as well as everyone who worked for Dreagan.
As hard as it was to think about, Rhys was going to have to take the chance and tell Lily while hoping that she trusted him enough to respond in kind.
Instead of turning off the main road and driving to Dreagan where Con, Kiril, and the others would be waiting, Rhys decided to go somewhere else to talk to her. He briefly considered her flat, but no doubt Dennis would be there.
Thinking about the bastard had Rhys sending a mental shout to Ryder.
Thankfully, Ryder answered immediately. “I hope you get here soon. Con is chomping at the bit to talk to Lily.”
“I’m sure he is.” And it was the main reason Rhys decided against Dreagan. “I need you to look into Lily’s past and see if anyone with the name Dennis shows up. Look in the last four years.”
“Give me a sec.”
Rhys slowed the Jaguar and took a left turn down a narrow road. He stopped the car to allow another vehicle coming from the opposite direction over the one-lane bridge before he drove across and then continued along the curving road.
“I found something,” Ryder finally said. “A Dennis Adams.”
“Do you have a picture of him?”
“Aye. I’ll send it to your mobile now. What’s going on, Rhys? Why are you looking for this guy?”
“Because I believe he’s the asshole who’s going to try and come onto Dreagan. Send that picture to every King and mate.”
“Consider it done. How did you know about him? Did Lily admit to conspiring? I was hoping she wasna guilty.”
Rhys clenched his jaw tightly. “Dennis is her ex-lover, and he physically abused her. I’m sure if you look, you’ll find the first incident on record with a broken wrist.”
“Aye, I see it, but there’s nothing after that.”
Of course there wasn’t. Dennis had made sure to hurt her only enough to keep her frightened. There was no trail of injuries for anyone to follow.
“You doona think she’s part of it, do you?” Ryder asked.
Rhys found the stream he was looking for and pulled slowly off the road to the clump of trees that hid his car. “I know she’s no’ willingly participating.”
“Is there anything else I can look for to prove that?”
Rhys dropped his head back against the headrest. “Look into her family. Dennis is likely to use them somehow.”
“I’ll find out what I can.”
“Thanks.”
“As if I’d let a fellow King lose his mate.”
Rhys frowned. “How did you know?”
“I didna until you just admitted it. Anything else you need?”
“Aye. Have someone go to the village. I want Lily watched after I drop her off, and I can no’ stay.”
“On it now. Talk to you soon.”
Rhys severed the link and shut off the car. He sat staring out the windshield to the wide stream that flowed before him. There were two trees on opposite sides of the water that bent toward each other, as if seeking to touch.
“We stopped,” Lily said as she opened her eyes. She covered her mouth as she yawned and looked around. “Where are we?”
“We’re about thirty minutes from the distillery. The rain will be here soon. Come see this.” Rhys got out of the car and walked to the water. For long moments, he waited to hear the sound of the door opening. When it finally did, he was able to release the breath he had been holding.
Lily came to stand beside him at the shoreline. “It’s beautiful. Another place I had no idea was here.”
“The glen hides it.” He didn’t bother to tell her they were on Dreagan land.
A flash of lightning lit up the sky, foretelling the approaching storm. Lily turned to look at him, her gaze direct and candid. “You have something on your mind.”
“Am I that easy to read?” he asked with a small grin.