Free City of Dragons: Of Flesh and Blood by Adrienne Wilder Page B

hours of explaining and Ray coming down to the station to vouch for Orin before the cops even entertained his side of the story.
    Orin said, “I still don’t think your brother believes me.”
    Mary shrugged. “Just ignore him. Ever since Brian got his promotion, he’s had serious ego issues.”
    Yeah, that and the fact he was a card-carrying Earth for Humans member didn’t help. No, Brian Gilsp, like his dad, did not like wyrms, which was exactly why Mary refused to let any of her family know about her going through the Shift. Being a cop meant Brian had been genotyped and met the hundred percent Human DNA requirement for hiring, which only left one possibility: Their fathers were different. It was the kind of news which would rip a cosmic-sized hole in even a thirty-plus-year marriage.
    On occasion Orin still tried to convince Mary to talk to her mother about it. But Mary was steadfast in her belief. Confronting her mother wouldn’t accomplish a single thing.
    “Brian wants me to go back to school,” Mary said as she took a left into the parking lot to her building and found a spot.
    “Maybe he’s right. Maybe you should.” It would be good for her. Right now all she did was work sixty hours a week and volunteer the rest of her time away to whatever local charity needed an extra pair of hands.
    “Yeah, I kind of figured you’d agree with him.” She laughed, cut the engine, and stayed in the car. They sat for a while just staring at the cedar-sided building.
    Her apartment was one of those late sixties-style double-decker condo types. The builders had stuck the thing right in the middle of a cow pasture, probably in expectation of a rush of growth. For whatever reason, it never happened on this side of town.
    Mary looked at him. “You ready?” And somehow she made it sound like they were about to take a leap off a cliff.
    And that was one cliff Orin was
so
ready to take a header off of. He hated himself for feeling anticipation instead of humiliation. He couldn’t help it. He wanted this. He
needed
it.
    So when Mary opened the door he followed.

Chapter 8
     
    Haley finally got Deshi into the bed. She slept sandwiched between him and Farley. It was her usual position, her face in Farley’s neck, Deshi at her back. At least until beautiful Deshi woke her up thrashing and making small pitiful noises. To keep him calm she had to roll over and hold him.
    When morning came, Haley left both Males in bed while she got ready for work. Maybe if she gave them some time alone, they could talk. They were still sound asleep when she came out of the bathroom after drying her hair. But Deshi had closed the gap in the mattress and curled himself around Farley. It did her hearts good to see him, comfortable, at peace. Home.
    But he wasn’t really home, because Deshi wanted Emily.
    Haley pulled the sheet up and over them, then hurried out so she wouldn’t be late.
    By eight-thirty she was walking up the Center steps and into her office five minutes later. When she crossed the threshold, she almost turned around and walked out, because Claire sat on the little sofa in front of her desk.
    This was
so
not how she needed to start her morning.
    “Morning, Claire.”
Just please don’t start screaming at me, slapping me, or trying to claw my eyes out.
“Something I can help you with?”
As in help you out the door?
Haley remembered to keep her smile up and her fangs out of sight.
    Claire gave her a small wave and stood up. “I hope you don’t mind. I wanted to catch you before you went anywhere or…you know, whatever it is you do.” Her eyes stayed glued to the floor, then Claire sighed in a way only Claire could. “I just wanted to officially apologize.”
    Haley expected a lot of things from Claire, but an apology wasn’t one of them. No, just more accusations, screaming, and lack of Kin understanding.
    “Thanks, Claire, that means a lot.” And it did. As awkward as it was.
    But Claire didn’t leave. She just stood