16

A lot has happened in the past six years. Chris and Jax had gotten married and Preston had met his bonded half, funnily enough she was human but she had taken the news of dragonkin well and they were well suited. She didn't take any of his bullshit and he had changed from a player to a caring and thoughtful boyfriend.

Rev had been charged with aggravated assault, possession of an illegal firearm and obstruction of justice. He had also been found guilty and he was currently serving his time at the Federal Prison in Chicago. Hannah had taken it very badly and most nights she screamed as she felt Rev's pain. Rev had also refused any visitors and none of us had seen him in six years.

I reached out to Tirsynth on a weekly basis and he confirmed that Rev was doing all right, sometimes he'd tell Baz that Rev had been hurt but mostly I already knew that through Hannah. I kept tabs on him and made sure that he always had money in his prison account and we sent him packages weekly.

Rylee had finally sent me a text to say that she was safe and settled, six months after she had left me and that was the last time I heard from her. Her nightmares were non-existent now and she seemed happier in the last year than she had been.

I had just finished my law degree and my articles were complete as well and I was set to take the bar exam soon. I didn't plan on being a lawyer but I wanted the knowledge to protect the lair if I had to. Chris and Jax were still living in the house but they were moving out soon since she was pregnant with their first child.

I was on my way to the first Annual Sire Ball and I wouldn't be attending if I had a choice. The Elders from the lairs were invited as was every Sire in the eastern United States. This ball and the meetings afterwards were mainly to form new alliances, weed out the bad lairs and change our positions on the political front.

We arrived at the hotel and I got plenty of stares. The young woman next to me turned heads because she was breathtakingly beautiful. The stares I got were also because she was so young. Almost seventeen to be exact, but I ignored the remarks and booked us in at the reception desk.

"Name?" the woman asked as she eyed me up and down.

"Lucas Grey," I said and she smiled at me until Hannah joined my side.

"Here are your room keys Sir," she said and handed me two keys.

I just nodded and Hannah took my arm as a bellhop took our luggage and headed for the elevators. My head snapped up as I heard her laughter and our eyes locked. Her face was filled with shock as she looked at me and Hannah leaned in to whisper something in my ear and I saw a flash of jealousy in her eyes. My eyes held the same level of jealousy as I looked at the man she had entered the lobby of the hotel with.

"Rylee," I whispered as the doors closed.

"Rylee?" Hannah asked as she looked at me.

"With another man, a Sire, if he was invited here," I said to her despondently.

Her emotions filtered through to me, jealousy and guilt. She probably didn't recognize Hannah and why would she, six years was a long time. Hannah had grown from the little ten year old girl into a stunning young woman. She was much shorter than me but built like a runway model with high cheekbones and a fashion sense that left Chris jealous.

"She's jealous," Hannah said and looked at me, "and so are you."

"Shut up," I said and she laughed.

I had booked a suite with two rooms and the bellhop put our luggage in the living room. I tipped him and took Hannah's suitcase to her room. I poured myself a drink and sank down on the couch with my eyes closed. She was here, I hadn't imagined it. The smile on my face disappeared as I thought of her with another man. I hadn't felt that through our bond, I would've known if she had slept with someone else.

Over the years my lair had grown exponentially and so had our business interests. Jasper O'Connell and I had reached an agreeable alliance and started a new business venture. We now owned ten hotels situated in major cities across the States and they were doing well.

We had also agreed to view this ball as another business venture as we wanted to acquire the very hotel we were staying in now. We had an appointment with the owner on Saturday morning for an early brunch to discuss the details of the sale. He was eager to sell and that bothered me a bit. Who sells a hotel that's making money?

My reputation had also grown from a young Sire that took over at eighteen to a ruthless leader that didn't give second chances and I had already eradicated four lairs that had opposed me. I stuck to the dragonkin laws and used my background as a lawyer for all my business dealings.

"Aren't you changing for dinner?" Hannah asked as she walked into the living room, wearing an ankle length dress that clung to her body and left nothing to the imagination.

"Aren't you?" I asked her.

"This dress is perfect for tonight's plan," she said with a smile as her eyes twinkled.

"Are you planning on making Rylee jealous until she figures out who you are?" I asked her.

"Of course, jealousy shows that the bond is just as strong for her as it is for you," she said and I laughed.

"Don't waste your time Hannah. Rylee knew where to find me if she wanted me," I said to her.

"We'll see," she said and looked at me again, "are you changing or not?"

"Not," I said to her. There was nothing wrong with the suit I was wearing. I fixed my tie and we left the suite as Rylee and the man I saw earlier exited the suite right across from ours.

We all stood in front of the elevator and I fought the urge to look at her. I could feel her warring with herself as well and I smiled slightly. The doors opened and we all stepped inside. The man was watching Hannah unabashedly and she was smiling at him. I almost shook my head at her antics.

"I don't think we've met, I'm Sire Colin Maxwell from Charleston, West Virginia," the man said and held his hand out towards me.

"Sire Lucas Grey from Aurora, Illinois," I said and shook his hand, "hello Rylee."

The man looked at me in amusement and then at Rylee as she found my eyes and I could feel Baz stir inside my head.

"Hi Lucas," she said softly.

"I've heard of you," Colin said as he looked at me again.

"I'm sure it's all true," I said and he laughed heartily.

"I don't always believe everything I hear otherwise I'd have to believe that you're the most ruthless and feared Sire in the country," he said to me.

"Believe it," I said as the doors opened and I let them walk out first.

"I would like to keep the conversation going, would you join us for dinner?" he asked and I sensed Rylee's discomfort.

"Thank you," I said as we walked to the dining room.

We were shown to a table and I sat directly across from Rylee who kept glancing at Hannah. A lot of people were looking at Hannah but she was oblivious to it all. Hannah was also an expert marksman or woman in her case and she had a natural instinct when it came to guns.

"I see your date has no bond mark," Colin said.

"That will change soon," she said and smiled at me.

"Yes it will, she was bonded to another at a very young age," I said and he raised his eyebrows at me.

"And yet she is here with you," he said. His tone of voice told me his interest was piqued but there was no malice.

"I'm bonded as well," I said to him.

"This sounds like an interesting story, where is your bonded half if not with you?" he asked me.

"Actually she's being escorted by you," I said and looked him in the eye as Rylee started choking on her drink.

"What?" he asked me and looked at Rylee.

"Small world isn't it," I said and looked at Rylee who was glaring at me murderously now.

"This is your bonded half Rylee?" he asked her.

"Yes," she said finally.

"And you don't mind?" he asked Hannah and she laughed.

"Lucas you never introduced me properly," she said.

"This is Hannah, my sister," I said and Rylee's eyes widened.

"Little Hannah?" she asked.

"She doesn't look so little to me anymore," Colin said and I laughed.

"Keep your eyes on her face," I said to him and he looked away quickly.

"My apologies, but you really are striking," he said to her.

"Colin, I think you and I should go dance. I'm sure these two have plenty to discuss," Hannah said and stood up.

"It would be my pleasure," he said as he offered her his arm and led her to the dance floor.

I wasn't worried about him dancing with Hannah, she could take care of herself, I knew because I had trained her myself. No man was ever going to touch either of my sisters but Hannah had taken to it more naturally than Chris had.

"Lucas…" she began to say once we were alone.

"So I see you moved on," I said to her.

"It's not what you think. Colin took me in, cared for me…" she said and her voice trailed off.

"Everything I was willing to do," I said to her. I could feel my anger rising and I tried to control it.

"I'm sorry Lucas, everything was just too much for me. I didn't want to complicate your life with how I was and…" she tried to explain but I interrupted her.

"Is he the reason you asked me to reject you? So you can bond with another fucking Sire?" I asked her angrily.

"I asked you to reject me to make your life easier!" she said equally angry.

"You really are fucking slow, as if rejecting you would make my life easier," I said and threw the napkin down on the table.

"So why didn't you?" she asked me.

"What does it matter? I just wanted you to be okay and I can see that you are," I said sarcastically.

"Lucas," she said as I stood up.

"Just leave it Rylee, enjoy your life," I said and walked out of the restaurant.

I pressed the button for the elevator furiously and the doors closed as Rylee walked towards it. I closed my eyes as the elevator started going up because it hurt to walk away but I also didn't trust myself not to lose my temper and make a scene.

I slammed the door of the suite shut and walked over to the bar. The door opened five minutes later as I emptied the second glass and I figured it was Hannah. I drained the third glass and walked right into Rylee.