He snorted softly. “That’s the understatement of the year.”
No wonder Egan hadn’t wanted to talk about the past. No wonder nothing had really mattered to him anymore—at least until the kids had come along. He’d lost the woman he’d loved and, as a result, had simply closed up and retreated emotionally.
Everything about him made so much more sense now. I blew out a breath, then asked, “So where do you fit into all this?”
“Me? I’m the unwanted get of the maid.” His tone was lightly mocking.
I raised my eyebrows and said, “You don’t have the attitude of someone unwanted.”
He glanced at me, amusement bright in his blue eyes. “And just what sort of attitude would that be?”
“Sullen. Angry.”
“Oh, I’m angry. Trust me on that.”
“Yeah, but it’s a different kind of anger. More vengeful than the-world-owes-me-a-living.”
A smile teased his lips and my hormones again. “You’re quick to judge someone you’ve only just met.” He glanced briefly at the rearview again. “Tell me how you and Egan met.”
“I told you how we met. In a cage, in t
he research center.”
“And the scientists forced you together?”
“Well, it wasn’t force, but we weren’t given a whole lot of choice, either.” It was either mate, or have them force the issue by in vitro fertilization. Something they’d ended up trying anyway after so many years of nothing happening.
And it still hadn’t worked, simply because they had no understanding of a sea dragon’s nature. They might well implant me with a fertilized egg, but it wouldn’t stay that way nor grow in my womb.
“I’m gathering they wanted you to reproduce?”
“Yeah.”
“Egan wasn’t your mate, so that wasn’t going to happen.”
I raised an eyebrow. “You seem very certain of that.”
He smiled. “You wouldn’t be responding to me so fiercely if he had been. Besides, Sila was his mate.”
“God, it’s a wonder he didn’t kill his father.” I would have, had I been in his shoes. “So can female air dragons dictate when they get pregnant, like we sea dragons can?”
He looked surprised at the thought. “No, that’s the male’s prerogative.”
“And when air dragons finally meet their destined mates, do the males remain faithful?”
He glanced at me, amusement touching his lips. “Why the questions? Sourcing out a potential mate, are we?”
Heat touched my cheeks and I looked away from his knowing gaze. “No. But Egan wouldn’t talk about this stuff, and I have no one else to ask.”
“Ah.” He contemplated the road for a second, then said, “It depends on whether they actually commit to their mates or not. If they do, then they remain faithful. If they don’t, then no. My father is one of the latter—he has no regard whatsoever for his soul mate, and beds whomever he can at will.” He glanced at me, one eyebrow raised. “What about you sea dragons?”
“I don’t know. Mom was captured when I was very young, and there was only ever me and Dad. I love my dad to death, but he wasn’t very forthcoming about that sort of stuff.” And he certainly hadn’t encouraged exploration as I’d gotten older. Not that I would have, anyway. I’d spent most of my life hiding what I was from the world, pretending to be human when I was anything but. I had friends, but never close ones. Male friends, but never boyfriends.
“So what is the story behind your birth?” I continued. “Did your dad deliberately get a human pregnant?”
“Not deliberately. He was drunk, apparently, and she was just a warm body when he needed one.” He shrugged, a seemingly casual gesture that belied the deeper anger I could feel in him. “Human and dragon matings almost always result in a pregnancy, even if the male doesn’t wish it. No one really knows why.”
“So why mate with humans in the first place?”