"So everyone knows we're here. Great. We've just given my uncle warning that he needs to hide my sister again."

"Have some faith, dear fiance. Your uncle is much too full of himself to let something like your reappearance make him do something the media might notice, such as hide the birthday girl."

"I hope you're right," he muttered as she led him farther into the mansion. Not so long ago, he might have been more impressed by the polished tile floors and the detailed plaster moldings. However, he'd spent a bit of time in the Silvergrace abode, and had to say he thought their taste much classier and definitely less gaudy.

Disdain curled Aimi's lip. "Good grief, did he seriously mix nineteenth-century Impressionism with postmodern art?" Aimi uttered a noise of polite disgust. "Wannabe."

"They both look shitty to me. I don't see why anyone would pay money for any of them." He swept a hand to encompass the wall of art with its scribbled and abstract offerings.

"Mixing is one thing. However, that doesn't mean the art itself is bad. Don't you see the talent? Look closer. Look again with the eyes of one who covets treasure," she added.

What did she mean? It all looked like paint smears to him, except he noticed, when he did pay more attention, that the brush strokes on the paintings that at first had seemed choppy and uneven actually portrayed a snapshot scene; whereas the other style, using the same kind of bold strokes, was of nothing.

But, even noting those differences, he could easily say, "Still don't see the appeal of either."

"I'll have to show you the stuff I've got hidden in my hoard. I promise you'll see the value."

Was Aimi showing off her treasures the equivalent of giving him a key? Where was a meddling Silvergrace when he had a question?

Step by step, he flowed deeper into the place and the further he went, the more the back of his neck prickled. Danger. But where?

Looking around, he noted everyone in their tuxedos and lavish gowns. Some paid attention to him and Aimi, mostly Aimi, but that seemed normal given her extreme beauty. More glances showed a lot of security-a faint sniff revealed them as shifter security, along with some males who didn't smell at all. Not human or shifter. It reminded him of the plane.

"Are those more of those wyvern dudes?" he murmured to her under the guise of drawing her close to let a server with drinks pass by.

"Yes, they are, and they are making no attempt to hide their presence. Mother won't like that."

"Why? Does this mean Parker was working with the ones that attacked the plane and then our car?"

"Possibly. Although I find it hard to believe any of the Septs would align with him. But then again, your uncle has done many things of late considered impossible."

"Speaking of my uncle, there he is." Standing across the room from them, looking as polished as ever for a mangy wolf, stood his uncle, Theo. He wore a black tuxedo like everyone else but had paired it with a light blue shirt that matched the blue of his wife's gown. Brandon clenched his fists at his side, wanting so badly to wipe that smug smile off the bastard's face, but he couldn't. He had to behave because of who stood by Parker's side, his sister Sue-Ellen dressed in a buttercup-yellow gown. For a moment, he just stared. How could he not? His sister shone, her smile bright as she shook hands with well-wishers, pasting on a fake smile for the masses.

Not for much longer. Time to end her nightmare.

"That's my sister. I am going to talk to her."

"Wait until I distract your uncle and then snag her."

He probably didn't want to know but... "How are you going to distract him?"

"You'll see." Aimi gave him a smile that might have bordered on feral. It served only to make her more beautiful-but don't forget she is deadly.

Off she swished, her slender hips undulating and causing the violet sheen of her gown to shimmer. She snared a fluted glass of wine, and he heard her exclaim, "You call this swill champagne? I don't even feed this to my staff at Christmas."

The fine art of snobbery in action. As Aimi caused a titter and commotion with her entitled rich-girl airs, Brandon made his way around the outer edge of the room, watching his uncle and sister. When Parker aimed himself in Aimi's direction, Brandon made his move, sidling through the remaining crowd until he stood behind his sister, the scent of her true essence masked with some kind of flowery fragrance.

He spun her around and grabbed her in a hug. "I'm so glad to see you."

"Release me at once," she screeched. "Security."

"Sue-Ellen, it's me," he exclaimed, putting her down. "The real me. I'm not a monster anymore." And, no, he didn't care who heard him. Because of Parker, everyone knew Brandon was a shifter. They just didn't know about the extras done to him.

His excitement at finding his sister didn't seem returned, given Sue-Ellen's glare.

"What are you doing here?"

"Rescuing you, at last."

Her brow creased. "Rescuing me from what? I don't need anyone to save me, and you'll ruin everything if you don't leave."

"Leave? Are you on drugs? I've been trying to get to you for months, ever since the Bittech blowup. I'm sorry it took so long, but Parker's been hard to track down. But now that I'm here, you can leave. He won't dare stop us with all these people watching." In that, he hoped Aimi was right. He grabbed his sister's hand and would have pulled her, but she yanked free.

"What are you doing?" his sister asked.

"Leaving and you're coming with me."

"Why?"

"Because Uncle Theo is a kidnapping psycho. But you don't have to worry anymore. Once we get out of here, I'll make sure he never finds you again." He didn't quite know yet how he'd manage it, but surely his mother and brothers could help him hide her.

"There seems to be a misunderstanding. I don't want to leave."

He blinked as he digested her words. "I don't understand."

"What's there not to understand? I don't want to go with you."

"But why? Surely you can't want to stay? Uncle Theo is evil."

"According to you. I happen to think differently."

"He's brainwashed you."

"Do you think I'm that stupid? Use your head for something other than a hat rack," his sister snapped. "Do you really think he could have kept me all this time if I didn't want to be kept? Do you really think me so helpless?"

"Then why didn't you escape?"

"Because I wanted to stay." Her chin tilted. "Uncle Theo took me from the bayou, from that pigsty we called a home. He bought me nice clothes. Made sure I got a proper education."

"He experimented on me and the others. Kept you hostage. He told the world our secret."

A sneer pulled his sister's lips. "A secret that was leaking all over the place anyhow, or are you so out of touch with the modern world that you never watched any of the YouTube videos? He just confirmed what many in the world already knew."

"And what about what he did to me? To the others?"

"He made some mistakes, but what he was doing, and still continues to do with the Bittech research, is for the greater good. He wants to make shifters great."

"He made me into a monster," he growled. "He took away my freedom and made me do things I would have never done."

"He took a chance and, as many have on the path to greatness, suffered setbacks."

Hearing his sister defend the man he'd hated for so long was worse than any bullet or slap. The fact that she justified the things done to Brandon hurt, but what hurt worse was the realization that he couldn't change Sue-Ellen's mind. She truly believed Theo had committed no crimes. His own sister didn't care what happened to him.

I'm such a fucking idiot. Worse than an idiot. He felt betrayed.

"I hope to God you remember this conversation when he turns on you one day," was his bitter reply as he spun away from his sister.

"Where are you going?" his sister asked. "I know he'll want to talk to you. He's been looking for you."

"Tell him to go to Hell."

He was done here. I should have never come. Time to find Aimi and go.

Chapter Sixteen.

It didn't take the bond between them for Aimi to notice the conversation between Brand and his sister went poorly. Brand went from overjoyed at seeing her to shocked and then angry.

Time to save him before he did something he would regret. But at least he'd seen for himself what Adi had discovered.

"The girl's not a prisoner," her twin had stated during her phone call while he'd showered at the hotel.

"Not an obvious one, of course. Brand says the uncle is holding her hostage for good behavior. She's probably too terrified to leave."

"So terrified she's been out shopping all over Beverly Hills."

"That doesn't mean anything."

But the more Adi revealed-Sue-Ellen's car, a zippy red convertible that she liked to race according to speeding tickets, and the clubs she went partying at until the wee hours-it didn't surprise Aimi when Sue-Ellen pulled away from her brother and gave him her back.

Through their bond, she felt the betrayal, and she wanted to soothe him. She knew he'd have to learn about his sister's defection to Parker's side himself. He would have never believed it otherwise.

Mission accomplished. Time to leave, and fuck the possible gold egg or dragon Parker might have. Right now, Brand was more important. Let the others scout out the possible gold. She already had hers.

She weaved through the crowd, looking to make her way to his side, only to find her arm caught in an iron grasp.

She turned her head to see a man with silver temples held her. "If it isn't Uncle Theo."

"And you must be Zahra's daughter, Aimi. I was told you were attending, and with my nephew. Such a pleasure to meet you, especially since you found the missing boy."

"No thanks to you. I know what you did."

"What I did? You make it sound like I did something wrong, and yet, all I've ever done is try to better my family's lot in life, and what does my ungrateful nephew do? He turns against me and shacks up with a dragon."

"Shhh." His blatant words brought on a panic instilled by years of hiding. "What do you think you're doing?" Did he not know how the game was played in public?

"We are having a conversation. Would you prefer we conduct it somewhere more private?"

Yes. Because then she could do what she'd warned Brand not to; punch Parker in the face. She allowed Parker to lead her away from the busy ballroom area down a hall into a quiet section of the house. The room they entered had to be his office, or so the giant desk seemed to indicate.

Out of the sight of curious eyes, she wrenched free from Parker and put a few feet between them. "I don't know what you think you are doing, but it is going to stop. We know you are holding a gold prisoner."

"Not just a gold," Parker advised with a smirk.

"You've got more dragons?" The very idea flustered her. What to reply; especially since he didn't seem the least bit repentant or worried about telling her?

"I've got many things in my labs." Said with a hint of smugness.

"Release them at once. We won't stand for you playing games with our kind."

"Demands? You're not in a position to make demands of me, little girl. I hold all the cards. You seem to forget that I know your secret."

"A secret you'd better not divulge. Or else." She narrowed her eyes in clear threat.

"Or else what? You seem to think you can threaten me, and yet, I find myself very ambivalent about it. One of the things I've learned is, while many threaten, few have the balls to follow through. You can say whatever you like. I really don't care." Parker trailed his fingers over the desktop as he circled it. He dropped into the leather chair behind it and tucked his hands over his belly.

If her mother had taught her one thing growing up, it was to never concede that someone had influence over you. The moment a person did that, they lost their bargaining power. "You should care, because once I tell Mother you're holding our kind prisoner, chances are there won't be any remains left." Actually, Aimi should change shapes right now and incinerate him herself. Two problems with that scenario; one: possible discovery by roaming guests or staff, not to mention recording devices. And second, she wasn't sure if her gift had regenerated enough to work.

"There will be no retaliation or attacks on me or any of my establishments because if you do, then your secret comes out."

"Are you threatening me?"

"You. Your family. All the dragon Septs, actually. Anyone who isn't human should heed me. The rights I am fighting for will benefit us all. Therefore, it's only fair you support the cause, willingly or not."

"You made the choice to out the shifters."

"Dragons are shifters, too."

"We want no part in your rebellion." The right thing to say but a small part of her couldn't help but admire the Cryptozoids' ability to escape the shadows. I covet their freedom. Even if it came with a price in blood. It should be noted there were few moments in history where major change happened that didn't involve a little war and mayhem.

Was Parker's vision truly that bad? For the first time since their ignoble defeat, the dragons could think of reentering the world scene, and all because Parker had paved the way.

But her opinion was hers alone. The Septs should be the one to make the choice, not Aimi, and most definitely not Parker.

A sneer twisted his lips. "You think your kind is so high and mighty with your power and money. But you're cowards. A dying breed. Undeserving of what you have. Just because you don't know how to make full use of your might doesn't mean others can't. You've seen what I can do."

"You mean what science can do."

At this, his expression turned sly. "You're speaking of my nephew. I am sure my scientists will be quite interested in learning how Brandon managed to change his shape. He's the first, you know. A shining example some would say of the Mercers' solid genes."

"You experimented on him. Your own family. Spliced him with a dragon."