Dragon Blood

Chapter 49

"She's a what?!"

Maddox stared at his father, hoping his face of disbelief and indignation was convincing.

Richard's poker face was immaculate. He didn't give anything away. He continued to lean against the desk with his arms folded across his chest. He looked a lot more like the military man Maddox remembered from his early childhood before Rhia was adopted. He'd traded casual clothes for tactical pants and a plain t-shirt. His standard military pistol was holstered at his side, and another gun strapped to his ankle under the pant leg.

Maddox's training never could have prepared him for this. Maybe... just maybe... Atticus had been right. He wasn't trained for undercover work, let alone when it was his own father running the show. Richard had been in the special forces. Maddox was a beat sergeant who regularly got passed over for better assignments because of his refusal to play the political game.

"Nova," Richard said again, a touch slower this time. "Was a shapeshifter undercover for the Counsel. She was spying on you. On all of us."

So he did know. He knew the whole time. But not that Maddox knew or that they'd been in a relationship. Or maybe it was a test? How was he supposed to act? What was he supposed to feel?

"Why didn't you tell me?" he snapped, opting for anger. "It isn't bad enough that you let a fucking dragonkin into our house?!"

Richard's shoulders relaxed just slightly. It was barely noticeable. Blatant racism was apparently the right way to go. Maddox felt his skin crawl with the idea of it.

"I wanted to." He finally said. "I wanted to tell you everything so many times. It killed me having to pretend she was family, and every time I saw that shifter..." he shook his head and glanced at a paining on the wall, a glassy look in his eyes almost like he was staring out a window. How long had he been stuck down here? "The organization relies heavily on our ability to follow orders and override our instincts. You and Christian were chosen because of your reputations within the police force. We would have brought you in sooner, but we had to wait for a decision to be made about that damn dog."

"What is this 'organization'? Church said you were studying the Ancients. And how the hell is Church even alive?! He was in the I.C.U. with a hole in his chest!"

Richard met his eyes again. "I can tell you. I can show you everything. But only if you understand what that means. If you become an operative of the organization, your life is theirs to command. You go where they tell you, you follow their every order without question even if you don't agree... especially if you disagree."

"I can handle-"

"I had to adopt a fucking dragon, Maddox!" Anger and disgust flared in his eyes and voice. "I had to take it into our home, I had to watch your mother sing it to sleep, I had to watch you walk it to school every day! I was expected to act as it's father. You can't be prepared for something like that, you just have to take the order and perform to the best of your abilities. Are you ready to accept those kinds of orders?!"

Maddox set his shoulders back and met Richard's furious gaze. "Yes."

They stared at each other for a long silent minute before Richard held out his hand. Maddox took it and was dragged into an embrace. It wasn't as hard to fake as he'd thought it would be. He let go of the last of the affection he had for Richard. The last shred of hope that Nova and Atticus were wrong fell away to be replaced by a determined resolve to end this.

Richard cleared his throat, and they broke apart. "You look like shit. There's an apartment set up for you." He gestured towards the door. "You can get some rest and I'll take you for the tour later."