The Dragon's Pursuit (Lochguard Highland Dragons 7)

Layla's lips curled upward. "I doubt I could pry him away from your side without inducing a coma."

Yasmin looked back at her. "No, don't do that. He'd never forgive me."

Silence fell for a few beats. Not the comfortable one they'd once shared as sisters and best friends. No, years of estrangement and secrets made it an awkward one.

In the end, Layla decided to be blunt. "Why did you agree to go to Iran, Yas, when you loved Phillip? To think I could've had my sister safe here for years, instead of me worrying about how unhappy you'd be in an arranged mating, makes me want to cry."

Yasmin's gaze moved to Phillip's face as she answered, "Phillip and I had a fight, and since he never actually asked me to be his mate, I thought it best to make a clean break and leave Scotland. It shattered my heart into a thousand pieces to do it, but I couldn't keep forgiving him."

/> "Forgiving him for what?"

Yasmin moved as if to stroke Phillips forehead, but pulled back and clenched her fingers into a fist. "It'll sound silly now, after all we've been through."

Layla squeezed her sister's hand until Yasmin met her gaze again. "Tell me, Yas."

Yasmin sighed. "Aye, well, anytime I mentioned that I loved him, his face would shutter and he'd disappear for a week without a word. The first time, I was worried. And when he came back, he pretended nothing had happened. But with each time he left when I mentioned my feelings, he hurt me deeper. I kept asking him what was wrong, but he deflected and would distract me with kisses and sex. However, it got to the point where I had to know the truth. So I cornered him in a room, locked the door, and asked him why he kept rebuffing me, telling him that neither of us would leave until he answered."

Even though Layla knew her sister loved Phillip now and they were obviously devoted to each other if they'd been on the run for five years, she wanted to corner him and ask how he could keep hurting Yasmin like that.

"Layla." At her sister's voice, she returned to the present, and her sister continued, "It did work out in the end, so don't try to hurt him, if you please."

Somewhere in the back of her mind, she hated how polite Yasmin was being with her. However, there were more important things to address, and so she replied, "I won't. But tell me his answer to your question."

"He was afraid, simply put. His parents were devoted to each other, and in the end, that's what killed them. He was afraid the same would happen to us. You know the stories, as everyone does on Lochguard, aye?"

Layla nodded. While Phillip and Logan's parents had died long before Layla had started training to be a doctor, she'd heard the stories.

A group of humans had captured their mother. When her mate had agreed to give himself up in exchange for her freedom, the humans had ended up killing them both by draining their blood, which they'd probably sold on the black market.

Lives hadn't mattered as much as pounds and pence.

She hadn't thought of their history for a long time. While Layla didn't understand how such an event could translate to hurting someone you love, she'd long ago learned that the mind worked in mysterious ways. It was one of the reasons she preferred medicine to psychology.

She finally spoke up. "Something must've changed, aye? Or he never would've followed you."

Yasmin smiled as she stared at her mate. "When he told me he could never fully love me or it'd end up hurting me—maybe even killing me—that's when I broke it off and agreed to Mum's arranged mating. Only when I was truly gone did he realize how he'd been a fool and came after me. He watched and waited for the right moment to talk to me—difficult since I always had chaperones to interpret for me—and begged my forgiveness. Before I could answer, he asked me to be his mate and run away with him.

"I had nothing but the clothes on my back and my bag with a little money. And while Azar had been nothing but courteous to me, there was no passion or love involved. He was following his father's wishes, nothing more. And suddenly faced with a life with a male who'd be nice but reserved for decades, or finding a way to survive with a male who'd risked everything to tell me he loved me and wanted me as a mate, I chose Phillip."

"And even after all you've been through, you would've made the same choice, aye?"

Yasmin bobbed her head. "We've had quite the adventure." She placed a hand on her large belly. "But the bairn changed everything."

After a few beats, Layla asked, "Why didn't you come to me, Yasmin? You know I would've helped you."

Her sister rubbed her stomach in slow circles, keeping her gaze averted. "I heard you were made head doctor, and I knew that you'd probably lose everything you'd worked for if you helped me and Phillip. It's only a matter of time before Azar's clan comes here, demanding who knows what for restitution." Yasmin finally met her eyes again. "I didn't want to ruin your life, Layla."

"Oh, Yas." Leaning down, she engulfed her sister in a hug. Closing her eyes, she added, "I've missed you so much. And I'm hurt that you didn't realize I would do anything for you."

Yasmin tightened the hug, her voice wavering as she replied, "And that's the point, I did know that. Which was why I wanted to protect you."

Layla pulled back enough to meet Yasmin's eyes, doing her best to ignore the tears for a second. "I'm more than old enough to make my own decisions, Yasmin. Promise me you'll never hold back from asking for my help again."

A tear fell from her sister's eye. "I-I promise."

She nodded. "Good." Pulling her sister back into a hug, Layla let a few tears slide down her cheeks. "I love you, sister. And between me, Finn, and the Protectors, we'll make sure you're safe and can live here again."

They stayed like that for a few minutes, each holding the other and trying not to cry. Or, at least not cry more. It was only when a knocked sounded that Layla released Yasmin and stood up. Wiping her tears away, she cleared her throat and said, "Who is it?"