His Devoted Dragon (Divine Dragons Book 4)

by Jill Haven

  I didn’t swear right then and there to be perfectly responsible going forward, because life wasn’t that simple. But I did make a promise to Beau that no matter what, I would try, and I would do everything I could to protect him and our future, whether he was pregnant or not. If he needed me, I would be there, and I wouldn’t let him down.

  “Wow, I don’t think I’ve ever seen him not smile.” Evan looked genuinely concerned, baby Stormy napping on his chest. His face brightened as he walked over, reaching up to pat me on the shoulder. “We’ll make sure he’s okay,” Evan said soothingly. “Don’t worry.”

  I didn’t want to tell him the ‘don’t worry’ boat sailed hours and hours ago. The best I could do was respect Beau’s boundaries and stay downstairs until—if—he wanted to see me again. Dread settled like cement in my stomach at the thought.

  When I dragged my attention back to Evan, I caught him giving Bishop a concerned look. I narrowed my eyes. I was fine. Sort of.

  Giving Bishop a quick kiss, Evan headed upstairs with a soft good-bye and Stormy held protectively against his chest. Bishop’s face went almost gooey—or as gooey as Bishop got, anyway—as he watched his mate go up the stairs.

  I couldn’t help it. I snickered. “Never thought I’d see the day.”

  Bishop turned to give me a pointed look, the humor gone from his expression. “I saw the way you looked at that mate of yours.”

  Inwardly, I winced. Outwardly, I just shrugged. Silence fell among the five of us, Carlisle standing with his arms crossed, Mason leaning silently against the wall, Bishop with his hands in his pockets, Ten looking like he didn’t have a care in the world, and I was seconds away from pacing in circles, if only for something to do. The inactivity was killing me. I couldn’t fix the past, but I could do something to help Beau now.

  “Oh my god. I’m really gonna have a baby, ain’t I?” Beau’s low Southern accent carried downstairs, easily audible in the silence. I swallowed thickly, purposefully tuning out the reassurance Beau was theoretically getting from the other two omegas. There wasn’t anything I could do about the situation right this second, I reminded myself for the millionth time. Even if it killed me, I would respect what Beau wanted.

  Carlisle cleared his throat. “Do you have the papers?”

  I nodded, beyond grateful to him for dragging the topic back to something that wasn’t directly Beau-related. “I brought the whole file with us,” I said, moving to my bag and pulling it out. Carefully I spread out the folder and its contents on the dining room table, walking Bishop and Carlisle through the most important notes. “I don’t know how much Beau’s maternal grandparents, the ones who raised him, knew,” I admitted. “But they told him as much as they could.”

  “Do you think they knew about the box?” Bishop asked, moving forward to pick up one of the notes, reading it with a cautious eye.

  “I would assume so.” I grimaced, not liking not knowing. “But it is possible it was installed in the grandfather’s study without him being aware of it.”

  “Do you know much about how long Beau’s father was there, if at all?” Carlisle had that furrow between his brows that made it clear he was thinking. “Does Beau know?”

  “Not that I’m aware of.” I sorted through a couple of the letters, picking up the one I wanted. “It’s pretty clear that his father knew he was a divine omega and sent him away for his protection. From what Beau’s said, he also stressed that dragons weren’t trustworthy.”

  Carlisle raised a thick eyebrow.

  I shrugged, bristling on behalf of my fated mate. I wasn’t thrilled that he thought it, but I understood why he did. “Wouldn’t you do everything to protect someone you loved?”

  Bishop’s chuckle caught me off guard, and when I finally met Carlisle’s gaze, he was looking at me with a speculative expression. Ten’s gaze was far too knowing for my liking. Irritated, I brushed my feelings aside.

  “He also makes it pretty clear the Silver Dragons are experiencing the same fertility troubles we are,” Carlisle said grimly. “If they knew what Beau was, they would have taken advantage of it.”

  “And he probably wouldn’t have survived. Or wanted to.” Bishop’s words hung in the air. “They would have treated him like they tried to treat Seth.”

  I closed my eyes and put my hands on the table, hunching my back in an attempt to not throw something or scream. Beau deserved so much better than that. When I opened my eyes again, Mason’s eyes were on me and were a mix of understanding and anger at the mere thought of what had happened to his mate. I could sympathize.

  “It’s not something the Silver Dragons would have attempted on their own.” Carlisle flipped back over Harland’s profile, the photo shining up at us. “It’s not their style.”

  “They’re not the type to do their own dirty work,” Ten agreed in a low hum.

  “Are you thinking they contracted out?” I forced my shoulders down to their normal position, trying to ease some of the tension overtaking my body.

  “Didn’t Ten say some of the dragons out there smelled earthy?” Bishop frowned, turning to look at him. “Since it’s near the woods, Earth Dragons would have made the most sense.”

  “That sounds right,” Ten agreed, his attention on the papers in front of him. It was the first time he’d seen them in total, and he was making use of it.

  I struggled to ignore the memories of Beau’s near-abduction, his injury, that flashed through my mind. “The dragons we were chasing definitely weren’t silver.” I tapped my fingertips on the table, raking over the information in my mind in an attempt to gleam any little bit I’d missed.

  “Regardless, keeping Beau safe is priority number one.” Carlisle’s statement was met with silence. Bishop in his usual taciturn way, Ten rolling his eyes, and I was pretty close to saying ‘duh’ before I decided it wasn’t worth it. Still, the corner of Carlisle’s lips turned up in a smile. He could read me too well.

  “Priority two is finding Beau’s father,” I said, tracing my fingers down the profile. “If he’s still alive.”

  “Do you think all of the Earth Dragons are involved?” Bishop asked, not sounding thrilled at the idea.

  Carlisle shook his head. “They’re a large enough clan I wouldn’t be surprised if there’s just a fraction involved. Maybe a rogue member.”

  I hoped he was right, even though I didn’t think he was. “Will you—”

  “Reach out to my contacts?” Carlisle finished for me, his words a drawl. “Of course.”

  My cheeks flushed red. I wasn’t being scolded, but I should have known I didn’t need to remind someone like Carlisle of his responsibilities. Instead I was coming to accept that my mental faculties were more than a little bit scrambled when it came to Beau.

  “In the meantime, you’re his bodyguard,” Carlisle said, his heavy gaze on me. “You need to protect him.”

  “That won’t be a problem,” I said curtly, blood thrumming through my veins. I almost wanted someone to try to get at Beau, to give me a chance to work off some of the frustration I couldn’t deal with.

  Carlisle eyed me, then shook his head, apparently dismissing the conversation. “I need to go make phone calls.”

  I nodded absently, my attention upstairs and wherever Beau was. I could feel his anxiety faintly through what we shared, but I didn’t like being that far away from him. “I’ll be here.” My words were quiet, but they were the truth. I would wait as long as Beau needed me to.

  Bishop stared at me for a long moment, then he, Mason, and Carlisle clapped me on my shoulders before walking past and farther into the house.

  Ten stood there and watched me, a hint of a smile on his lips.

  I sighed. “You can say ‘I told you so’.”

  Ten chuckled. “He’s different though, isn’t he?” There was the barest hint of approval in his voice, like he wasn’t letting me off easy. “I can see that.”

  I crossed my arms over my chest and stared into the distance. “Yeah.” I didn�
�t say anything else, because it wasn’t a conversation I wanted to have with anyone but Beau first. “He is.”

  17

  Beau

  It was surreal, sitting there and talking to three men who had babies—babies they had given birth to—in their arms, chatting like it was the most normal thing ever. My mind was still spinning, my world topsy-turvy, and I was afraid it would never go back to normal.

  “Hey.” Haiden’s voice was soft, and his eyes were worried. “Are you okay?”

  I shook my head, then shrugged, because really, I wasn’t certain how to put how I was feeling into words. Not only could I get pregnant, based on what Haiden and Evan had said, I probably already was. Stupid Ace and his stupid magical dick.

  The world blurred into nothing as I stared at their babies, then down at my stomach, where, theoretically, my own baby would grow. Panic started rising through my body, adrenaline surging and making my fingers shake. I had never thought about being a Dad.

  No, that wasn’t true. I had thought about it, but it was one of those things that was in the future. Not now. I would have met the right guy, gotten married. Fostered, adopted, whatever. Instead, there was a good chance I was knocked up by someone I didn’t really know.

  There was a little voice in my head that protested that. Ace was different, and I knew it. I really did, even if I didn’t want to acknowledge it. Ace was familiar, like a pair of worn jeans. Something that had been around so long that you didn’t stop to think about when you found it, you just appreciated it for what it was. He made me feel safe.

  But none of that stopped my grandparents’ voices from sneaking back in my head, faint whispers from my father’s letters about what dragons really wanted from me. They couldn’t be trusted. If what Ace had said was true, what if he just wanted me as a vessel? What if, the moment he got the baby, he would lose all interest in me and toss me aside? Haiden and Evan were so certain of their mates, but I was different.

  Did Ace even want a baby? He seemed enthusiastic about it now, but maybe he was just faking it. Turmoil made my stomach churn, bile threatening to rise and sting my throat. I wanted to trust him. I wanted to believe him. But I couldn’t. Not completely.

  “It’ll be okay,” Evan said, steady and bright. I could see how he and Bishop worked, in a way. Evan brightened up his life, and Bishop steadied Evan. Seth was the wild card, the one I didn’t know, but he didn’t speak much, just offering a quiet strength that I could draw on if I needed. He seemed the most like me.

  I nodded absently as the three of them stood, wandering somewhere else with their kids. None of what we had talked about was stopping my mind from spinning in circles. Did Ace and I work? I thought we did. He made me lighten up, made me smile, and I thought I kept him from doing too many stupid things.

  The tug in my heart was getting too difficult to ignore, so I pushed myself to my feet and headed downstairs, surprised to see Ace leaning against the wall near the landing, watching my every move. His phone was in his hand like he’d been playing on it until he noticed me. Immediately Ace tucked his phone away, his face turning sheepish. He started shifting his weight from one foot to the other, almost like he wasn’t certain what to say.

  Even though I wanted to slap him for getting us into the situation in the first place, I couldn’t deny that whatever had knotted up in me untangled at the sight of him. “You’re an idiot,” I said, although the words sounded unmistakably fond.

  Ace blinked, then reached out and took my hand, drawing me into his arms and wrapping me up in him. I let myself breathe deeply, inhaling his familiar, smoky scent, before melting into his arms. I wouldn’t forgive him for everything, but this was a start.

  “I’m an idiot,” Ace agreed, “but I’m your idiot.” He kissed my temple, a sparkle in his blue eyes that I hadn’t seen in days. For the first time in what felt like forever, some of the stress drained out of my body. Maybe things really would be all right.

  I closed my eyes with a sigh, hanging onto Ace like he was the only thing supporting me. Maybe he was.

  Ace cleared his throat. “How are you doing?” He looked both anxious for the answer and afraid of it.

  I debated toying with him, but decided it wasn’t worth it. “Terrified,” I answered honestly. “Worried. The whole thing feels surreal.”

  Ace squeezed me, but not too tightly. It was enough that I felt protected instead of squished. I felt safe in his arms, like no matter what happened, he would look after me. “You’re not alone,” Ace said quietly, the words whispered into my ear for me and me alone. “Whatever it takes, whatever happens, I’ll be there for you.”

  I swallowed thickly, not sure what to say to that, so I just hugged him tighter instead.

  “We’re going to try to find your father.” Ace sounded apprehensive, like he wasn’t certain what I would think about that.

  I pulled back, surprise rooting my feet to the spot. “Really?” Hope surged in me, because that had been one of my biggest worries. If my Dad was alive, was he okay? From what the letters had said, I wasn’t certain he would be.

  “Really.” Ace reached up and cupped my face, stroking my cheek with his thumb.

  I swallowed thickly, my Adam’s apple bobbing. “How long will you be gone? What if I’m pregnant? I can’t exactly work around the farm with a baby gut.” Apprehension made my words spill out faster. “I don’t want to take the baby home without you, either.”

  “Hey.” Ace leaned in to give me a sweet kiss, his lips lingering for a moment, the air between us thick with sweetness. “We’ll worry about that if, and only if, you’re pregnant. For now, I just want to take care of you, okay?”

  I sunk my teeth into my lower lip as I stared at him, not entirely convinced. I wanted a plan. I wanted a plan for a plan for a backup plan.

  “Ace, Beau?” Haiden’s melodic voice echoed from another room. “Dinner’s ready, and it’s required.” For all he sounded sweet, there was a hint of steel to his tone, making it clear we weren’t allowed to refuse.

  “That’s us told,” Ace said, but there was laughter underneath the sarcasm. He held out a hand toward me, clearly waiting.

  I looked at it, then at him, and then took it, twining our fingers together. The smile he gave me was dazzling, making me weak in the knees and my cock hard. Mentally I scrolled through an index of boner-killing images. Not something I had to use often, but right now wasn’t the time to be getting a boner in front of anyone but Ace.

  Although we started walking toward what I assumed was the dining room, Ace casually brought our linked hands up to his face and pressed a kiss to my skin, a casually affectionate gesture that made my cheeks heat up. Whatever he had been at one point, he was showing me that he had absolutely no problems looking after me, wanting me. Even if he had been a playboy, what he did showed he cared.

  In some ways, actions were better than words.

  “We’re going to play cards,” Ten said the moment he saw us.

  “Not until after dinner’s served,” Haiden said with scary eyes. For a shy, quiet man, he could boss around the dragons when he needed to. I was impressed. No wonder he was Carlisle’s mate.

  “Duly noted,” Ace drawled. He turned to look at me. “Have you ever played poker before?”

  I nodded. “My grandparents taught me a long time ago.”

  Ace dropped my hand to wrap his arm around my shoulder, pulling me close to kiss the side of my head. “Maybe I’ll have to steal you for my team, then.”

  Then he was steering me to a spot, making sure I had a chance to say yes or no to each bit of food that made it my way and taking the time to add more to my plate if he wasn’t satisfied with the amount. I looked at my plate, then him. “Really?” It was covered in a heap of food, more than I could probably eat.

  Ace frowned, but it smoothed out quickly. “You could stand to eat more,” he said, trying to sound casual. There was a hint of pink on his cheeks, like I’d embarrassed him.

  “How adorable,” Ten cooe
d, breaking the tension and drawing laughter from most of the table. “Sappy stuff aside, let’s eat.”

  Dinner passed quickly, although I spent most of it talking with Ace or the other omegas, still not entirely certain what to make of Carlisle or even Bishop, to a lesser extent. Mason seemed polite enough, but he was quieter than both of them in his own way. Ace and Ten bantered back and forth, their relationship clear. They loved each other, whether they were blood-related or not.

  “When’s the last time you beat me at poker?” Ace drawled, looking pointedly at Ten.

  Ten pretended to think. “Two weeks ago, last Tuesday.”

  Ace went to jab him with the fork, but Ten dodged. I smiled, not able to hide the expression. It was proof that Ace could be playful without being an unrepentant flirt.

  “Bull crap,” Ace said tartly. “You’ve never beaten me.”

  “But I have,” Bishop said, sounding pleased. His eyes flickered to Evan. “It was a nice evening.”

  Evan’s cheeks turned scarlet, but he kept his attention on Stormy, chatting with Haiden about teething or something else baby-related. Then he was talking to Seth, and that conversation was coated in technical terms I didn’t understand. I could turn on and use a computer, but I had no idea what they were talking about. Although, I was only half paying attention, still too nervous contemplating what having a baby would mean and how much it would change my life.

  “Dragons, to the table,” Carlisle said, apparently done with his meal. The other dragons followed, sitting down at the fancy version of a card table that already had a couple decks of cards on it.

  I looked at Evan, then Haiden. “Do they do this often?”

  Haiden chuckled. “When they can.”

  “I taught Mason how to play.” Seth looked amused at the thought. “It took a significant amount of timing. And clothing removal.”