by Jill Haven
I didn’t have words, so I nodded sharply. Our first stop was Carlisle’s house, and the chaotic mess inside and shattered windows were a testament to what had happened there. My heart ached, the connection to Beau throbbing like he was feeling my pain, too. I gritted my teeth as I got out of the car, sending a thought to him, if it could go.
I’ll find you, I promised him. I always would.
“Did you find him?” Harland came out of the front door before we could even get inside, his face frantic. “We need to find my son.”
My hands and body were twitching with the urge to shift. I could feel my dragon simmering under my skin, begging to get its talons on whoever had messed with its mate. They would regret it, that was for sure.
“We have eyes on Beau,” Carlisle said firmly, breaking into the worry.
“Why didn’t you say that before now?” I snapped, heading straight for my car that was still parked out front.
Carlisle grabbed my shoulder, stopping me. I reached back to grab him out of instinct, stopping only when I realized it was my Princeps Draco that I was about to flip onto his back. That probably wasn’t good. I let go of him but ducked out from underneath his touch.
“I’m going to save my mate,” I hissed, red lingering at the edges of my vision. Control was such a tenuous thing.
“We have people near him,” Carlisle said calmly, like that mattered. They weren’t me. Beau would be worried, frightened. He would be needing me, not whoever Carlisle was trying to send in after him. “They’re waiting on instructions.”
“If you don’t give me the coordinates, I’m going to find them myself,” I said coolly, and this time Ten fell into step with me as we headed to my car.
Carlisle let out a long sigh. “I’ll text you,” he said, although when I glanced back, he was heading to his car, too. Gratefulness thrummed through me, disrupting some of the sheer nerves. I had backup. I would save my mate, but I couldn’t deny it was a good thing that there were extra people to handle the minions.
Even going twenty miles an hour over the speed limit on the back roads, it took way too long to reach where Beau was last seen. Ten had tried to take over the driver’s seat, but after the third time I bared my teeth at him, he stopped. I was going too fast, I was driving recklessly, but I couldn’t deny the raw need that pushed me further. It was like I would die if I didn’t see Beau soon, didn’t rescue him from whatever he was feeling.
“There.” Ten pointed to a warehouse coming into view.
I jerked the wheel sharply, causing Ten to grab the oh-shit bar, then threw the car into park with a screech of the brakes. Cars could be fixed, replaced. Beau couldn’t.
“Oh, shit—”
I didn’t hear the rest of Ten’s words, because the moment two men appeared with Beau slung unconscious over one of their shoulders, the world disappeared, replaced by a red haze. I didn’t remember getting out of my car, but I did remember roaring, shifting enough so that I could make the right noise. They had messed with my mate, and they would pay.
“Not so fast,” a pompous asshole said, cutting through the red haze. “He’s ours.”
A third man had appeared, his chin up in the air. I didn’t look back, but from what I could tell, Ten and Carlisle were there, along with Harland. It was a small group, but we were all fierce.
“Give me my mate back,” I growled.
The asshole chuckled, although when I looked closely, I could see hints of fear. Good. It was good that he was afraid of me, what I might do to him. He deserved to be afraid.
“I’m afraid he belongs to us now, like he should have.” His smile was smarmy. “Princeps Draco Marvin Halstead of the Silver Dragons, at your service.”
Words were meaningless. I growled deep in my throat, my senses starting to shift already. It didn’t seem that he would give up without a fight, and when it came down to it, I could easily best him.
“Give. Him. Back.”
“I think not.” Marvin gave me a reproachful look. “We’ll have to see what we can do about that pesky mating bite, but after that, I think we’ll breed him until he can’t have any more. He’ll look good pregnant, won’t he?”
That was the last straw. I shifted as quickly as I could, ignoring the pain as I settled into my dragon form. When I looked up, Marvin was half-changed, like he hadn’t anticipated my reaction and was slow to catch up. I could have taken advantage of it, but there was a part of me that wanted to defeat him in fair combat, prove myself to my mate.
“Ace—” Ten stepped forward.
I snarled back at him, shaking my giant head before turning my attention to my opponent. Marvin was a dull silver now, the scales flecked with white and gray. It was nothing like my blue-and-green, and compared to the Blood Dragons, he just looked ugly. As ugly on the outside as he was on the inside.
I roared, surging forward and snapping at the silvery scales to see how dense they were. Marvin pulled back, smashing at me with the spikes on his tail. They glanced harmlessly off me, and I dodged the second swipe. I knew Ten and Carlisle would go after Beau, would make sure he was safe. It was my job to take care of Marvin.
Digging my claws into the ground for leverage, I nipped at his hindquarters with my sharp teeth, pleased to feel them puncture the skin, warm, rich blood dripping down his body and into my mouth. I shook my head like a dog would, although I couldn’t move him far. Either way, I was winning, and we both knew it.
Marvin wrenched himself away, rolling until he was back on his feet, although he moved slower now that his leg was injured. He bared his teeth at me like it meant something. It didn’t.
I raced at him, slamming my body into his and hitting the side of the warehouse, the bricks starting to fall down around us. Taking advantage of the protection offered by his dragon-body, I kicked out with my talons, shoving him more under the falling building.
“Ace—” Carlisle was the one shouting now, but I ignored him.
Rage thrummed through me like blood in my veins, overwhelming my senses. This man, this dragon, had threatened to rape Beau, to make him carry as many babies as he could. Babies that would have likely killed him. The anger burned more intensely at the thought of Evan’s pregnancy, at how being away from his mate had nearly killed him. There was no way in hell I was letting Beau go through any of that.
I roared as he fought his way out of the pile of bricks, clearly slowing down, but not giving in. There was no surrender in his posture, in the way he looked at me. He was still fighting.
I bared my teeth. Good. To the end it would be.
Lashing out with my tail, I moved forward, reaching for his neck, feinting when he moved to block me to put a gash in his softer belly. The roar Marvin gave was fainter, which made me purr. He was dying. He would be dead soon, and I would win.
I gouged at him with my talons, then leaned down and grabbed his throat with my mouth, biting hard enough to crush his windpipe and to tear a gash that was probably fatal. Marvin let out a dragon-scream, then started changing, his body shifting back to his more fragile human form, still partially buried under the bricks. He was naked and bleeding, his gasps shallow and short.
A silence hung over the group of us as Marvin took his last breaths, finally going still. I shook myself like a dog, letting the pleasure at protecting my mate flow through me and provide the adrenaline rush I needed to keep going.
“Ace, we have Beau,” Ten said, his voice steady. “He needs you.”
Immediately I shifted back into my human form, biting back a whimper at the way it hurt. Quick shifts weren’t comfortable, but my mate needed me and I needed to be there for him. I turned around, seeing Beau held in Ten’s arms. Moving forward, ignoring that I was naked, I snatched my mate from him and held him close. I crouched down, steadying Beau and mapping his face, his body, with my hands.
I inhaled deeply, closing my eyes and just breathing. He seemed okay, at least physically. No visible bodily injuries. But he wasn’t awake, wasn’t showing any signs of
stirring, and that worried me.
“Here are some sweats,” Ten said, handing them to me. I ignored him, which made him drop them on top of Beau’s chest. “You need them so we don’t get arrested for indecent exposure while taking him home.”
I growled at him, but let him hold Beau just long enough for me to throw the sweats on. Then I took him back, my hand cupping the side of his face. He was so pale. My stomach dropped, the memories of Evan and his labor far too fresh. Would that happen to Beau? What had they done to him and how would it impact the baby?
“It’ll be okay,” Carlisle said smoothly, although he didn’t touch me. I straightened back up, holding Beau to my chest, and then started stalking back to my car. Ten could drive this time, because I would be in the back with my mate.
“We might need a doctor,” I muttered, coming to a stop when I saw Harland standing by my car. His eyes were wide and his hand over his mouth, like he was in shock and couldn’t believe what had happened. He was bruised, too, presumably from taking down the two goons that were laying off to the side.
I shifted uneasily, feeling protective of the man in my arms. Harland may have been his father, but Beau was my mate. I wasn’t going to let him go anytime soon. I definitely didn’t want him out of my sight or in someone else’s arms.
“Is he okay?” Harland asked, his voice deeper than Beau’s and his eyes worried.
When he moved closer, I fought the instinct to step back. My dragon was lurking under the surface from the fresh shift, and I was so close to changing back into my dragon form, grabbing Beau, and flying somewhere to keep him safe from everyone forever. But that wasn’t how it worked.
“Physically, he’s fine,” I answered, my voice too clipped. Then I gave up caring. There was a time for happy-go-lucky Ace, and holding my recently kidnapped, still-unconscious mate in my arms was not it. I stroked a strand of hair back from Beau’s sweaty forehead, his too-still body snug against mine.
“I won’t touch him,” Harland said quietly, staying a few feet away. His eyes were locked on Beau. “I just want to see him.” There were tears in his eyes, and a combination of happiness and worry was clear under the dirt. “Can I ride back with you boys?” He glanced between me and Ten.
“Sure.” Beau was my first priority, but when he did wake up, he would want to know his father was safe.
If I had to keep telling myself that a thousand times to get it through my head, I would. He’d wake up. He had to.
I settled in the back of my car, buckling myself in but moving the seatbelt so that it wouldn’t poke Beau where he was lying against me. Glancing up in the rearview mirror, I saw Ten eyeing me with hesitation.
“I’ll pay the ticket if you get one,” I muttered, turning back to Beau. “Just…let’s get him back, okay?”
“Okay.” Ten gave in quicker than I expected, and I felt the car shift into gear as he backed out. He started talking to Harland, although I had no idea what they were talking about. Their voices blended into a generic background, Beau was all I could see and pay attention to.
I could smell his pregnancy on him now, and knowing that it was our baby inside him made me dizzy. There wasn’t a bump, but I smoothed my hand over his stomach, basking in the knowledge there would be one soon. Because he would wake up, and he would be fine.
I let out a breath as I pulled him closer to me in my arms, needing his presence as much as he would need mine when he woke up. The chaos that had mired me hours ago was gone, replaced by a quiet contentment to having Beau around me. It was one of those things that I had heard Haiden talk to other omegas about in the past, but experiencing it from the dragon side was different, although no less powerful.
In my arms was my world, and I would do anything and everything to protect him and the life growing inside him.
A soft whimper escaped Beau’s lips and he tensed, his eyes twitching under his lids like he was starting to wake up. I kept my hold on him gentle, but still there, not wanting to let go of him. “I’m here, love,” I murmured, pressing a kiss to his forehead. “I’ve got you.”
“Ace?” Beau’s voice was quiet, but the sigh of relief from the front of the car wasn’t. I tuned them out.
“I’m here.” I stroked his cheek as his eyes fluttered open and met my gaze, his face breaking out into a wide smile.
“You came,” he said, the words croaky like he was waking up after a long nap. He frowned. “Water?”
“Here.” Ten had apparently been thinking ahead, because he tossed a bottle back at me. Keeping Beau held against me, I uncapped it and helped him drink some. The sigh of pleasure he let out made parts of my body pay more attention, but I forced myself to relax. There was no having sex in the car, and with the shape Beau was in, I wasn’t certain there would be sex anytime soon.
And I was okay with that. His safety and comfort were more important than anything.
“What happened?” Beau asked, looking at me with confusion in his eyes. “I just remember the window, then…waking up to that asshole.” He spat the last word. Moving around in my grip, Beau made sure he could meet my gaze. Then panic filled his expression. “Is Charlotte okay? They were trying to get her, and I tried to protect her, but—”
“She’s fine,” I assured him. “Carlisle met us at the airport, and she’s home with Haiden.”
That seemed to calm him down some, but he was shaking now, probably residual adrenaline from the whole experience.
“Did you get him?” Beau’s voice was quiet.
My smile was probably too razor-sharp, but I didn’t care. “He won’t bother you ever again.” Wiping out my mate’s clan wasn’t something to brag about, but there wasn’t anything I wouldn’t do to protect him, so it was what it was.
Beau let out a breath, his eyes fluttering closed. “I missed you.”
“I love you.” I kissed his forehead, taking his hands in mine and holding him as close as I could. “I love you so much. You’re so strong, you’re so brave. You did well.”
Beau let out a small snort. “I was drugged and kidnapped and unconscious when you rescued me.”
There was more thunder in my tone than I meant there to be. “Don’t talk about yourself that way.”
Beau’s eyes widened, and tension notched up a slot.
Mentally, I kicked myself, bringing my anger down. “You survived that long because of you,” I said firmly, waiting until he looked at me before I continued. “You did really well, Beau. Carlisle said there were signs you fought your kidnappers, and you saved Charlotte.”
Beau tried to bolt up, but I didn’t let him go. “And she’s really okay?” His words were frantic.
“She is,” I assured him.
Beau collapsed back into my arms, relief making him crumple. “Thank God,” he murmured. “I don’t know what I would’ve done if…” His hand went to his stomach and he looked up at me. “Are we okay?”
“I think so,” I answered honestly. I didn’t know for sure. I wasn’t a doctor. But I couldn’t smell anything wrong, and the sense of relief from being with Beau was drowning out the earlier alarm. “Whatever happens, we’ll face it together.” I leaned down to give him a quick kiss.
“I love you.” Beau gifted me with a smile and then turned to take in the rest of the car, probably to thank Ten, when he froze. His body was suddenly tense, like he couldn’t believe what he was seeing. He probably couldn’t.
“Dad?” Beau whispered, the word cracking.
“I’m here,” Harland managed, tears starting to stream down his cheeks. They couldn’t hug in the car, but Harland reached back, taking Beau’s hand in one of his. “I’ve got you, son. I’ve got you.”
We both held onto Beau the rest of the drive, and the moment we were out of the car, Harland pulled his son into his arms and hugged him like he never wanted to let go. I itched to have him in my hold again, but I could share. At the end of the day, Beau was mine, and I loved him and he loved me.
I could see how grateful Beau was to fin
d his father. The two of them had looked for each other for a long time, and seeing them together put something inside me at ease, a piece of the puzzle I hadn’t known I was looking for.
Beau turned to look at me, his eyes wet. “Thank you,” he said quietly, the words loud enough to clear. Emotions oozed from him through our bond, making my insides pleasantly gooey.
“Any time,” I answered, and I meant it. No matter what happened, I would always come for him.
23
Beau
I sat on the couch, staring at my father like he was a ghost. In a way, he was. My brain couldn’t to process the fact he was very much right there in front of me and wasn’t about to disappear.
“That’s why I left the box with your grandparents,” Harland—Dad—said, sadness flashing over his face. “I knew if I visited, it would lead them to you, so I couldn’t.” We’d been talking for the better part of a couple hours, and our conversation had gone everywhere, from my childhood to now.
“Did you get any updates at all?” I leaned into where Ace was stroking a hand through my hair, although all my attention was on Harland in the armchair. Ace hadn’t let me leave his sight since the kidnapping, and I honestly couldn’t blame him. Even having him in the other room was enough to make me antsy.
“A few times,” he admitted. “I used burner phones, though, and it depended on your grandparents being home to answer.”
Ace pressed a kiss to my temple, his free hand moving to my stomach. I wasn’t starting to show yet, but Ace still couldn’t stop touching me. It was weird and exciting at the same time. While I had known I was pregnant in theory, Ace’s attention and excitement made it all the more real.
“How long ago did you leave?” When Harland furrowed his forehead at me, I clarified. “Ace said they found you in a house, not with the other Silver Dragons, and they seemed to be hunting you.”
“Ah.” Harland grimaced. “It’s been a few years. We had a difference of opinion when I wouldn’t tell them where you were when Marvin came into power.”