There were a few dragons in his family that had been incarcerated by the American GOE agents. Perhaps he would introduce her later. It was a scare tactic, but his ever brave and rash Liana might need it.
Another voice whispered to him. The voice wondered if that was what happened to Miri’s parents. It wasn’t too far-fetched. He knew her parents, knew the kind of life they lived and the things they’d done. If Forrest was in town, his crew might have done a sweep of the area to put a damper on any raiding.
But to leave a child behind like that… it was cruel. He thought Forrest and his crew were better men than that. They would have contacted Dane about the runaway child, had him retrieve her or, at the very most, left her in his care. He shared his thoughts with Liana as they walked back to the convertible.
By the time she slid into her seat, she was fuming. Her face became a blank mask, but her eyes betrayed her. They were dark with the thing inside her. It shifted, anxious to draw the blood of those that had betrayed the small child that had clung so fiercely to her the day before.
Dane was starting to wonder if the thing inside her was a beast, or if it was something more. He’d been there.
And, he’d barely come back, but he’d come back stronger than before.
***
Liana shifted uncomfortably on her way to the place Dane thought Miri may have come from. They passed through a couple of small towns, not much more than a school and a diner, and her heart stuttered inside her chest. Barns had been toppled over, half burnt. Small banks were crumbled, blocked off in every direction as people cleared away the rubble.
She feared she already knew what had happened. It felt like stories she’d heard of, stories about the Wild West of the States. The dragons who chose not to be a part of Dane’s family and live on the territory had become nearly lawless, taking whatever they wanted and moving on. There was no honor among them.
“That is the result of the laws here,” Dane began. “Dragons are often barred from holding specific jobs, especially ones that put a dragon in interaction with the human population. The laws about dragon-kind aren’t expressed too loudly and a good number of dragons still come here to find the American dream only to realize they aren’t allowed anything.
“I do believe there are a good number of dragons who raid for the fun of it, but there are some who do it to survive. They squat in houses and steal what they can from the neighborhoods around them until it’s time to move on. Part of me wonders if it’s a life dragons are forced into that grows on them and eventually they truly grow into the role like the stories of raiding dragons in history.”
Liana closed her eyes against the broken scenery and wondered how she was going to stop this. Someone had to, or else the Embassy would never work. There had to be an understanding between the dragons and humans. There had to be some honor.
“Why don’t you take them in?” Liana asked, her throat tight.
“Not everyone wants to be under my command. I’ve approached some and brought them in, but I think some of them fear me. I’ve had a reputation here that works to keep some in line, but it also keeps some away from a potential home.”
Liana studied him, trying to figure out what kind of reputation he had. The man she’d seen had been warm and jovial, but she’d yet to see him truly take command of his family. She guessed he must have a stern hand if any stepped out of line. She remembered Drystan’s firm hand, often resulting in bloodshed.
The house Dane wanted to visit turned out to be a small, unassuming trailer. The convertible looked outrageous parked in front of it, but the brush helped to cover the driveway from the view of the street. Liana leaned out of the car and surveyed her surroundings, trying to cut off the voice that screamed Miri might have been here.
There was another car parked in the driveway, a small four door sedan that had seen better days, but the trailer itself was quiet. There was barely a rustle of wind in the trees around her and it made the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end with anticipation. Something was going to happen.
It almost felt like they were walking directly into a trap. Her stomach flipped and she was glad it was nearly empty.
“Last I knew, the group was squatting here,” He said as he leaned to peer past a crooked curtain. “They did get caught by a GOE agent on vacation nearby and it caused a bit of a ruckus in the local news. Forrest could have caught them, or they could have moved on.”
Dane didn’t spare any time. He leapt over the steps and banged his fist on the front door. Liana stayed back, rocking on her heels as she looked around. No one answered the door. Dane glanced back and caught her eye. She shrugged. His hand wrapped around the door knob and she heard it break under his grip. The door swung open.
“Are you even sure this is the right place? Miri may not have even been with them.” Liana said that, not because she thought he was wrong, but because she hoped he was wrong. The thought of a family of dragons still raiding and devastating small towns made her stomach turn. What was even worse was that they’d involved someone innocent.
Dane shook his head. “Last night, I wasn’t sure. It was hard to see Miri beneath all that dirt, but this morning I recognized her. I’m not wrong.”
They worked well together, she thought. She wouldn’t mind working by his side for a while. He commanded his family with love and respect, acting as though he were less than them. As though he didn’t deserve them. Did he believe himself to be someone awful? She couldn’t seem to see why he would think that way.
Inside, Liana followed close. The trailer looked as though people were still living there. A basket of laundry, unfolded, on the couch cushion and a half-eaten sandwich was on a plate on the counter. Yet, no one sounded any kind of alarm. Their entrance should have alerted someone. They were not trying to be quiet at all.
Her hand clenched by her side. Ahead of her, she could see Dane turning pale. His sun-kissed face was draining of color. She almost wanted to go over to him and pull him into the safety of her arms, but she didn’t. She hung back and let him lead.
She watched him bend and pick up a piece of paper from the low table in the living area. His brows seemed to fall together and his face took on a shade of green she’d never seen on him before. Not when Raphael held her hostage or, even, when they’d lost Marc. He quickly replaced the look with one of anger, smoke pouring from his nostrils as his beast pushed forward. It wasn’t a soft, gray smoke like her flame produced. Instead, it was a faint purple color and made her cough when she stepped closer.
“What is it?” She moved closer and plucked the paper from his grip.
He held on and the sound of tearing paper cut through his silence. She looked down to find a note scrawled on the crumpled piece of paper.
Take care of your own or I will do it for you.
Her stomach churned. She looked up, a question in her eyes. What did this mean to him? Clearly, the simple, scrawled words meant something particular to Dane, a presence that had him shaken. His head shot up and he burst into movement.
“We need to leave,” He said, hurriedly. His hand grabbed her waist and ushered her toward the door.
Liana tried digging in her heels, but Dane’s presence was stronger. He nearly lifted her off her feet in his rush to get her out of the trailer. His body shook, with fear or anticipation, she didn’t know.
“No.” Liana spun out of his grip once they were outside. Her eyes scanned the trees around them, keeping an eye out for whatever had spooked Dane. He was normally so collected that this scared her. “You need to tell me what is going on. Right now, so that we can take care of it together.”
His face was pained as he watched her. She could tell that he was caught between his emotions. She was not having it. She would not stand there and let him treat her like a child, like something that could be broken.
She’d been through worse in her life and survived. He should know that. But, the look on his face said that he was going to try to protect her.
She cut him off before he could speak. “Dane, I am with you no matter what. You are not only my associate, but I’ve begun to think of you as my friend. I thought we could trust each other, but I’m guessing I was wrong.”
“I’m not asking for you to understand my actions, only obey them.” He growled as he whipped open her door.
Her eyes widened. She closed the space between them, ripping the door out of his grip and slamming it shut. “I am not part of your family. You have no right to ask me to obey.”
Dane had found whatever evidence they needed here, so she opened her own door and slid into the seat. He would tell her what was going on. She could only hope that he trusted her the way she’d trusted him. What had she been thinking?
Liana realized that sometime over the course of the past few days she’d let Dane dig his way deeper into her heart. He was slowly becoming a part of her and she couldn’t handle that. Reaching inside, she tugged him out and cast aside everything she felt. It hurt, leaving an awful ache in her chest that she couldn’t help but wonder was an echo of what Maggie felt before she left.
He was already working his way into her affections and that scared her. Would she ever be free of him now? Not if she had to live under the same roof. Not if they were going to care for Miri together.
But, she couldn’t even begin to love him if he wouldn’t trust her to help him, to protect herself.
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Chapter Nine
The convertible took the side streets at breakneck speeds. Dane couldn’t help himself. All he wanted was for Liana to be back in the center of his vast Territory, surrounded by the dragons he could trust to protect her. There was also a fierce need to make sure young Miri was alright, as if he might sweep in like a foul wind and finish the job he started.
Those were the dreams that haunted Dane during his early years. They’d faded over time, other, more pressing issues taking precedence while he ran the largest group of dragons in the States.
Beside him, his mate was furious. Dane feared he might have taken several steps backward with her. Their day had been going fantastic, almost like a date. She was becoming less and less a creature and more of a person every day.
Yet, when they returned to the Territory, she slipped out of the car, slammed the door so hard the window pane rattled, and stormed inside. He trailed behind her. Dane was forced to watch as the young girl ran up to Liana with her arms wide open and crashed into her with joyous tears.
Miri had missed them, both of them. She cried and blabbered into Liana’s shirt, but his mate didn’t care about her clothing. She only stroked the girl’s hair and reminded her they had returned. He listened to her tell the girl that she and Dane couldn’t be taken from her because they were the strongest dragons in the States.
Dane wished that was true. He was a force to be reckoned with and Liana was a deadly blur in a fight, but a new predator was in town. Dane had to rally his best fighters, but he didn’t know how to tell them what he knew without giving his past away.
Miri’s parents were dead. There was no getting around that. He wouldn’t have left them alive. The thought was a sliver through his heart, a pain that felt so real he slapped his hand over his chest. The girl his mate held so fiercely no longer had the home she’d once known.
Dane crashed into an armchair while Liana glared at him. What could he tell her? That he was terrified? She wouldn’t understand, not now, not until her walls came down and she felt rational fear again.
“Use my checking account and order some things for a child’s room,” Dane told Liana. “It looks like we’ll be needing it.”
Beneath Miri’s grip, Liana froze. She knew what he meant by his statement, what he insinuated, but would never say in front of the child. He watched them, his chest aching. Before him was something he’d never thought he’d have and now, for so many reasons, he could not have it at all.
Miri was not his child. She was an orphan of a vigilante, told to run as her parents died. The girl most likely knew that her parents were dead, making her cling to Dane and Liana. She might not be able to give what she knew a voice, but it showed in her actions.
Liana no longer trusted him. She would not love him if he told her the truth, either. She valued strength and, when it came to this, Dane had none. He was well and truly scared. Alone he could have taken this head on, but now there was so much more he had to worry about. His family could not find out about who he truly was, the man he’d been.
Every time he passed through one of the small towns nearby, there were reminders. He saw the effects of the raiding dragons all around him and the truth sat like a heavy weight in his chest. No one around him knew. They couldn’t.
Miri pulled Liana to her feet and dragged the older dragon over to Dane’s side, breaking him from the torment of thoughts happening inside his head. He looked between them, confusion knitting his brows together.
“Why is he unhappy?” Miri asked Liana.
Liana snorted. “Because he’s an idiot.”
Miri cocked her head to the side, looking between them. Her dark eyes settled on Dane and he couldn’t help but wonder if there was a Quetzalcoatl inside her waiting to be released. Her heritage looked to be about right. Dane didn’t want to tell Marc and Luc that there had been more like them, that the others had been raiders, too afraid or too proud to come to him for help. He didn’t want to tell them he hadn’t found the others in time or asked them to come into the Territory.
“He looks scared,” Miri noticed.
Liana turned her gaze back to Dane, truly looking at him this time. After a long while, she saw the truth and he could no longer hide it from her. He turned away, unable to accept whatever might roll through her eyes. She would no longer respect him. His chances with his mate might be shot.
It was just another pain he could barely keep from his face. Another thing he couldn’t hide from her.
After a while, Liana urged Miri to get up and together they searched the house for paper and crayons. He wasn’t surprised, considering the nature of his neighbors, that there were in fact crayons to find in his home. His mate and the girl sat down at the coffee table and began to draw, as if that would slowly bring what Miri had been through, what she was to the surface.
His heart swelled. He would protect them both, no matter what each of them thought of him. Dane would gladly lay down his life for his mate and the child the universe thrust into their arms.
***
Liana lay across her bed, relishing the feel of the satin bedspread beneath her bare shoulders. Miri had kept her up, wanting to share each little drawing she’d made until the small girl passed out on top of the table. Dane had been the one to gingerly lift her from her seat and carry her to his bed again.
While he tucked the little girl in and left the master bedroom all to Miri, Liana retreated to her own room. She threw off a layer of the sheer top she’d worn earlier and felt a breath of fresh air return to her lungs.
Now, she smelled his spicy scent fill the air and tilted her head to find Dane leaning in the door frame. His hands were tucked in his pockets, but he looked lost. She should be angry with him. She should be furious with him for not trusting her enough. Yet, she’d seen the fear Miri had pointed out so quickly and it almost felt like an echo of a place Liana had once been.
That deep striking fear had consumed her when she’d been cornered in the forest of Snowdonia. It had been five against one. While she was small and agile, it hadn’t been enough when there were five, massive bodies coming at her all at once. She’d been helpless as they tore her wings to shreds and plucked the scales from her body. Eventually, she’d dropped the dragon form in the hopes of a quick death, but they followed suit and the pain continued.
But she had survived.
Clearly, Dane had survived whatever happened to him, too.
His eyes roved over her. She sat up and patted the space on the bed beside her. Inside her chest, her hea
rt was racing. Reason told her she was being stupid. The monster inside her waited with barely hidden excitement that warmed her core. This was not about those things, she reminded the monster.
Dane hesitated.
“Now,” she commanded with a purr. It took some guts to command the leader of a dragon family, but something inside her told Liana she had every right.
His eyes gleamed and he took the first step. Before she knew it, he was in front of her. Dane put a fist on either side of her and leaned in so that they were only a breath away from one another. Liana leaned back instinctually, but her hand rose to trace the stubble that grew along his jaw. She could feel his raw desire pressing against her thigh as he leaned over her and it made the monster inside her roll over in anticipation.
“Talk to me,” she breathed. “Tell me what is happening.”
Her words took the lust out of his eyes and his head dropped. It rested against her chest for a long moment. She felt the fury of being rejected burning through her again. It was not a sexual rejection, but one of trust and competency.
Still, her hands moved to push his hair back. Her fingers let the soft strands cascade over her skin. He leaned into her touch. When was the last time he allowed someone to touch him, she wondered? He was the leader, a man alone who was supposed to show strength and honor. It was not his place to seek out the pleasures of human women one night a month like her brother and cousins had done.
Her hands lowered so that she could lift his face and look him in the eye. She almost laughed at the puppy-like expression he gave her, bottom lip puffed out. Instead, she hid her laughter by claiming his mouth. Liana pulled the soft, lower lip between her teeth and flicked it with her tongue.
The sound Dane made was one of surprise and pleasure. He leaned into her kiss, exploring and reaching to see how far Liana would let him go. His hands traveled up her back, fingers brushing bare skin. She gave him more, little by little. Together, they fell back onto her small mattress.
Fated Dragons Complete Series: Books 1 - 5 Page 50