~~~
Thanks to Evie’s information about the periwinkle and mandrake root, Sid had been able to revive Quinn after a few different shots to balance out the hormones in his body. Bram was patiently waiting for the dragonman to wake up enough to talk.
Kai and Finn were checking the perimeter for clues. The darkness was no match for dragon-shifter eyesight and they hoped to find something, especially if the attacker had been human. Even if they’d had a flashlight, without ample lighting to guide them, they could easily trip and drop something without realizing it.
While bleary-eyed, Quinn took one last sip of water from his mate and said, “I don’t remember much, except that there had been two figures before Vivian rushed in to investigate the door being kicked in.”
Bram looked to Vivian. He’d waited to ask some of his questions until he could question them together in case one of their answers spurred the memory of the other. “You had been in the nursery. Do you remember hearing any sounds near the window or the room?”
Vivian brushed her mate’s forehead as she shook her head. “No. Murray’s room was the most secure place in the cottage. The room only had two small windows that no adult could fit through. Being on the second floor added another layer of protection.”
“Quinn, can you remember anything about their appearance? Or even their accents?”
The male shook his head. “Nothing except that the first person had been female. Then something pricked my side, and the world went black.”
Vivian added, “That’s right. When I came downstairs to find Quinn unconscious, the woman ran just as I heard the loud noise upstairs, the one we later found out was the result of them blowing a hole in the wall farthest away from the baby.” She swallowed. “To think, one wrong calculation and they could’ve killed Murray…”
Quinn gave his mate’s hand a weak squeeze just as Sid stepped from the side of the room. “Bram, wrap it up. The injection was a temporary fix. He’ll be out again soon. I need him to sleep so I can run some more tests.”
He wanted to argue, but Sid crossed her arms over her chest and raised an eyebrow. Bram knew that look—she’d find someone to drag him out of the cottage if need be. As the clan’s head doctor, she was one of the few who could do so when his presence or actions risked a patient’s life.
“I’m done for now, but keep me updated on Quinn’s status.” He looked to the couple. “And if you remember anything, let Sid, Kai, or me know, but no one else. I don’t want the information to fall into the wrong hands.”
Both Quinn and Vivian nodded. Bram stood up, squeezed Sid’s shoulder in gratitude, and went outside. He had hoped for more information, but Quinn was exhausted and pumped full of drugs. He would have to question them again later.
He found Kai and Finn squatting on the ground near the rear of the cottage. He joined them and said, “Shoe prints. It looks like there were three people total.”
Finn nodded as he pointed to the smaller set. “This is the female’s.” He motioned toward the other two. “And two males.”
Bram looked to Kai. “Did you find anything else? While knowing there were three people is a start, I’d like something more concrete.”
Kai stood up. “Not yet, but while most of the clan was at the gathering, some stayed home with the old, the sick, and the young. I’ll have some of my team question them.”
Bram also stood. “No, the Protectors should focus on the perimeter and known weaknesses. I can question the possible witnesses.”
Before Kai could reply, Finn said, “If you’ll let me contact my clan, I can have some of my Protectors fly south to help you out. Too much work will cause stress, which will hurt you in the long run with daft mistakes.”
Bram studied Finn’s face in the near-darkness. He wanted to believe he could trust the Scottish leader, but the alliance was new. However, he did trust his inner dragon, so he spoke to his beast. What do you think? Should we ask for his help?
There was a long pause before his beast replied. Yes. I think he wants the chance to see Arabella again. He will help us and not betray us.
Is there something you’re not telling me? Earlier, you couldn’t stand him.
Circumstances have changed.
His dragon retreated and Bram knew that was all the answer he’d receive for the time being.
He met Finn’s eyes. “I would be honored to accept your offer of help.”
One corner of Finn’s mouth ticked up. “That’s quite formal, Bram, but I’ll take it. Let me call my people and they should arrive within the next hour.”
“Thanks, Finn. Make sure they come in from the west.” Finn nodded, pulled out his mobile phone, and walked away. Bram looked to Kai. “With the extra help, have someone question the witnesses instead of me. Evie might have remembered something we can use, and I’d like to hear her out.” After ensuring Finn was outside of hearing distance, he whispered, “Any news from Zain?”
Kai also kept his voice low. “Yes, but I don’t know the details. He didn’t want to risk telling me over the phone.”
“I’ll stop by and chat with him first. Reach out to me when you’re done.”
With a nod, Bram walked toward where Zain would be interrogating the hunter. He would do his job as he always did, but for the first time in his life, a part of Bram wanted the work to be over so he could make sure his mate-to-be was safe. He’d sent her to Melanie and Tristan’s house, which included two babies. If the intruders were still on his land, they could be targeting other children too.
With a quick text to Kai, he asked for the dragonman to alert all families with small children. Bram wasn’t about to let any other young be stolen. Hopefully, between Zain and Evie, he could figure out what the bloody hell was going on and stop it. The British government wouldn’t help him even if he asked. Stonefire would have to take care of its own.
Chapter Six
Evie had just finished downloading as much information as possible from the DDA database when there was a knock on the door. Since Melanie and Arabella were sitting with babies in their arms, Tristan moved to answer it.
When she heard Bram’s voice, she let out a sigh of relief. Maybe his presence would help with her ever-growing stress levels. Everyone had been asking her questions left, right, and center. Bram would help ease the burden.
She knew it was selfish given Bram walked every moment with the burden of the clan on his shoulders. Even though she was usually good at adapting to new situations, becoming a dragon-shifter’s mate, along with trying to stay alive and find a way to protect an entire clan, was a bit overwhelming. Add that to not enough sleep and worrying about how something could happen to Bram if he went after the dragon hunters himself, and she was close to cracking.
Bram walked into the room and she did a double-take at his grim expression. “What happened now?”
He walked over, took the laptop from her hands to hand over to Liam, and forced her to her feet. Once he had an arm around her waist, he growled and said, “I need to move you somewhere safe. Now.”
Placing a hand on his chest, she said, “Why?”
“The hunters are planning to kidnap you.”
“We already knew that. There must be more.”
Her dragonman looked around the room and then back to her. “The dragon hunter we captured, well, we’ve finally managed to extract some information from him. He confirmed there is a traitor within the clan. After tonight’s dinner, the hunters will know you’re to be my mate.” He squeezed her close against his chest. “They’ll use you against me, lass, in ways I don’t even want to imagine. They may already be hiding on our land, waiting to pounce.”
Melanie’s voice sounded behind Bram. “You can’t exactly lock her in a cellar and throw away the key.”
Bram looked over his shoulder. “You may have learned a lot since arriving here, Melanie Hall-MacLeod, but you don’t know everything. I have somewhere safe to stash Evie. Very few know of the location, and I plan to keep it that way.�
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Tristan spoke up. “I won’t ask for the location since not knowing will keep my family protected, but who will take her? The clan needs you here. Will you be able to control your inner dragon with another person watching her?”
Evie patted Bram’s chest. “He’s right. As much as I want to keep you close, the clan needs you more.”
“I’ll see you settled; otherwise, I’ll become useless. I’m barely keeping my dragon under control as it is. I need to protect my mate if I want to protect my clan.” He glanced to Liam and Tristan. “You two should understand that sentiment.”
Her heart warmed at his fierceness. “Then we’ll do whatever is necessary to get your dragon under control so you can return as soon as possible.”
Keeping one arm around her waist, he turned to face the others in the room. “I’ll be in constant contact with Kai, Tristan, and Finlay Stewart, monitoring the situation from my secret location. Thanks to technology, I’ll still be available to the clan.”
Arabella frowned. “Why include the Scottish leader? You barely know him.”
“He’s offered to help and I took him up on his offer.” Tristan, Liam, and Melanie all spoke at once, but Bram merely put up a hand and they fell silent. He continued, “The reasons are my own. While I’m getting Evie settled, I want all of you to be on alert. Our prisoner also told us how the hunters are targeting children, in addition to Evie.”
Evie jumped in. “If that’s the case, then I might know what the Carlisle gang is up to.” After explaining her theory about Simon Bourne making his own blood farm, she added, “Once I have the chance, I’ll reach out to my friend who knows more about dragon-shifters than just about anyone alive. She might have contacts in Carlisle who can help us.”
Bram nodded. “I have contacts, too. Since a clever man wouldn’t hide dragon-shifters in the city, I reckon they’ll keep Murray and any others in the surrounding countryside. We’ll find the lad and bring him back once we have a concrete plan. There no bloody way I’ll allow them to keep the wee one.” He looked to Tristan, then Liam and back again. “All of you should stay together here to protect Annabel, Jack, and Rhys. I know it might be a bit crowded, but the more adults here to watch the children, the smaller the chance they’ll be stolen.” Once Liam and Tristan nodded, he spoke to Arabella. “I know this is a lot of people for you in one place, but I want you to stay here, too. You can trust everyone in this room. They will look out for you and protect you, if it comes to that. You have nothing to worry about.”
The dragonwoman’s lips pressed together before she replied, “I understand.”
“Right, with all of that settled, I need to take Evie to the safe location. The longer we linger, the greater the chance they’ll try to take her.”
Bram pressed against her back, but she put out an arm to stop him. “Wait.” Looking to Melanie, she asked, “May I take the laptop with me? I’ll find a way to share the information with everyone, but if I’m going to be spending a lot of time locked away, I can use that time to dig through the data and look for something useful.”
Mel nodded. “Sure. Ara always keeps a back-up one here anyway, so we can use that if we need it.”
Taking the laptop back from Liam, she nodded at Bram that she was ready.
As he guided her toward the back door, she felt a tiny bit of reluctance. Staying alive was top priority, but she was growing fond of her new friends. It was going to be hard to be alone once Bram left her to take care of his clan.
Not that she would ever try to stop him from doing that. Still, she wondered where the secret location he’d mentioned was and exactly how they were going to get there. It wasn’t as if she could shift into a dragon and fly beside her dragonman.
~~~
The second they were outside the cottage, Bram’s dragon finally broke free inside his mind and roared. Protect her. Hold her. Don’t let the hunters find her.
I’m trying.
Now, do it now or I’ll make you do it.
STOP. If you take control, you might hurt her.
Never.
“Bram? Are you okay?”
Evie’s voice broke through his thoughts. The split-second distraction allowed him to stash his beast to the back of his mind again. “It’s my dragon. I don’t know how much longer I can keep him back. His usual restraint and logical brain are gone.”
“What can I do to help? Anything?”
He pushed gently against her lower back. “Just keep walking and talking. I’ll have to let him out to shift into my dragon form, so I just need to contain him until we reach the takeoff area.”
“We’re traveling by dragon? How? I somehow doubt you have a saddle or harness I can just strap on and ride you like a giant, flying horse.”
Despite everything going on, he smiled. “Even if I did, I don’t think I’d trust you with the reins.”
She slapped his chest with the back of her hand. “Be serious and tell me.”
His dragon was trying to force his way out again. He grit his teeth and said, “While carrying a dragon-shifter in human-form is rare, it does happen. Especially when a dragonman or woman is injured. We have a large basket with handles to carry them. You’ll step into the basket and I’ll pick you up with my talons once I’m in the air.”
“A basket? You mean like the ones used for a hot air balloon?”
Clever lass. “Yes, it’s very similar. I hope you’re not afraid of heights because this is the fastest way for me to take you to safety.”
Even in the faint light of the moon, he could see her wry look. “Just don’t play tricks and ‘drop me’ so you can catch me again. I’m not a fan of roller coasters, and I may be sick all over your dragonhide.” She frowned. “What color dragon are you, by the way? I’m supposed to mate you, yet I have no idea.”
His inner beast poked out. Let me take over and show her. Words are not enough. I will protect her.
With a growl, he forced his dragon back again and squeezed Evie’s soft sides. Even through her cloak, he could feel the warmth radiating from her body. The touch helped him to focus. “Blue. I reckon you could call it a cerulean blue, which is the best kind.”
Evie’s voice was light. “I don’t know about that. I always fancied the purple ones myself.”
Blue is better. Let me show her.
Stop it. We’re nearly to the takeoff area. Let me explain more to our female so she isn’t afraid of us.
Quickly. There is danger everywhere while we remain here. You may think you can protect her, but a dragon can do it better. I am stronger. This is a fact.
Shut it. “Evie, under normal circumstances, I love when you tease me. But right now, love, I’m close to losing control. Every time you mention how another dragon is better, it drives mine a bit crazier. Until you’re safe, we need to feed his ego. Can you do that?”
She leaned against him and his inner beast’s attempts to break free lessened just a tad. “Then make sure he knows that while it’s a bit selfish of me, I’m glad you’re the one taking me to safety. I know it’s odd considering I only met you the other day, but whenever you’re near, I feel safe.”
The words warmed his heart. “I feel the same way, lass, and once all of this is over, I plan to mate you in front of the entire clan so I never have to let go of you.”
“Bram.”
Squeezing her tightly against his side as they walked, he picked up his pace. It was going to be hard enough to leave her in the morning. He’d best treasure what time he had. After all, he would do whatever it took to rescue wee Murray from the dragon hunters, even if it meant leading a team himself on a raid. There was always a possibility he could die.
Not that he’d mention that to Evie, at least until his dragon was under better control. He needed her to not only tame his dragon, but also to pick apart her brain. If he told her about his plans to rescue Murray, she would argue and be unwilling to do what needed to be done so he could focus.
Luckily, she remained silent during the las
t few minutes of their walk. They approached the takeoff area and headed for the covered space next to Sid’s surgery-slash-cottage. Once Sid’s staff finished preparing the basket for his female, he’d have to hand over control to his dragon. He only hoped Evie could handle him in dragon form. His beast was in no mood to be polite or restrained.
~~~
Evie watched as the two teenage dragon-shifters finished preparing the large basket for her use. While a bit larger than the type of baskets used for hot air balloons, the rectangular shape was similar. Well, except for the large, metal upright handles attached to the two longest sides of the contraption.
Since Bram hadn’t released her since they’d left Mel and Tristan’s cottage, she snuggled against him. “Are you sure they’ll hold? Your talons are sharp and could rip the basket to pieces with one wrong move.”
Much as his voice had been since leaving the cottage, it was tight with restraint. She wondered how much longer he could control his dragon. “I would never hurt you. Barring a high tech laser cutting through the material, it’ll hold.”
“If you say so.” She looked at her dragonman, the moonlight highlighting the planes of his face. “Tell me what will happen if you lose control of your inner dragon on the way to this location. I need to be prepared.”
He clenched his jaw. “A dragon protecting his or her mate is unpredictable. He will do whatever he bloody well feels like. I’ll see everything happening, yet I have little control over his actions until I manage to take control again. However,” he brushed her cheek with his free hand, “he’ll never hurt you, love. Never.”
It was the second time he’d called her love, but since this was the North of England, she forced herself to not read too much into it. Everyone from bus drivers to shop clerks called a woman “love”.
She nodded just as the two young dragon-shifters approached them. The teenage boy with red hair spoke up. “It’s all ready, Bram.”
Seducing the Dragon (Stonefire Dragons #2) Page 14