by Anna Santos
Cody joined his brothers on the porch. “I don’t want to spoil the mood, but it seems that the enemy knows where the dagger is. They will most likely send others once this team doesn’t report back.”
“Cody is right. We need to find somewhere safer to be,” Kayden said as he straightened up and looked at the fog taking over the horizon. “There are shelters in the mountains. We could fly there and hide until the meeting with the other clans.”
“Or we could call the Clan Leader and inform him about Sir Baldwin’s plan. It’s in their best interest to keep the dagger safe. We’ll be safer with our own kind. The four of us here are sitting ducks.”
“We’ll pack after dinner and leave,” Kayden announced. Looking at Barbara, he added, “You’ll need to wear warmer clothes. We’ll lend you one of our coats.”
Barbara nodded, unsure of what the future held. She trusted Kayden, so she would do whatever he needed her to do.
Chapter Nineteen
CANADA
Jason Kent had a feeling that he was being followed but when he could not see anyone, he decided he was either paranoid or the people following him were too good. After leaving the airport in Toronto, he decided to make sure he didn’t have anyone on his tail before he met up with his handler, the only man he trusted inside The Keepers Organization. If anyone could find the mole in their ranks, it was Samuel.
Leaving the hotel to meet his handler in the planned location, he walked among the large crowd. Jason circled the streets, hoping to lose his tail if he had one.
They’d outsmarted him. Hidden in the crowd, dressed like fake tourists, they followed his every move. And when the lion-shifter thought he was safe, a beautiful woman smiled at Jason and sprayed some sort of gas against his face. His eyes stung as he tried to breathe and control the dizziness that took over his mind and weakened his body.
Soon his hands were being placed on the woman’s shoulders, and someone was gripping his waist from behind.
“What did…?” He could not finish the question.
“You’ve had too much to drink again, darling,” the woman said in a thick British accent. “Edgar, please help me take my husband to the hotel.”
As she spoke, the woman smiled at Jason. He tried to throw his elbow back and hit Edgar, but he convulsed instead and lost consciousness.
When Jason awakened, his head pounded and his tongue tasted like paper. Blinking to soothe the pain and adjust to the darkness of the room, he felt the chains crushing his body and preventing him from moving.
His movements must have warned his captors because he heard a male voice say, “He’s finally awake. Call Mr. Norton.”
“Where am I?” Jason asked.
No reply.
Minutes later, two men walked into the room. Jason raised his head to look at his captors. He recognized one of them from the Most Wanted list of the Mobius Organization, a hired hitman named Norton. Things were beginning to make sense. Yet he had no idea who the older guy, all dressed in white with furrowed eyebrows and pursed lips, was.
Fixing the cuffs on his coat, the man spoke, “Hello, Mr. Kent. You are a hard man to find these days. Quite impressive for a lion-shifter.”
Jason arched an eyebrow and grinned. “Thanks, I guess.”
Norton punched him hard in the gut. “Show some respect.”
“Lapdog,” Jason muttered at him.
“Enough!” The man raised his hand, and Norton held his next punch. “Mr. Kent, if I can have your attention, please. My name is Alrekur, and I’m a very busy man. I believe you have something that belongs to me.”
Jason frowned at the name. Then he recalled that it was Baldwin’s first name. “And?”
“Tell me where you hid it, and I’ll give you more money than you’ve ever dreamed of having. Or, we can do this the hard way and beat it out of you.”
“Fuck you!”
Norton punched him twice. Jason’s eyes turned red as he coughed blood. “You should answer Sir Baldwin, feline.”
“I have nothing to say.”
Sir Baldwin crouched in front of him, grabbed Jason’s blond hair, and forced him to look at his face. “I’m not known for my patience. I have men extremely skilled in several techniques of torture. Do you want to meet them, or would you rather talk to us?”
“Do your worst,” Jason dared him.
Smirking, Sir Baldwin rose. “Fine.”
Norton gave Jason an uppercut which made him fly off the chair he was seated on. He fell back and landed on his head. The world went black.
The guards poured water on him. Jason snapped out of unconsciousness and saw that his feet were in the water. There were two different men in front of him with creepy smiles.
One of them spoke. “Our boss wants to know where the dagger is.”
“Kiss my ass,” Jason spat.
“I was hoping you would make it hard for us,” he said, showing him a switch and flipping it. Jason shook and convulsed as electricity shot throughout his body.
After finding out that the electrocution technique didn’t work, Norton took matters into his own hands. As he punched Jason in the face, blood spurted from his nose. “Why do you want to waste your life on a matter that doesn’t concern you? Tell me where the dagger is. Does your sister have it?” With another punch, he asked, “Did you hide it somewhere safe?”
“I’m not going to tell you!” Jason shouted.
“Maybe your sister will when we find her and torture her!”
“She has nothing to do with this!”
“That’s why you sent her to Alaska? To be safe? In the same place where dragon clans are living? It’s a hell of a coincidence, don’t you think?”
“Go to hell!”
“You have no idea of what will happen to you if you don’t cooperate.”
From the shadows, Sir Baldwin stepped forward, waving Norton away. He crouched down and talked close to Jason’s face. “Accept the money, give us the dagger’s location, and we’ll leave your sister alone. What do you think of this deal?”
“I know all about your plans to kill the other leaders of the clans and take over the world with the help of your powerful friends at Mobius.”
Sir Baldwin smirked. “Do you actually believe the weapon is that powerful? It’s just a trinket, something I want to frame as a souvenir in my office.”
Jason frowned. “Do you think I’m stupid?”
“I do because you aren’t working for me, and you’d rather be beaten than negotiate.”
“You will kill me once you find out what you want.”
“Maybe,” he said, leaning closer. “But you can still save your sister. Does she have the weapon?”
Jason spat, “If you touch my sister, I’ll kill you!”
“Does she have the weapon or not? I’ve sent armed men and a helicopter to where she’s been hiding. I told them to do everything they needed to grab her and find out what she knows.”
With their heads so close, Jason head-butted him, and blood dripped from Sir Baldwin’s mouth. Then, with incredible force, he launched himself off the floor, still strapped to the chair, and crashed into both Sir Baldwin and Norton. He landed on them but could not move due to the constraints.
Norton pushed him off, stood up, and began to kick him.
“Son of a bitch,” Sir Baldwin said as he got up and kicked Jason in the stomach and head.
The kicking finished when Jason was unconscious. Sir Baldwin fixed his clothes and regained his composure. He sneered at the sight of blood on his pristine white suit.
Clearing his throat, the dragon-shifter said, “Norton, call your men. It’s been hours, and I want an update.”
“Yes, sir.”
“And find me a new suit.”
Nodding, Norton grabbed his phone and left the room where they were keeping the lion-shifter.
Sir Baldwin instructed the guards, “Grab some water, wake him up, and keep working on him until he tells us something useful.”
Exiting
the cell, he found Norton talking on his phone with a worried expression. “What’s the problem?”
Norton kept talking after signaling him to wait for a second. “What? And the chopper? Shit!” He hung up the phone.
“What’s happened?” Sir Baldwin asked, out of patience.
Norton turned pale. “We lost all our men. Even the chopper was brought down.”
“Who the hell are these people protecting Barbara Kent and how did they take out twelve trained men and a helicopter?”
“I have no idea.”
“Didn’t they do their homework and learn how many men they were dealing before attacking?”
“I don’t know, Sir Baldwin.”
Clenching his teeth, he shouted, “What do you know?”
“I suspect that the lion-shifter gave the dagger to his sister, and she’s taking it to the Fire Dragon Clan.”
Sir Baldwin rubbed his chin. “It would explain how they managed to kill our men. She might be in the company of dragon-shifters. This changes everything. We go to plan B.”
“What is plan B, Sir?”
“We will fly to Alaska and set up a meeting with the leader of the Fire Clan. If Kent’s sister is there, we’ll use him as a bargaining chip.”
“The dragons won’t care about a lion-shifter.”
“His sister will care, and she might turn to our side and steal the dagger back.”
“We would need to talk to her for that.”
“We have our spy. Use him to get word to Kent’s sister and to know more about the plans of the Dragon Fire leader.”
Norton nodded with a sly grin. “Clever plan, sir.”
“Meanwhile, gather more men. We’ll need them if we want to control the other clans and kill the Dragon leaders. I need their powers. Tell your men to stop torturing Jason Kent. We need him in one piece to convince his sister. Take some pictures for her to know that we have him and are serious about our demands.”
Chapter Twenty
BARROW, ALASKA
Barbara was in the kitchen preparing sandwiches to take with them to the mountain. She had no idea how long they would stay, but she was assuming that it wouldn’t be more than two days. Meanwhile, the twins were outside, packing the jeep with guns and camping materials.
Kayden’s voice echoed from the other side of the wall, where his bedroom was. He had received a phone call and had moved down the corridor for privacy.
Barbara raised her head when she heard his footsteps.
He looked tired. “Change of plans. I just received a phone call from my leader. We were invited to join them at the community center. They sent a small airplane to takes us there. It will be landing in a clearing a few miles from here. I need you to pack your clothes while I alert the twins.”
“I was invited, too?”
“Yes, you’ll be a guest in our community. I told him what happened with the mercenaries. He’s concerned. With the recent events, I guess it’s safer for you to stay where there are more people to protect you.”
Barbara rested her hands on the countertop. “Should I be worried about the fact that we are mates? Will they accept me?”
“Of course. You are one of us now.”
“Why do you look so worried then?”
“I have the feeling that there’s something that my uncle isn’t telling me about this dagger. He asked me if I still had it and wants me to send pictures of it, so he can confirm if it’s the real deal or not.”
“The clan leader is your uncle?”
“Yes. If we are going full disclosure here, I’m his heir.”
Barbara blinked unsure of what that meant.
Folding his arms, Kayden explained, “His wife died in the same war that my father and my mother were killed in. He’s my father’s brother. By the laws of the blood inherence, I’m the next leader of the Fire Dragons once he dies or forfeits the responsibility.”
The door opened wide, and Cody entered after tapping his boots to remove the mud. “The jeep is packed. All we need is Barbara’s bag and the supplies.”
“Change of plans. They are sending a plane to take us to our community. We need to pack light on guns but bring as many as you can.”
Cody arched an eyebrow to Kayden’s orders. “Are we expecting to be attacked by our friends and family?”
“No. But the community may be attacked. Sir Baldwin knows the location of our home. We should be prepared.”
“He wasn’t invited to the meeting.”
“He’s a smart dragon. He can put two and two together. If those were his men attacking us earlier, then he’ll suspect that she’s being protected by dragons since she flew to Alaska.”
Cody raised his hand and put his thumb up. “Okay, then. Take guns and a few assault rifles. Leave the bazooka and the heavy machinery behind. Gotcha.”
Before Cody could turn around to leave, Kayden asked him, “Did you have time to do what I asked you?”
“Yes, it’s in the bag. I just need to make sure that the carvings are exactly the same. I can perfect it later when we arrive at the community.”
“Good. Thank you.”
“I’ll unpack the jeep and inform Charlie.”
Barbara watched Cody leave and walked to Kayden. “What was that about?”
“I have a contingency plan. Now, let’s get your bag.” He placed his hands on her shoulders and kissed her forehead. “The airplane will save us a three-hour drive, and I have a nice home for us in the community. You’ll like it.”
Smirking, Barbara asked, “Does it have a big bed?”
“A big bed and a bigger bathtub. There are perks to being the leader’s nephew and heir.”
“I think I liked you better when you were just a hunter living in a cabin.”
“As I’ve said, we have a lot to talk about when this is over.”
The Dragons’ community was nothing like Barbara had imagined. They lived in a secured compound with modern buildings, amazing gardens, and amenities. Plus, there weren’t only dragon-shifters there. Some humans and shape-shifters lived with them in harmony. Once the plane landed and the last ray of sunlight peeked over the mountains, they were led to the main building where she had her own room, and Kayden had been summoned to his uncle’s presence.
The last thing she wanted was to sleep alone that night. No matter how soft and cozy the bed was or how clean and comfortable. She would rather sleep on the hard floor inside a sleeping bag if it meant being by Kayden’s side.
She was ready to roam the house, hoping to find a clue as to where to find Kayden when he quietly opened the door. Happiness overloaded her, and she jumped into his arms. Kayden scooped her off her feet, kissed her, and carried her to the bed where he lay her down and crawled on top of her.
“What took you so long?” she asked, holding on to his torso and offering her lips for him to take.
“My uncle and his advisers had a lot to talk about. But I came straight here, hoping that you were still awake.”
“I couldn’t fall asleep without you.”
“Who said that you were getting any sleep tonight?” he teased against her lips.
“Is that a promise?”
Kayden chuckled. “You’re a tease, woman.”
“I am not. You are just too hot,” she said, caressing his cheek.
His eyes softened, and he leaned down to explore her mouth.
Barbara closed her eyes and surrendered to the passion that consumed her every time they touched.
Chapter Twenty-One
Barbara was overwhelmed with all that had happened in the past few days. Dragons existed. She had flown on one. Kayden was her fated mate. She had accepted him and made love to him. Jason hadn’t checked in with her no matter the number of times she called the number he gave her. How would he know where to find her if they didn’t talk? Kayden was some sort of dragon prince who was next in line to claim the Fire Dragon Clan’s leadership. She was stuck in her bedroom without a clue of what to do while Kayden was in a new
meeting with his uncle.
For Barbara, Kayden had more layers than she ever thought was possible. The more she got to know him, the more she fell in love with him. Trusting him was essential to her. He was a warrior, a hero, and she felt safe with him. Despite the fear for her brother’s life and not knowing where Jason was, Barbara felt protected in the dragons’ compound.
Stretching her arms above her, she looked at the ceiling and sighed, blowing away the hair from her face. She missed the cottage.
She heard noises outside her door and sat up. A paper slid in. Getting up, she walked to the door and picked it up. It read: If you want to know news about your brother, meet me at the public park in two hours. Don’t tell anyone about this. It’s a matter of life or death.
Barbara grabbed the doorknob and opened the door, but there was no one in the corridor. She looked at the time. Whoever put that note there wanted to meet her after lunch. She paced around without knowing what to do. Kayden wouldn’t let her go alone. He was too protective and would say it was a bad idea. She knew it was, yet she had to do all she could to find out what had happened to her brother. He must have been captured. It was the only reason someone would leave a note like that. They wanted to blackmail her for…the dagger.
Kayden was seated across from his uncle in the leader’s office. Lord Carter was over two thousand years old, yet he didn’t look more than forty. His brown eyes and dark hair were a fire dragon genetic trait. Dragons aged slower across the millenniums. The remaining ones were either too young or too old due to the constant war and massacre of his kind. A long time ago, they had moved to Alaska, and that was the wisest decision they could have made because it allowed them to survive and stay as the most numerous and strongest clan in the world.
“What aren’t you telling me about the dagger, Uncle?” Kayden relaxed in his seat. Despite the problems that the dagger brought with it, it also allowed him to meet Barbara and fill the emptiness he had experienced in the past decades. His mind kept wandering to the image of her sleeping naked on their bed as her hair fell over her back like a cascade of shimmering copper.