“So, are you saying human males are better?”
She frowned. “Not exactly.”
He grinned. “I think you are. I will have to lord that over the dragonmen at my first opportunity.”
Nikki stepped away and he let her. Putting a hand on her hip, she said, “Do you want to get yourself killed? Because father of my child or not, I’m not going to stop them from clutching you in their talons in dragon form and dropping you into one of the lakes. If you hit a rock, it’ll split your head in two.”
“But without me, you won’t have anyone to champion you doing anything but sitting and growing a baby. Admit it, you need me alive.”
Sighing, she rolled her eyes. “I guess you are more valuable to me alive than in a coma somewhere.”
Rather than reply, he reached out and pulled her to him. Tickling her side, she shrieked with laughter. “Stop it, Rafe.”
“Admit you need me, and I’ll stop.”
Nikki resisted, and he used both hands for his attack. Finally, she said breathlessly, “All right, all right. You’re the best partner for this mission, okay? Now stop tickling me!”
Ceasing his actions, Rafe gave her a quick, gentle kiss. “Right, then with that settled, I suppose we should reach out to your bastard boss.”
“Hey, my bastard boss is about to become your brother-in-law. Maybe I’ll mention to Jane how you and he need some male bonding time.”
“Don’t even tease me about that.”
Nikki giggled, and he couldn’t help but smile at the sound. Sometimes he needed reminding that Nikki was still a young dragonwoman; she needed more than war and conflict in her life.
And Rafe wanted to be the one to give it to her.
Before he could think too much on that thought, Nikki’s voice filled the room. “Regardless of what you think, we need to tell Kai. The sooner we do, the sooner we can convince him and Bram to let us go to Ireland.”
“Agreed. But I really think you need a shower.”
She cocked an eyebrow. “Are you saying I stink?”
Nuzzling her neck, he murmured, “Always thinking the worst of me, I see.” He nipped her neck and continued, “I want you to take a shower with me, Nikki. That way I can soap up your body before rubbing you down. Maybe I’ll even pay extra attention to the area between your legs.”
Her breath hitched and satisfaction coursed through his body.
Clearing her throat, Nikki answered, “I suppose it would save water to shower together.” He growled, but amusement danced in her eyes. “To truly save time, we should soap each other up.”
Nikki slipped away and ran up the stairs. Rafe raced after her. For that, he was going to make sure he washed between her legs very slowly, until she begged for more.
Chapter Ten
An hour later, Nikki’s mind kept wandering to her shower with Rafe. Taking time to enjoy all the lean, hard muscles of his body had been brilliant. It was hard to believe he was merely human.
Wait, that wasn’t right. Rafe wasn’t “merely” anything.
The male in question’s voice filled her ear. “If you don’t stop smiling, Kai and Jane will question you incessantly until you give up the details. And I don’t know about you, but I don’t want them in my bloody business.”
She smiled. “It won’t bother me, but I’d rather not have to break up a fight between you and Kai.”
“I’d win,” Rafe stated.
Shaking her head, she tugged him the last few feet to Kai’s door and knocked. Jane opened the door with a grin. After looking at them, she motioned inside. “Come, come. The sooner you tell us what’s so important, the sooner I can badger you for details.” Jane looked at Nikki. “I hope Rafe hasn’t been acting like an arse.”
Nikki beat Rafe to the punch. “No, although his arse is quite nice.”
Rafe pushed gently against her back. “Stop nattering on about my arse with my sister.”
Raising her brows, Nikki met Rafe’s gaze. “But it’s so much fun.”
Rafe glared, and Jane laughed before saying, “Good to see you two teasing instead of always fighting.”
What Jane didn’t say aloud was conveyed with her eyes: You two seem to be getting along, but how well?
Nikki’s dragon spoke up. Just tell her he is ours. Life will be simpler.
Whoa, dragon. Slow down. Rafe and I are getting along, but I still barely know him.
Then hurry up and talk to Kai. Going on a mission with Rafe will give us time to get to know him. Then you can bloody agree with me about claiming him as our mate.
At the word “mate” Nikki blinked. If it were up to you, we’d be mated already. But I need time, dragon. You know what happened with our mother. I won’t risk it.
Just don’t take too long or someone else might steal him away.
Before she could think of how to reply to that, Kai’s voice boomed down the hall. “Hurry up. I have plenty to do and can’t wait around all day.”
Grabbing Rafe’s hand, Nikki tugged him down the hallway. Since she’d been to Kai’s home office a million times before, she turned into the correct room. Kai sat at his desk, a computer in front of him. Since he rarely sat down to do anything, Nikki was glad he stood up. The last thing she needed was to be nervous or display any weakness. Kai would never let her leave then.
Crossing his arms over his chest, Kai’s eyes darted to their hands and then back to Nikki’s gaze. “Tell me what’s so important I had to interrupt my day off with my mate.”
Jane walked to Kai’s side and leaned against him. “Don’t be grumpy. She’s carrying your niece or nephew, remember.”
Nikki really wished Sid would’ve told everyone of her original plans. Even if she was currently more open to the idea of keeping her baby than before, every time someone mentioned it, it would be that much harder to tell them she was giving it up.
If we do, her dragon stated. I want to keep her.
Bloody hell, her beast was siding with Rafe now about both keeping the baby and the gender.
Ignoring her dragon, Nikki stood tall as she said to Kai, “Rafe received some important intel.”
She looked to Rafe and he continued, “Simon Bourne is looking to attack and take down Clan Glenlough.”
“The Irish clan?” Kai asked.
Rafe nodded as he retrieved a flash drive from his pocket. “I have a man undercover and through sheer luck, he was able to stash a listening device on one of those invited to the meeting. I have the recording for you here.” He held out the drive and Kai took it. “It seems the alliance between Stonefire and Lochguard has been noticed. Bourne is thinking twice about our clans and switching his focus to ones perceived as easier targets.”
“So,” Nikki jumped in, “he wants to attack Glenlough. As far as we know, they don’t have any alliances with the other two clans in Ireland. That makes them a much easier target.”
Kai looked at Nikki to Rafe and back again. “And? You’re still keeping something from me.”
Rafe answered, “Bram’s brother, Bennett, is currently staying with Glenlough because of his mate’s mother. Through him, we can reach out to Killian. Nikki and I want to be the ones to lead this operation.”
Kai raised his brows. “What about Simon Bourne? That’s the entire reason you’re allowed to stay here, Hartley.”
“Not true,” Rafe answered. “My orders are to make Bourne a priority, but also to help take down the dragon hunters in general. This falls under that purview. It may even persuade the DDA and army to give me more time to capture Bourne.”
Kai’s gaze moved to Nikki. “Are you even fit to do this?”
Squaring her shoulders, Nikki raised her chin. “By the time everything is in place and we leave, both Rafe and I will be rested and ready for duty.”
“You may not feel the same in a few weeks time,” Kai pointed out.
She growled out, “I’ve completed missions with fevers, sprained ankles, and even a broken finger. Just because I’m pregnant doesn’t
mean I’ll break.”
Kai moved to meet Rafe’s eyes. “Do you approve of this?”
Nikki took a step forward, but Rafe squeezed her hand still in his. “Of course. Nikki is one of the best Protectors on Stonefire.”
Her dragon chimed in. See? He keeps his vow. We should keep him.
We’ll see how he does in the field before drawing any concrete conclusions.
Kai’s voice interrupted her beast’s reply. “I’ll run it by Bram, but otherwise, fine, as long as you can present me with a reasonable plan. But you’ll be taking Aaron and a few other Protectors with you if Bennett can get us in touch with Killian.”
Jane jumped in. “What about me? I should go. It would make a fantastic story.”
“No,” Rafe and Kai answered in unison.
After giving Kai a nod of approval, Rafe looked to his sister. “You’re not trained if something goes wrong. And the reality is, things could go very wrong if the hunters attack before we secure an alliance.”
Not liking how the males were teaming up against Jane, Nikki spoke up. “However, I’m sure once we strike an alliance, Jane can visit the Irish clan and find her latest story.”
Kai frowned. “Wait a second, I didn’t say she could go.”
Jane raised her brows. “Oh, really? If you’re there to protect me, I would think I’d be safe enough. Unless you’re going to admit to not being a good enough Protector.”
“It’s not about me, you bloody woman. It’s about your safety.”
Jane tapped her chin. “Then maybe I can find a way to go undercover. That’s worked well for me in the past.”
Kai shook his head. “Right, like the time I had to save your arse from those males in the pub.”
Rafe cleared his throat and all eyes went to him. “How about we revisit Jane’s request later? Because if you just outright deny her, she will get herself into trouble.”
“That’s not a flattering thing to say, Rafe,” Jane said with a frown.
“The truth hurts sometimes. Besides, it’s better than never.”
Kai blinked. “Since when are you so compromising when it comes to Jane?”
Nikki tried not to laugh at Kai’s surprise and succeeded, just barely.
Rafe shrugged. “Maybe I know my sister better than you do. Spend some time talking with her instead of shagging her, and you might find out more about her.”
Kai lunged toward Rafe with a growl, but Nikki moved in front of Rafe at the same time Jane moved in front of Kai. She was definitely going to have to chat with Rafe later about not provoking Kai, or they might be stuck with the worst assignments for the foreseeable future.
As it was, she needed to salvage the situation. Nikki wanted the Ireland assignment more than anything she’d wanted in a long while.
Looking between the two males, Nikki threaded her voice with dominance. “You two need to stop this. Yes, you’re both alpha. And yes, you both care for Jane. But if Rafe is going to live on Stonefire for any length of time, you need to cut the shit and learn to work together.”
Kai’s pupils flashed to slits and back. Nikki held her breath but didn’t back down.
With a grunt, Kai let out a breath. “Provided he doesn’t deliberately goad me, I will call a temporary truce. If for nothing else, to have him help keep tabs on Jane.”
Jane narrowed her eyes. “Kai Sutherland—”
Rafe cut his sister off. “Allow Nikki to keep working until she physically can’t do it anymore, and we have a deal.”
Her human squeezed Nikki’s hand, and something shifted in her chest. Maybe human males were better when it came to pregnant females and freedom.
Kai put out a hand and Rafe took it. After shaking, Kai dropped his arm. “Let me pitch this to Bram today. If he gives the green light and Killian agrees to meet you, you two can prep and leave in a few days. I’ll let you know as soon as possible.” Kai put an arm around Jane’s shoulder and hugged her close. “Until then, you two have another job. Melanie and Tristan’s twins are having their first birthday celebration tomorrow. I wasn’t sure if you’d be done with the frenzy or not. But since you are, I want you two to be a part of the security detail.”
Melanie Hall-MacLeod was a former sacrifice and had released a book about dragon-shifters that had turned public opinion to their side. Many dragon hunters and lingering Dragon Knights would love nothing more than to hurt the female via her children. Since dragon hunters had stolen a baby from Stonefire once before, it was possible they would try again.
She half-expected Rafe to balk at the assignment, but her male merely nodded. “Nikki and I will talk with the others in charge. No child will be stolen on our watch.”
Her dragon spoke up. Look at how fierce he is with protecting children not his own. He will make a good father.
Even though Nikki didn’t respond, she had to admit her beast was correct. Rafe’s tone told her he took this assignment as seriously as any other.
The longer she was around him, the more she started to see he had a softer side hidden beneath the alpha exterior.
“Right then,” Kai stated. “I know I said to take the day off, but you can spare twenty minutes later today. You two can meet with Aaron and the other Protectors this afternoon to plan for the twins’ celebration.”
Nikki had known Kai her whole life and couldn’t help but point out, “You’ve been leaning more and more on Aaron lately.”
“When I was mate-less, I had a lot more time. Out of necessity, I now have to lean on him so I can spend some time with my mate. It’s part of the reason I called him back from Italy.”
Jane poked Kai’s side. “You make it sound as if I take up all your time.”
“Not all of the time. But some of it.”
Uh oh. Kai was digging a hole.
Since Kai probably had no idea since the truth was important to him, Nikki jumped in. “Considering Kai was a workaholic before, I say it’s a good change.”
With a frown, Kai looked down at Jane. “I never said it was a bad change. You are my heart and my life, Jane.”
Leaning her head against Kai’s shoulder, she gazed up at her dragonman. “I love you.”
As the two stared at one another, Nikki smiled. Even without being true mates, Kai and Jane were meant to be together. Fate had been wrong in this instance.
Stealing a glance at Rafe, she wondered if it had been correct in hers.
Kai kissed Jane and then waved a hand toward the door. “We’ll talk later. For now, leave so I can enjoy the day with my mate.”
As Kai and Jane shared a loving glance, Nikki hoped she’d have the same one day.
She blinked at that. Since when had she wanted to settle down?
Her beast merely chuckled at the back of her mind as Rafe tugged Nikki out of the room and exited the cottage.
~~~
Rafe couldn’t get out of Kai’s cottage fast enough. He definitely didn’t need to see Kai kissing Jane, or worse, feeling her up. Holding up his end of the temporary truce was going to be bloody difficult.
Nikki stopped walking, and he looked back at her face. “Is something wrong?”
She smiled. “I’m perfectly fine. But there’s something I want to show you.”
“Is it safe?”
She rolled her eyes. “Fairly safe, unless you piss her off.” Before he could ask her to explain, Nikki pulled him away from the cottages. “This way.”
Rafe followed. A few dragon-shifters scowled at him along the way, but Rafe didn’t pay them any attention. Rather than stand down, he kept Nikki’s hand tightly in his. Whenever a male looked their way, Rafe glared with everything he had. “Do you think everyone knows?”
“What, about the frenzy? I think so. News travels fast here.”
“Then the men should know not to let their gazes linger on you.”
The corner of Nikki’s mouth ticked up as she looked at him askance. “Is somebody jealous?”
“Yes.”
She blinked. “Wow, I did
n’t expect you to be honest.”
“Why not? How else are you supposed to know the real me?”
Nikki turned them down a path between some trees. “Good point.”
The trees opened up to a large clearing, right at the base of a giant hill. “What are we doing here? I like sex outdoors as much as the next bloke, but it’s February and it’s bloody freezing.”
Releasing his hand, Nikki retreated backward, never breaking eye contact. “I want to show you my dragon.”
While Rafe had seen Nikki’s dragon from a distance, he’d never seen her shift. Did it mean she was starting to trust him more?
Not wanting to spook her, he fell back on his practical nature. “Is that safe to do even though you’re pregnant?” At the irritation in her eyes, he quickly added, “I’m not trying to be overly protective, but shifting into a dragon wasn’t exactly covered in that pamphlet Dr. Sid gave me. I have no idea.”
Relief flashed in her eyes. “Oh. Well, it’s fairly normal until late in the second trimester. The baby shifts with me, so in the first five months or so, it’s perfectly fine because I won’t go into labor unless it’s a rare circumstance. After that, it’s dangerous because if a female dragon-shifter goes into labor in dragon form, the baby could die.”
“Why?”
“Well, we must embrace our inner dragons to shift. But our inner dragons are born as babies, too, and don’t have the mental capacity to change shape and maintain it until around six or seven years old. If a child is born in dragon form, they won’t understand what is happening, so they will try to fly, and soon crash. Even if the baby dragon is contained, it may never shift into a human since it will most likely spend the first however many years as a dragon. Without the human side to rationalize and keep the dragon side in check, the child will eventually go insane.”
He grunted. “Then I don’t care how angry you get, from the fifth month onward, you’re staying in your human form. That’s an order.”
He half-expected fire to flash in her eyes before she changed her mind about showing him her dragon. But she smiled and surprised the hell out of him as she answered, “You are definitely one step above a dragonman in this instance. Most females aren’t allowed to shift after the first month or two.”
Surrendering to the Dragon (Stonefire British Dragons Book 7) Page 10