by Lia Davis
“She wasn’t with them?”
“We didn’t know at the time, but she was dead.”
“I’m so sorry.” He reached for her hand and squeezed it before letting it go.
“We didn’t find anything of hers until the spring thaw when hunters came across her body about twenty miles north of the village. We brought her home and buried her in the village churchyard.”
The hum of the engines was the only sound in the plane. What else could he say? He understood loss and pain, but he didn’t know how to help Mac heal. What a tragedy for a child to have to live with.
“I can only imagine how you must’ve felt.” He stared out at the tundra below.
“It sucks. I want to get this creature. Kill it.”
So did he.
“We will,” he promised.
“You say that, but we haven’t even seen it yet. It took Elisipie and flew off, and we have nothing to go on. It’s vanished with her. It escaped again.”
“Trust me, Mac. When I say I’m going to get this beast, I’m not saying it lightly. I will find him.”
She squeezed his forearm. “Thank you. I hope you’re right and that we will find Elisipie safe. Then, we’ll kill the beast so it can never hurt anyone again.”
Chills raced up his arms at her touch—and not the kind that came from cold. His dragon paced.
The rogue would be brought down one way or another. The cold quickly vanished under Mac’s touch as his dragon roared, stretching its wings and sending a streak of white-hot fire through him. The creature panted, begging for more. Luke mentally pushed him aside.
Finding Elisipie had to be the focus. As long as he was with Mac, the ice dragon wouldn’t be able to take her, so searching for Elisipie with her was like taking care of two birds with one stone.
Once they found the girl, he could worry about the other issues—like what to do with a mate.
He stared at a grayed area on the side of one of the foothills. A sense of familiarity nudged at his mind. “Can you get a little closer to that ledge there?”
Mac maneuvered the plane in an arc. They flew over, sailing by the stand of trees Luke had pointed to.
“See anything?”
“No. I thought I did, but there’s nothing. Let’s head over the mountains now then go back. Maybe someone from the village has had better luck than we have.”
Luke stared at the residue of glimmer lighting up the shadowed snow on the mountainside. He didn’t want to share this with Mac. Not yet. It was as clear as an ‘X’ on a treasure map. He’d need to take his team there. He couldn’t wait to see them all. He needed their help. The dragon’s lair was likely nearby, and the more they had to fight with, the better their chances.
They’d get the SOB that took Mac’s mother and Elisipie.
Chapter Six
Luke paced the living room of his small cabin. Though he had only been back a little while, the place definitely felt like home. He loved sitting by the fire, coffee in hand, listening to the snow pile up outside.
Ah, Alaska. Maybe the team had been right about him needing a vacation. Not that he was doing much relaxing. With the abduction, he was as tense as ever.
DSD was a full-time job. Luke’s mind whirled with thoughts of Mac, the ice dragon, and Elisipie. A primal need to hunt down the rogue and eliminate him ran thick in his veins, and he struggled to focus.
Owen briefed the team, and Luke listened on the speaker of his satellite phone. Almost everyone was on the call, ready to fly in and lend a hand. Luke wanted to go in search of the dragon now, not wait on everyone to pitch in. Still, this dragon was fierce—maybe more dangerous than any he’d come up against.
And it was after his mate. Even if he didn’t plan to claim her, he would keep her safe. Luke clenched his fists.
Owen yawned. His tone was clipped and grumpy. Owen hadn’t filled the others in until a few hours ago, but they’d all scrambled to be on the call.
“I think I found the dragon’s hideout. I saw a spot in the mountains that appeared to be tainted with dark magic.” Snow sat on his sofa, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees and his head in his hands. Leaving Mac in the village had been hard. If something happened to her, he’d never forgive himself. But he had to connect with the team, and Mac couldn’t be around for that.
“Wait for us to get there. Do not go out on your own.” The command in Owen’s voice was expected and something Luke was used to.
Owen also knew Luke better than to think he’d sit back and wait. There was no way Luke would be able to wait for everyone to fly over from where ever the hell in the world they were. Hell, Luke wasn’t sure they had that much time to play with. The ice dragon threatened the village.
And that meant the dragon must die.
Owen was in Minnesota with his mate. Courtney and Anders were on assignment on the east coast. Dylan, aka Captain, had gone back to Scotland to take care of some shipping issues. Luke doubted the Scot would be joining them on the rogue-ice-dragon adventure.
“When will you be here?” Luke tried to keep the growl out of his tone. “I can’t wait forever.” After learning what had happened to Mac’s mother, he knew the dragon meant business. He wasn’t going to be nice to Elisipie or any other of his victims. He was out for blood.
Courtney chimed in. “Anders and I are heading out as soon as this call ends. I’ve contacted the council, and they’ve arranged for us to use one of their private jets. So, we should be there in a few hours. Owen should be an hour ahead of us.”
Late afternoon, at best. Not soon enough for Luke and his impatient dragon. It was too bad none of them had teleporting abilities—that would make things easier. Although it was rare, some shifters were born with magical abilities like teleportation and invisibility. Even if his team flew to Alaska in dragon form, they’d need to stop and rest along the way, and they’d be tired when they arrived.
Taking a deep breath, Luke leaned back on the sofa and lay his head on the top cushion. He stared at the ceiling, then released the breath.
We’ll find him.
The nightmare with Jo and Mac still haunted his thoughts, rubbing his emotions raw. He needed to locate that dragon, or whatever that shimmer was on the side of the mountain. Instincts said it was the rogue’s lair. Luke could feel him, even now. Like the bastard was stalking him…taunting him.
“Join me.”
Luke jerked upright on the sofa at the sound of the ice dragon’s voice in his head.
What the hell?
Moving to the front door, he yanked it open and stretched out his senses as far as he could. He hated the feeling of being watched. Breathing in the cold Arctic air, Luke focused on the snowy landscape. The only sounds were the wind through the trees and creaking of the branches as they swayed and bumped against each other. Far away, a lone wolf howled.
Nothing else was there. No dragon anywhere near the cabin. The feeling pulled him from the mountains, far away. Had he imagined the voice? Was it a residual haunting from the nightmare? Or his crazy-assed mind finally snapping?
As much as he wanted to dismiss the weirdness of his own emotional issues, he felt the rogue inside. But the beast wasn’t nearby. So how the hell could he sense the other dragon this far from the mountains?
“Snow. You still there?” Owen called from the satellite phone on the coffee table.
Luke stepped into the cabin and closed the door. “Yeah. Just thought I heard something outside.” He paused and stared at the phone. Everything part of him itched to hunt down that dragon. “I’m going to the village to see if they had any luck finding Elisipie.”
“Don’t go out on your own. I’ve already said that.” Owen repeated his earlier command. “We’ll be there soon.”
“Sure. Later.” Luke cut off the connection before Owen or the other members of his team had a chance to reply. Better yet, before Owen made it an order to stay put until they got there. Even though the team leader commanded it of him, Owen had never said it was
an order.
Technicalities.
Luke grinned. Owen was going to be pissed.
The only order Owen had given Luke was to take a vacation. And a hike sounded like a pretty good vacation activity. So did mountain climbing. How could Owen be upset with that?
As soon as he exited his cabin, he let his dragon surface. In a flash of white light, he shifted into his dragon form, savoring the bones growing and changing and the massive muscles that formed. He closed his eyes and relished the sensation—it’d been too long. He stretched out his large wings, every muscle flexing and tightening with the movement. When his wings settled down on his back, the dragon sighed, relieved to be out. He took deep gulps of the chilled air and breathed out puffs of smoke.
It was good to be a dragon.
Luke had kept the beast contained since the night they’d battled Huff on that lake in Minnesota. It wasn’t safe to let the dragon out when the emotions were too raw because it might go off. But now, they had a mission.
Hunt down a new rogue and protect their mate.
With a powerful jump, Luke flapped his wings and was airborne.
He was careful to hide in the clouds as he flew toward the mountains west of the village so not to alarm anyone out searching for Elisipie. No need for them to start up a manhunt for two dragons. Or worse, think he was the ice beast who’d taken Elisipie.
He narrowed his eyes, scanning the tundra for any sign of the dragon or any villagers out hunting. No sign of either. He pressed on, flying as fast as he could. Visions of Mac played in his mind, and he sighed.
How was he ever going to share his dragon half with Mac?
Wait. It didn’t matter because they weren’t claiming her. The damned dragon had taken over his thoughts and feelings since the beast was out. To his half, there was no other option but to claim her.
Focus on the job.
Clouds slipped through his wings, and he soared, stretching his neck out to meet the air.
He glided over the mountain area Mac and he had seen earlier that morning. The icy wind flowed around his body and wings, making him feel as light as a feather. He breathed in the cold air, enjoying the freedom of flying in dragon form.
When he reached the area where he’d seen the shimmer, he touched down. Dark, heavy magic teased his senses and made his scales itch. A low rumble of a growl rolled from him. Neither the man nor the dragon liked the evil surrounding the mountain. Nor did they like the way it clung to them, inky and sticky.
In all his years of working for DSD, Luke had never felt power like what he was experiencing. It was almost demonic.
The crunch of snow behind him made him whip around, his tail lashing the air. He came face-to-face with a silver white dragon about three hands taller than his own.
Shit. He was one big-assed beast.
When the other creature grew closer, Luke saw why some villagers said he was white and some said silver. He was both. When he moved, the light reflecting off his scales made them look like they changed colors.
Mesmerizing. And dangerous.
“Where is the girl?” Luke snarled and sent the dragon a telepathic message, smoke rolling from his nostrils.
The other dragon tilted his head, and his eyes did some weird color change. Most shifter’s eyes brightened while in human form. It was the beast looking out. However, Luke hadn’t seen an actual color change. This dragon’s gaze went from ice blue to black, then back to blue.
A shiver went through him, then the dragon spoke without moving his mouth. “You are hurting. I feel it. The pain haunts you, torments your mind, day and night. Use that anger and pain to seek your revenge.”
Visions flashed in Luke’s mind. They were slow at first, then sped up: Jo smiling, then her death. Pain gripped its claws into Luke’s heart and squeezed. Another image formed. Mac chained up like in the nightmare he’d had the night before. A new ache formed, fueling the anger that had always been there.
The rage he’d buried now bubbled up inside.
Killing Huff hadn’t eased the need to kill, to avenge his mate. It hadn’t been enough. Luke’s dragon snarled, then growled.
Storm clouds moved in above them, gray and angry. Luke was an ice dragon and connected to the elements, and when his emotions were high, he let his dragon call out for help. The elements almost always obliged. He hissed.
It took Luke what seemed like a lifetime to control his emotions and his dragon. Yet, standing in front of this other ice dragon, feeling its dark power and anger, broke through all the walls of control Luke had built.
“That’s it. Use the rage.” The silver dragon taunted and began to circle him. “The sweet scent of fear and pain. It’s almost as pleasurable as the kill.”
The kill. He hadn’t had the pleasure of killing his mate’s murderer.
“They let your mate die,” The dragon whispered. “Then took your right for revenge away from you.”
Yes.
No. Lies!
Luke shook his large dragon head and broke through the circle the rogue had put in the snow around him. The bastard was in his head. How? It was more than normal telepathy. It was almost soul-deep.
“Where is the girl?” Luke asked again. Focusing on Elisipie helped bring him out of his head and into the moment.
The rogue snarled, then disappeared into a cave in the side of the mountain. A moment later, he returned with the girl in one claw. “Here. My token for you. Join me in ridding the world of females so they can’t hurt anyone else.”
Luke scowled. What in the realms of dragons was he talking about? Females didn’t hurt people. Well, not all of them. Just like not all men were evil. Not all dragons were, either. Yet, the one standing in front of Luke was so far beyond insane…Luke didn’t know how to negotiate with him to turn himself in to the council.
It didn’t mean he wouldn’t try.
“Come with me. I can get you help. The council has hospitals and doctors that can aid you.” It was worth a shot. Maybe.
The rogue snorted. “I know nothing of this council.” He dropped Elisipie on the ground in front of Luke. She let out a whimper and curled into a ball. “Take the girl before I kill her now. Her crying is annoying.”
Then the rogue vanished—dematerialized.
What the fuck? Did the ice dragon have powers beyond what DSD was used to? Or was it some trick meant to make Luke want to join him? Either way, at least Elisipie was alive.
Why the dragon had let her live was a mystery, but Luke wasn’t going to question it. The beast was insane, he felt it.
Glancing down at the girl, Luke reached with a claw to pick her up. She was so tiny, like a doll.
She cried out and shrank away. With a curse, he shifted to his human form and willed clothes on his body at the same time. He could talk to other dragons while in dragon form, but not humans. Maybe he could comfort her.
His dragon complained as he shifted. Elisipie’s eyes rounded in fright, and she covered her face.
Kneeling beside her, he spoke as gently as he could. “My name is Luke. I’m a friendly dragon. I work for our kind’s police to help others and arrest the bad dragons.”
He hoped explaining the truth—put in terms a child would understand—would ease her fear. When she didn’t respond, he added, “I’m going to take you home to your mom and dad and sister. I’m with the dragon police. I will not harm you.”
After what seemed like several minutes, she lifted her gaze to his and smiled.
He sat on the snow-covered ground beside her. Relief made his bones feel soft, and he smiled back at her. “You must be cold and hungry. Can I take you home now? We need to go before the white dragon decides to come back.”
She nodded and tried to move only to cry out in pain. Luke smelled the blood. Through clenched teeth, he asked, “Did the bad dragon hurt you?”
“His claws. In my side.”
Breathe… Don’t scare the child more than she already is. We have time to take that rogue down, and we will.
It will pay.
“Elisipie, I’m going to have to shift into my dragon, so I can get you to the doctor. Flying to the village will be faster than us trying to hike back. Plus, it’s safer. Do you trust me?” She nodded, but her eyes were wide. Small steps. “Can you promise me something?”
“Yes.” She shivered, her long hair matted and tossing about in the wind.
The clear sky was gray now, and snowflakes were falling. Hopefully, Luke hadn’t caused a blizzard to form. He bent nearer to the child.
“Don’t tell anyone that I’m a dragon. They’ll be scared, and maybe even think I’m the bad dragon. Grown-ups do things they don’t mean when they’re scared.” He stood, steadying himself for the change. “It can be our secret.”
“Okay, I promise.” Elisipie’s voice was soft and weak. She shivered uncontrollably. “Our secret.”
“Good girl.”
He shifted then gently scooped her up in one claw. She was so small he was able to completely close her in his large dragon fist to block the icy wind and snow as they flew home.
He hoped Mac was there. Elisipie needed medical attention as soon as possible.
Chapter Seven
“You found her!” Mac rushed to Luke as he walked up the street toward her house. She’d just come from talking with her grandfather about the search efforts, and to see that little girl in Luke’s arms was a relief so deep, she felt she would burst. When she reached Luke, she grabbed Elisipie from his arms, then carried her the rest of the way to her house.
Luke darted ahead of her and opened the door. Mac nodded. “Thank you.” Moving through her living room to the clinic area off the hallway from the kitchen, she spoke softly to Elisipie. “Let’s get a look at you.”
“I want my mama,” Elisipie cried, then sniffed.
Mac hugged her close. Poor thing. Mac’s heart ached, and fear churned in her gut at the thought of what the girl had been through. Elisipie shivered. She must be freezing. Snow came down in sheets of fat flakes. It was a miracle Elisipie hadn’t frozen to death out in the wilderness alone. Being stuck outside overnight was normally a recipe for disaster.
