Blood Moon Dragon (Dragon Investigators Book 2)

by Shelley Munro

  “We’re off to the department store,” Cassie said. “But we could do coffee. You want to meet us at the mall?”

  “I might as well come with you.” Manu opened the rear door and slid inside.

  “Don’t complain if you get bored shopping for sheets and towels.” Cassie winged a wink toward her friend. “Emma? What’s wrong?”

  Emma clenched the steering wheel, and she studied the parking lot with an intensity that was scary.

  “Bit of a headache,” Emma said.

  “You want me to drive?” Manu asked.

  Cassie frowned, gazing from Emma to Manu. Manu seemed off too and didn’t wear the same easy-going attitude he’d sported when she first met him. Now that she looked closer, he bore shadows beneath his brown eyes, exhaustion hovering over him like a ghost.

  “No, I’ll drive,” Emma said. “Where is your vehicle?”

  “It’s at the mall. I needed computer parts and saw you come out of the store.”

  Cassie frowned again, knowing something wasn’t right, but unable to pinpoint what or why Emma and Manu were suddenly behaving strangely. Maybe it was her imagination again. “So, what color sheets are you going to buy?”

  “Pink with flowers,” Emma replied without missing a beat.

  Manu chortled from the rear seat. “Does Jack like pink?”

  “Jack will like whatever I buy,” Emma snapped.

  An uncomfortable silence fell, and Cassie struggled to fill the gap. Had they argued? And if so, why didn’t she know about it?

  In the department store, they headed straight for soft furnishings floor.

  “You get your sheets, and I’ll grab pillows and towels. What color towels?”

  “A dark color that will go with the bathroom,” Emma said. “Darker is better with Jack around. I tried white and had to replace them.”

  Cassie strode away to fulfill her mission. When she turned into the towel aisle, she glimpsed Manu and Emma in whispered conversation. Tense because Emma was jabbing him in the chest with her forefinger. Manu stood there and took it before wrapping Emma in his embrace. Not a romantic one, more comforting and friendly. None of her business. Besides, Emma might tell her what was wrong during the drive home.

  Long years of friendship had taught her that Emma stewed and processed when she became angry or upset about something. Shrugging away her concern, Cassie grabbed a cart and started her assignment.

  Cassie studied the colors and quickly chose a selection of towels. The pillows took a bit longer, but she grabbed six. She also tossed in a package of tea towels.

  “All done?” Manu asked.

  Emma remained silent, her arms full of packaged sheets.

  “All done.”

  Half an hour later, after a quick and uncomfortable coffee, Cassie was glad to be on the road back to Clevedon.

  “Emma, is something wrong?”

  The healthy color fled Emma’s hands as she gripped the steering wheel tighter. “June isn’t well. Manu is worried about her.”

  “I see.” An understatement. She didn’t understand at all. If June was unwell why would Manu want to spend time with them? “Why was Manu shopping and not with his mother?”

  “He said his brothers made him take a break.”

  “Oh.” Well, that made sense, but it didn’t explain Emma’s mood. Anger pulsed off her, and she hadn’t been like that when they left Jack and Hone.

  The built-up suburbs gave way to the green countryside, and Cassie let her mind drift to her music. Other managers. Who could she contact? She needed someone with knowledge of the country music bigwigs and who could be flexible about the changes she wanted to take with her career. A sensible person would continue to put out Katie-Jo country songs to make use of her fan base. Perhaps she could use another name for her new stuff and start over as an indie. A lot of musicians were taking the independent route these days, and there was no reason she couldn’t dabble on the side. Of course, she wouldn’t be able to handle a full-on concert tour if she did that. Maybe a month of concerts. Yeah, she could handle a month, and maybe, just maybe, she could return home to New Zealand to relax. Something to consider.

  Cassie pulled a notebook out of her handbag and started making a list of what she needed to research. She glanced up and stared, surprise making her blink. “Stop the car.”

  “What? What’s wrong?” Emma turned fierce, her tone no-business.

  “What is a young kid doing walking down a country road all alone?” As soon as Emma stopped, Cassie hopped from the car.

  “Wait. Don’t get out.”

  “It’s a kid, Emma.” She ignored her friend’s protests and walked to intercept the child. Not very old. A little boy. He wore a red-and-blue Spiderman suit and had a small bag tucked over his shoulder. His mouth formed into an O when he saw Cassie, then he grinned. Wow, he’d be a heartbreaker once he was older, although right now, he couldn’t be more than five or six. Certainly not old enough to wander down the road on his own.

  “What are you doing?” she asked.

  “I’m running away from home,” the boy said.

  “Why?”

  He wasn’t crying and didn’t seem unhappy. In fact, excitement pulsated from him as if he were on a grand adventure.

  “Daddy read me a story about a boy who ran away. I decided to see if I had the same adventures as Sam.”

  “Oh.” Cassie restrained her burst of humor. He didn’t appear tired or dirty, so he couldn’t have wandered far. “Does your daddy know you’ve run away?”

  “He was busy in his office.”

  “Okay. I’m Cassie. What’s your name?”

  “Dillion.”

  “Hello, Dillion. It’s very hot. Would you like to have a cookie and a cold drink?”

  He cocked his head and studied her before giving a decisive nod. “The boy in the story met a lady and had cookies.”

  “Right.” The boy had to live on this road. She’d ring Matthew—no, wait. “Is your daddy’s name Matthew?”

  “Yes.”

  Good. At least she knew where he came from and he hadn’t walked far. She’d give Matthew a call and drop Dillion back after his cookies.

  “Come on,” she said. “We’ll give you a ride home.”

  “I’m not allowed to ride in cars with strangers,” Dillion said.

  “That’s good advice,” she agreed. “How about I walk back to my house with you? It’s right next door to your house.”

  “I only live with Daddy sometimes.”

  Ah, so that explained things. Matthew shared custody of Dillion. He seemed like a good father if he read stories to his son. He was probably frantic. Back at the vehicle, Emma seemed relieved.

  “This is Dillion, and he lives next door,” Cassie explained. “He’s run away from home.”

  Emma gawked at her.

  “We’re going to have cookies,” Dillion told Emma.

  “Let me grab my phone. Dillion, quite rightly, doesn’t want to get into a car with a stranger. I’ll walk back to the house with him and ring Matthew so he doesn’t worry.”

  “Oh, but—”

  “It’s not far. We’ll be ten minutes tops.”

  Emma scanned the road behind them. “All right,” she said, her tone grim. “See you soon.”

  Weird. Emma was behaving plain weird. Probably the strain of the fire.

  Cassie rifled through her handbag and found the business card she placed in the side pocket.

  “Hello? Matthew? This is Cassie Miller-Pope. I have something that belongs to you.”

  “Pardon?” His tone was frosty and unwelcoming.

  “I found your son on the side of the road, not far from my place. He said he was running away from home.”

  Chapter Nineteen

  Hone’s nerves bounced up and down the entire time Cassie and Emma were away. His taniwha wasn’t much better with his restless growling.

  “Thank god,” Jack said. “Here they are now.”

  Hone was halfway out the doo
r before he registered the action. “Where’s Cassie? She’s not with Emma.” He sprinted to the driver’s side demanding answers. “Where is Cassie?”

  “She’s walking. We found a young boy on the side of the road and she insisted on walking back with him. What was I meant to do? I can’t tell her the truth—that a fire-breathing dragon wants to punish her. She’d say I was crazy.”

  “Hone.” Jack grabbed him when his taniwha pushed past his restraint and shook him. “It’s not Emma’s fault. We’re doing our best.”

  “I talked to Manu,” Emma said. “June has disappeared. Samuel and the boys are hunting for her.”

  “Crap. I’ll go and get Cassie,” Hone said, taking off at a sprint.

  Fear cramped his guts, the itch to shift strong. He kept running, scanning the air for signs of June. Surely she wouldn’t fly over in daylight and put the entire race at the risk of discovery?

  Damn, where was Cassie? He still couldn’t see her.

  Ah, there she was. A dark-haired child walked at her side, both chattering away and not paying attention to their surroundings. Typical humans. So unaware of the dangers.

  He slowed and gave his taniwha a mental shove. It’s all right. She’s safe. If June comes, we’re here to protect her.

  “Hi,” he called before he reached them.

  “Hone.” A brilliant smile flashed across her face and his heart drum-rolled.

  God, she was so beautiful. He couldn’t lose her, not to June. He couldn’t live without her. Nothing had prepared him for Cassie, yet his father had been right. The moment the right woman walked into his life, he’d leave his tomcatting ways behind.

  Hone studied the kid. Cute in his Spiderman suit.

  “Is he a stranger?” the kid asked Cassie.

  She laughed in the musical way of hers that never failed to stir him. “No, this is my friend, Hone. Hone, this is Dillion. He lives next door, and he’s coming to visit until his father picks him up.”

  “What cookies do you have?” the kid asked.

  “We have shortbread and chocolate chip. I couldn’t decide which ones to buy, so I got one packet of each.”

  As Hone fell into step with them, the pair continued to chatter. It was so easy to imagine her with his child, and that told him, more than anything, that he couldn’t let her leave. It meant he’d have to tell her about his dual nature as a taniwha, but he thought she’d accept all of him. At least, he hoped she would. He couldn’t marry her without letting her in on the truth, yet he risked everything if she rejected him and left to pursue her career.

  “That’s an awfully big frown. Are you doing heavy-duty thinking over there?”

  “Work stuff,” Hone lied, and the falsehood cut him. No, he didn’t enjoy lying to her.

  They turned into the driveway and found Emma had set up outside with an umbrella to keep off the sun. That would also help screen them from June if she went crazy and decided to fly during the day.

  Unless she had one of Manu’s devices…

  He cursed under his breath. “I should call Manu to see what’s happening with Auntie June. Evidently she hasn’t been well.”

  Hone strode indoors, plucked his phone from his pocket and face-timed his cousin. “Manu, has your mother got one of your devices?” he demanded without preamble.

  “No, I keep them locked up when I’m not working with them. She tried to get at them and failed. Emma said you guys are at the house in Clevedon.”

  “Yeah. It’s probably safer in Papakura, given the larger population, but none of us can think of a reason good enough to persuade Cassie it’s less dangerous in town. We’ve tried, believe me, but she said she is surrounded by private investigators and couldn’t be more protected. And she said it’s easier to spot strangers out here. It’s taken her a few days to settle after that clown episode.”

  “God, what a mess. I have no idea what to do, Hone. If any other dragon ran amok like this, we’d put them down for the greater good, but this is my mother. The matriarch of the tribe. She’s out of control, but I don’t know if I can do the right thing.”

  “I’m sorry.” Hone’s throat tightened, hearing his cousin’s grief. He got it. He truly did, but June was trying to kill Cassie when none of this was her fault. She hadn’t dumped Manu. They hadn’t had a relationship. Cassie had said it and Manu had confirmed they were nothing more than friends. Cassie slept curled in his arms, not his cousin’s. “I’ll help.”

  “No, you need to say with Cassie. My brothers will help me.” He swiped his hand over his face, exhaustion like a feather cloak draped over his shoulders. “Don’t look like that. None of this is your fault. You and Cassie are good together, and I’m happy you’ve found someone.”

  “There’s a car coming. I think it’s the neighbor, but I want to check.”

  “I’ll inform you when we find Ma.”

  “Okay.” Hone hung up, his heart heavy. None of them would win. June’s actions had already ripped the tribe apart, and he had no idea how they’d recover.

  Outside, a late-model car pulled up and a tall, slim man dressed in business clothes stepped from the driver’s side.

  “Dad!” The kid ran to him, and Hone’s shoulders relaxed on seeing the joy and relief on the man’s face. He loved his kid. “Cassie likes playing dress-up too. She wears a pink wig. I told her I make a good cowboy.”

  “Yes, you do, son. Thank you for picking up Dillion and ringing me. My ex…” His expression tightened as he spoke to Cassie. “She would have used this to change our custody schedule.”

  “It was no problem.”

  “Can I come and visit again?” Dillion asked.

  “As long as you ask your father first,” Cassie said. “Get your father to call me to make sure I’m home first, okay?”

  “Okay.” Dillion took a huge bite of his cookie. Cute kid.

  “Hi,” Hone stepped forward, his hand outstretched. “I’m Hone Taniwha, Cassie’s boyfriend.”

  “He might as well piss on her,” Emma whispered to Jack.

  His buddy barked out a laugh, and Hone glared at them both, thankful that neither of the human adults heard.

  “Matthew Jamieson,” the man said.

  For a businessman, he had callused hands. Maybe he worked on his farm during the weekends instead of hiring people. Christmas trees, Cassie had said.

  “Thanks again. Nice to meet you all.”

  Cassie, Jack and Emma started to unload the vehicle, and Hone jogged over to help them, while keeping an eye on Matthew and his son. The man was a good father, and it was obvious the kid adored him. When they drove away, Hone heard the kid’s excited chatter about running away, and the father telling him he could only run away if he was with him. Strange thing to say, but it made sense.

  “Hell, did you girls buy out the shops?” Jack asked as they dumped parcels and bags on the new kitchen counter.

  “No, we left stuff for other customers,” Cassie said without missing a beat. “We didn’t want to be greedy. The beds and other furniture will arrive tomorrow afternoon, so tomorrow night you can sleep in a proper bed instead of on the camp bed in Hone’s spare room. We should have a barbecue to celebrate. I’ll buy one in the morning.”

  “No, ours survived the fire,” Jack said. “Everything in the garden shed was okay, so I’ll bring out the mower, my garden tools and the barbecue tomorrow morning.”

  “We should visit your swimming hole. The weather forecast is for another humid day,” Emma suggested.

  “Can you guys sort out the packages?” Cassie asked. “I need to start rehearsing for the next vineyard show and work out which songs to sing. I have to make a few phone calls to the States later and want to reread the contract Kevin sent me.”

  Crap. “Can I help with anything?” Hone asked.

  “Yeah, how are you at contracts? I need a fresh set of eyes to tell me I’m not imagining things. Kevin has clauses in there I don’t like.”

  “I can do that,” Hone said, thankful his father ha
d insisted on him taking business classes and finishing a degree before he joined the firm fulltime.

  “We can all read it through, if that would help,” Emma said.

  “Have at it,” Cassie said, pointing at a pink folder. “There are two copies in there. I’ve taken notes and made a list of what I want, but not many of the matters are addressed in the contract.”

  Hone growled. “He trying to rip you off?”

  “He would see it as business, but it’s not good business for me. Anyhow, thanks. I’ll be in the other room with my guitar. Holler if you need me.”

  Hone’s phone beeped, and he scanned the text. “Samuel has found June. She’s at home under lockdown.”

  “Good. We can relax a bit,” Emma said.

  Jack peered into a bag of towels. “I don’t envy Manu. He has a tough decision to make.”

  Hone sighed. “Hope it doesn’t cause a ruckus with the Waka family. They’ve made no secret of the fact they think they should be in charge.”

  “Will the Waka brothers make trouble?” Emma asked.

  “Yes,” Hone said.

  “Yup,” Jack agreed. “Manu will have to fight to keep leadership, and he’ll have to deal with June first.”

  “Won’t Samuel—”

  “No,” Hone interrupted Emma, “If June becomes too unstable, Manu will do the right thing. He won’t put his father through the anguish of taking his mate’s life.”

  “Hell, what a mess. I can’t believe June wigged out over Cassie and Manu.” Emma leaned against Jack and sighed when he wrapped his arms around her waist. “She has always tried to find her sons mates and talked about more grandchildren, but it seems silly for her to go over the top about it. She’s…” she shrugged. “She’s never shown any signs of instability that I could see. She seemed like a fair leader.”

  “Manu is broken,” Hone said. “I offered my help, but he said his brothers would assist if necessary.”

  “It’s murder,” Emma blurted.

  “Is it murder if you’re saving a hundred lives? The general population aren’t ready to learn of our existence yet, and if June catches up with Cassie, she’ll kill her without blinking,” Jack explained. “She is that furious. This situation isn’t black and white.”