by Kyle, Celia
Thrett breathed even easier. He might not know where Trystin was, but he was inclined to believe this Jake guy, which meant Trystin had to be hiding somewhere. Or maybe he was just out taking a walk. Whatever the case, he hadn’t been their target. Of course he couldn’t let the suspect know any of that.
“You seriously want me to believe it didn’t cross your pea-sized mind that a celebrity’s son might have some top-notch security?”
Jake frowned in confusion. “Celebrity?”
Thrett rolled his eyes at the guy’s stupidity as he put him into the backseat of the SUV. “Blaise Bradford, you moron. In case you didn’t get that memo either, he’s the son of one of the most famous actors in Hollywood.”
“I don’t have a clue what you’re talking about, man. We were here for the principal’s kid.”
Thrett actually felt his pupils dilate. He had to find out who hired these would-be kidnappers and what they wanted with his son. But as he reached for Jake, a blood-curdling screech pierced the air around him.
He spun around to see Wyntir streaking across the afternoon sky in formation with the rest of the Wildridge Security team, including Charlie. They were in hot pursuit of the dragon Grizz was chasing. Ruphus, if good ol’ Jake was to be believed.
And Ruphus was hurtling through the air directly toward Thrett, dragonfire roiling in his maw.
“Oh shit!”
He reached to drag his prisoner from the rig, but Ruphus wasn’t interested in waiting. He launched a massive fireball at them. Thrett used his dragon strength to launch himself far from the SUV just as the fireball engulfed it, reducing it—and Jake—to fiery bits in an impressive explosion. The shockwaves sent Thrett tumbling and shattered a few windows in the nearby auditorium.
By the time Thrett shook the shock from his head, Grizz had caught up with Ruphus and the pair were tumbling to Benningford’s grassy lawn. The rest of the team landed and surrounded the snarling frenzy of claws, fire, and blood. Even Thrett was about to shift back into his dragon form when Charlie growled a warning at them all.
They’d spent years working together as a team, learning each other’s quirks and developing their own warning calls. Wyntir had warned him first that Ruphus was about to attack, and now Charlie was telling them all to back off. Despite being the new guy on the team, and only with a few days under his belt, even Grizz caught on because he pulled free of Ruphus just as Charlie blew a massive blue bubble at him.
Fire blazed in Ruphus’s jaws, ready to blast them all, but the bubble floated over and enveloped him and his fire. It fizzled out promptly, leaving the dragon glaring at all of them.
With Jake incinerated and Ruphus contained, Thrett bolted back to the auditorium to find his son. He had to be around somewhere, but Thrett couldn’t shake the unnerving worry that Jake had been lying all along and an accomplice had made off with Trystin.
He pounded on the main entrance and called for Rylan to let him in. As soon as she cracked open the door, he burst inside. Never in his life had he felt so helpless and so guilty at the same time. He wanted to rage and scream and cry and… No, he wanted to find his son, and by god, that’s what he was going to do!
“Where’s Trystin?” they both asked each other at the same time.
Instead of finding it amusing, they both looked crushed as understanding set in. Trystin was still missing.
Rylan’s eyes were already rimmed with red, standing out sharply against her pale skin. He swept her into his arms and held her as she sobbed against his shoulder. Wetness filled his own eyes and he struggled to maintain control, but the strongest will was nothing in the face of losing a child.
Then the sweetest sound reached his ears and he nearly cried with relief.
“Don’t cry, Mommy. I’m right here.”
They both turned to find Trystin climbing out from inside a nearby wooden lectern that had been pushed up against a wall. What the hell was the kid doing inside a piece of furniture?
It didn’t matter. They were together again, just the way it was meant to be.
Chapter Ten
Thrett’s leg jiggled furiously under the table as he checked his watch for the thirteenth time since the meeting started. He was antsy to get out of this conference room and head back to Rylan’s house so he could be with his family—where he belonged. Every minute spent apart from them physically hurt him, and he wondered if that feeling would ever go away. He hoped not.
Nothing was more important than family. Charlie had told him that and—surprise, surprise—he was right. The family he’d developed at Wildridge was wonderful, but they didn’t need him. But now he had Rylan and Trystin, who needed him as much as he needed them. He’d die before he let a hair on either of their heads come to harm, and Thrett was a pretty damn hard dragon to bring down. They filled a void in him he’d never realized existed. Funny how life could turn on a dime like that.
But his personal life had almost no effect on his duties as a security specialist at Wildridge, so he sat between Wyntir and Grizz at the conference table, going over the events of the day.
Despite his being new to the team, Grizz fit right into the group’s dynamic, and Thrett really appreciated the guy’s Shifter Bureau of Investigation-level of professionalism. Not that they could pat each other’s asses and make champagne toasts just yet. There were still too many loose ends to tie up before they could celebrate.
“The dragon we apprehended is safely in custody,” Charlie announced, making eye contact with each of them. “We’ve learned that he—”
Charlie paused to sniff the air and then pulled a face. Tessa sat between him and Dyrk, happily tapping the meeting notes on her laptop with a large bottle of kombucha sitting next to her. She slowed her typing and looked up at him, lips forming a small O, and then she screwed the cap back on the bottle, toning down the vague scent of vinegar in the room.
“Thank you, dear,” he flashed a kind smile before going on. “As I was saying, it appears he is one of Grizz’s former associates from the SBI—most likely hired by Joshua Slocum before we knew he was a traitor. He’s now awaiting trial for murder and attempted kidnapping.”
“What about the other guy?” Elektra asked from the other side of Grizz.
Thrett rubbed a scorch mark on his arm from where a piece of burning shrapnel had hit him. “Jake’s prognosis is decidedly dim, considering they still haven’t found all the bits and pieces.”
Elektra rolled her eyes as Wyntir, sitting across from him, wrinkled her nose.
Charlie cut the chatter. “Regardless, he wasn’t SBI, and his partner Ruphus isn’t talking. Which begs the question of what those two were up to.”
“I don’t have to tell y’all how much of a security compromise this is for SBI,” Grizz said, his expression understandably grim. “Everyone at the Bureau will be running around like chickens with their heads cut off for the next few weeks. Charlie, have I thanked you lately for hiring me?”
“Thank me later,” Charlie said gravely. “I have new assignments for you all to begin immediately. I know we usually have more of a breather between jobs, but as you all know, this is a time-sensitive matter.”
A general murmur of agreement rippled around the table. Everyone was on the same page for this investigation, at least. Considering how things almost went with Elektra on her last mission, that was something the whole team was grateful for.
“Dyrk,” Charlie glanced over Tessa’s head at the firm’s banking specialist, “you have been selected to join an SBI task force to look into the conspiracy surrounding the experiments on shifter inmates that give them extraordinary powers.”
Dyrk sat up just a little straighter as everyone congratulated him for the elite assignment. Thrett elbowed him good-naturedly, which barely earned him a half-smile. Boy, the guy was wound up tighter than a two-dollar watch.
Grizz leaned forward and smiled sheepishly at Dyrk. “Forget what I said about the Bureau being a circus right now. I’m sure it’ll be a cake walk.”
Dyrk gave him an unamused look. “Mhmm.”
“Wyntir,” Charlie called out and she arched an immaculately manicured eyebrow at him. “You’re going to all but live at the Bradford house until we know Stark and his son Blaise are safe.”
Wyntir flicked a lock of perfectly coiffed blonde hair away from her face. “Ooh, live in a Malibu dream house with a famous movie star? Count me in!”
“Wait,” Ragan said. “Why are we bothering to bodyguard the Bradfords if the real hunt is at the SBI? They weren’t even looking for Blaise when they hit the school.”
“Fugitives lie, sweetie,” Wyntir said with a wink. “If you take everything a child kidnapper says at face value, remind me not to let you into interviews.”
Ragan threw a paperclip at her, which she caught handily, and then added under her breath, “Besides, it’s the least we could do after one of our own stole a sex tape from him.”
“Hmm? What was that?” Charlie asked with an arched brow.
Wyntir cleared her throat. “I said, that’s why Stark pays us the big bucks.”
She flashed an innocent smile and Thrett could barely suppress a chuckle. Charlie ignored them both.
“Grizz and Thrett, you’ll both continue watching the school.”
“Try to stop me,” Thrett growled, crossing his arms with a huff. Nothing, not even Charlie Volant, would prevent him from keeping a watchful eye on his son as well as the other kids. Strange how they’d grown on him over just a few days.
“Nice neighborhood,” Grizz said. “Elektra and I even scoped out a few houses for sale.”
“Can’t afford it,” Elektra spoke firmly with no room for argument.
“In any case, our adversaries shouldn’t be as bold and careless now that they know we’re on to them,” Charlie continued. “I’m hoping having both of you there is overkill, but we can’t be too cautious under the circumstances.”
“What about motive?” Elektra asked. “Do we have any clue why these assholes wanted a half-human, half-dragon kid?”
“I might be able to answer that.” Thrett slid his chair forward and his heart swelled with pride at the thought of his son. Just the fact of his existence was something to be proud of, but his boy had other strengths. “Rylan and I have reason to believe Trystin might have special abilities most shifters—dragon or otherwise—don’t have.”
“Special how?” Charlie asked. “Heightened strength? Intelligence?”
“Try ESP, boss.” Thrett’s words made eyebrows shoot up around the room, most of all from Dyrk, who looked downright skeptical. “We believe he can sense our emotions. Maybe not read our minds, but he is overly empathetic.”
“What’s that prove?” Dyrk snorted.
“On its own, nothing. But after today’s adventure, he told us he’d sensed the kidnappers at the park this morning. That’s why he wanted to go to the school—to get away from them, even though he had no real idea anyone was after him.”
“Whoa,” Wyntir cooed. “So that’s why he hid when they followed you guys to Benningford?”
“Yup.”
“Cool,” she said. “I’m surprised no one’s picked up on it before now.”
Thrett felt a surge of protection for his mate, even though Wyntir hadn’t blamed her for anything. Charlie must have picked up on it because he took over from there before Thrett could get cranky.
“Children have vivid imaginations. If adults took everything they said as gospel, we’d never get anything done. But what we can infer from all of this is that if whomever is behind the experiments somehow caught wind of Trystin’s unique abilities, they might have wanted to…”
He trailed off, casting a troubled look at Thrett, who finished for his boss.
“To run some of their fucked-up experiments on him.”
Thrett’s anger boiled at that mere thought to the point his thighs bumped against the bottom of the table and his clothes became uncomfortably tight. He took a breath in an attempt to cool his dragon’s wrath, but only one thing could do that.
“Mind if I go check on my family, Charlie?” Thrett stood and rolled his shoulders back, not really caring whether he received permission.
“Get outta here,” Charlie said with a proud smile.
Thrett didn’t hear him. He was already halfway to the landing pad on the roof.
* * *
The smell of pineapple and salty Canadian bacon sizzled in the air of the living room as the little family gathered around the coffee table, a nearly polished off extra-large Hawaiian in the center. A fire flickered in the gas fireplace, adding to the coziness of the room, even if it wasn’t especially cold outside. The ambiance was warm and golden as the sun set in orange hues.
Rylan and Thrett were on opposite sides of the sofa while Trystin sat cross-legged on the floor, dunking his pizza crust in a tiny cup of marinara sauce and crunching it gleefully. Rylan watched him with a soft smile on her face, relieved to have him so close.
Just a few hours earlier, she’d been convinced her son had been taken and she’d never see him again. It was by far the most frightening experience she’d ever endured, and she hoped to never experience it again. Being a mother meant risking that kind of pain and fear every day, but looking at him now, rosy-cheeked and happily stuffed with his favorite pizza, she couldn’t deny the risk was worth the love she felt for him.
Thrett was a gift too. Maybe it was a gift she wasn’t quite sure what to do with, yet, but it was good. She hoped it would only get better.
Of course, it was still a little awkward right now. She and Thrett were both on the couch, but there was a good three feet between them. They didn’t quite know how to act around each other without giving anything away to Trystin. She thought the best plan was to wait to tell him about their budding relationship until they figured out what their future looked like. What she didn’t want to wait for was to tell Trystin that Thrett was his father.
Rylan’s teeth ached from nerves, and judging by the tension in Thrett’s shoulders, he was just as anxious. It was a big deal for him—for all of them, really. Coming together as a three-person family was going to be a massive adjustment, but Rylan hoped her son would be happier. She would be happier with Thrett in their lives, that much she knew, but Trystin’s feelings meant more than her own.
When he finished his final pizza crust and rolled onto the floor clutching his full belly, she and Thrett exchanged silent looks. Trystin was done eating and feeling silly. What better time than now to give him the news?
“Hey, sweetie, could you come sit with us?” she asked softly, patting the couch as her heart hammered away.
Trystin immediately stopped rolling around and looked at her with wide, worried eyes. “Am I in trouble for eating so much pizza?”
Thrett chuckled and patted the open space between him and Rylan. “No, bud, we just want to talk to you.”
He nestled between them, his head bouncing from left to right as he waited for an explanation. Rylan had no idea where to start, so she just dove in headfirst.
“You know how I’ve always said you didn’t have a father?”
Trystin shrugged. “Yeah.”
“Well, that was only partially true.”
The poor kid looked confused. “Huh?”
“You see, everyone has a father, even if they’re not around,” she explained while stroking his hair gently. “And sometimes, a father can show up out of nowhere. When he’s ready to be there. Or when destiny allows him to come back into your life. In your case, I just didn’t know where to find your father. But then fate brought us back together, and we can be a family now. If that’s okay with you.”
“Really?” he whispered breathlessly.
Rylan nodded. “Yes, sweetie. And guess what?”
“What?”
“He’s sitting right there,” Rylan told him and flicked her eyes over to Thrett.
Her stomach clenched with worry as Trystin looked back and for between them. Would he be happy? He c
ertainly seemed attached to Thrett. Then again, maybe he would be upset that they hadn’t told him sooner. The longer he remained silent, the worse the acid in her tummy churned. She exchanged a concerned glance with Thrett.
Say something, baby. Anything.
But Rylan forced herself to be patient. This was a lot for a kid his age to take in, and she needed to give him enough time and, if needed, space to think it through. Trystin had always been a contemplative child.
When he finally spoke, Rylan wasn’t sure she heard correctly. “And?”
This time she and Thrett shared confused looks. He clearly didn’t understand what she meant.
“Baby,” she said, resting a hand on his shoulder and swallowing hard. “Thrett…is your father.”
His little head swung to look at Thrett for a second and then back to her. “Yeah, I know,” he said, looking totally unfazed.
Rylan’s mouth fell open and Thrett looked like he was about to either laugh or cry.
“You do?” she managed to croak out, still reeling from this revelation.
He nodded. “Uh huh.”
“How long have you known, bud?” Thrett asked, grinning at their son.
Trystin shrugged and looked down at his lap before peeking up at him. “The whole time.”
Neither of them could speak. Here they’d been worried about how to break the news to the boy and he’d known all along. He never once let on! Obviously his newly discovered ability had something to do with it. Hmm, keeping secrets around this one was going to become very interesting.
Before either of them could formulate a response, Trystin hugged them both, like nothing life-changing had just happened. “Can I go play video games in my room now?”
Rylan kissed him on the cheek. “Of course, sweetie. Go play.”
“Have fun,” Thrett said. “Mind if I join you in a little while?”
“Sure!” Trystin grinned and darted down the hallway to his room, leaving his parents dumbfounded and amused.
