“I know,” Jane stated. “But why help me? Keeping me on Stonefire will only endanger your clan.”
Bram smiled. “Stonefire has had enemies as long as we’ve been based here in the Lake District. It’s nothing new.”
She should let it drop, but Jane’s curiosity never quit. “That still doesn’t answer my question. Why?”
Bram shrugged one shoulder. “I have my reasons. Stick around long enough to earn my trust and you might learn what they are.”
Judging by Bram’s tone that was all the answer she was going to get.
That didn’t mean she couldn’t start earning Bram’s trust. No doubt, Bram already knew Kai’s reasons for being in Newcastle, but not hers. She needed to fix that.
Rather than think about why she wanted Bram’s trust, Jane straightened her shoulders and added, “The only issue I have with remaining here is that Kai and I had a lead on the former Carlisle-based hunters. We were close to pinpointing their new base’s location when we were attacked.”
Bram shook his head. “As much as I want the bastards out of the way, I won’t risk you or any other members of my clan. Since I saw Nikki flying in, I assume she was near Newcastle in dragon form. The DDA will probably soon be on my case, not to mention the hunters will be on high alert now. It’s best to wait and pounce later, once things calm down.”
Jane strummed her fingers on her thigh and her eyes went to Nikki. An idea hit her. “I agree, but I may have a solution of how we can still try to take the hunters down whilst remaining under the radar.”
Bram raised his brows. “Oh, aye? How?”
Jane kept her gaze on Nikki. “Tell them your suggestion.”
Nikki blinked. “I thought we talked about this. You were supposed to discuss it with Kai first.”
Evie threw up her hands. “Kai isn’t here, is he? Now, I don’t bloody well care who tells me, but someone had better speak up because I really need to pee. And you don’t want to upset a pregnant woman. Trust me. Bram’s learned that lesson the hard way.”
Bram’s voice was dry. “Aye, you’d best do what she says, Nikki.”
Nikki widened her stance and clasped her hands behind her back. “Well, I thought it might be a good idea to unofficially invite our trusted comrades from the British armed forces to help us hunt the dragon hunters. They’re human, but skilled. They have ways of monitoring the knights whilst remaining under the radar. I don’t think even Simon Bourne would see their help coming.”
Jane jumped in. “I thought we could ask my brother to help, along with suggestions from your Protectors. They could gather intelligence on the hunters whilst your clan and I stay here. Once they have the information we need, you and Lochguard could make a surprise attack.”
Bram replied, “After your brother’s recommendation of the human named Jeff, I’m a little leery of trusting him.”
Jane raised her chin. “My brother is a decorated soldier who has always put friends and family first. We all screw up once in a while, and I’m sure there’s a reason his judgment was wrong about Jeff. Talk to my brother yourself and then make a decision. That’s what you keep asking humans to do, isn’t it? To talk with a dragon-shifter before deeming them monsters.”
Bram studied Jane and she willed herself not to fidget.
Stonefire’s leader finally smiled. “Your backbone will come in handy. Never lose that core of steel.”
Jane blinked. “Pardon?”
Bram waved a hand in dismissal. “I want to interview your brother, and only your brother, first. Then I can make my decision, as you suggested. Is it possible for him to come up here in the next few days?”
Jane nodded. “Probably tomorrow, as it’s one of his usual days off. If I use some of my little sister tricks, he won’t be able to say no.”
The corner of Bram’s mouth ticked up. “I have a feeling not many people say no to you.”
Jane grinned. “I can be quite persuasive.”
Laughing, Bram hugged his mate closer. “I’m sure you can be, but I think it’s more because you’re stubborn.” He looked to Nikki. “Take her to the command center to ring her brother. After that, find Jane a place to settle in and report back to me.” Bram looked to Jane. “You and I will chat some more later. For now, the adrenaline will wear off soon and you’ll probably crash. Take a little time to rest and recover.”
Jane crossed her arms over her chest. “I’ll shower and change, but I want to see Kai as soon as he’s out of surgery.”
She didn’t like the twinkle in Bram’s eyes. “Aye, I bet you do. I’ll tell Sid’s people to put you on the visitors’ list.” He waved toward the door. “Now, go. Evie’s trying not to dance at my side and my dragon isn’t happy with her discomfort.”
Nikki stepped next to Jane and put a hand on her back. “I’ll report back as soon as I can.”
Nikki pushed against Jane’s back and they started walking just as Bram’s voice rang out. “Well done today, Nikki. You probably saved Kai’s life.”
Jane looked over her shoulder and watched a faint blush rise on Nikki’s cheeks. The dragonwoman murmured, “I was just doing my job,” before pushing Jane quickly out the door.
As soon as they were about ten feet from Bram’s cottage, Nikki stopped and growled before saying, “You were supposed to suggest the idea to Kai, not Bram.”
Jane looked her dead in the eye. “If you want to move past who you are because of your birth, you need to start speaking up. How else are people supposed to know how brilliant you are?”
“I’m still young and inexperienced. Kai always helps me improve. I needed to talk with him about things first.”
Jane placed a hand on her hip and pointed a finger. “Embrace your self-confidence. Do you really think Bram would endorse a plan that could easily go wrong?”
Nikki mumbled, “No.”
“Right, then what are you worried about?”
Nikki’s gaze turned fierce. “The hunter bastards killed one of my comrades and played mind games with me. I need to make sure any plan I have to help take them down is as flawless as can be. Kai’s experience would’ve helped with that.”
“We can still talk with him later, once he wakes up.”
“And how long will that be? Each day we waste is a day the hunters could run.”
“Exactly, which is why I suggested your idea in the first place.”
Nikki’s voice was dry as she replied, “Don’t take this the wrong way, but you’re not exactly a military strategist.”
Jane waved a hand. “Of course not, but Rafe is. Until Kai wakes up—and believe me, I’m going to get him to wake up as soon as I can without endangering his health—you can hash out details with Rafe. He’s good at the soldier strategy stuff.”
“If Bram approves of him.”
“Oh, I suspect he will. A decorated soldier who has worked with dragon-shifters in the past is quite the asset. You approve of him, after all.”
Nikki sighed. “Fine, whatever. Let’s get you to the command center so you can ring your brother and set things in motion.” Nikki dropped her voice to a murmur and added, “And let’s hope Kai wakes up soon so you can pester him instead.”
“I heard that.”
Nikki started walking. “It’s true. You’re like a chatty female version of Kai.”
Jane jogged to catch up with Nikki. “I somehow doubt that. I have yet to see Kai’s sense of humor.”
“From what I’ve heard, he had one once.”
“Then what happened?”
“Maggie Jones.”
Jane frowned. “Who’s that?”
Nikki turned to meet her eye. “That’s something only he should tell you.”
With that, Nikki upped her pace and Jane struggled to catch up. Maybe she could use her time on Stonefire to exercise a bit more.
As they walked in silence, Jane wondered how one woman could change Kai so dramatically. To imagine him with a sense of humor was quite a stretch.
Not that she cou
ld find out anything about Maggie Jones until Kai woke up. Until then, she needed to concentrate on convincing Rafe to come to Stonefire. Because of lifelong practice, Jane was fairly certain she could sway Rafe, as long as he wasn’t grumpy.
Too bad her brother had been grumpier as of late.
Pushing the doubt aside, Jane walked with purpose. She had a job to do. Even if she had to call in every favor her brother owed her, she would get Rafe Hartley’s arse to Stonefire as soon as possible. She needed to make things right with the clan who had been willing to work with her over the last few months, even if it ended up costing Jane her reputation. Living with Stonefire for any period of time would render her opinion biased.
Her heart ached at not proving herself as a journalist. Yet if she could help the Stonefire dragons and change opinions about them on her own terms, that might not be the worst thing. If she was fired from the BBC, Jane could still try things on her own.
To be honest, she rather liked the idea of being in charge of her own stories and what she shared with the public.
Ideas raced around her mind, but before she could work on fine-tuning any of them, she needed to convince Rafe to come to Stonefire.
Increasing her pace, Jane thought of everything she could use to blackmail her brother, if need be, to get him to the Lake District within the next twenty-four hours.
~~~
Kai was vaguely aware of something poking him in the arm, but he couldn’t really form a thought about it. All he knew was that each touch sent a low pulse of pain through his body and it bloody hurt.
His beast’s voice was sleepy as it said, That’s because we were shot.
At the mention of being shot, Kai remembered the searing pain followed by a blow to the head. After that, he remembered nothing. If you’re talking to me, then I’m still alive.
His beast paced inside his head. Open your eyes and find out where we are. Then we can find out what happened to Jane.
Jane. Had the humans taken her?
There was only one way to find out.
Kai had been shot before, but no amount of preparation steeled him enough for the light hitting his eyes or the thousand pinpricks of pain stabbing his brain. Unable to stop it, he groaned.
“You’re awake.”
Jane. Anxious to ensure the female was safe, Kai forced his eyes open. After blinking a few times, Jane’s face came into focus. He murmured, “Where are we?”
His dragon growled. Make sure she’s okay.
Ignoring his beast, Kai stared at Jane and she motioned around the room. “If you look around, you can tell you’re in a hospital room. Are you really Stonefire’s head Protector?”
Kai growled, but then moaned as the vibration sent a shot of pain through his shoulder and arm. Jane stood up and placed a hand on his forehead. “Are you okay? Dr. Sid said the wound wasn’t serious, but if you’re in pain, cut the alpha crap and tell me straight.”
“Did anyone ever tell you that you’re bossy?”
Removing her hand, Jane raised an eyebrow. “That’s the pot calling the kettle black.”
Too tired to argue with the bloody human, Kai returned to his original question. “A hospital could be anywhere. Just bloody tell me where I am.”
“Stonefire. Nikki brought us here. Even though the wound wasn’t serious, you lost a lot of blood. She saved your life, Kai. Make sure to thank her.”
Taking a deep breath, Kai managed not to growl again. The less pain, the better. “You don’t need to tell me, human. I can manage it by myself.”
Jane answered, “You don’t have to do everything by yourself. The sooner you get used to that idea, the better.”
He frowned. “What are you talking about?”
“Bram made me promise not to tell you, so you’ll have to ask him.”
“I don’t like secrets, Jane.”
She shrugged. “Take it up with Bram. He should be along shortly. I already pushed the alert button. One of the nurses should be contacting him as we speak.”
His dragon jumped in. Make sure she is okay before Bram comes.
She is clearly fine if she can argue.
His beast grunted. Ask her.
To shut up his bloody beast, Kai studied Jane’s face. But it was the same pale, yet healthy skin she always had. There were a few smudges under her eyes from lack of sleep, but he’d just have to make sure she slept after this.
He nearly blinked at that thought. Jane wasn’t his concern, especially not if they were back on Stonefire. After all, the distracting female had gotten him shot in the first place. Not only that, he would have to wait who the hell knew how long before he could track down the hunters again.
For both his health and the sake of his clan, Kai would put distance between him and Jane Hartley as soon as possible.
His dragon roared. Don’t send her away. She is ours. We must convince her to stay.
No. What she does after today is not my concern.
Liar. You think having her near is a distraction, but wait until you push her away. I will think of her often, to the point you will beg her to return.
Shut it, dragon. If I survived you after Maggie, I can do the same with Jane. Using what strength he had, Kai tossed his beast into a mental prison and added, We’ll recover faster if you remain calm. If you don’t, then I’ll mention it to Sid. I’m sure she has something to block you out for a while to allow me to heal.
Even locked away, his beast paced. Good. With the threat of drugs, maybe his dragon would actually listen. They’d been drugged once before, in the army, and his dragon had been silent for days. As much as his bloody dragon irritated him, days without him were too long.
But he kept that thought tightly locked away. If his dragon ever found out, he’d never hear the end of it.
Jane’s voice interrupted his thoughts. “Since your pupils are round again, are you quite finished with your dragon?”
“I’m not sure how I should answer that.”
Jane crossed her arms over her chest. “I wanted to thank you for saving my life, but if it’s too much of a nuisance, then I won’t mention it.”
Kai really missed grunting. “I wouldn’t be a Protector if I let them take you while you were under my care.”
“I didn’t realize I was under your care.”
“Of course you were.” He paused a second and added, “And you still are until I can find a suitable replacement.”
“Do I get any say in the matter?”
“No.”
Jane rolled her eyes. “When you start threading dominance into your voice, it becomes harder to be nice to you.” She winked at him. “And I was really trying.”
“This is trying? Remind me not to piss you off.”
Jane grinned. “Oh, believe me, you don’t want to do that.”
The sight of Jane’s face when she smiled stole his breath away. He’d always found the human attractive, but her winks and grins were dangerous. They made him want to kiss her again.
And he definitely couldn’t do that. He was home. He didn’t have time for a female. Not even one with eyes the color of a deep blue lake in summer.
Bloody hell. He’d never had such a poetic thought in his life.
Even in his cage, Kai sensed his dragon’s laughter.
Clearing his throat, Kai finally answered, “They didn’t hurt you, did they?”
“No. Although I’m not sure I want to fly gripped in a dragon’s talons ever again.”
“Nikki.”
She nodded. “Yes. I only hope the DDA doesn’t punish her for shifting inside a city.”
Kai started to shrug, but then grimaced as his bicep and shoulder throbbed at the movement. After a few deep breaths, he found his voice again. “Leave it to Evie. She’ll sort it out somehow.” Kai moved his legs and tested out the pain. Luckily, moving his lower body didn’t hurt as long as he was careful. He hated sitting still. “What happened to the men in the alley?”
“We left them behind. But while I’v
e been here waiting for you to wake up, Bram might’ve done something else to find them. You’ll have to ask him when he arrives.”
“I don’t like the fact that the threat to your life is still out there.”
Jane studied him a second and Kai resisted moving his legs again. Given enough time, the human could wrestle out all of his secrets.
He wasn’t sure if that was supposed to be a good or bad thing.
Jane opened her mouth, no doubt with another bloody question, when Sid entered the room carrying a clipboard. The dragonwoman’s face was stern as she assessed him with her brown eyes. “You look well. How do you feel?” He tried to answer, but Sid cut him off. “Give me the truth, Kai Sutherland. I’m not about to dance around to get it, either. I have ways of making you talk. You bloody well know that.”
Sid had once withheld his pain medication for five hours until he’d told her the truth. Kai could handle pain if need be, but those had been some of the longest hours of his life. “My arm is sore and if I move it, it bloody hurts. But with a sling and some pain medication, I can probably go home.”
Tossing her clipboard onto the side table, Sid moved to Kai’s injured shoulder. “Let me be the judge of that.”
As Sid poked and prodded his shoulder, arm, and chest, Kai set his jaw and kept his face stoic. He wasn’t about to show weakness in front of Jane.
Though why the hell that mattered, he had no idea.
~~~
Jane watched Dr. Sid exam Kai. Despite the fact the doctor was doing her job, Jane didn’t like the other woman touching Kai’s bare skin.
Tapping her fingers, Jane studied Kai’s expression, the one she was coming to call “badass Protector face.” She wondered what the true Kai Sutherland was like beneath the mask. More importantly, she wondered if there was still humor buried deep inside of him.
Thanks to Bram, she might actually have a chance to find out the answers to her questions, as well as satisfy her curiosity about the mysterious Maggie Jones.
Reawakening the Dragon Page 9
