He searched her eyes for a second before he released his hand. “If you say it is, then I’ll trust you.”
She knew his words signaled an important shift in their relationship, but she pushed it aside. She would sort out everything later, after dealing with her brother.
Getting Rafe up to Stonefire had been hard enough; it’d taken nearly an hour to convince him to come. She couldn’t imagine what it was going to take for him to agree to help the dragon-shifters.
There was only one way to find out. She needed to get Kai and herself to Bram’s cottage.
Standing up, Jane took a second to find her balance. When she could finally stand, amusement danced in Kai’s eyes as he smirked.
She placed a hand on her hip. “Don’t look so happy with yourself. I’m only holding back because of your bloody shoulder.”
“Go ahead and say that, Janey. I’ll make you beg next time and you won’t be able to use my injury as an excuse.”
She glared, and Kai chuckled as he stood up.
Deciding that Kai needed a little payback, she zeroed in on his cock straining against his boxers. His laughter died instantly and Kai’s voice interrupted her visions of taking his hard length into her hands. “Stop it, Jane. Now you’re just torturing me.”
She grinned and met his eyes. “Then try not to get shot again.”
“Then try not to be daft and go after dragon hunters by yourself again.”
“We’ll see about that.” Jane motioned toward her doorway. “Now, go get dressed. I’ll meet you downstairs in five minutes.”
Kai closed the space between them and placed a gentle kiss on her lips. “I’ll be ready before you.”
“Right, then it’s on, dragonman.”
Kai winked. “I think we should start keeping score. If I reach twenty points ahead, then I get to tie you to my bed and do whatever I want with you.”
Heat spread across her body as she visualized Kai caressing her body and making her come over and over again with both his tongue and his cock.
Clearing her throat, she replied, “Until I decide what I get if I get twenty points ahead, the deal is off.”
He nuzzled her cheek. “Then think of something quickly, Jane, because I want to earn my prize.”
She pushed against his chest and motioned toward the door again. “Go get ready. We can talk about my prize later. Consider it an incentive.”
“Right, so I can spend the whole meeting thinking of what you want to do with me.”
She gave a light shove. “Go.”
With a grin, Kai exited.
The room was empty without her dragonman. But as much as she wanted to spend all day with him, she needed to fix her screw up back in Tyneside. That meant garnering her brother’s help. Without help from humans such as Rafe, Stonefire would have to spend who knew how many more months searching for the hunters again.
Jane righted her top and headed for the bathroom. Despite the uncertainty of the future and the upcoming meeting with her brother, Jane couldn’t stop smiling as she cleaned up.
Chapter Eleven
Nikki stood in the security room at one of Stonefire’s side entrances and tried not to fidget. Bram had trusted her with meeting Rafe Hartley and bringing the human male to one of the remote, abandoned cottages on Stonefire’s lands undetected.
She didn’t have a choice, of course, but she’d said yes. After all, it’d been almost four years since she’d last talked with the human.
True, she’d kept abreast of his accomplishments and had glimpsed him a few times over the years whilst serving in Afghanistan. But it wasn’t quite the same.
Her dragon chimed in. It may have been four years, but I still think you should kiss him.
Why? He’s attractive, yes, but female dragon-shifters can rarely tell a true mate until they kiss a male. I don’t understand your persistence.
Her beast huffed. I’m curious, is all. None of the other human soldiers ever caught your eye.
We can’t kiss any humans, dragon. You know that, or we could end up in prison. How will we protect our clan then?
Find a way. The males here only see us as the first child of a sacrifice or as a friend. A human male won’t care about us being the child of a sacrifice, especially if we don’t tell him.
Nikki mentally sighed at her beast. If only it were that easy.
Her conversation was interrupted by Sebastian, the guard manning the side entrance gate for the morning. “Nikki, he’s here.”
Nikki glanced at the monitor, which broadcast the live feed of the sole incoming road to the rear entrance. A dark economy car drove toward them, the same color as what Rafe had reported the night before. Nikki kept her eyes glued to the screen as she ordered, “Wait until he steps out of the car before removing the camouflage barrier.”
Seb’s voice was dry as he replied, “You’re senior to me by a few months, Nikola Gray. The formality seems a bit much.”
She raised an eyebrow and met Seb’s near-black eyes. “I’m still senior, Sebastian Randall. Do you really want to let a human point out our lack of control or order?”
“Fine. But if you order me to fly laps to impress the human male, I’ll just tell you to sod off.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Nikki demanded.
“We served together in Afghanistan. Whenever Hartley was nearby, you hid. I think you fancied him.”
Maybe Nikki hadn’t been as smooth or secretive as she’d thought she’d been back then.
Still, she was several years older, with more experience. Schooling her face into the expressionless mask she’d learned from Kai, she shrugged. “Fancied, as in past tense. Right now, he’s a stranger about to set foot on our land. Our job is to ensure he’s not a threat.”
Seb waved a hand. “Fine.” He paused deliberately and then added, “Ms. Gray.”
Nikki rolled her eyes and then watched as the car came to a stop. Rafe Hartley stepped out of the car and studied the trees in front of him.
The video was low quality, but the rugged features of his face, dark hair, and broad shoulders hadn’t changed. Just looking at him made her dragon roar inside her head. While he’s here, kiss him. I don’t want to wonder what if any more, especially since you won’t kiss any males on our land.
We’re young. We have time.
You use that as an excuse. Young dragons need sex and kisses. Find me some.
Shush. We need to protect the clan.
Grumbling, her dragon retreated to the back of Nikki’s mind. The clan’s safety was one of the few things that would quiet her beast.
Rafe crossed his arms over his chest and looked up. After a few seconds, he stared directly into the camera and didn’t blink.
Clever human.
After the attack on Lochguard’s rear entrance last month, Kai had installed the tree and shrub dummy wall. But a trained soldier could still spot something was off. Nikki just hoped the Dragon Knights and dragon hunters weren’t as clever.
She looked to Seb. “Let him in.”
Seb thankfully kept his mouth shut and did what she asked.
Nikki went to the door, gripped the knob, and took a deep breath. She could face Rafe and be professional. She couldn’t let Kai or Bram down.
Her dragon growled and Nikki quickly said, I will find someone else once this mission is complete. Now, will you behave?
Her beast retreated to the back of her mind and Nikki took that as a yes.
Turning the knob, she opened the door and walked up to the bars separating her and Rafe. Looking up to meet his green-eyed gaze, Nikki used every bit of training she had to keep her face neutral. She didn’t have time to notice the sexy planes of his face. Or, how his dark, wavy hair was a little longer than regulation length and fell across his brow, making his light green eyes stand out.
In the back of her mind, her dragon laughed. Who are you lying to?
Ignoring her beast, she nodded at Rafe. Even though she knew full well who he was, it was best
to play it as this being the first time they’d met. She asked the secret question. “Who was Mr. Tiggles?”
“My sister’s ridiculous cat.” She arched an eyebrow and Rafe shrugged. “You have images of me already, I’m sure. I’m doing my sister a favor by being here. So either open up or I go take a real holiday.”
Nikki wasn’t about to let him take control of the situation. “Who was Mr. Tiggles?”
Rafe stared and she stared back. Finally, the human male growled and answered, “Jane’s beloved tabby.”
“Right. Now, was that so hard?”
Rafe glared. Good. She didn’t think he recognized her. That would make working with him easier.
She punched in her code and the gate opened. She motioned with her head. “Follow me.”
As she turned and started walking, she heard Rafe murmur, “Jane owes me for this,” before he followed.
When he caught up to Nikki’s strides, he asked, “Speaking of my sister, where is she? She still needs to tell me what’s so bloody important that I had to come north in October.”
She looked up at Rafe. “You’ll find out soon enough.”
Rafe studied her for a second and Nikki’s heart rate kicked up. Please don’t let him recognize me or I’ll never live it down.
Then the human looked away from her face and picked up his pace. With a frown, Nikki caught up to him. “If you wanted us to hurry up, then you could ask.”
“Why? This way is faster.”
Rafe half-jogged and Nikki growled. She wasn’t going to play games with him.
Nikki stopped in her tracks and waited. A few seconds later, Rafe turned around and jogged in place. He raised his brows and she raised hers back. Shaking his head, Rafe returned to where she was standing and bit out, “Why are we bloody standing still? I’m impatient to find out what the fuck is going on.”
Her dragon spoke up. He’s different from before. He is confident and straightforward. I like it. He’s like a dragon-shifter.
No, no, no. The last thing I want is some alpha male growling at me and barking orders.
If you say so.
Her beast laughed and then fell quiet.
Bloody fantastic.
Nikki answered Rafe, “Only a handful of my clan know you’re here. Go, run off, and see what happens when they find you. For all they know, you’re a dragon hunter.”
“I can handle them.”
She raised an eyebrow. “Right, so when they shift into a dragon and dangle you from two talons, you’ll pull out some special moves to defeat them?”
Rafe stopped moving and peered down at her. “I might.”
She shook her head. “This isn’t the army, Mr. Hartley. You’re on dragon-shifter land.”
He crossed his arms over his chest. “And what is that supposed to mean?”
“It means we do whatever it takes to protect our own. Mess with my clan, and you’ll suffer the consequences.”
Rafe’s piercing green gaze reminded Nikki of one of her commanding officers, but she resisted squirming. Bram and Kai needed her strong. She could do it.
Eventually, Rafe nodded. “That I can respect. Now, Miss…?”
“Call me Nikki.”
“Right, Ms. Nikki. How about we hurry? Whatever your clan leader wants with me is important. The longer you try to assert your control over me, the more time you take away from your clan.”
He was right, the bloody human, but she wasn’t about to admit it. “Then follow me and don’t wander off.”
As Nikki jogged away, she heard Rafe follow.
The exercise gave her time to digest what had happened. It seemed Rafe didn’t recognize her. She should be elated, but a small part of her was disappointed.
Still, she needed to forget her adolescent fantasies about Rafe Hartley and focus on protecting her clan. She had yet to prove herself as a worthy Protector. Helping Kai had been a step in the right direction, but tracking down the dragon hunters and taking them down would most definitely earn respect from the other clan members.
Or, so she hoped. The elders would be the toughest to persuade she was more than just the start of repopulating their clan.
Nikki picked up her pace and pretended her past with Rafe had never happened. Once her mission was over, she’d maybe visit one of the other clans to ease her dragon’s sexual appetites. Lochguard was friendly now.
Yes, she’d find a nice Scottish dragonman and sleep with him. Humans were too complicated and fragile. And she definitely didn’t need that in her life.
~~~
Jane secured Kai’s sling and gave his chest a little pat. “Even if it means I win this round, that wasn’t so bad, was it?”
Kai scratched his chest. “Celebrate winning this time because it won’t happen again.”
She rolled her eyes. “You’re such a sore loser.”
She moved away from Kai and picked up the borrowed jacket from the bed. At some point, she would find a way to have her own clothes again.
Kai grunted and she smiled. “You must be feeling better if you can grunt.”
He grunted again and Jane laughed. Her dragonman’s voice filled the room. “I like your laugh. You should laugh more often.”
“You’re just trying to change the subject, Mr. Sutherland.”
“No. I like how your eyes sparkle and your cheeks turn slightly pink.”
She resisted covering her cheeks. “It’s strange when you’re nice to me.”
“I thought you didn’t want me to be nice one minute and an arsehole the next.”
She decided to change the subject. “Instead of arguing the point, let’s go.”
“You just don’t want to admit you’re wrong.”
“Says the stubborn head Protector.”
Kai came up to her and placed a hand on her lower back. “This isn’t over, but let’s go. I want to hear what Bram has to say. Unless you’ve changed your mind and want to tell me everything?”
She raised an eyebrow and pointed to her face. “Does it look like I’m going to tell you? This is my stern face.” She exaggerated her frown and slight glare.
Moving his hand to her backside, he squeezed her arse cheek and Jane squeaked. “I don’t see any such thing.”
“Wow, I’ve really coaxed out the incorrigible flirt, haven’t I?”
“No comment, Ms. Journalist. Let’s go.”
Kai pressed gently against her bum and she started walking.
The dragonman never severed contact, though. She never thought she was the type of woman to want a possessive man, but she was starting to like it. No matter Kai’s faults—and there were probably many she still didn’t know about—he had no problem displaying his interest and intent.
Add in the mundaneness of them waking up together earlier, and Jane was honest enough with herself to admit she wanted more of it. The only question was whether she could have it. If Rafe refused to help Stonefire, the dragon-shifters might not welcome him back to their land. If she stayed, and she was starting to warm up to the idea, she would miss her brother.
Kai’s voice interrupted her thoughts. “You’re only quiet when you’re thinking. Tell me what’s on your mind.”
Jane blinked as she realized they were outside already. She hadn’t been paying attention.
Since she couldn’t tell him the full truth, she stuck as close to it as possible. “My brother. I was wondering how he’d do here.”
He frowned. “No one is allowed on Stonefire until I run a background check.”
She fought a smile. “Is that so? And what happens when the badass Protector gets shot? Will everyone just line up at the gates and wait until you have a chance to screen them all?”
“Don’t be daft. If Bram can’t do it, then their visits are rescheduled.” He paused and then added, “Your very first visit was nearly postponed, but I managed to find out just enough about you beforehand. Good thing, or Mel would’ve had my head.”
“Oh? And what secrets did you uncover? I bet you didn
’t find anything about my secret life as a treasure hunter.”
“Treasure hunter, huh? You must be a lousy one then because no one ever mentioned it. Not even on the internet, and you can find everything there.”
She tried to look affronted, but then laughed. “Fine, I’m not a treasure hunter. But I’m sure you didn’t find out everything about me.”
“No, but you owe me a secret once we’re done with Bram.”
“And why, pray tell, do I owe you anything?”
He leaned down to her ear and whispered, “It’ll help me stop visualizing you naked and at the mercy of my fingers, my tongue, and my cock.”
Jane’s heart skipped a beat. She whispered back, “Stop it. We’re in public and dragon-shifters have sensitive hearing.”
“Does it matter?” He patted her rear. “Any male who sees me with my hand on your plump arse knows I’ve made a claim.”
She moved a hand to Kai’s firm buttocks and squeezed. “There. Now it runs both ways.” She dug in her nails a little. “Flirt with others at your own peril.”
Amusement danced in Kai’s eyes. “And how do you plan to take down a dragon, Janey?”
Straightening her shoulders, Jane lifted her chin. “I’m resourceful. After a few days here, I’ll find a way.”
Kai chuckled as they approached Bram’s cottage. Despite his recent claim, Jane still half-expected Kai to step away from her. Yet he pulled her tighter against his side as they approached the door and the action warmed her heart.
Just as he’d stated before, Kai truly didn’t hold back once he’d made up his mind.
Kai raised his hand to knock, but the door opened before he could do so. Bram stood on the other side. After looking between Jane and Kai, the clan leader smiled and motioned inside. “Come. Evie’s going to be happy to see you two. She just won a bet.”
~~~
Reawakening the Dragon Page 14
