Another tried to tackle him, but Kai smacked the back of his head into the man’s nose. The human cried out and Kai took the split-second advantage to use the momentum of his body to toss the man in front of him. The human crashed into the tree with an audible crack. He didn’t get up.
The last shooter fired and Kai dove to the side, undeterred by the scratches from the debris on the forest floor. With a growl, he jumped to a crouch. From behind a tree, he peeked around the corner. The human shot at him, and Kai moved back to safety.
Even though he was naked and hiding behind a tree, he would think of something.
Just as he calculated if he had enough space to shift into a dragon or not, a purple dragon crashed through the trees from above and grabbed the human with her talons. The dragon tossed the human against a tree and he fell silent.
Kai nodded at Nikki in dragon form and then motioned up for her to fly back to the others.
Crouching low, Nikki jumped high into the air and just managed to clear the treetops so she could flap her wings enough to rise into the sky.
He brushed off the dirt from his chest and thighs as he confiscated all the weapons he could find. Two of the humans were dead, so he ripped a strip off one’s t-shirt and secured the remaining knight’s hands behind his back.
The sound of helicopters drew near. It was most likely the DDA, come to smoke out the knights from the forest.
Kai retrieved the three strange-looking guns and ran back toward the road. He had no idea what the DDA would use to contain the knights and he sure as hell wasn’t going to stick around to find out.
Running as fast as he could, Kai weaved through the trees and under forest. The second he hit the road, he lay down the guns and imagined his wings extending from his back, his fingers growing into talons, and his face turning into a snout and ears.
The helicopters were nearly overhead when he plucked the guns up with his back talons and jumped into the air. By the time he was three hundred feet above the road, the DDA helicopters began dropping canisters that left behind a trail of smoke as they fell.
Not wanting to inhale the chemicals, Kai flapped his wings and headed back to his team. The knights might be the DDA’s problem now, but at least one of his dragons were hurt. Kai needed to take care of them.
Only once he ensured everyone’s safety could he return to Stonefire, and to Jane.
~~~
Inside the Protectors’ central command building, Jane paced back and forth, clenching and releasing her fingers. The wait was killing her.
She trusted the source who had leaked the information to the Dragon Knights, but there were a million reasons why the knights might dismiss it. For all she knew, Kai and his team would find nothing. Not only that, her actions might’ve destroyed the tentative trust between Stonefire and the Department of Dragon Affairs.
She paced harder.
Bram’s voice interrupted her thoughts. “If you wear a hole in the rug, then you’re going to have to replace it, lass.”
Jane stopped in her tracks and frowned. “How can you be so calm?”
Bram shrugged. “I have bigger things to worry about. Besides, I trust Kai with not only my life, but my son and Evie’s as well. If the Dragon Knights show up, he’ll take care of them. He’s one of the best Protectors in the world.”
Jane clenched her fingers again. “You have to say that, but it’s not helping.”
Bram opened his mouth to reply, but Evie hung up her phone call and interrupted him. “Arabella wants a video conference.”
Jane asked, “Care to share a little bit more information about why?”
Evie raised an eyebrow. “Someone’s a tad bit testy.” Evie looked to Bram. “There is no doubt, Bram. I now have naming rights to our baby.”
There was a twinkle in Bram’s eyes. “We’ll see, love, we’ll see.”
Jane let out a sigh. “What are you talking about? Is everything all right? What does Arabella know?”
Evie looked back to Jane. “We’ll find out together.”
Jane growled, but nodded. “Fine.”
Bram chuckled. “You’re starting to sound like Kai.” Jane glared and Bram put up his hands. “All right, all right.” He looked toward the Protectors’ IT specialist, Nathan. “Patch Arabella through.”
The young dragonman nodded and Arabella MacLeod’s scarred face appeared on the big screen TV on the wall. Her dark brown eyes darted around the room before going back to Bram’s. “You sure you want the reporter to hear this?”
Jane opened her mouth, but Bram beat her to it. “Jane is one of us now. I trust her not to leak confidential information.”
Under normal circumstances, Jane would feel grateful and tell Bram thanks. However, her man was out fighting against who knew what kind of weaponry, so Jane barked out, “Just tell us what you know, Arabella.”
Arabella raised her brows, but looked away from Jane to Bram who shrugged. “She’s worried about Kai.”
Arabella nodded. “That I can understand. Normally, I’d tease her about Mr. Talkative, but I’m not sure how much longer I can hold back my news.”
Evie sighed. “Just tell us then, Ara.”
Arabella replied, “Whoever was masking the IP addresses of the Dragon Knights was smart, but me, Ian, and Emma are smarter.”
Bram asked, “So you managed to track them down?”
“Yes,” Arabella answered. “Well, at least most of them. No doubt a few of them realized they were being hacked and went into hiding. But I have the DDA and local police tracking the lower downs.”
Jane jumped in. “So, not all of them are taken care of, then?”
Arabella frowned. “I’d say about 75 percent of them, but the DDA can give a more final number later. It’s still the vast majority of knights.”
Jane took a step toward the TV. “I sense a ‘however.’”
Arabella leaned back in her chair. “If we don’t find the leaders, they can always find more recruits, grow their numbers, and attack again. The next time we go after them, we need to strike the leadership.”
Jane murmured, “Kill the brain and the body dies.”
Arabella nodded. “Right.”
Bram hugged Evie to his side. “Can you convince Finn to allow you, Ian, and Emma to work on tracking the leadership?”
Finn was Arabella’s mate and Lochguard’s clan leader.
Arabella raised a brow. “I don’t need him to ‘allow’ me to do anything. I’ll just do it and make it up to him later.”
Evie jumped in. “Just make sure to keep me in the loop so I can approach the DDA again if we need it.”
“Of course,” Arabella answered.
While Jane was glad there would be fewer Dragon Knights out and about to terrorize the dragon-shifters, she was still worried about the other battle. “Did the DDA pass on any updates on Kai and his team?”
Arabella shook her head. “Not yet.” The dragonwoman looked over to her side and back to the screen. “I need to go and talk with the DDA liaison. I’ll let you know if I find out anything else.”
Bram answered, “Thanks, Ara.”
With a nod, Arabella severed the connection and the screen went black.
Bram met Jane’s eye. “As long as the leaders of the knights are still around, you need to be careful, Jane.”
“You’re starting to sound like Kai,” Jane bit out.
“I’ll let that slide because you’re worried about Kai.”
Evie lightly smacked Bram’s side. “Leave her alone. You’d act exactly the same way if you were waiting for me.” Evie smiled at Jane. “I know you’re worried, but Kai is the best there is. Did you want some tea whilst you wait?”
Jane just prevented herself from snapping at Evie. The woman didn’t deserve her rudeness. “No. I just need to move or I’ll go crazy.”
As Jane started pacing, Bram’s voice filled the room. “Trust in Kai, Jane. There’s no need to worry. It won’t help.”
Jane stopped and narrowed
her eyes at Bram. “Yes, I’m sure you’ll heed that advice without question whenever Evie goes into labor.”
Fear flashed in Bram’s eyes and he growled. “Don’t even joke about that. Childbirth is riskier.”
Jane raised her brows. “Sorry, Bram. But for me, it’s the same thing. Kai may not come back.”
Evie rubbed her pregnant belly. “Stop being daft, you two. Death could happen to anyone in a heartbeat. As I’ve told Bram, use your energy to worry about something else. Say, like how to mend peace with Clans Skyhunter and Snowridge.”
Bram brushed Evie’s cheek. “And what did I tell you? Deliver me a baby and come out of it safe and sound, and I’ll do whatever you like.”
As Jane watched the love shining in both Bram and Evie’s eyes, her heart squeezed. She wanted to find her own happy ending, but she was afraid to hope.
She wanted to stay on Stonefire with Kai, but there was still the matter of his true mate. For all she knew, even if Kai survived the current battle, he still might be ripped from her side if Maggie Jones showed up out of the blue and kissed him.
Get a grip, Jane. Just like Evie said, worrying isn’t going to accomplish anything.
It was easier said than done, but Jane took a deep breath to help clear her mind. After a second, she cleared her throat. Bram and Evie looked at her. “Maybe if you gave me a task, it would help distract me from imagining every worst-case scenario.”
Bram continued to caress Evie’s cheek as he talked. “You could always pitch your podcast idea now instead of next week.”
“I don’t have any of my materials, notes, or even Melanie here to help. That will have to wait,” Jane answered.
“Then, I don’t know, you could show us a dance?” Bram asked.
Evie smacked him in the side. “Don’t be silly. You could always tell her embarrassing stories about Kai.”
“Aye, I could,” Bram replied. “But I’d rather not have him telling you embarrassing ones about me.”
Evie studied her mate. “I will get it out of your later.”
Just as Bram opened his mouth, Evie’s mobile phone rang again and Jane nearly sighed. As much as she was starting to like Bram and Evie, the last thing Jane needed was the glow of love that she may never have.
Evie’s face remained neutral as she talked and Jane waited with bated breath. Please let Kai be okay, please.
Evie said, “Okay,” and hung up the phone. Then she looked at Jane and smiled. “It’s done. There are a few injuries, but your dragonman is alive and well.”
She let out a breath. “Good. Then I get to scold him when he gets back for scaring me.”
Evie and Bram grinned, but it was Bram who replied, “Maybe kiss him first, lass. He deserves it.”
“Maybe. It depends how injured he is.”
Bram chuckled and Evie added, “Your source did his job. Thank you, Jane, for helping us eradicate one of the pains in our arses.”
Jane shook her head. “Don’t thank me. Part of the reason I set it all up was to save my own skin.”
Bram studied her a second before his deep voice filled the room again. “You’re as bad as Kai when it comes to taking a bloody compliment. Can’t you just say thank you like a normal person?”
Jane shifted her feet. She had never handled compliments well and decided to change the subject. “Kai and the others will probably be back soon. Shouldn’t we go to the main landing area and wait?”
Bram put out a hand and Evie took it. “Then let’s go. The sooner we get you out of here, the sooner we can save the carpet from your pacing.”
Not waiting for Bram and Evie, Jane walked out of the room, down the hall, and out the front door of the central command building. As soon as her feet hit the grass, she all but ran toward the landing area. Hearing Kai was okay and seeing it for herself were two very different things.
She needed to hug her dragonman close. Only then would her heart rate slow and her stomach settle.
As the sight of dragons appeared in the distance, Jane decided to screw it and ran all the way to the landing area.
~~~
Kai glanced behind him to the road below, but didn’t see the car being used to transport the injured back to Stonefire. In total, there were three injured, one of which required immediate medical attention.
Everyone had survived and he was grateful for that because it wasn’t always the case in his line of work.
His dragon spoke up. Hurry. Our female is waiting for us.
Despite the adrenaline fading from his system, Kai beat his wings faster. He’d never had a female to claim after a mission before. He didn’t know how other dragon-shifters felt, but all Kai could think about was hugging Jane close and kissing the living shit out of her. Stripping her naked and taking her slowly would have to wait until later. But for the moment, a kiss would do.
His dragon grunted. Make sure to tell her she’s staying with us.
We’ll see, dragon, we’ll see.
Why hesitate? She’s proven her worth to the clan and she already gave up her human job. Stonefire is where she belongs.
It’s her choice. I can’t force her.
His beast huffed. In the old days, males could order their females around.
Hm, and what fun would that be?
His dragon sulked and focused on flying.
Kai smiled. He was winning more and more over his beast these days. If nothing else, he should keep Jane around just to irritate his dragon.
As the peaks marking Stonefire’s northern-most border came into focus, he signaled the lightly injured toward the landing area reserved for dragons needing medical attention. Kai and the remaining five dragons headed toward the main landing area in the center of Stonefire.
On the final approach, Kai scanned the small figures on the ground until his eyes locked onto a dark-haired female standing next to Bram and Evie. Even from several hundred feet in the air, he would know Jane Hartley anywhere.
Ours.
Agreeing with his dragon, Kai slowed down the beat of his wings and gently lowered himself into the landing area. The second his feet touch the ground, he imagined his body shrinking back into his six-foot-three human frame.
He’d barely taken two steps when Jane jumped into his arms. Kai hugged his female tightly and murmured, “Hello.”
Looking up, Jane frowned. “Hello is not nearly enough. What happened? Were you hurt at all? Where’s the rest of your team?”
Kai chuckled. “Inquisitive one, aren’t you?”
She lightly slapped his chest. “Stop stalling. You know I don’t like being left in the dark.”
He cupped her face and strummed his thumb on her cheek. Jane’s tension eased a fraction and he answered, “We won. I’m fine. The others are with Sid.”
“Kai Sutherland, we need to work on your elaboration skills.”
He grinned. “Maybe.”
Jane smiled and shook her head. “Sometimes I wonder why I want to stay with you at all.”
Both man and beast stopped breathing. After a few seconds, Kai found his voice again. “So you’re staying?”
Running her hands up his chest and resting them on the back of his neck, she leaned her body against his. “Provided I can find work here and survive meeting your family on Snowridge, then I’m probably staying.”
“I don’t like the ‘probably’ part of your sentence.”
“We can discuss my reasons for it when we’re alone, but not before,” Jane stated
Kai nuzzled Jane’s cheek. “Whatever your doubts, I will erase them.”
“I hope so, dragonman, I really do,” she murmured.
His beast growled. Kiss her. Let everyone know she’s ours.
Not needing any further encouragement, Kai hugged Jane close and kissed her.
Oblivious to the others watching, he moved his hands to Jane’s arse and squeezed before stroking his tongue into her mouth. Just tasting his sweet female helped to calm his heart and wash away some of his fatigue from th
e battle.
When his female groaned, the vibration sent a shot of lust straight to his dick.
His beast spoke up. Not here. I don’t want the others to see her.
His dragon’s words were the equivalent of someone pouring ice water over his head. Kai broke the kiss and Jane whispered, “Why did you stop?”
Kai cleared his throat and kept his voice low. “I’m naked and a good portion of the clan are here, watching us.”
Jane tilted her head. “What was it that you told me in the beginning? Oh, that’s right. Clothing is a human concern. Dragon-shifters don’t care about such things.”
He gently slapped her bum. “It matters when it’s my female.”
“I’m yours, huh? I don’t remember anyone asking.”
Kai growled. “You didn’t give me a bloody chance, woman. You jumped me as soon as I was human again.”
Jane rubbed her lower body against his and Kai sucked in a breath. Jane’s voice was husky as she replied, “I can walk away right now if you want to try this again.”
His beast growled. She teases us. I don’t like it.
Yes you do. Stop lying.
After a second, his dragon added, Yes, I do. But we still should take our female somewhere private.
I’m going to try, dragon, but Bram will want details.
Then keep Jane close so we can have her as soon as possible.
I will never let her go.
Jane moved a hand to his face. “Are you done talking with your dragon? I still need an answer.”
Lowering his head, he nipped her bottom lip and murmured, “For a human, you’re demanding.”
She nipped him back. “I rather have to be if I want to keep up with you.”
Kai was about to kiss her again when a male cleared his throat and broke the spell. Kai snarled as he looked up to see Bram. “Everyone’s fine. Aaron can give you the report. I’m busy.”
Bram chuckled. “I see that, Kai. If you’re not careful, you’ll be walking home with a hard cock.”
Jane nuzzled his chest and it helped calm Kai. As he held Jane in his arms, Kai answered Bram, “The DDA can tell Evie the specifics of the capture near the lake. Much like they did on Lochguard’s border, they smoked the human knights out of the forest with special tear-gas canisters.”
Reawakening the Dragon Page 21
