Page 30 of Claimed By the Dragon

At the slight change in her tone, he asked, “You would like to travel to those places?”

She bobbed her head. “Yes, among others. I’ve never left the UK. And yet now, with the boys and me worrying about their biological father maybe finding us, I probably never will. I might never be able to leave Stonefire.”

He could definitely detect the listlessness in her voice. Her eyes also looked a little empty to him, too.

His dragon spoke up.She is sad and worried.

Trahern spoke to Grace. “Stonefire is quite good at protecting humans. We have the most human mates in the entire UK.”

“I know. But I overheard the guards back in the prison say…”

Her voice drifted off. Normally, Trahern would remain silent. And yet, he needed to learn of any threats to his family.

Because despite the strange circumstances of their mating, Grace, Eddie, and Eli were his family now. His to protect and take care of.

Ignoring the confusion rushing through him at where that thought had come from, he focused on Grace. “What did they say, Grace? I wish to help you, but I need the information to do so.”

Her voice was soft, almost inaudible, as she stared at her sons and replied, “They said that a pair of twin dragon boys would fetch several hundred thousand pounds on the black market, and that their…hewould get a percentage cut from the sale, since he’d turned me in originally.”

At the thought of someone selling children to strangers, he clenched his fingers into fists. He did not anger easily, but hurting those who couldn’t defend themselves was one of the things he detested the most.

Somehow, he needed to find a way to eradicate the threat to his family. Without thinking, which rarely happened, he stated, “I will talk to Bram and Kai.”

“Trahern? Are you okay?”

He growled, actually growled, and replied, “I will ensure they find that dragonman and the DDA imprisons him. He will not hurt you or the boys, Grace. I vow it. One day you will be able to travel without worry.”

Silence fell, but he couldn’t look at her as he tried to pack away his anger and the urge to do harm. It hadn’t happened in a long time, not since he’d come across Emily back at university, running away from a group of drunk males trying to catch her.

They had never bothered her again.

And yet, his anger in this moment was tenfold.

His beast spoke up.It will not go away until you talk to Bram and Kai. Maybe not even then. But it’s best to talk with them now, so they can protect our mate.

Trahern didn’t want to leave Grace again. And yet, this time it was to help her.

His beast said,Tell her this time. So she doesn’t worry.

His cottage was about twenty feet away. “Grace, go home. I will be back later.”

Her arm touched his. “Where are you going, Trahern?”

As she squeezed, a fraction of his anger eased. “I need to inform Kai and Bram to look for this bastard and tell them about the threats he poses.”

“But don’t they know it all already?”

“Some. But when money is involved, people go to extreme lengths to get it. It may make him desperate and reckless, which means unpredictable.”

From the corner of his eye, he watched Grace’s skin turn ashen. For reasons he didn’t understand, he touched her cheek. “He will not hurt you or the boys, Grace. I won’t let him.”

Her brown eyes searched his own before nodding. “I believe you. But Trahern?”

“Yes?”

“You’ll come home right after, won’t you?”

“I will try.” He removed his hand from her soft skin. “Feed the boys and yourself, Grace, and then try to get some rest.”