Page 48 of Claimed By the Dragon
He wanted to deny he loved anyone but couldn’t. Why? He couldn’t love Grace yet. Or ever, according to his father.
His dragon said softly,He was wrong.
“Trahern?”
Pushing aside his confusion about his emotions, he focused on the present. “I need to talk with Grace first.”
The dragonwoman nodded. “Of course. Come find me after you talk with your mate. I’ll be in the Protector building, talking to Antony about increasing security.”
Instead of pointing out that he hadn’t said yes yet, he merely nodded, stood, and exited. Since it was his designated research day and he didn’t have any patients, he slipped out the back and headed toward his cottage.
Throughout the entire walk, he did his best not to think about how much Grace meant to him. For now, he needed to focus on maybe helping a child. Yes, that was his current task. Confronting his emotions could wait.
Grace was in the middle of folding laundry in the living room—she still couldn’t believe how much washing she had to do for two tiny babies—when the front door opened and shut. Within seconds, Trahern stood in the room's doorway, his pupils flashing, and she asked, “Is everything okay?”
“No, there’s a dragon child that needs my help. But it means leaving you and the boys here. Alone.”
She went to him and didn’t hesitate to touch his jaw. “Tell me everything, and then we’ll discuss it.”
After a few seconds, he replied, “Some acquaintances found a research facility run by the dragon hunters.”
As Trahern proceeded to tell her about the place where they’d been running brain implant experiments on captured individuals, she sat down on the sofa and did her best to tamp down memories of her own imprisonment. She was free, and safe, and here with Trahern.
A hand on her shoulder snapped her out of her head, and she met Trahern’s concerned gaze. “Are you all right, Grace?”
She shrugged. “It’s difficult to hear about another prison run by dragon hunters. But before you say you won’t ever share again, just know that I don’t want to shy away from hearing about them. Besides, maybe my experience can help others.” She placed her hand over his and squeezed. “What do they need you to do?”
He searched her gaze for a second before saying, “There is a young dragon stuck in his dragon form. The dragon hunters put a mind control device in his brain, and some of the doctors looking after him need my help in figuring out a way to either counter it or remove it without killing him.”
The thought of one of the young dragons she’d seen around Stonefire being used as a test subject made her heart squeeze. “Do you think you can help him? Maybe even save him?”
“I don’t have any of the details yet, so I’m unsure. But if capturing dragon-shifters and controlling their minds is the next phase of the dragon hunters, I need to help find a way to stop or at least reverse it. But…”
“But what?”
He traced her cheek. “I don’t want to leave you, Grace. I promised to protect you and the boys.”
Grace stood and gingerly placed a hand on Trahern’s chest before leaning against him. The feel of his solid arm around her waist grounded her, helping to chase away the fear of her ex somehow finding a way onto Stonefire and stealing her sons. “We can ask Kai or Nikki to increase security, right?”
Trahern grunted. “Dr. Turner also said she’d get you additional security, from the secret branch she works for.”
Grace tilted her head. “Secret branch? What are you talking about?”
Trahern briefly explained about the group of humans and dragon-shifters who worked together inside MI5, but technicallydidn’t exist. And how they sometimes helped the dragon clans since their goals often aligned.
Once he finished, Grace asked, “So this bodyguard-type person would be one of those spies?”
“I’m not sure ‘spy’ is the correct term. However, yes, the person would be.”
She traced his jaw, kissed him briefly, and pushed down her selfish desire to tell him to stay. “Then you need to go and help. No child deserves that fate, and you need to see if you can save him.”
His eyes searched hers, full of doubt. He opened his mouth, but she placed a finger over his lips and said, “We’ll be waiting here for you when you get back, Trahern. On top of the extra security, I also have Dawn and the other humans to ask for help. That poor child needs your cleverness, along with the others who were experimented on against their will.” She paused, took a deep breath, and added softly, “After all, that’s what they’d planned for Eli and Eddie.”
Some of what the guards had talked about made more sense now. They had wanted to use her sons for the same experiments since they’d discussed mind control.
Trahern caressed her cheek, and she removed his finger. He whispered, “I won’t let them get our sons.”
Just hearing him refer to Eli and Eddie as “our sons” made her heart warm. She loved this dragonman and knew she could trust him with her and the twins’ lives.