Page 27 of Seducing the Dragon (Stonefire British Dragons #2)
Chapter Sixteen
E vie had just finished downloading as much information as possible from the DDA database when there was a knock on the door. Since Melanie and Arabella were sitting with babies in their arms, Tristan moved to answer it.
When she heard Bram’s voice, she let out a sigh of relief. Maybe his presence would help with her ever-growing stress levels. Everyone had been asking her questions left, right, and center. Bram would help ease the burden.
She knew it was selfish given Bram walked every moment with the burden of the clan on his shoulders.
Even though she was usually good at adapting to new situations, becoming a dragon-shifter’s mate, along with trying to stay alive and find a way to protect an entire clan, was a bit overwhelming.
Add that to not enough sleep and worrying about how something could happen to Bram if he went after the dragon hunters himself, and she was close to cracking.
Bram walked into the room and she did a double-take at his grim expression. “What happened now?”
He walked over, took the laptop from her hands to hand over to Liam, and forced her to her feet. Once he had an arm around her waist, he growled and said, “I need to move you somewhere safe. Now.”
Placing a hand on his chest, she said, “Why?”
“The hunters are planning to kidnap you.”
“We already knew that. There must be more.”
Her dragonman looked around the room and then back to her.
“The dragon hunter we captured, well, we’ve finally managed to extract some information from him.
He confirmed there is a traitor within the clan.
After tonight’s dinner, the hunters will know you’re to be my mate.
” He squeezed her close against his chest. “They’ll use you against me, lass, in ways I don’t even want to imagine.
They may already be hiding on our land, waiting to pounce. ”
Melanie’s voice sounded behind Bram. “You can’t exactly lock her in a cellar and throw away the key.”
Bram looked over his shoulder. “You may have learned a lot since arriving here, Melanie Hall-MacLeod, but you don’t know everything. I have somewhere safe to stash Evie. Very few know of the location, and I plan to keep it that way.”
Tristan spoke up. “I won’t ask for the location since not knowing will keep my family protected, but who will take her? The clan needs you here. Will you be able to control your inner dragon with another person watching her?”
Evie patted Bram’s chest. “He’s right. As much as I want to keep you close, the clan needs you more.”
“I’ll see you settled; otherwise, I’ll become useless. I’m barely keeping my dragon under control as it is. I need to protect my mate if I want to protect my clan.” He glanced to Liam and Tristan. “You two should understand that sentiment.”
Her heart warmed at his fierceness. “Then we’ll do whatever is necessary to get your dragon under control so you can return as soon as possible.”
Keeping one arm around her waist, he turned to face the others in the room. “I’ll be in constant contact with Kai, Tristan, and Finlay Stewart, monitoring the situation from my secret location. Thanks to technology, I’ll still be available to the clan.”
Arabella frowned. “Why include the Scottish leader? You barely know him.”
“He’s offered to help and I took him up on his offer.
” Tristan, Liam, and Melanie all spoke at once, but Bram merely put up a hand and they fell silent.
He continued, “The reasons are my own. While I’m getting Evie settled, I want all of you to be on alert.
Our prisoner also told us how the hunters are targeting children, in addition to Evie. ”
Evie jumped in. “If that’s the case, then I might know what the Carlisle gang is up to.
” After explaining her theory about Simon Bourne making his own blood farm, she added, “Once I have the chance, I’ll reach out to my friend who knows more about dragon-shifters than just about anyone alive.
She might have contacts in Carlisle who can help us. ”
Bram nodded. “I have contacts, too. Since a clever man wouldn’t hide dragon-shifters in the city, I reckon they’ll keep Murray and any others in the surrounding countryside.
We’ll find the lad and bring him back once we have a concrete plan.
There’s no bloody way I’ll allow them to keep the wee one.
” He looked to Tristan, then Liam and back again.
“All of you should stay together here to protect Annabel, Jack, and Rhys. I know it might be a bit crowded, but the more adults here to watch the children, the smaller the chance they’ll be stolen.
” Once Liam and Tristan nodded, he spoke to Arabella.
“I know this is a lot of people for you in one place, but I want you to stay here, too. You can trust everyone in this room. They will look out for you and protect you, if it comes to that. You have nothing to worry about.”
The dragonwoman’s lips pressed together before she replied, “I understand.”
“Right, with all of that settled, I need to take Evie to the safe location. The longer we linger, the greater the chance they’ll try to take her.”
Bram pressed against her back, but she put out an arm to stop him.
“Wait.” Looking to Melanie, she asked, “May I take the laptop with me? I’ll find a way to share the information with everyone, but if I’m going to be spending a lot of time locked away, I can use that time to dig through the data and look for something useful. ”
Mel nodded. “Sure. Ara always keeps a back-up one here anyway, so we can use that if we need it.”
Taking the laptop back from Liam, she nodded at Bram that she was ready.
As he guided her toward the back door, she felt a tiny bit of reluctance. Staying alive was top priority, but she was growing fond of her new friends. It was going to be hard to be alone once Bram left her to take care of his clan.
Not that she would ever try to stop him from doing that. Still, she wondered where the secret location he’d mentioned was and exactly how they were going to get there. It wasn’t as if she could shift into a dragon and fly beside her dragonman.
The second they were outside the cottage, Bram’s dragon finally broke free inside his mind and roared. Protect her. Hold her. Don’t let the hunters find her.
I’m trying.
Now, do it now or I’ll make you do it.
STOP. If you take control, you might hurt her.
Never.
“Bram? Are you okay?”
Evie’s voice broke through his thoughts. The split-second distraction allowed him to stash his beast to the back of his mind again. “It’s my dragon. I don’t know how much longer I can keep him back. His usual restraint and logical brain are gone.”
“What can I do to help? Anything?”
He pushed gently against her lower back. “Just keep walking and talking. I’ll have to let him out to shift into my dragon form, so I just need to contain him until we reach the takeoff area.”
“We’re traveling by dragon? How? I somehow doubt you have a saddle or harness I can just strap on and ride you like a giant, flying horse.”
Despite everything going on, he smiled. “Even if I did, I don’t think I’d trust you with the reins.”
She slapped his chest with the back of her hand. “Be serious and tell me.”
His dragon was trying to force his way out again.
He gritted his teeth and said, “While carrying a dragon-shifter in human-form is rare, it does happen. Especially when a dragonman or woman is injured. We have a large basket with handles to carry them. You’ll step into the basket and I’ll pick you up with my talons once I’m in the air. ”
“A basket? You mean like the ones used for hot air balloons?”
Clever lass. “Yes, it’s very similar. I hope you’re not afraid of heights because this is the fastest way for me to take you to safety.”
Even in the faint light of the moon, he could see her wry look.
“Just don’t play tricks and ‘drop me’ so you can catch me again.
I’m not a fan of roller coasters, and I may be sick all over your dragonhide.
” She frowned. “What color dragon are you, by the way? I’m supposed to mate you, yet I have no idea. ”
His inner beast poked out. Let me take over and show her. Words are not enough. I will protect her.
With a growl, he forced his dragon back again and squeezed Evie’s soft sides. Even through her cloak, he could feel the warmth radiating from her body. The touch helped him to focus. “Blue. I reckon you could call it a cerulean blue, which is the best kind.”
Evie’s voice was light. “I don’t know about that. I always fancied the purple ones myself.”
Blue is better. Let me show her.
Stop it. We’re nearly to the takeoff area. Let me explain more to our female so she isn’t afraid of us.
Quickly. There is danger everywhere while we remain here. You may think you can protect her, but a dragon can do it better. I am stronger. This is a fact.
Shut it. “Evie, under normal circumstances, I love when you tease me. But right now, love, I’m close to losing control. Every time you mention how another dragon is better, it drives mine a bit crazier. Until you’re safe, we need to feed his ego. Can you do that?”
She leaned against him and his inner beast’s attempts to break free lessened just a tad. “Then make sure he knows that while it’s a bit selfish of me, I’m glad you’re the one taking me to safety. I know it’s odd considering I only met you the other day, but whenever you’re near, I feel safe.”
The words warmed his heart. “I feel the same way, lass, and once all of this is over, I plan to mate you in front of the entire clan so I never have to let go of you.”
“Bram.”
Squeezing her tightly against his side as they walked, he picked up his pace.
It was going to be hard enough to leave her in the morning.
He’d best treasure what time he had. After all, he would do whatever it took to rescue wee Murray from the dragon hunters, even if it meant leading a team himself on a raid.
There was always a possibility he could die.