Page 16 of Starting Over (D.O.A. DRAGO #1)

Wyatt couldn’t believe what the hell was going on. He and his men had been in a meeting going over what Pit needed in Drago and how he wanted Wyatt and his team to work.

They’d just decided that Ennyd would be the one to focus on what they would need to start working in Drago when Casper had jumped up from his seat, shouting, “Shooters!”

Wyatt didn’t question it. His mate was outside and if someone was shooting, he had to get his mate to safety and then kill whoever the fuck dared threaten his mate.

The great thing was his thunder didn’t question it either.

All of them were up and had just gotten to the door, when Wyatt saw bullets hitting close to where Rain and Jude were with only a damn patio table for cover.

Wyatt didn’t think as he started shooting in the direction the shots were coming from, all the while fighting his dragon from coming out and going for the fuckers that dared threaten his mate.

However, as a shifter, it was not a good idea to allow humans to know of their existence, and therefore, shifting was not an option at the moment, but if his mate looked as if he might be harmed, Wyatt didn’t give a shit, he’d shift because none of the fuckers shooting his mate’s way would live long enough to talk.

A billow of smoke suddenly flashed past them and his view of Rain was gone… surrounded by a dark grey cloud that got bigger and bigger until there was nothing left for any of them to see.

Turning to Ryan, Wyatt snapped, “You, Omar and River head to the right.” Looking to Ennyd, he ordered, “You, Aron and Tandris take the left.”

Asod rushed to Wyatt, “Augus and Orca are going with me. We’re going to see if we can get behind the shooter.”

With a sharp nod, Wyatt snapped, “Go! But watch your backs we don’t know how many there might be.”

Casper had rushed headlong into the grey smoke, and although Wyatt knew it had to be Casper’s maharishi in his misty form, it was still disconcerting entering into the darkness, not knowing what he would find.

“Rain!” Jude shouted, causing the hairs on the back of Wyatt’s neck to stand on end.

What the fuck was going on?

“Rain? Rain, are you hurt?” Wyatt shouted, damn next to losing his mind thinking that his mate might be harmed or even fighting death right now, and Wyatt was lost in the fucking mist from hell unable to see his hand in front of his face.

“He took off!” Jude shouted. “He got scared, shifted and took off.”

“Shit!” Wyatt said, rushing from the visual barrier Smoky brought to them all to try and locate where Rain might have gone.

Gods, he wished the mental link he shared with his thunder was the same when in human form, but it wasn’t. Right now he had no way to contact his men and let them know that Rain was missing, or to even look out for him.

“Fuck!” Wyatt hissed as the sound of bullets could be heard from across the river.

Moments went by as Wyatt made sure he wasn’t a huge target by hiding behind a tree until his phone rang. Quickly grabbing it, he hissed, “Talk to me.”

“We got them!” Asod shouted from across the river. “Two are still alive, but they’re injured.”

Sighing in relief that the fuckers were in custody, Wyatt snarled, “Bring them here. I’m going to go look for Rain. Jude can look the bastards over while I find my mate.”

“Find Rain? Where the hell did he go?” Asod asked.

“I don’t know. Jude said he shifted and took off. I think his animal didn’t like the danger they were in and forced his shift,” Wyatt answered.

“There could be others out there, Wyatt. Don’t go alone,” Asod insisted.

Knowing Asod was right didn’t stop Wyatt from wanting to rush head on into a possible trap.

Hearing footsteps, Wyatt watched as Ryan and his team headed back to the cabin. “I’ll have Ryan, Omar and River with me.”

“I’ll have Orca scan around to make sure he didn’t somehow get to this side of the river as well,” Asod said.

“Sounds good. We’ll be as quick as we can and get back so we can question these sons of bitches,” Wyatt angrily stated, then hung up calling out to Ryan.

* * * *

“We’re never going to find him this way. We have to shift,” Ryan said.

Rain almost ran out of his hidey hole, when he heard Ryan speak, but stopped when Wyatt said, “We can’t do that, Ry. We don’t know if there might be others out here. It’s already dangerous for us to call out for him.”

“But, Wyatt, you and he are mates. There has to be a mate thing that can help us out here,” Ryan said.

Was Ryan talking about the mind link? He had to be.

Rain had been told that some species had those, and he’d hoped he and Wyatt might share one now that they bonded… but if they did, Wyatt hadn’t shared it with him.

Why?

Did Wyatt not want to share something so intimate?

That kind of hurt.

“A mate thing? What the hell do you mean by mating thing?”

Hearing Wyatt’s confusion made Rain feel a tad bit better. Knowing that his mate might not have used their link because he didn’t know about it was better then where his mind was going.

Ryan replied, “I thought that when we bonded, we had some kind of link to our mate… a special bond or some shit.”

“Fuck! I am so fucking stupid! The gods be damned mind link. How the fuck did I forget about that?” Wyatt snapped.

“Mind link? I thought only dragons had that ability? He’s an elephant shrew,” River said in confusion.

Wyatt quickly replied, “Yes, but when we bond with our mate, they become part of our thunder and therefore we can mind link with them.”

“Seriously? I had no idea. Then again, it isn’t like my parents taught me much when it came to bonding.” River muttered.

Wyatt quickly replied, “Your parents were very good to you, River.”

“I didn’t say they weren’t good parents they just weren’t soul mates. Because they were both dragons, and in the same thunder, they already would have had the mind link so it isn’t something they may have known,” River stated, not sounding pissed or angry just… accepting.

Rain sighed as he thought about his parents. They had died ten years ago in a hit and run, and he missed them every single fucking day. He wished they were here now to tell him what to do.

Shifting and running when someone was shooting at them… leaving his mate behind. What the fuck did that say about him as a mate?

“Babe, where are you. We got the gunmen. You can come out now… go back to the cabin,” Wyatt whispered in Rain’s mind.

At first Rain didn’t understand what was happening and then he realized… his mate was using their mind link.

“Rain, please my little mouse. Talk to me. Let me know you’re okay,” Wyatt begged.

Rain wasn’t exactly sure he knew how this mind link thing worked but he closed his eyes, and thought the words. “I’m not a mouse.”

“Rain?”

“Y… Yes.”

“Oh thank the gods! Little mouse, are you hurt?” Wyatt anxiously asked.

Rain sighed, why the hell did everyone think his animal was a mouse? “I’m fine and I’m not a mouse. Don’t call me a mouse.”

“You are adorable and look like a little mouse to me. Come to me so I can see for myself that you’re alright. Please.”

“I… I want to, but…”

When Rain didn’t finish his thought, Wyatt firmly said, “There is no but here, Rain. The only but that should be here is your tiny little mouse butt. Now come to me, damn it.”

“I fucked up, Wyatt. You can’t want to see me. I… I suck as a mate. You deserve better.”

Wyatt’s confusion was evident, when he asked , “What are you talking about? You’re a great mate and I’m lucky to have you. Now come to me, my mate.”

Shamed filled Rain’s words, when he murmured, “I ran. Someone was shooting and instead of making sure you were safe, I ran.” He hesitated a moment, then asked the question he feared asking the most, “Was… was anyone hurt?”

“Oh, my sweet, sweet little mouse. No. No one was hurt and we all know we can’t always control our animals. Please stop hiding from me and come out from wherever you are. I need to hold you. I need to touch you. I need to know you’re safe and unharmed.”

If Rain had been in his human form, he knew he’d be in tears. Hearing the heartache and hurt that Rain wouldn’t go to Wyatt was hurting the man he’d come to love.

Wait!

Love?

Rain tilted his tiny head in thought… did he love Wyatt?

It hadn’t been long that they’d met and bonded, but in that short time, they’d gotten to know each other.

They’d laughed, made love… many, many times, and they’d played.

Wyatt was wonderful and Rain hated being separated from his mate whenever he had to meet up with his thunder or talk with Pit about the future for them all… and including him.

Rain wasn’t sure about moving to Montana, but if this is what his mate wanted to do, he’d do it. No way would he let Wyatt go off without him… he couldn’t. However, Rain also knew if Rain wasn’t on board Wyatt wouldn’t make the move either.

Jude wanted him to go and work for him… no with him. It would be everything Rain had always wanted and had worked his ass off to achieve…

Stop it Rain. You’re going off topic because you’re scared to think about this… are you in love with Wyatt? That’s what’s important right now.

“Little mouse, please, you must come back to me. My heart is breaking knowing you’re out there, where I can’t find you… and I know you say you’re not hurt, but my dragon demands to know this is true. Please come to me.”

My gods the way Rain’s own heart broke hearing the sadness from Wyatt and the urge to race to the man gave Rain his answer… maybe… was it too short a time? Should he make sure what he was feeling wasn’t just because they were mates?

“Please, little mouse. I need my mate. I… I know it’s soon…

maybe too soon, but hear me out before you discount what I’m saying.

I mean, I know we’ve not really known each other long, but I also know I love the sound of your laugh.

I love the little crinkle you get between your eyes when you’re thinking about something.

I hate when we’re apart and I’m useless to the team because all I can think about is when we can be together again.

I don’t care that you took off when you did.

Truth be known, I’m glad, because the thought of you being hurt…

gods, it terrifies me. Damn it, Rain, I wanted to tell you this when we were together again.

I wanted to make the first time I say I love you a moment in life you would never forget… and yes, my little mouse, I love you.”

Rain gasped within their link, but said nothing.

Wyatt must have heard him, because he quickly continued, “I remember when I was a young boy, my dad and I were talking and he mentioned how much he loved my papa. I asked him how he knew, and he said, ‘Son, when all you can think about is that person and when you can be together again, that’s love. When you think about your future and all you can think about is what part that person will play in it… that’s love.

When the person you’re with makes you feel like you can climb the highest mountain and do anything you set your mind to…

that’s love. When the thought of anyone else touching or being with the person makes you want to shift and show them the damage your dragon can do…

. that’s love. Love is more than just feeling it’s wanting to do something to make that person’s life even better because their safety and happiness means everything to you.

’ I feel all those things, Rain. I feel all of that and so much more. ”

Rain felt the truth in those words and realized something right then and there… he really did love Wyatt. Because if all those things described love, then it was exactly what Rain was feeling.

Rain was in love.

Holy shit, he was in love!

Rain didn’t think twice as he started making his way out of his hiding place. He was in love and he wanted to tell Wyatt… and not with their mind link.

Rushing to the outside Rain looked to the left and then the right before lifting his long nose and taking a deep sniff of the air around him.

Yes!

Catching his mate’s scent, Rain ran as fast as his tiny legs would take him. Fuck a duck, why was the man so damn far away?

Then Rain saw him!

Wyatt! His Wyatt! His wonderful, beautiful mate!

And Wyatt saw him coming…

Movement….

What was that?

Rain knew he saw something… no someone! There was someone behind his mate… and he had a gun!

Not even thinking about it, Rain veered just a tad to his left and leaped as high as he could, mentally shouting, “Wyatt!”

The sound of the gun going off brought ice to Rain’s veins.