Page 17 of Starting Over (D.O.A. DRAGO #1)

Wyatt dropped and rolled before getting back on his feet and rushing to the man that had just tried to shoot him in the fucking back, but was now slapping at his arm, neck and face.

Seeing his mate jumping as the man slapped only to land on him again… looked as if he was biting down before leaping to another spot. “Damn it, Rain, move!”

Thank the gods, his mate had listened.

Rain leaped from the fucker and Wyatt was on him, punching the son of a bitch in the face as he snarled, “You fucking coward son of a bitch!” as he hit the bastard again and again, “Shoot me in the back? You tried to shoot me in the back? I’ll fucking rip your gods be damned head off.”

“Wyatt, enough! Enough!” Orca shouted as his beefy hand snagged Wyatt’s arm and pulled him back.

“He tried to shoot me in the fucking back and he damn near shot Rain!” Wyatt snapped.

Orca pulled Wyatt away so that Ryan and his men could get the bastard into custody, “I know, man. We saw. However, you can’t fucking kill him because that shit we can’t explain away. Besides, your mate needs you.”

Wyatt was breathing heavy as he looked around before seeing his tiny shrew looking at him with those big eyes as his long nose twitched.

Kneeling down and holding out his hand, Wyatt softly said, “Come to me, little mouse.”

Rain rushed to Wyatt and leaped onto the palm of his hand before rushing up his sleeve and rubbing his tiny head on Wyatt’s neck.

Gently Wyatt pulled him down and back into his palm, softly asking, “Are you okay, little mouse?”

Rain nodded.

“I swear to fuck if you don’t stop struggling, I’m going to knock your ass out and drag you back to the cabin!” Ryan snapped, bringing Wyatt’s attention back to the matter at hand.

Placing his mate onto his shoulder, he gave him a soft pat to his head, “Stay there, little mouse. I have to attend to this.”

Feeling the gentle tickle to the side of his neck, Wyatt slowly made his way to the bastard, getting into his face, “Who are you?”

“Fuck you!” the guy snapped.

Orca dug into the guy’s pocket all the while the man tried to get free. “Get the fuck out of my pants you fucking faggot!”

Orca snorted as he pulled the asshole’s wallet out, “I wouldn’t touch your cock if it was out, hard and dripping.”

Wyatt took the wallet, and opened it up. “Jean Claude Dupont.” Looking up at the man, Wyatt sneered, “So, Jean Claude Dupont, how many men are with you?”

“Fuck off.” Jean Claude snapped, then spat at Wyatt.

Without missing a beat, Wyatt grabbed the man, knowing his dragon eyes flared by the fear in the other man’s eyes who stammered, “Wh… what the fuck are you?”

“You’re worst fucking nightmare, Jean Claude,” Wyatt hissed.

“I don’t like being spat at, Jean Claude, and I really don’t like that you could have killed my mate.

” Looking to Ryan, he snapped, “Get this fucker back to the cabin with the others. We’ll figure out what we’re going to do with him then.

Orca, take some men and make sure we don’t have any more surprises out there. ”

“What about you? I don’t think it’s a good plan for you to be out here alone,” Orca said.

Shaking his head, Wyatt replied, “We’d have scented if anyone else was around. Rain and I have a few things to talk about and then we’ll head back to the cabin. We won’t be long.”

Orca looked as if he wanted to object, but nodded instead. “I’ll let you know if we spot any more problems.”

The moment they all left, Wyatt gently took Rain and placed him on the ground while pulling his own shirt off, “Why don’t you shift, little mouse.”

Wyatt almost wished he hadn’t asked it of his mate, because seeing his naked man standing there looking so yummy and sweet all Wyatt wanted to do was eat him up. “Fuck! Put this on, little mouse. We need to talk and seeing you like this won’t make that happen.”

Rain pulled on the shirt Wyatt had taken off and put it on… it was like a mini dress, but it covered all his bits and pieces, which was a good thing in case anyone walked up on them, but it did nothing to stop Wyatt from wanting to put his mate against a tree and fuck him until he begged for mercy.

“No,” Rain said, causing Wyatt to look up and see his mate looking at him rather sternly.

“What?” Wyatt asked, trying to look innocent and knowing he wasn’t pulling it off… especially when Rain started wagging his finger at him.

“I know that look, Wy. I should, you give it to me every time I walk into a room… and you are not fucking me against a tree.”

Wyatt’s eyes widened, “How the hell…?”

“I already told you I know that look, and although I readily admit I love having your dick in my ass… often, if you shoved my naked cock against that tree the bark would cut my dick off… and I rather like my cock, thank you very much. Besides, I have something I need to say, and I need you focused right now,” Rain insisted.

Hearing the sincerity in his mate’s words, Wyatt pushed his libido to the side, and nodded. “You’re right. We do need to talk. I wanted…”

“Stop,” Rain said as he sauntered closer to Wyatt. “I told you I have something I need to say. I’m ashamed of my reaction earlier when someone was shooting at Jude and me. My damn shrew forced my shift and took off. “

“I already told you, Rain, we all struggle with control of our animal from time to time. Besides, I would rather you run than to have stayed in a location filled with so much danger. Before I knew you were gone, I…” Wyatt dropped his gaze, in a shame of his own.

“I froze. My dragon and I felt something we’d never felt before, and I… I didn’t know what to do.”

Rain walked closer, placing his hand on Wyatt’s chest, causing Wyatt to look into his beautiful sparkling copper eyes. “What did you feel?”

Without missing a beat, Wyatt admitted, “Fear.”

The side of Rain’s lip curved up, as he said, “I was afraid too. It’s why I ran.”

“I froze,” Wyatt rasped, “I stood there with absolutely no idea what I needed to do. If not for my men, I… I don’t know what I would have done. Then I found you’d run and I could breathe.”

Rain looked at him curiously, as Wyatt continued to say, “I knew your shrew would take you to a safe place. It wasn’t until after we captured the two men shooting at you that my fear returned.

Your shrew is so tiny… what if I couldn’t find you…

and then I was reminded about the mind link…

I… I couldn’t believe I’d forgotten we shared that with our mate. ”

“I’d heard about this ability with dragons from long ago. My mom used to tell me stories about it when I was young. I just thought…” Rain looked directly at Wyatt’s chest, softly saying, “I thought you weren’t ready to do something so intimate with me.”

Wyatt pulled Rain into his arms and softly kissed him before pulling back, “There is nothing in this world I don’t want to do with you, Rain. You’re my mate… my little mouse. I meant what I said. I love you.”

Rain seemed to melt into Wyatt, but never took his eyes off of him, as he whispered, “When I ran away and hid, I hated myself. I kept thinking that you could be hurt… you could be dead and I’d run away.

It tore me up inside and I realized something then and there, and it was reinforced when you were talking to me, Wyatt.

I love you too. I love you with all that I am.

You own my heart. You own my soul, and there is nothing I’m not willing to do and nowhere I’m not willing to go as long as it means we’re together. ”

Hearing those words had Wyatt wanting to soar. He loved his mate and his mate loved him.

This kiss was far different then the first. It was hard, needy, and filled with all the love Wyatt could put into it, and damned if Rain wasn’t doing the same. It was as if his entire body was filling… his heart was growing and beating so much harder and faster than it had before.

Right now, Wyatt wanted to shift and soar high, calling out his joy… his happiness… his love, and all because his mate was there with him… loving him.

The vibration against his thigh was confusing for a moment, then realized that it was his damn phone. Wyatt wanted to keep kissing Rain… hell, he wanted to do more than just kiss the man, he wanted to lay him down right where they were and show him just how much he was loved.

But, Wyatt knew he had a duty, and if his phone was ringing it was important.

Reluctantly Wyatt pulled back, rasping, “I’m sorry.”

Shaking his head as he licked his lips, Rain replied, “It’s okay. You better answer that.”

Pulling his phone from his pocket, Wyatt took the call. “Wyatt here.”

“Hey, Wyatt, you need to come back to the cabin. One of the men is talking and what he has to say, I really think you want to hear,” Ryan said.

“On my way,” Wyatt answered and hung up, giving Rain an apologetic look. “We have to go back to the cabin.”

“It’s fine. I need to shower and change anyway,” Rain replied.

Wyatt stepped back and drew in a deep breath. “I happen to love the way you smell, and if I have my way you will wear my clothes often.”

Smiling, Rain said, “I will happily wear your shirts when we’re home.”

“Home. I like the sound of that,” Wyatt said as he started walking with Rain back in the direction of the cabin, asking, “Are you sure you’re okay with moving to Montana?”

Nodding, Rain replied, “I am. Jude offered to make me a partner in his new clinic.”

“He did?” Wyatt asked in surprise.

“Yes.” Rain said, then told him all about the conversation he and Jude had been having just before the shots were fired.

They talked about their move to Montana, and the more they discussed it all, the more Wyatt looked forward to this new chapter in their lives. Before Wyatt knew it, they were walking into the cabin.

Rain immediately went up the stairs as Ryan came up to Wyatt, “We have them separated. You know the guy that tried to shoot you in the back, the other two are Steve Bonet and Rob Tremblay. Rob is a bit pissed because, according to him, he never shot at anyone. He said that he had no idea why Rob and Dupont were shooting, since they needed Rain alive to collect the bounty.”

“Sure he didn’t,” Wyatt muttered.

“I believe him, Wyatt,” Ryan said, then seeing Wyatt’s face, quickly added, “Now hear me out. The man was pissed. I mean really pissed. He hadn’t come here to kill anyone, and the fact that his ass is going to jail for attempted murder isn’t sitting well with him.

I told him if he could help us find and bring Danny in, we would put a good word in for him. ”

“I want to know why you believe anything this fucker says,” Wyatt demanded.

Ryan shrugged, “Because he never used his gun. Not one shot was shot out of that gun. I personally checked it and nada.”

Wyatt pursed his lips, drew in a deep breath, grudgingly saying, “Tell me.”

“Like I said, I told him we could put in a good word if he helps us and he said he doesn’t know where Danny is, but there’s someone that might be able to help us… well, kind of,” Ryan replied.

“Who?” Wyatt asked without hesitation.

Shaking his head, Ryan said, “I don’t know because I thought it best if we were all here when he talked. This way if any of us have questions we can ask.”

“Okay, let’s do this”