Page 9 of Starting Over (D.O.A. DRAGO #1)

“Damn it, Smoky, knock that shit off!” Jude shouted loud enough to make Wyatt’s ears ring since he had immediately stood up with Rain in his arms. “Rance, open the fucking door so we can air the damn room out.”

The sound of the sliding glass door could be heard, as Rain fearfully asked, “What’s going on?”

“What’s going on is my mates are here and for whatever reason they’re pissed.” Jude huffed still not having moved from his spot.

A strange gurgling voice came from the same area as the back door, “You were touching that man in a room filled with men. I…”

Jude did a growling sound that would put a rabid dog to shame, snapping, “And what, Smoky? You honestly think I’d cheat on my mate? On my soul bond?”

“No!” Smoky gasped in shock. “I… I…”

“He hasn’t been thinking straight since you left us,” the deep voice said, sounding as if he was in front of Wyatt who was standing facing Jude… which meant Jude’s mate had come for him even in the smoked-out room. “Neither of us have been thinking right. We’re sorry.”

The smoke was clearing and Wyatt could see the slumped shoulders on Jude’s body. He looked… guilty… shamed… sad, when he said, “Come on, Smoky. We’ll talk in a few minutes.”

After all that Jude had done and said… how he acted before his mate had arrived, had Wyatt thinking that look should never be on that man’s face. His mate must have thought the same thing because he turned Jude around to face him, whispering, “We’re sorry.”

Shaking his head, Jude whispered, “No, I’m sorry. I should have talked this out with you both instead of running away like a young preteen that didn’t get their favorite toy.”

“A child is no toy and you did try to talk to us. We just were cowards and ran… maybe not out of Drago, but we still ran… from you.”

Sighing, Jude said, “We can talk, but not right now.” Turning Jude, continued, “Let me introduce our audience.”

Rain patted Wyatt’s chest. “As much as I like being here, I think you can let me down,” Rain said with his cheeks and ears so red…. Gods, he was adorable.

Reluctantly, Wyatt placed Rain back on his feet, then held his hand out to Jude’s mate. “I’m Rain. Jude’s spoken a lot about you and your…” Rain looked around. “Where is your dragon?” He looked to Jude, “Smoky, right?”

Wyatt looked to his thunder, but they all shook their heads as they too looked to see the dragon.

Jude lifted his arm. Wyatt looked at what Jude was showing Rain and about fell out. A huge dragon-shaped tattoo was where no tattoo had been just moments before. “What the hell?”

His thunder approached, but just then Smoky lifted his flat as fuck head off of Jude’s arm, causing them all to jump back a step, and watch as the tiny flat head blew up like a mother fucking balloon, and spoke, “I am Smoky. I apologize for causing such a disruption. I haven’t quite been myself.”

Rain took a tiny step forward, nervously saying, “It’s fine, Smoky. My animal sometimes gets the best of me as well. I tend to shift at times I really don’t want to.”

Smoky drew in a breath and gave a toothy smile… well, it was either a smile or the dragon was going to eat his mate, Wyatt didn’t know, but then he said, “Elephant shrew. I can honestly say it has been centuries since I have had the pleasure of meeting an elephant shrew. Very nice.”

Elephant shrew? What the hell was an elephant shrew? Wyatt had no idea but he planned on looking it up as soon as…

“Oh my gods you’re fucking adorable,” Ryan said, then called to Tandris, ”Look at this. Can you believe it? How cute is that?”

“Oh my gods! I can’t wait to see him shift,” Tandris said as he looked to Rain, “You will shift for us soon, right?”

Rain looked startled and Wyatt’s dragon did not appreciate another dragon shifter calling their mate adorable or cute and let out a low growl, “Knock it off… all of you.”

“What the fuck did I do?” Asod asked as if offended.

Wyatt ignored him, instead turning to Jude’s mate, “Wyatt.”

The man gave a sharp nod, “Casper. The only one that calls me Rance is Jude.”

Wyatt got the message. “No problem, Casper. This is part of my thunder and some of my team… Ryan, Tandris and Asod.”

The man gave a nod to them all, but said nothing.

A man of few words.

Okay, that wasn’t a problem. Some people didn’t like talking. Hell, there were a few men in his thunder that hated talking, and at times Wyatt might hear them say a total of three words in a week.

“Jude, I know you want to figure this out, but I really think you have far more important matters to attend to than talking with us. Go. Talk to your mate and your maharishi. I can show the guys to their rooms,” Rain said, then turned to Wyatt.

“Besides, I think I have some heavy talking to do of my own.”

Jude looked hesitant, but Rain wasn’t having it. “Go. I got this. I swear. Besides, it will give Wyatt and me time to get to know each other better. I’m good. No more shivers and no bruises. Go. This is important.”

Jude hesitated, then shook his head. “The talk with my mate and maharishi is important, but so is your life. I say we have a quick discussion here and then we can both talk with our mates.”

“Fine, but we make it quick,” Rain muttered, “And I will be the one to show the guys to their rooms when the time comes. You are not going to win at this one.”

Rolling his eyes, Jude replied, “Fine.”

The moment they were all back in the living room, Wyatt wanted to place Rain on his lap just as Casper was doing with Jude.

However, Wyatt didn’t know what his mate would think of him if he did any of that, so instead he sat as close to Rain as he could, and placed a gentle hand on Rain’s leg.

Thankfully, Rain didn’t smack it away or even flinch.

Instead he looked up at Wyatt with a wide smile that melted Wyatt’s heart and made his dragon purr.

“I assume you guys have a tech guy too?” Jude said as he pulled out his phone and hit a number. “Give him a call and put him on speaker.”

Wyatt just looked at Asod nodding, not surprised Jude would know about River… well, maybe not his name, but most assuredly the fact that they had someone that worked tech for them on the job.

“Hey, Jude. I’m glad you called Casper. I don’t know who was bringing us all down more, him or your dragon.”

“Wiz, you do realize my mate and dragon can hear you,” Jude warned.

Smoky lifted his head once more and let out a low growl.

Wiz laughed, “Please, my Pepper would rip his tail off if I asked him, or are you forgetting he’s the king of dragons.”

“Uh huh, Pepper isn’t with you, is he?” Jude said with a laugh.

“Nope. Do you think I would have said that if he was?” Wiz asked, still laughing.

“Who is that talking? Are you guys alright, or do I need to send reinforcements?”

Wyatt heard River’s question, and immediately answered, “No. We’re fine. We’re currently with Rain, Jude, his mate and their tech man. Jude wanted you on the line at the same time.” Looking to Jude, he said, “Jude, this is River.”

“Hey there, River. I’m kinda figuring that your team and mine are looking into Danny Houdon at the same time. I figure we’re wasting resources by going about this separately, and thought it might be good if the two of you could tell us what you’ve found out and then we can go from there.”

“I must say that’s what I would have done.”

The deep tone of the man on the other end of Jude’s line had Wyatt and his team sitting up straight. That was a voice that said, “Don’t fuck with me.”

“Hey, Pit. What are you doing there?” Jude asked, as if there was nothing special going on.

“Well, Jude, I live here.” Pit answered.

“Pit, you know I love ya like a brother, but we really need to figure this shit out, so Rain doesn’t get kidnapped and killed.

As much as I would love to get into a pissing match, I just don’t have time.

Do you know how long it’s been since I’ve been laid, Pit?

Four weeks, three days, fourteen hours and thirty-two seconds…

that’s how long. If I have to go without much longer, I might be the next guy DOA will be forced to go after because I’m gonna start killing people. ”

“Jude, shut it. If you hadn’t run off, you wouldn’t have gone without dick for so long. I want to know what’s going on and I want to know now,” Pit snarled.

Jude did a quick run down as well as introductions, he then asked Wiz what he knew, then it was River’s turn.

“Yeah, I know he’s somewhere close, but I don’t think Danny’s in Val D’or just yet.

Understand, I can’t be one hundred percent sure, but I believe he’s in St-Eustache where he has some biker friends.

However, Ennyd called in some favors with some bikers he knows and found out Danny isn’t with the men he escaped with…

whose names are Felix Gagnon and Liam Simard.

According to Ennyd’s sources, they’re holding up in Malartic, which is about twenty minutes from where you are now. ”

“Well, shit,” Tandris muttered.

“My feelings on that exactly. I did clear all the videos I used to find Rain, but it isn’t like I know every camera they might have around that area.

I don’t think he knows just where Rain is right now though, because as far as Ennyd’s sources can tell, they’re still looking, but they’re going to check in with Ennyd in a day or two and give him an update,” River said.

“So, you’re thinking that Danny sent the men that escaped prison to find Rain?” Jude asked.