Page 16 of The Dragon’s Surprise (Tahoe Dragon Mates #7)

Chapter Eleven

K yle exited the operating room, cleaned up, and headed toward his office.

However, as soon as he set foot in the hallway, Daniel startled him as he said, “Kyle, why the hell haven’t you answered your phone? I’ve been trying for over an hour. But whatever the reason, you need to come with me. Now. And don’t ask questions until we’re outside.”

Given Daniel’s serious tone, brooking no argument, Kyle kept his mouth shut and followed his friend. Once they were far enough away from the clinic, Daniel spoke again. “Someone took Ethan, and for reasons I’ll never understand, Lexi went after him on her own.”

His stomach dropped. “What? Tell me what the fuck happened.”

Daniel filled him in on how Ethan’s uncle had posed as an ADDA employee, took Ethan away, and then Lexi had gone after them. However, after a brief phone call, they hadn’t heard from Lexi again.

His dragon growled. We need to go after them.

We’re not Protectors, dragon, and can’t do this alone. However, we’ll go with them, in case Ethan or Lexi are hurt.

Kyle spoke aloud. “Is ADDA doing anything? Or DOCS?”

“We’re working on that.”

He stopped, pushed his friend against the nearest wall, and growled. “That is my mate and son you’re talking about. Do more than work on it.”

Daniel’s pupils flashed before he replied, “I get you’re upset. I can only imagine how I’d act if something happened to Jenny. But Rio and Axel are already working on a plan, determined to bring them both home as soon as possible.”

Home. Yes, this was where they both belonged. And Axel was the head Protector of Clan MirrorPeak, and very good at his job.

His dragon spoke up. Axel and Rio will do everything they can to bring them back, along with Daniel. Let him go.

Kyle released his friend. “Sorry. But how close are you guys to a plan?”

“Close. In fact, we have help coming and need to get going to meet with them.”

“Help? Who?”

“I’m not sure. But if Rio trusts someone to come, then that’s enough for me.”

Kyle nodded. “I just hope you know that I’m going with you. Yes, I’ll stay in the back, out of danger. But I need to be there in case either of them is hurt and needs medical attention.”

“As if we’d try to stop you. Just listen to our orders, okay? If it’s related to the League or any of the humans who hate us, you need to be careful. Some of them don’t care about killing, even if it means ending their own lives.”

He grunted. “After Eli, I’ll never dismiss humans again.”

Not wanting to think about how they’d nearly lost their friend, Kyle followed Daniel to the Protector building.

Once inside, they went to one of the conference rooms, only to find Ashley Swift and her mate, the PineRock clan leader Wes Dalton, at the table, their heads together and talking.

They noticed them and stood, their expressions a mixture of anger and concern.

Kyle blurted, “Have you found my son? Or Lexi? What the hell is ADDA doing to help them?”

Ashley still worked for ADDA, despite living with a dragon clan.

The female merely arched an eyebrow as her mate growled.

She placed a hand on Wes’s arm and spoke first. “Luckily for you, I know how testy dragonmen get when their mates and families are threatened, so I won’t take offense.

And we’re doing plenty. Lexi’s sister, Jennifer, is doing everything she can to find out where Ethan is.

Lexi’s phone died at the last known address of Patrick White.

” Ashley quickly filled them in on Ethan’s maternal uncle and continued, “Your clan has permission to retrieve the boy, as long as you don’t kill anyone.

Well, unless it comes to self-defense or death yourselves.

But it’ll be looked at closely, so I wouldn’t recommend it. ”

His dragon spoke up. Too bad.

Ignoring his beast, Kyle replied, “Then why are we here, talking, instead of heading for this uncle’s place?”

Ashley replied, “Because Ethan isn’t there. Police discovered his uncle’s place empty, except for Lexi’s phone. Her car was still parked there, too.”

His stomach dropped. “Please tell me you know where they are.”

Wes finally spoke up. “We think the bastard uncle took them to a League outpost northeast of Reno, not far from the mining ghost town of Vernon. Our patrols found it by accident, when looking for a lost clan member a few months ago.”

Ashley chimed in again. “I’ve tapped my trustworthy contacts inside ADDA and the human police, and according to them, they think it’s some sort of dragon-shifter trading and deportation outpost. Rich humans come to buy the ones they want, and the rest get drugged and dropped outside of the country. ”

He clenched his fingers into a fist. “Then why haven’t your people shut it down?”

“Because a human named Duncan Parrish owns the property and denies any illegal activity. And since he has a lot of money, he’s buying off people left and right.”

The door opened, and Axel and Rio walked in.

Both nodded greetings at Ashley and Wes before Rio said, “Thanks to David Lee on StoneRiver, we know Duncan Parrish is out of the country on a business trip. Since we have permission to retrieve our clan members, we’re going to leave as soon as everyone is ready. ”

Normally, Kyle would linger on Rio referring to Lexi and Ethan as clan members. It was what he wanted, after all. However, finding his female and son was more important. Kyle said, “I can put together a medical team and be ready in fifteen minutes.”

Ashley spoke up. “You all need to be careful. Not that I don’t think you’re capable—you are. But Parrish is sort of my nemesis, and extremely powerful. Once you do this, he’ll go after you, too.”

“I don’t care,” he blurted.

Then Kyle realized this wasn’t just him facing a new danger.

He glanced at Rio, Axel, and Daniel in turn.

Rio nodded. “We feel the same way. I’ve known about Parrish for a while now, and I don’t like how much power he’s collecting with money and favors.

At some point, he’ll piss off enough people and dragon-shifters that his influence will crumble.

If we can help that along, I’m all for it. ”

Axel added, “Even if it means hell later on, I can’t ignore the innocents about to be fucking sold off. We’ll rescue your female and son, and the others, too. Parrish can go to hell.”

Daniel shrugged. “Jenny would never forgive me for abandoning any child, let alone one she adores already. She knew when she mated me that it could be dangerous. Besides, we all help each other here, Kyle. And whether you’ve realized that we’ve had your back this whole time or not, you do.”

His dragon said softly, I told you we should’ve interacted with the clan sooner. They are our friends.

Kyle replied to the males. “Thank you.”

Rio lightly slapped his arm. “No thanks needed. Now, go gather your team while I talk with Ashley and Wes. We’ll all meet in the main landing area in twenty minutes.”

And so Kyle left, doing his best to focus on assembling his medical team and bringing the right supplies. Dr. Carmen Alvaro also said she’d prep everything, just in case they needed to operate.

Maybe before Lexi and Ethan, he might’ve balked at asking for help.

However, knowing there might be someone else who could save his future family lifted some of the weight off his shoulders.

Not much, given he was worried to death about what could still happen.

However, Lexi and his dragon had been right all along—he needed to stop isolating himself so much from the clan.

His dragon spoke up. She is ours. And not just because she was on my side.

I agree, dragon. She is our future. Her and Ethan.

And Kyle couldn’t wait to claim her officially. The female was not only good for him, he loved her. The time might’ve been short, but just thinking of life without her was unbearable.

And so Kyle headed toward the main landing area, more determined than ever to bring back his female and his son so he could start the future he’d never known he wanted.