Page 102 of The Mating Claim

They dematerialized and then appeared down by the barn, where the tall, bearded Lupine questioned a cowboy sitting outside on a bale of hay. Another Lupine, wearing a cowboy hat, stoodnearby.

The bearded Lupine glanced at her as Drust introduced her. He gave a brusque nod. “I’m Aiden Mitchell, alpha of the pack. This isJackson.”

Jackson tipped his hat. “Howdy,miss.”

Aiden pushed up his cowboy hat. “I’ve questioned all three. Jackson’s been with me, doing the roundup. Dennis has been holed up, more or less, in his office. Only Patrick here was unaccounted for during a portion of the last four days at night. We searched his bunk and found $50,000. In gold. And he’s not talking about how he gotit.”

“Leave him to me, Aiden.” Drust’s hand suddenly felt ice cold. Pain seared her, and she cried out, dropping hispalm.

The Coldfire Wizard suddenly glowed ice blue, pulsing with power. Lacey became afraid, not of Drust, but for the one targeted by Drust’sfury.

The Lupine cowhand sensed mortal danger, for he turned to flee. Drust flicked a palm, and Patrick flew through the air toward him. Drust wrapped a hand around the Lupine’s throat and lifted himskyward.

“Where is the son of the SilverWizard?”

His low, deadly tone was more ominous than if he’d shouted. Dread snaked down her spine. She pitied the cowhand, but worried for Drust, and the damage such intense emotions would wrack upon his soul if he killed theLupine.

He would break his oath to be fair and impartial, and breaking such a sacred vow would shatter him inside. Drust lived with a strict moral code that guided him. It was bred into his blood and bones as a living, breathing mortal, and remained with him as the ColdfireWizard.

“Drop him. Let me handle him, wizard. You always overkill,” Laceysaid.

Scowling Drust shook hishead.

“Drop him, and let me at him. I am a dragon, you know. Maybe he needs to know that dragons aren’t just into payingmoney.”

Finally Drust dropped the cowhand. Gasping, Patrick rubbed histhroat.

“I’d tear you apart if I thought it’d make you talk,” Aidengrowled.

“Me too,” said Jackson, opening his mouth and showing sharpfangs.

Lacey gave a small smile. “Impressive, boys. However, mine are…better.”

Drust motioned to them. “Better stand back, Aiden,Jackson.”

When they did, she shifted into her dragon form, making herself as large as a horse. Lacey stretched out her wings, feeling the impulse to fly, maybe hover above the terrified cowhand. Better to just show someheat.

She blew fire in the direction of the cowhand. Before it reached Patrick, Drust extinguished it with a wave of hishand.

Again, she told Drust telepathically.Let’s make him reallysweat.

As youwish.

She blew another line of fire toward Patrick. This time Drust did not extinguish it until the flames were within a few feet of the frightenedcowboy.

Grinning, Lacey opened her mouth, the snapping and crackling indicating someone was about to become tasty, or not so tasty, barbecuedwolf.

The cowhand’s eyes widened. “I didn’t know she’d do it! Don’t kill me! Ain’t myfault!”

“Who did?” Drustroared.

A wet patch formed on the man’s groin. He shielded his face. “Don’t know her name. Met her in a bar downtown yesterday, said she was looking for revenge on the Silver Wizard. Knew his mate’s twin came here at times. She offered me a sack of gold coins to spy on Nikita, and tell her when Nikita was here with thetwins.”

“What is her name?!” Drust cradled a softball sized globe of blue energy in his palm. “Tell me or you will face worse than burning bydragonfire.”

“Melanie,” he screamed. “All I know was her name was Melanie and she was a dragon who wanted one of Tristan’s kids. I met her in town and brought her here to the ranch and showed her the main lodge. She said she would never hurt a kid, never! She shifted into this monster, this dragon without wings…crawled the outside wall while I distracted Tom and Hank from looking… I gave her a blanket to hide the baby and got her downstairs while everyone was busy… she drove away, promised she wouldn’t hurt him! She just wanted to take him away for a few hours. Said she was hisauntie!”

A loud curse rumbled from Aiden, who removed his hat and threw it on the ground. “That’s it,” he growled. “Thanks Drust, Lacey, but I’ll take it from here and deal out the discipline. When I’m finished, everyone in the pack will learn you don’t mess with me and mine. Tristan and Niki are family, and those sweet twins are my nephews and nieces, youbastard.”