Page 33 of The Ruby Dragon’s Unconventional Mate (Oro Escondido #3)

Chapter

Thirty-One

B ryant! We need you! Something is happening at the school!

That was Lachlan, calling him, and Bryant heard him where he was standing in line for food, chatting with the hamburger truck guy, Obe.

He literally dropped everything and jumped into the sky, flying through the wards at the river and heading into Oro Escondido proper, heading for the school. As he got closer, he could hear the alarms going off, and he put on a burst of speed, hoping it wasn’t something dire.

All the guardians were in the air, weaving and fro, searching for any danger.

He caught sight of Lachlan, then Lars, and he stopped himself from roaring at the last moment. Lars was a guardian. Bryant couldn’t ask him to be less than he was. This was his job.

Lars was guarding the front doors, his mate heavy and swollen with their child.

He circled, looking for what might have set off the alarms, but he saw nothing but their own wing. I’m circling around back of the school to check the wards!

I’m with you. Jake followed, even as Bea went the other way.

Lars! Keep those kids inside.

And everyone else out, Lars agreed, a wave of strength filling him. Don’t worry. No one will get past me. Ever.

No. He knew that. His lover had those children’s back. His guardian mate.

He saw it first, an obvious bend in the magic of the wards. Not a break. But a dent, for sure. There, Jake!

Jake swooped down, roaring, and Bryant followed, flames lighting up the air.

A small adult dragon darted out from under some cover and soared up into the hills beyond the town. Beyond the wards.

No one follows, Logan thundered. We check inside the boundaries first.

Logan? We can take him.

No, if he’s a distraction, that’s what they want. Logan’s voice brooked no argument. Protect the wing.

Yes. The wing. That was Bea, and she was damn firm. And he got it. Their people came first.

He blew out a frustrated line of flame, fury overtaking him that someone would attack them. He could feel Lachlan’s rage, as well, and he was grateful there was no fear there. Just pure platinum guardian.

Lars was still at the school, the beautiful silver dragon pouring out peace and joy, keeping teachers and little ones calm.

Clear to the north, Bea trumpeted.

And to the highway beyond the river. That was Jason. You could take the dragon out of the guardian role…

So what the hell was that? Jake snarled. Logan, let me go get him.

We don’t fly outside of the wards if we can help it.

Bryant took a deep breath, blew it out in a string of flame.

I know, guys. I know. Logan sounded honestly understanding. They didn’t get through. When they forced it as hard as they did, it’s going to leave bruises, burns. That’s gonna leave a mark.

Good. Bryant was less than amused.

All right. I want everybody to keep their ears out. None of the children are allowed outside the wards, including the teenagers, until we know it’s safe. I need two of you to go check the wards where they tried to break through and see if there’s a reason they picked that spot.

I’m on it. Bryant didn’t like this, and he wasn’t gonna put up with it. Not when his pregnant omega was in danger, along with all those babies.

I don’t like it either. He’s my brother.

Stop dick measuring, Bea snapped. We all have something to lose.

Oh, for fuck’s sake. I’ll go with him . Jake flew with him, then said, very privately, I know that you don’t want Lachlan doing this.

He shook his head, his wings flapping. No. No, it would be too easy for someone to catch sight of him.

They landed in seconds, Jake sniffing, the earth rumbling beneath it. I smell blood.

I do too. There’s no way somebody got far, not bleeding like this. You cover me.

Logan is going to be pissed if you leave the wards.

Bryant snorted and tossed his head. He’s going to be even more pissed if I get out there and something terrible happens because you’re worrying about getting in trouble.

Shut up.

Bryant made himself as small as he possibly could and crept out, following the scent of copper pennies and pain. Something was going on. He didn’t know what it was, exactly, but whatever it was, he knew he didn’t like it.

Do you see anything?

There’s a trail. There’s a —He stopped, tilted his head. Was that a cry? Jake! Get Logan! Get Logan right now!

The soft sobs were reedy and scared, desperate, and they called to him, on a soul-deep level.

What’s going on?

Suddenly, every guardian was listening to him.

We’re going to need help. He didn’t bother to creep.

Now he knew that sound. That was a baby, and it was real and it was blood, and he had to move now.

He dug in, making it only a few short yards before he found them.

An abused, skinny, near-naked omega unconscious, wrapped around a tiny infant.

He scooped them both up and began to run them to safety.

Logan. Logan. There’s an omega and a baby.

They’ve been hurt. I’m coming in. I need you to do something. Something is really wrong.

Bring them. Take them both to Lachlan’s house.

Lachlan’s? Why?

He’s the only one without babies. We’ve got to figure out what happened before we let anybody in without watching them. Do you understand?

I understand, but this? The marks on this omega don’t make sense. I think someone threw them at the ward. Like a… Like they were testing an electric fence.

Take them to Lachlan. Lachlan, can you hear me?

I’m on my way home. Lachlan sounded stronger than he even had. I’ll meet you there, brother. Bring them to me.

Jason, we need you to stay in the air.

No problem, Logan. Retirement is boring.

He held the omega and the infant in his claws, and then he flew as fast and as high and as hard as he could. I think we’re going to need a healer. They were left for dead.

He was afraid the omega already was dead.

None of this worked for him. None of this was right. Every bit of it made him sick to his stomach.

How could someone abuse an omega like this? A lifebringer. And a baby? Fuck.

He landed as gently as he could, Jake on his tail, guarding him.

Lachlan had beaten him there and was waiting for him, along with Alban and Arthur who came out to take his cargo. The three of them carried the omega and baby inside.

Do you want me to stay?

Lachlan glanced over his shoulder. We have it. Arthur says he’ll be home when you and Lars get there. Just let us know.

Bryant blinked. He…he didn’t know what to do.

Lachlan says he has it. Let’s fly. Somebody did this to that omega, right?

Bryant nodded to Jake, a dull sickness in the pit of his belly. The bruises were on his back, his chest, and they were vertical. He would have had to have jumped backward and sideways. Damn near naked. It didn’t happen. Someone threw him.

Then we have an asshole to catch and dispatch. We have to protect our wing.

We do. And they had to protect the new members of their wing too. That omega and baby deserved justice.

They soared, he and Jake, the earth shaking a little as Jake fired up his talent. His own talent would come in way more handy if they caught whoever had been tossing omegas at wards…

They screamed out over the creek, up by the cabins that Mariposa rented out.

Jason passed them going back in toward Oro, because they needed to be able to have a flight pattern going on that protected everyone.

They moved superfast and followed the creek up north where a trail of magic seemed to lead like a blaze of glory across the ground.

It was as if whoever had dropped the omega had brought him in this way too, and the omega had been full of way more magic than he had been once they’d found him.

Bryant could totally scent the dragon now, the one who had dropped the omega and run.

It was a foul, sour odor, and he felt like he knew that smell.

In fact, it smelled a lot like the beta who had hurt Lachlan.

He knew better, because he knew that beta was dead, but—Had he and Lachlan done this? Had they brought this on the wing?

This is not on you , Jake told him. Their lines of communication were wide open, so he knew Jake had to be able to hear what he was thinking. Normally only Lars could do that. Maybe Lachlan. This is on them. Remember they’re the guilty ones.

I don’t know who they are, but we’re going to find out, and we’re going to take them down.

I’m with you, man. This can’t be allowed to stand.

They came abreast of an area where there was an SUV, parked up by the soda dam in the state park. It had no business being where it was, because it wasn’t in a parking area or in one of the safe tourist spaces. This was someone who was hiding their vehicle so they could do their dirty work.

Split up, and we’ll flank him. They have to come down for a landing at some point , Jake told him.

You got it.

He was going to make sure they killed whatever this thing was, and they were gonna send a message back to whoever it was who had sent the fucker that this was not acceptable.

Tell me what you found, Logan trumpeted at them in their heads.

There’s a vehicle. He obviously came in in human form and flew toward the wing , he snapped.

Is he there? Can you take him alive?

We haven’t seen him yet. We’re gonna settle, flank the car, and see if we can’t trick him into coming in for a landing.

He felt Logan’s satisfaction. Good. Try to keep him for questioning if you can. But if you can’t, kill him.

They both sent an assent, and he and Jake settled in on either end of the soda dam, both of them hidden by natural features. He could feel Jake vibrating the earth, but thanks to the dam, it was hard to tell. His fire wanted to let loose, his ruby nature heating up.

They waited, both of them trying to be patient, but his wings kept flapping and his claws kept opening and closing. He wanted to rip this fucker’s head off.

You’ll have your chance , Jake told him. Just wait.