Chapter Five
While riding in a blasted basket was better than being carried via dragon talons, the instant one of Snowridge’s Protectors released Jane’s basket on solid ground, she jumped out and ran toward the edge of the landing area.
She thought she’d become more accustomed to flying, but it seemed she didn’t mind only when Kai carried her.
However, she wasn’t an idiot and about to throw a tantrum for not having her mate escort her back to Snowridge. Kai, Wren, and Eira had gone to further investigate the identical tire tracks they’d found at both of the farms. Snowridge’s tracker, a female Protector named Carys, had taken Jane’s place in the investigation. With Jane’s regular human hearing and senses, she would have been a burden and only slowed them down.
Not that she was going to sit back and do nothing. Jane’s gut said that someone had probably helped Delia with money or transportation to get off Snowridge. From what she’d heard, Delia would sometimes sneak away with friends but was caught more often than not. While there was a small chance Kai’s sister had done the deed alone, Jane wouldn’t dismiss any possibility.
So she was going to retrace her sister-in-law’s steps. It would give her something to do and help her forget to worry about Kai.
Well, to mostly forget. As skilled as her mate was, if he ended up finding a dragon hunter hideout, there was always the chance he could be injured, or worse.
The hunter bastards didn’t play fair and wouldn’t think twice about using drugs or even an electrical blast gun to take down a dragon. If at all possible, they wouldn’t kill him straight away since dragon’s blood was valuable. But she’d heard from Nikki Gray about how the dragon hunters had drained one of Stonefire’s Protectors to death. She clenched her fingers at the thought of her golden dragonman being subjected to the same.
No. Everyone was better prepared than during that old incident, as well as being fully aware of the dragon hunters’ barbarous tactics. Kai would take care of himself.
Taking a deep breath, she headed toward the main entrance inside the mountain and was greeted by Kai’s mother, Lily. The older woman blurted, “What did you find out?”
She could sugar coat the facts, but she owed Lily the truth. “We know who Delia was searching for, but we’re still not sure where she is.”
Lily bobbed her head. “That’s at least one step closer to finding my daughter.”
Jane resisted blinking. “I had always wondered where Kai had got his levelheadedness from.”
Lily wrapped an arm around her waist and guided them inside the rock. “I wasn’t always this way. However, Kai’s father was, and it rubbed off on me a little. He may not have been my true mate, but I loved him.” She gave a sad smile. “I only wished Kai could remember more about him. He was a brave male, just like our son.”
Kai rarely talked about his father, mostly because he’d been eight years old when his dad had died and didn’t remember a lot. “Once all of this is sorted, you’re going to have to tell me some more stories. Kai may be too stubborn to ask for them, but I know he yearns to hear more about his dad, too.”
“That I can easily do.” Lily gave her a gentle squeeze. “So, Kai mentioned on the phone something about you digging around for information here as well. Tell me what you need, and I’ll help in any way that I can.”
They turned the corner of the corridor and entered Lily’s home. Once the door closed, Jane asked, “I’m trying to retrace Delia’s steps. Her file only mentioned going to classes and not coming back from her lunch. I thought maybe her teachers might know or at least overheard something.”
“I’ll give you a list of her teachers.”
Lily hesitated. Jane raised her eyebrow. “What don’t you want to tell me?”
“How do you do that? Figure out that I’m hiding something?”
She shrugged. “It’s a gift. But just tell me everything, Lily. Hiding even the smallest detail could make all the difference in the world.”
Lily searched her gaze and finally sighed. “I was hoping to spare you the anger, but most of Delia’s morning classes are taught by Maggie Jones.”
She blinked before narrowing her eyes. “As in the same Maggie Jones who stomped on Kai’s heart all those years ago?”
“While I appreciate your protective nature, you can’t win against a dragon-shifter, Jane. Not even a soft-voiced one like Maggie. Remember that when you see her.”
Jane took a deep breath and counted to three. Usually only her brother could stir her temper. “You’re right, of course. It’s just that dragonwoman’s actions still affect Kai.” Jane debated sharing more, but as Lily merely waited patiently, she decided to blurt out, “No matter what I say or do, Kai thinks I’m going to leave him one day.”
Lily gave a sad smile. “For all his alpha, Protector image, my son has always had a secret sensitive side. You’ve healed him better than I ever could have, Jane. I have faith that one day you’ll chase away his doubts. Deep down, he probably knows that you’re here to stay. But until that small part of him finally accepts that he didn’t drive Maggie away, only her cowardliness did, he’ll continue to be his own worst enemy.”
Jane was used to being the strong woman who stood up to anything. But in that second, she didn’t try to hide her insecurities. “I only hope that he’ll heal fully one day. I’m not sure what else I can do.”
Patting her arm, Lily added, “Don’t worry. As soon as you two have a child, he should wise up.”
Jane kept a smile pasted on her face but inwardly frowned. Having a baby to convince Kai that she would stay with him wasn’t the best idea; a child should be wanted simply for them. There had to be another way.
Still, she couldn’t bear to smash Lily’s dreams of being a grandmother yet again, so she said, “Thanks for listening. I’ll talk with Kai about this, but it’s nice to share things with someone else who understands him well.”
“Oh, I think you know him better than I do these days. He’s lucky to have you, Jane Hartley.”
Lily engulfed her in a hug and Jane wrapped her arms around her mother-in-law. “I think we need to come visit more often.”
The older dragonwoman pulled back. “What would be even better is if you brought your parents here sometime. I’ve met Rafe—he’s as bad as a dragonman when it comes to temper and alphaness, if I may say so—but not your parents. Snowridge’s leader owes me a few favors, even after all of this, and I’d happily call them in for the Hartleys.”
Bobbing her head, Jane answered, “Once we find Delia, I’ll work on it.”
“Good luck, child. If Maggie gives you any trouble, you call me immediately, do you hear?”
Despite Lily’s soft appearance, there was no doubting the steel in her voice. “I will. Tell me where to find her and I’ll start straight away.”
As Lily gave her directions, Jane’s heart rate ticked up. She’d put off this meeting long enough. It was high time for her to talk with the mysterious Maggie Jones. The trick would be focusing on Delia and not allowing the dragonwoman to provoke her, if she tried. Jane knew little about the dragonwoman, but all of that was about to change.
~~~
Kai wished he could soar over the area in his dragon form to find the truck they were looking for, but they couldn’t risk being spotted and scaring away their possible targets.
So he followed Carys as she led them along the country road north of Dolgellau. Thanks to the abundance of trees to either side of the road, it was easy to mostly stay out of sight.
The brown-haired dragonwoman with green eyes stopped in her tracks and glanced to the left. She waved in the same direction. “They turned off the road here.”
Kai scanned the area. The dirt road went through open spaces to a farmhouse in the distance. Not even his dragon eyesight could make out the details, so he took a pair of high-powered binoculars from his pack and zeroed in on the farmhouse.
In addition to the old two-story structure, there were a number of outbuildings and a large barn. While there was no truck in sight, several of the buildings were large enough to hide one inside.
Lowering his binoculars, he looked at the three other dragon-shifters. “Do you think any of the Snowridge farmers will know who these people are?”
Eira shook her head. “I doubt it. Few of the human farmers want anything to do with the dragon ones. Not to mention flying is restricted in this area to avoid spooking the animals.”
Kai’s dragon spoke up. We need a human to look into it.
Jane is English. Her accent will throw up a huge red flag.
There has to be a Welsh human who will help us.
Kai went through the few Welsh people he knew, both human and dragon, and finally remembered one. Trahern’s doctor friend, Emily Davies, is human.
But she’s from Cardiff. Welsh accents might all sound the same to me, but I’m sure the local people will notice.
Trying to find someone is too time-consuming. We’ll have to do this a different way.
He focused back on the three dragon-shifters. “As much as I want to charge in and search the grounds, we should wait here in the tree cover. Once the truck exits and Carys can confirm the tracks, then we can try sneaking onto the grounds for evidence. Once we have it, we can call for backup.”
“And if the truck never exits?” Wren asked.
Kai focused on Carys. “How sure are you of your tracking abilities?”
The dragonwoman placed her hands on her hips. “No other dragon has bested me yet in Wales.” She narrowed her eyes at Wren. “And you know that.”
Wren put up his hands. “I’m just trying to be prepared, Carys. You’re skilled, but for all we know, they have tunnels. Wasn’t that what you found near Carlisle previously, Kai, when you went after the dragon hunters there?”
Evie Marshall, the eventual mate of Stonefire’s clan leader, had been kidnapped along with Nikki and another Protector named Charlie. Part of the rescue plan had involved using tunnels that the dragon hunters had dug for escape routes.
“Yes, but the formerly based Carlisle group have huge numbers and resources. It seems unlikely the same would happen here. I say we wait and if nothing shows up by nightfall, one or two of us can try looking around undetected.”
Carys nodded. “I’ll be one of them. I may spot something you can’t see.”
Kai jumped in before the others could talk. “And since Delia is my sister, I should be the other investigator, unless Wren or Eira have problems with that?”
“No, it’s better for us to contact Snowridge for backup if needed anyway,” Eira answered.
“Right, then let’s settle in and each take different sections. Wren and Eira, go further south and keep an eye on the road. Carys and I will keep watch on the farm and surrounding open areas.”
Kai was thankful that Eira and Wren went without complaint. It couldn’t be easy for them to accept orders from another clan’s Protector.
His dragon spoke up. If they know the details concerning Evie’s rescue, then they’ve certainly looked into our past work. They know we can deliver.
Knowing someone is skilled and following their orders without hesitation are two different things.
Not to a dragon. Their dragon halves will keep them in line.
Kai snorted. That’s assuming everyone is as stubborn as you.
Aren’t all dragons stubborn?
Fair point. Now, be quiet. I need to pay attention.
As Kai watched the farmhouse and the outlying buildings, he also kept his ears open. If he so much as heard a child’s scream, he would have enough grounds to look into it and avoid the DDA’s ire in the aftermath.
Or, so he hoped.
No. He’d worry about DDA politics later. Even if it landed him in jail, he’d rescue his sister and the missing children. No one should endure the same fate as others that had been captured in the past, most especially children.
~~~
Jane stood at the entrance of the large cavern-like room and watched the quiet dragonwoman with dark hair.
From Maggie’s soft-spoken voice to her slightly shorter than average stature for a dragon-shifter, Jane tried to imagine Kai with the woman. But every time she tried, she only saw Kai tiptoeing around her and keeping his alpha nature in check.
In other words, he was never allowed to be his true self.
How could fate have ever thought she was Kai’s best chance for happiness, Jane had no bloody idea.
Still, no matter how much Jane disliked Maggie for hurting Kai, walking up to her and punching her in the face would be counterproductive. Besides, Maggie had never tried to entice Kai back. Hell, she’d barely even glanced at him whenever she and Kai had visited Snowridge in the past.
As Jane would tell Rafe if he’d wanted to do the same thing to one of Nikki’s former lovers, she needed to grow the fuck up and focus on what was important—helping Delia.
A bell rang and the young dragon-shifter students picked up their bags and exited the room. According to Lily, Maggie would be free from now until after lunch.
Taking a deep breath, Jane moved from her hiding spot near the entrance and waltzed into the room.
Maggie looked up at the sound of her footsteps. Her pupils flashed to slits and back before she asked, “What do you need, Jane?”
“So you know who I am.”
“Everybody on Snowridge does.”
When Maggie didn’t elaborate, Jane decided to steer the conversation toward her objective. “I’m here on an official matter, Ms. Jones. Delia went missing after your class and I need to know if she mentioned where she was going.”
Maggie moved to her teacher’s desk and sat behind it. “So you immediately thought I’d done something to drive Delia away.”
Jane frowned. “I didn’t say that. I’m just trying to get a better picture of what happened that day.”
Maggie looked away, and it took everything Jane had not to growl and demand an answer. She couldn’t afford to scare the dragonwoman and possibly miss out on information pertinent to her case.
The woman finally met her gaze again. “I may have mentioned a secret exit that the Protectors use to escape, but I didn’t tell her to go looking for it.”
“How did you know about this exit?”
She half expected for Maggie to bow her head and keep quiet. However, she answered, “My late mate’s brother is a Protector and he mentioned it to me once.”
“Late mate?” Jane echoed.
“Yes. My mate died a few weeks ago, of a dragon-related disease.”
As Jane’s mind whirred, she noted the lack of grief in Maggie’s eyes. She should keep her mouth shut, but her curiosity won out. “By your lack of mourning I’m guessing you didn’t love him.”
“No. Although he was good to me whilst alive.” Maggie cleared her throat. “Is there anything else? Otherwise, I have lessons to prepare.”
Maggie may be soft-spoken, but if she were weak in her youth, she’d mostly outgrown it.
Her first impulse was to tell Maggie to leave Kai alone. Jane had no idea if her kiss would still initiate the mate-claim frenzy or not. Dragon-shifters could move past a true mate, but Jane had no bloody idea how long it took.
But then she remembered Kai’s loving glance, and it chased away her fears. Jane trusted Kai. Even if Maggie tried something, Kai would remain faithful.
A small niggle of doubt warned otherwise, but Jane pushed it away. Otherwise she might never find out what she needed. “If you mentioned the secret door, then I imagine Delia told you why she might need it. Can you share anything about that?”
Shrugging, Maggie rearranged a few stacks of paper. “She wanted to investigate something, to try to imitate you.” Maggie’s dark gaze met her own. “If anything, this is your fault. It’s hard for a human to understand, but dragon-shifter teenagers are always out to prove themselves. Delia is trying to prove herself to you.”
Jane clenched her fingers. “Says the woman who told her how to escape. Hate me if you like, but risking a child’s life to get at me is unforgivable.”
“Kai will find her, but he’ll blame you for it all. Maybe then he’ll finally understand why humans and dragons should never mate.”
She closed the distance between them. “Kai will easily see how a woman who broke his heart wanted to hurt his current love. What happened with Kai is your fault, Maggie. If you think there’s a second chance with Kai, then you don’t understand him at all.”
“I’m not about to discuss dragon matters with a human. I’ve told you all that I know. You’d better leave before I mention to my clan leader how a human is trying to scare me into saying what she wants to hear.”
The urge to punch Maggie returned, but Lily’s warning about not being able to win against a dragon-shifter came back to her.
Jane may not be able to win a physical fight, but she could win the long game. Once Kai returned, they should be able to find a way to use Maggie’s pettiness to ensure she got what she deserved. Putting any young at risk was a crime with dragon-shifters. Or, so it was on Stonefire. She imagined it was the same on Snowridge.
Maggie Jones would get her comeuppance in the end.
Jane took a step back. “This isn’t over.”
Shrugging, Maggie raised her brows. “It’s your word against mine. I don’t know how things are done on Stonefire, but Snowridge puts clan above strangers.”
Jane wanted to take out her phone and show she’d recorded the interview, as she always did, to review later. However, Jane would allow Maggie to think she was safe.
Turning around, she strode out the classroom and down the corridor. It seemed Jane and even Kai had underestimated Maggie’s abilities. She’d ensure that neither one of them ever did so again.