“Yep.” He put the half-eaten salami back in the refrigerator and wiped his hands with a paper towel. “I probably said something wrong, didn’t I?” His shoulder slumped.
“Could someone explain to me how an infant can breathe fire?” she said, growing irate.
“That kind of thing isn't for me to answer,” Dax said, backing up and turning out of the kitchen.
Everly was left alone in the kitchen without any answers, and a growing sense of dread in her stomach.
She hurried up to her room, feeling as if she needed to escape this madhouse. Kian hadn't explained anything. He had only made it worse. She was not only feeling confused and afraid, but she was beginning to feel offended as well.
She had asked him why Ember had breathed fire, but he hadn't given her any answers. She went to her room and looked at her suitcase. Maybe it was time for her to leave. As much as she adored Kian and dreamed of their future together, the fire breathing baby was definitely a red flag.
The reaction of her father didn't make it any better. She loved them both so much. And part of her didn't know what she would do without them. But this just wasn't right. She had been in a bad relationship before and she wasn't going to let it happen again.
Kian was keeping secrets from her, just like her ex-husband who cheated on her. She wanted to give Kian the benefit of the doubt but, how could she? The fire breathing baby was a whole other level.
She began to put her things into her suitcase, a tear slipping down her cheek. What was she going to do without him? Without Ember? How was she going to carry on after this?
All her hopes and dreams had looked like they would be fulfilled. But now? Now it was all falling apart around her ears. She sniffled back the tears, not sure what to think. As she packed her things and prepared herself to leave, she heard a knock at her door. Opening it, she found Kian standing on the other side with baby Ember in his arms.
“I'm sorry about earlier,” he said. He looked over her shoulder and saw her suitcase.
“Are you leaving?” he asked.
“I was thinking about it,” she said, holding one of her shirts in her hands.
“You can't leave. We need you,” he said.
“I need to understand why Ember breathed fire. You have to tell me everything. No more secrets. Or I’m out of here.”
“Ember is a very special baby. I wasn't expecting her gifts to manifest so soon.”
“There are some strange things happening around here. Some very strange things indeed.”
“I want to tell you everything. I’ve wanted to tell you everything from the beginning.”
“Just tell me.”
He walked into her room, holding Ember and sat at the chair across from the bed. He crossed his legs and sighed.
Everly shut the door and sat on the bench facing him. Ember played with a rattle as he held her in his lap. The sight of them together melted Everly’s heart.
“The truth is that all of us are very special, like Ember. We have special powers. And if it was widely known that we existed, it could be dangerous for us. So, I haven't told you the full story.”
“What's kind of powers?” she asked.
“Let me just say, all five of us are able to breathe fire. We come from a very special family line.”
“I've never heard of anything like that,” she said. “Are you demons?”
“No, definitely not demons. We’re the opposite of demons. You could even call us guardian angels.”
“So, you're fire breathing guardian angels?” she asked.
“In a manner of speaking, yes. We aim to protect humanity, and we need you. I need you. You and I belong together. But I can’t force you to stay.”
“I don’t know. This is all so strange.”
“Let it sink in that we are not quite human. I will tell you everything else in the morning once you’ve had time to process that much.”
“I suppose that's fair,” she muttered.
He crossed the room, handing her Ember. She stood up to take the baby, and he put his arm around her. A sinking sense of fear slid over her shoulders at his touch and she hated that he made her afraid.
He let out a deep breath.
“I want more than anything to protect you. It is my deepest desire,” he said. “Therefore, I must tell you this information slowly. I don't want to give you a shock. All will be revealed very soon. Please believe me.”
“I believe you,” she whispered.
Chapter 15
Kian started dinner, relieved he’d convinced Everly to stay. She had been very close to running off and leaving him. The thought of it made every muscle in his body tense. He couldn't lose her.
He had never been at a loss for words before. He was the Commander of armies and the leader of the House of Flames. But trying to find a way to explain to his tiny human mate that he was a dragon from another world left him speechless.
He didn’t want to give her a heart attack, which was something he’d heard could happen to humans who had a terrible shock.
He started grilling the hamburgers on the stove. Everly walked through the kitchen with a stroller, headed to the back door. Ember and Everly were both bundled up for the rainy weather.
“I'm going to take Ember for a walk before dinner. I need some fresh air and some time to think.”
He glanced out the window and noticed it had stopped raining. “I just want to get outside while it's dry.”
“That's a good idea,” he said. “Dinner will be done in about thirty minutes.”
“We’ll be back soon,” she said.
He opened the door for her to push the stroller out. He watched her walk off down the trail and disappear in the trees. His sense of protectiveness gripped his chest.
He wanted to follow her and force her to come back inside. But he told himself he was being ridiculous. He was just anxious because she had almost left him today.
He closed the door and shook his head. He couldn't start acting like that with a human girl. It would just scare her off even more.
She was taking Ember for a brisk walk in the cool spring air. It would be good for both of them and increase their appetite before dinner. He flipped his hamburgers as the vent sent the steam out of the kitchen.
Cato walked in the room and sat at the table with his computer.
“I don't know how to tell her, Cato,” Kian said. “I'm afraid that it will scare her so much she’ll leave. But if I don't tell her, she’ll leave. I need your advice.”
“Like I told you in the ship, I suggest you take it slowly. Drop small doses of information over time. That will help her get used to the idea. When the full picture is revealed, it won't shock her as badly.”
“I know you’re right. But I want to tell her everything. I want to be honest with her. She is my mate and it doesn't feel right lying to her.”
“It is not a lie,” Cato said. “You're just not telling her everything all at once.”
“A lie of omission is still a lie.”
“It's not exactly a lie of omission,” Cato corrected. “You are protecting her from shocking information.”
Kian sighed and his shoulders slumped. He checked his hamburgers again and put slices of cheese on top, watching them melt.
“I suppose you're right.”
“The girl is your mate. She is clearly attached to you and to Ember. She might be afraid, but her attraction and desire for her mate will keep her connected to you.”
“The last thing I want is to string her along and make her feel as if she is bound to me against her will,” Kian said, scooping the cheesy burgers onto a plate.
He popped the buns out of the toaster and cut slices of lettuce from the drainer in the sink.
“She is the first Dragon Soul to be mated with a dragon here on Earth. It is going to be a difficult transition for both of you. Having anxiety about it will not help you.”
“You’ve always given me good advice, Cato,” Kian said.
?
??I try.”
“Is dinner done?” Dax said, bounding into the kitchen.
Kian prepared a hamburger for him. Otherwise, he would eat the meat by itself with his hands.
“Yes, dinner is ready,” Kian said, sliding a plate across the marble counter to Dax.
Aiden entered the room and looked around. “Where is Everly?” he asked.
“She took Ember for a walk outside,” Kian said, looking at his watch. He realized she should have been back by now. “I will call her,” Kian said, pulling his phone out of his pocket.
He dialed her number and listened to the ring tone. After five rings, he began to grow concerned.
“Maybe she left her phone upstairs?” Dax said, sitting at the table and taking a huge bite of his hamburger.
“Humans carry their phones everywhere,” Aiden said.
“I should go check on her,” Kian said, sliding his finger over the phone and ending the call.
He shoved his phone in his pocket and stormed out the back door, feeling of rush of panic in his chest.
Something had told him he shouldn’t let her walk off alone. He couldn't quite place what it was. But the fear was real.
As his heart began to pound harder, he picked up his pace and ran down the path in the direction he’d seen her go.
He flung open the door of the gazebo and found it empty. When he didn't find them in there, he hurried back outside and ran up to the hillside that led down into the wild prairie beyond. The rolling hillside was drenched with rain, and the sky threatened to open up at any moment.
“Everly,” he yelled. “Everly!”
He looked around, panting, panic growing in his chest. Then, he spotted Ember’s stroller on its side down the hill in the meadow. He ran down there, the tall weeds slapping against his pants, drenching the fabric. He came to a halt, finding the stroller empty. He looked up, terror hitting him as his heart slammed.
“Where is she?” he asked. He smelled the air and the unmistakable scent of vampires lingered all around.
“Oh no,” he said.
The shields at the edge of the property did not extend this far. He should have warned her. What had he been thinking?
The vampires shouldn’t know of their existence. At least, that's what they had believed. How could he have been so stupid? How could he have made such a horrible mistake? Everly was a Dragon Soul and vampires fed on Dragon Souls to increase their power.
He growled at himself, fisting his hands as the dragon burst out from inside him. He bounded into the air, following the scent of Everly and the vampires. He activated the mental link between he and his crew. A garbled yell echoed to all of the other dragons.
“What are you saying?” Cato demanded.
All he could do was send back another animalistic scream.
“Is Everly gone?” Aiden asked.
As Kian followed the fading scent, he tried to calm down enough to tell them what was happening.
“Vampires,” he finally was able to say inside his frantic mind. “Vampires have taken Everly and Ember.” He growled. “We must find the vampires responsible and rip them to shreds.”
Chapter 16
Cato, Dax, and Aiden met Kian in the sky as he charged toward the scent.
“I know they have her,” he growled.
“We're coming,” he heard Cato say through their mental link.
“She must be at their compound,” Aiden said.
“How did they find out about her? About us?”
“Perhaps they tracked us after we scouted their property,” Cato said.
“I was stupid and blind,” Kian growled.
He couldn't remember ever feeling this angry. The vampires had taken his mate and his child. What did they plan to do with them? Violent images flitted through his mind that only made him angrier.
“If they lay a hand on either of them,” Kian growled.
“This is an act of war,” Aiden said.
“A war I intend to win,” Kian said.
They flew through the air under their invisibility cloak to avoid the eyes of the humans.
They arrived at the vampire’s estate within an hour and landed just outside the compound. They all shifted quickly, still under their invisibility cloak, and stood at the border of the property.
“They have increased their security,” Cato said across their mental link.
“How do we get through this?” Dax asked.
“I'm working on it,” Cato said.
Kian was so angry he was ready to storm into the mansion and find her himself, wards be damned. He could take on as many of these weakened vampires as was necessary, but he knew that the strategic response was wiser. So, he waited for Cato to analyze the wards.
“Their magical wards are weaker around the back. We can probably slip through under our invisibility cloaks. The wards are meant to detect movement. These vampires have never encountered true dragons so their wards are formulated for humans.”
“Got it,” Kian said. “Let's go.”
If they could sneak into the property without alerting the vampires, all the better. But he was not afraid of a fight. In fact, he wanted one. He hoped they would give him an opportunity, but he had to think of the safety of his mate and daughter. Going in undetected would probably keep them safer.
They crept around the back of the estate and found the point where the wards were weakest. They snuck through the wards and made their way to the back entrance of the mansion.
“I can smell them. They're close,” Kian said.
“We should just eat these fools,” Dax said.
“Hold that thought,” Kian said.
They slipped through a back door unnoticed. Kian sniffed the air, searching for her scent.
“She should be here,” Kian said.
“I'm picking up a basement in this building,” Cato said, running an analysis on his wrist device.
“We need to find a way down there,” Kian said.
“Scanning the building now,” Cato said.
They stood at the edge of an empty room full of books as Cato ran the analysis.
“The entrance is on the other side of the house. I'm picking up the signature of a dozen bodies in this building.”
“Have you found her?” Kian asked.
“I see a human body and the signature of an infant in the basement.”
“Then we go,” Kian said.
They slipped through an open door and padded down the hallway toward the entrance of the basement.
“I think we should just eat them,” Dax said.
“Just leave it, Dax,” Kian bit out through their mental link.
“I never get to have any fun,” Dax complained.
“I think this music is going to make me sick,” Aiden said.
“Would you two focus?” Kian growled. “We're here to find my mate. Not to eat vampires or critique their taste in music.”
“We will find her,” Aiden said. “I'm just gauging our enemy to understand them better.”
“Fine,” Kian said stiffly. “Let's go.”
They hurried through a room full of half a dozen vampires sitting around talking. One of them had a human slumped over his lap, his fangs deep in her wrist. The others were watching and laughing.
The dragon crew slipped along the wall and around the corner, down the hallway. At the end of the hall was the door that led to the basement. Kian gripped the handle, but it was locked.
Cato's scanned it with his wrist device and used his multipurpose laser to unlock it.
“Good,” Kian said, pulling the door open.
They all stepped through the door and closed it behind them. The smell of Everly and Ember hit his nose. Kian knew they were down here. The crew silently made their way down the stairs until they came to another hallway lined with closed doors.
“There, it’s the one in the middle,” Cato said.
Kian gripped the door and found this one locked as well. Cato tried to use his laser to open it
, but to no avail.
“This lock is warded.”
“We’re getting in there,” Kian said.
“Just bash it open,” Dax said.
Chapter 17
Everly screamed as the dark men grabbed her and Ember. She had just walked into the meadow a few feet when the man appeared out of nowhere and grabbed her.
“You're coming with us, little Dragon Soul,” sneered a man in a black hoodie.
“What do you want from me?” she screamed.
“Your blood, of course,” he said. The other one, who wore a red hoodie, snatched Ember and held her up, sniffing her body.
“It's a true dragon,” said the one in red. Everly could practically hear his mouth watering.
“Let her go,” Everly demanded, straining against the man in black.
“Never, she belongs us now. We just have to decide if we drain her now or keep her alive to drain her slowly over time,” said the one wearing the black hoodie.
“I think we should keep her alive,” said the one in the red hoodie. “I hear dragon blood is tasty.”
“We've been subsisting on Dragon Souls and now we have a real dragon of our own,” the one in black said gleefully.
“Let her go,” Everly insisted.
The vampire simply laughed at her as they clutched her and Ember in their cold, steely strong hands.
Suddenly the vampires evaporated into a cloud of black smoke, taking her and Ember with them. A split second later, they materialized again and were standing in front of the three-story mansion, deep in a green pine forest.
“Who are you? What do you want? What are we doing here?”
“Don't worry little Dragon Soul. You will be taken care of.”
Both of the men snickered and pulled her bodily into the house. The one in red was holding Ember in a precarious position. Everly reached out, trying to take her from the man's arms.
“Don’t touch,” he said. “This is my dragon baby.”
“What do you mean dragon?” she said, his words finally making sense to her ears.
“You don't know?” he said.
“We thought we smelled dragons. They must've snuck in here. But the jokes on them,” said the one in red. “We followed the scent and spied on them. Now we have their baby.”