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“We will capture her by any means necessary.” The sound of shuffling and muffled voices indicated more people were now present. Tomas sounded wild and unhinged when his voice rose above the rest. “I want her in my lab, and I want it done now! I don’t care what you do to make it happen.”
More muffled voices before the recording faded to nothing.
The blood drained from my face. We’d known he was after my blood, but we hadn’t realized just how desperate he’d grown. It made him seem even more volatile and unpredictable than before.
The room seemed to grow impossibly hot as I glanced at Evan. He pulled me to him, his arms wrapped protectively round my middle. His breath was a fiery growl against my neck.
“We won’t let him anywhere near you. I swear it.” His voice was tight with barely leashed rage. His eyes glowed gold, the ferocity of his dragon shining through. I could sense the power that ran wild within him, urging him to protect me at all costs. My own dragon stirred in response, my chest pulsing with warmth and devotion.
“He’s still experimenting,” Jax said quietly. “They still have some of your blood.”
Which meant we didn’t have the leisure of waiting around. If the doctor was successful, they might be able to replicate the serum, even without me. There was still the hope that it wouldn’t work on anyone else, that my buried shifter genetics were the only reason the serum had worked on me. But how many other people were out there like me? People who thought they were an average human, but carried the gene from far back in their line?
I glanced around the room at my newfound family. People who were fiercely loyal and devoted to protecting their own. Each of the men here with me looked back, determination in their set jaws.
“Evan’s right,” Lucas said. “The security team is being upgraded every day. He won’t get to you, we’ll make sure of it.”
Evan let out a slow breath, visibly working to contain his dragon's fury. He looked at me, then at the others, the wheels turning in his head “No, he won’t. Because she isn’t going to be where Tomas expects.”
I frowned at him. “What do you mean?”
He gave me a tight smile. “We may not be able to fly, but are you feeling up to a road trip?”
“A road trip?”
Evan nodded. “It could throw Tomas off the trail. He’d never expect us to take you from the clan lands. It will buy us time to figure out our next move, and it might give us the chance to learn more about your past and possibly find the answers we need.”
The prison, then. He wanted us to go visit my mother’s murderer. My heart raced while I considered his proposal. It was something I’d decided to do, and something that was even more necessary now, but it still filled me with uncertainty and dread.
“Okay,” I said, my voice subdued.
I trusted Evan with my life. He'd proven himself worthy over and over, and I had no reason to doubt him now.
“Then, it’s settled. I need to address the clan before we leave, as well as make travel arrangements…”
“And Sofia’s birthday party,” I said before my mind zoned out as the three of them discussed strategies and plans. The overwhelming grip of anxiety clutched me as I thought about what might await us, and what unexpected wrenches Tomas might throw our way. I wasn’t a fool. I knew everything we fought for was at risk. Our family, our future. Once we set this next phase in motion, there’d be no turning back.
Later that day, I made my way back up to the office. The anxiety had gotten the best of me earlier, and I’d retreated to my room. My dragon was restless, as if she felt the same anxiety at what lay ahead of us. She hadn’t existed when I’d been kidnapped by Tomas before, hadn’t lived through that trauma, but she still seemed uneasy. Was she confused? She hadn’t been born like a natural shifter’s dragon, mostly dormant from infancy into early adolescence. She’d been manufactured. Created by a monster.
I’d been exhausted from thinking through it all and slept most of the afternoon. I managed to get in a little time to work on my studies, which were usually an excellent source of distraction, but the questions circling my mind sent me in search of Evan before too long.
The weakening afternoon rays filtered into the office once I pushed the door open. Evan sat hunched over his desk with papers strewn around him. His dark hair fell into his eyes as he scribbled something on a notepad. The soft sound of pen scratching against paper filled the otherwise quiet room.
“Hey,” I said softly before I made my way closer and sat in the chair opposite his. “Everything coming along okay?”
He glanced up, giving me a smile as his dark eyes warmed, but I still saw that they were tinged with worry. “The speech is getting there. I want to make sure I cover all my bases and rally everyone together.” He sat back and ran his fingers through his hair. “I just want to get it right.”
“You’re going to be amazing.” I meant that with my whole heart. Evan had been born for this role, quite literally, and I had every bit of faith in him.
He studied my face, his smile fading slightly. “Is everything okay with you?”
I hesitated, my mind still caught up in my thoughts from earlier. But who better to talk this through with than my mate? “Can I ask you something?”
“Of course. You can always ask me anything.” He leaned forward, giving me his full attention.
“I’ve just been thinking…about the origin of dragons,” I said, still hesitant.
“What about it?”
