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Rafe followed Aaron’s lead through the forest, watching his step to make as little noise as possible.
While Aaron hadn’t wanted Rafe to join his team originally, laying out Rafe’s experience had swayed the dragonman’s case.
There was no way Rafe was going to sit back and watch Stonefire capture the bastards who’d injured his woman without him.
While Rafe had remained inside the great hall helping Melanie and Evie, everyone had heard the unique roar signaling an attack. He’d barely made it to a window to see Nikki’s dragon form dive toward the ground. Watching her dodge the blasts spoke of skill, but eventually, one hit its mark. The time between Nikki being hit and her safely making it to the ground had been some of the most intense seconds of his life.
His fear had turned into something else—anger. The hunters needed to be dealt with quickly. He trusted Dr. Sid to take care of Nikki and the rest of the clan to care for her until he returned. He had no doubt Nikki would understand his choice to capture the enemy first and check on her later.
Rafe itched for his missing gun but had conceded to leave his weapons with Stonefire’s Protectors when he first arrived. Aaron hadn’t allowed him to retrieve them, citing how the dragon-shifters didn’t use firearms in their attacks. Maybe with training later, it could work. But in the present, it was too risky.
No worries. Rafe could do with stretching some of his hand-to-hand combat skills. The trick would be in not killing the bastards; they would provide far more information alive than dead.
Aaron raised a fist, signaling for them to halt. Rafe scanned the shadows for any movement. But beyond the wind through the trees and the occasional bird’s cry, he saw and heard nothing unusual.
Of course, dragon-shifters had super sensitive hearing, and Aaron had probably noticed something. Before meeting and caring for Nikki, Rafe would’ve grumbled and resented the fact the dragons had a better ability than him to defend Nikki’s honor. In the present, he was grateful for any skill that could capture their prey.
Aaron pointed to Rafe and then himself. Then he divided the remaining four members into two more teams. With a nod, Rafe followed Aaron as they headed northwest.
The next time Aaron stopped, he motioned with his finger for Rafe to come closer. When he complied, Aaron’s voice was barely a whisper. “I hear at least four intruders. Humans by their smell. We’ll stay ten feet apart and attack them from the sides. If possible, I want them alive. I’ll give an eagle cry when it’s time to move in closer and another when it’s time to attack.”
With another nod, Rafe moved into position. Keeping his breathing even and crouching as still as possible, he finally heard a branch break under someone’s foot. He now at least had a general idea of where his targets were.
Rafe waited patiently for Aaron’s signal. Successful operations almost always came down to timing.
At the sound of a screeching eagle’s cry, Rafe kept low as he moved quickly through the trees. Within sixty seconds, he spotted two men and one woman gathered around an item on wheels. Suspecting it was the laser gun used on Nikki, or at least one of them, Rafe assessed his options.
The branch and small brush on the ground would create noise when he charged. Scanning above,
the trees were still bare-limbed since it was late February. A few of the larger branches stretched toward the small group. Attacking from above would also give him the element of surprise.
Jumping up, he pulled himself into the tree above. Inching his way along the sturdy branch, he edged as far as he could without straining the limb. The three below were so engrossed with their task, they never looked up. Rafe looked to the right and made out a few armed soldier-like figures further down. However, their clothes were civilian and the members of the group were aged from late teens to late fifties.
A second eagle’s cry interrupted his assessment and Rafe jumped from the branch to the two men who had their backs to him. His momentum tumbled them all to the ground.
Ignoring the cries in the distance, Rafe focused on the two men struggling beneath him. One was overweight and the other was extremely thin, but neither had much in the way of muscle and did nothing but squirm and yell. Good. It would make things easy.
Lifting their heads by their ears, he gripped the side of their skulls and banged them together. Both men went down like stones and didn’t move.
Just as Rafe turned toward the woman, his face ended up less than a foot from the strange weapon’s barrel. His hand itched to go to where he usually holstered his weapon, but he stopped when he remembered it wasn’t there. His gun would have come in fucking handy right this moment.
The woman’s voice shook as she ordered, “Move any closer and I’ll shoot.”
From the corner of his eye, he could see the woman’s arms trembling. Shit. That didn’t bode well for him.
His best chance was to reason with her. “Look, if you’re here because you hate the dragons, then know I’m human and with the British Army.”
“You’re lying.”
“Am I?” Rafe noted the lack of yelling to the side. Aaron might be near. He needed to stall. “Your weaponry is illegal. Did you think we didn’t know you were going to use it? We’ve just been waiting for the right time.” Pausing a second, he listened for any sign of Aaron, but didn’t hear it. He continued, “Surrender yourself now and cooperate and you might avoid a lifetime in prison.”
The woman’s countenance slipped, but then hatred flashed in her eyes. “It will be worth it. The dragons let my son die when they could’ve saved him. But no amount of pleading swayed their case.”
Get her to open up to you and she’ll be less likely to kill you. “What did your son die of?”
“Leukemia.”
Rafe knew full well dragon’s blood couldn’t cure cancer, but arguing with the woman wasn’t going to help him stay alive. “I’m truly sorry to hear that, miss. You have my condolences.”
