Page 43 of Cruel Daddy Dragon

With that, I look to Merl:

“Okay, Merl, I need to go,” I say, as slowly as my panicked self can manage, “Can you wait here for Will?”

“Will…” He slurs, “He’s a good lad…”

“Yeah, he is. Wait here for him, okay? Wait here!” I insist, starting to run off.

I’m already sprinting before he can respond. I’m just flying across the ground like I’ve got the springs in my legs, hurtling toward my car.

God, I hope I have more time than my last vision!

If not, Rufus could be dying right now! I can’t lose him! Not so soon after falling in love!

Please let me get there before he dies!

Chapter 15 - Rufus

“That’s incredible,” Cyrus murmurs in awe, twisting the ring back and forth between his fingers, “And it was just down in that cave? Not hidden, not buried in the rock?”

“That’s what Sarah said,” I reply, “She just found it loose in the cave after Roscoe took it.”

Evander stares at the ring for a moment.

“So…” Evander says, “is this why Eclipse might have captured Sarah? She was carrying a relic?”

“No,” I answer, “She only got it yesterday when she went down into the cave. She was trying to follow Roscoe and only went down into the cave yesterday. Apparently, there’s all sorts of treasures in there.”

“So, Eclipsestillkidnapped Sarah for an unknown reason at this point?” Cyrus clarifies.

“Yeah,” I answer, “The relic’s a different thing.”

“And Roscoe was just walking around with this?” Cyrus asks.

“Apparently,” I reply.

He turns it back and forth, scanning his eyes over the band and the copper diamond stuck on top of the ring. He turns and looks around.

“Kaius?”

Kaius steps forward. Cyrus offers him the ring.

“Take this to Julie,” he orders, “Let’s see what she can discover about it with her history knowledge or her visions.”

“Yes, Alpha,” Kaius answers, pocketing it.

“Right,” Cyrus then says, “So, the meeting with the council is coming up, and Evander and I can’t miss that. We need to figure out exactly why Eclipse is kidnapping Greyson Ridge residents. But we can’t leave this hole open to the air in the meantime—especially if it’s as wide and full of relics as Rufus says it is. We need to be careful about how we split up. Our top priority is Lena, Julie, and the map, but I think it could be disastrous if we lose all the relics in that cave.”

Cyrus scans his eyes over us all.

“Rufus, you already know where the hole is, and Orion, you’re our best tracker,” he says, “So, you two will be the ones to investigate the hole. Milo, Kaius, are you two satisfied to stay behind and make sure the girls are safe?”

“I am,” Milo answers.

“Honestly, if you’d put me on reconnaissance duty, I might have argued,” Kaius says, “I need to make sure Julie’s safe if everyone’s splitting up.”

I can hear that growling, protective undertone in his voice. It’s so weird to think that a few days ago, I didn’t understand that fierceneedto know your mate was safe, but now, it’s a second nature I recognize in myself too.

But that means—

---