Page 74 of Cruel Daddy Dragon

Milo gives an uncomfortable sigh.

“I don’t like it,” he says, “because she’s getting along, and this isn’t a normal pregnancy. If something happens, she might need someone who knows about shifters.”

“We don’t have the time to get anyone else, Milo,” Orion answers.

“I know,” he replies.

Orion then looks at me.

“Sarah, you get the girls to the police station and then get in contact with some of the others,” he says, “We need to go as quickly as possible.”

“I will,” I assure him, “Give me their numbers, and I’ll get in contact with them as soon as I’ve got Julie and Lena somewhere safe.”

“Right,” Orion says, then looks between the rest of them, “We need to get going as soon as possible, then.”

All of them nod. They then start hustling, getting ready for action. I can just stand, feeling like I have a stone in my stomach.

There are so many Eclipse dragons in my vision…

Are they going to make it?

Chapter 24 - Rufus

Everything happens so very fast after that—everyone gets ready in what feels like a moment, but then we get to the actual goodbyes, and time seems to stand still.

Time stands still when I meet eyes with Sarah, both of us alone for the first time since her announcement.

“Sarah…”

She drops her gaze, looking away from me. I walk forward and put a hand on her bicep.

“Sarah…” I say again.

“I’m sorry, Rufus,” she murmurs, “I know I promised that I was going to keep myself safe, but I don’t think there’s any other way.”

“I know,” I assure her, “It’s okay.”

Sarah meets my eyes again. Her green eyes shimmer subtly through held-back tears.

“I couldn’t think of any other way either,” I tell her, “I wish I could, but I couldn’t.”

I give her a small, sad smile.

“But… you are going to keep yourself safe, right?” I ask, “You, Lena, and Julie?”

She nods. Her eyes harden in determination.

“Of course. I’m going to keep the pair of them safe as I possibly can.” She gives me a teasing smile. “I think the side effect of that is that I’m going to have to hunker down myself to keep myself safe, too.”

I chuckle. She loses her smile and she’s looking at me with the eyes welling with tears again.

“I’m more scared for you,” she says, “Rufus, there were so many of them… it was a bloodbath. If you guys don’t ambush the Eclipse dragons right, then it’s going to be a disaster, and you… I mean… you…”

She trails off. Sarah averts her gaze again, and this time, when her green eyes fill with tears, she can’t hold them back. She places her hand on her forehead and hangs her head as the salt water starts to flow down her face.

“Oh, Sarah.”

I walk closer, close enough that my body lightly touches on hers. As soon as my torso presses on Sarah, her arms snap around mine, clutching at my back. She grabs tight fistfuls of my shirt and pulls me into her.

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