Page 21 of Dragon Exposed

I sighed. “At this point, I think it’s safe to assume no one thinks dragons are friends.” I glanced around the room again, wary of everyone who might’ve been able to identify me. I’d never felt like a fugitive before, but I didn’t want to keep looking over my shoulder the rest of my life.

I didn’t want Izobelle to have to look over her shoulder either.

“Just be careful. And call our brother back before Ash hunts you down in person.” Declan sounded tired, more than anything else, and I could only imagine how my other brothers were responding to this whole thing. Especially Henrik and Ash, who had mates to think of, mortal women who had fallen for dragons.

If the whole country was scared of dragons, what would they do to the women who dared to love us?

“I’ll call Ash as soon as I can. There’s some work I have to do first.” I hung up, tucking my phone back in my pocket.

I needed to get supplies, find a vampire, and get back to Izobelle before she thought I abandoned her forever.

* * *

It took mostof the night to find a vampire.

It was like they all went underground, like they knew I’d be looking for them. Or, worse, they knew something bigger was coming down, and didn’t want to be a part of it.

Whatever those bloodsuckers had planned, I wasn’t going to let my mate suffer at their hands ever again.

I was sure my brothers would give me plenty of shit for being so certain, so hellbent on keeping her without even the possibility of my heartstone lighting up. We’d find it eventually, or maybe we never would. I didn’t need to see the glowing light of my tourmaline to know that she was mine, and I was going to do everything in my power to keep her. Starting with taking down the vampire who hurt her.

I was just about to give up my search in favor of returning to Izobelle when I heard him.

He had to be fairly new, still a sloppy eater. Unlike Viktor, who took pride in the kill, who only spilled a drop when he wanted to make a point, this bloodsucker had no decorum, no care for the bodies he dropped.

Still, he wasn’t like Cillian or James—he didn’t care about human life, and when he turned on me and lunged, fangs bared and ready for a fight, it was all too easy to grab him and restrain him.

“Fucking dragon. I should bring the news cameras out to meet you. I can smell the beast all over you.” The grin he gave me was demented, like he’d gotten high off whatever had been coursing through his victims’ blood. “That swan dive on the morning news was just the tip of the iceberg. We’re going to wipe all you filthy shifters off the face of this planet.”

Fucking hells. I had no other choice. He couldn’t be allowed to live, but Ash would never forgive me if I didn’t find out everything this fang knew.

If he could help me bring closure to my mate in the process, I wasn’t going to stop until I knew every last bit of information in the damned vampire’s head.

I wasn’t nearly as gentle with the vampire as I was when I carried Izobelle, and I made damned sure there was no way he could leave a trail for anyone to follow, keeping him far from the duffle bags I carried in my other claws.

The cabin was dark and quiet when I got back, and for a minute I worried Izobelle had decided to risk the woods, rather than staying with me.

As I dragged the vampire downstairs into the cellar, though, I heard her.

The faintest creak of a stair. A gasp. The quick skitter back to the bedroom.

I really needed to figure out how to get her to talk to me, to allow me to be close to her again.

Hopefully, coffee, muffins, and clothes that she’d undoubtedly be more comfortable in would help ease the way.

If those didn’t work, there were plenty of bloodsuckers in the world that I could bring out here, until we found where Viktor was holed up. Until Izobelle got her vengeance on the creature who almost destroyed her.

Getting the vampire tied up and secured in the cellar took next to no time. Since I’d come to New York specifically on a mission to hunt down and try to sort out what the vampires were planning, I’d outfitted the cabin’s basement like a dungeon, filling the space with cages no bloodsucker could escape, extra strong shackles, a few preferred torture devices and plenty of tools designed to hurt, to maim.

This new vampire was hardly worth the effort, but I had no doubt he’d be able to lead me to bigger fangs.

“You can’t keep me down here. When I break free from these chains, the first thing I’m going to do is bleed out that sensual scent I smelled on our way down here.” He flashed his fangs at me, a sinister, bloodstained grin on his lips. “Whoever she is must be important to you, if you don’t have her tied down here with me. A sister? A mate?”

I snarled at him, my hand flying up to his throat so fast I didn’t feel like I had any control on it, like my dragon was in charge of the motion more than me. “You will never get your hands on her. You will rot down here, dry out, and turn to dust before you ever breathe fresh air again.” Squeezing tighter than I could have if he were human, I leaned in close enough that I had no doubt he’d be able to hear my calm, steady heartbeat. “If you ever threaten her again or hurt her in any way, I’ll pop your fangs out and make sure you never taste another drop of blood again.”

There wasn’t any chance in any hells that I would let him out of here alive, even before he’d dared to threaten Izobelle, but if he thought there was a chance of getting out, maybe he’d cooperate, and I’d make his death quick.

Or at least quicker.

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