Page 12 of The Dragon Recruit
“Fine, fine. I’ll get back to the point—Gavin Edwards is one of the best spies in the United Kingdom. He can get in and out of places we can only imagine. Besides, if you’re investigating a drug that can kill dragon-shifters, then it might be a good idea to have a human around to save you, if you’re exposed.”
The dragonman grunted again, and Antony resisted rolling his eyes. Sometimes, managing a human-dragon team of highly skilled but socially awkward or stunted individuals was challenging. Of course, living on the edge of society would change anyone.
As he well knew.
Antony leaned back in his chair and steepled his fingers in front of him. “Take Gavin with you for this investigation, and I’ll reconsider approving your transfer to Northern Ireland.”
“Really? You’d let me leave?”
“I don’t want to lose you, and I think you’ll find I’m easier to work with than my Northern Irish counterpart. But yes, I will put in the transfer myself, once we’ve finished the case of the missing dragon-shifters. But that means working with your partner and not against him.”
Antony didn’t know all the details about why Joseph wanted to return to Northern Ireland, although he suspected he’d met his true mate on an assignment over there over a year ago. While the dragonman hadn’t said anything specific, Antony had his sources.
Joseph nodded. “Fine, I’ll do as you ask. But you’d better follow through, Antony. Or I can bloody well drag my feet in the future, if you renege.”
“Right, understood. Now, go find Gavin and let me know when you’re heading out.”
The dragonman stood. “You’ll hear from me as soon as I learn anything.”
With that, Joseph strode out of Antony’s office. He was just about to try doing some work again when Dr. Turner sent him a text message. Apparently, she was ready to try out the prototype with Iris.
As he made his way to the quarantine area, he imagined Iris’s first words. She’d probably scold him, and for some reason, that made him smile.
Chapter Five
Cooper Maxwell was having a hell of a week.
While it’d started out fantastic, being given more responsibility by Faye and Grant, it’d only become more complicated from there.
First, his meeting with Antony Holbrook and his bombshell about the missing exiled dragon-shifters.
Then Iris went to investigate their disappearances and didn’t return. Just as he’d organized a search party, Antony Holbrook had sent a message, saying Iris was with him, immediately confirmed by one of Lochguard’s liaisons at the Department of Dragon Affairs, or DDA.
And now, as he stared at one of his fellow Protectors, Zoe Watson, he tried to take in what she’d just told him. “You found a human female unconscious just outside the clan’s boundary?”
She nodded. “Not only that, but she was beaten up pretty badly. Dr. McFarland is doing what she can for her, but the human female has no ID, no mobile phone, nothing to tell us who she is until she wakes up.”
Judging by Zoe’s voice, it was more a case ofifshe woke up.
He ran a hand through his hair. “Aye, well, keep a close eye on her. As soon as the female wakes up, see if you can find outher name and if she has any family to contact. In the meantime, I’ll have to reach out to the North Highland human police and ask about missing persons.”
“Will they even share information with you?”
The human male in charge of the nearest station detested dragon-shifters. He kept waiting for someone from Lochguard to slip up so he could charge them.
His dragon spoke up.I still think he’ll mess up first. Then we can report him and maybe even get rid of him.
Aye, maybe. But we have more important things to worry about. If someone got close enough to Lochguard to dump a person undetected, then we have a blind spot. And we need to find it. Fast.
He replied to Zoe, “That human will make it as difficult as possible, but I have to try, aye? If worse comes to worst, then I can contact the main Scottish police headquarters.”
“I don’t envy you, Cooper.”
He snorted and stood. “I don’t blame you. Thanks for the info, Zoe. Now, go watch over the female and let me know when she wakes up.”
After following Zoe out of the room, he turned the opposite way down the corridor and headed for one of his best friends and most trusted Protectors, Brodie MacNeil.
He found Brodie’s ginger head bent over a desk with papers strewn about. The dragonman didn’t even lift his face as Cooper approached. The male said, “I’m already trying to figure outhowsomeone left that female here without us noticing.” He clenched some papers, crumpling them. “Because if it was one of the fucking dragon hunters, it could be a warning that one of us is next.”
