Page 68 of Seducing the Dragon
It was Nikki.
She could barely string together the fact Charlie must be dead before the young dragonwoman embraced her in a one-armed hug and said, “Evie! You’re alive.” Nikki hugged her more tightly. “I’m so sorry we failed to protect you. Bram’s words about the place being secure had put me off my guard.” The woman leaned back and her brown eyes searched Evie’s. “But even so, the fault is mine. I’m done being naive and stupid. If you give me another chance, I will protect you with my life next time.”
Tears prickled Evie’s eyes. “Don’t be daft. You have nothing to prove to me. I’m just glad you’re alive.” She squeezed the dragonwoman’s good shoulder. “Charlie didn’t make it, did she?”
Nikki’s face shuttered. “No, they killed her.”
Sensing the young dragonwoman’s guilt, Evie gave her friend a little shake and said, “Blaming yourself won’t accomplish anything. Channel your anger and sadness toward defeating the dragon hunters. Understand?”
Nikki searched her eyes. Her voice was quiet when she said, “You sound like Bram.”
“Well, I like to think he sounds like me.” Nikki gave a small smile and Evie was glad. She continued, “What about Murray? And speaking of Bram, where is he?”
Nikki motioned with her head toward the tent. “Bram hasn’t returned yet, but Murray’s over there. Kai’s wing of dragons rescued him from the fleeing scientists. He’s fine, but Dr. Sid is checking him over one last time inside the medical tent just to be sure.”
Rather than think on why Bram hadn’t returned yet, the desire to see Murray to verify he was okay rushed through her body. The little boy was alone, both of his biological parents dead. He needed a family, and Evie wanted to be his new family.
Giving her friend one last squeeze, Evie ran across the field and into the open-air tent. Scanning the interior, she saw Dr. Sid’s trademark ponytail and rushed over to her side. Murray was lying in a makeshift cradle and drooling in his sleep. The sight of him alive eased the tightness around her heart a fraction.
Her voice cracked. “Murray.” She looked to Dr. Sid. “Can I hold him? Please?”
Dr. Sid studied her a second before she replied, “I can’t find anything wrong with him, apart from needing some sleep. Just be careful not to wake him up.”
Nodding, Evie gently lifted Murray’s little body and laid him against her shoulder. She breathed in his warm baby scent and closed her eyes to keep herself from crying. The baby might be sleeping and oblivious, but holding his warm weight in her arms brought on a fierce protectiveness she couldn’t describe. Maybe the feeling was what mothers felt when holding their children.
Squeezing him tighter, she vowed to make sure Murray, and all of the other dragon-shifter children, would have a much safer future. Whatever Melanie Hall-MacLeod needed to help launch her book and make it successful, she would do it. There was no bloody way she’d allow them to be used as blood slaves.
Evie had no idea how long she stood there with her eyes closed, holding Murray’s warm little body, but the sudden shouting behind her snapped Evie out of her bubble of baby bliss. Opening her eyes, she looked toward the commotion and saw a wing of dragons approaching. One of them even carried a basket.
She wanted to hold Murray and never let go, but Evie forced herself to lay the little boy down. He would be safe enough withall the medical staff and other dragon clan members watching over him inside the tent. With one last brush of his soft, chubby cheek, Evie moved toward the crowd in front of the medical tent.
Scanning the dragons in the sky, she saw one blue beast, but the size and shape was off. It wasn’t her dragonman.
Her heart hammered in her chest. Where was he? If Kai and Finn had both returned, then the dragons in the sky should be the final wave. Bram should be with them. Unless he was hurt and being carried in the basket.
Or, worse, he could be dead.
No.With a deep inhale, she pushed aside her fears and mustered up her DDA inspector persona. She needed to be strong not only for herself, but also for the others. If she showed worry, the rest of the clan would no doubt echo it.
Raising her chin and straightening her shoulders, Evie barked, “Clear the area. If someone’s hurt, we don’t want Dr. Sid wasting time to push you lot out of the way.”
The various clan members glanced at her. For a split second, she hesitated, but then remembered no one in the crowd would hurt her. Unlike with Clan Skyhunter, Evie had special protections. The clan members would never hurt their leader’s mate.
Right, Evie. Be the hardass inspector. You can do it.On the next exhalation, she raised an eyebrow and made a shooing motion with her hands. When the dragon-shifters created a pathway, she let out her breath.
Dr. Sid squeezed her arm as she rushed past. As soon as the black dragon laid the basket on the ground, Bram stood up with a naked woman in his arms.
“Bram,” Evie whispered. Her dragonman met her eyes and the world stilled around her.
Even at a distance, his pale blue eyes were filled with sadness. Glancing toward the woman in his arms, she saw it was Charlie.
Aware of the clan’s eyes on her, Evie made her way quickly but efficiently toward the basket. By the time she reached it, a male dragon-shifter had also approached the basket. Bram’s gaze moved to the dragonman. She heard him say, “I’m sorry, Hudson. It was too late. The hunters were cruel, but your mate died fighting to the end. The entire clan will remember her sacrifice and forever honor her service. She will not be forgotten.”
The dragonman took Charlie’s limp body from Bram and hugged her close. His eyes were wet and voice scratchy when he said, “Thank you for bringing her back to us. Now we can give her a proper goodbye.”
Evie’s throat closed at the sight of the dragonman holding his dead mate. Evie would also look after Charlie’s family. After all, the dragonwoman had been captured protecting her.
Bram nodded and the dragonman walked away with Charlie in his arms.
