Page 22 of Mate For Hire (For Hire 3)

Her pain shot through him, stealing his breath. The tears on her lashes almost brought him to his knees. He dropped the man and hurried over to her, dragging her into his arms. When he tried to examine her body for injuries, she smacked his hands away.

“Get off. I said come inside. We have to find him. Help us.”

“Find?”

His brother and the other men landed. Shifters were dropping down all over the neighborhood. Gerard smelled the rising fear from the neighbors. He guessed the police would arrive soon. The sooner they moved Lachelle and her family out of the area the better.

Janessa appeared in the door. When she spotted her husband, she screamed in anguish and ran to him. “Declan, they took our baby. They took our baby.”

Her sob cut through Gerard afresh, but his agony was nothing to Declan’s rage. The cry of the king ripped through every shifter. Everyone, including Gerard, fell to his knees. Gerard’s gut somersaulted. A few of the men around him were sick on the pavement. Declan’s pain and fear tore them apart, to be followed hard with a desire for blood.

“Why would they want little Bannon?” Janessa sobbed.

“The humans would dare touch my son?” Declan shouted. “I will burn this city down. Where is he? Where is my son? Find him now!”

Shifters took to the skies everywhere. None of them tried to hide themselves. Gerard knew each made sure they could be seen from the ground. Their intent was to intimidate the humans and force them to see what they had done.

When Declan flew, Gerard started to as well. Lachelle hung onto him. “Please bring him back, Gerard. Janessa has been going crazy. My mom is sick over this. She’s not doing too well. Help us. Promise you’ll bring him back.”

He looked down at her. “I promise.”

“D-don’t kill anyone, please.”

“I don’t promise that.”

“But—”

“I can’t control Declan. He will want death to pay for touching his son.”

Lachelle hesitated. “If she is supposed to be the go-between, then get her to do her job.”

“She’s not here.”

“Why not? Why isn’t Kelly here when it looks like all the rest of you are? Maybe she was the one who informed the police or military or whoever attacked us. She might be the mole.”

“Impossible. None of us has ever turned on our own.”

“You forgot about Patrick Sevelle.”

“His goal is to unite the shifters.”

“You’re still defending him? All I’m saying is it’s suspicious that they knew when we were coming. Do with that information what you want.” She folded her arms over her chest.

He took a minute to reflect on the fact that she was alive and safe, drowning in her beautiful brown eyes, and then he flew after his brother.

Chapter 9

The roars were heard every few minutes. They drove Lachelle crazy and made her jumpy. While she tried to minimize the reaction, she noticed her mom flinch each time a dragon shifter roared.

On the TV, the media played alarming footage, shifters turning over the city looking for Bannon. At any time, she could look out the window and see it all in real time. There was always a shifter in the sky in full dragon form. They wanted to intimidate the humans.

“Where is he?” Janessa moaned. “Why can’t Declan find my baby? He should be able to track him. They’re better than bloodhounds. Why can’t he smell him?”

“Sis, sit down. You’re wearing yourself out.” Lachelle tried to get Janessa into a chair, but right after she pushed her down on the cushions, Janessa popped up again. She paced, tugging her hair, tears streaming down her cheeks.

Lachelle turned to her mom, who was so pale Lachelle worried she would collapse. Earlier, she had tried to get her mom to go to bed, but she refused as well. Even her dad couldn’t get her mom to lie down. If this kept up who knew where it would lead. She wished this mess was over soon.

When her dad came back into the room, she left the two women with him and stepped outside. One of Declan’s men landed in front of her. “Please, ma’am, go back inside. We need to keep you safe.”

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