Page 68 of Marked Dragon

She tilted her head. “Every time someone jumped out with an ax or machete?”

“I admit, the timing wasn’t the best, but my eyelashes clearly have a mind of their own,” he retorted. “Yes, it sounds suspicious, but dammit, you’ll just have to trust me.”

Does he really cry during horror movies?Thorn connected as he smirked, stealing my breath away.

Just one little move, and he turned me into complete mush.I don’t know. They didn’t include me in all things twinning.

His brows bunched together.Twinning?

That’s what they call their one-on-one time—or when they say things at the same time.I realized they hadn’t used the phrase in the past day or two, probably because Eva still wasn’t quite herself. This moment right here was the closest she’d been to the Eva I was used to.

“Will you two stop it?” Peter snapped. “I don’t know what’s worse. Hearing you babble back and forth or being stuck around—”

Thorn’s head jerked toward Peter, and my stepdad blanched.

“Woods,” Peter finally said. “There’s no telling what kind of wild creatures are out here.”

Laughter bubbled in my chest, and I bit the corner of my mouth to prevent it from spilling out. My humor died, though, when we rolled over a hill and the woods opened to reveal a modern white barn. A red truck with an extended cab was parked next to it, and a sizable man around Vlad’s father’s age leaned against the wall by the large wooden door.

As we descended, the side of the barn came into view. This place was the size of a large house. There were two windows in the front and two on the visible side, and they were covered by some sort of barrier, likely wood, which prevented me from seeing inside.

When we all got out of the vehicles, Thorn marched over to stand between Peter and me and took my hand. He cut his gaze to Peter, who stiffened.

Good.

The older man’s gray hair was styled back, and his muscles bulged from under his polo shirt. His warm tanned skin gave his six-and-a-half-foot frame a healthy glow.

His rich brown eyes narrowed as he lifted his chin and settled his gaze on Thorn. “I’d hoped that Aiden was wrong, but the resurrected dragon prince who steals other shifters’ dragons is, in fact, part of the group he asked me to hide.”

“My father wouldn’t lie.” Vlad stepped forward, blocking Thorn partially from the man’s view. “And here I thought you were his oldest friend, Theron.”

Theron snarled and arched a brow. “I am, but that doesn’t mean I couldn’t hope he was mistaken.”

Uncomfortable heat emanated through my connection with Thorn. His hand tightened on mine as he rasped, “If you didn’t want to chance me being here, you should’ve said no.”

“You’re right. I wasn’t thinking clearly, especially since you’ve come here seeking shelter and are speaking that way to the very person who’s risking so much by taking you in.” Theron sneered. “Your presence here puts my entire thunder at risk, especially my son.”

Especially his son? That was an odd thing to add.

“If you don’t want us here—” Cassidy started.

Theron lifted a hand. “Idon’twant you here. Alerting the warriors to your presence would be the smart thing to do.”

Thorn tensed, and my heart stopped.

“But Aiden has never asked me for a favor, so I’m doing this forhim. Make no mistake—if anything goes awry, youwillleave without putting up a fight. If you can’t promise that, I won’t give you access to the hiding spot.” The man’s face was lined with worry, and his voice grew thick with emotion. “Sol is already on Drake’s radar, and I can’t make him more of a target. He’s already lost too much.”

His heartbreak called to me. His tone was so familiar, reminding me of when I’d had to tell people that my mom had cancer.

The words were rough against my throat, but I asked the one question I’d hoped to ask when I was a doctor. “What’s wrong with your son? Why is Drake a danger to him?”

Theron’s head jerked back, and he inhaled sharply. “Drake is hunting him, too.”

CHAPTERTWENTY-TWO

I waited with bated breath,but I wasn’t sure I wanted to know the answer. That was the thing about knowledge. Once you had it, there were no takebacks. Knowledge was power, but sometimes, it had the power to destroy you.

Theron’s face twisted as if he smelled something horrid. “Is this a joke? You’re the royals’ advisor.”

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