caffeine at this point. But physically, other than a bit of a lump that’s sore if I accidentally touch the left side of my head, I’m pretty darn good.”
“So lucky,” Sam gushed. “The two of you. That Blede came along, was able to send those thugs packing.”
“Yeah,” Laura agreed noncommittally.
I doubt luck had anything to do with it, she thought to herself. Blede was watching Kristin, protecting her, even if she didn’t know it.
“I still can’t believe you were almost kidnapped,” Sam repeated, shaking her head. “In Five Peaks of all places. This sleepy little mountain town. You’d never expect anything like that to happen.
“No, you wouldn’t,” Laura said. She’d been wondering just who the men that tried to take her and Kristin had been.
They weren’t human, she was sure of that. Based on the descriptions she’d read of dragons, and what she’d seen, there was no doubt in her mind that the men were also dragon shifters. But who? What clan did they belong to, and why had they tried to take the two women?
So many questions, but since Rakell continued to act like she was an idiot every time Laura brought up the fact that he was a dragon, it didn’t look like she was going to get answers any time soon. Which was rather infuriating.
Not that he was likely to do anything different. A dragon’s priority was to protect their secret, no matter the cost. If he gave it up just because some random woman said she knew of them, then he wouldn’t be a very good secret keeper, now would he? No, Rakell was doing his job. It would be up to Laura to earn his trust, his confidence, to the point that he told her the truth and admitted what he was.
Then, maybe, she could see his dragon for real.
“You sure you’re going to be okay if I leave?” Sam asked, finishing her glass.
“Yes, I will be fine,” Laura assured her. “Nothing is going to go wrong. I can handle being on my own. I’ve done it the past ten years. This is no different,” she said dismissively.
“Okay. I’ll be back later. Just ring the doorbell? Knock?”
Laura shook her head. “I might be passed out. I’ll get you a spare key.”
She got up and fished one off the key ring next to her fridge while Sam got ready to go home and then off to work.
“Thanks,” Sam said. “It’s been nice hanging out with you.”
“Agreed,” Laura said, giving Sam a hug. “I appreciate the company.”
“See you in a bit!” Sam said, slipping out the front door.
“You bet,” Laura agreed, closing it behind her and sliding the deadbolt across.
She turned to head back into the house, but paused, frozen in place as the large, empty house yawned open in front of her. She was alone, with nobody else around.
If someone were to break in, nobody would ever know…
The walls started to close in a bit. For a moment Laura almost found herself wishing that Rakell was there, so she could tell him he was right.
“No, you can do this on your own,” she said, speaking firmly to herself. “You’re a strong woman. Get a hold of yourself.”
But it wasn’t easy.
It would be a lot easier if Rakell was here…
Where had he gone, she wondered, that was so much more important than being here?
Chapter Eight
Rakell
“Thanks for coming.”
“Not a problem,” Rakell rumbled back quietly, trying to control his worry.
“You know the way?” Blede asked for the second time.
Rakell just nodded. He knew the way. He knew the plan. Not that he blamed Blede for being nervous. It was his mate that was going to be in danger. A room full of dragon shifters, nasty ones at that, awaited them.
“Wait for the signal then,” Blede said, nodding at the assembled group.
Then he and Kristin moved off, heading for the front entrance to the cave system.
“You heard him,” Rakell grunted, tilting his head at the old mine shaft. “Let’s go.”
Blede was the team commander, and Rakell was his second. The other trio followed immediately as they dove deep into the depths, their dragon eyes switching over to infrared, letting them see in the absolute darkness.
They jogged down and down, following the map that Rakell had memorized. The way was long, but they had some time to spare before Blede and Kristin confronted their Cado tormentors.
Cado, Rakell thought with a silent snarl. The worst of the worst of the dragons, all in one spot. A cesspool of evil and treachery, vileness