Page 15 of His Brazen Mate

“Agreed.”

“The auction would be the perfect opportunity to get an idea of who the other players might be and gather crucial and concrete evidence.”

“And Drake?” Turner asked, his voice cautious. “What’s his role in all this?”

Megan hesitated, choosing her words carefully. “I believe if he’s involved, it is unknowingly. Remember, he’s only recently returned home. He can be an asset if we play this right.”

“Megan, I need you to be completely honest. Are you compromised?”

She took a deep breath, the bond with Drake still fresh in her mind. “No. I can handle this. Going deeper undercover is our best shot.”

Turner was silent for a moment, weighing Megan’s words. “Alright. But you need to be careful. If things go south, get out of there immediately. Understood?”

“Understood,” she echoed. “I’ll keep you updated.”

She ended the call and took a moment to compose herself. The risk was enormous, but so was the potential payoff. If she could gather enough evidence, the ATF could dismantle the smuggling operation and take down those behind it once and for all.

Gathering her belongings, Megan couldn’t help but think of Drake. She was walking a fine line between her duty to the ATF and the burgeoning connection between her and Drake. Not so long ago, there had been a time when she had discarded the idea of ever having a mate. And now, although he hadn’t obtained her consent to either claim or turn her, she was finding she liked the idea of spending eternity with Drake.

As she left the cabin, she steeled herself for the challenges ahead. The path was fraught with danger—both physical and emotional—but she was committed to forging ahead. She was ready to complete her objective, which had now become two-fold: take down the smuggling operation and help Drake find the answers to what had caused his father’s death.

She made her way back to Northern Lights, each mile bringing her closer to Drake. The closer she got, the more strongly she could feel his comforting presence. She was greeted warmly by the men at the gate and shown through immediately. They told her, as a member of the clan, where she should park her SUV. When she parked and walked up to the main house, Drake stood on the porch waiting for her; his eyes immediately sought hers, a mix of relief and concern in his gaze.

Folding her into his arms, he rumbled, “I have missed you, my mate. Is everything okay?” He searched her face and reached down through the bonding link, looking for any signs of distress.

Megan nodded, offering a reassuring smile. “Yes, everything’s fine. I got what I needed.”

“Good,” he said, though his eyes lingered on her as if trying to discern any hidden truths. “Let’s get inside. It’s cold out here.”

Wrapping her arm around him, she quipped, “It’s Alaska—cold is sort of a given for most of the year.”

As they entered the house, Megan couldn’t shake the feeling that the upcoming auction would be a turning point for her undercover operation, for her relationship with Drake, and for the truths they were both seeking. The stakes were higher than ever, but she was ready to face whatever came next.

Megan stood in front of the mirror, her reflection staring back at her with a mixture of confidence, determination, and doubt. She smoothed down the elegant dress she had chosen for the high-stakes bourbon auction, its sleek lines and dark fabric making her look every bit the part she needed to play. Her mind, however, was a tempest of conflicting emotions.

She turned slightly, adjusting the fall of the dress over her hips, and caught a glimpse of Drake in the background. He was busy preparing, his movements sure and confident. The sight of him stirred something deep within her, something she had been trying to ignore since the claiming bite. A dragon and a snow leopard—it would never work. Their worlds were too different, their paths too divergent.

A sudden beep from her phone pulled her from her thoughts. It was a message from Winter Campbell, the beta and fated mate to Sean Campbell of the snow leopards in the Scottish Highlands. Winter had become a trusted confidante—someone Megan could turn to when the weight of her dual life became too much.

“Yo, girl, what’s up? You’ve been on my mind, and rumor has it you’re hanging out with dragons?” Winter’s familiar Scottish brogue was a balm to Megan’s frazzled nerves.

“You know, when you left Windsong and Colby’s clan, I really thought you’d become isolated up in the Highlands.

“Yeah, Sean thought that as well,” Winter laughed. “Seems you were both wrong. Seriously, Meg, I keep thinking about you and wondering if I should be more worried than usual.”

Winter had been Megan’s safety net for years. It wasn’t that Megan didn’t trust the ATF to have her back, but her training agent had cautioned her to always have a backup outside the agency. Someone who knew where she was and what she was working on, so if things went sideways, she would have a way out. Winter had been that safety net.

“This one’s gotten a little dicey…”

“Dangerous? Do you need an extraction?”

Megan smiled. “I only wish it were that simple.”

“The dragon lord?” Winter asked quietly.

“How the hell do you always know everything?”

“Because I’m not nearly as unconnected or isolated as Sean would like me to be.”

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