Page 74 of To Ignite a Dragon's Desire

Kieran returned from whatever gloryhole he’d dropped the bastard’s car into. The owner of the hotel was nowhere to be found, but once I’d cleared all trace of the waste of human male ever setting foot in this place, I put a call into the paranormal authority division.

We waited for over an hour for the helicopter to arrive. Dion—our tiger shifter liaison in the division—looked rough as he jumped out of the bird in full black camo fatigues.

“The local human authorities have their hands full managing the breakdown, so they won’t start an investigation all the way out here. As far as I’m concerned, this never happened,” he spoke to Kieran.

That was fine by me. I didn’t much like dealing with the government these days.

“But I would like to know about these rumors involving the runes and a human mate,” Dion said.

Kieran looked at me.

I stepped away.

“We’ll tell you more when we learn more,” my cousin said.

They taped off the destroyed room and then the helicopter flew into the air.

It wasn’t enough—not the cover-up job—but the suffering of the human waste before he met his well-deserved end. If I could go back in time and make it worse for him, I would.

“Will she be okay?” Kieran came to stand beside me as I stood in the setting desert sun staring at the jagged rock formation in the distance.

My Riley was a tiny figure as she scaled the outcropping.

Careful…

“She’ll be fine.”

“You still haven’t claimed her,” Kieran spoke in that calming tone of his that could stop dragon clans from tearing out each other’s throats. “Not that I’m rushing you, but if our theory is correct—”

“Why haven’t you forced Malachy to come in?” I changed the subject. With all this theoretical nonsense, it was the guardian who really mattered.

Wasn’t it?

“No one forces Malachy to do anything.” Kieran gave a bitter laugh.

The desert wind blew in the silence that followed.

Feminine whispers drifted to us on the breeze from where Ember and Willow sat talking on the hood of the Bronco.

After a few beats, Kieran sighed. “I don’t want to get his hopes up if this isn’t the answer.”

“And these scrolls of yours say that Riley is the answer?” I knew they didn’t, but I wanted to remind him that he had no claim to my mate.

“The scrolls don’t tell us anything.” Kieran glanced back at his female. I recognized that lovestruck look in his eyes. “They’re the answer. I feel it in my bones. But we need more information to understand why.”

“Riley is not your test subject.” I turned away from my cousin.

Watch it…I breathed slowly through my nose, trying to contain the protective nature of my beast as Riley slid down the rock face a foot, gripping a bush to steady herself.

“I know that,” Kieran said. “But she is a part of something bigger than us.”

“I won’t rush her.”

“Even if the fate of the world lies in her hands?” Kieran asked softly so as not to rile my beast.

“Especially not then.” I looked at him from the corner of my eye. “Earth can burn for all I care. As long as my Riley enjoys the warmth of the flames.”

I saw the fear flash in his eyes.

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