Page 25 of Hunter

He drew in a ragged breath before answering. “I…will discuss it with you first if it ever becomes necessary.”

Her eyes narrowed. “In what circumstances would it ever become necessary?”

“We will only know that when those circumstances arise,” he avoided.

“Hunter—”

“Zoey,” he bit her name out between a jaw and teeth that had started to shift into those of his dragon.

“We’ll discuss it first, yes?” she pressed urgently.

“Yes.” Much as it might cause him pain, Hunter knew that he would keep his promise.

CHAPTER NINE

“You’ve arrived back justin time for lunch, Miss Zoey,” Penrose greeted warmly when Zoey walked in after driving herself and Hunter back to Tregarthen House. “And I see you have brought our earlier visitor back with you.” The butler beamed with approval. “Will you be joining Miss Zoey for luncheon?” He directed the question at Hunter.

“I—”

“Is my uncle still in his study?” Zoey interrupted. Much as she liked Penrose, her priority right now was to talk to Edgar as soon as possible.

“Mr. Wallis?” The butler’s eyebrows rose. “I’m afraid he left shortly after you did.”

“Left to go where?” she demanded.

Penrose’s brows rose even higher at the aggression in her tone. “He didn’t say.”

“Any idea when he will be back?”

“He didn’t say that either.” The butler winced at his lack of knowledge of his employer’s movements. “He did take an overnight bag, his briefcase, and the helicopter, though, so presumably, it’s not somewhere close enough for him to return tonight.”

Zoey was stunned to learn Edgar was no longer here. That he had left shortly after she and Hunter had.

Dear God, was it possible Edgar had gone back to Scotland, taking the journal with him, meaning he was armed with the evidence of the existence of dragons? If so, then she and Hunter needed to get back there as quickly as possible too?—

“Thank you.”

Zoey looked up to see Hunter giving the butler a charming smile to accompany those obviously dismissive words.

“And I am very much looking forward to joining Zoey for lunch,” Hunter added smoothly. “Cottage pie is on the menu, I believe?”

“It is indeed, sir.” Penrose returned the warmth of that smile. “Can I instruct Cook that you will be ready to dine in ten minutes?”

“I—”

“That sounds wonderful, thank you.” Once again, it was Hunter who answered the older man.

“What are youdoing?” Zoey hissed the moment the butler had disappeared down the hallway leading to the kitchen. “We don’t have time to sit and eat lunch if we’re going to be in time to stop Edgar from hurting anyone else.”

“As soon as Penrose told us Wallis was no longer here, I warned my brothers through our telepathic link of the possibility of Wallis arriving in the Highlands, specifically at our location, in the next few hours,” Hunter told her grimly. “In the meantime, you are human, and as such need to be fed every four hours or so to maintain function and strength.”

“And you don’t?” she accused.

His wide shoulders moved in a shrug. “Dragon shifters can sometimes go days without food if we have to. But today we don’t need to, because your cook has made you a cottage pie.”

Her brow lowered in a frown. “How did you know that?”

“Because I was outside listening earlier when you arrived and spoke to both the butler and Edgar Wallis.”

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