Page 101 of The Mating Claim
All eyes turned to Lacey. She backed away until hitting the wall behind her, holding her hands out in vain. As if she could protect herself from theirwrath.
Only Drust’s gaze remained calm and level. But Niki’s blue eyes turned fiery orange. Power filled the air, crackling and snapping like a live electrical line. Lacey felt the heat of a mother’s outrage and fury, all directed at her, as if Niki wanted to snap herneck.
Niki was no mere shifter, she realized, but a powerful immortal.Aw damn, I’mtoast.
She wasn’t stupid. Lacey ducked behind Drust, reasoning if Niki was going to toss a fireball or hurl power at her, Drust could absorb theblow.
This was the one time she knew it was a bad idea to shift into a dragon and flyaway.
“Calm down, Niki. Lacey has been with me the entire time. She did not take your son,” he said in a deep, commandingvoice.
“Then WHO did?” Nikiroared.
Drust handed Kara over to Niki, whose temper suddenly cooled as she cradled herdaughter.
“Smart move, wizard,” Laceywhispered.
Fresh tears trickled down the immortal’scheeks.
“Mama, mama, no cry,” Kara said, patting her mother’s face. “FindKeegan.”
Drust centered his gaze on the child. “Kara, honey, tell Uncle Drust what the green dragon looked like. Did it fly with bigwings?”
He stretched out hisarms.
The toddler put a finger in her mouth. “No fly. Crawled in here. Nowings.”
Lacey’s blood ran cold. A dragon without wings? Did that dragon want Tristan and Nikita’s son for some evil purpose, to restorewings?
“And then what, honey?” Drust asked gently. “What did the dragondo?”
“Dragon turn into woman. Woman sang and I fellasleep.”
“That woman is dead,” Niki cried out. “When I find her, if my son isharmed…”
Drust squeezed her hand. “There is far too much emotion here. We must think logically and clearly if we are to find your son, Niki. Someone had to have alerted the dragon and brought the shifter here in disguise. Nia, are there are any Lupines on your ranch who have shown overt interest in your niece and nephew? Asked questions about your sister and herwhereabouts?”
Nia’s blue gaze widened. “Yes, a couple of them. Three, actually. Jackson, but he’s loyal to the bone, would never hurt a child. Dennis, but he’s our accountant and likes to tally all the expenses and wanted to know if Niki… would require extra care because he’d have to add it into the ranch budget. Then there’s Patrick, who’s been helping out with the ponies we got for thechildren…”
“Tell Aiden to gather those three together and question them by the barn. I will be therepresently.”
Still clutching her hand, Drust left the room and they went down the stairs. The living room was deserted. Good place totalk.
Tell him the truth. Lacey tugged at his hand as he went to gooutside.
“Wait.”
He turned, looked ather.
“Drust, I think… this is my fault. Remember what I said a couple of daysago?”
Lacey’s heart thudded hard against her chest. “I said I wish I’d never see my foster mother again and I wished she’d find another kid, the wrong kid whose real parents cared and would exact revenge for her sick kind of mothering. But I was thinking about Tristan – and wondered what would happen if Melanie picked on the wrong kind of kid, a kid likeTristan’s.”
If this was her fault, how could she ever forgive herself? One thing to wish for a mythical hydra to appear in the sea and then watch it vanish. Another to bring a child to harm, even though she would never wish it. Yet again she saw the grim wisdom of Drust’s warning about the Book of Shadows and the consequences of usingit.
“Lacey, perhaps your wish did trigger something, but I suspect there is far more here than simply wishing your foster mother would happen upon a child whose parents could deliver punishment. If that were the case, you would wish for a child with teeth and fangs to biteMelanie.”
His reassuring smile did little to comfort her, but it was so nice to see, to know he was on her side. “Thanks. Let’s go find these cowboys and question them. You’re right about someone on the inside providing information on Niki and Tristan’s twins beinghere.”
