Page 50 of Hidden Fate

House. Nothome. The word choice didn’t go unnoticed, but in fairness, the place didn’t feel like home, either, other than when I was in Thorn’s arms, especially with Peter always hovering nearby with a scowl on his face like he was trying to overhear everything.

Turning me toward the back door, Thorn said, “Saphira and Tyson, tell the others it’s time to leave.”

The two dragons nodded and took off just as the Tahoe turned onto the road, passing us. Uther’s black sedan was right behind them.

I glanced skyward in time to see the hint of Elliott’s hunter green dragon and Eva’s olive green dragon high in the sky.

Just like before, Thorn and I sat in the middle row, where we couldn’t be easily identified if a dragon happened to look through the windshield.

“Thank goodness we planned on keeping the car overnight.” Cassidy glanced into the rearview mirror. “Otherwise, we wouldn’t have had room for everyone.”

We’d been torn initially, thinking we should drop the rental car off after the meeting so we wouldn’t have to pay for another full day, but we’d realized that we wouldn’t be able to get it back before the rental office closed. That was a blessing now.

I didn’t want to say it was good luck in case jinxing was an actual thing. I hadn’t believed in superstitions growing up—I was all about science and logic—but after learning about an entire supernatural world, I now questioned everything.

Cassidy put the car into drive and slowly turned around, heading back toward the interstate.

“Shouldn’t we wait on the others?” I rubbed my hands on my shorts, trying to work out my jitters.

Shaking her head, Cassidy kept her focus on the road. “Vlad said to go on so we can get our new charges settled. We’ll be rolling in around two in the morning.”

We needed to get these women to their temporary home.

I looked into the back seat, and my lungs froze.

Chandra had her arms wrapped around herself with her legs folded up on the seat against her chest. She was staring at the holes in her jeans like she was in another world.

Beside Reece, Kari stared out the window. Her shoulders were hunched as if the weight of the world were pressing down on her, which it probably was. Every single person in our group had a target on their back, and the same man was hunting us all.

Then there was Reece. Her demeanor was slightly different. Instead of retreating into herself, she was staring right at me. Her eyes glistened, making her irises appear more navy, but there was something mixed in with the sadness…something like hope.

I tried to swallow unsuccessfully.

Thorn’s forehead creased with concern, and he followed my gaze. “Are you okay?” A soft warmness swirled through our bond as he examined the girl.

“I am now.” Reece nodded eagerly. “I mean, I miss Daddy. Every time I see him, we aren’t together long, but I know Everly will fix it so we don’t have to be apart anymore.”

My head tilted back, and my breathing quickened. “I’ll try my best. And one of the best ways to protect you and your daddy is to keep his identity a secret. We need to say we found you and that you needed help. If people recognize you and know who you’re related to, it could put us all at risk.” I wouldn’t promise something I couldn’t deliver. I’d never been a fan of lying and did it only when I felt the truth would hurt someone over something pointless, or by omitting something when I thought it would save the lives of people I loved.

“Okay, I trust you.” The little girl nodded so confidently that her blonde hair bobbed around her. “Because if you remind my daddy of Momma, that means you’re a good person, and you’ll protect me just like she did.”

A sob swelled in my chest, and holding it back was damn near impossible, but I managed. I wanted Drake gone more desperately than before, and it had everything to do with this little girl. I didn’t want to disappoint her. Our plan had to succeed, not only for her but for everyone I loved.

I promise we’ll figure this out,Thorn connected and took my hand.We will all be able to live without fear, and you won’t disappoint this little girl. Together, we can take on the world.

As usual, he’d said what I needed to hear, and his emotions backed up the words. He wasn’t saying them just to appease me. I squeezed his hand back and turned toward the window, ready to keep an eye on the vehicles around us. As we’d said, we needed to be cautious.

* * *

The next morning,I woke up late. Tia and Ryu had taken the night watch in their dragon form. They’d stayed far enough away that if they sensed a dragon, they would have time to warn us, but were close enough that someone would have to be looking for us to be there. I’d learned that thunders tended to stay away from other thunders, so the likelihood of a random dragon flying by was low.

The three new additions had claimed the couch as their bed. Unfortunately, all the other rooms were taken, but the couch was comfortable and large enough to fit all three of them.

A strong arm circled my waist and pulled me against a thick, strong chest. Thorn’s breath hit my ear, and my body warmed. We hadn’t had sex last night, and I was more than eager to make up for lost time.

I turned to him and smiled as I took in his soft expression. His love and arousal swirled between us.

Then there was a loud knock on the door, and Theron called out, “You two need to come out here and see this.”

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