Page 19 of Having the Dragon's Baby

"We had a couple of girls go missing over the past week," Weston said. "You think it's connected?"

He nodded. His dragon flared, telling him it was. "I have a strong feeling it is. We all need to think of a plan on how to move forward and how to put a stop to this criminal group. It’s already caused more problems, possibly more than we are aware of."

He looked at his beta to take over so he could take a quick glance at his phone. He slipped out of the meeting room and checked his phone. He noticed a message from Rachel letting him know she'd gotten his note and to take his time. He was grateful to have her. And his heart skipped a beat, knowing she was in his corner. He needed someone he could look to for comfort, and she was it.

He looked back at the meeting and didn't want to return to it. But he knew if Rachel was a missing person, he would be in there without leaving. He would be storming around the country to find her. So, he straightened his back and marched back in, prepared to find an answer.

Everyone was talking all at once, and he quickly seated himself.

Liam was speaking. "We need to know who's gone missing and from what clans. How long ago did this start?"

Another alpha, Thomas, hardened his voice. "We noticed about a few weeks ago, but who knows how far it goes back. People leave the pack, and you don't hear from them sometimes. It happens."

So all this could have started earlier than we thought, and we just never noticed until now, Marcus thought to himself frustratedly. He handled the meeting the best he could, and when he was done, he thanked everyone for their help and adjourned but held his beta back.

"I need you to find out more. We need as much detail as we can get to move forward."

Vincent nodded before he left the room.

Marcus sighed, taking a deep breath in. He needed to calm himself. He didn’t want Rachel to know how tense he was when he arrived home. He checked his phone once more and headed out.

NINE

RACHEL

Rachel was awakened by the sun shining in through the window. She rolled over. "Marcus, can you close the blinds?"

She was met with silence and rolled back over. She peeled her eyes open and found the other half of the bed was empty. She scowled and quickly sat up, doing a survey of the room. There was a towel set out with a note, but no Marcus.

She swallowed and slipped out from beneath the sheets to see what Marcus had left for her. She lifted the message, reading over the letter carefully.

Dear Rachel,

Some things came up that required my attention, and I had to slip out for a morning meeting. I will likely be gone most of the morning, but I'll be back as soon as I can. Shower and do whatever you will. You're free to check out the area more if you wish. I'll talk to you when I get back.

P.S. You can message me if you need me.

She chewed on her lower lip for a moment before she set the note down and took the towel into the bathroom to shower. She could smell that he'd been in there recently.

She bathed and roamed around his room for a while. After she looked around, she slipped into the kitchen and made herself a little something to eat.

She slipped out to enjoy the community after flipping through the television stations and finding nothing interesting. She'd sent Marcus a quick message and then found herself standing in front of the nursery. She smiled as she observed the children, who ranged in age from infants to toddlers.

A couple of women were caring for the children. One woman helped a group of kids pick up toys while another was feeding a bottle to a baby while rocking her back and forth. Her heart fluttered at the sight.

"They are so sweet,” Rachel said to herself with longing in her heart.

One of the women, Sasha, walked up, and Rachel hoped she didn't think she was weird standing outside the glass and staring at a group of children. "I'm sorry," she said, waving a hand. "I'll move."

"Oh heavens, no, please stay." Sasha gave Rachel another smile. "They are all so cute. I wish I could just stand out here and watch them like that. Especially the babies."

Rachel blushed because she'd just been thinking the same thing. Sasha looked at Rachel, taking in her outfit. It was very different from last night. She was wearing light gray jeans paired with a fluffy teal shirt. She had her hair up in a messy bun, completing the outfit.

"You look like you're heading somewhere. Don't let me keep you." Sasha tilted her head and then looked around as she asked, "Where is Marcus?"

Rachel waved a hand. "He had a meeting this morning, so it's just me for now. He should be free soon, so I'm waiting."

Sasha’s face fell. "Oh, goodness, no. Come join me for breakfast."

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