Page 24 of Having the Dragon's Baby

He released her, turning back to the picnic. "I'll think of something. In the meantime, if you see anything, you tell me right away. If you hear anything, let me know."

She nodded, returning to her spot next to him. "I can do that."

Marcus pulled her into his arms, kissing the top of her head. His mind calmed from having her against his skin. He closed his eyes and just held her.

He felt angry over the people disappearing, but he swore he would find them. He was getting to the bottom of the situation, and now he had Rachel by his side to help him do so. All his worries melted away.

"Do you think you are going to find the missing people?" Rachel asked in a whisper. Her voice cracked, and it almost sounded like she was crying.

He tilted her head back, seeing a few tears break free. It yanked his heartstrings, making his dragon crazy. She'd only been there for such a short time, and she already was attached and cared deeply about everyone.

Marcus wiped at her eyes and gave her a soft smile. "I hope so."

She looked away at the river. "Who would do something like that? And why? Why steal people?"

He didn't know the answer to that, but he knew he was going to find out. The idea made his stomach churn with disgust.

"I don't know," he said, kissing the top of her head again.

"I feel for everyone who's had a family member go missing," she said. "I can't imagine what their parents must be thinking. Or the spouses and children. To just suddenly have someone gone. If that was you, I'd be heartbroken."

Marcus tightened his hold on her. In his mind, he was imagining her disappearing. He'd rip the world apart to find her.

He swallowed. He wouldn't allow it. He was going to get to the bottom of this before it got worse.

He thought about those who were missing. He knew each of their names. He felt for the families knowing they were being torn apart by everything. He reminded himself to speak to the families again and try to help if he could.

But for now, he was going to enjoy Rachel and having her support. Something was bound to break their peaceful time together soon, so he was taking it in while he could.

He listened to the wind and the sound of the water. Rachel leaned farther back. "Thank you for telling me," she whispered. "I'm happy to be in the loop."

He tightened his hold once more, feeling grateful.

ELEVEN

RACHEL

Rachel was devastated by the news Marcus had shared with her over lunch.

She cared for his people. They were now her people as well. And hearing they were being kidnapped and there was nothing that she could do about it was the worst feeling of all.

If she felt this bad, she couldn’t begin to imagine how Marcus felt. Especially as an alpha dragon shifter, this must be hard to swallow.

He was in charge of protecting his den. He probably felt as though he was failing them miserably. She needed to find a way to help. Maybe there was a side to it all that hadn’t been explored yet. An outsider’s perspective could help open doors that had been left unseen.

He was doing all he could, and keeping her in the loop with den business made her feel grateful and privileged. He continued to show her how much he trusted her. She wasn’t going to take his trust for granted. She would do all she could to figure out who was behind the shifters being taken for him, the den, and their future.

But even with the horrid news, she’d still enjoyed their lunch.

It was full of peace and an unspoken connection that ran deeper than she’d realized. And him trusting her and making her his confidante pushed the strength of that connection to unbreakable.

They had attempted to comfort each other and, in doing so, had made the afternoon salvageable, though they couldn’t forget the looming darkness.

After lunch and some tender moments by the water, Marcus stood and reached for Rachel’s hand. “Up for a walk?”

She smiled and took his outstretched hand to stand.

She wiped off her pants, gathered their things, and inhaled the refreshing breath of nature.

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