Page 5 of Having the Dragon's Baby

He abruptly stood and started pacing. In spite of Vincent’s warning, his inner dragon roared at his inability to do anything.

His whole den was in danger. Hell, all of the clans were in danger, and he sat here talking about his pain of not having an heir. How pathetic. It made him even angrier thinking that he had allowed himself to be distracted by the thought of a surrogate. Family nagging or not.

Marcus growled as he backhanded a paperweight off his desk and against the wall, leaving it stuck in the hole it created.

Vincent let out a low whistle. “I wasn’t kidding about the fire thing. I know this pisses you off, but getting to your boiling point won’t allow you to think any more clearly.”

Marcus kept pacing, not trusting his serpent tongue to speak at the moment.

“Why don’t you let me question the two that were almost taken?”

The alpha spun on his heel. “I can do it myself.”

His beta stood slowly and cautiously walked over to him. “I know you can. But look at you. Our lack of knowledge is pushing you over the edge. You’re beyond stressed about this, and it’s also my job to help protect the thunder … and you from yourself. Right?”

Marcus lifted his head slightly but said nothing.

Vincent continued. “I’ll go talk to them. Maybe they’ll loosen up and remember something that will give us a lead. You stay close and up to date with the other alphas. Let me help where I can.”

Marcus’s nostrils flared as he restrained himself from protesting. Vincent was right. The young ones might be too intimidated and would probably close up even more if their alpha couldn’t control his rage.

He blew out a frustrated breath. “Fine. You talk to them, but let me know if anything they say is new. Take everything into consideration. I want a full report of their conversation with you the next time we talk. Meet with them today if you can.”

“I will make it happen.”

“Good.” Marcus sat and opened his desk drawer, pulling out a bottle of whiskey and two tumblers. He filled them halfway and slid the second to Vincent.

“Here’s to taking down this asshole,” Vincent said as he raised his glass.

“Here’s to getting the shifters back,” Marcus countered as their glasses clinked, and then he took a swig.

Vincent reclined in his seat. Marcus could feel him watching his moves.

“If you have something more to say, just say it,” Marcus said, trying to hold off on his bitterness.

Vincent took another sip as he smirked. “Just that I can’t wait to see who they think will be a good match for the hot-headed alpha dragon.”

“I told you, I’m not going to worry about that now.”

“Now’s the perfect time to worry about it. Maybe getting your mind off the missing shifters will help you see the situation more clearly. A new perspective. Hell, it may even make you happy.”

If Marcus was in his dragon form, steam would have rolled out of his nostrils. Deep down, however, he hoped Vincent was right. The SSA was his last hope at not only finding a mate but securing his name and future.

THREE

RACHEL

“Are you Rachel?”

Rachel was sitting and nervously tapping her foot when the question startled her out of her anxious silence.

“What? Oh, yes.” She stood and forced a smile on her face for the older, dark-haired lady who had suddenly materialized in the waiting room.

Sylvia seemed to be polite enough, but Rachel was apprehensive, nonetheless. Her appointment with the Shifter Surrogacy Agency had come much quicker than she had anticipated, and she hadn’t really let it sink in. Not until she was sitting in the waiting room for her interview.

Now it was too late for second guesses.

Sylvia stuck out her hand to shake. “Nice to meet you.”

---