“Our babies are in danger?” Brian asked, color fading from his face.
“I don’t know. I searched to see if I could find any mention of sea dragon eggs, baby sea dragons, baby Nessies or baby sea serpents but there wasn’t anything. If Reif was taken because he was pregnant, then I’d guess they want the eggs for themselves.”
“Naw!” Brian yelled. “Those fuckin’ bastards!”
“Brian,” Logan said, “I think Zane is on to something. Think about it. The group made a bogus deal with Reif’s father, thinking there was no green diamond, so they never expected one to show up and, on top of it, to also be bound by a signed agreement.”
“Yeah, but they got a very valuable green diamond,” Fionn said.
“True,” agreed Logan, “but their loss was enormous since they had to release the sea dragons, ending a very profitable deal they had for a thousand years. So…”
“…they decided,” Slate broke in, “to take Reif’s eggs from his sea dragon and, when the babies are old enough, use them to continue to steal for them.”
“Exactly,” said Logan.
“But what about the note?” Dakota asked Logan. “Aren’t they worried about Brian not believing it was from Reif?”
“No. Why should they? They don’t know we know about the green diamond forgeries they planted for Reif.”
Brian then spoke up. “I agree with what yer sayin’ but how do we go aboot findin’ my mate?”
~/~/~/~/~
Shaking Reif’s shoulder, the man tried to wake the sea dragon again; it was time for his next shot. It was getting harder to wake him up when it was time for the shot but that was what his employers wanted. Finally, grabbing both shoulders and shaking Reif violently, he was successful—the sea dragon’s eyes fluttered open. “Give me your arm.”
“No, you’re killing me,” Reif mumbled, holding his arms tight to his body.
“Probably, but at least you’ll live on through your offspring.” Twisting one of Reif’s arms, he administered the next shot, then, dropping the empty syringe, disappeared, leaving Reif to contend with the horrific after-effects again.
The fire, ice and pain roared through his body, but this time he fought to stay awake—to try to figure out how to save their babies—but the effects of the drug were too strong to let him think cogently. Checking with his beast, he discovered the eggs were growing faster than they normally would, which meant they’d soon be ready to be laid. A cry of despair left his throat, picturing his babies forced to live a painful life of crime. His mate was his only hope of salvation, but Reif was at a loss as to how Nessie would find him, much less overpower the man and his group.
~/~/~/~/~
Appearing in the study of the house, downstairs from Reif’s room, the man stood quietly, in front of the three vampires, waiting to give his report. Watching them move from human to human made his mouth water from the scent of fresh blood filling the room. It had been way too long since he had last eaten and the urge to seize one of the willing donors and sink his fangs into a pulsing neck vein almost brought him to his knees. He’d pay the ultimate price for that action, though.
Valerian shoved his donor away, licking the blood from his lips then, casting his eye around, saw the creature Xavier and Strix created. “You,” he pointed to the man, “Report.”
After listening to the man, Valerian smirked, knowing he and his fellow vampires would soon be the owners of five sea dragons. Since the head—actually former head—of the coven had told them the arrangement with the sea dragons was finished and the vampires were on their own, Valerian had assumed leadership, making the acquisition of Reif’s eggs his prime objective. Now he was just hours away from achieving success.
~/~/~/~/~
Moaning continuously after the last injection, Reif had no energy left to fight the fire and ice that consumed his body. He lay there motionless, all hope gone. But during a rare moment of lucidity, as tears veiled his eyes, he implored Nessie to please forgive him. Then, closing his eyes, he resolved to give up his life in a last, desperate attempt to prevent his babies from suffering his people’s fate.
~/~/~/~/~
“I think I have a lead,” Zane said, in answer to Brian’s question about finding Reif. “There wasn’t a name associated with the first job, but this time, there was…Valerian Lestat. His name is linked to several properties.”
“Where are they located?” asked Logan.
“One in Spain and, get this, one here, in Scotland. It’s an old hunting lodge, although that description is misleading.” Shuffling through his papers for a photo, he handed it to Logan.
“That’s a hunting lodge?” asked Logan, looking at a grand Victorian stone castle, amazed at the sheer size of it.
“They’re actually called sporting lodges,” Ian clarified. “Wealthy humans use them to hunt red stag.”
David’s eyes widened as he turned to Zane. “Are those the deer we saw on our picnic?”
“Yeah, babe, but I think they were safe from hunters because they live in a very isolated part of the Highlands.”
