Chapter 17 A Capture After All
Drake clan home, Narenda
Ransom stood outside in the garden, watching the whitelight take over from the black. Every muscle and tendon ached with fatigue and cried out for sleep, yet his mind was too busy. Slipping back into a routine was surprisingly tricky.
Gryffnn and Kaya had everything under control, even though they’d left to visit Viros.
They’d also had time to go on a romantic outing while completing their daily responsibilities.
The soldiers were training under Torg, the flight captain.
The young apprentices were busy designing jewelry for the clan to sell at the new markets his brother and sister-in-law had arranged.
There were plenty of raw stones in the storage bunker.
Niran Vasilakis, the leader of the Incorporeal people who lived in the village, was busy rebuilding homes after an arsonist had torched their properties.
Nobody needed him.
“You’re an old fool,” Ransom muttered.
He was safe. His people were safe, and early reports were that the resonance had faded to a level most of the dragons could handle.
“Don’t make a move,” a harsh voice said.
Instinctively, Ransom tried to turn, but a weapon—a blaster by the size of it—dug into his ribs. Someone slapped a cloth, smelly and impregnated with a type of drug, over his nose. Before he could object, he crumpled, hands catching him before he struck the ground and lost consciousness.
“How long will the drug take to wear off? Are you sure it won’t hurt him?” Scarlett asked. She turned to her brothers, all five of them having helped her with this abduction.
“I checked with Gryffnn. He indicated the drug is fine for dragons. I consulted him about the dosage,” Saber said.
Scarlett nodded, nerves simmering at the pit of her stomach. What if Ransom wasn’t interested in her? “What if this goes badly wrong?”
“You have your com-circle. Call us. We can be here in a few hours. I’ve given you Gryffnn’s and Kaya’s contact numbers.
They’re back tomorrow.” Saber wrapped his arm around her shoulders and hugged her to his side.
“Instead of stressing about what ifs, act with decisiveness. Do you want to recall your past and have regrets?”
“No, but what if he rejects me or thinks I got pregnant on purpose? What if he thinks I’m trying to trap him?”
“Then we’ll be there to pick you up and help you move on,” Joe said.
“The dragon is a fool if he walks,” Sly said. “He didn’t strike me as dumb.”
Leo stalked closer and grabbed her into a quick hug. “Did the purple guy hit your head or something? Where is our feisty sister?”
“Yeah,” Felix said. “You want this dragon guy, you go out there fighting. Don’t act defeated before you speak with him.”
Scarlett nodded. “You’re right, but things have become real since I discovered I’m pregnant. The stakes are larger. I have more to lose.”
“I understand,” Saber said. “Once I met Eva, everything changed. You’ve got this.” He kissed the top of her head and stepped back. “Bring your dragon to visit once you’re done here.”
“Thanks.” Her brothers’ confidence had her shoulders straightening and her courage climbing to normal levels.
“Call if you need us,” Saber reminded her, and with a wave, her brothers boarded their ship and headed back to Tiraq.
Gryffnn had suggested a spot for their campsite, and it was perfect. A clearing set near a pond and a waterfall. Gryffnn had arranged for a tent and supplies while Eva had prepared food and drink, perfect for a romantic tryst. She had the ingredients for seduction, now it was time to apply them.
Scarlett went to check on Ransom. He was still asleep in the tent where her brothers had left him. She squatted beside him and checked his temperature. Normal.
While she waited for Ransom to regain consciousness, she pulled out her jewelry-making supplies.
She’d use this time to put the finishing gloss to the ring she’d made for Ransom.
Although she wasn’t sure if he’d wear a ring, she wanted to offer it to symbolize her regard.
Weird, but until they’d parted, she hadn’t realized how he’d crept into her heart.
The separation had underlined the depth of her feelings for the dragon.
Her dragon.
If anyone had told her she’d be pregnant and happy with the situation, she would’ve scoffed and perhaps bloodied their nose.
As Casey and Eva had pointed out, pregnancy didn’t need to halt her jewelry production.
Waiting for the babies to arrive allowed her to increase her stock while she could still generate income through sales at the resort store.
With that in mind, she’d spoken to the agent on Dalcon and told him she was no longer interested in the premises he’d found for her.
Even if everything went pear-shaped, she’d forge ahead with a revised plan.
Flexibility didn’t equate with failure. Saber said it meant she’d grown up and was adulting.
Not a word she’d ever expected her brother to quote.
She smiled, aware she was lucky to have the support of family.
She removed the ring from the protective pocket of her bag and took to it with a special polishing cloth.
A golden-colored band studded with pale blue stones.
She’d sorted the gems and chosen the ones that, in a different light, appeared almost green.
To her, they symbolized Ransom’s dual nature and their pairing.
A faint groan emerged from the tent, and Scarlett tucked the ring away and went to investigate. Yes, he was waking. His eyelids flickered, and she turned away to pour a glass of water. Gryffnn had told them the sole side effect of the drug was thirstiness.
Finally, his eyes remained open, although tension rippled through his frame. Too late, she recalled that this abduction might bring bad memories for him.
“Ransom, are you thirsty?” Scarlett leaned forward so that he could see her.
“Scarlett? Where are we?” His face creased into a frown. “Is this a dream?”
A chortle burst from her. “Here, drink some water.”
Obediently, he accepted the beaker and drank every drop.
“Want another one?”
“Please.” He drank the second beaker of water. “Is this real?”
Scarlett grinned, reached over, and pinched his arm. “I’ve abducted you.”
“What?”
Scarlett edged closer. “Ransom, you’ve filled my thoughts from the moment we parted. I missed our conversations, our kisses, our lovemaking.”
“You said it was sex.” Accusation shaded his tone, but his expression told her nothing.
“I was wrong. It took me time to understand my feelings for you. For so long, my grand life plan has driven and stopped me from bad impulses. I was slow to realize you are the best thing that has ever happened to me.” Scarlett grasped his hand in hers.
“If you don’t want a future with me, I’ll understand, but I didn’t wish to wonder any longer.
Instead, my brothers helped me, so I had a chance to speak with you. ”
“You abducted me.”
“Yes.” Scarlett lifted her chin. He wasn’t reacting in the way she’d predicted. “You kidnapped me first. I thought this was the perfect solution.”
Ransom hauled her into his arms, and a blink later, she lay beneath his hard body. “You haven’t left my thoughts,” he admitted. “My dragon wanted you from the instant we saw you stealing our property.”
“To be fair, I didn’t realize I was taking raw stones from your property.”
“I wanted you,” he said, his eyes glittering.
“Why didn’t you come to the resort?”
“I was working up to it,” he said. “How long have we got together?”
“A few cycles before my brothers expect my call.”
“Excellent.” Ransom kissed her.
Although she had more to tell him, it could wait. She curled her arms around his neck and held him closer, savoring his scent and leashed power. During their separation, he’d gained weight. She smiled against his lips. So had she.
A long time later, he parted their mouths. “What of your future?”
“I planned to start my business, selling and designing jewelry. I still want to do that, but I want you in my life, at my side.”
Ransom helped her to sit up and stripped off her tunic and bra. He divested her of her footwear and clothing before he scrambled from his garments. “Where are we?”
“Narenda. Gryffnn set up the camp for me. We’re camped in a clearing in the forest. It’s near a pond and a waterfall.”
“Ah.” Ransom smiled, his eyes glowing and his dragon half peeking through. He cupped her face. “Your eyes are still brown.”
“It’s startling seeing my reflection in the mirror. Feline shapeshifters always have green eyes. Now I stand out as different.”
Ransom pressed a gentle kiss to her lips and pulled back. “You were born to stand out, Scarlett Mitchell.”
She wrinkled her nose. “It appears I have a dragon mate.”
Ransom stilled. “Mate?”
“My feline knew all along, but I ignored her to blindly focus on my life plan instead.”
“Mate.” This time his tone held reverence. “Mine.”
“Yes, as you are mine. Felines mark their mates with a bite here.” She fingered the fleshy patch where the base of his neck met his shoulder.
“Dragons bond with dragon mates. An invisible bond clicks into place, and both experience the tie. It doesn’t occur with every dragon. Only a special few experience this oneness.”
“What about between different species?”
“I’ve never asked Gryffnn and Kaya because I thought it was too personal, but I do not doubt the strength of my brother’s relationship,” Ransom said.
“Would you let me mark you?”
“Yes.” He never hesitated.
“Along with stealing me, it appears you pilfered my heart, Ransom Drake.” A sense of rightness and celebration settled in her. The certainty that this curveball should be part of her life plan. “Make love to me.”
“My pleasure.”
Their lips met, and hands caressed and stroked. Pleasure and delight—happiness—soared through Scarlett. There was no hurry this time, but still, the passion between them built and flew. He entered her with one smooth stroke, filling her body as he filled her heart.