Nikki touched his arm, and he snapped out of the memory. Realizing he had closed his eyes, he opened them to meet Nikki’s lovely almond-shaped eyes. The understanding mixed with curiosity brought him back to the present.
Taking one of his hands, she threaded her fingers through his. Her voice was low when she said, “Tell me what happened next.”
He squeezed her hand in his and took strength from her touch. “By the time I could see again, the dragons were picking off the men they could find. However, since most of the men were inside the farmhouse or the outside shed, I knew I needed to stick to the plan and infiltrate the shed if we wanted any chance of success.
“Leading the remainder of my team onward, we made it ten feet from the large shed when two armored vehicles sped out the side of it. It had been decided earlier that the dragons should take out any vehicles so that we didn’t have to weigh ourselves down with rocket launchers.
“So, we took cover until the threats could be handled. Unfortunately, one of the dragons was shot out of the sky and crashed to the ground. The armored vehicles changed course, heading straight for the injured blue dragon. In near darkness, I could barely make out what happened next. But after the fact, when I learned the truth, the images made sense.”
More than that, it had changed his life forever.
He pushed on. “But I’m getting ahead of myself. Noah’s team was closer to the vehicle and the dragon since their target had been the farmhouse. One of the men from Noah’s unit ran and jumped onto the vehicle. A second later, a grenade went off and the vehicle exploded. The distraction gave
the injured dragon time enough to hop further away and make her way into the air again.
“Trained as we were, I would give our fallen comrade his or her full dues once we completed our objective. Leading my team into the farmhouse, we managed to capture the three remaining men inside. The dragons took care of the other armored vehicle, and Noah’s team took over the farmhouse. I was so busy securing our prisoners, it was almost twenty minutes before I had a chance to find out about the casualties.”
While a bad feeling had sat in Rafe’s gut since the explosion, he’d held the hope that his best friend hadn’t fallen.
Nikki squeezed his hand. “The man who took out the armored vehicle was Noah.”
Between Nikki’s comforting presence at his side and the knowledge it was only him and her in the room, he allowed tears to form in his eyes. His voice was gravelly when he answered, “Yes.”
“Oh, Rafe. I know words can’t bring him back, but I’m so sorry.”
She cupped his cheek and he leaned into her touch. “The bloody fool had been noble and honorable to the end. According to his team, he’d sacrificed his life by carrying live grenades and jumping in the vehicle, all to save the dragon-shifter. Not just because he believed the dragon was as much part of his team as those actually under him, but he knew how precious dragons could be. He’d been dating the blue female dragon in secret and had been halfway in love with her.” He looked away. “And the bastard had never told me. What was worse, the female dragon-shifter had been pregnant with his child.”
“Wow. What happened to them?”
Meeting Nikki’s gaze again, he shook his head. “I don’t know. Not wanting to tarnish his reputation or risk his posthumous medal, no one ever reported Noah’s connection to the dragon-shifter, let alone the existence of their child. Because of her injuries, the dragon, Gwendolen, was sent back home to Clan Snowridge. I have no idea what she told her clan, but she never returned to the army.”
Once his hatred had cleared enough to remind him of his promise, Rafe had spent months trying to find something out about Gwen.
It still sat heavy on his soul that he couldn’t fulfill his promise to his best friend.
Nikki’s voice interrupted his thoughts. “Did you ever get the chance to see Noah’s child?”
Rafe shook his head. “Even now, Snowridge is still closed to humans, apart from the sacrifices. I haven’t been able to find out anything. To this day, I haven’t been able to live up to the promise to look after Noah’s family if anything happened to him.”
Determination flashed in Nikki’s eyes. “As soon as we have the chance, I can ask Kai. His mother, stepfather, and half-sister live on Snowridge. They might know something.”
Rafe hadn’t known about Kai’s family. “I didn’t think clan members changed clans, at least, until recently with Lochguard.”
Nikki shrugged. “Sometimes, in the case of true mates, it happens. Other times, a dragon needs a place to stay en route to somewhere else. Or, if they’re badly injured, we look after them. Kai’s mother found her true mate with a Snowridge dragon. Since Kai was from her first mating and a teenager, he decided to stay here, but his mother went to Wales.”
He loved the fact Nikki told him about her clan without hesitation. She must trust him. “As much as I hate to be in Kai’s debt, it will be worth it to finally find Noah’s child and ensure he or she is safe and well-cared for. We had always promised each other to look out for one another’s families and loved ones. I’ve failed him so far.” She nodded, and he squeezed her fingers. “But I have a little more to tell you.”
Moving a few inches closer, Nikki murmured, “Then tell me.”
Staring at Nikki’s rumpled hair, sharp gaze, and beautiful face, he wondered how he ever could have dismissed her as nothing more than a young woman with a fancy. “Everything with Noah happened a few weeks before you arrived. You replaced Gwendolen on the dragon-shifters’ team. And as much as I can now understand why Noah would give up his life to protect his woman and child, at the time, I blamed Gwen for Noah’s death. If they hadn’t been involved, would he have sacrificed himself? Or, would he have settled for something less surefire, such as a diversion?
“So, when you approached me, I let the anger and sadness I’d bottled up out on you.” Leaning down, he rested his forehead against hers. “If you had done the same before Noah’s death, I probably wouldn’t have gone out with you, but I wouldn’t have been the mean bastard I was. The fact you’ve given me another chance despite all that means the world to me.”
Nikki searched his eyes before finally replying, “Now that you’ve told me what happened, both my mind and heart can truly forgive you. I lost a trusted mentor and fellow Protector last year. I understand what it’s like to grieve silently while trying to display a strong face to the world.”
At her forgiveness, happiness flooded his body. He was a step closer to winning Nikola Gray, he was sure of it. Once he had her, then he would find a way for them to stay together.
Provided she wanted a family, of course. Rafe wasn’t sure what he’d do if he had to choose between Nikki and his child.