Not that she was going to sit back and do nothing. Jane’s gut said that someone had probably helped Delia with money or transportation to get off Snowridge. From what she’d heard, Delia would sometimes sneak away with friends but was caught more often than not. While there was a small chance Kai’s sister had done the deed alone, Jane wouldn’t dismiss any possibility.
So she was going to retrace her sister-in-law’s steps. It would give her something to do and help her forget to worry about Kai.
Well, to mostly forget. As skilled as her mate was, if he ended up finding a dragon hunter hideout, there was always the chance he could be injured, or worse.
The hunter bastards didn’t play fair and wouldn’t think twice about using drugs or even an electrical blast gun to take down a dragon. If at all possible, they wouldn’t kill him straight away since dragon’s blood was valuable. But she’d heard from Nikki Gray about how the dragon hunters had drained one of Stonefire’s Protectors to death. She clenched her fingers at the thought of her golden dragonman being subjected to the same.
No. Everyone was better prepared than during that old incident, as well as being fully aware of the dragon hunters’ barbarous tactics. Kai would take care of himself.
Taking a deep breath, she headed toward the main entrance inside the mountain and was greeted by Kai’s mother, Lily. The older woman blurted, “What did you find out?”
She could sugar coat the facts, but she owed Lily the truth. “We know who Delia was searching for, but we’re still not sure where she is.”
Lily bobbed her head. “That’s at least one step closer to finding my daughter.”
Jane resisted blinking. “I had always wondered where Kai had got his levelheadedness from.”
Lily wrapped an arm around her waist and guided them inside the rock. “I wasn’t always this way. However, Kai’s father was, and it rubbed off on me a little. He may not have been my true mate, but I loved him.” She gave a sad smile. “I only wished Kai could remember more about him. He was a brave male, just like our son.”
Kai rarely talked about his father, mostly because he’d been eight years old when his dad had died and didn’t remember a lot. “Once all of this is sorted, you’re going to have to tell me some more stories. Kai may be too stubborn to ask for them, but I know he yearns to hear more about his dad, too.”
“That I can easily do.” Lily gave her a gentle squeeze. “So, Kai mentioned on the phone something about you digging around for information here as well. Tell me what you need, and I’ll help in any way that I can.”
They turned the corner of the corridor and entered Lily’s home. Once the door closed, Jane asked, “I’m trying to retrace Delia’s steps. Her file only mentioned going to classes and not coming back from her lunch. I thought maybe her teachers might know or at least overheard something.”
“I’ll give you a list of her teachers.”
Lily hesitated. Jane raised her eyebrow. “What don’t you want to tell me?”
“How do you do that? Figure out that I’m hiding something?”
She shrugged. “It’s a gift. But just tell me everything, Lily. Hiding even the smallest detail could make all the difference in the world.”
Lily searched her gaze and finally sighed. “I was hoping to spare you the anger, but most of Delia’s morning classes are taught by Maggie Jones.”
She blinked before narrowing her eyes. “As in the same Maggie Jones who stomped on Kai’s heart all those years ago?”
“While I appreciate your protective nature, you can’t win against a dragon-shifter, Jane. Not even a soft-voiced one like Maggie. Remember that when you see her.”
Jane took a deep breath and counted to three. Usually only her brother could stir her temper. “You’re right, of course. It’s just that dragonwoman’s actions still affect Kai.” Jane debated sharing more, but as Lily merely waited patiently, she decided to blurt out, “No matter what I say or do, Kai thinks I’m going to leave him one day.”
Lily gave a sad smile. “For all his alpha, Protector image, my son has always had a secret sensitive side. You’ve healed him better than I ever could have, Jane. I have faith that one day you’ll chase away his doubts. Deep down, he probably knows that you’re here to stay. But until that small part of him finally accepts that he didn’t drive Maggie away, only her cowardliness did, he’ll continue to be his own worst enemy.”
Jane was used to being the strong woman who stood up to anything. But in that second, she didn’t try to hide her insecurities. “I only hope that he’ll heal fully one day. I’m not sure what else I can do.”
Patting her arm, Lily added, “Don’t worry. As soon as you two have a child, he should wise up.”
Jane kept a smile pasted on her face but inwardly frowned. Having a baby to convince Kai that she would stay with him wasn’t the best idea; a child should be wanted simply for them. There had to be another way.
Still, she couldn’t bear to smash Lily’s dreams of being a grandmother yet again, so she said, “Thanks for listening. I’ll talk with Kai about this, but it’s nice to share things with someone else who understands him well.”
“Oh, I think you know him better than I do these days. He’s lucky to have you, Jane Hartley.”
Lily engulfed her in a hug and Jane wrapped her arms around her mother-in-law. “I think we need to come visit more often.”
The older dragonwoman pulled back. “What would be even better
is if you brought your parents here sometime. I’ve met Rafe—he’s as bad as a dragonman when it comes to temper and alphaness, if I may say so—but not your parents. Snowridge’s leader owes me a few favors, even after all of this, and I’d happily call them in for the Hartleys.”