The Dragon Guardian (Lochguard Highland Dragons 2)

“Aye, and proud of it.”

They walked in silence for a minute and Gina reveled in the normalcy of the act. However, as much as Fergus tried to act strong, the tenseness of his muscles spoke volumes. She looked over at him. “I’m sure Finn has good news.”

“If he did, then why wouldn’t he tell us over the phone?”

Gina shrugged. “He has his reasons. Maybe there’s something sensitive he didn’t want to leak out.”

“There isn’t any wire-tapping on Lochguard.”

“That you know of.”

Fergus sighed. “Not this again.”

Gina raised her brows. “Hey, why not? You’re clever and I love you, but a super-spy could sneak onto the land and set them up. Considering most of your enemies used to live here, it’s entirely possible.”

“With heightened security, no one will sneak onto Lochguard. Not even from the sky.”

“Only because the DDA is still in the area watching out for enemies, but the DDA won’t stick around forever. Same with the supporters out front.”

A few pictures had been leaked to the press of the destruction on Lochguard. It’d been a calculated risk, but the supporters out front and the messages sent to their clan from the people of Scotland, especially from the Highlands and Islands, had been extraordinary. Memories were long and many still remembered the Scottish dragons helping during the Highland Clearances in the 18th and 19th centuries. Not even Dougal Munro’s harsh treatment of the locals—Dougal had been the leader before Finn—had completely erased the Scottish humans’ gratitude for past deeds.

Fergus squeezed her tightly. “One day at a time, lass. We’ve rebuilt before and we’ll do it again. Now, stop dawdling. Our son needs to be inside.”

Rolling her eyes, Gina complied. “Has anyone tried reaching out to the supporters?”

“Aye, I’ve been trying. Most are unwilling to give their addresses or phone numbers, but keep asking if we have a social media page.”

She glanced over at him. “You know, that wouldn’t be a bad idea. If we’re to get Jane Hartley’s video podcast up and running, we’ll need to set them up.”

Fergus scrunched his nose. “I’ll leave that to you. If I look at a computer too long, my dragon gets antsy. I much prefer paper copies. How Arabella can stare at a laptop for hours when writing code, I have no idea.”

“Each person is different. Look at you and Fraser. Your brother hates beating around the bush or being diplomatic, yet you excel at it. Maybe Lochguard needs some more humans to help round out the clan and be able to relate to and reach other humans.”

Fergus met her gaze. “You staying is my top priority. The others can wait.”

Smiling, she leaned against Fergus. “We’ll make it work somehow, Fergus. We’ll make it work.”

As they continued to walk, Gina became lost in her thoughts. A tiny part of her worried about Finn’s announcement, but she refused to let it overwhelm her. Even in the darkest hours of being disowned by her parents, Gina had remained determined and optimistic. She would remain so even with her future uncertain.

Staring down at wisps of red hair that had escaped Jamie’s swaddling and lay on his forehead, Gina smiled. She was a new mother, but she already wanted to make the world a better place for him. Once she figured out how to balance a lack of sleep with taking care of her son, she would tackle that future with everything she had.

They neared the main living area and Gina sucked in a breath. While she’d seen the destruction via the feed, it was more severe in real life.

Some cottages lay in rubble, whereas others only had holes punched into a wall. A few others had lost part of their roofing. Families were already at work, patching up the damage that could be repaired. On the sites of the destroyed cottages, groups of men and women were clearing the debris and most likely preparing to build again. Since Fraser was the clan’s head architect, he had his work cut out for him.

Which reminded her—she needed to talk with her brother-in-law later. The new houses should have bunker-like basements to protect the families in case of emergency. Gina sincerely hoped there was never another attack, but she’d rather be safe than sorry.

Fergus squeezed her tighter against his side as they walked. No doubt, her mate was also thinking of how to make Lochguard stronger for the future. While Fergus had tried to hide it, she’d heard his late-night phone calls to Seahaven and his other contacts. Most of the calls had ended with Fergus hanging up and cursing, but not all. Change was coming, but she had no idea what kind.

They finally approached the old Sinclair place. It stood mostly intact, except for one broken window out front. Fraser was removing the old frame, but turned at their approach. He raised a hand. “There you are. I wasn’t sure how much longer I could keep the surprise.”

Fergus frowned. “What surprise?”

Fraser grinned. “Come and I’ll show you.”

Fergus growled. “You do realize we have our days-old son with us, right? No pranks.”

Fraser placed a hand over his heart and shook his head. “Always thinking the worst of me, brother.” He looked up again. “But hopefully this surprise will help change that.”