The Dragon’s Chance by Jessie Donovan

Chapter Twelve

The sight of Arlo flying away with Jake in his talons was something Sylvia wouldn't ever forget.

Especially as he flew higher and higher into the atmosphere.

The thought of Arlo doing something rash, like dropping Jake, snapped her out of her shock. If there was to be any chance Jake survived, he needed her. And since she knew she couldn't chase Arlo and catch up with him, let alone know how to deal with him if she did, she needed the clan's help.

Sylvia quickly threw on her clothes and raced toward the Protector's main building, ignoring anyone along the way, doing her best to focus on the goal of getting help for Jake. Now wasn't the time for worries or doubts.

When she finally burst through the doors, she spotted Iris Mahajan, one of the female Protectors—those in charge of Lochguard's security—and blurted, "Arlo's taken Jake. He grabbed him and flew away."

Iris closed the distance between them. "Which way did he go?"

"To the east."

The dragonwoman nodded. "I'll see if I can catch him." She looked at the person sitting at the front desk. "Get Sylvia to Faye and Grant."

In the next second, Iris was gone and Sylvia was being led down the hall to one of the meeting rooms. The young dragon male said, "Just one second," and ran out of the room.

Sylvia couldn't sit and instead paced the room. Why the bloody hell would Arlo steal Jake like that? Aye, Jake had stood up to the male, but she didn't think Arlo would break clan rules to teach Jake some sort of lesson.

Would he?

She knew Arlo the least of all of the MacAllister in-laws, despite the fact he was the first she'd ever met as a teen, even before Arthur. But to be honest, she'd never wanted to know him better after Cat and Connor had told her about the male threatening to take away her children.

Although it still didn't make sense for Arlo to risk everything—his place in the clan, his business, even his family—to punish one human. So why had he done it?

Her dragon spoke up. Faye and Grant will figure it out. You just have to trust them.

Before she could reply, Faye and Grant burst into the room. Considering Faye was sans daughter—Faye was almost always carrying her daughter around—they were both ready to act at a moment's notice.

Grant spoke first. "Arlo took Jake?"

She nodded and briefly recapped what had happened before asking, "But why?"

Faye frowned. "I don't know. He hasn't done anything suspicious we can tell in recent years. We've kept a close eye on everyone since Finn kicked out all the clan members who refused to accept him as leader, but Arlo never even came up on our radar for a minor infraction."

Several years ago, a number of clan members had betrayed Finn, and he'd sent the disloyal ones packing. Some said they lived with other clan-less dragon-shifters somewhere in Scotland. Sylvia hadn't thought much about it since it'd happened.

Grant grunted. "Iris is trying to see if she can track him down, and others are talking to those close to Arlo." He paused and looked at Faye. Once the dragonwoman nodded, he added, "And we have someone keeping an eye on the rogue dragon-shifters. If Arlo shows up there, we'll know soon after."

Sylvia bit her lip. "So there's nothing else we can do?"

Faye took her hand and squeezed. "We're doing all we can, but the best thing for you is to go home and take care of Sophie."

Sylvia wasn't a Protector, or spy, or trained in any sort of way that could help Faye, Grant, and the others.

And yet, she hated being so useless.

Her dragon spoke up. We're not useless. Sophie needs us. The best thing we can do is ensure she's well and happy for when her dad returns.

Ifhe returned was left unsaid.

She was just about to demand that Faye and Grant keep her updated when her son Connor burst through the door. "Is it true? Did Arlo take Jake?"

She nodded. "Aye, although I wish I knew why." Connor hesitated a second and took a step toward her eldest son. "What is it? Do you know something?"

"Maybe."

Grant crossed his arms over his chest. "Then tell us, lad."

Connor stood tall as he replied, "Well, it was over a decade ago now, aye? But right after Dad was murdered, and Mum was still grieving hard, Uncle Arlo came over and threatened to take us kids away."

Sylvia frowned. "Aye, but what does that have to do with anything?"

"There's a part of his demand that Cat and I didn't tell you." She raised her brows, and her son continued, "He said if you mated him, he'd take care of us all. That was the only way to ensure we could all stay together."

She blinked. "What? Why would he demand that? Arthur had only been dead for weeks at that point."

Connor shrugged. "I don't know why exactly. But he said something about how you should've always been his, and he was the only one who could save you. Cat and I were angry at him wanting to replace Dad so soon. And to not upset you further, we decided to keep it secret. But I thought it might be important now."

A feeling of dread grew in the pit of her stomach, one she didn't want to think about but oddly made sense. Before she could change her mind, she blurted, "Did he have something to do with Arthur's death?"

Connor's eyes widened. "What are you talking about?"

Sylvia sank into a chair before her knees gave out, everything starting to make a horrible, awful kind of sense.

Faye squeezed her shoulder and said softly, "Tell us whatever it is you're thinking, Sylvia."

For a second, she couldn't make her voice work. Then her dragon said, Maybe it's not true, but they need to know all the facts.

Taking a deep breath, Sylvia said, "Arlo was the first MacAllister brother to try to woo me. He was a lot older than me, and one short conversation about how lucky I'd be to be courted by him when so many others were trying to catch his eye was all it took for my gut and mind to refuse him." She swallowed. "He didn't take it well."

The disbelief and anger in Arlo's eyes, especially to a sixteen-year-old girl, had frightened her.

Until Arthur had shown up.

She continued, "Arthur heard his brother yelling and came to defend me. He managed to chase Arlo away and ensured I was all right. Despite it all, he somehow made me laugh and feel safe." She picked at the hem of her top. "And we went on from there." She met each of the three people's gazes in the room in turn. "Arlo was always grumpy after Arthur and I mated, but I figured he'd accepted it. Especially as the years went on and he became nicer to me." Emotion choked her throat but she pushed on. "He was the first to comfort me when Arthur was merely missing." She shook her head. "But could it be possible? If, mere weeks after Arthur's death, Arlo said I should've been his, then could he have helped orchestrate Arthur's death to get me?"

Grant answered, "I don't know. The case was before my time, but we're going to look into it. For now, in addition to taking care of Sophie, I need you to be ready in case we need you."

She met his gaze again. "Need me? For what?"

Grant's expression turned grim. "It'll be a last resort, aye? But we might need you as bait or to talk with Arlo. If his obsession is still there, then my guess is that he won't kill Jake but barter his life to get you."

The thought of Arlo even touching her made her shiver. The only good to come from his possible obsession was that there was still a small chance Jake was alive.

Connor started to protest but Sylvia cut him off. "Aye, whatever you need. I'll do it."

Faye nodded. "Then you'd best go home and rest as best you can, and make arrangements in case you need to leave Sophie for a bit."

Connor spoke up. "Don't worry, Mum. Me and the others can help with Sophie."

She smiled at her son. "Thanks, Connor."

Faye spoke again. "However, before you two leave, tell us everything you can about Arlo MacAllister. And don't leave anything out."

As they did so, Sylvia hoped with her entire being that she was wrong about Arlo's motivations.

And yet, the more she thought about it, the more she started to think her gut was right.

At every chance encounter since she and the MacAllisters had reconciled, he'd watched her closely. She'd always thought it was because he was looking for a chance to show she was unfit, as if he was out to prove she wasn't a good mother.

But maybe it'd been more.

And all because she'd refused him more than twenty years ago.

Regardless of Arlo's true motivations, Sylvia was going to be strong this time. If she had to corner the MacAllisters herself to demand answers, she'd do it.

Jake, Sophie, and any hint of happiness in her future depended on it.

Too long Sylvia had let others step in to defend her, or help her, or coax her to do what needed to be done. But no longer. It was her time to shine and prove to herself and everyone else what she was made of.

So she finished with Faye and Grant and went home to her daughter. She'd have to arrange for her children to help her, but she wouldn't hesitate to ask this time. Only then could she talk to the one person who might know more about Arlo's goal—his brother Seamus. Of anyone, he was the one who'd tell her the truth. After all, there wasn't any love lost between the two brothers. They rarely saw eye to eye on anything.

The only question was whether Seamus would betray his brother to help his sister-in-law.

Her dragon grunted. We won't know until we try.

Aye, I know. So let's get Sophie sorted and find him.

A strength and determination she'd never felt before coursed through her. Even if it'd been a short time they'd been together, Jake was hers.

And a dragon always protected what was theirs.