Dragon's Frenemy (Dragon Blaze Ops Book 2) Page 13

  “Adrian was my mate,” she repeated, if only because she didn’t want to try to figure any of this out. “You were just a distraction. And a mistake. I should never have let myself sleep with you. It was a mistake.”

  Liam backed up a step, hurt flashing over his face. Something caught in Utopia’s chest. No. That was wrong. It wasn’t a mistake. She shouldn’t have said that. It was a lie.

  But if she said that it wasn’t a mistake, he might get the wrong idea. As much as it would hurt him to hear all this, she knew it would only hurt more if she let it continue, only to shove it aside later. If she did that, then he would think she was only using him to get Aiden back. No. She had to be clear and honest. She knew it wouldn’t change his actions—he would still work with her to get Aiden back.

  “I’m sorry,” she whispered, her snow leopard hissing and puffing up. Furious at her for saying any of this. “I’m so sorry. But it was a mistake. Not a mistake in that I wish it hadn’t happened. I just… I gave you the wrong impression and that was a mistake. I’m sorry.”

  Liam turned away, then stopped. His hands clenched and he turned back. “That doesn’t mean that I don’t love you.”

  Utopia flinched. Why did he have to say that? “But you barely know me.”

  “I know you enough.”

  “You haven’t even met Aiden. How can you be so sure you’d be willing to be his father?”

  Liam sighed. “I always wanted kids.”

  “That doesn’t mean you’d be a good father for him.” Except she knew he would be a good father. He’d be an amazing father. She knew it deep in her bones. He was the kind of guy who would really listen to Aiden, to reassure him, to help him grow into a man. But she couldn’t lead him on just because she wanted a man in Aiden’s life to help him in that way. It wasn’t fair to Liam. “And it doesn’t mean I’d be a good mate for you.”

  Liam opened his mouth, then closed it again. He looked like he wanted to say something else, but only turned on his heel and walked out the door.

  Utopia fought down the urge to call him back. Her snow leopard hissed and spat, but she shoved it down as well. This was for the best.

  It didn’t make her feel any better, though. A weight settled on her, catching her breath in her throat as she sank down onto the bed and hid her face in her hands. Why had Liam thought now was a good time to say any of this? Why had he done it?

  Well, sitting around and feeling sorry for herself wasn’t going to help. Not that she could actually do anything to help—

  Stop, she told herself. Just stop.

  There were things she could do. She could start by showering and getting dressed. Making the bed. Cleaning up after the cooking. She didn’t want the Blaze Ops to walk in on her naked, after all.

  Even with the weight still heavy in her chest, Utopia set to work. Soon, though, everything was done. The room was neat and clean, she was showered, clothed, and there was nothing left for her to do except sit and wait. She sank onto the bed, twisting her hands in her lap. How long would Liam be? He said he was just going across the street, but with their fight would he want to delay? Spend a little extra time clearing his head?

  The door opened, and she jumped to her feet, relief washing over her. That relief turned to cold dread when she saw it was not Liam, nor any of the Blaze Ops who entered the room.

  The Alpha smiled at her, the look of a wolf having finally cornered his prey. “Well, well. Dr. Tennet. I must say, I’m impressed. Getting away from the Academy as you did? That is the mark of a true loyalist, isn’t it? Or at least it would be… if you hadn’t gone back to them.”

  Utopia could only stand there and shiver, her mind a blank, not knowing what to do.

  He held his hand out to her. “Come now. I’m sure you’re anxious to see your son.”

  Chapter Twenty-One

  “This was a mistake.” Liam clenched his hands into fists, staring at the computer before Evan. “What the hell was I thinking? Why the fuck did I let you people talk me into this?”

  Eugene put a comforting hand on his shoulder while Stephen snorted. “Hey, you agreed it was the best plan.”

  “I didn’t exactly have time to come up with a different one, did I?” Liam snarled back. “Not with you lot—”

  “Excuse me,” Evan interrupted. The specialist glared up at him. “I know that you’re angsting out and all right now, but can you please just shut up? You’re not making it any easier for me to do my job, here. And if we’re going to get Utopia back and Aiden out then I kinda sorta have to do my job.”

  Liam didn’t like that tone and wanted to snap at him to show his superior officer the respect he was due but knew that was just his nerves talking. He didn’t want the type of relationship with these guys where they would only call him ‘Captain’ and he couldn’t joke around with them. He’d spent most of his military career with people like that, both senior and junior to him. What was the point of being part of an off-the-books team if they couldn’t have an off-the-books relationship?

  He retreated to the other side of the van. They were barreling down the road, Adam driving, while Evan worked on his machines, tracking the GPS that Utopia had swallowed.

  Every second felt like they were getting further and further apart, even though Liam knew the opposite was actually true. Everything that could go wrong went through his head, and he had to hold his breath to stop himself from screaming at them all to just take wing already and go save Utopia.

  She is valuable to him. Too valuable to get rid of.

  “I should have told her,” he whispered.

  “You know that was too risky,” Eugene replied. “Come on, Liam. You have to stop thinking. Your head isn’t in the right place, and the way you’re going, you could put us all in danger.”

  Liam knew it was true. Knew that he had to get his head into the right space otherwise, it would all go wrong. But his final conversation with Utopia kept spinning through his head. The way she’d looked at him. The words she’d said. If she had known what was going to happen, would she have understood the true intent behind what he said?

  “You are my mate and that means I will always be there. Even if it seems like I’ve abandoned you, I will be there. I will always come for you.”

  “It’s just that…” Liam shook his head and lowered his voice so the others couldn’t hear. Stephen especially was already angry enough at him over this whole situation. “If anything happens to her because of this? I don’t think I’ll be able to forgive any of you, or myself.”

  Eugene’s expression tightened. He glanced around quickly and, sure that nobody was trying to listen, he leaned in. “I know. I understand. She’s your mate.”

  “I told her. And she… she said she wasn’t. That she already had a mate and that she couldn’t have another one.”

  Eugene snorted. “It’s possible to have more than one mate. I know. When my moms met my dad, they didn’t think that they needed anybody else. They were perfectly happy, being mates with each other. Only took them a few weeks to realize that Dad was meant to be with them, too. They’re not the only ones, you know. I have lots of friends who have more than two parents who are mated to each other. This whole idea that there is only one true mate out there for you? It’s a human idea pushed onto us because they don’t understand that it’s not promiscuous if you’re still all firmly committed to each other.”

  “Yeah, I know.” Liam sighed. “I know. I tried to tell her. But I think I scared her. She didn’t want to hear any of it.”

  “Well, I mean… the timing wasn’t the best,” Eugene said.

  “I know. But I’d be kicking myself for not saying anything if I hadn’t, so… what was I supposed to do?”

  Eugene shook his head. “I don’t know. There isn’t an easy answer. But hey, once she is free from the Pack and we’ve got her kid, then things aren’t going to be so emotionally explosive. Right? You’ll be able to figure it out.”

  If they were able to rescue her. If someth
ing terrible didn’t happen. If she ever forgave him for lying to her. If the Alpha hadn’t figured out their plan already and was laying a trap for them…

  He closed his eyes as his fires flickered erratically. Breathe in. Breathe out. Clear thoughts. Clear doubts. You are a dragon and will not be brought down, certainly not by your own fears.

  Evan slammed his fist on the back of Adam’s seat. “Stop!”

  Liam bent forward, watching eagerly.

  Evan typed a few commands on his computer, then nodded. “Alright. I’ve got them. Matching satellite imagery with location… Bam. That’s where he took her.” He turned the computer and grinned triumphantly.

  The image showed a single, long, low building. The forest pulled in on it at every side. Liam’s heart hammered against his chest and he nodded. “Alright. Eugene, you’re with me. We go in here. Stephen, Adam, you two go in here. Evan, I want you to—”

  “Stay in the van.” Evan sighed. “I have as much military training as you—but now isn’t the time for this argument. Okay, I will stay in the van and try to hack their security systems.”

  He handed Stephen the equipment he needed; after working together for so long, Stephen didn’t need an explanation of what to do. They all slipped out of the van and headed for their positions.

  Liam disliked the weight of the gun in his hand. He would have preferred to rely on his fires, but there had been plenty of times in the past when shifting into a dragon wouldn’t have worked. So, the guns were a necessity. He and Eugene moved through the forest, listening as Evan and Stephen gave each other updates. Once they were in position, Liam radioed it in. Since Evan was the one who had the equipment feed, he was the one with eyes on all of them. Meaning it was now his call as to when they went in.

  The two of them crouched several yards outside a barbed wire fence as they waited for Stephen to get in and patch in the equipment so Evan could hack the security feed.

  “I know how you feel,” Eugene said abruptly.

  Liam glanced at him.

  “The whole complications with mates. Your mate saying that she’s not your mate. I know what that’s like.” Eugene pulled in a deep breath as a pained expression came across his face. “And how you can’t stop thinking about it, even though you need to stop thinking about it.”

  Liam almost asked him, but Stephen reported splicing the equipment in and they started to creep forward again. He had to put it from his mind.

  Utopia wasn’t going to be in danger for much longer. It was Adam’s job to get her out. It was Stephen’s job to get Aiden out. He and Eugene were laying the foundation for them to get out and then they’d get Utopia’s research. And as soon as Evan said that he was in the system, they’d go in. They’d be successful. They had run harder missions than his before.

  “When we get back, we’ll know,” Eugene murmured. “One way or another. We’ll know if Clementine is the traitor.”

  Liam glanced at him and repeated the words he’d been telling himself ever since he left the motel room. “Focus, Major. We’ll have time for emotional breakdowns later.”

  Eugene choked out a quiet laugh as they returned to a still position, waiting. Every second seemed to press down on Liam. His heart was too loud, his breathing too quiet. The forest too still and yet buzzing with life. Adrenaline surged through him, making it difficult to keep himself still.

  Hold, he reminded himself. Hold and wait.

  ***

  The Alpha’s hand slammed across her face, knocking Utopia off her feet. Blood welled between her gums and dripped down her face. Her neck hurt from being wrenched about, but she looked up at the Alpha. There was no trace of anger on his face. In fact, he looked to be… enjoying himself. Her stomach clenched.

  Where had Liam gone? Why hadn’t he been there? How had the Alpha been able to just waltz into the motel room and bring her back here? Should she have tried to fight? But she couldn’t have—he had said outright if she didn’t do as he said, he’d kill Aiden.

  Her snow leopard cowered in her chest, just as she cowered on the floor. Would Liam think that she left him on purpose? That she had gone back to the Pack because of what he had said? More than anything, she wished she could just go back. Tell him what it was she was really feeling. Maybe even tell him that they could be mates…

  Or, if she had done that, would it only have changed the situation to Liam being captured or killed with her? Could he have done anything to stop the Alpha, really?

  “Now. Are you ready to give me some real answers?” The Alpha crouched beside her. “Or are you going to keep telling me you don’t know?”

  Utopia whimpered.

  The Alpha grabbed her hair and yanked her head back so far that she uttered a short scream. All the ride here, he’d been asking her questions. Questions she just couldn’t answer.

  “What does the Academy plan to do about me?” he asked, his dangerous eyes peering into hers.

  “I don’t know. I swear I don’t know. I was their prisoner; they didn’t give me any sort of freedom. They didn’t tell me anything. If I knew, I’d tell you. I’d tell you everything you wanted to know. You know that. You know that I’m not strong enough to stop you.”

  The Alpha released her with a snort and straightened. “Do I? You are remarkably clever, Utopia. And how do I know you haven’t found some fountain of strength in the dragon, huh? Your new mate.”

  Utopia’s lungs seized. How did the Alpha know Liam had said that?

  “I have it on good authority that you spent several hours with him in his apartment. And what you were doing was obvious… Do you deny it?”

  Utopia swallowed dryly. “He’s not my mate.”

  “But you still let him fuck you.”

  “I… I was trying…” She floundered, not knowing what to say. How did he know all this? There really was a leak at the Academy…

  The Alpha reached into his pocket and pulled out a piece of paper. She already knew what it was going to be and shook her head, a sob catching in her throat. The Alpha seemed to revel in her fear as he smoothed out the agreement she signed and placed it before her. It was only a photocopy, but that was enough. The proof of her betrayal was right there.

  “I only signed because I was afraid of what they would do to me if I didn’t,” she gasped. “I thought that if I could have even a little more breathing room—”

  “You know by seeing this that I have an operative in the Academy,” the Alpha interrupted. He smoothed her hair behind her ear as he knelt beside her again. “It was my operative that allowed you to get out of the Academy in the first place. They set it all up. And if you had been loyal—hell, if you had been smart—then you would have come right back to me.”

  Utopia opened her mouth, but he struck her again, cutting her lip into her teeth.

  “But you didn’t. And now you must pay the consequences.”

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Evan’s voice cracked over the radio. “Okay, I’m in.”

  Liam tensed, fighting the instinct to just vault in at once. He started a half-shift, easing his wings out but not allowing anything else to change. Beside him, Eugene did the same. The seconds ticked by excruciatingly slow before Evan gave his characteristic whoop of triumph.

  “Okay, their feeds are on a loop. You’re good to go.”

  Liam launched himself forward, Eugene beside him. A couple of beats of their powerful wings brought them both up and over the barbed wire fence. As soon as they touched down, Liam retracted his wings and started for the building. His blood sung with fire, and a snarl grew on his lips.

  They weren’t going to get away with hurting Utopia. They weren’t going to get away with forcing her to perform all those terrible experiments. They weren’t going to get away with any of it.

  They got to the end of the building and peered around the corner. A couple of guards stood by the back entrance, holding guns in their hands and looking incredibly bored. Good—Liam’s snarl twisted into a grin—that meant they had n
o idea. He gestured to Eugene and sent a static burst over the headset to Stephen and Adam. The answering bursts were all he needed.

  The four of them rushed in on the other side. Adam and Eugene pinned the guards’ arms behind their backs while Stephen and Liam slapped their hands over their mouths. They slit the guards’ throats, unable to leave any witnesses behind.

  Stephen and Adam stayed behind to take care of the bodies while Eugene and Liam entered the building.

  “I’ve found her,” Evan said over the radio. “It looks like she’s being held in some sort of prison cell. The Alpha is with her. If you take the stairs to your left, go down two flights, you’ll be on the floor. There are a good four guards outside her cell door, though. I don’t know how you’ll get in.”

  “We’ll figure it out,” Liam replied. “Where’s Aiden?”

  “I haven’t found him yet.”

  “Stephen, Adam, disable their alarm systems then meet us down in the cells.”

  “Roger that, Captain,” Stephen replied.

  They continued on. Eugene was only a step behind Liam as he barreled down the stairs. His heart was in his throat as his grip on the gun grew tighter. The Alpha was with her. Did that mean he was expecting them?

  ***

  Utopia scrambled back from the Alpha, shaking her head. “No! No, that isn’t what I was doing. I wasn’t trying to betray you—”

  “If you were loyal, you would have come back to me the moment you had a chance.”

  “I didn’t know how to contact you.”

  The smile was still on his face, terrifying and knowing it. He grabbed her by her hair again and yanked her to her feet, even as she let out a scream of pain. He forced her onto her tiptoes. Tears blurred her vision and her snow leopard lashed out, running in circles and howling for blood. But if she shifted, it was a sure bet she’d be dead in seconds.

  “It’s too late, Utopia. It’s too late for you.”

  “Please,” she begged, but he dragged her out of the cell.

  The guards all grinned and ribbed each other, and Utopia’s breath caught. She could almost feel her heart stutter to a stop as the fear overwhelmed her. No! They couldn’t… but the wolves in the forest… they were going to… Bile rose in her throat.