Draeger Legacy 8 (11 page)

That had him opening his eyes, looking down at her. “Natasha if you don’t go to sleep then I’m going to tie you up and torture you until you do.” She giggled again, snuggled closer, and closed her eyes with a sigh.

Drake closed his again and waited until she was relaxed next to him.

“Yes, I’ll tie you up again and have my complete way with you any time you want.” He felt the shiver and smiled.

He was just about out but was starting to feel hot. Drake frowned, eyes still closed. He could hear the storm raging still outside. A brutal 63

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storm that came so unexpectedly he wondered what kind of damage was going to be done to the grounds come morning. That wasn’t what had him coming out of a light sleep.

No, heat was. He felt so hot that he had to kick the sheet from his legs, only to discover that the heat he felt wasn’t from his body.

Turning in the bed, he touched Natasha. She was burning hot and shivering at the same time.

“Natasha.” He cupped her face, giving him a slight shake. “Honey wake up.” The only answer his received was a moan. “Damnit!”

Drake was out of the bed, fast. He stopped to grab a pair of shorts from the drawer before going to the door and yelling at the top of his lungs for Nelly. He just had them up his legs and was back with Natasha when Nelly came in, tying her robe closed.

“What in the world is wrong?” she asked.

“Natasha is burning up, call the doctor, and get his ass out here right now,” he demanded. “And I don’t give a fuck about the weather.

Something’s wrong.”

He didn’t look to see if his orders were being carried out. He knew Nelly and knew she would do all she had to in order to get the doctor out here.

He touched Natasha’s forehead. Scorching heat touched back.

Mumbling a few swear words, he left her side and went into the bathroom for a cool rag. Drake didn’t waste time in wiping down her heated flesh. Natasha whimpered and tried to get away from him. She shivered.

“Don’t you do this to me,” he told her, wiping down her throat.

“You snap out of this shit right now or no tying up. Do you hear me?” he couldn’t help but snap at her.

Nelly came back in, a large bowl with towels on her arms. “I called him, but he can’t get out until the storm lets up.”

“Fuck,” Drake growled.

“He told me to tell you to get the fever down as much as we can.

Once he gets an opening he’ll be here ASAP.”

“Great.”

“Now you just calm down,” Nelly said, her voice taking an authoritative tone. “We’ll get it down, don’t you worry.”

Drake nodded and let Nelly push him away from the bed. She pulled the sheet away from Natasha and covered her body with cool, wet towels. Natasha whimpered and groaned and it tore at his heat.

How could this have happened? He wondered. Did coming together 64

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out in the rain cause her to become sick? If it did then he knew he wasn’t going to forgive himself.

“Drake, go down and fix us some coffee,” Nelly said. “It’s going to be a long night and we need to keep focused.”

Drake nodded, but didn’t move.

“Go on. I won’t leave her alone.”

Again, he nodded and this time turned and left the room for the kitchen. Guilt hung heavy over his head, on his shoulders. He pushed it aside and went to work at fixing the coffee. It was about the only thing he knew how to do at the moment.

“I’m not going to lose her.” He shook his head. Not after I just found her.

Grabbing the pitcher, and two cups he headed back to the bedroom with the determination that he was going to break this damn fever or die trying. No way in hell was he going to let his mate go. Not after he finally had her.

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Jacob Sager, a private shifter doctor, walked out of the bedroom, putting his equipment back into the black bag he carried. He was a middle aged man, newly mated and trusted by a lot of shifters to do his job and keep his mouth shut—one of the reasons why Drake liked him.

“I’ve given her a shot, a large dose of antibiotics. She’s pretty sick, but I’m thinking it’s caused by stress and lack of nutrition. She’s underweight and exhausted. She also still has a high fever, so you’re going to need to keep an eye on that. Once she loses the chills, she’ll start burning from the inside out. Try to keep her cool and give her the medicine I’m leaving. Also, try to get some broth down her. As much liquids as you can.”

Drake rubbed the back of his neck. He was tired as well, but his mate came first. “How underweight would you say?”

Sager shook his head. “Not sure. I do know she’s way too thin for a female, and I’m afraid her cycle is closer than what is normal. It should be hitting in about a couple days, but the first stage of it is happening now. But don’t worry,” he held his hand up before Drake could speak.

“She’s too sick for her body to do the demands.” He took a deep breath, and frowned. “Drake you do know that Millard has the word out for her.

He’s hunting for his daughter.’

“I can trust you won’t tell him she’s here either.” Drake narrowed his eyes on the man, bracing himself for a fight.

“Not my place, and I don’t tell about my patents either, but I do want you to know the word is out. I’d be careful right now with who you let know she’s here.”

Drake crossed his arms over his chest, “Have you heard anything about this hunter?”

Sager shook his head, “But I have heard that Millard is calling another meeting. Something about the last one was interrupted.”

“Thanks, doc.” Drake put his hand on the man’s shoulder.

“You take care of that girl and get some meat on her bones. I’ll come back after the moon night to check on her.”

Drake nodded and walked the doctor out. After he closed the door, he turned and went to the livening room to make a call. “Dad, it’s me.

What’s going on?”

“Drake, kind of late to be calling.” Allen Draeger sighed on the 66

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other end of the phone. True it was late or very early in the morning to be calling, depending on how you wanted to look at it.

“I just heard Millard is having another meeting,” Drake went on.

“I’m coming. What time is it and where.”

Allen’s sigh went deeper, “It’s not a good idea for you to be there, Drake. If he suspects you have his daughter he could challenge the claim.”

“He can’t challenge what’s already happened. She’s mine, Dad. The claim has been made. She has my mark.”

Allen groaned, the sound meaning he was getting out of bed or sitting up. “Well that will help your position once it comes out that you do have her. I don’t think Millard is going to let it go. You took his daughter, Drake.”

“I followed his law. If he isn’t willing to change the Gathering then he has to live by the rules also. No fair treatment.”

“The meeting is set for tonight. His place again.”

“What time?”

“Ten.”

“I’ll be there.” Drake hung up and turned. Nelly stood in the room.

“Is she okay?”

“I’m going to fix some broth.”

Drake nodded. “I’ll go up and check on the fever.”

He brushed past her, only to stop when she spoke. “I’m sorry I questioned you about her. I see it now that you care deeply for her.”

Drake turned his head, meeting Nelly in the eyes. “I love her Nelly, and I thought I’d never love anyone ever.”

Nelly smiled. “I know you do, Drake. It shows in your eyes.”

Drake lowered his head and left the room. He took the stairs two at a time. Natasha was in the center of the bed, the blanket up to her chin. He saw her shiver, went over to the bed, sat down, and touched her forehead with the back of his hand. She was still hot.

He picked up the glass of water on the nightstand, raised her head up, and pressed the glass to her lips. Natasha opened her mouth, took a sip, and not once did her eyes open.

A fresh bowl of water with towels sat on the nightstand also. He picked up a towel, dunked it, and wrung out some of the water before pulling the blankets down her body. He washed her heated body, trying to ignore her whimpering and protests. He washed her down several times before covering her back up and taking the bowl into the bathroom to dump. With a fresh bowl, he came out and Nelly was there with a cup 67

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of hot broth.

“I hate to leave her, Nelly.”

Nelly nodded as she sat down on the bed. “You need to go to that meeting. You need to change things, Drake. Don’t worry, I can handle things.”

He went back up to the bedroom, checked on Natasha then showered and changed. Dark black jeans, black shirt, and a black jacket.

A quick kiss to her forehead and he was out the door.

This time, Drake drove himself. He thought about how he was going to present himself and worked at calming his nerves and the animal side.

His gut screamed that something was off here. Millard calling another meeting to discuss the Gathering wasn’t sitting well with him.

The drive took an hour. When he turned into the drive the feeling he had during the whole trip over intensified. He parked, got out, and was a bit surprised when his father met him at the door.

“Ready?” Allen Draeger asked.

Drake nodded, “Let’s do this.”

Together they walked inside. They entered the same room and sat in the same seats as last time. Millard and the rest of the Cabinet board sat at a long table in front of everything. This time there were no refreshments for them. Drake took a seat next to his father and waited.

He checked the room out. Faces from the night before were there and new faces.

“We’ve called this meeting for the sole purpose to inform you all that a crime has been committed,” one of the men on the board stated. “A member’s daughter has been taken.”

Drake glanced at his father then found the eye of James Laswell.

James was seated across the room from him.

“She has been promised to another.” That statement had a few mumbling to themselves and Drake crossing his arms over his chest.

“What about the law?” Drake blurted out. Everyone in the room became silent and they all looked right at him. Drake stared at Millard.

“You yourself had written that a male has the rite to take a female and claim her. How can you hold a meeting and demand one of us or better yet accuse one of us of taking your daughter, if you uphold the law?”

“A promised female cannot be claimed, Mr. Draeger.” Millard stated.

“Says who?” Talking started up again, louder. From the corner of his eye, he saw James Laswell stand up.

“Are you saying that if we promise our females to another, then they 68

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can’t be claimed, even at a Gathering?” James asked. “Kind of pointless then to have a Gathering at all.”

Shouting began and only the head member of the board banging on the table stopped it.

“Millard, you expect us to sit here and bend the laws, our rules for you,” Drake went on. “Why? I’ve yet to see you uphold them yourself.”

Millard’s face reddened and Drake worked at not smiling.

“For your information, Draeger, my daughter was promised the day she was born to another,” Millard stated. “I plan to uphold that agreement.”

“Even if she is claimed by another?” James shouted, getting men to agree with him loudly.

“Gentlemen please!” the head cabinet member yelled.

Drake stood up, “If Millard doesn’t uphold his own law, then I stated the law should be changed for us all and he be removed from the board.”

“You rotten son of a bitch!” Millard yelled, standing up also. “You took her didn’t you?” He pointed a finger at Drake.

Drake met him in the eye and said nothing. Others around him began arguing about the law, the removal of Millard, and a few others of the members. Order went out the door at the movement and in the center of it Drake and Millard faced off.

“I think you went too far this time,” his father said.

“Not quite,” Drake said. He tore his eyes from Millard, spread his arms out, and shouted, “Listen to me! Everyone listen!” The room slowly quieted down. “The Gathering has been a major part of our world.

Us males rely on it to find our mates, but when our mates are withheld from us, what are we to do? Men of power decided if our females attend, and the current barbaric way helps them to chose no, then it’s time for a change.” Again, the talking, and loud conversations rose. “We need to stop the public mating!” Drake yelled.

“A new Cabinet needs to be made,” James shouted also.

Over half of the males in the room agreed. Drake turned his full attention back to Millard. The man was glaring at him. If looks could kill, Drake would fall down dead.

“Without a mark from a male, no female can be promised to another.” He pointed his finger at Millard. “That’s your law. Are you going to break it?”

Again, the council’s head banged the table and order slowly returned. “Millard, has your daughter been marked by the promised?”

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one of the board members asked.

Millard sneered, “No.”

“Then the promise is void.” The man banged the table in a final decision. “And as the chairman of this board I am in agreement with Mr.

Draeger’s statement. In fact, there are a few of his statements that I agree with. We are not animals and therefore should not act as such. A change is due, one that will help with us staying true to who we are. The laws and rules we set up years ago were designed to make sure of our productivity, but now it must be tweaked. I’m putting to a vote for a change to our mating law. The public matting for all to see is out, but that does not mean…” He had to raise his voice and hand before the group started to get too loud. “That doesn’t mean you cannot mate your female at a Gathering.”

Drake shook his head and sat back down. “They didn’t hear shit I just said,” he growled.

“Some heard,” his father said. “And you’ve started the change.”

They spent all day arguing, and changing the laws. A few fights almost broke out, harsh words were shouted, and one board member resigned. Drake kept his eye on Millard though. The man seemed like he was on edge, and Drake knew without a doubt he was pissed off.