Hector stormed toward him, but Rafe kept his ground. Nearly eighteen years in the army had taught him a thing or two about dealing with other alpha men.
When Hector finally stopped six inches away and leaned his face toward Rafe's, Rafe merely cocked an eyebrow. "Are you supposed to scare me?"
Hector narrowed his eyes. His voice was like steel as he said, "Watch yourself, human. You claimed my daughter without my permission. Only because I don't want my grandchild to grow up without a father am I not beating the living shit out of you right now."
Rafe shook his head. "Nikki doesn't need your goddamn permission. She's twenty-six years old and has survived a fucking war zone. Let her make her own decisions."
Rafe half-expected Hector to clock him, but the dragonman fell silent. After a few seconds, Hector finally nodded. "If this is how you stand up for Nikki, then I imagine you'll go further for your own child."
Rafe blinked. "What the hell are you talking about?"
Slapping Rafe's shoulder, Hector took a step back and looked to Delphine. "What do you think, sweet?"
Smiling, Delphine answered, "He's gruff on the outside, but inside, he's softer than he lets on."
"What-"
Hector cut him off. "Good, because that makes this next bit easier."
Nikki finally spoke up. "What did you do, Dad?"
Hector looked over his shoulder. "I made a deal with Bram."
Rafe eyed Hector with suspicion. "Without talking with either of us?"
"Nikki won't mind," Hector answered with a shrug. "And considering I could have you thrown in jail, you don't have a choice."
Walking up to them, Nikki raised her chin to meet her father's eyes. "I repeat: what did you do?"
"Bram is asking Rafe's commanding officer to let him stay here to better cement your plans concerning the dragon hunters," Hector answered.
Some of Rafe's tension eased. "I rather you would've asked, but if Bram can manage it, then that buys us some time to find a long-term solution."
"Rafe," Nikki bit out. "Did I not make myself clear before? I'm not keeping the child."
"What?" Hector roared.
Rafe jumped on his chance. "That's fine, Nikola Helen Gray, because I'm going to raise the child with or without you."
Nikki's jaw dropped. "Say what?"
Moving closer to Nikki, he kept his tone firm. "I want to be a father, Nikki. Even if it means raising her alone, I will."
"Are you crazy? There's no way the DDA will allow a human to raise a dragon-shifter."
"With Jane's help, I'm sure I can manage."
Nikki placed her hands on her hips. "And you made all these grand plans without me? Use your head, Rafe. Humans in the UK might think dragon-shifters are interesting at the moment, but it could all change in a heartbeat. The Head of the DDA will be selected next week, and I can tell you right now that Jonathan Christie won't bloody well agree to your half-arsed plan."
Aware of Hector and Delphine watching, Rafe reached out a hand and took a hold of Nikki's wrist. "We need to discuss this in private."
He half-expected Hector to yell and stop him, but the dragonman didn't stop Rafe from leaving with Nikki in tow.
Once they were in the living room, he released her wrist and placed his hands on her hips. Nikki's eyes flashed with anger. "You are bloody crazy, Rafe. Do you know what happened to humans who tried raising dragon-shifters on their own in the past? The dragons went rogue and ate the humans."
"Maybe so, but I can petition help from my sister's bastard mate. Probably your parents, too."
Growling in frustration, Nikki slammed her hands against his chest. Rafe barely managed to keep his balance. She did it again, and he fell back.
Landing on his arse, Nikki kicked his shin. "Goddamn you, Rafe Hartley. You, out of everyone, I thought knew how important being a Protector is to me. And now you're betraying me by making choices without me, choices that will shape my future without my input. My father will never allow me to give up the child now." Her voice cracked. "You're no better than the elder dragon-shifters, forcing me into a life I'm not ready for."
She turned to leave. Rafe clutched her ankle and pulled until she was on the floor. Covering her body with his, he said, "I'm not fucking betraying you, woman. I know how important being a Protector is to you. Hell, you work harder than almost anyone I've ever met."
"Then why are you waving a future I can't have in front of me? It's hard enough to have you after all these years and have to let you go. But now you're trying to prolong the pain by sticking around with a nave idea about us raising a child together. Can't you just go?"
"It's not a nave idea," he answered in a steely voice. "And what do you mean about having me after all these years and letting me go?"
"Just let me go, Rafe. You obviously don't remember."
"If you mean what happened four years ago, then yes, I do."
Chapter Six.
Nikki's heart thundered in her chest. No bloody way.
Gathering her wits, she tried to push Rafe off her, but he wouldn't budge. Stupid muscled human male.
Nikki finally mustered a response. "Don't lie to me, Rafe. We've worked together for nearly six months and not once did you mention the past."
"Excuse me for not wanting to bring back painful memories. Believe me, Nikki, I remembered what I did to you all those years ago. Every time I see you, it comes rushing back."
She searched his eyes for deceit. Unless Rafe was a good liar, she sensed him telling the truth. Nikki needed to know more. "Why did you do it?"
Rafe sighed. "I was cocky and trying to impress some of my colleagues."
"That's not much of an answer. Tell me what you remember, so I know you're not talking out of your arse."
Easing off her body, Rafe sat up. Nikki followed suit and scooted back several inches. The distance would prevent her from punching Rafe if he started spouting rubbish.
"You had just arrived after training," Rafe began. "It was my second assignment with dragon-shifters. The one before had ended badly, with my long-time friend dying when a dragon failed to take out an armored vehicle.
"I was still grieving when I was given a second assignment. I blamed the dragon-shifters in our unit for fucking up the maneuver. The last thing I needed was to be surrounded by dragons, especially one that fancied me."
Nikki leaned forward and put her elbows on her thighs. "Why didn't you tell me about your friend? It would've been a whole lot nicer than ridiculing me in front of your men."
She remembered catching Rafe on his way to dinner. Pulling him aside, she'd been under the impression they were alone. After spilling her feelings, Rafe's reply had stayed with her to the present day: Dragon-shifters are useless creatures who fail when needed most. Why would I want to associate with one, let alone touch one?
Rafe had left then and joined his friends on the other side of the unpacked crates. The approval and disgust in all of their eyes had sent Nikki running away to cry alone in a corner.
The next two years had been hell, but she'd found a way to ignore their looks and whispers and work with the humans. She'd never sought out Rafe Hartley ever again.
Of course, she'd dreamed about him. More than she'd ever admitted to anyone. With Rafe being her true mate, it all made more sense now.
Fate was one messed-up bitch.
Or, was she?
Rafe's voice filled the room and Nikki snapped back to the present. "I had yet to learn how to trust a dragon-shifter. Then when you and your team saved my unit's lives, my worldview changed." His voice lowered to a whisper. "The damage had been done by that point. But I vowed never to hurt you again."
Nikki wanted to believe Rafe's words, but there was too much she didn't know.
Searching his eyes, she asked, "So, instead, you agree to impregnate me and want to raise the child on your own? You should've been honest with me from the first day you set foot on Stonefire. How can I trust you when you kept such a big secret from me?"
Rafe raised an eyebrow. "And you haven't kept secrets from me?"
"I didn't mean for my adoption plans to be a secret. Dr. Sid was supposed to tell you. I know you can't understand, but when an inner dragon goes into a mate-claim frenzy, all a dragon-shifter's energy goes into either trying to contain their beast or jumping their mate."
Rafe scooted a few inches toward her. "Then at least tell me why you want to give up the child."
Nikki didn't have to tell Rafe anything. By every law concerning dragons and humans in the UK, the child was hers and only hers. Rafe had no legal claim.
Her dragon finally roused from her sleep. Talk with him. That will make everything better.
He hasn't even apologized for being an arsehole back in Afghanistan. Why should I tell him anything?
Because he risked his freedom and maybe even his life by staying here. Actions speak louder than words.
Studying Rafe's green eyes, Nikki hated to admit her beast had a point.
Still, she wanted to know something before she answered Rafe's question. "Tell me one more thing, first. Why do you want a child so badly?"
He raised his brows. "Is it really that surprising?"
"Rafe, be serious. If you want the truth from me, then I want the truth from you first. Consider it a sort of apology for stomping on my heart when I was young."
Regret flashed in his eyes. "I'm truly sorry, Nikki. I was stupid and unprofessional. For reasons I never understood before, hurting you has lingered on my conscious more than any other act. And I haven't exactly been a bloody saint up until now."
Her dragon was smug. He apologized. I might even call that groveling.
Ignoring her beast, Nikki repeated, "Why do you want a child so badly?"
With a sigh, Rafe ran a hand through his hair. "I never thought I wanted one. I'm thirty-four years old and have survived most of my adult life alone.
"But then when Bram asked if I wanted to participate in the frenzy or not, I kept seeing a mental picture of a four-year-old little girl. She was you and me together. So stubborn and brave. In a split second, a yearning in my heart I'd never realized was there opened up." His gaze intensified. "I wanted a family to care for and protect."
With a grunt, her beast chimed in. He tells the truth. I feel it.
Right, because you're a bloody lie detector.
It's one of my many talents.
Resisting an eye roll, Nikki remained silent a second. Rafe leaned forward and lightly touched the back of her hand. Even when torn on her future, Rafe's caress was a brand on her skin.
The only question was whether there could ever be more to them than mere attraction.
Her dragon spoke up. You'll never know if you don't talk to him.
Meeting Rafe's gaze again, she finally answered his question from earlier. "The reason I want to give the baby up for adoption is because I'm not the kind of female who can give up her career to stay home and change nappies."
Her dragon chimed in. That's not the only reason.
Shut it. He doesn't need to know the rest.
Rafe interrupted her dragon's reply. "Who says you have to? There are plenty of women who have children and keep their careers."
"Maybe humans can get away with it," Nikki grumbled. "But the elder dragon-shifters frown on the practice. They look the other way at Melanie and Evie because they're human and might die in childbirth. Me, on the other hand, if I had one child and kept it, they would expect me to devote myself to having ten children. They wouldn't stop nagging until I did as expected. Adoption might be the only way for them to leave me alone."
"Fuck that," Rafe spit out. "For the past six months, you've done nothing but prove how you can take care of yourself. Sometimes even going overboard a bit. Why in this one area of life are you so ready to resign to others' expectations?"
Her dragon interjected, He's right. You know he is.
But he doesn't know the whole truth.
Then tell him.
Looking into Rafe's gaze, Nikki debated telling him. But deep down, she knew that if she told Rafe, she might start hoping for something she couldn't have-a future with a human male.
"Do I need to pin you to the ground again to get a straight answer?" Rafe asked.
And cue Rafe ruining any tender thoughts she might have about him.
Nikki narrowed her eyes. "I'd like to see you try."
"Since I'd rather not have your father come out here, see me, and break my neck, I'll save my ninja skills for later. For now, just bloody tell me why you are so concerned about the old timers in the clan?"
What the hell. I owe my baby daddy this much, I suppose. "Nikola Gray is more famous for the circumstances of her birth than her actions. I've become a damn symbol, and I can't seem to shake it off. Not even devoting my life to protecting the clan has changed that. Many of the older clan members believe if the first child of a sacrifice has as many children as possible, Stonefire will repopulate and become stronger than ever before."
Rafe blinked. "That's ridiculous."
"I agree. But what if you doing something for the members of your team meant they would be hopeful for the future? Would you dismiss it so casually? No, of course not. Going through the frenzy means I add to the clan, then I can signal I'm not going to be a baby machine by giving up the child to a couple who wants one. After that, I can focus on finally proving I'm much more than a walking uterus by continuing to work as a Protector."