Page 61 of Dragon King’s Bullied Mate

His phone vibrated sharply against the table. The sound cut through the heavy silence like a blade. Mikael grabbed it immediately. “Report.”

The guard captain’s voice came through strained and breathless. “Your Majesty, there’s been an incident near the outskirts of the village.”

Every muscle in Mikael’s body tightened instantly. “What kind of incident?”

The guard paused before answering. “An attempted abduction. They tried to get Beckett, sire.”

The fear in his chest exploded. “Were they successful?”

“No, Sire. And it wasn’t the boy’s father that we were watching.”

“Was anyone hurt?” Mikael ran a hand through his hair. I should have been there.

“No, sire. The boy is shaken badly, but unharmed. Princess Malaya and Lyra fought off the attackers before they could get him into the vehicle.”

Vehicle. Plural attackers. This was now organized, not out of desperation, but planned. Mikael’s jaw clenched so hard pain shot through his skull while the dragon roared inside him with murderous fury.

Protect them.

“Why were the guards not there to help?”

The guard cleared his throat. “They waited until Lyra was just outside the village. Malaya stayed back to talk to the guard in that quadrant and… well…”

“He was distracted.” Mikael couldn’t really put the blame on the guards. He had told them one specific person who had left the area. “What do we know about the attackers?”

“One man was injured badly during the struggle when Malaya broke his arm and another because Lyra sank her elbow into his throat, but they escaped before villagers could surround them. Witnesses have never seen the men or the vehicle before.”

“Boden’s people,” Mikael growled even as pride blossomed for the women protecting their own.

“We believe so.”

Mikael shoved the table hard enough to splinter the thick wood as it crashed into the wall. “Then find every person connected to him.”

“Yes, your Majesty.”

“I want his associates detained immediately,” Mikael snapped. “Question anyone housing him, funding him, transporting him, or communicating with him. Search every property he’s touched within the last month.”

A noise in the doorway caught his attention. Several of his senior advisors stood near the chamber entrance with alarmed looks.

“I’ll call you back.” Mikael ended the call and tossed his phone down. “What can I do for you?”

“Sire,” one older councilman began cautiously, “that scale of response without formal warrants could create public unrest. There are procedures without overstepping the power of the crown.”

Mikael turned toward him slowly and the man visibly paled.

“Public unrest?” Mikael repeated softly. “A child was nearly dragged into a waiting vehicle by armed men while my sister fought them off in the snow.” Heat rolled off him and the councilmen retreated a step. “Tell me why exactly I should care whether frightened criminals feel inconvenienced by my response.”

The senior advisor swallowed hard. “That is not what I meant.”

“No,” Mikael said coldly, “it rarely is.”

Another advisor stepped forward carefully, trying a gentler approach. “Your Majesty, people are already frightened after the poisoning attempt. If word spreads that mass detainments are beginning, then…”

“Let them be frightened.”

The room fell silent.

“No one touches Lyra or Beckett again,” Mikael said quietly. “I don’t care what laws I need to bend to ensure that.”