“This is the lot we’ve been dealt. All we can do is make the best of it.” He was silent for a long moment. “But did you ever think that maybe everything that’s happened to both of us has led to this moment? That’s made us who we are, so we fit together?”
“That sounds pretty spiritual for logical dragon,” she teased.
“Perhaps, but it’s hard to be logical when I’m with you under the stars. It’s all magick now.”
“It is, isn’t it?” She looked up at the sky again. “I was thinking that same thing earlier. I don’t see the stars very often as I’ve lived most of my life underground. I think if I were to go back under, I would miss them.”
“It’s why I like that part of Kansas so much. It’s the nights in those hills with their green pastures, the occasional rebel tree so warped by the wind, and nights away from city lights and endless view of the sky. I can fly there, spread my wings, if only for a little while.”
“It has a stark sort of beauty, when we’re not being chased by ghouls.”
“It’s curious how Dezo raised him with his blood. Did you see that?”
“He wasn’t a witch, so there’s still another player.” She shuddered thinking about him.
“That’s still out there, and so are the others. If the ghouls are as smart as I think they are, they destroyed the bikes, and I’ll take a sweet revenge for that.”
“How are we going to get in touch?”
“I’ll call them. They’ll hear me no matter how far underground they’ve gone. I have a plan. I don’t like it, but I think it’s all we can do.”
She nodded for him to go on.
“We get everyone here, and we camp through the day. When night falls, we fly to the Remus compound. We’ll know soon enough if Borgia is part of the problem.”
“If he is, then what?”
“I’ll eliminate him and his entire pack.”
“That’s an outright act of war from you.”
“It is. And I don’t give a fuck. I’m not leaving you with a male who tried to kill you. As it is, if you decide there’s no other way to save the Orlaith, I’ll never be too far away. If you need me.”
Emotion choked her. She’d never felt so many things at once. “I don’t think I’m strong enough to leave you, even if that’s what it takes.”
“We’ll do what we must.” He rolled over and kissed her. “Because that’s who we are.”
The orange fingers of dawn had begun streaking across the sky, pulling back the blanket of darkness and stars.
She realized he was right.
She also realized he made her better, made her set the standards for herself higher. She didn’t think that Borgia Remus would be able to do that.
Krysanthe started tugging on her clothes and just as she’d stuffed her feet into her boots, Imre and Aranka landed in the crater.
Aranka had pancakes and bacon.
“Where did you get that?” Krys ran to her and hugged her.
“Silver Dollar City tourist trap. Here.” She handed her the takeout box. “We’ve got one for you, too.” Aranka shoved one at the thankfully now dressed Ondrej.
Krysanthe shoved a bite of pancake in her mouth. “Sometimes you have great ideas.”
“I have great ideas all the time,” Aranka replied.
Ondrej swallowed all three pancakes in one bite.
“I told you we should’ve brought more,” Imre said.
“Well, it’s not like I can miracle gold from my ass like my sister can.” Aranka took a bite of her bacon.
It took Mikolas and Voshkie longer to arrive, but when they did, Vosh headed straight for Aranka. “Tell me you got some for me.”
Voshkie was bloodied and dirty, as was Mikolas.
“Looks like you ran into trouble,” Ondrej said.
“Yeah, quite a bit of it. Voshkie has an idea and I don’t like it, but it might be the best plan we’ve got,” Mikolas nodded and watched as Voshkie ate two portions of pancakes. He rolled his eyes.
“Vosh, that was for Mik,” Aranka said.
“Sorry?” She arched a brow.
“Here. There’s an extra one,” Imre handed Mikolas a box.
“Where are Fabian and Dezo?” Mik asked around his bite.
“I don’t know where Fabian is. He hasn’t responded to my call. But Dezo isn’t coming.”
Krysanthe wanted to support him, to hold his hand while he had to tell his brothers another of their own was not only gone, but that he’d betrayed them.
She stepped beside Ondrej and put her hand on his shoulder.
“What happened?” Mikolas asked, obviously unashamed of the tears in his eyes. “I know he’s gone, but what happened.”
Even Voshkie showed a gentler side and gripped his shoulder.
“He betrayed us, my brothers. He was aligned with whatever or whoever is controlling the ghouls. He made his bid for dominance.”
“Where’s his body?” Imre asked. “I know he dishonored himself and us, but don’t we at least get to say goodbye? Won’t you burn him in the Alpha fire?”
Ondrej turned his face away for a long moment and took a deep breath. “No, he almost killed me, and if not for Krysanthe, he would’ve.”
“If not for you using your fire on those ghouls, they’d have gotten me too.”
Voshkie dropped her food and rushed forward to Krysanthe, checking her over for injuries.
“Vosh, I’m fine. I’m really fine.”
“Did you do it?” she asked.
“I did.” Krysanthe held up her hands to keep Voshkie from launching herself at Ondrej. “Hey, no. I chose to do it and it didn’t hurt me. He took it all.”
“Will someone please tell me what the fuck we’re talking about?” Mikolas asked, his voice full of emotion.
“The princess’s power. She can turn anything to gold, but if she uses too much, tries to turn something too big, it can kill her. The power comes from her life-force. This is why Orlaith Princesses don’t belong with dragons, with their lust for gold, they’re liable to break their toy with their demands.” She stared at Ondrej.
“No, Voshkie. He gave me his. He stood with me and I had no pain.” Krysanthe explained.
“Well, fuck.” She went to retrieve her second tray of food and found Mikolas had shoved it in his mouth. She growled at him. “On the plus side, looks like we’re not going to West Virginia. I hate werewolves more than I hate dragons.”
“You don’t hate me. You want to hate me. But you don’t,” Mik said.
“Shut up. No one’s talking to you,” Voshkie crossed her arms over her chest.
“So you turned Dezo to gold?” Imre asked quietly.
“I had to. First it was just his fire—”
“Wait, you faced him off while he was Changed? While he was a dragon? Now I know your crazy comes in three flavors.” Vosh shook her head.
“Ondrej would’ve died. He’d used the last of his Alpha fire to save me from the ghouls that Dezo raised with his blood. So I turned him to gold and the earth took back the gift she’d given.”
“That’s some damn dark magick right there.” Imre nodded, but then scrubbed a hand over his head. “Fuck. Dezo, you shit.”
“I’m sorry,” Ondrej said, obviously full of grief.
As the group moved as one to comfort each other in what could only be described as a huddle, Krysanthe understood the Alpha/pack equation much better than she had before. He wasn’t the word of law and the hammer of gods because he took the power. He was Alpha because they gave it to him. It was biology, but it was sociology, too. They trusted him as the best of them to endure their pains, to keep them from harm, and in turn, they made him stronger.
Even Voshkie joined the huddle.
“Brothers before gold,” Mikolas said, his voice still thick.
“Loyalty before gold,” Imre said.
“Honor before gold,” Ondrej finished. “Drago Knights. With honor, loyalty, and brotherhood.”
The way the words
reverberated around them, it was almost as if they were part of some spell that shored them up against the slings and arrows of the world. Some magickal weaving that made them invisible.
But it wasn’t, not really. It was shield of the Drago Knights brotherhood that united them. They were more than a motorcycle club, more than a pride… they were one unit and even though they’d lost two of their brothers, that didn’t beat them down. It didn’t stop them. It made them get up, made them keep going, made them fight harder.
Now, it seemed as if she, Aranka and Voshkie had been included in that shield—that family. This was what she’d get with Ondrej Tatsu. This life. This bond.
It was what she wanted almost as much as peace for her people.
When they broke apart, it was Mikolas who was all business. “So what’s the plan, brother?”
“We stay here until dusk. Then I fly to West Virginia with Krysanthe.”
“You can’t still mean to go?” Voshkie was incredulous.
“I have to. We’ll never be safe. I need to know if it was Borgia, or his witch,” Krysanthe said.
“Makes sense,” Aranka agreed.
“We’ll tweak my plan, then.” Voshkie sighed. “You’re hell bent on going. So Mikolas and I will head toward the compound one way. Aranka and Imre the other. We all look enough alike to pass for Ondrej and Krysanthe at a distance. So we’ll keep any eyes and ears on the road in confusion while you handle your shit at the compound.”
“That leaves you too exposed. If I take out the compound, the rest of Remus will come. As will their allies.” He shook his head. “You know if Borgia planned this, that’s what I have to do.”
“We’re with you.” Mikolas gave him a pointed look. “And this is the best way to make sure we get the answers we need. Exposed or not.”
“I’m in,” Imre said.
“Aranka, I can’t—”
“Oh no, Krysanthe. There’s no way you’re going on this fabulous adventure and not taking me with you.”
“If something happened to you, I’d never forgive myself.”
“Somethings happen to people all the time. I’d rather something happen to me than nothing. You chose to go to Remus. I choose to follow. Suck it up, buttercup.” Aranka planted a kiss on her cheek.
“Pick up new bikes as soon as you can. They’ll probably be watching for that knowing the ghouls destroyed ours. Don’t get fancy. Buy used from private sellers instead of dealerships. We’ll get custom after crush our enemies,” Ondrej said.
“Whoever slept last can take the first watch,” Imre said.
“Mik and I will take first watch,” Voshkie offered.
Aranka used her power to travel along the veins of gold to find them a cave system down the side of the mountain where they could hide out until dusk.
She realized then that maybe her little sister wasn’t so little after all. She wasn’t so lost in the world and her great sense of adventure wasn’t naiveté. Not by a million miles.
Chapter 7
When dusk fell and there was still no sign of Fabian, Ondrej was torn between sending Mik and Imre out to find him and sticking with the original plan.
If he’d been hurt somehow, Ondrej should’ve gotten some kind of distress call, but there’d only been silence.
Krysanthe seemed to know what he was thinking. “We can go look for him.”
“Not if we want our plans to be effective.”
“This Mating Fever thing, is it possible he was struck as well and is… occupied?”
“I don’t think he’d go radio silent for that. He either dead or Turned. So there’s nothing I can do to help him until I help you.”
Krysanthe laced her fingers in between his. “You’ve lost so much.”
He squeezed her hand. “I’ve gained so much, too. So have Imre and Mikolas.”
“I’m afraid of what we’re going to find. Part of me doesn’t want to know. That same part of me that wouldn’t mind if you just stole me away and locked me in a tower like a proper dragon.”
“You’d mind.” Though, the idea did have merit. His dragon liked it. He wasn’t at all opposed to being a knuckle-dragging “proper” dragon as she described it. He thought that locking her in a tower was perfectly reasonable—especially if he could lock her in there with all of his other treasure. His dragon had fantasies of perching on all of his gold, rolling around in waterfalls of the stuff while Krysanthe stroked his chin and read to him from the old books. Of course, his bipedal side had no intention of her scratching his chin. He’d make love to her for hours in that golden waterfall.
She sighed. “Yeah, you’re right. But your dragon likes the idea.”
“He does. He likes it a lot. It’s on the Approved Plan list. Unlike the one we’re about to execute. Are you ready?”
“I think so.”
“It’ll be about three hours on my back. Can you hold on that long?”
She rolled her eyes. “Can I hold on? Please, it’s like you were made for riding.”
“Nymph, if you keep talking that way, you’re going to find yourself flat on your back instead of heading to your chosen destination.”
“Promise?”
“All you have to do is say the word, Princess. Say you don’t want to go, and we’ll do something else.” He half hoped she would say that she’d changed her mind. That the rest of the world could go to hell and then make love to her, fuck her, then make love to her again while the world did just that.
But that wasn’t what he admired about her, that wasn’t what made her a good mate. It was her willingness to sacrifice. It was her strength to do what was right.
Even his dragon couldn’t argue with that. He couldn’t argue with it, but he didn’t have to like it.
“You understand why I have to?”
The conflict in her eyes set the course of action. She needed him to help her do what needed to be done. He couldn’t worry about what this meant for them or for him.
“Yeah, I understand. I’d do the same if I thought it would save my brothers. Looks like I’m doing everything your father didn’t want me to do.”
“He wanted you to change my mind.”
“Instead, you changed mine. If things work out the way we want them too, how’s he going to feel about you being with me?”
“These things have always been my own choice. He found you worthy to protect me, so I’m sure he’ll find you worthy to be with me as well.”
“If I ever get the chance, I’ll make the vow so the whole world can hear it. Krysanthe before gold,” he whispered in her ear. Before she could respond he said, “Let’s get in the air, unless you want to say your goodbyes again.”
“My heart couldn’t take it. This morning before we slept was enough.”
“Do you trust me?”
“With my life.”
“Then hold on tight to my shoulders.”
“You’re not doing what I think you’re going to do, are you?” she asked, peering down over the ledge of the cave.
“Oh yeah.”
“Oh gods.” Despite her obvious reservations, she latched on.
Ondrej leapt off into a freefall with his arms wide. “Are your eyes open? You have to watch,” he yelled. Then he Changed, two beats of his wings righting their descent.
“Do you do that all the time?”
“Every chance I get.”
“It must be amazing to fly.”
“And what are you doing right now?” he asked.
She laughed and clung tighter to his neck. “Higher.”
He was happy to oblige her, soaring ever higher until they were above the clouds. Living underground as she did, she didn’t need as much oxygen as a mortal might.
“How long do dragons live?” she asked.
“A thousand years or so. How long do nymphs live?”
“The same. I’m two hundred.”
“I’m not sure how old I am. We left the dragon lands a long time ago and I can’t remember.”
“What’s the first thing you remember?”
“Chasing bison on that prairie. It was before I could fly.” He and his brothers. They’d been left on their own. He wasn’t sure if they’d hatched alone, or what had happened. Only that his memories were only of him, Mikolas and Imre.
He flew hard, the tails winds helping to propel him even faster. The Alpha fire brewed in his gut and he kept it at a steady simmer. Ondrej would be ready for whatever he had to do.
The flight seemed both too short and too long.
It was too short because he wanted to keep her with him as long as possible, and too long because he was hyper aware that every second could be their last together. He tried not to think about it because it made the dragon side of psyche angry and it was so very important for Ondrej to keep control.
For Krysanthe. He had to keep control for her.
The dreaded compound came into sight and a cacophony of howls lit up the darkness.
Her grip around his neck tightened and he circled the property, checking all the defenses and strategic points before he landed inside the gates on the front lawn.
Werewolves in their warrior form ran at him from all directions and he inhaled deeply, ready to breathe fire.
Krysanthe’s hand stayed him, but only barely.
She slipped from his back and the walkway turned to gold with every step she took.
That woman knew how to make an entrance.
“Stand down, it’s Borgia’s mate,” a voice called.
Ondrej wanted to rip him apart just for daring to speak those words. He folded his wings against his back and huffed smoke at anyone that got too close to him or to Krysanthe.
Even when Borgia himself came out to greet her, Ondrej lowered his giant head and eyed the wolf.
“You’ve arrived days early without your convoy. What’s happened?” Borgia asked her.
He seemed sincere.
Ondrej sniffed him, and aside from smelling like wet dog, he smelled sincere.
“We were attacked by ghouls.”
“Are you okay? Have you been bitten?”
Borgia was a provincial pack Alpha, but he was also Grigori Remus’s son. Grigori was the Alpha of all Remus, their progenitor, in fact. So Borgia’s almost motherly concern for her safety was a bit off putting.
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