Connor’s fists unclenched and his body vibrated. He could feel himself shifting, but he was called back by the sound of Owen’s voice.
“Stop, Connor. Just wait,” Owen said to his brother before turning back to Liam. “So, you helped Aiden kill our father and Tomalin and now you’ve come to confess your sins . . . and his. Why?”
“I’ve carried this weight around with me for years. I don’t want to take it with me into eternity,” Liam said in a tired voice.
“And you think that telling us about it absolves you of your part in it somehow?” Connor said angrily.
“No. I don’t think that at all, but I can die knowing that I helped you to see the truth. Hopefully, you can find a way to stop Aiden before he hurts anyone else. You aren’t the only family he’s harmed, and there will be others unless he is stopped.”
“You are going to come with us to the council. You are going to tell them all of this,” Owen said.
“No. I can’t do that.”
“What do you mean you can’t do that?” Connor demanded.
“If he knows that I told you, he will come after me, but he won’t kill me. Instead, he will make me watch while he kills my family, one by one, in front of me. My wife, my daughters, my grandchildren.”
“Are you sure you aren’t just protecting your own selfish hide?” Connor said.
“There is nothing of me to protect. I’m dying. I won’t last out the month, in all likelihood. I don’t care if he kills me off early. It will only save me the pain of my final days. I do care about those I love, and I know that the two of you don’t want innocents killed on top of everything else he has done.”
“So, you think you can just come here and tell us something like this without us taking it up with the council?” Connor asked.
“The council can’t help you. They are old and complacent. Even if I went to them and told them the truth, they would look the other way. They are scared of Aiden, too.”
“Then what do you suggest we do? Just live with knowing he killed Dad and Tomalin?” Owen asked.
“No. I suggest that you take your rightful place, Owen. Your father was killed so that Aiden could take his place as the new leader. You should challenge him and take him down, take his place.”
“You know I’m not nearly strong enough to take down Aiden.”
“You could be, if you tried, if you trained. It’s the best way to protect others from him and take him out of power permanently.”
“Get out of our house,” Connor said suddenly.
“I understand. I will go. Still, I beg of you not to do anything that will harm my family.”
“We don’t care any more about your family than you cared about ours,” Connor told him. “I suggest you get them far away from here before daylight if you want to save them. We are going to the council first thing tomorrow.”
The old man sighed loudly and nodded in understanding as he struggled to his feet and walked toward the door. He paused as he opened it and looked back at them as if he wanted to say something else, but instead, he walked out into the darkness.
Sometime in the darkness that night, the Donnelly family disappeared. Neither Donnelly nor any member of his family could be found. Despite what he had said about not caring, Connor hoped the old man had managed to get them far away before Aiden could discover his betrayal.
Chapter 3
“We need to get going,” Connor told Owen the following morning as his older brother entered the kitchen from his bedroom, tossing him a bagel with cream cheese to eat on the go.
“Listen, I’ve been thinking about this all night, Connor. The old man is right. We can’t take this to the council,” Owen told him.
“What? You’d protect that old man’s family rather than defending the honor of our own? You know what Aiden did. He claimed that our father was mixed up in some sort of shady business and was killed by some miscreant when he got in over his head. He made out like Dad was a criminal and left us to defend his honor the best we could when he killed him all along.”
“I’m not saying he should get away with it, Connor. I’m saying that he robbed our father of his place as leader, and thus robbed us of our place as his successors.”
“He robbed you of that,” Connor said. “I’m not next in line. You are.”
“Perhaps so, but you know that you would have been right by my side. We’ve always had each other’s backs and always will.”
“So, then, what are you saying? You want to take down Aiden and take his place?”
“Yes. That is exactly what I’m saying. He should suffer the same fate as our father.”
“Look, Owen. You’re my big brother and I love you, but Aiden is stronger than anyone in this clan. I don’t think you can beat him.”
“You’re right,” Owen replied. “I can’t beat him right now, but I can get stronger. I can train and you can help me.”
“I don’t know, Owen. You’re risking your life. Let’s let the council take care of it.”
“What are they going to do, Connor? It’s just accusations. We have no proof. Plus, you heard Donnelly. He was right about one thing: they won’t do anything to him. They are just as afraid of him and what he would do to them or their families as everyone else.”
“We can get the old man back here to testify.”
“No. We can’t. Even if he has taken his entire family and fled, as he should have, he will either clam up or Aiden will make sure he doesn’t get that far.”
Connor sighed loudly and looked into his brother’s eyes. He knew that look, that cold gray steel that clouded Owen’s eyes when he was determined. There was nothing and no one that could dissuade him from whatever he had set his mind to do when he was like this. Though he loved his brother very much, Connor was aware of how cold Owen could be. He knew that his brother felt a certain numbness to life that might never pass.
Owen had not been the same since his high school sweetheart, Margaret, had died. He had stayed by her side, night after night, holding her hand as she drew ragged breaths that never seemed to quite fill her fragile lungs. One day, they had been planning a high school graduation party, and the next, she had been trapped in a fire that left her badly scarred and her lungs hopelessly damaged. Her subsequent death had changed him somehow. Connor feared that Owen would be alone forever, unable to let go of the ghost of his lost love.
“Okay, Owen. If that is what you want, then that is what we will do. We will keep our mouths shut about this and work on getting you ready for taking on Aiden yourself, but you should know that I don’t want you to do this. I won’t think any less of you if you back down from this fight after you’ve thought it through a little more.”
“No. I won’t be backing down,” Owen replied. “We are dragon shifters and we have grown afraid of our own leader. Not just us, but everyone in this clan. Look around us, Connor. Can’t you see the difference in the people here since Aiden has taken over as leader? We should be fierce, powerful. We shouldn’t be afraid of one measly dragon shifter.”
“You’re right, Owen. I just have other things going on, I guess. I never imagined we’d be planning a takedown of the leader.”
“I’m sorry, Connor. You don’t have to involve yourself in this. You deserve to be happy, and I wouldn’t dream of taking that away from you.”
“No, no,” Connor said. “That’s not what I’m saying. You know we are in this together. I just hadn’t planned on things taking such a huge turn.”
“No one ever plans for something like this to happen, do they?”
“I guess not, brother. I guess not.”
“Then it’s settled. I know Emily is coming back today, so I’ll let you two catch up. I’m going to go check out some things and work on a plan for all of this.”
“Sure. I’m going to spend the night at Emily’s, so you’ll have the house to yourself tonight. Go wild.”
“Right. Like I always do,” Owen said.<
br />
“No. ‘Like you always do’ would mean you are in bed asleep by nine o’clock. Plan what you need to, but get out and have some fun too. Have a few drinks. Dance. Meet a girl, perhaps.”
“I met a girl once. I don’t think I ever will again.”
“You never know, brother. You just never know,” Connor replied, clamping his hand down on Owen’s shoulder for a moment before heading out the front door to buy Emily some flowers for when she arrived.
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Chapter 1
You are not my son.
Those were the most devastating words he could think of. He would rather hear that his parents were dead, that his older brothers, the Crown Prince and the Duke, had disowned him. Anything but the fact that he was not who he thought he was.
His blood boiled in his veins as he stood in the middle of the grand hall, the gleaming thrones mocking him. Cole had been born the third Prince of Umora, a planet so advanced in civilization that there was no pain, no suffering, and virtual immortality through science. Everyone on Umora was some sort of shifter, some sort of magical creature – whether it be wolf, lion, or otherwise. The dragon shifters, however, had always been the royal family, ruling over those beneath them. The witches, the werewolves, and the lions all bowed down to the dragon shifters.
Cole always believed his place in the world was at the top with everyone bowing down to him. He knew that his magic was better than the rest of his family's, but he never thought anything of it. It was a gift, after all.
What he didn’t know, however, was that he was a half-breed witch and dragon shifter – a bastard orphan left on the door steps. He claimed potential royal blood from both sides or neither. He was everything and nothing at the same time.
He should have inherited the richness of the witches and the power of the dragons.
Instead, he lost it all when his father admitted the truth.
There would be no throne for Cole on Umora, no happy ending here. He had been cheated out of everything by matters of his birth.
Cole saw only red as he spun around, looking at the murals on the walls.
This explained so much about his life, about his feelings, and about why he felt like he never fit in. Growing up, it became apparent that he was different than the rest of his family. His magic did not come in the same way theirs did. He could not focus in the same way, could not create the same things. Cole needed to eat more than the rest of them, and more frequently. Alexander seemed to only nibble twice a week, and Nicholas took great pride in large feasts and social meals. But Cole was always ravenous, always strong, and always a moment away from rage.
His rage was so different than Nicholas's rage. Nicholas was simply a kind soul and fiercely loyal, but also ready to destroy anyone who came near those whom he loved. Cole seemed to rage out for no reason, and he himself admitted that he threw tantrums when he didn't get his way.
Everyone was unfair to him. His brothers were allowed to do things that he wasn't. His parents let them lead wars and lash out. But Cole was punished unfairly, even by his brothers. They always treated him like a mischievous child who didn't know how to handle himself.
Death was nothing to him. Feeding for the sake of something to do was nothing to him. He loved the attention, loved the power, but hated how they scolded him.
And now, it was clear that this was not the place he belonged. All these years of trying to fit in, and he wasn't really one of them anyways. They didn't want him; that much was clear.
He continued spinning, barely seeing, barely thinking. His anger was uncontrollable, and his rage lay in front of him. He wanted power. He wanted control. He wanted to show them what he was capable of. He was not a child to be scolded, nor was he someone to be put aside.
And that is when he spotted Earth – painted blue, small, and fragile – in the upper corner of the wall.
If he could not have Umora, if they thought he didn't belong here, he would show them where he did. He would find his own Kingdom; he would make his own throne.
He knew how to take control of a planet. That was nothing foreign to his family. They kept peace and ruled over several planets in the system. One simply needed to purge the planet, control its people, and make them fear you. Only then would they bow down.
Cole turned on his heel and stalked out of the throne room and into the records hall. The records hall contained scrolls of all nature, including rules for unlocking magic on each planet. The Gods who had created the planets, millenniums ago, had written down the secrets to unlocking each one, in the ancient tongue of each planet.
"Cole," a not-so distant voice called.
The unexpected sound startled him; he had thought he was alone in the hall. But his brother, Alexander, was standing there, looking majestic and comfortable. But then again, why wouldn’t he be? He belonged here.
"We've been looking everywhere for you."
Cole smirked.
"And why would that be? Seeing as how I don't belong here? Do you want to lock me up, too? Toss me out of the only home I've ever known?"
"Cole," Alexander took a step further. "I know we've had our differences. But there was no reason for the tantrum you threw."
"Tantrum?" Cole sputtered. "Tantrum? Is that what you call a reaction to finding out your whole life is a lie?"
When his father had finally told him the truth, Cole barely remembered what he had done. All he remembered is rage; all he remembered was his dragon brain taking over.
It was only after coming back to his human form that he heard about the destruction he had caused. He had flown – flown until his wings hurt – and killed whatever had lay in his path. The reports said that he went to neighboring planets, breathing fire, tearing up villages, and leaving civilians dead in his wake.
They had trembled in fear when they saw him coming, bowing to their knees and begging for mercy. But he didn't care about their pleas, nor did he care about their tears.
If his family was going to tell him that he was some half-breed monster that didn't belong, he would show them how he didn't belong.
Let them say he was a criminal; let them say he was a monster with a black soul.
"That is what I call it when it was followed by the amount of destruction you caused, yes," Alexander replied. "Cole...the people..."
"You and father have done much worse in your so-called 'peace keeping missions,'" Cole spat. "Following in his footsteps, as if he's always been around to encourage us."
He knew it wasn't much of an excuse, but there was no excuse that mattered, really. If Alexander was questioning him, then he would not see reason. Alexander was always calm, controlled, logical, and frankly, in Cole’s eyes, boring. He thought carefully about every word that exited his mouth.
"He is not the kind of King I want to be," Alexander growled.
“Poor, poor Alexander,” Cole teased him. “Heavy is the head that wears the crown. Always acting as the martyr. Had Finneas still been alive, your life would be so easy, wouldn't it?”
Alexander's eyes flashed at the mention of their oldest brother. Finneas was supposed to be King, and Alexander would have been his second in command. But Finneas struggled with his own identity, trying to come to terms with what his life's purpose was, and it was never meant to be. It had been two years since Finneas vanished, flitting into the black magic world that was simply known as the Other. No one had ever returned from the Other, and the weight fell heavily on Alexander's
shoulders. He had lost his confidant, his mentor, and his best friend. And suddenly, he would rule the land when their father perished.
“Don't you mention him,” Alexander said, although his voice trembled with emotion. “Finneas fought a fight he could not win. But the rest of us are still here. And it does not change the fact that–”
"The fact that I am no longer your brother, just some bastard orphan," Cole cut him off, standing tall.
"That your rage may have killed people," Alexander answered. "You know that when we transform, control is harder..."
Cole simply smirked.
"So, you intend to rule passively? Kill them with kindness, is that it? And be nice to your bastard brother, who was born into a terrible life, but go lucky."
"Cole..."
"Forget it." Cole had found the scroll he needed. "Forget all of you. I was born to rule, and if you won't accept me here, I’ll find another kingdom!"
Alexander's eyes widened.
"Where are you going?"
Cole smirked, drawing the magic around him.
"It's a magic trick, brother," he said, and snapped his fingers.
He felt the familiar magic swirl around him. Magic was always his comfort zone, his safe place that he could go to – a place that baffled his brothers.
The golden light filled his soul, and he felt his dragon wings spread. It was only for a moment though, to make the impact with the ground easier. His wings retracted, and he found himself sitting on grass.
It took a moment for him to adjust to the air. It was different than on Umora, not thicker or thinner, but different.
The scroll was still clutched in his hand – the key to controlling this race. Humans were weak minded, he had always been told. It was simple magic.
That is, if he could unlock it. He couldn't even read the words that were written, the characters unfamiliar.
Saved by a Dragon (Paranormal Shifter Romance) (Exiled Dragons Book 1) Page 11