by Leilani Love
“Jared, stay here with Warrick and Hope,” Kassandra said. “Keep them safe and call the others. Let them know that they need to come here as soon as we’ve distracted the town. Everyone is apparently at some game. Get Warrick loaded in the van. Call Violca. We’re going to need her as soon as the plane lands.”
Hope looked up from Warrick, shaking her head. “Jared needs to go with you. There are two packs, I’ll keep him safe.”
Damien shook his head. “You can’t carry him out of here on your own. You’ll need Jared’s help. They’re not expecting us. I just have to get close enough to issue the challenge. Pack law should keep the others from interfering.”
Hope gave a long glance to her mate, then finally nodded.
“Keep her safe.” Damien said to Jared who gave him an understanding nod.
“Like she was my own sister.” Jared replied.
Kassandra and Damien left the three of them in the basement and crept toward the town center. They didn’t see a soul, but could hear cheering in the distance. What games are they being forced to play? Damien wondered. He also wondered about the film on his skin. The closer to the town center they got, the thicker it felt on his skin.
The crowd was so preoccupied with whatever was going on, Damien and Kassandra were able to sneak up to the back of it, undetected. About twenty feet in front of them, they saw Warrick’s twin, Gabriel, sitting on what looked to be a wooden throne, with a woman on his lap. Despite the town’s obvious poverty, he was well dressed in a tailored suit.
A loud groan came from somewhere inside the crowd, and Damien spotted two guys carrying someone from out of the middle. A low growl rumbled in his chest and a few of the pack members turned and looked at the two of them.
The crowd parted as Damien walked toward the center of the group. Kassandra right beside him, holding his hand, no longer masking her scent. Whispers circulated as they passed: Dragon. Mate. Alpha. Some were convinced Damien was a ghost, come back to punish them. As the crowd quieted, Gabriel pushed the girl from his lap and stood, narrowing his hazel eyes at Damien and Kassandra.
“Damien, is that you? We believed you were dead,” he said, looking amused.
“Sorry Gabriel, next time you try to kill someone, you may want to make sure they’re in the house before lighting it on fire,” Damien said between gritted teeth.
“I believe you must be confused,” Gabriel laughed. “Maybe it’s you that’s the imposter. Using tricks to make us believe that you’re my long-lost mate’s brother.”
“Imposter!” several people shouted. A crowd started to tighten around Damien and Kassandra. “Imposter!”
“I challenge you!” Damien shouted.
The entire group froze. As an alpha being issued a public challenge, Gabriel would have to agree or forfeit. The entire town looked at Gabriel waiting for him to respond. Damien wanted to smile as he watched him.
“Your dragon needs to stand back with my guards,” Gabriel spat.
Damien didn’t like the idea, but felt Kassandra squeeze his arm just before a guard dragged her away. He growled and started to lunge, but then he saw the look on her face. She was pretending, letting them believe she was weaker than she really was. She gave him a small nod and he nodded back.
As he and Gabriel removed their jackets, Damien could taste the crowd’s excitement. Gabriel slowly removed his jacket and silk shirt, handing it to the female on the platform that he had dropped earlier. Damien took off his jacket and shirt, tossing it over to Kassandra.
Gabrielle made the first move, swinging a lightning-fast punch. Damien ducked and lunged for Gabriel, his fist connecting with his jaw.
A sense of satisfaction filled Damien as he took out years of frustration, using a sweep move to knock Gabriel to the ground and put him in a chokehold. Suddenly Gabriel swung his fist and connected with Damien’s right ear. The sound of bells ringing caused Damien to lose his grip, and Gabriel slipped from his grasp, reversing the move. Damien caught a glimpse of Kassandra’s face, pale with worry.
Gabriel leaned closer and whispered in his ear, “After I kill you, I’m going to kill your mate. Is your sister close? I can’t wait to finally kill her and my stupid brother. Lucky for me, unlike you two, we’re identical twins and your people were too stupid to know I took his place.”
A surge of determination shot through Damien, and he broke the hold with a growl. Gabriel stood and wiped the blood from his lip and Damien saw his hazel eyes start to glow. Damien knew what was coming next. With a roar he jumped at Gabriel, both of them shifting in the air, shredding the rest of their clothes in the process.
Damien’s wolf hit Gabriel hard, managing to knock him to the ground. He sank his teeth deep into Gabriel’s neck, hard enough that the wolf under him whimpered. The film that Damien felt before with Kassandra seemed to coat his wolf form, leaving a weird taste in his mouth.
Gabriel’s hind legs pushed hard on Damien, trying to knock him off. Damien sank his teeth in deeper, waiting for Gabriel to concede. He twisted and turned, his movements weakening. If Damien could just hold on long enough, he’d win the challenge.
A flash distracted Damien, and he looked up to see one of Kassandra’s guards catching a knife. Gabriel used the moment to kick out his hind legs and shove Damien over on his back.
Damien quickly rolled over, and bared his teeth as he got on all fours. He and Gabriel circled each other. Another movement caught his attention, and he saw Kassandra duck under a swing from one of her guards. She landed a roundhouse kick to his side, knocking him out just as Gabriel ran away.
Damien let him go and shifted back to human form. He looked at Kassandra, standing over the guard with one of her booted heels keenly resting on his throat looking like his warrior goddess. She gave him a look, tilting her head as he stood in the center of the crowd. He spun in a circle, completely naked, looking at a sea of bewildered faces. “Does anyone else want to challenge me?” he yelled.
One by one, they bowed their heads in submission, with the guards lowering their heads last. Only time would tell if anyone could be trusted.
Before he could do anything else, he saw the van that was supposed to pick up the others coming up the center of town. The crowd parted as the van pulled up, everyone quiet and busy watching what was going on. Hope jumped out the back door and stopped before him.
“You’re okay,” she said as she hugged him tight.
“How’s Warrick? Did you get him in the van?” Damien asked as Jared handed him a pair of sweats. Since Damien usually just broke up bar fights with humans, he never thought to carry extra clothes in case he lost his in a shift. Unlike dragons who were able to materialize their clothes after a shift when they got older, wolves and other animal shifters didn’t have such an ability. Damien found himself grateful that one of the guards that Viktor had sent was young enough to still bring clothes.
“We need to get him to Violca,” Jared said, his voice low as his eyes flickered toward the crowd. “He’s lost so much blood, and I’m not sure if he can heal on his own.”
Kassandra appeared with the other two guards, giving them instructions to keep an eye on the town and that Warrick’s twin Gabriel had escaped. As Kassandra gave them her orders, Damien met the eyes of one of the villagers he recognized from when he was younger. “You’re Mathew right? You were friends with my father?”
“Yes, sir.” Mathew said.
Damien was surprised he remembered him. He looked a lot older and thinner. If it wasn’t for the odd color of his eyes he doubted, he would have. Mathew had one blue eye and one green. Damien had been fascinated by them as a kid. “We need to take Warrick to get help. These two are going to stay here. No one leaves town. I’ll be back as soon as I know Warrick is okay. If Gabrielle comes back, you’re to tell them understand?”
“Yes sir.” Mathew replied. When Damien said he was coming back, he noticed the look of relief on Mathew’s face.
Damien looked around to see if anyone had anything else t
o say. Not one person spoke up, so he got into the passenger seat with a loud slam.
Jared drove quickly to the airport and he heard Kassandra on the phone telling the pilot to be ready and then calling, who he assumed was, Violca, telling her that they were heading to the airport now and about how long she thought until they arrived.
Hope sat with Warrick’s head on her lap during the plane ride, brushing his hair back as she whispered to him. Tears streaming down her face. Damien could feel her large array of emotions as if they were his own because they partly were.
When the plane landed, Damien saw Eva and a violet-eyed woman he presumed was her older sister, Violca, standing next to a waiting van. Violca had the same black hair as her, sister but even in this low light he could see her violet colored eyes. He saw Violca carefully touch Warrick’s head as he was loaded into the van. Before they could close the door, Hope forced her way into the van, leaving them to follow behind in an SUV.
The gate in front of the Dragon King’s, Viktor’s, house stood wide open and as they stopped, he watched as several large men came out and helped bring in Warrick. Violca barking out orders, telling them where to bring him and to be careful. Every one of them following her directions. If Damien wasn’t so worried, he would be impressed with this small woman who so easily got dragons to obey her.
The group started to follow Warrick, but Violca put out her hand. “You guys need to stay out here.”
“I will not leave his side,” Hope said, her tone firm as she stood toe to toe with Violca.
Damien watched curiously as the violet-eyed witch looked his sister over. “Fine, but only if you promise to stay out of my way and do as I tell you.”
Hope nodded, and the two women went inside, closing the door behind them. Unsure what to do next, Damien felt a hand slide into his and looked down to see Kassandra in front of him. With his free hand, he reached up and stroked her hair. Before he could say anything, he felt the air charge around him.
“That’s Violca…” Kassandra said, her voice trailing off, as if she couldn’t begin to explain what he was feeling.
“Hope will never forgive me if…” Damien couldn’t bring himself to finish that sentence.
“Violca will never let that happen,” Kassandra said. Her faith in the witch’s healing abilities giving him confidence.
The house was silent as Violca used her abilities to help Warrick heal, alongside a doctor they’d hired to make sure all Warrick’s broken bones were set correctly. They didn’t call for a doctor often, but the extent of his injuries necessitated Viktor to bring in an old friend. Damien saw Violca’s sisters and partner often entering and leaving the room and Kassandra explained that since mating with Chase, Violca was able to use strength from Chase, along with her sisters.
While Warrick healed, Damien left Kassandra and Hope to go check on his pack. Viktor had given him free use of his plane and even went with him to see what needed to be done and try to help come up with a plan to capture Gabriel. The oppressive forces seemed to be dissipating, but the town itself was in need of a lot of work. A few of the older pack members explained to Damien and Viktor that after the fire, they were told that both Damien and Hope had died. They’d believed they were following Hope’s mate, Warrick, per Damien’s father’s wishes.
Since then, both packs had been on a severe decline, while Gabriel had lived a life of luxury. Hearing this, Damien knew he needed to find a way to build up his people and restore their trust. On the plane ride back, Viktor proposed a plan to help Damien’s people and give them a chance to rebuild for a better, stronger future.
CHAPTER 37
Kassandra was glad to hear that Warrick was starting to get better. After a short fever, his wounds had begun to heal. He had woken up once screaming for Hope from what appeared to be a horrible nightmare. Hope had been at his side in an instant. Once she’d calmed him, he fell back to sleep. Violca didn’t think there was much more she could do and that it looked like his wolf was starting to heal the remainder of his injuries. Rest seemed to be the best thing for him.
The sound of a car door slamming, let her know that Damien was back. The first night they all slept at Viktor’s. Warrick was touch and go and Damien wanted to be near his sister. After the first night, the doctor had assured them that Warrick was healing. Once assured he would be okay, Kassandra opted to stay in her house at night.
Kassandra smiled, glad she’d left the door unlocked. She had a feeling Damien would have been put out at having to knock. Damien strolled into the living room and she looked up from the book she’d been pretending to read, right into his amber eyes.
She noticed right away, a weight seemed to have been lifted from his shoulders. Kassandra put the book down on the end table and took Damien’s offered hand. Once on her feet, he pulled her close, his hand slipping around her back and he angled her head for a deeper kiss. When he broke the kiss, Kassandra let out a sigh and leaned against him.
“I missed you, too,” she whispered, tilting her head to look up at him.
Damien grinned down at her, and she noticed a warmth in his eyes that made her hopeful for their future. “How’s Warrick?” she asked.
“Better. He’s resting and the doctor thinks he’ll be fully awake soon.” Damien sat on a chair and pulled her onto his lap.
“Any sign of Gabriel?” Kassandra asked after a long moment of silence.
Damien shook his head no. “We couldn’t find any trace of him. But Viktor had an idea that I wanted to run by you. He said there was a small town just twenty miles from here that went under some years ago. It would need a lot—and I mean a lot—of work, but there are some good buildings there, and Viktor thinks we should move both packs there for now. He thinks rebuilding it would also rebuild the pack. Plus, we would be close enough that the people could stay here in town or even some of the cabins around the mountains. This would also put us in an area that Gabriel wasn’t used to.”
A little surprised that he would ask her opinion on such an important decision, she took a moment to think about it. Kassandra knew the town he was talking about it. “I think getting the pack out of the area would be a good idea. A chance to rebuild, but what about your home and the bar?”
“I thought about that, and either I would let Robert take it over, or offer to move them here and rebuild the bar. Give them the choice. I can sell my home, but my place is with you and my pack.”
They hadn’t really discussed their relationship, and Kassandra was still adjusting to having a mate. Damien had undergone so many changes in such a short time, that she wasn’t sure what he wanted either. She looked down at her hands and felt him shift his weight. Damien’s hand slid up her back, and she felt his fingertips on her neck, coaxing her to look at him.
“You would be okay with giving up your bar and home to move here?” Kassandra asked.
Damien’s free hand cupped her cheek while his other hand pulled her face close to his. “You’re everything I never knew I wanted,” he said, his breath on her lips. “Everything I fought against and the one person I would give up everything to be with.”
Her heart skipped a beat and she felt herself respond to his words. She knew that they would still have a long way to go, but for the first time she truly believed that they would be okay. Kassandra licked her lips and smiled up at him. “Good, because I don’t think I want to let you go.”
The moment the words left her mouth, Damien grinned. “Then don’t,” he whispered before finally kissing her.
EPILOGUE
Damien awoke a few hours later to the sound of someone pounding on the front door. Kassandra stretched in his arms, grumbling softly in her sleep at being disturbed. He kissed the top of her head before carefully sliding out from underneath her.
Not sure who would be banging on her front door, Damien slipped on his pants as he went to find out. When he opened the door he was surprised to see Lazzaro standing before him. Dressed in a tailored suit, his hair slicked back, he watched
as Lazzaro looked him over, taking in his state of undress and messed up hair as he raised one eyebrow over his ice blue eyes. “Am I interrupting something?” Lazzaro asked, a smirk playing on his lips.
“And if you were?” Damien asked, stepping aside and allowing him inside while gesturing toward the living room.
Lazzaro chuckled, looking around as he walked around the room. “I would tell you next time not to answer the door.”
Damien laughed knowing that is probably exactly what he would have said. Lazzaro on the outside appeared cold and seemed to take a distinct pleasure in pissing people off, but he was always honest. “Should I ask what brings you up here?”
Lazzaro reached into his jacket, pulling out a small box. “Before I took you in, I made a promise to your mother that I would give this to you. She was very specific about when I was to give it to you and had threatened me with dire consequences if I strayed from her directions.”
Damien took the box from him with shaking hands. The outside of his box had the same design of Damien’s tattoo. The design he had dreamt about for so long that he finally drew it and put on his body. “Did my mother say anything else to you?”
Lazzaro was quiet for so long that Damien looked up from the box to look at him. It was only having known him for more years than he cared to count, that he recognized the look of longing that passed across his face before his expression went blank again.
“Your mother told me that my fate was tied directly to yours. That everything I ever wanted would be mine if I helped you and your sister. That the string of fate had bound us together.”
His tone was matter of fact, but Damien noticed how tight his body was. Before he could comment, Lazzaro stood up. “I need to go talk to Viktor before I leave. Tell Kassandra I said congratulations when she comes downstairs.”