I could hear Slade approaching, not even trying to disguise his footsteps as he raced to our aid.
Victor looked up in alarm. “I want to give you something.”
I took aim with my taser. The end lit up, and Victor bolted.
I turned to Taylor, pressing my hand to his chest to feel his heart. It reminded me too much of how I’d held Marc before he died. Tears flowed unbidden from my eyes.
“Ari!” Slade shouted, kneeling at once next to me.
“He’s alive, but I just…” I couldn’t continue. My throat was too full.
Quentin’s warm arms wrapped around me. Slade looked torn—he wanted to chase his father, but we also needed to check Taylor out. Slade carried Taylor, and Quentin led me back to camp.
Chapter Nineteen
Ariana
Something about this dank German forest and this shitty situation dredged up dreams of the past. Nightmares, actually. The Lotus War had been nothing but one nightmare after another. I tossed and turned as I relived the most painful memories of my past.
Border of the Disputed Stonefang/Darkland Territory
1993, one week after Marc’s death
All it would have taken to learn the truth was a conversation. Marc and I had fallen for Gabriel’s charm, just like everyone else had. We’d believed his tales of oppression. We’d believed his cause to be just. We were wrong.
If only we’d talked to the Stonefang pack sooner, we would have known that Gabriel couldn’t be trusted. We would have known that Stonefang had sought peace, time and time again. If only we’d met Valentina, the Stonefang alpha, sooner, maybe Nevaeh would still be alive.
But she wasn’t, and it was my fault. Marc and I had tried to talk to Gabriel about what had happened. He wouldn’t listen. I don’t know why I thought he would listen. He’d always seemed so level-headed, but that was before I’d killed his mate. When I’d tried to explain, he’d come after me. If not for Marc, Gabriel would have killed me that night.
That was the last night that we’d been in the Darkland camp. That was when we’d gone to Stonefang. Valentina had welcomed us along with our offer to help find a peaceful resolution. Not all of Darkland had known of the treaty. They wanted peace, just as Stonefang did—even if Gabriel, their alpha, didn’t.
During the weeks that passed, we assisted Stonefang in defending against Darkland’s relentless attacks. The presence of dragons was enough of a deterrent to prevent many of the assaults.
That’s what we’d thought we were doing when Gabriel led us to the water that day. But then Gabriel had murdered Marc right before my eyes. If anything, I’d thought Gabriel had come for me. I’d never thought I could lose Marc.
Three weeks after his death, and I was barely functioning. Every time I closed my eyes, I watched him die. Every time I laid down to rest, I relived his last moments, felt the weight of him in my arms. It destroyed me, over and over again.
The only thing that kept me going was our mission. It was my promise to Marc, fulfillment of his last wish. I would do good. I had to help bring this war to a peaceful resolution. I had to stop Gabriel Christianson and his quest for senseless violence.
Valentina paced back and forth, her long blond braid swishing behind her with every step. Three minutes until midnight. Three minutes until Avery and Josie, his new mate, were meant to arrive. I’d picked this cave as our meeting place because it required wading through water choked with lily pads. There was one entrance. One exit. It was by the edge of the disputed territory, far from both the Stonefang and Darkland camps. It would be impossible for Gabriel to spot us from the air, making it the perfect place for our secret meeting.
There were sounds of movement in the water. Valentina froze.
It was too loud. They hadn’t come alone.
“You were wrong.” Valentina pulled a knife from the sheath at her belt and swiped the blade against her pants—a nervous habit I’d noticed in the short time I’d been with her. “This Avery guy can’t be trusted. And now we’re trapped in here, just waiting to be ambushed.”
By the sounds of their approach, I was tempted to agree with her. But I had to believe that Darkland would see reason. The truth would break Gabriel’s spell over them.
“We can trust him,” I said, with as much conviction as I could muster.
Avery entered the cave first. His black hair was slicked back and his jaw was set. His scent was filled with uncertainty. He was as on edge as we were. Josie was with him, as were Donny, Lyle, and Tonya.
I held out a hand to greet the man who had once been my ally.
“Hi, Avery,” I said. “Thanks for coming.”
The small space was filled with the stink of hatred, of mistrust. This meeting was a fragile alliance, the tension running high. Avery and the others immediately looked at Valentina’s knife. With a dark look in her pale blue eyes, she sheathed it.
“I’ve asked you here to seek a peaceful resolution to this conflict,” I said.
“You’re asking the wrong side,” Lyle said.
“No,” I said. “I’m not. There was a treaty for peace. Gabriel ordered Nevaeh to break the treaty.”
“That’s not true,” Tonya said.
I looked to Avery. “Tell them.”
“Yeah,” he said. “It’s true.”
Josie froze by Avery’s side. Her eyes remained on me, and she said nothing, but the tightening of her fists and clamping of her jaw told me she hadn’t known. The others appeared just as surprised. Lyle’s eyes were wide as he looked to Avery. Donny’s gaze darted between Avery and the entrance of the cave. They hadn’t known. That was in our favor.
“Darkland wants a place to call home, to raise their families,” I said. “They don’t want to live in fear. Right?”
“Stonefang—” Avery said.
“Stonefang wants that, too,” I said.
All eyes went from me to Valentina. She looked royal, her thick braid draped over one shoulder.
“We’ve been on the defensive for my entire life,” Valentina said. “I’ve lost my brother, my parents, my mate, and my child. All I want is for it to end. For no one else to suffer that fate.”
Avery kept his eyes on me. The others from the Darkland clan whispered amongst themselves.
“You know me,” I said.
“We thought we did,” Lyle said under his breath.
“You know that Marc and I joined you to help see that peace become reality,” I said. “I followed Nevaeh that night. She told me that Gabriel ordered her to break the treaty.”
“You killed her,” Josie spat.
“She attacked me,” I said. “It was an accident, and I wish it never happened. But I don’t regret trying to stop her. I asked her to do the right thing. If she had, maybe the war would be over by now. If she had, Gabriel wouldn’t have killed Marc.” My words were acid in my throat. Tears welled in my eyes. “But it happened. And now I’m asking you. Please, do the right thing. Choose peace. Choose to end this war. End the violence. Live your lives without fear.”
Avery looked from me to Valentina.
“You agree to a fifty-fifty split, and there’s no more bloodshed?” he asked.
“We do.”
“We want the south lake edge,” Avery said. “We have a town there already.”
“The south lake area has belonged to our people longer than it’s belonged to yours.” Valentina sighed. “But if you give us the north side and everything above it, we’ll make the concession.”
Avery and Valentina shook, and relief washed over me. I’d done it. I’d actually done it. But with that relief was all of the sadness I’d been holding back. If the war was over, what was left for me? Marc was gone.
Marc was gone.
Everyone filed out of the cave, the Darkland clan chatting amongst themselves, for the first time since I’d met them, with hopes that involved anything but revenge.
I followed, lost in a daze. It was over, and Marc was gone.
Just outside the ca
ve, the screaming seemed distant. Unreal. But it wasn’t.
Golden wings blocked out the moon as fire rained down from the sky.
It was him. Gabriel had found us. His golden scales glinted in the moonlight as he flew straight at us, his mouth open wide in a fierce grimace.
Friend and foe, he clawed indiscriminately at those of us on the ground. We jumped out of the way, splashing among the lily pads in panic.
Avery was the first to draw his blade.
Stonefang and Darkland united for the first time in twenty years, fighting with weapons, with fangs, with claws. They fought for survival. They fought for peace.
I rushed to shift into my dragon form, a need to defend these people spurring me on. But Gabriel was already rounding for a second strike, and he was faster than I was. They didn’t need me, though; Avery’s blade punched through the vulnerable scales of Gabriel’s belly. Valentina, in her wolf form, gripped one of his massive legs with her jaws, and she didn’t let go. Several other warriors slashed with weapons.
I watched two sides come together for a common goal. I watched Gabriel fall.
It was as if Gabriel didn’t feel, and perhaps he didn’t. He remained in the water as wolves and bears tore gashes through his scales. All he had to do was fly to escape. He didn’t. Maybe he wanted to die.
A white glow enveloped his massive form. His body returned to human form, so battered I didn’t recognize him. All that remained was a tattered shell. The sight sickened me as I battled a mixture of emotion—relief, regret.
The white lotus flowers stained red, and the water grew dark. Gabriel wasn’t breathing. It was over. His body sank below the surface of the water, his lifeless form swaying in the current.
“Ari. Ari, hey.”
I opened my eyes and sat up. My head immediately connected with plasticky tent fabric. My heart raced. I flailed my hands, searching for a weapon, but strong arms came around me, holding me close. I smelled hazelnut and aether.
“Ari, you’re okay. You’re safe.” Taylor’s voice.
I’d slept in his tent, wanting to watch over him after Victor had thrown the rock and knocked him out. Relieved that he was awake, I sagged against him, letting him hold me.
Morning light poured in through the doorway of the tiny tent. It was bright on my eyes and warm on my face.
“How’s your head?” I asked, pulling back to look for a mark. There was a faint bruise, but nothing more.
“Fine. Just a little headache. How about you? Bad dream?” he asked.
“Yeah. It was the Lotus War again. Not Marc’s death, but Lotus War dreams are never good.”
His arms tightened around me. “You wanna talk about it?”
I shook my head. “But thanks for being here.”
“Always.”
Nuzzling against his chest, I whispered, “You can’t promise ‘always.’ We could’ve lost you last night.”
“I guess you’re right.” His chest expanded and contracted as he sighed. “But I’ll be here as long as I’m alive. I spent my whole adult life searching for a love like ours, Ariana. It’ll take the power of heaven and hell to pull me away from you.”
I awkwardly clambered out of his sleeping bag. He must have gotten up at some point and then slept curled around the outside of the bag. “Weren’t you cold?” I asked.
“Not really. I wanted to make sure you had enough space. I was warm enough from snuggling you.”
“You’re a great snuggler.” I turned around and sat in his lap, straddling his legs. It felt so good, so peaceful, to be in the tent with him like this. Outside, I could hear Slade’s and Quentin’s low conversation. The scent of sausage cooking reached my nose, but I wasn’t ready to leave Taylor’s arms yet. I breathed in and out, feeling our heartbeats match up as we sat quietly, not needing to speak.
A few minutes later, Taylor’s stomach rumbled. I smiled against his shoulder. “Hungry?”
“A little. It can wait.”
“We’ve been lazy enough,” I said. “Let’s get you fed. Besides, I need to tell you something, and it’s easier to say it to all three of you at once.”
He helped me stand, and I unzipped the tent.
The sight that greeted me outside was one that I would never get tired of. Quentin and Slade each wore their camo pants and snug-fitting thermal t-shirts that stretched across their muscular shoulders. They made me salivate more than the fragrant meat cooking.
“Where’d you get fresh sausage?” I asked.
At my side, Taylor grinned and opened his mouth.
“Don’t even start,” Quentin said. “The first person to make a sausage joke is the last one to eat. It’s not sausage, it’s jerky, and I added some spices.”
“It’ll be just like breakfast sausage,” Slade said.
I took a seat on a low boulder next to Slade. Quentin gestured at Taylor’s forehead. “Are you feeling all right?”
“A little headache,” he said, “but it’s already fading.”
It was just as Victor had said last night. But not everything he said could be the truth. Could it? No. I’d watched Gabriel die.
Just the same, I needed to talk it out with the guys.
As Quentin passed out the jerky and Taylor snickered, I said, “Victor hinted at something last night, and I think that’s what gave me my bad dream this morning.”
The guys went quiet. “What’d he say?”
“Just some bullshit about Gabriel Christianson still being alive.”
“The dude from the Lotus War?” Taylor asked.
I nodded. “It’s impossible. I watched him die—there would be no recovering from that. He was bit, and stabbed, and left to sink into the water.”
“Then, why would Victor say such a thing?” Quentin asked.
“Hell if I know.” I took a bite of jerky and chewed. The spices did make it taste a lot like breakfast sausage. Impressive. “Maybe he’s just messing with our heads, trying to throw us off the mission.”
“Or, perhaps he knows more than we do and he’s trying to make contact,” Quentin said. “I think there’s something going on here—something beyond Gabriel. Slade, show them what you found.”
The woods around us were quiet, only far-off birdsong breaking the new silence.
“Slade?” I asked.
Slade reached into his pocket. “He could’ve, you know, done some computer thing to make this. It might not even be real.”
“What is it?” I asked.
Grimacing, Slade passed me a four-by-six photograph. “He dropped this last night, left it right on his trail where I’d be sure to find it.”
I stared at the photo. It was a surveillance shot of a young woman as she was helped into an expensive car. Her auburn hair was pulled back in a braid, and her pale skin bore freckles. With her tall, slender frame and her beautiful cheekbones, she could’ve been a model or a movie star. “Who is this?” I asked. “Why is it important—why would he leave this photo for us?”
Quentin made a motion that I should turn the photograph over. On the rear side, written in black capital letters, were the words, Vergoldet Fortune.
“What the fuck does that mean?” Taylor asked, looking at it over my shoulder.
I looked from Slade to Quentin.
“I have a theory,” Quentin said, clearing his throat. “You remember that transport job for the Gadalbon heiress that we finished, almost two weeks ago, now?”
“Yes,” I said slowly.
“Their daughter is worth more to them than anything, and not just because they love her. They wanted to keep her safe because she might marry into another clan or pack. Solidify their territory holdings. She meant so much to them, that they were willing to pay us one hundred thousand dollars to ensure her safety.”
“So, you’re saying that the woman in this picture is the treasure?” I asked. “And Koenig hired us to find her?”
“None of this makes sense,” Slade said.
“Agreed,” Quentin said. “Why would Ko
enig lie to us from the start? What does he want this woman for—force her into a marriage to get her territory?”
I shook my head. “Maybe Koenig would do that, but Emily would never stand for it.”
Something else didn’t make sense. If the Vergoldet Fortune was a person, why did Pelletier believe it to be a trove of riches? Why had he heard of the Vergoldet Fortune at all?
As if he could read my thoughts, Taylor said, “Vergoldet translates roughly to gilded, and the Braunbar clan holds an expansive territory. It makes sense for Koenig to exploit a misconception. And it’s possible that Emily doesn’t know.”
Maybe. Could Koenig hide that big of a scheme from his daughter? I couldn’t dismiss the possibility. Richard Koenig was a world-class bag of dicks.
“They hired me first,” a voice called from the trees.
We all stood at once, looking into the shadowy woods.
The voice called again. “I’m approaching, and I’m unarmed.”
Slade’s entire body went rigid. “It’s him. Again.”
“Victor, we need to know where the treasure is,” I called. “Just tell me where you’ve stashed it”—or her, I thought—“and we’ll figure out a way to end this peacefully.”
“Koenig hired me first,” Victor said.
He was a lot closer, now. Quentin reached for a taser.
“You can trust me.” Victor stepped out from the trees, his hands held up in the universal “no harm” gesture. “Koenig hired me to get the treasure. But now I’m protecting her. From him.”
“Why should we trust you?” Taylor asked, his voice bitter. “You abandoned your family. There’s a special spot reserved for your kind in hell.”
Victor’s face hardened. He looked so much like Slade that I wanted to trust him. They had the same build, the same hard jawline, the same hair, and the same mouth. Victor’s coloring was darker, from his tanned skin to his dark brows. But the biggest difference was their eyes. Even when he was frustrated or determined, Slade’s brown eyes were always kind. Victor’s were soulless.
Dragon Unbroken_A Reverse Harem Dragon Fantasy Romance Page 13