“Val Dagan will destroy the whole world. You need me to help stop him,” Val Jean whined.
Soroyan remembered what Raven had said about the Nightwalker who had imprisoned the Raizarch wolves for five hundred years.
“Raven?” Tierney looked up at her aunt. Raven glanced at her and the boy briefly, then shifted back into her human form. “Hurry and get those collars off the others,” she directed, turning to keep an eye on Val Jean while they did so.
Soroyan had shifted back into his human form as soon as Lucian released him. He moved over to his mate.
“Surely we can fight this Val Dagan without him,” Jax asked, but Soroyan only had eyes for his mate.
“We will discuss this later,” Raven said, her eyes riveted on Soroyan. Her light touched his dark soul as she smiled.
“Why?” He needed to find out why she’d come back. More importantly, he needed to know if she was back for good or not.
Raven stepped into his arms and kissed him. “Does that answer your question?” she asked when she pulled away. She took his hand and turned away.
“No, you can’t take the boy,” Val Jean said when they turned to leave.
“Well, he sure as hell isn’t staying here with you,” Tierney snapped.
Raven drew her sword and walked over to Val Jean. Tierney sucked in a breath, and Soroyan knew she was afraid that if Raven killed Val Jean, Taraven would die.
“Just wait,” Soroyan whispered. “Raven won’t endanger the boy.”
Large black wings rose from her back as she got up in Val Jean’s face. “You saw what I did at that Ilyium camp, but do you have any idea what I really am? What I can do to you?” Though her voice was low, they caught every word.
“Yes. You are the Angel of Death. You killed them all that day, and I am really grateful you let me go,” Val Jean said and licked his lips.
Raven nodded and a cold smile lit her face. “I have a very special gift. Do you want to know what it is?”
Val Jean shook his head and Raven smirked. “I can escort your soul to hades if I wish, and the best thing, you don’t even have to be dead for me to do it.”
Soroyan wondered if she could actually do that, or if she was just bluffing.
Val Jean trembled. “What more do you want from me?”
Raven studied him and sighed. “I would really like you dead, but …” she glanced back at all of them, before turning to Val Jean once again. She leaned close and inhaled, then moved away. “We are all going to go, even the boy. You will not send anyone after us, and you will remain here. If we see any of your men, any of the wolves or Ilyium working with you, I will come back here. If you decide to run, I will find you. You do anything I don’t like and I will end you. Am I making myself clear?”
Val Jean licked his lips and nodded his acceptance.
Soroyan waited, proud of his mate as they headed for the door.
“Seville! You can’t leave me too. We are friends.”
Seville raised his eyebrow at the Daywalker as if he were deranged. “We have never been friends.”
“Well, aren’t you forgetting something?” Val Jean asked, then seeing Raven’s warning look, he shrugged. “You didn’t say I had to release him from my service.”
The tiger narrowed his eyes on Val Jean. “I don’t know where Amelis has disappeared to, but I am done with you holding my mate over my head.”
They all froze at his words and shared a look before staring at the tiger. That bitch is his mate? Jax mouthed.
Tierney shrugged.
“I can still give the order to have your children killed,” Val Jean threatened in a quivering voice.
With a roar of rage, Raven flew back over the room and, pulling back her fist, knocked the Daywalker to the floor. Then she punched him again and again, until Soroyan rushed over and pulled her back.
“We need him alive,” he whispered in her ear.
Raven relaxed in his arms, though she was still ready to go again if needed.
Blood dripped from his busted lips as the tiger gently nudged Raven aside.
“Please,” he said.
Raven let him by.
Seville’s face remained impassive. “I have seen to it that my children are finally safe. You can no longer threaten me with them anymore.”
Then without a backward glance, the tiger turned and walked out of the room. They all filed out after him, while the prisoners who hadn’t already fled, quickly followed.
“He was holding your children?” Tierney asked the tiger.
Seville nodded, face pained and eyes blank, he remained silent.
“Where will you go?” Tierney asked, but the tiger just walked away.
“I have to go find Maxim,” Zeveride said once they were far enough away from the room where Val Jean remained.
Soroyan frowned. “He’s the one you stayed behind for yesterday?”
Zeveride nodded. “He’s a Were-wolf and our friend.”
Soroyan turned to Raven, Tierney, Jax, and his son. “I’ll meet you all outside.”
“Genna is around here somewhere as well, she wanted to make sure there wasn’t anyone else needing to be freed,” Tierney said with a smirk as they all knew devil-girl had really just been itching for an opportunity to check the place out.
“I will keep an eye out for her then,” Soroyan said and then went with Zeveride.
Chapter Fifty-One
Sparkly Pretties
Raven, along with her niece, Jax, Taraven, Soroyan’s son and the newly freed shifters made their way outside to wait. A few of the shifters thanked them before taking off, while others just hurried away.
“I hate that we had to let him live,” Jax said, talking about Val Jean.
“We just might need the narcissistic bastard if his brother does show up,” Raven muttered angrily. “Besides …” She indicated Taraven who hadn’t let Tierney’s hand go.
“Yeah,” Jax said. “I called Sami to bring the car.”
Lucian gave a sigh of relief. “Good, I wasn’t looking forward to flying back with your friend.”
They chuckled. Raven, in a hurry to go after Soroyan, had taken to the air, so they had roped Genna into flying Lucian, while Jax carried Tierney.
Raven’s eyes narrowed on Seville, the tiger who was making his way down the long, tree-lined driveway. “He looks lost,” she muttered.
“How can that bitch be his mate?” Jax asked, talking about Amelis.
“I don’t know, I just bad for him,” Tierney said.
“My king hurt him,” Taraven said sadly.
Tierney glanced down at the boy for a moment. “Wait here,” she said and started after the tiger.
Jax grabbed her arm. “You may feel bad for him, but you can’t bring him home. He can’t find out we have that bitch. She’s dangerous and after all she’s done, we can’t let her go, not even for him.”
Tierney shook her head as if to argue, until Raven cut in. “I understood how you feel, but Jax is right. We need some answers first.”
“Amelis is with you?” Taraven asked, surprised.
Tierney sighed and then nodded, her gaze still on the tiger as he veered off the driveway into the forest. “You are right … I just feel his pain—”
She gave her mate a sad smile. “You know me.”
“Yeah, I do, and I’m aware you want to help him. It’s your nature to help, but we can’t, not this time. Not now.” Then Jax pulled Tierney into his side as the tiger moved through the trees. There was a flash of brilliant flame as he shifted into a massive orange-and-black striped tiger who quickly disappeared among the foliage.
“Look what I found!” Genna said with a wide grin as she burst from the castle and held up a small chandelier that dangled with what appeared to be large diamonds of different shapes and sizes. “I had to fight princess be-otch. I won!” Her eyes were shining with glee. “I was gonna fry her ass, but she’s making brother Sami’s father scream, so I let her be. Oh, and there’s lots of sparkly
pretties in there. Still, I like this one bestest. I’m gonna hang this in my room.”
***
“This is Maxim,” Zeveride introduced the Were-wolf to everyone once he and Soroyan made it outside a few minutes later, but Raven only had eyes for one male, and it wasn’t the Were-wolf.
“Were you part of the Justin-Arlow pack?” Jax asked.
Anger flashed in the wiry Were-wolf’s battered face. “Yes, I was.”
“Well, I think Mark will be happy to see you then,” Jax added.
“You know Mark?” Maxim asked, suddenly hopeful.
“Yes.” As they told him how they’d found his pack mate, Genna shifted into a half form, complete with wings and took to the sky, her treasure clutched in her hands, while the rest of them walked down the road to meet Sami.
“I can’t port all of you, I’ll get too tired, but I can port some of you to your home,” Taraven said, wanting to help.
Tierney smiled down at the boy. “I know you can, but we already sent for a ride and I don’t want you to use up all your power.”
Taraven bit his lip like something was on his mind.
“I’m sorry, I know I haven’t even asked if you wanted to come with us, but I can’t leave you here,” Tierney said.
Taraven looked up at her gratefully. “Thank you for not leaving me.”
Raven’s heart clenched at the thought.
“Are you all right?” Tierney asked.
Taraven was quiet for a long moment. “I’m still bound to my Kin—Val Jean.” There was worry clear in his voice.
“We will fix that,” Soroyan said before anyone else could, but they were all quiet as they contemplated just how they’d break the bond between the boy and Daywalker.
Just then, Sami pulled up in Jax’s car and before he even stopped, Toren jumped out and ran into Zeveride’s arms. Everyone smiled at the sweet reunion. Then Toren turned to Soroyan. “Thank you,” he said, tears in his voice as he hugged him, too.
Soroyan stood stiff in surprise, until Raven nudged him. He wrapped his arms around his nephew. “You are welcome, just don’t run away again, okay?”
Toren pulled away and smiled tentatively at Zeveride. “As long as he doesn’t leave again, I won’t.”
Tierney turned to Taraven. “Jax and I are going to fly home, so I guess you can either port home, or ride with the guys.”
Taraven glanced at the men and then the car, then back up at her. “Can I fly with you?” he asked.
Tierney looked at Jax. “I suppose he could carry both of us.”
Jax opened his mouth to speak, when Taraven shook his head. “I don’t need to be carried. I can fly myself.”
Then they watched in awe as he shifted into a sleek, midnight-black raven. There were a bunch of smiles and some chuckles as Taraven shot up into the sky. Then he began to circle lazily above them.
“Wow, deja vu,” Tierney muttered.
Raven raised an eyebrow and Tierney shrugged. “Just something I saw about a month ago.”
“Okay then,” Jax said. “We’re all good?”
Raven looked at the car and then Soroyan. “I can fly us home, if you trust me?”
“With my life,” he said, a rare smile on his face.
A moment later, Jax shifted into his dragon and with love shining bright in her eyes, Tierney stepped into his arms. Everyone jumped back as Jax spread his wings and then with a huge updraft, he rose into the sky after Taraven.
Then the guys all piled into the car.
Soroyan eyed the forest, his fingers going to his neck where the collar had been. Then he looked back at Raven. “Shall we?”
Raven hesitated. “You haven’t been able to run free for a long time, I can feel your itch. Go. Run!”
Soroyan started to say something, but Raven pressed a finger to his lips. “I will wait here for you.”
A light entered his eyes and Raven smiled.
“Are you sure? I can run when I get home,” he said, but she shooed him away.
Not taking his eyes off hers, Soroyan drew on his power.
Raven shivered not in fear, but delight as his magic tickled over her. It called to her as he shifted into his massive black wolf and although she’d seen his wolf in the bedroom that night, he was still a sight to behold.
Then he moved close and rubbed his head against her hand. Raven slid her fingers through his thick black coat. “You are beautiful,” she said and bright red eyes rose to hers.
The wolf held her gaze for a long moment. Then satisfied with whatever he’d been looking for, he turned and took off.
Chapter Fifty-Two
Free!
Soroyan tore up the ground, reveling in the dirt and grasses beneath his paws, and the wind that ruffled his coat. He flew through the forest, wove between trees. A log loomed up head and he propelled himself off the ground. The log flew by below and he landed on the other side. A feeling of freedom, of intense relief, filled him and he reveled in the experience.
He’d missed this, yet had no idea quite how much until now. Finally he slowed to a walk. As much as he was enjoying himself, there was a tugging on him, as if he left something behind and wasn’t quite complete. He wanted to grin. It was Raven. He didn’t like the idea of leaving her with enemies close by, even though she was more than capable to taking care of herself.
Yeah! He and his wolf were very happily aware that she could take care of herself, yet the protective instinct in him didn’t care. He didn’t know why, but she was his. She’d come back for him, and he’d fight to get her to stay if he had to.
Having circled around, he was heading back, when the scent of cat drifted to him on the breeze. Soroyan growled low in his chest and slowed. Then he stopped just inside the tree line. Across the clearing in front of him stood Seville, the tiger. Golden eyes watched Soroyan, waiting to see what his next move would be.
Soroyan could sense how unsettled the other creature was, and understood why. Still, a cat was never a friend.
Yet, both the wolf and the human in him recognized that Seville wasn’t the enemy either. Or at least he hadn’t been. Taking a chance on the feline, the wolf slowly entered the clearing. He made his way toward the tiger and stopped ten feet away. Then, grateful like he’d never been in his life, he shifted into his human form—fully clothed.
Soroyan waited as the tiger studied him. He could almost see the wheels turning in Seville’s head as the tiger tried to decide whether he wanted to bother shifting or not.
Soroyan understood. He’d been there recently himself, trying to decide if he should care about anything while everything was lost.
Finally, the tiger shifted.
First Seville let him and Toren go, then later he fought the guards with Soroyan. Without the tiger’s help, things could have gone very badly. “Why?” Soroyan asked, knowing the tiger would understand what he was asking.
Seville shrugged. “One can only take so much.”
Soroyan narrowed his eyes on the other male. “I owe you.” He didn’t like owing anyone. Once again his eyes were drawn to the tattoo on the tiger’s arm. “That is an interesting symbol.” He couldn’t help but wonder what it meant or what the connection to Amelis was. Still, as much as he felt he owed the tiger, he wasn’t about to let on that they had his woman. He also owed Tierney and her family. “What does it mean?”
Seville studied him, then looked down at his arm and Soroyan could feel the mixed emotions as he studied the artwork like he hadn’t thought about it in a very long time.
“It is the symbol of my status in my clan,” Seville finally said. Then his gaze met Soroyan’s again and they were once again flat, void of all emotion.
“I would fight at your back anytime, if you need me,” Soroyan offered. Seville didn’t respond.
Conversation done, Soroyan shifted back into his wolf, gave the tiger a wide berth and made his way past the other male.
Suddenly anxious to see his Raven, he entered the forest. He took in a deep breath,
catching the different scents all around him. Yeah, being human had sucked. Tongue lolling out of his mouth, he began to lope. His long stride ate up the ground and he knew without a doubt that he’d fight to the death to keep Raven as his mate.
Chapter Fifty-Three
One Condition
Raven landed easily on the mountain with years born of practice and set Soroyan down on the ground. She was tense and worried. She needed Soroyan to accept her as she was, yet no one who knew what she carried inside of her ever had. Well, except her brother and he didn’t count.
Even Zales had at first looked at her with fear and horror, though he quickly learned to hide it. It was as if he thought she’d suck his dragon out and steal it for herself.
As Soroyan turned to her, Raven knew she needn’t have worried. The moment she shifted back into her human form, he pulled her hungrily into his arms. “I never thought I’d see you again.”
“So … you are happy to see me?” she asked teasingly, yet she couldn’t help the quiver of doubt in her voice.
Soroyan groaned and directed her hand to the bulge in his pants.
Raven wanted to grin, heady to have caused such a reaction from such a virile male.
“Can’t you tell?” Then he grew serious. “What happened, what changed your mind?”
Raven bit her lip and shrugged, feeling like a young girl as his cock twitched. “I hate goodbyes, so I left. I started to fly and …” She didn’t tell him how badly her heart had begun to ache.
She swallowed deeply. “I just couldn’t do it.” She just about lost herself in his blue-green eyes. “Suddenly, what I was going back for didn’t seem worth it. I called Zales and told him I wasn’t coming back.”
“So you are staying for good?” he asked, desperate hope shining back at her. Raven smiled and reaching up, she gripped his hair and pulled his lips to hers. Heat bloomed inside of her at the contact.
Dracones Boxset Books 1-5 Page 157