by Cree Storm
Timmy nodded, then shook his head.
"Timmy, you either returned your king’s crown or you didn't," Illan stated firmly.
Timmy raised his wide eyes to Illan, saying, "I didn't actually hand it to him, but King Suneth said he was coming to see you and that was why I went to Crystal and put it where he would surly find it."
"King Suneth never came to see me, Timmy," Illan replied.
Timmy looked at York anxiously, then Illan and Justice, prattling, "But―But he―he said. It's why I left it there. I would never have left it someplace if I didn't think King Suneth would find it. Besides the fact that it's his, he looks really good in that crown."
Illan nodded. "How about we go in there? I give you my word that I will not allow anyone to harm you or be mean to you, in any way."
"Why? He's my king. Why would you stop him from harming me?" Timmy asked in confusion.
Illan drew back and looked at York. "You didn't explain our ways, York?"
"It isn't like I had a lot of time, Illan," York replied in agitation.
Illan nodded, muttering, “Yes. Yes. That is true." Illan went down on his knee so he could look Timmy straight in the eyes. "Timmy, I will not allow anything to happen to you because once you mated with York, you became part of Wyndingo's clutch, and therefore, King Suneth is no longer your king. I am the leader of the dragons and therefore, I am now your leader, as well."
It took Timmy a second and then he jumped into Illan's arms hugging him and squealing at the same time. Illan gently patted Timmy's back and whispered, "I guess that's okay with you."
Timmy pulled back, smiling wide as he bobbed his head up and down. "It's more than okay. I mean, it could only be better if I was in your clutch, because I met Wyndingo and he's really scary, and I would trust you to keep my Yorkie safe, ʹcause I feel like I really know you. I'll miss my chimera, I don't know if I like that I have to leave them, but if I do then I'm glad you're my leader and not someone like Fallon."
"Nugget, your rambling," York stated with a grin.
Timmy's cheeks pinkened, he placed his arms behind his back, then began to swish his right foot side to side muttering, "I do that when I'm nervous. Sorry."
Illan laughed and mussed Timmy's hair. "Let's get in there so we can both go home with our mates."
Timmy walked in and gasped. Every one of his chimera stood in the room. His fear shot up like a rocket and he knew his eyes had begun to change.
Illan placed his hand on Timmy's right shoulder as his mate placed his hand on his left. Timmy could feel his nerves lessening, but not totally abating.
"Timmy, we have been looking for you for so long," King Suneth stated quietly.
Illan stepped forward. "Why don't we all sit down and talk. I think it might make Timmy more comfortable."
"You can't possibly think I would hurt him, Illan? Timmy is a very special part of our family," King Suneth replied.
"Little one, you can't believe that any of us would harm you?" King Suneth asked sounding hurt.
Timmy didn't know what to think. King Suneth didn't look or sound angry and neither did Juddan or Ozcog. Heck, none of the guys in the room looked mad. Timmy saw something in their eyes, but had no idea what it was. "I don't know. I screwed up pretty bad this time."
Justice pulled out a chair from around the massive sized table. "Please, everyone, sit. Illan is right, it will make Timmy feel better and it will also be far more comfortable."
Once everyone was seated, King Suneth asked, "Timmy, why did you take my crown?"
Timmy plucked at an imaginary thread on his pants, muttering, "I didn't mean to. After I accidentally hurt Asbuth, I went to your chambers to see if there might be a way to―If maybe you could help me not be so―I saw it on your bed and I just wanted to try it on and see―but Juddan came in and saw me. I got scared. I ran."
Quickly Timmy looked at Suneth. "I swear I didn't even realize I had it on until I was really far away from our home. I gave it back. That should count for something."
King Suneth's brows drew together. "What do you mean you gave it back? Who did you give it to?"
Scooting closer to York, Timmy softly replied, "I didn't actually give it to anyone. You said that you were going to talk with the dragon leader about Fallon, so I went to where he was and left it there. Didn't you find it?"
Shaking his head, King Suneth replied, "No, little one. We have been searching for it, and you, for the past three years."
Timmy's eyes widened. "But you said you were going to talk to the dragon leader, Sunny. I would have found a way to give it to you a different way otherwise."
"Timmy, where is the crown?" Illan asked.
CHAPTER 7
Turning to Illan, Timmy said, "It's in Crystal, Lonny. Where I knew you and Justice would keep it safe until Sunny came."
Justice and York both coughed at the same time. It was the innocence York saw in his mate when the man spoke. He had no clue that what he had just called Illan was inappropriate for a leader, nor did his nugget seem to care.
Timmy looked at York and then Justice. "Are you guys okay? Do you need some water?"
Justice covered his mouth and coughed again as he looked away. "No, Timmy, we're fine."
Illan gave a soft laugh. "Where in Crystal did you hide it?"
"It's on the highest spot of all Crystal. The one place I knew that the king would perch," Timmy answered with a quick nod.
Justice turned back towards Timmy, "You put it on the Town Hall building? I've been on that roof top hundreds of times, and have never seen a crown."
Shaking his head, Timmy replied, "I said the highest point, not the highest building."
Illan looked at his mate, snickering, "Yeah, Justice."
Justice raised his brows. "Oh, really? I'm so sorry, Lonny. Where might the highest point be then?"
Illan softly laughed. "I have no idea, because I have been too busy watching my mate’s asses when they walk, thinking about all the glorious things I can't wait to do with them. Looking up never crosses my mind."
"Eww! Yuck! Damn, warn a son before they walk into a room," Ethan said, walking in with Zev and Jett.
"What are you guys doing here so late? And where are my grand babies?" Justice asked in pleasant surprise.
Ethan got closer to the table, answering, "Day, Rhys, and I took the babies to Twixie's to have dinner so Nelson could visit with Toby, and we happened to run into Zev and Jett. We were going to go and see Illan, when Frankie, Manny, and Avery came in for a bite to eat. Avery told me you two were back here, so here we are. I had no idea you would be having a meeting so late."
Putting his hand out, Ethan smiled. "Hello, I'm Ethan Abruzzo."
York watched as Ozcog shook hands with Ethan, but gave Jett a once over. Damn, a move like that will get the gargoyle killed.
Laughing, the dumb ass replied, "Ozcog. This is my chimera, Juddan, Sylux, Nuzan, Canuz, Qavez, Asbuth, and King Suneth."
"New shifters in town?" Zev asked stepping in front of Jett.
Ozcog smiled knowingly at Zev. "Sorry, didn't realize you two were together."
Zev sneered at Ozcog. "Well, now you know. My mate is off limits."
Ozcog lifted his hand in surrender. "No harm in looking."
"Keep looking and there will be great bodily harm," Zev hissed.
Jett turned Zev around and rubbed his hand up and down the man's chest, saying in a lust filled voice, "You really turn me on when you get all kinds of possessive like that. How about we save this for another day, and I show you how turned on I am right now?"
Zev leaned in as if he was about to kiss Jett, but softly whispered, "You are not getting out of this that easily, mate. However, when you've done what it is you know you need to do, then I will take you up on that offer."
Jett pushed his bottom lip out, whining, "You are so mean."
Illan cleared his throat, grabbing everyone's attention. "We are in the middle of something here. Do you think you guys might come back
tomorrow?"
Ethan shook his head just as the door burst open. Day, Morgan, Angelo, Finn, and Marco rushed into the room. Before they could utter a word, Destrain walked through a portal with Dain, Rune, Kerrick, Ollie, and Pascal.
Illan stood up, facing everyone. "What the hell is going on?"
Ollie scoffed, "That's what we all would like to know. I was just about to see who got kicked off the Island when Finn called Dain."
"I had a vision. Fallon is about to attack Crystal," Angelo practically shouted.
York stood up with the others, and Wyndingo walked in with Dallas, Brax, Neal, and Nick.
Ollie moved to the other side of the room. "Seriously? Does that man not have a fucking life?"
"Ollie, hush," Pascal hissed.
Looking at his brother, Ollie snapped, "Fine I'll sit back here and just stay out of the way."
Justice sighed, then turned to Angelo. "Tell us what you saw."
"I was sitting, having dinner with Morgan and I saw it. Fairies, pixies, and I don't know what the hell those other things were, attacking Twixie's."
Illan interrupted before Angelo could tell them anything else. "Where are the babies, Twix, Toby, and Nelson?"
Day rolled his eyes. "I have Rhys, Twix, Nelson, and the babies at Twix, Finn, and Marco's place with Aracas, Baldwin, and Casimir guarding them."
"And that has Marco and I in the damn dog house again," Finn grumbled.
Marco snorted, "We wouldn't be in the damn dog house had you just asked Twixy to stay put, but no, you had to order him to stay at the house and even threatened to have Aracas lock him in our room."
"Angelo, I know you and Morgan have been working on time lines with your visions. Do you know when this attack will take place?" Illan asked quickly, ignoring the two men arguing.
Angelo swallowed, and anxiously replied, "If what I've been practicing is right, the attack is going to take place tomorrow at eleven in the evening, but I've not had many opportunities to practice time tables."
"It's all good, Angelo. I suck at math, too," Jett said with a snicker.
Illan pursed his lips, snapping, "This is no time for jokes, Jett."
Jett opened his mouth to say something but the closed it just as quickly.
"How would Fallon even get into Crystal? Dain and I warded both Maddox and Crystal against such an attack and even strengthened it after the attack at the park," Destrain stated firmly.
"My question is, why attack Twixie's at all? He had to know that we would find out and get the princes out of there before hand," Kerrick said in confusion.
Shaking his head, Rune said, "He has to be up to something. He knows about Angelo's abilities."
"And just how does he know about Angelo?" Illan snarled.
Kerrick stepped forward, "Don't speak to my mate like that. You might get away with that shit with your clutch and the blaze in Crystal, but you will not get away with it with my mate and Maddox."
"Kerrick, it's alright," Rune softly said as his cheeks seemed to darken.
"No! No, it isn't alright!" Kerrick shouted. "Illan walks around like he is better than the rest of us. Always giving orders, never letting anyone wrap their mind around shit that might be happening. Snapping at people, never asking. Well, I won't have it. He will not speak to you like you’re a slug at the bottom of a barrel."
Illan sneered, "I do what I do to keep my people safe! I wasn't trying to be disrespectful of your mate. Rune lived with this mother fucker for years. He worked side by side with him. If there is anyone that knows how Fallon thinks, it's Rune!"
"He's only saying you could maybe ask him a little nicer," Day said with a sigh.
"You do tend to come off like a bear whose honey has been violated," Wyndingo said with a rare smirk.
"And keep forgetting that Maddox is my town to care for," Destrain mumbled.
Jett stepped forward. "I came here to apologize for what I did and said. None of us were trying to hurt your feelings. It's just, you can be such a hard ass sometimes."
York knew that Illan was a tough man. Hell, Wyndingo was a hard ass, but he still wasn't as overbearing as Illan could be.
"My mate is a good man!" Justice snapped.
Day let out a small breath. "No one is saying he isn't. It's just―"
"No! Stop saying mean things about Lonny. Lonny is a good man and he's very important," Timmy shouted, causing everyone to look in his direction.
"Lonny?" Nick asked with a snicker.
His chimera looked as shocked as York and everyone else was. Timmy, always shy and sweet, was in a serious snit and York liked it. York's eyes widened when Timmy hopped on the table and looked around the room. "What is wrong with you people? Yes, Lonny is hard on everyone here, but that's because he cares. I know! I've seen―well heard more than seen actually, but the point is, he is not just a good man, he is an important man."
"What do you mean, you've heard?" Justice asked.
Licking his lips, Timmy's bravado started to fade, but then he drew his shoulders back, stood as tall as he could, saying, "The cell I was in sat under Illan's office. I could hear him talking to people on the phone. At least, I figure that's how he was speaking to them because I didn't hear what they were saying back. He is on the phone talking to shifters wanting to come to Crystal and Maddox, helping that vampire guy get everything in order for his new town they are moving to, making arrangements with someone to help with new businesses, giving townspeople loans to open businesses." Looking at Illan, Timmy said, "And zero interest on a loan is not good business, even I know that."
Illan’s smiled tightly, and shrugged.
Timmy looked back at the others. "The point is, he is always working, planning, and doing for all of you and so many others. I've heard,” Timmy looked at Illan, and his cheeks and ears were red, when he whispered, "Don't worry, I covered my ears and sang songs so I didn't hear you and your mates."
Everyone snickered and York was amazed to see the big bad leader blushing, as he replied, "Thank you, Timmy."
Looking around the room, Timmy licked his lips again, saying, "I've heard a lot in the few days I've been here. I don't want to tattle, but this is important. One night, when everyone else was gone, Lonny started talking to a woman. I remember, because at first I was angry thinking that he might be―you know what I thought. Anyway, it took me a minute to realize that whoever he was talking to was no longer on this earth. He was telling her how Day had twins and how he was already a better father than he had ever been. He said how proud he was of Day and how proud she would be as well. Lonny talked about how tired he was, but he couldn't stop as long as the threat was out there, trying to hurt his family and the people of Crystal and Maddox. He hoped that he was doing the right things and wished that Fallon would just go so he could really enjoy his mates. And how guilty he felt being away from them for so long, but he couldn't take his eye off the ball. He couldn't let another man die."
Timmy looked at Illan and sniffled. "He said he couldn't stand another of his charges life's blood on his soul. There were already too many. Being a leader is hard work and highly unappreciated. Sometimes, when there is too much going on, you might not take the time to ask for something. It's like a list in your head and you are just reading it off. It's not meant to be offensive or mean, he just needs answers so he can plan, or he needs something done so he can complete a task, because he had a hundred more waiting and more items added to that same list, daily."
"Illan, what blood is on your hands?" Justice asked tearfully.
Destrain walked forward, looking just as upset as Justice. "Illan, you're not alone in this. You have help."
Illan nodded, softly saying, "I know that, Destrain―I do. I know that everyone lost loved ones in the Shuite War. I lost my parents, all my sisters, two brothers, uncles, cousins, friends, and I lost my wife. I was made a leader to my kind much sooner than anyone could have known. Because of this, every death that followed my father's death was because of me. I made choices, knowi
ng that many of the men going off to fight would not return. I left children without fathers, wives without husbands, and in the end, it was all for nothing."
"Illan, you did what you had to do," Justice rasped.
Illan turned away from everyone, and if York was not mistaken, the man had tears in his eyes as he said, "Maybe, but the thing is, Justice, I don't want to lose any more. More dragons, pixies, and griffions died in that fight at Twix and his mates’ home. Why? What did I miss? How did I not see it coming? I'm the leader of the paranormal world. I should have known."
"Illan, you're right, we all lost in that stupid war. However, we can only do what we can. By your logic, then I should have known about the attack on Twix’s home. I am the one with visions, after all, or Pauly should have had someone speak to him from the dead, that's his gift. What happened the other day was not your fault. I still wake up with nightmares from the Shuite War. It affected us all. However, you need to remember. We have gifts to assist us, but some things are meant to be. We are not Gods." Angelo softly replied.
Illan turned, hissing, "Fallon will not take my mates from me! He will not take my son, his mates, or my grandchildren. He will not take any of my boys. They are mine!"
Pointing a finger at Jett, Illan sounded angry when he said, "Am I hard on you? You're damn right I am. You have to stay focused, Jett. You are being too complacent to what is going on around us. And with complacency comes death and I damn well will not lose you."
Turning towards Day, Illan snapped, "Do I hand you your ass daily? Yes! Because one day you may have to step into my shoes and I want you to be ready, not just feel ready, because I can tell you from experience they are not one in the same."
Illan looked at everyone in the room, saying, "Joking is fine, but not when shit needs to get done. We must be at the top of our game here, or more of us will die. We are at war people. You may not see it that way, but I do, and I know war! Fallon declared war on all of us a long time ago. We just finally heard the words."
Sighing heavily, Illan said, "Now we are going to finish this meeting and then everyone is going home to catch some shuteye. We all meet back here at seven in the morning. We need to figure out what Fallon wants at Twixie's."