Chapter Twenty-Six

Hadyn had never known this kind of joy in her life. Her mate, solid and perfect in her arms, still buried, half-hard inside her, and her dragon finally there. As though she had been there all along, only separated by an invisible barrier hidden deep inside her. The animal side of her stretched and purred in utter contentment even as she impatiently asked to be released. Hadyn was just as eager. She wanted to see Rune’s dragon meet her own other half.

She wanted to fly.

It said a lot about her sudden obsession in reveling in the newness and wonder of what had happened that she didn’t hear the bedroom door open. They both caught the grunt of surprise at finding them naked and entwined.

“I guess you won’t be needing these?” a vaguely familiar voice asked.

They both glanced over to find Zeke with his back to them, the skin of his neck bright red, one hand out in the air holding needles, tubes, and other implements to do a blood transfusion.

“I took care of it,” Rune said. “Thanks.”

Hadyn rolled her eyes but couldn’t keep from chuckling.

“Uh-huh. In that case, you might want to come outside,” the kid said.

Hadyn stiffened. Oh gods…the fire, the fight, all those dragons. How could they have forgotten?

“Fuck,” Rune grunted, levering off her then helping her up. His face suddenly paled and she actually worried he might throw up.

“I executed Mathai,” he whispered. “They want my head. If they kill me, you’ll die.”

Hadyn swallowed back an anguished cry. To find each other only to lose each other so soon? “Can we get away?” she whispered.

“No,” Zeke said. “But…things have changed.”

Changed? What the fuck was that supposed to mean?

“You need to come outside. Your people are there,” he said. Followed by the click of closing the door behind him.

She and Rune looked at each other. “Do we trust him?” she asked.

He took a long breath, and she could feel his struggle—to protect his mate or to have faith in this team. Hadyn bit her lip and lifted her hand to cup his cheek, scruff rasping over her skin. “No more running,” she said.

After a long, hard stare, he gave a jerking nod. In a rush, they dressed, then ran out of the house only to stumble to a halt. Beside her mate, her heart in her throat at what they found waiting for them. Rune put an arm out, tucking her behind him.

“Oh my gods, her eyes.” This from Rivin.

Keighan, of course, kept going. “Holy hells, dude, you turned her.”

Shocked gasps—including dragon versions of them—passed through every creature around them.

“Quiet,” Finn’s softly growled word shut them all down.

Hadyn gripped her mate more tightly, and he squeezed back.

A line of men and women stood in the yard and among the pine trees, facing off in the darkness. All the Huracáns, Jiǎ, Lyndi’s boys and Vilsinn, Rune’s other men and their helpers, stood with their backs to the house as though putting themselves bodily between manifest danger and the mates inside.

And Rune, she realized.

The other line had to be the people who’d come after them. Only no one was moving…or speaking, like staring at a bunch of pissed off statues.

“What’s going on?” she whispered to Rune.

In the silence of the woods, only the breeze in the trees stirring, no doubt every shifter caught her words.

He took her hand, and the scrape of his nails had her looking down to find talons there. Which meant he was talking, probably with Finn. “They managed to put the fire out. We’re waiting on someone to arrive.”

“Who?”

“I don’t know.” The way his lips flattened, Rune didn’t like it.

“If I tell you to run,” he said in her mind. “Run.”

No way in the seven hells was she doing that. They’d only just found each other, and if she ran and he died, she was a goner, anyway. “No.”

He gave a small jerk of his head. “Hadyn—”

No shadow overhead or whisper of wind warned them before a massive black dragon swooped in only to stop directly above them, hover, then lightly touch down. Every shifter around them tensed, expressions dead serious, gazes glittering with fire. A few even shimmered with the beginning of a shift, their dragon’s pushing for release, probably.

The black dragon, whose left eye was swollen shut, didn’t shift immediately. Instead, he took his time looking around, taking in the scene with his one good eye.

If he was smart, he would’ve stayed in that form, but he didn’t. The mirage-like waves surrounding his body shimmered as his form shrank and realigned, taking on human features and size. He looked as though he’d been severely beaten, though the dark purple bruises were already starting to turn yellow thanks to the accelerated healing.

Who was this guy?

Rune leaned closer. “That’s Zhuron. The representative for the Black Clan in the Alliance.”

Oh.

That did not seem to bode well. Except, through the brand-new link that bound her soul to his, Rune’s emotions brushed against hers. Wariness, yes. But also a strange sort of calm acceptance.

Shadows overhead alerted them to more dragons, and they all looked up to watch as, one by one, three more landed and shifted. Rune murmured to her, identifying each one. “Macon, the Alliance member from the Blue Clan. Smit, from the white, and Eldar from the gold. All of the remaining Alliance members are here.”

All three men moved to Zhuron’s side, obviously standing with him.

“Well, this is a clusterfuck if I’ve ever seen one,” Zhuron said in a commanding rumble.

“I won’t fight these men anymore,” a voice suddenly called out from those across the way. Someone farther back in the trees. One of their attackers, though. “I believe we were lied to. Traitors don’t risk their own lives to do the right thing. To put out a fire to protect all dragons and to protect mates. I won’t fight.”

“Nor will I,” another took up the cry. Then another. And another.

The Huracáns and their allies all shifted on their feet, glancing at each other. What was going on here?

One of the men who’d been a part of the attack—a white dragon—stepped forward. “I don’t know what fuckery is going on at the leadership level, but these men stopped in the middle of a fight to protect mates and protect our kind from being discovered. An act of a true enforcer. I refuse to stand against them.”

Again a cry resounded throughout the gathering. The air expanded in Hadyn’s lungs. They’d won. The day at least. The loyalty of all these dragons at most.

What next, though?

Zhuron crossed his arms, staring them all down until they quieted. “Mathai is the traitor here,” he said. “I was taken to be used as a scapegoat. Those illegal weapons were his. We have a warlock in our custody who turned himself in. He has proof that Mathai wished to take out the Huracán team, then kill the remaining Alliance members and take over the Americas colony himself.”

Holy fuck. Hadyn wasn’t sure if that was her thought or Rune’s, but it didn’t matter. Similar exclamations of shock rose up from all those around them.

Zhuron waited for the sound to die down. “The remaining Alliance members and I are in agreement. Here’s how this is going to happen. We have declared Mathai a traitor, and his execution, enacted by Rune Abaddon, is legal.”

Shock hit her right in the sternum and Hadyn gasped. Everyone else had similar reactions, a low murmur rising.

What does that mean for us?

Rune wrapped a hand around hers, squeezing tight.

Zhuron held up his hand. “At this time, the clans and kings are split down the middle. Blue, Gold, and Black Clans are on one side of the king’s war, with Red, White, and Green on the other.”

“But Pytheios is High King,” someone called out. “And has a phoenix.”

Zhuron didn’t so much as bat an eyelash. “So do all three of the blue, gold, and black kings.”

Another shocked silence settled over the rumblings.

Zhuron held steady. “I am enacting wartime law immediately.”

“Which means what, exactly?” Finn demanded.

Zhuron didn’t even blink at the growl in the alpha’s voice. “It means we all go back to our homes. The remaining Alliance members are freezing all travel and rules within the Americas colonies. Any fighting or attacks against other dragon shifters, or starting dragon fires, will be dealt with swiftly and harshly. The penalty will be death. All enforcers still alive are reinstated and will continue to be available to deal with fires in their territories, but otherwise, will not be upholding the laws at this time. That will be up to your individual settlements.”

He paused, expression practically daring anyone to argue.

“What about orphans?” Lyndi called out.

“Or rogues?” Jiǎ asked.

Zhuron didn’t hesitate. “Same rights as other dragons for now. Same penalties. All dragons will be protected until a king is decided. The other option is anarchy and chaos and that will only lose more lives.”

“What about mates?” Rune demanded, pulling himself up to his full height to face down the man from his own clan.

Good fucking question. After all, she and Rune had just mated without permission or involvement by the Mating Council. Technically a major offense.

Zhuron tipped his head.

A whisper of distrust, like the stench of death on the wind, feathered through those gathered in front of them.

“I have been in direct contact with my new king,” Zhuron said. Then turned away from Rune to face the others. “All the mates Rune Abaddon took have been accounted for and are safe, unharmed and unmated.”

Hadyn bit back a smile, even as yet another surge of shock whipped through those gathered across the way.

“I pledge to you that this is the truth,” Zhuron said.

“Why’d you take them?” a voice called out.

“To protect them,” Zhuron answered for him. He cast a look at Rune, one Hadyn swore was filled with a thankful sort of pride. “He learned that the mating process was being manipulated and more and more mates have been dying or have disappeared once the Mating Council got them. He warned us. Mathai didn’t listen, and so the Alliance didn’t listen. If you wish to see proof, I have it at our mountain.”

“Fuck, man,” Rivin muttered off to her right.

Rune said nothing, but his hand around hers relaxed. So did his mind.

“To that end, with Rune’s input, the Alliance will be forming a group to supervise and protect any newly discovered unturned mates until we know better what to do to find their mates.” Zhuron turned to face her mate directly, the light of challenge in his eyes. “Do you accept?”

After a long pause, Rune nodded. Just once.

The gathering seemed to release a collective breath.

Her mate—a rogue, a traitor, an outlaw with a bounty on his head—was now a trusted advisor. In the course of a single night.

Hadyn squeezed his hand. The man was…incredible.

“Excellent,” Zhuron said. “Then go the fuck home. All of you.”

He stood there, that black dragon, and waited. Finally, after a long, long stare, one took off. Then another. Zhuron didn’t move until every one of their adversaries shifted and took off. Zeke hesitated, then nodded at Rune, who returned the gesture.

The Huracáns didn’t move at all. With the departure of the last one, Zhuron turned and walked right to Rune, hand outstretched. “It’s nice to see you on the right side of the law again, my friend.”

Rune grinned and clapped him on the shoulder. “Glad to see you can still take a beating. When did you get so intimidating, anyway?”

Zhuron shrugged with an answering grin, then sobered quickly. “We will get word of these rulings out to the rest of the colony.” He paused. “I should have acted on your warning sooner, then I could have saved lives.”

“You warned the Alliance?” Finn demanded, coming up, his movement a signal to the others, who gathered closer.

Rune crossed his arms, suddenly smug. “I’ve been in contact with Zhuron all along. My first position in the king’s guard was actually to his detail when he was the king’s beta.”

“We’re old friends,” Zhuron said. “How do you think this guy got wind of so many places to hide, or the location of new mates? King Gorgon’s orders, in fact.”

“Fuck me,” Keighan said. Rivin opened his mouth, and Keighan elbowed him before he could speak. “Not right now, though. We need to find a woman who likes it rough.”

With a wide grin, Rivin subsided.

“How is the king’s war going? Really?” Rune asked, ignoring the other two.

Zhuron’s expression turned grim, his black eyes glittering harshly. “I’m not going to lie. It’s ugly. We don’t know who to align with or who to believe.”

“So we wait,” Rune said.

Zhuron pulled his shoulders back, the picture of a true leader. “We wait.”

Maybe the remaining Alliance could be trusted, as long as he was at the helm.

Rune turned his gaze to her, and she could feel the way his soul seemed to suddenly break free, lighter than it had been, as though whatever weight had been crushing him had been lifted. And she knew, without a doubt, that things were going to be okay for the two of them. At least for now.

For the entire team, too. The relief starting to hit them all was almost palpable, and then they were all hugging and talking at once.

Hadyn reached up to lay her hand against Rune’s cheek. “How’s it feel, being redeemed?”

“Well…” He leaned down to kiss her softly. “Almost as good as being mated.”

“Your work isn’t over yet,” Finn interrupted.

Rune groaned around a wide grin as he straightened to face his team. “I thought I’d got rid of you fuckers. The bonus of going rogue.” Then lifted his hand, showing the king’s mark returned to the skin on the back. The mark of the new king of the Black Clan, matching the one on Zhuron’s hand…and hers. “I guess that’s out now.”

Answering grins lit up every face around them. “Holy shit,” Hall groaned. “He’ll be impossible to live with now that he’s legit again.”

The entire team gathered around, slapping his back, hugging her, and laughing.

“Legit again, huh?” Finn said. Then held up his own hand. “You’re not the only one. Hurt like a son of a bitch.”

And had apparently removed the false dragon king’s sign the Huracáns had all been wearing at the same time? No one had ever been able to explain the magic of the marks. Like her being turned, they just…were.

Finn grinned. “I’m officially reinstating you as a member of the team.”

The contentment that filtered to her from her mate was almost as strong as the moment when their bond had clicked into place. Almost, but not quite. That told her how much leaving them had hurt him.

“Welcome to the family, son.” She and Rune spun to find Chaghan and Qara standing behind them, tears glistening in both their eyes.

In an uncharacteristic move, Chaghan pulled Rune in for a hug. “I don’t know how it’s even possible, but I mean it. You are family now.”

The way Rune’s shoulders hunched slightly just about took her knees from under her. That meant more than he’d admit. Laughing, Qara pulled her in for an embrace. “I can keep you as a daughter for longer now,” she whispered in her hair.

Hadyn had to swallow around the lump in her throat. She’d worried Qara might feel that she’d betrayed Kip, but this was the love of a true mother. One who only wanted happiness for her child.

With another laugh, they switched so she could hug Rune, too, and Chaghan could hold Hadyn. “I’m so proud of you.”

That seemed to start another round of questions, unanswerable questions, flying at them from all sides. Eventually, though, they all seemed to come to the conclusion that mates were changing, and this was a blessing they shouldn’t question beyond that.

Hadyn found herself being passed around from person to person to be hugged and welcomed. At least until Keighan tried to “kiss the bride” and Rune growlingly pulled her back to his side.

Rivin slapped the back of Keighan’s head. “Don’t you know better than to fuck with a newly mated dragon? He could have ripped your lips off.”

“Nah,” Keighan grinned. “He loves me too much. Even if he’s too tough to say so.”

Rune grunted a sound that could have been agreement or denial, then turned back to Zhuron. “So, about the mates…I have a lot of suggestions.”

Hadyn took a long, deep breath, the reality that maybe…just maybe…things were going to work out finally starting to sink in.

Yes, they had decisions to make. Yes, these were dragon shifters, and trust was like a four-letter word among their kind, which meant true peace was not likely. At least they wouldn’t be fighting everyone all at once for a little while.

No more running. No more hiding.

A slow grin crept over her face, echoed by a matching one from her mate. He pulled her close and leaned over to nuzzle her neck.

“Our mating must be blessed,” he whispered for her ears alone.

“Why’s that?”

“Because as soon as you became mine, I found peace. In every way.”