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Tradition was the only thing keeping him from launching into a full investigation. The public mourning period for Elaine would be over in the morning, and he already had plans settling in his mind.

“She helped with the wolves too? You don’t honestly think she’s involved, do you?” His ears caught a snippet of a conversation between Stone, Naseem and Blaise, one table behind him.

“What if she’s trying to make a name for herself? They were already calling her ‘Dragon Hero.’” Blaise argued, “And now she’s caught on live tape with the Eastern Hemisphere Wolves’ alpha, riding his back through the woods after he drags his tongue all over her in broad daylight? You’re really trying to tell me it doesn’t seem fishy?”

What?

Alessandro controlled his face as he took in the information. The little elf had been in Greece? He had taken two hours to recover from their activities and he knew her healing abilities were inferior to his own. She’d gone to battle in that state? And the mutt of the Eastern Hemisphere Pack dragged his tongue all over her? As if she were some pup that the alpha needed to bathe?

Across the table from him, Terra had stopped her own conversation and was looking at him with concern. Her gaze slid discretely around to make sure no one else had seen before she motioned to her eyes. Alessandro glanced at his reflection in the glass cup before him and saw his own had turned red. A full on territorial red his people would recognize and question him over.

Terra had been the only one that had smelled the elf on him when he returned. She had helped him cover the rut markers, sure that the Hitoris would revolt if they knew he’d indulged in a quick round in the sack so soon after Elaine’s death.

They hadn’t asked for details. It was hard enough to face the fact that Elaine was gone. But he knew as time healed, they would come to him and ask him who had dealt the final blow.

It was something he had decided he wouldn’t divulge. As soon as he’d seen that first tear trail down her cheek as she turned her gaze up to him, her secret had become his.

“First off, Rowan tried to maintain her anonymity when she was here. The only reason anyone found out her name was because two reporters slipped past a broken piece of the gate to overhear our conversation. Second, did you miss that giant slash across her stomach? The alpha was showing his gratitude to her for, you know, saving his entire pack from killing off everyone theysaw, and it wasn’t like she stuck around for interviews for that either.”

Injured? How had she been injured? He burned to return to her, but what right had he? He needed to stay with the Thunder to mourn and though they’d crawled into each other’s skin for two straight nights, he had no claim on the woman.

“If I didn’t know any better, I would think it sounded like you’re really interested in our elf friend Stone. Do you have a little crush?” Blaise joined in.

“I’m not blind. I’d give her the best weekend in bed if she’d allow it.”

The brat had never sounded cockier or surer of himself, and Alessandro wondered if he’d made the right decision in naming him his heir. Not that he had much of a choice with the lack of multi-elementals in the Thunder.

“She would be the one doing the fucking if you got involved. What she needs is an actual experienced man to show her appreciation for helping us out. It’s only right.” Blaise laughed.

“Well, I think I could spare a weekend or three.” Naseem’s smirk was audible in his chuckle.

“I got the impression that you didn’t trust her.” Stone deadpanned.

“You don’t have to trust to fuck. Not knowing that definitely puts you out for the count.”

Alessandro was finding it more and more difficult to keep his full might muted. He knew how uncomfortable it made his subjects when he unleashed it. But, his dragon wanted them to know how inferior they were to him, the one who had already claimed her, the only one who ever could put a claw on her soft, flushed flesh.

“How do you idiots expect the elf to even get turned on by three dragons who fell to her feet so easily?” Terra cut in and Alessandro remembered why she was his favorite person in the world. An expert at reading her king, she had put two and two together and was cutting the problem at the root. “You would have a better chance of laying with each other.”

“Terra, that hurts!” Blaise groaned theatrically.

Alessandro scoffed and turned in his seat to face the trio. “Does it hurt as much as it should, I wonder?” He asked. “After our mourning period is through, we will hold a physical readiness assessment for every capable dragon of the Thunder. If you don’t meet my standards, I will allow Terra to whip you all into shape.”

Color drained from the faces of the men, and Alessandro could all but see Terra’s glee over his shoulder.

Deflated, the trio turned the conversation to scheduling mat time and Alessandro turned back to his dinner quite pleased with himself.

XOXOXOXO

Rowan despised stopping by the North American Brood Estate, but her concern for Louisa outweighed her aversion to the place. As bad as the injuries had been, Rowan’s primary intention revolved around checking on Louisa’s mental well-being.

She’d bled a warm body, and she’d done it without express consent. It didn’t matter that Rowan would cut herself a thousand times if it meant she could help the vampiress. Louisa held herself to a higher standard than her peers. And like Rowan, Louisa didn’t take failure well.

Rowan passed the sprawling Spanish buildings of the estate in a blur, locating the magical signature of the vampiress and hoping to arrive without being stopped.

Wards kept her from phasing right to the woman’s side as she’d have preferred, but if anyone stood a chance at getting there undetected, it was Rowan.

As an unfortunate regular of the Estate, she knew which parts would provide her with a bit more privacy. However, the security had gone up a tick since her last visit. She didn’t know whether that was because of the shifter attacks, or because the Grand Vampire’s daughter had shown up at home heavily injured.