Page 13 of Dragon’s Revenge (Irresistible Dragons #7)

Chapter Twelve

A dar hadn’t mentioned his conversation with Delton and Oliver about Rhene and what the prophecies could mean to anyone, but it kept playing through his head. So far, every prophecy had turned out to be true, from that very first warning Arne, the dragon storyteller, had given about the dragons betraying the wolves. All of it had come to pass, and Adar had no reason to assume the later prophecies wouldn’t.

So it came down to interpreting them—not an easy feat, considering the dragon prophecies were about as clear as mud. Not that the wolf ones were much better. Adar respected the hell out of Grayson, their storyteller, but the man constantly spoke in riddles. What good was a warning or admonishing when you couldn’t make heads or tails of it?

He instinctively felt Delton was onto something with his reasoning that this couldn’t mean Rhene’s death. Whether it was wishful thinking or because Adar truly believed Delton was right, he wasn’t entirely sure, but he clung to it. The alternative was too horrific to even consider. Rhene had to return. For his mate, for his son, for the pack and the clan. The prophecies had to refer to something else, though he had no clue what.

He’d have to leave it to people smarter than him and focus on what he could control. Or at least, what he could figure out because he’d already learned a long time ago that few things in life could be controlled other than his own actions. So he’d focus on what he knew to be true and decide on his course of action.

They were growing closer, Delton, Oliver, and him. Their dinner might’ve ended on a more serious note than they’d intended, but they’d bonded. There had been a peace between them, a harmony that had been missing. Was it because he’d spent time with Delton and understood him better now? Or because Oliver had made such an effort, inviting them for dinner? Or was it because Delton had—once again—opened his heart to them?

Maybe it was all three and even more. Maybe the gods had finally taken pity on them and blessed their journey to a union. Because one thing Adar was one hundred percent certain of: Delton and Oliver were his mates. No doubt remained, not even a little bit. The pain at the thought of losing Delton had been so fierce, so debilitating, that it had wiped away any lingering confusion. Delton was as much his as Oliver was, and Adar was theirs.

So their journey to love wasn’t as rapid or romantic as other triads in the pack. Did it matter? Not even a little bit. Now that he knew they’d find their happily ever after, he could be patient once more, just like he’d been when he’d first met Oliver. They had time.

Besides, considering their characters, it made sense they wouldn’t jump into things. Adar rarely did something without thinking about it first. Delton was about the most thoughtful person Adar had ever met, and Oliver was too traumatized to take risks. So, of course, they’d take their time figuring out how they fit together. All Adar had to do was show continued dedication to both of his mates—no more preferential treatment for Oliver—and be patient. That, he could do.

And in the meantime, he’d focus on keeping the pack and the clan safe.

“How are the new omegas settling in?” he asked Sivney during an informal meetup with some of the pack’s leaders.

“As well as can be expected. The two most seriously wounded are still in the clinic, but the others have all settled into their cabins. Most of them are sharing rooms and even beds, but none have complained.”

Zack, who’d been accepted as the de facto leader of the new group, shook his head. “They’d never complain, not after what you did for us. They keep telling me to express to you how grateful they are.”

Sivney sighed. “I know, and it’s making me uncomfortable. It doesn’t feel like we’re doing anything more than showing human kindness. Or wolf-dragon kindness. Whatever. My point is that offering people shelter, a hot shower, and a warm meal shouldn’t be considered exceptional.”

“But it is,” Fallon said softly. “I know you faced your own challenges before you joined the pack, but for most of us, our lives were a literal hell before we came here. We went from hell to heaven, from the darkness into the light, from suffering into joy. I know that sounds dramatic, but it’s the truth. To them, this place is something they wouldn’t even have dared to dream of, let alone hope for.”

Adar cleared his throat. “It’s good to be reminded of that perspective. Makes me even more grateful for what we have.”

“Even after what Rhene told me, I couldn’t have imagined it would be like this.” Zack stared into the distance, his face tight, as if he saw something from his past. “I trusted him after he let me scan him, but I didn’t think it could be this perfect.”

“We’re not perfect.” Sivney leaned forward, his eyes intense. “We fuck up like everyone else. Don’t put us on a pedestal because sooner or later, we’ll come crashing down.”

“Sure, but you try to do the right thing, and that makes all the difference,” Zack said.

“You mentioned scanning Rhene,” Fallon said. “Do you have any information about the gifts of the new omegas?”

Zack nodded. “They were suspicious at first when Fergal and Gregor asked, but when I told them Rhene had let me scan him, they were a little more open about it. I’m not sure of all of them, but we definitely have a few with very strong magical abilities. Two of the former O’Connors are black dragons with the gift of energy, and there’s also one gifted healer from that clan. Then there are a few boosters, an influencer, two or three with fire, and at least one that I suspect is a red dragon. He’s from the Fitzgeralds.”

Sivney raised his eyebrows. “An omega dragon fighter? We only have one other fighter omega. Is he trained?” Then he caught himself. “Of course he’s not. Sorry, stupid question. They would’ve never allowed an omega to train.”

“Blair would be happy to train him,” Adar said. “Blair was the commander for the old Doyle clan and is now the head of our security team here. He’s been working with Crowell, the other fighter omega, and it’s been amazing to see his progress. He almost beat me when we did some sparring a few days ago.”

“You train with an omega?” Zack’s eyes practically bulged out of his head.

Adar shrugged. “How else is he gonna learn to fight alphas? If he ever needs that skill, it won’t be against other omegas. He’ll be facing alphas. Most likely, dragon alphas. So he might as well practice on me. Once he can beat me, he’ll start sparring with Blair.”

“Sorry, it’s gonna take me some time to get used to stuff like this.” Zack gently shook his head, still staring at Adar. “An alpha training an omega… If that isn’t the craziest thing I ever heard?”

Sivney chuckled. “You’d better buckle up then, kid, because that’s how we roll. Everyone is equal here, regardless of status. We look at gifts, talents, experience, and natural abilities to determine what someone’s task in the pack will be, not status.”

Zack raised his chin. “What if I want to become second-in-command too, like you?”

The challenge in that question was clear, and Adar held his breath.

But Sivney grinned. “You think I’m gonna stop you? Hell no. You tell me you’re serious, and you can start shadowing me today. I need all the help I can get. The gods know some of these alphas need someone to keep them in line…”

The latter was said with a firm look at Adar, who cringed a little.

“B-but how can you say that when I told you I want your job? Doesn’t that make me competition?” Zack stuttered.

“There is no competition in this pack. There’s plenty of room and certainly plenty of work for everyone, especially now.”

Zack’s expression changed into one of pure admiration. “Gods, I want to be you when I grow up.”

That had everyone laughing, including Sivney, but then the omega grew serious again. “We need to talk about the remaining Murphy omegas. Do we know how many there are left?”

Zack looked at Fallon. “Fallon and I tried to come up with a count. We think there are seven who will want to come and are being held against their will.”

“Only seven?” Adar frowned. “I thought they had more than that.”

“Two of them died.” Fallon’s voice cracked. “One due to complications when delivering an oversized egg, and one was…” He took a shuddering breath. “Shane was killed.”

“Killed?” Adar kept his voice in check. “By whom?”

Fallon gestured at Zack, who needed a moment before he answered. “He never made it out of the Dragon Council. After what happened to their clan, the Murphy alphas took out their anger on Shane, and he…” Zack made a helpless gesture, and Adar had no trouble filling in the rest.

That poor omega had died all alone, with no one coming to his rescue. And he’d been innocent. His only crime was that he’d been born an omega instead of an alpha. Enough. He could no longer stand by and watch omegas suffer and die.

Fury filled him, burning hot through his veins. His heart rate spiked, and he had to clench his fists to keep himself in check. “This ends now,” he all but snarled as he met Sivney’s eyes dead on. “I don’t care how, but we’ll get those seven remaining omegas out today. Not in a few days, not next week, but today.”

Sivney rose from his seat, holding out his hands in a placating gesture. “I know you’re angry, and so am I, but let’s not rush into things. If we do this half-cocked, it may fail.”

Adar gritted his teeth. “I’m not angry. I’m furious. That could’ve been my… That could’ve been Oliver. Or you, Fallon. Or Zack, or any of our omegas. We. Do. This. Today.”

Fallon rose and stood next to him. “I agree. The longer we wait, the more they suffer. If things were already bad before the Council, they’re bound to be even worse now. We can take them, wolves and dragons together.”

Sivney looked from Adar to Fallon, then seemed to capitulate. “You’d better come up with a plan then. And you’ll need to take a big team…though that would leave us all but defenseless in the event of an attack on the pack.”

Adar shook his head. “If what Fergal said was correct about there only being one dragon slayer left, we don’t have to worry about that threat anytime soon. He can’t attack us by himself, not even if he has Rhene.”

“That’s a lot of ifs,” Sivney warned. “One miscalculation could cost us.”

“Our safety isn’t more important than the lives of those omegas,” Adar countered. “And whereas we don’t know for sure if we’ll get attacked, we know for a fact they’re suffering and dying. That makes them the priority.”

“Okay.” Sivney nodded at Adar. “Come up with a plan, big guy, and we’ll make it happen. You’re in charge.”

He was what now? Sivney had put him in charge? That hadn’t been his intention, but he should’ve known that speaking up would mean taking the lead. He’d always been happy letting someone else be the leader, but maybe this was meant to be. He had a score to settle with Dempsey anyway, so he might as well do the right thing and kill the bastard while he was at it. Two birds, one stone, and all that.

He squared his shoulders. “Fallon, can you gather all the dragons willing to help? I’ll assemble a team of wolves. We’ll make a plan to free those omegas…and then we’ll bring them home.”