Page 16 of Dragon’s Revenge (Irresistible Dragons #7)

Chapter Fifteen

H e couldn’t think about his mates. Adar wanted nothing more than to let his mind wander and dream about a future for Delton, Oliver, and him, but he couldn’t afford to be distracted. He needed to be focused because even a second of not paying attention could cost him. The Murphys were formidable opponents, even in their current weakened state…even if, technically, they were no longer the Murphy clan.

Their alpha group was eleven strong. Blair was the visual lead as the Commander of the Doyles, with Jermon and Adar flanking him. Erwan was right behind them as the king, protected from all sides as he had his brothers Valdis and Nadiv on either side, plus Wilmer and Isam. Fallon was on Erwan’s heels as the only omega in that group, with Ori and Maz—in case someone got hurt.

Erwan looked bad. He’d lost weight, and his eyes were sunken in a pale face. Adar wasn’t sure what was wrong with the dragon, but he suspected it was the fated mate bond. Being separated from his mate had to affect him, and the longer it took, the worse it would get. All they could do was hope Rhene would somehow find his way back. But for now, they had to concentrate on this mission.

Their group was impressive, with plenty of muscle to deter the Murphys from trying anything and enough magic to prevent them from attempting any funny business. But the real threat wasn’t in the group of alphas, which was, for lack of a better word, mostly for show. Sure, Fallon was a powerful dragon when it came to magic, but everyone else had been picked because they were alphas, not because they had specific skills—with only a few exceptions, Adar being one of them.

They were the distraction, the decoy. They were what the Murphys would expect, a display of brute alpha strength. The real force was the group of omegas plus two betas who would sneak their way in while the alphas caused a stir. Finlay, Gael, Martin, and Zack were tasked with finding the omegas, with Crowell joining them as the only omega fighter and Jorah and Frick as healers in case the prisoners needed to be healed before being able to travel. With them were Palani and Kean, who had volunteered to provide support, probably because they were going crazy with worry over their brother. Plus, Palani could talk himself out of pretty much any situation, which was a classic Hightower trait all three brothers shared.

The Murphys had been easy enough to find with a little magic, courtesy of Fallon, boosted by Finlay. They’d moved into a former hotel in the mountains on the other side of the capital, an area that had once been a popular travel destination. The small towns were mostly deserted now, with only a few original inhabitants remaining, so it made sense as a hiding place for a group of dragons.

They’d bought the hotel—Palani had found the deed—and were living there now, though minus King Ennis and Tynan, who had disappeared. Smart move, as some Murphys might otherwise be tempted to take revenge. It was about an hour’s drive, and with plenty of cars and trucks, this was no big deal.

The alpha group had parked on the outskirts of town so they could enter the town as a group, while the omegas had parked much farther away and hiked in, keeping themselves hidden from sight. Since they hadn’t seen anyone stir, it seemed their mission had been successful so far.

“Omegas are in place,” Blair announced, who was in contact with Zack through discreet earpieces. “We’re good to go.”

“Showtime,” Jermon whispered. “Let’s give them the show of a lifetime.”

They all straightened and made themselves broad, and Adar repressed a smile. They were giving a performance, but hopefully, it would be enough to fool the Murphys.

The town was full of decaying and broken structures, their paint peeling and roofs sagging under the weight of time. Abandoned storefronts and dilapidated houses stood as silent witnesses to the slow crumbling of this once-thriving community. Weeds had overtaken sidewalks, and what had to have been a bustling main street now had only scattered traces of human existence.

And gods, it was eerily silent, with only the occasional creak of a rusty sign swinging in the wind. A mix of damp wood, decaying vegetation, and that dusty, moldy scent of neglect filled the air. No fresh mountain air here. What a sorry sight.

The hotel itself wasn’t much to look at either. It hadn’t seen a fresh coat of paint in at least three decades, and the front porch looked like it could collapse at any moment. If the Murphys were planning on renovating this, they’d better bring a boatload of cash. On the plus side, that might mean they’d be very open to the deal they were about to propose.

When they walked up to the hotel, Alistair and Kerry were waiting for them. “We knew you were coming,” Kerry sneered.

“We weren’t attempting to sneak up on you,” Jermon said, his tone a mix of indignant and bored.

“What do you want?”

“Our king would like to offer you a lucrative financial deal,” Jermon said.

Kerry couldn’t keep the surprise off his face. “A deal? What kind of deal?”

“The kind he wants to discuss with whoever is representing your group.” Jermon studied his nails. “I mean, it’s not like you have a king anymore, is it? Nor are you an official clan, for that matter. But we’re still willing to make a deal.”

God, he came across as an asshole, which was the point, but Adar still had to keep a straight face.

Kerry’s face resembled a thunderstorm, his eyes spewing fire. “We don’t agree with the Council’s decision to disband our clan.”

“Wasn’t the Council’s decision, now was it?” Erwan spoke up. “It was your king who decided he valued honor after all.”

“So, really, you should be grateful we’re still willing to make a deal with you,” Jermon said quickly, maybe fearing his brother would get too angry and ruin things.

“I doubt there’s anything you could offer that we’d be interested in,” Alistair snapped.

“Money.” Jermon’s voice was cool. “We offer lots and lots of money, and from what I understand, you should be interested in that, seeing as how you no longer have access to your former clan’s assets…”

It seemed King Ennis had been more prepared than anyone had expected. He’d already moved all their assets to an offshore account only he and Tynan could access before he made his announcement at the Council, so the remaining Murphys were left with only their personal wealth. It was nothing to sneeze at, but it wouldn’t sustain their lavish lifestyle for long.

Alistair and Kerry exchanged a look. “Wait here,” Kerry said, and he and Alistair took off.

They didn’t move a muscle as they stood, all too aware they were being watched. After a few minutes, Alistair came back. “Follow me.”

Adar watched where he put his feet as he followed Alistair up the stairs into the hotel lobby. It looked even worse from the inside. Peeling paint covered the walls, revealing layers of different colors underneath. What little furniture was left in the lobby was worn and torn, with threadbare cushions and scratched surfaces. But the smell was far worse, this musty and stale air, with hints of mildew and rot mingling with the faint scent of cigarettes.

“I like what you’ve done with the place,” Nadiv said, and Adar bit his lip not to burst out laughing.

Alistair led them to a communal sitting room, the only one that had looked somewhat clean so far. A few couches had been placed around a large coffee table, and the carpets on the hardwood floor looked new-ish. “Take a seat.”

Erwan sat with his three brothers next to him, but everyone else remained standing, flanking the king. They didn’t have to wait long for the other Murphys to arrive. Dempsey stalked in first, and Adar clenched his fists, looking away before he gave in to his deeper urges and killed him on the spot. Hubert and Colin joined as well, plus a few alphas Adar didn’t recognize. He did a quick count. Nine in total. He liked those odds. Little Fallon alone could take four out easily.

“So, who’s in charge now?” Jermon asked when the Murphys had positioned themselves on and behind the couch across from them.

Oh, that was a touchy question, wasn’t it? Lots of tight faces and shared looks, plus a wince or two.

“We have not formally decided yet,” Kerry finally said. “But you can consider Dempsey and me the leaders for now.”

The race was between those two then. That made sense as they’d been two of the most vocal Murphy alphas, though Adar was surprised Alistair hadn’t thrown in his hat as well. But was there a way they could use the friction between Kerry and Dempsey?

“What do you guys want?” Dempsey asked.

To kill you , but he’d better keep that thought to himself.

Jermon leaned forward and addressed Kerry. “We want to buy your omegas.”

Silence.

Then, “You want to what?”

“You still have omegas. We’re willing to pay handsomely for them.”

Kerry looked utterly bewildered. “Why the fuck would you want that? You already have all the omegas you need and then some.”

“We think they would be happier with us.”

Dempsey snorted. “Happier? Since when is making omegas happy a criterion to do something?”

Jermon kept his cool. “We’ll have to agree to disagree on that. Just take my word for it.”

“And what are you offering?” Kerry asked, completely ignoring Dempsey.

“One million dollars per omega.”

Kerry swallowed. “Cash?”

Jermon shrugged. “If you prefer. We can also wire it to an offshore account of your choice.”

“We can’t sell our omegas,” Hubert protested. “They’re the only ones we have left.”

“I’m sure you’ll be able to find other…company to replace them,” Jermon said.

“But what about having kids?” Colin asked. “Humans can’t have eggs.”

Jermon leaned back in his chair. “From what I understand, neither can your omegas. You haven’t had a successful clutch in… How long has it been?”

“Five years,” Fallon said, raising his chin.

“How dare you speak to an alpha?” Dempsey snapped.

Fallon stood his ground. “By simply opening my mouth and using my vocal cords. It’s really not that hard.”

“You’re wrong.” Kerry once again ignored Dempsey, instead addressing Fallon. “It hasn’t been five years.”

Fallon frowned. “Pretty sure my calculation is correct.”

“What about Graham and Ross? They were with egg when you abducted them.”

Oh fuck.

“I didn’t abduct them.” Fallon didn’t give an inch. “They chose to leave because they were abused…as were all of us.”

Kerry waved his hand dismissively. “That’s a matter of semantics. The point is that they were with egg…which must’ve hatched by now, so did the hatchlings survive? If so, those are my kids. As their biological alpha father, I have legal rights to them.”

Adar didn’t even hesitate. “They’re both omegas. Two girls.”

Which was a bald-faced lie, but he didn’t care. He’d never hand over those poor hatchlings to this sorry excuse for a man.

Kerry’s shoulders sagged. “Well, fuck. I’ll need to see proof, of course, but if that’s true, I have no use for them.”

“I’ll take them,” Dempsey said.

Kerry frowned as he looked at his fellow alpha. “What the fuck would you want with omegas? You’re not exactly father material.”

Dempsey snorted. “I wasn’t gonna raise them, just dump them with someone and wait until they’re old enough to fuck…which shouldn’t take long. In case you missed it, we’re woefully short on omegas and could use some fresh blood. I want an alpha heir.”

Adar’s head was buzzing. He couldn’t have heard that right. Dempsey couldn’t have suggested he wanted little hatchlings so he could fuck them once they were old enough…and Adar doubted he meant of age. But he had suggested exactly that. He had proposed having these omegas raised purely so he could…rape them. Because that was what it would be, rape. Consent was a word this man didn’t even have in his vocabulary. Was there no depth to his depravity?

“Over my dead body,” Kerry said, showing to have at least some moral limits. “You’re not getting my offspring, omegas or not.”

Dempsey held up his hands. “It was an idea. No need to get your panties in a twist.”

“We’d be happy to provide you with official documentation regarding the gender and status of the hatchlings,” Jermon said pleasantly, apparently happily going along with Adar’s lie since they all knew both hatchlings were alphas. “As long as you agree to sign away all parental rights once you’ve seen the proof.”

Kerry leaned back in his chair, scratching his beard. “Dempsey does have a point that omegas are worth money. I could sell them once they’re of age. You just offered a million a pop, so that’s two million right there.”

“Sure, but you’d have to raise them in the meantime, which will cost a lot in food, clothing, some level of education, and, of course, babysitters. I doubt it’ll be a smart investment in the long run.”

Adar had no clue how Jermon could keep his calm when Adar himself would love nothing more than to ram his fist in Kerry’s face.

“Hmm, excellent point.” Kerry sighed.

“Especially when you could have seven million tomorrow in exchange for the omegas you have…who, from what I understand, aren’t of much value to you anyway if they can’t produce viable eggs that lead to alpha heirs.”

“Omegas have no value, period,” Dempsey said.

Jermon spared him a glance. “Do you mind? I’m trying to have a conversation here.”

Oh gods, what was he doing? Was he trying to use that friction between Kerry and Dempsey? He had to have a reason for deliberately antagonizing Dempsey.

Dempsey scowled. “And he’s not the leader of our clan.”

“You’re not a clan,” Fallon pointed out.

“So we’ll start a new one, whatever.”

“You can’t. Not according to the Code,” Erwan said.

“Who the fuck cares about the Code?”

Erwan shrugged. “The remaining clans do, so you won’t get a seat at the Dragon Council.”

“Like we care.”

“We do care, actually,” Kerry said, sending Dempsey a dark look. “Our goal is to restore our clan…group to its former glory, including being part of the Dragon Council.”

Dempsey rose from the couch. “Says who? You’re not the one making decisions here.”

“Neither are you.” Kerry got up, too, and the two alphas stood opposite each other in a dick-measuring contest.

If it wasn’t perfect for their purposes, Adar would’ve been dismayed by the whole thing. These guys were clowns. How was anyone supposed to take them seriously?

“I have a question.” Erwan sounded almost bored, which had to cost him. “I know you were one of King Ennis’s knights, Kerry, but what’s your claim to the leadership based on, Dempsey?”

Oh, he was going for the jugular now, wasn’t he? And Kerry was reveling in this unexpected support. He crossed his arms and asked, “Yeah, Dempsey, what is your claim based on?”

“I’m the strongest alpha in our clan!” Dempsey all but shouted.

Adar saw his opportunity. “Based on what? In our packs, we determine that honor through a fight.”

Which was complete and utter BS, but Dempsey didn’t know that, now did he?

“Fighting who?” Dempsey said, standing a little taller. “Kerry?”

“I’m not fighting you,” Kerry said quickly.

“He doesn’t have to defend his claim,” Erwan said. “But you do. So why don’t you fight the strongest alpha in our pack?”

Dempsey frowned. “You? You want me to fight a white dragon?”

Erwan snorted. “I’m nowhere near the strongest, but that’s funny. No, Adar.” He motioned at Adar, who obediently stepped forward. “I’m assuming you have no problem fighting Dempsey, right, Adar?”

Praise the gods. “None at all.”

“Then that’s decided,” Erwan said easily. “Oh, and no magic, of course, since Adar is a wolf.”

Would he take the bait?

Dempsey hesitated, clearly expecting a trap somewhere. “No magic from anyone?”

“None. It’s an honest man-to-man fight,” Erwan said.

Adar cracked his knuckles. “Unless you’re scared to lose.”

Yup, as expected, that did the trick. “Bring it on,” Dempsey sneered. “As if I’d ever be scared of a wolf.”

Adrenaline rushed through Adar. This was the perfect opportunity. He could exact his revenge on Dempsey and create the necessary distraction for the omega group to do their job because surely a fight like this would draw everyone’s attention.

He whipped his shirt over his head. “Let’s do this.”