Page 19 of Dragon’s Revenge (Irresistible Dragons #7)

Chapter Eighteen

B ored had taken on a whole new meaning. The days were growing shorter and shorter and the nights were long and dark this far north now that winter was well on its way. Rhene had little to do but read—Duff had provided him with an e-reader and a way to download books from a digital library—and think. Oh, he had way too much time to think.

And sleep. He often went to bed early. What else was there to do? One could only spend so much time reading, thinking, and eating, interspersed with the occasional conversation with Duff. The man refused to discuss dragon affairs with Rhene, but he was open to superficial talks about the weather, local flora and fauna, and—surprisingly—sports.

Plus, Rhene wasn’t feeling well. He was tired all the time, and the face that greeted him in the mirror every morning was growing paler and paler. He’d lost weight, too, and he felt weak.

It wasn’t the lack of sunlight—though that didn’t help—or the lack of exercise. It wasn’t the food either. Duff had proven to be a more than capable cook, especially with limited resources. Rhene had come to appreciate the stews Duff made using whatever meat was available, including rabbit, hare, and reindeer.

No, it was Erwan. Being separated from his mate was starting to wear on Rhene, physically and emotionally. He missed him. He missed him so fucking much, more than he’d ever thought possible. If he’d harbored any doubt at any point about whether they were truly mates, that question had been answered.

Palani had once told him how miserable he’d felt after being separated from Vieno for a while, and Vieno had suffered even worse. That was how they’d discovered they were fated mates. They couldn’t handle being apart. Rhene had believed his brother, obviously. But it had been hard to imagine how being away from someone could make you physically ill.

Well, now he knew…and he wished with all his heart he didn’t. Was Erwan suffering in the same way? Was the separation killing him as much as it was Rhene? The thought alone made the pain even worse. Suffering this himself was one thing, but knowing Erwan was going through the same thing made it a thousand times worse.

But what could he do? Duff seemed to be waiting for something or someone, and Rhene had no idea what. Duff refused to talk to him about it, so Rhene had given up. But until then, Rhene wasn’t going anywhere, so how long would he and Erwan be separated?

He went to bed early again that night, damn near crying himself to sleep, only to wake up in the dead of the dark, cold Swedish night. Something was wrong. Very wrong.

He sat up straight, gasping at the sheer pain Erwan had sent through their bond. What the hell had happened?

Somehow, he knew it wasn’t Erwan himself. That didn’t mean it wasn’t serious. Erwan’s emotions were so strong that it had to be. Had someone gotten hurt? Someone in the pack or the clan?

Fuck, Rhene wished he had a way to communicate. He’d never felt more powerless than he did now, unable to do anything for his mate except send his love through their bond. Which he did, but it wasn’t enough. He needed to be there. Erwan needed him.

Too restless to stay in bed, he got up, pacing his room. He had to find a way to get out of there. After initially trying every door and window and finding nothing but magical shields, he’d given up on the idea of escaping. Physical barriers one could break, either with raw power or with the help of the laws of physics. But magical barriers? Rhene stood no chance as a wolf. He didn’t have that kind of magic.

Moreover, he hadn’t been in a hurry to get away anymore, which—now that he thought about it—was strange. Why had his desire to escape fizzled out? How had he resigned himself to his fate so quickly and easily? Had Duff somehow influenced him with his magic like Nadiv could?

It could be an explanation, yet something about it didn’t sit right with Rhene. He hadn’t felt even a whiff of magical power from Duff.

Wait.

He came to a sudden stop. Who had placed the magical shields on the doors and windows? Duff was a human, not a dragon. He had no magic, right? So how had he managed to place those protective spells? He had to have had help from someone, someone who did have magic…like a dragon.

But who? Who would be stupid enough to help a dragon slayer? No dragon in his right mind would ever aid the man determined to take them all down. Or…

Rhene frowned. Cladhaire or Baoth? They were certainly evil enough to do it, but when would they have had the opportunity? They’d had no clue Duff would manage to catch Rhene and hold him hostage. Or had they hung around after the Council and Duff contacted them once he’d captured Rhene? Not outside the realm of possibility.

But if what held him prisoner was dragon magic, that meant it was familiar magic. Inferior magic compared to what he’d seen from his mate’s clan. Combined, they had beaten every spell raised against them, had held back every magical weapon yielded, had stopped every attack. So why was he unable to counter this magic? He’d tried everything, but somehow, he couldn’t access his mate’s power or that of the clan or even Lidon.

The door to his room opened, startling Rhene. “What are you doing?” Duff asked.

The guy was dressed in pajamas and looked worryingly human, almost fragile. Yet Rhene had somehow never even considered attacking him. Surely he’d be able to overpower him, so why hadn’t he even tried?

“Something’s wrong back home.”

Duff frowned. “What do you mean?”

“Something has happened. Something bad. I can feel Erwan’s pain and distress.”

Duff’s frown only intensified. “Feel his stress? How?”

“I told you. We’re fated mates. I can sense his emotions.”

Duff’s mouth dropped open before he caught himself. “You’re kidding me.”

“I would never joke about something so profound, trust me. He and I are connected on a level I can’t even explain, like our souls have melted and become one.”

“That makes no sense to me at all.”

Rhene huffed. “Of course it doesn’t make sense. It’s not meant to. It’s something magical, something outside of our own power. We can’t control it or even attempt to influence it. It just is , like a gift from the moon and the earth.”

Duff stared at him for a long time. “You actually believe that.”

“Haven’t you noticed how shitty I look? It’s because I’m separated from my mate. We won’t survive this for very long.”

Duff’s mouth dropped open. “I don’t… Yeah, I saw you weren’t doing well, but I figured you were homesick.”

“It’s way beyond that. My life is linked to his, and we need each other on a level that’s impossible to explain. Being apart from him feels like I’m ripped in half. Inside me, there’s this big, Erwan-shaped hole that hurts like a bitch.”

“I’ve never heard of this. Well, not outside of old legends.”

“Trust me, there’s nothing old or legendary about this. It’s real and it hurts.”

Duff scratched his head. “And you say the moon does this?”

“The moon, the earth, I don’t fucking know. But it’s real and it’s powerful.”

“Powerful? Like how?”

“Dude, my brother-in-law’s cousin died, and when we buried him, the earth shook and the moon turned red. My own brother came back from the dead.”

“What?”

“My brother had a brain tumor two years or so ago, and he died. Like, dead-dead. His own mate, who’s a doctor, confirmed he was dead. And then he came back to life after his omega mate…” He threw up his hands in a helpless gesture. “I don’t even know how or what happened. All I know is that my brother was dead, and then he wasn’t. Not only that, but he was healed, the tumor gone.”

Duff took a step forward. “His omega mate? You said his omega mate had something to do with it?”

Rhene nodded. “Vieno. He’s mated to my brother Palani, as well as to Enar and Lidon.”

“The True Alpha.”

Every single time someone mentioned that a shiver danced down Rhene’s spine. He’d never get used to the sheer power in that name, in that title. “Yeah.”

“Did anyone ever…?” Duff swallowed. “Did anyone ever mention something about the True Omega to you?”

Why was Duff so interested in this? “Yeah, that’s Vieno. Grayson, the storyteller for the Hayes pack, has confirmed it.”

“ When the times are at their darkest, the True Omega will rise from this pack. He will carry the child who will be the vessel to bring back our powers. He will unite his mates and use their power to enforce his will, to heal, and even to bring back life to what was dead .” Duff’s voice was a near-whisper, yet every word had an impact as he recited the prophecy that Grayson had cited years before.

“Yes, that one.”

“You’re saying he did.”

“Bring back to life what was dead? Yes, he did. Plus everything else. Lidon was able to shift the day Hakon, their son, was born. Vieno himself shifted as the second in our pack, borrowing all our magic when the pack was attacked to defend himself and his son. And he’s been able to alpha-compel using Lidon’s powers.”

Duff staggered back, his face pale as he leaned against the wall. “I don’t understand. How can it be?”

“How can what be?”

“How can the True Alpha and the True Omega have an alliance with the dragons? How can pure good embrace pure evil?”

“Because they’ve always been allies, ever since our forefathers took a blood oath back in the old country.”

“But the dragons betrayed you. They stood idly by as you were attacked.”

“Some of them, yes. Others were unaware of what was happening, like my mate.”

Duff harrumphed. “He was old enough to have known better.”

“Yet he didn’t because his father never told him anything. You’ve met Cladhaire and Baoth. Do they strike you as men willing to share their power?”

Duff’s hand trembled as he held his own cheek, his eyes showing his internal battle. “I can’t make sense of it. Everything I’ve learned about Lidon Hayes has led me to believe he’s powerful yet honorable, that he’s inherently good.”

“The man is not a saint,” Rhene protested. “And he’d be the first to tell you. He’s not infallible. He’s grown a lot, but he can be arrogant and inconsiderate, and his mates have clashed with him repeatedly. But his intentions are good, and despite having this deep, deep power, he doesn’t crave it. He had the chance to rule when the civil war erupted, but he didn’t. As soon as he could, he stepped back.”

“Why would a man like that want anything to do with the dragons? Can’t he sense how evil they are?”

Rhene studied him. Duff was honest in his confusion, that much was becoming clear. He wasn’t provoking Rhene or being deliberately obtuse. He was attempting to reconcile two beliefs that were now unexpectedly clashing: his belief that Lidon was truly good and his conviction that all dragons were inherently evil. Was this a way to get through to him?

“I’m sure he would immediately sense it in Cladhaire and Baoth or any of the Murphy dragons. I know I did, and I don’t have even ten percent of his power.”

“But all dragons are evil,” Duff whispered, his voice breaking. “They have to be. Otherwise…”

Rhene had to tread as lightly as if he were stepping on thin ice. “I’m certain many dragons throughout the course of history have been evil or at least dishonorable. And from the ones I’ve met in person, a good fifty percent or more were despicable excuses for… Well, I want to say for human beings, but they’re not. But they lack any empathy or even decency. On that, we agree. But not all of them. Definitely not all of them.”

“I don’t believe you…”

“You don’t have to take my word for it. Come see for yourself. Let me return to my pack and join me. You’ll be able to meet the Doyle clan and confirm that none of them are evil.”

Duff had started shaking his head before Rhene was even finished. “You’d kill me.”

“I swear upon the True Alpha and the True Omega that no one from either pack or the Doyle clan will lay a hand on you.” Another wave of Erwan’s emotion came through their bond, and Rhene’s knees buckled, sending him to the floor as he kneeled in front of Duff. “Please. Please let me return. My mate needs me.” As an afterthought, he added, “And you need answers. Or you’ll never be able to accomplish whatever plan you’re executing.”

“I don’t?—”

“Before you kill someone, don’t you at least owe it to them and yourself to confirm they are guilty of what you’re accusing them of? Otherwise, you’ll be no better than those evil dragons you so fiercely condemn.”

Duff stared at him, and Rhene held his breath. Had it worked? Was he getting through to Duff?

Then something struck him. Duff didn’t know about the prophecy of Seamus the Librarian. He didn’t know that all of this was foretold. “Have you ever heard of Seamus the Librarian?”

“Of course. Everyone has. He was famous.”

“Did you know he had a vision about all of this?”

Duff froze. “A vision?”

“ The dragons will be faced with the choice between honor and betrayal, and they must choose wisely. Old alliances will be reconsidered, with implications that will impact generations to come. But when the White Dragon and the True Alpha join forces, peace will reign .”

“B-but that was about that time, right? He must’ve said that way back when.”

“He did, but we believe it’s about our time, and he was talking about Lidon and Erwan.”

More words danced on the tip of his tongue, but he held them back. He’d made his case and argued his points. He’d said enough. Now, he had to wait for Duff to come to a decision.