“Do what?” I choked out, unsure if he was referring to the way I’d eyeballed his pierced shaft like we were about to become better acquainted.
“The dragon is not a fucking pet,” he snarled, his hands trembling at his side.
Oh, right. The dragon. Beast number one.
“If he seeks you out,” Slade continued, “remain still and quiet, and if you value your life, never, under any circumstances, touch him. I won’t be able to stop him if you annoy him. He’s killed for far less.”
“He… he didn’t seem to mind me.”
Slade scoffed, the green of his eyes chilly. “He might not have my touch aversion, but then again, who would have ever gotten close enough to know that before you. Stupid, Omega. Stupid will get you killed.”
With a shake of his head, he turned and walked away, and I got a glimpse of broad shoulders and his strong back, leading down to two, bronze and perfect ass cheeks.Goddess be damned. The shifter was a piece of perfection, and I’d been so caught up inall of thatI’d missed what his tattoos on his chest were of.
The annoying witch distracted me as she made a weird weepy sound. “I’ll go after our dragon and make sure he’s okay.”
The urge to reach out and grab handfuls of her perfect blond hair and yank her back was strong, even knowing I had no right to get possessive over that dragon, or any of these alphas.
“It’s your neck,” Finley told her with a harsh laugh.
Forcing myself to stop staring at the spot Slade disappeared to, I hoped that all the progress I’d made with the dragon during our time together was not completely undone. The thought of going back to what we’d been when we first met was a jab far sharper than period pain.
As if sensing my distress, Kellan and Hunter pressed in on either side of me, holding me between their alpha heat and soothing energy. Neither of them said a word, but they felt more relaxed now that the drama of the dragon had passed. “I wasn’t in any danger, guys,” I whispered, somewhat pleased by their protectiveness. “I don’t know what you’re all on about, but that dragon is a sweetheart. I’m keeping him, and there’s nothing you can say to change my mind.”
Hunter’s rumble was menacing, and Kellan’s was strained, as they wrapped me up a little tighter.
“You’re going to be the death of me,” the entitled alpha sighed, craning his neck to breathe me in, his nose runningalong my skin. When he pulled away, I stared into the clouds of his stormy eyes. “Promise me you won’t seek Slade out in any form. He doesn’t think like other shifters. There’s an animalistic quality to how he assesses every situation, and oftentimes that part of him wins over the more human-based empathy and logic.”
I took his warning seriously, because if Hunter, who was the second toughest, scariest alpha I knew, was worried, then I would be as well. Still, I really did want to keep the dragon. I’d figure out the way to make it safe for all of us.
Warrick, who I’d all but forgotten was even here, said, “What’s the plan with these alphas? They just tried to destroy us through a magical explosion. It’s not safe to keep lingering here in Silver City.”
“What do you suggest?” Finley asked, shooting the entitled alpha a droll stare. “If you’re going to bring up the obvious, you need to offer a solution.”
Warrick didn’t bite back. “We need to inform the Alpha Council?” he said, offering his solution. “Now that Emme and Slade are safe, we can go through the official channels, and enlist our own army.”
Warrick and Slade led two enforcer groups, which were filled with the most elite of shifters, trained and prepared to protect our city. They would be a great asset to have on our side against the Rogers pack.
“The council is already looking into it,” Slade said as he reappeared fully dressed in his usual black fatigues and boots. The witch strolled along beside him, and I was relieved to see her keeping a decent distance from the dragon. Even if he was no doubt wearing clothes she’d conjured…okay, yeah, I wanted to smash her face in again.
Hunter’s hand traced up and down my spine for a second before he moved away to speak directly with Slade. “How do you know the council is looking into it?”
Kellan took advantage of the space Hunter left and pulled me back against his chest, his heart beating faster than usual. It hadn’t escaped my notice that he hadn’t said a word since I’d scared them half to death by petting a dragon.
I slid my hand over and threaded my fingers through his, binding us together as I rested against him. He exhaled his tension, his much larger frame engulfing mine. “It’s okay, Golden Boy,” I murmured, my gaze on Hunter and Slade, who remained in an intense discussion about the council. “I’m okay, and I’m not going anywhere.” Not today anyway.
“I’ve waited a lifetime for you, Emmeline,” he whispered close to my ear. “And if I’ve learned anything since you came into my life, it’s that if you’re not alive then I’m not alive. I refuse to do this shit without you.I can’t do this without you. That’s just how it is now and forever.”
My chest clenched like it was in a vise; the wheezed sob that spilled from my lips was loud enough to draw the attention of everyone in the yard. I attempted to spin in Kellan’s hold, wanting to see if his expression matched the broken shards of his voice, but he held me too tightly to move.
He slowly rocked us back and forth. “It’s okay, baby,” he murmured, so low I doubted the other alphas would hear. “It just means I will stand between you and death always. I’m not worried about living without you, because it won’t happen. The only reason I didn’t jump in with the dragon was the risk of provoking him. Along with the fact that I’ve seen Slade lose it before, and his beast was calm with you. Maybe calmer than I’d ever seen him.”
The thought of Kellan dying had my knees giving out; it was lucky he held me, or I’d have hit the ground. “No!” I finallymanaged to get a word out. “I refuse to let you stand between me and danger. I refuse to let you die first. That doesn’t fucking work for me.”
With each statement, I got louder, which had Hunter prowling toward us. “What’s happening between you two?” he asked as his gaze settled on Kellan. “Emme’s wolf is going mental.”
Kellan’s chest rumbled, the movement reverberating through me. “I was just reminding Emme that her heart beats for more than one now.”
Hunter’s expression shuttered, becoming difficult to read as he reached out and clasped a hand on Kellan’s shoulder. It was a nice moment between the pair, and I didn’t expect Hunter to jerk us into his hold, leaving me sandwiched between their hugs.
