Sheba and Knox started at his call. Sheba’s face was scrunched up in annoyance. I doubted this confrontation had gone the way she’d intended. But Knox’s shoulders slumped with fatigue. He almost seemed like he’d rather be somewhere else.
“I don’t want to fight you,” Viol stated. “And even if youdowant to fight me, you both know there’s no fair fight here.”
Sheba leapt to all four paws, yellowed fangs bared in a snarl. “I’ll die before I let you walk away, dragon! This clan hasn’t been the same since you killed Konrad.”
“Isn’t that a good thing?” Viol snapped. “This is no way to live—for the omegas,orfor you. Look around. This ‘clan’ is a miserable dump. You shackle omegas to shitty lives, and in doing so, you shackle yourselves. Get that through your thick fucking skulls already.”
Sheba glared at him viciously. “You murdered our brother.”
Viol grimaced. In a softer tone tinged with regret, he said, “I know. And for that, I’m sorry.”
My heart hurt for my mate. He was too kind. Even knowing all the cruelty Konrad had wrought, Viol felt guilty for taking his life. There were alphas who wouldn’t blink at such violence.Alphas who would’ve relished enacting their idea of justice. But Viol was different. He had a truly gentle soul.
I could never forgive Konrad for what he’d done—especially not when I discovered his horrible thoughts towards Sorrel. In the depths of my heart, I was glad Viol did what he did. But it wasn’t fair that my gentle dragon was pushed to his breaking point all those years ago. His tender nature was his downfall, causing him to drown in guilt and suffer needlessly for so long...
I shook my head, pulling myself back to the present.
“I’m not the only one fated to a dragon,” I went on. “Rorik is, too. He’s mated to Viol’s brother, and he has two beautiful twin boys.”
Sorrel had been frowning until I mentioned Rorik’s name. “What? Rorik is alive?”
I blinked. “Of course he is.”
Sorrel’s brow furrowed in doubt and bewilderment. “No, he can’t be. The alphas told us he was dead.”
Slow comprehension washed over me. Viol and I both stared at the alpha bears. Sheba growled defensively while Knox had no expression.
“Don’t believe this traitor over your alpha superior,” she snapped. “He’s obviously lying!”
“You’re a fucking moron,” Viol grumbled. “You’re lucky I told them to stay behind, or else—”
A distant roar split the sky.
Then a second.
And a third.
Soon the gray heavens were alive with a symphony of roars, all mingling together in a triumphant cry.
Every hair on my pelt tingled with awe. When I raised my head to the sky, my heart skipped a beat.
Six dragons of vivid colors flew towards us. Crimson, Jade, Cobalt, Thystle, Aurum, and Saffron... Like a dream, all of themwere present. And they weren’t alone. A majestic golden eagle flew beside Thystle; the rest carried their mates in their claws or safely around their necks.
I was so overwhelmed that my legs gave out. I sat down, staring up in wonder and disbelief. Our entire family had come to join us.
“W-what’s going on?” Sorrel gasped, his hackles rising.
He wasn’t alone in his panic. Sheba snarled in fear, her frightened, beady eyes ready to pop out of her head. Even Knox, who’d acted subdued the entire time, was spooked by the sudden appearance of six more dragons.
“It’s all right,” I comforted, loud enough for all the present tundra clan members to hear. “That’s our family. They won’t hurt anybody.”
Viol snorted, but beneath his nasty words, he sounded relieved. “Those assholes... Itoldthem not to follow us. That bastard Jade must’ve been crossing his fingers.”
The dragons touched down. They sparkled like surreal gemstones among the barren gray landscape.
Sheba and Knox were stunned into silence. If they harbored any lingering desire to attack Viol, it must’ve shriveled up and vanished.
Rorik was the only one in human form. As Saffron released him, he stepped forward and shifted into the familiar shape of his polar bear. Beside me, Sorrel sucked in a breath and stiffened.
