“I order you to fight with Dylon and his men to drive these foreign shifters from our land.” Stepping down from the flat rock where he stood, Ian then mingled with his subjects, greeting each one, asking about their families and their occupations, before returning to the rock. Then, facing them again, he stood quietly until allwere silent, and said, “May the gods guide our swords of righteousness.”
As the air filled with howls for battle, Angus walked over to Dylon and said, “We are honored to fight with you.”
“As I am with you,” Dylon said. Then, pointing to Logan, “He is the brother of the King’s Consort. His name is Logan.”
Angus walked over to Logan. “The Fates have smiled upon us by bringing back our king and his consort. We are at your service.”
“And I, at yours,” replied Logan.
Angus turned back to Dylon. “Come, tell me your plan and what you need my men to do.”
~/~/~/~/~
Kieran waited until Dakota had showered, dressed and eaten breakfast before leading him to the sofa in the living room of Dylon’s suite where they sat side by side. Placing his hand on Dakota’s leg, Kieran said, “Last night, when you were sleeping, Dylon, Logan and I checked out Daroonga Castle. Slate is being held there.”
“You found my mate? When are we going? Where’s Dylon now? He didn’t go without me, did he?” asked Dakota.
“No, he hasn’t gone there, yet…he went to recruit men to help us rescue Slate and we’ll be leaving tonight to get him,” Kieran responded.
It was Kieran’s voice that tipped off Dakota that something was wrong and, though he was afraid to ask, there wasn’t any other choice. “What’s wrong with Slate?”
“Slate is dying,” Kieran said. Dakota’s cry of pain filled the room as Kieran watched tears roll down the gentle and loving man’s cheeks. Grabbing Dakota’s hands and holding them tight, Kieran said, “I need you to help him…help him stay alive until we can get to him…Dakota, do you hear me? Slate needs you!”
Kieran’s insistent voice finally broke through and Dakota’s eyes focused on the man who’d helped him so much during these dark times. “I don’t understand. What can I do from here?” asked Dakota.
“Oracle didn’t tell you everything about what happens when two life forces are combined into a single one. I’m not sure why, but I do know you’ll have to be very strong to do what Slate needs right now. I believe you are.”
Dakota nodded, “Tell me Kieran. Tell me how I can save my mate’s life. I will do anything. Icando anything.”
“Because you and Slate share one life force, you each can provide whatever’s necessary for the other by using your mind. Slate now needs the mental toughness you have, Dakota, and while he got a boost to his mental strength when your life forces joined, you can now intensify it to increase his will to survive until we get there.”
“Anything he needs…only I don’t know how to do it.”
“I know sweetie, I’m going to help you. Remember when you were using your Shadow Voice with Warren?” Kieran asked. After seeing Dakota nod, he continued, “Okay, first you have to remove your block so you can feel emotions and hear thoughts. Go ahead…good…now find Slate’s thoughts…they are going to be weak but search until you find them.”
Dakota closed his eyes, intent on finding his mate’s thoughts through all the shadow voices flooding his mind. Frequently sidetracked at first when strongnegative thoughts overpowered his attention, he soon became adept at discarding them until he finally homed in on his mate’s thoughts. Unnerved at how faint they were, he exclaimed, “I found them...what do I do? Quickly, tell me what I should do!”
“Call upon the part of you in Slate and use it to strengthen his will against the pain. Give him a reason to live. Do it now, Dakota!”
He did it…Slate’s thoughts were becoming stronger…his mate was fighting to stay alive…to come back to him and their pup…and then across the miles, his mate’s thoughts suddenly were filled with love for him and their pup.
Kieran knew the moment it happened—the love between the mates shined on Dakota’s face, as tears of joy slowly rolled down his cheeks.
Chapter 44
From the time Kieran had called and told them to stay in their room, Fionn knew something bad had happened and it had to do with his father. The clues were all there—first, he didn’t leave Scotland the next day as planned; second, Miss L had been their constant babysitter; third, the sudden appearance of Logan’s brother Cody and his mate Dylon, his court-appointed guardians; fourth, the disappearance of Slate; fifth, Groose scanning their suite for bugs; sixth, all the secret meetings in the suite Dakota and Slate used to be in until Dylon moved in there—but no one had yet told him exactly what his father had done.
The lack of knowledge was driving him crazy since he couldn’t protect himself if he didn’t know what he was protecting himself against. Fionn wished he could trust Kieran as Theo and Norman did, content to follow their friend’s instructions, but after years of not trusting anyone except his mother, it was a leap of faith too far. Finally, Fionn could take no more. Threatening to leave unless someone told him what was going on, he found himself sitting in Dylon’s suite with his friends as Kieran explained everything that had happened since that night.
Bone-chilling numbness came over Fionn as he listened with increasing horror to the latest attempt by his father to obtain control of his hoard. Attacking Fionn, he could understand and deal with, but attacking a member of the Blackwood Pack—the ones who saved him, had shown nothing but kindness, and never blamed him for bringing the shitstorm that was his life into their world—was just too much. Hatred and anger rushed through Fionn’s veins, its intensity so strong dragons had a special name for it—ice fire. And Fionn knew there was only one way he could purge it.
Listening to the plan to save Slate, Fionn figured out the perfect time for him to put his own plan into action. Tonight, after the group left to get Slate, he’d have the freedom he needed to end this once and for all. Suppressing a shudder, Fionn knew if his father ever found out about his friends, it would make Slate’s ordeal look like a walk in the park. Studying his friends’ faces, he etched them in his memory, grateful to have known what true friendship was and willing to take the drastic step to make sure his friends were safe forever. Never again would he be the cause of someone’s pain. And never again could his father ever threaten his friends.
~/~/~/~/~
Dylon stood on the hotel roof, briefing his men, making sure each knew what to do and when—timing was critical to the success of the mission. Then, ordering everyone onto Logan’s back, he climbed up, gave the word and felt the dragon’s powerful wings lifting them off the roof, gaining altitude and heading for Daroonga Castle.
This night was even darker than before; menacing storm clouds hung low over the land, making it perfect for Logan’s black dragon to fly the shortest route, invisible to any human who happened to look up. The last thing Dylon needed was someone snapping a photo of a dragon flying low overhead and posting it on social media. The High Council would get wind of it and start an investigation that would lead to questions he couldn’t answer without giving away Logan’s gift.
