Tendrils of Shaw’s dark hair flowed just above narrowed brows, his silent stare aimed at the silver-tongued prince of Silver Meadows.
“We don’t have time for this.” Daxton stepped between the males, turning to his brother. “Are you ready to leave?”
“Do we have a choice on the timing?” Castor asked.
“No,” I said. “Rhea wouldn’t—”
“I understand,” Castor cut in as he looked to his brother. His sharp mind was likely cycling through a thousand possibilities before he asked, “Are you ready, Dax? You’ve never attempted a jump like this before.”
I turned to my mate, waiting for his reply, caging any drop of dread or doubt behind an iron wall in my soul. I was nervous, but since the veil collapsed and his true powers returned, I knew he could do this.
“Solace and the shifters are under attack. We don’t have a choice.” Daxton’s voice was steady, leaving no room for question. “I swore to my mate that her people would be under my protection.” He turned his silver eyes to me, a quietstorm brewing beneath his dark brows. “Silver Meadows will answer their call for aid.”
My heart leaped at hearing those words.
“I love you,”I said to Daxton through our bond.
He gave me a half-smile as my flames parted, allowing his fingers to lace with mine.
“Love,”he said, voice low with a gravelly edge.“Love is too tame a word for what I feel for you, Spitfire. What I feel would destroy worlds.”
“Are you ready?” he asked aloud, resting his brow against mine.
I drew in a deep breath, forcing my nerves into silence. My people needed their alpha.
“As I’ll ever be.”
Shaw brushed past my shoulder, fronting Gunnar. “There will be mages interwoven between the human soldiers in King Taran’s forces. Along with hunters scattered along the perimeter.”
“Come with me,” Gunnar said, hurrying down the steps. “You’re familiar with their battle formations. My other captains need to know what we’ll be facing.”
Shaw nodded as he and Gunnar sped out the doors.
“Send word to Zola in Aelius,” Daxton said to Castor. “I want her to come with us.”
“On it.” Castor hurried off to a side room, where the magical parchments were kept safe for communication between realms.
Once Castor was out of earshot, I confessed to Daxton, “I don’t know if Shaw will be relieved to hear Zola is coming, or terrified.”
“Would it make a difference?”
“No.” I sighed. “I’m just—”
Daxton looped his arm around my waist and pulled me close, kissing my brow. “I know, Spitfire. But we have no time to spare. When Zola arrives, we need to be ready to teleport into a battle.”
I sighed. “When has time ever been on our side?”
He huffed a laugh. “Never.”
“Exactly.”
“Are you wearing your protective base layer from Idris?”
I pulled the collar of my tunic aside to reveal the scaled fabric beneath. “Check. I did have more questions about how they made this though.”
“Naturally,” Daxton said with a nod before walking me down the hallway on the lower level of the Summit. “Your bow and quiver of arrows?”
“In that odd pocket realm where Valencia is stored.”
