Page 58 of Dark Dragon’s Wolf

Okay, he said. I’ve got your back. We’ll check in every few hours, and you can give me what you’ve got. Be careful.

He felt her laugh through their connection. You’re kidding, right? Who do you think you’re talking to?

Well, if you can’t be careful, then at least don’t die.

Please. Please, whatever dragon gods there are, don’t let her die.

I won’t. I love you.

I love you too.

And she was gone.

Chapter 26

While Tristan and Thorne were writing down what little he’d seen of the complex so far, and planning what to ask Mayah about next, Emon and Flynn were assembling their teams.

Flynn brought Kira, Xander, Sloan, Caitlyn and Tank.

Emon went back to his domain and returned with Trish and the three red dragons. They trailed into the Wild Dragons’ control room behind him—Mikah and Cazbek looking a little bit awed by their surroundings, and Zakerek being an asshole as usual.

“I can’t believe Princess Crazy got herself in trouble again,” he grumbled. “Somebody needs to get her knocked up or something, so she’ll stay put.”

Tristan moved to smash him against the wall and rip him a new one, but Emon blocked his way.

“Don’t pay any attention to him,” he said quietly. “When I went in there and told them Mayah was in trouble, he was the first one out of his chair. He cares, but he doesn’t know how to show it, so he acts like a dick.”

Xander looked up from the side table where he was chowing down on ribs. “Being a dick is a time-honored way of showing affection,” he said. “I do it all the time.”

Sloan smacked him on the back of the head. “We noticed. Mayah doesn’t need a dead squirrel covered in glitter right now, though.”

“Shit,” Xander said. “And I brought a really nice one with me. Are you saying I got the inside of my backpack all glittery for nothing?”

Emon put his hand on Tristan’s shoulder. They’re all behind you, he said in Tristan’s mind. They just show it in bizarre ways. His dragon added hopefully,

Tristan took a deep breath. Keep it together, he told himself. Keep it together just a little while longer. Thanks, he said to Emon and his dragon. I know everybody’s nervous.

And most of them are assholes, Kira put in. But they have good hearts.

Tristan knew that better than most. The red dragons had come to their rescue once before. And if he had to pick anyone to back him up in a bad situation, it was the Bad Blood Crew. His brothers and sisters.

“We’ve got your back,” Tank said, echoing his thoughts.

“Well, duh,” Xander said. “Always.”

“The whole damn crew wanted to come,” Flynn said. “But we had to draw the line.”

Tristan nodded. They had to keep the number of non-flying participants to a minimum. They needed all the dragons to transport the wolves out of there. As it was, Flynn and his team would have to get far enough away from the compound and its magical wards to make a dimensional doorway out, and travel back through the spirit world.

So aside from Kira, he’d had to be selective. Sloan was ex-Shifter Special Forces, trained in sharpshooting and explosives. Caitlyn had Shifter Intelligence training, Tank had the special powers of a Protector Bear, and Xander wouldn’t take ‘no’ for an answer.

Tristan loved them all, and owed them more than he could ever say.

Tyr came in carrying a small vial. “It’s time to try Mayah again,” he said. “See if she has anything else for us.”

It had been four hours since the last time they talked to her, and in the intervening time Tyr had concocted a potion he thought would make reaching her easier. Tristan took it without arguing, though it tasted horrible.

At least it worked. Tristan reached Mayah without his brain threatening to explode.