Page 64 of Dark Dragon’s Wolf

“You already do whatever you want,” Flynn said.

“Yeah, but if we had our own country you wouldn’t have to worry about me getting arrested.”

Rebel and Blaze, Zane’s mate, were strapping on their body armor. They, along with Zane, Tyr, and Tyr’s mate Tempest, had shown up in matching t-shirts that read, You had me at “We’ll make it look like an accident.”

Xander immediately insisted that Tempest conjure him one too.

Flynn facepalmed. Tristan would have laughed, except that his head still felt like an overripe melon and his stomach was in knots. It had been almost eight hours since Mayah had gone silent, and both he and his wolf were just barely containing themselves.

They had a staging point in the Coast Range, a wilderness cabin heavily warded by magical spells. It was only about a fifteen-minute flight from the complex, so they stopped there for a final check before heading in.

They’d all memorized the plans drawn from Mayah’s intel—where the wolves were kept, where the main power and computers were, where Mayah’s cell was—but Rebel went through them again.

“Mission brief,” she said. “Top priority, get the prisoners out. Flynn and his team are responsible for breaching the cells, and the dragons will lay down cover and then fly them out. Secondary priority—explosives team and dragons—destroy the facility as completely as possible without endangering the rescue.”

Tristan put in, “I’m going for Mayah. I promised her I’d get her out, and I’m doing it myself.”

“We’re backing you,” Flynn said. “As soon as we breach the cell walls.” Tristan nodded. Flynn had magical firepower and kamikaze instincts, and Tank could upend a one-ton pickup all by himself. Along with Sloan, Caitlyn and Xander, they should be fine even without dragon backup.

Rebel went on, “Third priority, get the computers out before we trash the place. Blaze, Zane, Thorne and I have that mission. If we can’t do it, we’ll go with destruction.”

Thorne picked up the briefing. “Dragons, keep yourselves cloaked as long as possible on the entry. Remember, you’ll have to uncloak so the prisoners can see you. Cloak yourselves again as soon as they’re onboard—it’s possible Gen-X can call in helicopter support. Any questions?”

Silence.

“All right. Let’s go.”

Tristan took one more long look at the sketches of the compound, fixing the location of Mayah’s cell in his mind before going outside and climbing on Emon’s back, behind Trish.

I’m coming for you, he said silently, even though she couldn’t hear.

He had to save her. He had to save them all. Because if this mission went sideways—if he failed again—it would break him. He wouldn’t be able to live with himself.

And he wouldn’t be able to live without her.

Emon jumped into the air and flexed his wings. The ground receded, and Tristan was surrounded by darkness.

Mayah sat on the edge of the lumpy bed, head in her hands, desperately trying to reach first Tristan, and then her dragon, and then Tristan again.

There was no answer from anyone. The drugs had mostly worn off, and she was hot and her mouth was so dry she could barely swallow, no matter how much water she drank from the discolored sink in the tiny bathroom.

She wanted more than anything for Tristan to come riding in here on a dragon and whisk her away to live happily ever after.

But not if it meant everyone she loved being captured or killed.

She had to tell them not to come. She had to tell them it was a trap.

She couldn’t even talk to the wolves anymore, to warn them. Not that there was anything they could do, unless they could reach Tristan somehow.

But her head felt like it was stuffed with cotton. She’d never been completely alone inside her head before. There had always been Emon, and her dragon, and her ghosts.

It felt so lonely.

The surface of the mirror shimmered, and the glass became transparent. Johnson was on the other side.

“I expect you’ve realized by now that you can’t contact anyone from the outside to warn them,” he said. “You’re totally at my mercy, and so are your brother and sister. In fact, I’m expecting them momentarily.”

He smiled that evil smile. “You have one chance. Give me the keys to the wards guarding Emon’s territory, and I’ll let them live.”