Dante’s Circle Reborn: A Dante’s Circle Collection

by Carrie Ann Ryan

  Because Charlie had fought with them once as their Pack member. Now, he was the enemy. Alec grabbed Charlie by the throat as Charlie dug his claws into Alec’s arm. Alec didn’t growl, didn’t wince. Liam knew that had to have hurt. Blood poured down Alec’s arm, though Liam couldn’t focus on that. He couldn’t do anything but try to get whatever was in Charlie’s coat out safely. It wasn’t easy to do when the damn rogue kept moving, trying to lure Alec into a trap.

  Alec squeezed harder, and Charlie’s grip on the bundle under his jacket loosened just enough for Liam to claw at the garment, ripping it to shreds. A little bundle of red fur fell into his outstretched palm.

  It looked up at him with wide, scared eyes, its little nose twitching. Liam wanted to scream at the world for daring to let this kit get caught up in this mess.

  Charlie, realizing his lunch or whatever the fuck this kit was to him was out of his grasp, went at Alec again, clawing Alec in the face. Alec growled, but Liam couldn’t help, not when he needed to keep the kit safe. Alec had moved a bit out of the way at the last moment, saving his eye and any deeper gouges to his face. Charlie must have known, even with the insanity of his rogue-ness, that he had to keep fighting. He leapt, running full-tilt away from Alec and Liam.

  Alec’s chest heaved as he looked towards where the rogue had gone. He didn’t follow. Not when he was weakened, blood pouring from his arm and from the small cuts on his face. And not when Liam needed him. Because Liam had no idea what to do with this kit, and Alec was better with children.

  Holy hell, this wasn’t going to end well. Because Charlie was strong. Far stronger than any other rogue they had ever fought. And with the emotional connections, and this little baby in the middle of it? They would have to rethink how they went about this. First, Liam needed to make sure Alec and the kit were okay.

  “Alec?”

  “How’s the kit?”

  The little fox burrowed into Liam’s chest, and he slowly slid his hand down her soft fur, trying to calm her.

  “She seems unharmed. Her heart’s racing under my hand. We need to get her somewhere safe. How are you?”

  “I’ll be fine. The dragon’s lair is near here.”

  “Sounds like a plan.”

  Handing the baby fox over to a dragon might seem outlandish to some. However, Dante was mated to Jace and Nadie, and the three of them were wonderful parents. They could probably save the world. After all, they had already done it once or twice. They would take on anyone in order to protect their children. Would do anything to ensure their safety. And Liam knew that that protection would extend to any child, including this kit.

  “We need to get you patched up.”

  Alec shook his head. “The kit first.”

  The little fox whimpered and buried its nose under Liam’s arm. He kept petting the little fox, and Alec reached out with his uninjured arm and slowly stroked the baby, as well.

  Their fingers tangled over the fox’s fur, and the kit slowly calmed down at the feel of them, letting out a little yip before going back to normal.

  “I’m sorry I wasn’t strong enough to stop him.” Alec growled, though his statement was pretty much devoid of emotion.

  “You don’t get to put this on you. It was both of us. We saved her. We’ll save the next.”

  Alec didn’t say anything to Liam, likely because there wasn’t much to say. They had failed, and they would have to pay the consequences for that. This little kit didn’t need to suffer for it.

  They made their way to Dante’s lair—in other words, his home.

  It was surrounded by warding, though since they had been here before, they were allowed in. They walked past the empty guard stations that served to tell the humans that there was security. It wasn’t manpower that kept the place safe, though. Eons-old magic held sway here.

  Dante was a very old dragon and the most powerful in the realm.

  His mate, Jace, was a Mediator for the entire Conclave, and a strong bear shifter in his own right. He would’ve probably led the bear shifters if his fate hadn’t led him down another path. Nadie was one of the seven lightning-struck women and best friends with Becca.

  Nadie was also a succubus and had far more magic than anyone knew. Liam had always been able to sense it, ever since he’d met her after she had mated Jace and Dante. She hid her power well from others. And that was good. It was always smart to be underestimated in a fight. And with war constantly on the horizon, especially within their own realms, she was a good asset to have.

  Dante opened the door before they even had a chance to knock. Of course, Liam had figured the dragon knew they had arrived the moment they stepped onto his land.

  “You’re hurt,” Dante growled out. Jace was there in the next instant, bandages in hand, tugging Alec inside. Nadie was there, as well, even as Dante’s eyes roamed behind them, checking for threats.

  Liam appreciated that since he wasn’t in the mood to deal with more fighting at the moment. They needed to make sure Alec was safe, the same with the kit. His wolf rode him, wanting blood, needing to make sure Alec was okay. Craving to care for the young fox. He inhaled through his nostrils, trying to calm himself.

  “Here, let me have her,” Nadie whispered, her hands outstretched.

  The kit burrowed into him more, and Dante raised a brow at Liam.

  “All right. It’s okay, little kit. Nadie’s good. She’s going to help you and make sure you’re okay. Plus, you’re going to need to shift back. You know it’s not good to stay in your animal form for too long.” He tapped her on the nose gently, and she nuzzled into him again before letting out a little yip and turning towards Nadie. Nadie smiled with kind eyes and took the kit from his arms, nuzzling her chin on the fox’s furry little head.

  “We’ll take care of you. Our little babies are going to want to meet you, too. First, let’s get you all cleaned up. You’re so brave, little girl.”

  Nadie started walking away, and the little kit looked over her shoulder at Liam. He gave her a tight nod, not knowing when he would see her again.

  “We’re going to need to find that kit’s family,” Liam said.

  “We will. And then you’re going to tell us exactly what happened. And if you need my help.”

  Liam shook his head even as he explained what had happened.

  “We can do this. We were just surprised about the innocent and needed to take care of that before we took care of the rogue.”

  “I can smell him on you. I didn’t go down to the site, so I couldn’t tell. He smells of Alec but not.”

  “I didn’t realize dragons were so good at that.”

  “Dragons are good at a lot of things,” the big man said, his eyebrow ring twinkling under the light. “I take it this rogue is family?”

  “Blood—not family.”

  “Understood. If you need us, we’re here. Any of us. I understand you need to take care of things in the family. Don’t do anything stupid, though. At least, try not to. And a piece of advice?” Dante continued, closing the door behind him. “Don’t wait too long.”

  Liam froze. “Excuse me?”

  “I almost waited too long because we were looking for our third. You’re not waiting for a third. Are you?”

  “Dragons really do know more than they tell.”

  “Sometimes. Figure your shit out, Liam. You’re not doing anyone any favors by waiting.”

  And then the dragon stomped off towards the back of the house, probably to check his security.

  Liam just stuck his hands into his pockets, wondering what the fuck they were going to do.

  The rogue was still out there, and they couldn’t stay for long. However, Alec needed to be healed, and without going back to their Pack to have their healer do it, it was going to take the night.

  And that meant their hunt would have to begin again in the morning.

  They were going to have to eliminate Alec’s brother. Even if it might kill them both in the process.

  Chapter 4
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br />   Liam made his way through the dragon’s lair, doing a final perimeter check along with Dante. With any other man, with any other dominant now that he thought about it, they might have been a little annoyed that Liam was double-checking their work. Dante wasn’t like that. He had his mates and his babies in the house, and therefore, any extra help and pair of eyes to make sure that the place was safe were good. At least, that’s what Liam figured since the dragon hadn’t roasted him for daring to question anything.

  “I’m setting you and Alec up in the guest house,” Dante said after a moment. Liam looked over and nodded. “Thanks. We can get our own accommodations if it’s too dangerous for us to be here.”

  Dante shook his head. “We have a guest house for a reason, and I have really damn good warding.” The dragon winked.

  Liam really didn’t want to think about what exactly would happen if someone breached the wards when they didn’t have permission. Considering that Liam had seen Dante set someone on fire while still in human form just with the smoke from his nostrils, he really wanted nothing to do with that. It wasn’t that Dante was cruel. However, if you messed with his family or his loved ones, you paid the price. And assassination attempts against his mates made for a very steep price.

  “We appreciate it.”

  Dante nodded, his eyes narrowing. “Good. And I’m going to repeat my offer to help with this rogue if you need it.”

  “I would take you up on it if it were anyone else. This one? I think Alec needs to face it.”

  “I understand that. As someone who has dealt with family members who have been on the wrong side of the line regarding what is true and right, I completely understand.”

  “We’ll be out of your hair in the morning, Alec should be healed by then.”

  “Jace and Nadie worked their magic on your not-mate. And your little kit is sleeping in the nursery.”

  Liam ignored the dig and the push from the temperamental dragon. “Is she okay there? Has she shifted back?”

  Dante nodded. “Yes, to both questions. She’s sleeping now. One of my twins is watching over her.”

  “Your child’s not much older than she is.”

  “I have a dragon shifter and a bear shifter as children. They’re always going to be protective of a little kit. The child hasn’t spoken as of yet, but she’s healthy and whole. She’s sleeping now in her human form, and we had spare clothes for her.” At Liam’s questioning look, Dante shrugged. “We have a lot of friends with plenty of children. Our nursery is filled to the brim with spare clothes, toys, and food.”

  “I guess that makes sense.” The Pack was like that too, though not in any parts of the den he regularly visited. Hunter was his only friend who had children. The rest were still single, waiting on their mates. Now that their Pack was functioning somewhat again, and the darkness had finally been clawed out, people were starting to find their mates and have babies again. Once Liam and Alec finally got off their asses and entered the circle to find their place within the Pack in terms of title, the Pack would become even healthier.

  “I can start working on finding that little kit’s demise. At first light, you need to take care of that rogue. I’d rather be with you, but I understand what needs to be done. Only with a rogue that thinks the way this one does, we’re going to need to formulate a new plan, and Alec needs to be fully healthy.”

  “Totally understand. And Jace is already working on looking up where the demise was. The problem with fox shifters is they don’t live in large groups. Only small families with a few members.”

  “And within our realm.”

  “Correct. Just like you wolves, they don’t have their own realm.”

  “I always found that a little unfair.”

  “I haven’t always been a fan of it either. However, you’re at least closer to yours, while I have to open an actual magical portal to go back and visit the dragons. Or the Conclave. Not something I like to do these days.”

  “I don’t think I’d be interested in doing much of that either. What happens if she can’t find her demise?”

  “Then we find another demise that can take her.” Dante frowned, shaking his head. “The problem is that most fox shifters don’t take in orphans.”

  “That’s bullshit. True, but complete bullshit.” Wolves had their own problems, his Pack more than most, but they didn’t neglect young.

  “It is. But it’s not something I can fix. It’s survival of the fittest, and if a demise is decimated and anyone’s left behind, they’re forced to start their own.”

  “She’s what, two?”

  “About that. Maybe three. Just small for her age. Either way, though, if we can’t find her family, and no other fox shifters want her, we’re going to have to find a place for her.”

  Liam stiffened. “There’s not really an orphanage for fox shifters,” he growled out.

  “No, there isn’t. There’s not one for any of our kind.” Dante paused. “Something I’ve neglected to think about until right now.”

  Liam’s brows rose. “Are you going to open a Dante’s Circle Orphanage?”

  “I just might. If I tell Nadie and Jace about it, they’ll be all over it. As for your kit, she’s not going to be left alone. I can promise you that.” He paused. “She’s very attached to you and Alec, though.”

  There was a question in that statement, even if it didn’t sound like it. Liam shook his head in answer.

  “Let’s not go there.”

  “Maybe you should. Maybe you need to fight for something other than what you’ve been fighting with Alec.”

  “And on that advice from a dragon, I’m going to head to the guest house and check on Alec.”

  “You do that. We did soundproof the area, and you’re far enough away if you need anything. If you need privacy.” Dante winked.

  Liam shook his head, flipping the dragon off as he walked away. Dante laughed behind him.

  “Well, a matchmaking dragon wasn’t something I was expecting tonight,” he mumbled to himself as he made this way to the guest house.

  He passed the nursery on his way and looked in on the three children sleeping in a little puppy pile. Not that any of them were puppies. They sure did look comfortable. They had pulled all the pillows and blankets from their respective beds and had made a massive pile in the middle of the room. The little kit was safely ensconced in the warm arms of the dragon and the bear, each in their human form, clearly protective of one another.

  The kit was safe here, and for that, Liam was grateful.

  He kept going until he reached the back door of the house and headed towards the guest house. He could sense Alec there, could feel his frustration, his anger, and his healing. Alec would be safe soon. Well. And that’s really all that mattered. Because in the morning, they would have to find Charlie and kill him. Something neither of them really wanted to do, yet something they would have to do, no matter what.

  Alec was lying in bed in the small guest house that was more of a studio. It had antique furnishings and all the comfort you could want for an overnight stay when you were on the hunt.

  His best friend and the person that he thought about far too much sat up, shirtless, with blankets pooled around his waist. Alec didn’t look any worse for wear. Liam figured even with the bandage on his arm, and the now mostly healed cuts on his face, they could probably go out right now to track the rogue. Darkness didn’t matter, not with their wolf eyesight. However, he didn’t want to start the hunt. Not yet. He needed to make sure Alec was in the right headspace. That they both were. And that meant taking their time for now and figuring out what they needed to do with the rogue. And with each other.

  Others might have a different plan. But they were the ones on this hunt. This was Alec and Liam. Two names that had gone together for as long as he could remember, and yet they kept fucking things up. So, he was just going to have to fix that.

  “You’re looking better,” he said as he cleared his throat and closed the door behind
him.

  “I feel better. I’m pissed off I got hurt at all. I wasn’t thinking clearly.” Alec looked down, and Liam wanted to reach out and touch him. He couldn’t, though, so he fisted his hands by his sides.

  “You’re going to think clearly next time. You won’t be surprised.”

  “I hope to hell he doesn’t have another child in his grasp that we’ll be trying to keep safe at the same time.”

  “That is true. I’m sorry I wasn’t much help before. I needed to get little Kit.”

  “Do we know her name yet? Calling her Kit when she’s a baby fox seems a little ridiculous and too on the nose.”

  Liam just shrugged. “She hasn’t said it yet, not that I know of anyway. Maybe Nadie knows. We’ll figure it out. And we’ll find her family.” There was a long silence. “Or another demise that might take her in.”

  “We both know that won’t happen. Demises don’t take in other shifters. Unless it’s by mating or marriage.”

  “Well, maybe she’ll be the exception to the rule.”

  “Maybe.”

  Neither of them believed that. You could tell just by looking at them.

  “Since we’re here, though, maybe we should talk?” Liam wasn’t even sure he’d said the words until they were out.

  Alec’s brows rose, and Liam stuffed his hands into his jeans’ pockets. “Or not. Sorry. I might have overstepped.”

  “No, no, not overstepping. I’m just surprised. Not that I should be. Because we do need to talk. Hunter sent us out together for a reason. And not just to find my twisted brother and kill him.”

  Liam winced. “Let’s not talk about Charlie right now.”

  “What should we talk about?”

  “I don’t know.”

  There was more silence, and Liam knew if he didn’t say something, he wouldn’t. Because they were so worried about hurting each other’s feelings, they constantly fucked up what was going on between them. And that’s why they were on the verge of being kicked out of the Pack. That’s why they were on this mission to catch the rogue to begin with.