“You are a dragon,” he declared. “You can help that boy.”
She put her hands up. “So, I’m supposed to shift and then what? Burn his father to ashes? What would that accomplish?”
“It would stop that blackguard from abusing his son and wife.”
Her dragon agreed, nodding vigorously and urged Sybil to do as their mate said. Shut up! “Look, I don’t know how things are done on the Northern Isles, but here, we don’t just burn and eat people we don’t like or suspect of committing a crime.” She stamped her foot for emphasis. “Here, we believe in innocent until proven guilty. It sucks, yeah, but that’s what prevents people from abusing the law.” This was getting out of hand. She couldn’t believe what he was saying and what had happened. “And didn’t I tell you to stay in the car?”
“That man hurt you! I couldn’t stay and let him touch you like that. You are my—”
“Shut up!” She covered her ears with her palms. “You could have gotten me fired! Good thing I told them that— er …”
“You told them what?”
“Ugh, never mind!” She spun on her heel and stomped toward her car. Hopefully, Officer Reyes wouldn’t mention Aleksei on his reports or Angie wouldn’t notice when she read them.
“Sybil,” Aleksei called as he strode after her.
“I have to go back to the office.” She yanked the driver’s door open. “Don’t follow me.”
“What?”
“I assume you can find your way back to your hotel? Use you magical fabled dragon GPS or something.” Slipping into the seat, she slammed the door closed and then pressed the ignition button with an impatient finger. The engine had barely come to life when she slammed on the gas.
Stupid alpha dragon. What the hell was she supposed to do? She wanted to set Greg Peterson on fire; hell, she wanted to do that to every abusive asshole she’d met on this job. But there were rules and laws to follow. She couldn’t just do what she wanted, even if she felt justified.
Of course, Aleksei had to rub salt in the wound and made her feel even more helpless and inadequate. Like she wasn’t doing a good enough job, protecting Charlie and all the others.
Sybil drove for a few miles, and when her hands wouldn’t stop shaking, she pulled over to the side of the road. Placing her forehead on the steering wheel, she let out a sigh.
What was she thinking, asking him to come along? She turned into an idiot around him, that’s why. He just had to flash that stupidly handsome smile or overwhelm her with his large, looming presence and hot bod and she was panting like a cat in heat. And to think, she thought she was seeing a different side of him. It was an act, obviously. He probably thought she was incompetent and incapable of protecting one little boy.
Well, no more. It was even more obvious now that she and Aleksei weren’t compatible and they never would be.
Chapter Six
Aleksei watched, stunned as Sybil’s car disappeared in the distance. Somehow, he had driven her away. Again. It seemed he could do nothing right when it came to her.
In his over thirty years of existence, he had never understood women. Maybe it might take another thirty years to figure them out, but who knows if that was even possible. He was trying to help, and she just stormed off. He really didn’t understand all these rules and laws. It was obvious that the young one was terrified of his father, as was the wife. If they had asked him for help, he would not have hesitated to investigate the matter further and resolved it now, before anyone got hurt.
He turned back to the house. Well, if they weren’t going to do anything, he would. He Cloaked himself, blending into his surroundings so he could not be detected by the naked eye. Still, he had to be careful. He walked up the steps and opened the door slowly, then walked inside.
Peterson was sitting on a chair, watching television as he sipped from a can.
“Emma! Bring me another beer!” He let out a loud belch. “Now.”
Disgusting.
The wife scurried out of the kitchen, beer can in hand, her head hung low as she quickly handed it to him.
“What the hell took you so long?” He grabbed the can from her and then smacked the side of her face with his palm. She staggered back and then hurried back into the kitchen.
Hate filled Aleksei’s veins and his dragon was urging him to kill this scum now. And he really, really wanted to, but knew he couldn’t. Even if they were back in the Northern Isles, he would still have to face trial. But, that didn’t mean he couldn’t do anything.
He waited for a few more minutes, then finally, Peterson got out of his chair and ascended the stairs. This was his chance. He followed the man as he walked down the hall and headed to the door at the end. He slipped into the bathroom just before Peterson closed it.
Fueled by rage, Aleksei revealed himself to Greg Peterson. “What the fuck!” The man started. “Where the hell did you come from? Did you break in here? I’m calling the cops!”
Aleksei grabbed his collar and slammed him against the wall. “Go ahead. What are you going to say? That I appeared out of thin air?” Calling on his dragon, he made his eyes glow with every bit of fury he felt. Scales appeared over his face and arms and he let out a fierce growl.
“Y-you’re—”
He knocked Peterson so the back of his head smashed into the tile. “Your worst nightmare.” He lifted Peterson up into the air. “If you ever hurt your son or wife again, I will kill you. Don’t even try to run away, as I will hunt you down and tear you limb from limb. It will not be a quick death.” He had to rein in his dragon, or else he really would shift right then and there. Releasing his grip on Peterson, he let the other man drop to the floor with a loud thud, then Cloaked himself and hurried out of the house. He hoped his threat was enough to deter the man, but if he knew human nature well, Greg Peterson would not be able to help himself. Some men just had the need to dominate others and take advantage of those weaker than them.
As soon as he got out, he shifted into his dragon form and leapt into the air. He needed to get out of this place, before he really lost his temper. For one thing, he was sure The Blackstone Dragon Alpha wouldn’t take it too kindly if there was an incident with law enforcement and the humans.
And then he had to figure out how he would win Sybil’s heart. Because, after today, he was sure of one thing: Sybil would not make a good queen. No, she would make a great queen. Her compassion, love of service, and her heart made her the perfect person who could rule by his side. Without the encumbrance of pesky human laws, she would be able to make a real difference in the lives of their people. They would surely come to love her.
His dragon wholeheartedly agreed. Now if only he could convince her that they were meant to be together.
Aleksei had somehow found his way back to Blackstone, though it had taken him some time. As soon as he walked into his suite, Dmitri gave him a puzzled look but didn’t ask where he had been or why he and his dragon were in a foul mood. He told Dmitri that he needed some rest before the meeting with Henry Lennox tonight, and shut himself in his suite. Finally, it was time to go and he, Dmitri, and the other members of their party headed to Blackstone Castle.
“My family and I have talked it over,” Henry Lennox began, nodding to Matthew, Jason, and Luke. “While we’re not convinced we should join the Dragon Alliance, we agreed that we should definitely pool our resources together so we can stop The Knights.”
Aleksei watched the reactions of the other alphas and council members as they sat around the large table in the formal dining room at Blackstone Castle. For the most part, nobody had any objections, but he didn’t miss the scowl on Caesar’s face.
Of course, Aleksei thought to himself. Though all members of the council were equal, the Air Dragon thought himself superior to the others. He not only wanted everyone under his control, but he wanted the Blackstone Dragon’s financial contribution, which was one of the requirements of having a representative in the council.
Balfour cleared his thr
oat. “Of course, that can be discussed later.”
“Good.” Henry sat down on his chair. “Now, how do we start this? Do we have any information on what—”
“Wait just a minute,” Caesar began. “I understand why you would have your cousins present,” he nodded to James and Ben Walker, “but what are they doing here?” His pointed gaze went straight to the human woman and the wolf shifter seated on the Lennox side of the table.
“Excuse me?” Jason Lennox began, his voice rising. “You better watch the next words that come out of your mouth about my mate.”
“I think what my colleague is wondering about is why we are including them, but not the rest of your family?” Balfour offered. “Your daughter, who is a Blackstone Dragon, is not here.”
“I thought it would be best so no one gets distracted.” Henry glared at Aleksei and Matthias. “She will help us if we need her. Besides, she has other important matters to attend to. But, Christina Lennox and Petros Thalassa are the representatives of The Shifter Protection Agency here in Blackstone. Christina’s adoptive father, Aristotle Stavros, established The Shifter Protection Agency long ago to fight The Organization and anti-shifter groups.”
“Aristotle Stavros? The Greek billionaire?” Ian asked.
“And most Alpha of the Lykos Pack,” Christina added. “We’ve been fighting these groups for decades.”
“Your father has been fighting them for decades,” Caesar corrected. “While we have been battling The Knights for centuries.”
“Remember what I said,” Jason warned.
Christina put a hand on her mate’s arm. “I can fight my own battles.”
Petros leaned forward and clasped his hands on the table. “It seems to me, having us here would only help our cause. Henry Lennox has already consulted with Aristotle Stavros and my alpha has pledged all his resources to stopping The Knights.”
Aleksei spoke before anyone else objected. “I agree.”
“I think it’s a great idea,” Kal added.
Ian shrugged. “It can’t hurt, now can it?”
“If they already know, then there’s no need to keep this a secret,” Tarek said.
“I think we should just get on with it.” Matthias’ tone sounded bored.
“Fine, as you wish.” Caesar gave his alpha a curt nod.
“Now that we’ve settled that,” Henry said. “What’s your plan for luring out The Knights and destroying them?”
Jattob, the representative of the Rock Dragons to the Dragon Council spoke up. “We wait until they strike again, and then fight them.”
“Excuse me?” Matthew Lennox said. “Wait until they strike? And where exactly would they strike?”
Jason’s eyes narrowed. “Here in Blackstone.”
“You’ve made us sitting ducks,” Benjamin Walker, one of the bear shifters, growled. “You want them to strike here.”
“We don’t want that,” Sabir, the Dragon Council representative from the Desert Dragons said. “But if it happens, then we will strike.”
“My town will not be the scene of another attack.”
“We must lure them out!”
“You’re putting our people in danger!”
“They’re planning to strike, and this is our best chance.”
The arguments and raised voices from each side grew louder, and Aleksei had just about had enough. This was one of the reasons why the Water Dragons, though part of the Council, tended to lay low and keep their participation to a minimum. Dmitri looked at him helplessly and he knew he had to act.
“Stop!” He shot to his feet, slamming his fists on the table. “Quiet down. We will not accomplish anything with arguments.” He turned to Henry Lennox. “We did not conspire against you nor mean to bring danger to you and your people. But the fact of the matter is, The Knights have always evaded our grasp. We have only recently begun to fight them, and perhaps that is our mistake. We were the only ones who would have been able to stop them, and our need to stay hidden and private has made them grow strong. But it’s not too late.”
The tension in the room diminished and he continued. “We must work together and find a way to track The Knights, then we either strike or lure them out. Mrs. Lennox,” he looked at Christina, “perhaps your Shifter Protection Agency has advanced technology that could help find them? Satellites, government databases, those kinds of things?”
The blonde woman nodded. “Yes.”
“Perhaps we can start there.” He gestured to the representative of the Silver Dragons. “Balfour is our Master of Information. He keeps track of anything and everything related to our history, including records of all activities and attacks by The Knights.”
“I am at your service, madam,” Balfour said. “Whatever information you need.”
“And our dear fellow alpha, Tarek, has many spies all over the world,” Matthias offered. “I’m sure he could help as well.”
The Desert Dragon’s cool facade broke for a moment as he scowled at Matthias. It quickly slipped back into place. “Of course. We will do our part as well.”
“That’s an excellent idea.” Christina took out her phone. “Let me have one of our data analysts hurry here and we can begin gathering information.”
Finally, we are getting somewhere, Aleksei thought. “When we find the information, then we can formulate a better plan of attack.” He then looked to the Rock Dragon Alpha. “Kal is a fierce warrior and an even better strategist. He can come up with battle plans.”
Kal straightened to his full height. “You will have the strength of the Rock Dragons when the time comes.”
Henry Lennox flashed Aleksei a wry smile. “Well, I guess we should all take a page from His Highness in matters of diplomacy.”
But still, Aleksei couldn’t help but feel proud himself, especially since it was the Blackstone Dragon himself complimenting him. “I only want victory.”
“And revenge for the Ice Dragons,” Matthias said in a cool voice.
They all sat down to strategize about possible ways The Knights could attack them and actions they might take in response. They theorized that Blackstone could be a possible target, but seeing as they were one of the more recent ones, it could be highly unlikely.
The evening turned out better than it had begun, and though they were far from completely trusting in each other, they were much closer to having a true alliance.
“I think we’ve done all we can for tonight.” Henry Lennox stood up. “We should continue tomorrow.”
“We can be back first thing in the morning,” Balfour said.
“This is all great information.” Christina hovered over the young analyst from The Agency as she typed on her laptop. “And it’s all been sent to Lykos. Our people there will start looking over the notes as soon as possible.”
Everyone stood up and began to leave the room. Dmitri was waiting for Aleksei outside the door to the dining room. “Your father would be proud of you if he had seen what you had done, Your Highness.”
“Thank you, Dmitri. You know he always emphasized diplomacy above all else.”
“Excuse me, Your Highness, may I borrow ye for a second?” Ian was standing right behind them, a mysterious grin on his face.
Dmitri bent his head in a curt bow. “Of course, Your Grace. If you’ll excuse me …”
“I’ll see you back at the suite, Dmitri.” Aleksei’s eyebrows furrowed together as he looked at Ian. “What is it?”
“Well,” Ian began. “A little birdie—er, fox—told me where yer mate would be this evening.”
“Sybil?”
“D’ye have any other mate?” he joked. “Of course, I meant Sybil, ye daft mon. Anyway, I was having coffee with the foxy Miss Forrester this afternoon, and she may have let it slip that the other lassies will be out tonight.”
Aleksei eyed Ian suspiciously. “And why would you be helping me? Did you not say you wanted her for yourself?”
“Hells’ bells, mon.” Ian rolled his eyes. “Why would I wan
t a mate when the world has so much to offer?” His wandering gaze flickered toward the only woman in the room—Christina Lennox. Sure, she was a beautiful woman, but Aleksei thought Ian would be more discreet, being that she was mated to their host, one of the few dragons in the world who could actually breathe fire.
“Seriously, Ian?”
“What?” He gave Aleksei an innocent look. “Lookin’s not a crime.”
“Tell that to Jason Lennox.”
“Ah, dinna fash yerself over me,” he laughed. “Anyway, are ye going after yer mate tonight or have ye given up?”
Give up? Was he jesting? He still wasn’t sure what he had done today to offend her, but he was determined to find out and apologize if necessary. “Tell me where she is.”
“It’s some bar in town called The Den.”
Chapter Seven
“Wow, you really went all out,” Sybil exclaimed as she arrived at their designated table at The Den. A few weeks ago when they started planning this bachelorette party, Kate demanded that everything be penis-themed.
And so, Amelia, who was not only a genius at decorating but a loyal friend, did as Kate asked. The table was littered with phallus-shaped paraphernalia: dick straws inside the drinking glasses, penis-shaped paper banners around the table, little bits of glittery cock confetti strewn over and around the table, plus a ginormous sign that said “Same Penis Forever” on the wall behind them. Not only that, but everything was pink. It was like a penis party sponsored by Pepto-Bismol.
“You’re here!” Kate declared as she pulled Sybil in for a tight hug. It was obvious that the she-wolf was smashed. Her sash that said “Holy Shit, I’m Getting Married” was falling off her shoulder and her lipstick was all smeared.
“Hey, Sybil!” Amelia greeted. The she-bear had a pair of sunglasses that had a phallus sticking out from the scrotum-shaped lenses perched on her head.
“You made it!” Dutchy waved a penis-shaped chocolate lollipop at her.
“Of course.” She planted her bag on the empty chair. “Sorry I’m late, I had a ton of work to finish. But I wouldn’t miss this for the world.”
The Blackstone She-Dragon: Blackstone Mountain Book 8 Page 8
