The Dragon's War

by Lila Jean

  “Yeah, no kidding,” Zane said with a nod. “It’s nice to not be globally hated anymore.”

  “Aaaaand the Understatement of the Year Award goes to Zane Sambridge,” Draven said, chuckling.

  “Oh!” Tina pointed toward the projector. “Oh, it’s the walk of shame! Look!” Tina smacked Zane’s leg excitedly and grinned, eyes glued to the screen as several men in suits were led from the Noxxom Corporation headquarters building in handcuffs, their eyes cast downward as uniformed officers and a few FBI agents led them toward the several police cars lining the streets.

  “As Tina so eloquently put it before,” Anthony said with a broad grin as he flipped off the men, “suck it, assholes!”

  The six of them laughed, happy and relieved, so grateful that the mystery that had plagued them from the start was finally solved. No more diplomats would go missing, and with the evidence clearly pointing to humans, it seemed as though the shifters wouldn’t go to war over assumptions that the other kingdoms were assassinating political figures.

  Zane’s smile faded somewhat, however, since their problems were far from over. Yes, the murdered diplomats were going to be brought to justice, but with the dragons and wolves both hungry for Tina’s power in one way or another, their war to keep Tina safe, free, and happy was far from over.

  Tina looked at him, beaming, beautiful, so happy in their moment of victory that he refused to take her happiness away. He smiled broadly back, allowing himself to just accept this triumph and worry about the rest of the chaos later. He kissed her deeply, so proud of her strength and bravery, and he relished in her soft lips against his.

  A knock at the closed double doors interrupted their celebration, and Zane cautiously turned toward the exit as he muted the broadcast. “Come in.”

  The doors opened, and Zane’s father walked in, looking deeply uncomfortable as King Frederick of the demigods followed him into the cinema. The two kings glanced briefly at each other, neither entirely comfortable in the other’s presence, and a tense silence followed.

  “Father?” Zane asked, unable to mask the genuine surprise in his voice, admittedly caught off guard … and that was an immensely difficult thing for anyone to do to him. That said, if anyone was going to through Zane a curveball, it was his father.

  “Zane,” King Alexander said with a terse nod in welcome as he anxiously buttoned the coat of his dark suit. “And Miss Tina,” the king of the cats added with a nod toward her as well.

  “Well, you’re acknowledging me now,” Tina said with a wry smile. “It’s progress.”

  “Yes, well, I, um …” King Alexander adjusted his tie as he fumbled with his words. “It seems I owe you an apology, Miss Tina.” He sighed deeply, wrinkles forming on his brow as he fought to articulate his thoughts. “You are far more capable than I gave you credit for.”

  “Hold on,” Zane said, standing, gesturing toward Killian. “I need your camera again if my father is apologizing. I’ve never heard this before and want a memento.”

  The room erupted into laughter, even the two kings, and it dispelled a bit of the tension in the otherwise quiet cinema as the king of the cats rubbed his face.

  “A bargain is a bargain,” the king said with a sigh, crossing his arms as he looked down the bridge of his nose at Tina. “Clearly, you are capable of great things, brave things, and you have the cunning and tenacity to win.” A thin smile broke across his face as his eyes shifted to Zane. “That’s what Cimarron needs of its rulers, and I know when I’ve been beaten.”

  Zane hesitated, waiting for the king to continue, but he didn’t. Heart in his throat, Zane tried his best to keep a level head, to not show how eager and excited he felt at being so close to hearing the words he needed desperately to hear. “So, you concede?”

  “When the five kingdoms unite, I will stand down and retire.” King Alexander lifted his chin pridefully. “You will wear the crown, son, and I will declare you king.”

  Everyone in the room released a collective sigh of relief, and Zane couldn’t contain himself anymore. He smiled broadly and shook his father’s hand, satisfied and more relaxed than he had been in years. King Alexander smiled, just the thin little curve of his mouth, which was the most the cat king could manage as he clapped Zane on the back.

  “Have a walk with your old man, will you?”

  “Of course.” Zane nodded to Tina and his brotherhood, who all smiled warmly back at him as Tina gestured for him to go and winked.

  Zane and his father walked unaccompanied down the halls toward the palace gardens, and though Zane knew of each camera planted along the hallway, he suspected they would be left in peace. The world had changed since Zane first visited Olympus during the contest, and he felt more welcome here than ever before. After all, he would be welcomed as one of their kings very soon. The idea thrilled him, a possibility he had never considered before he met Tina.

  “I still think you’re out of your mind,” King Alexander admitted, pursing his lips as he spoke, “but I suppose these are mad times. Perhaps a king has to be a little out of his mind to succeed nowadays.”

  Zane frowned, not entirely liking the direction this conversation was suddenly taking, and he wondered if his father were going to do anything rash, something to renege on the deal and back out of what he had literally just agreed to do.

  “Stop worrying,” the king said with a brief glance at Zane’s face. “It doesn’t take much to wonder what you’re thinking, boy. I can see the cogs in your brain working out possible scenarios for how this conversation is going to go, but you don’t have anything to fear from me.” He sighed and paused, stopping midstride with his hands behind his back as he closed his eyes. “I’m done.”

  Zane came to a stop slightly ahead of his father, hands in his pockets as he watched the old cat shifter breathe rhythmically, no doubt to settle his nerves. It was a technique his father had taught him long ago, but King Alexander rarely did it when others could see. Zane felt as though he were being given a window into the man behind the crown, perhaps a view of who his father really was, deep down, beneath all the bravado.

  “I needed to be humbled,” King Alexander said softly, finally opening his cold blue eyes. “I didn’t realize it until it happened, but I needed to be shown she could handle anything, even the impossible.” He cracked a smile, a broad one this time, and Zane thought he might have been going crazy to see so much of his father’s raw personality all at once. “Besides, with the five of you at her side, I think there’s actually a real chance at peace, lasting peace, the kind that unites countries forever.”

  “That’s the goal,” Zane said with a gentle smile. “That’s all we’ve wanted.”

  “I see that now,” his father confessed with a few small nods. “I wish I had before. I admit I’ve missed having you near, boy.”

  “Likewise,” Zane admitted, setting a hand on his father’s shoulder, and the two of them shared a quiet moment of appreciation and gratitude. After all, his father had taught him everything, set him on the right path to use his vast intelligence, given him access to the greatest minds the world had to offer, all so Zane could become as strong and capable as possible. Yes, Zane had put in the effort and done the work, but his father had made everything happen.

  King Alexander continued, leading the way down the long hallway toward the gardens, which danced in a breeze outside the glass doors at the end of the hall. “Perhaps it’s time for an old fart to step down and let the next generation lead.” He wrung his hands a bit behind his back as if the thought unnerved him. “King isn’t a role you retire from, you know.” He sighed deeply and shrugged. “I thought I would rule until I died, but I confess, I’m tired.”

  He rubbed his eyes, and for the first time, Zane saw the wrinkles along the edge and underneath the shifter king’s cold blue eyes. “Perhaps the other deposed kings and I can go hunting on the weekends.”

  Zane couldn’t help himself. He burst out laughing. The idea of these men spending a weekend to
gether while armed was almost too comical for him to handle. After all, these were men who had hated each other so intensely for Zane’s entire life, who had done nothing but yelled at or cursed each other out for most of their meetings. The thought of arming any of them and letting them loose in a forest was too ridiculous to fathom.

  “You’ve really accepted this,” Zane said softly, watching his father’s face for a reaction. “You’re really okay with turning over the crown.”

  “I am.” King Alexander nodded. “Tina and you five did what I couldn’t. You took down a corporation that was pitting us shifters against each other, trying to get us to hate each other enough to go to war.” He sighed. “And I almost took the bait.” He shook his head in disappointment, rubbing his face in anger and frustration. “I fell for it, and that tells me I’m not nearly as smart as I thought I was.”

  “Don’t be so hard on yourself.” Zane shrugged, a little astonished he was comforting his father, and the surreal sensation only got more intense as he spoke. “You did—”

  “You don’t need to reassure me,” King Alexander said with a light chuckle. “It was merely the humbling wakeup call I needed, and I’m grateful for it.” He opened the door to the gardens and held it aside for Zane. “Come, let’s take a walk through a kingdom I’ve never had the pleasure to see. Tell me what you’ve learned, will you?”

  He took a glance around, looking relaxed for the first time that Zane could ever remember. “I’d like to simply enjoy life for once instead of trying to control it.”

  “My pleasure.” Zane led him through the gardens, regaling his father on what he had learned thus far through his admittedly not always legal research on the kingdom, astonished and grateful that the king had truly accepted Tina as the One Queen.

  Truth be told, Zane was relieved, possibly more so than he had been even when the other kings had conceded. It was different, to know his father was finally on his side again. Yes, true, he and Tina had one less admittedly fearsome enemy in their fight for her freedom, but he had to confess that the driving factor in his intense relief was how deeply grateful to have his father once more in his life.

  25

  Draven

  With the cats now on their side, it was time for another war room meeting to plan their next steps. Fully knowing where this conversation would go and not liking it one bit, Draven set his heels on the round conference table in one of Olympus’s meeting rooms, which had been sealed off especially for them. Outside, another beautiful day passed them by, and Draven couldn’t wait for the war to end so he could just enjoy life with his mate and brotherhood.

  “We need to get the dragons on our side,” Anthony said simply, leaning the heel of his palms against the side of the table, and looked pointedly at Draven.

  And there it is. Draven sighed deeply, closing his eyes as he frowned, not happy at all with what they were about to ask of him.

  “My father has retreated to the Wolfcrest Stronghold, an impenetrable fortress deep in the Cascade Mountains.” Anthony smacked his hand against the table, clearly frustrated, and began to pace the room. “Unless we want thousands of casualties to our armies, dragons are the only things that stand a chance against it.”

  “Can you elaborate on that?” Flynn crossed his muscular arms, his interested and dangerously serious expression a total contrast to how Draven felt.

  “The dragons’ strength and firepower can batter the Stronghold’s defenses,” Anthony said, grabbing a pen off the table and flipping it around absently in his hands as he spoke. “Their fire breath is about the only thing that can stop my father’s soldiers from firing weapons on our ground and aerial troops.”

  “Use a drone.” Draven shrugged carelessly, doing his best to mask the deep-seated anxiety and rage that was festering just below the surface, since letting his temper loose here would mean he took it out on the people he cared about most, and he was trying desperately to keep it contained.

  From across the table, Tina narrowed her eyes in suspicion, though it quickly turned to compassion as she seemed to realize what he was doing. He turned away, unable to hide anything from her anymore and hating it a little. He detested any sort of vulnerability, even to his mate since it felt like weakness. Instead, he focused on Anthony as the wolf shifter frowned at him, daring him to answer his suggestion.

  “Drones,” Anthony said, shaking his head a little in annoyance. “Seriously?”

  “Why not?”

  “For starters, I’d like some of my kingdom left after the war, thanks.” He groaned. “Besides, how does it look for a future king to fire on his own people?”

  “Fine,” Draven conceded, crossing his arms and glaring out the window. “Geez, point taken.”

  “Let me get this straight,” Killian said, lifting his hands to interrupt their banter. “Despite having access to three kingdoms’ armies, it still sounds like dragons are the only way for us to keep casualties to a minimum while also ensuring we have the best chance of winning.” The eagle shifter lifted a surprised eyebrow. “Is that about right?”

  “Unfortunately so.” Anthony sighed, clearly annoyed. “My father was always paranoid about a possible attack, so he had the fortress updated decades ago and continues to enhance its security and firepower.” The wolf prince began to pace once more, eyes glazing over with thought as he spoke. “It was meant to serve as a doomsday bunker, so to speak, with only a small portion of it visible from the exterior, large enough to hide sixty percent of the wolf shifter population.” Anthony snorted. “And, of course, to protect him.”

  “We’re not looking at having a bulk of the population there, though, are we?” Flynn’s eyebrows shot into his hairline. “He’s not actually evacuating?”

  “Not yet, no,” Zane shook his head, his eyes glued to his phone as his thumbs tapped along the screen. “We’re keeping an eye on it, though.”

  Draven turned his attention to Tina, who rubbed her chin, her soft gaze turned out the window, unusually quiet as the brotherhood discussed the war plans. He wondered what she was debating since she clearly seemed to be rifling through options, and he wondered if he should be worried about her going off and doing something dangerous without them.

  “Hmm,” Tina finally said, her voice quiet as she looked meaningfully at Draven, “I take it you’re not optimistic about your father seeing reason?”

  Draven snorted in answer, a thin stream of smoke escaping his nose with the retort.

  “Ah.” Tina frowned, the edges of her delicate mouth twisting downward, distracting Draven momentarily with the memory of all the times she had moaned, her lips forming a dainty ‘O’ as he thrust into her. With that simple memory, he ached to take her right there, to spread her on the table and vent his frustration while making her moan his name. He shook his head to clear himself of the thought, but his pants tightened with desire nonetheless.

  “We have to try,” Anthony said, looking at Draven with an imploring expression.

  “I have tried,” Draven snapped, glaring at his friend. “As much as I’ve tried, we haven’t made any progress at all. In fact, we’ve gone backward, and I think my father is too prideful to ever change his mind.” Draven scoffed, his chest rumbling with his dragonfire, the urge to let it loose growing harder and harder to contain as his anger and frustration rose.

  “They have attempted more kidnappings than anyone else,” Zane admitted. “Except the wolves, of course.”

  “Exactly.” Draven smacked his fist on the table, and everyone flinched, turning toward him as his anger began to bubble over. “And last time, Tina got hurt.”

  He looked at her arm, and though she was wearing a dress with sleeves today, the faint outline of the scar from their encounter peeked through the edge, an eternal reminder of the dragons who had taken it too far, of the way he had failed to protect his mate. Draven would never fail like that again, and he would draw blood if they ever came for her.

  Who was he kidding? When they came for her. His father would
never stop, and Draven would never give in.

  Draven stood, the chair scraping over the floor, and he clenched his teeth as his internal dragon’s possessive urge to grab her and fly off, to store her in a tower somewhere like treasure, nearly consumed him. He was angry, furious, and had the desperate desire to kill someone.

  At that, no one spoke. It was the reminder they had all needed, the cold dose of reality he had been trying to make them see. The dragons wouldn’t join them, not willingly. They needed to find another way.

  “I don’t know what else to do, then,” Anthony admitted, throwing his pen on the table. It clattered across the surface, accentuating his point as the wolf shifter turned toward the window, hands on his head as he stared out into the distant ocean and sighed with frustration.

  “You don’t believe me.” Draven’s jaw clenched as he stared at his buddy, his brother, furious that Anthony would be pressing him to do something as dangerous as welcome the dragons into their lives. “You think we can salvage this, don’t you?”

  “It’s different now,” Anthony said, eyes narrowing as he looked over his shoulder and caught Draven’s gaze. “We didn’t have a single army on our side before, but now, we’re a force to be reckoned with.” He leaned against the window, arms crossed, a dark expression on his face that dared Draven to say he was wrong.

  “Calm down,” Tina ordered, a stern expression on her face as she looked back and forth between them.

  “Fine.” Draven shook his head, too lost in his anger to listen to his woman and too astonished that Anthony was still pressing the matter to actually stop and walk away. “You’re a smart man, Anthony, and you’re great with war strategy, I get it, but I know my father better than you. Better than any of you.”

  He gestured to Zane, Killian, and Flynn. “What you don’t seem to understand is that a dragon never touches another dragon’s mate unless he’s ready to declare war, and yet my father’s own army nearly killed Tina!” Draven looked at her, saw her worried expression, and for a moment, that stilled the raging anger in his chest. He sighed, shaking his head in frustration, but he needed to prove his point. He needed them to drop this, to come up with some other plan, because this would never work. “My father is a lost cause, Anthony, but fine, you want proof?”