Page 47 of Ruin

“Gods damn it, Prime…” He fought it for a few seconds, but I pushed harder. “Fine! To get access to all of this.” He moved his hand in a sweeping gesture. “I had to sign a contract to marry his daughter, at which point a controlling share in my company is handed back over to me. Part of the agreement was the mercs who returned with me are to be allowed access to all of our meetings and planning, in return they will help us fight the Weres and destroy that Hell rift Berith has been using to bring in his demons.”

For a moment we all stared at Drake.

“You mean you would marry an utter stranger, a woman not your mate? To help us?” If this didn't show his devotion to us all, nothing would. He would have stood a chance of getting his company back without strings if he had waited, but he’d chosen to accept a term that no shifter would ever want to tie themselves to. Committing to a female who would never be able to bond with your wolf was something a shifter never did. It was what had held me and Ember back from claiming each other in the prison. It was an unspoken rule—shifters just didn’t do it. It could drive you mad if you met your mate and couldn’t claim them.

Drake glanced at Ember, then Stone and Owen, before he looked at Myles who had just walked in with Kawan and Lionel. I’d always been a little suspicious of the lone feline shifter, but the guy had stuck around; that meant something. I inhaled Ember’s scent and sensed her happiness at seeing her friend. Stamping on my jealousy, I nodded a greeting at him. If he made her happy in any way, I couldn’t deny her his company. I hid a smile, not that she’d let me.

Drake straightened, his chin jutting out, his arms folded over his broad chest. “Of course I would. You are more family than any I have ever had. I would never abandon you; any of you. Certainly, not for a person that I’ve never met, and probably never will.”

Ember squeezed my arm. I pulled from her grasp and held out my hand. “Drake, you are my brother also.” I let Prime shine through my eyes. “You honour us all with your loyalty. Will you pledge yourself to our alpha pack, and be blood bound to me as your Prime? You will remain an alpha, but if you accept my rule, you will always have my protection, and my loyalty. If you ever need us, we will always come.”

Drake glanced at Ember, and pain flitted over his face. Did he really believe he would never have a chance to find his own soul mate? I hoped that wasn’t true. I was amazed by what he’d given up for us, and I’d do my best to help him get his company and freedom back once we’d won this war with Berith. He nodded.

“At the next full moon we will seal our bond, my brother.”

Drake nodded. “It will be my honour, Prime.”

“Good. Now these soldiers, who do they belong to?”

“I can’t tell you. He doesn’t want anyone knowing his identity. All of our agreements were done through the company lawyers, and they won’t talk.”

“Well, that’s not dodgy.” Ember raised her brows and shoved her hands on her hips.

Lionel huffed a laugh.

“Yeah, well, unfortunately I can’t investigate. If I do, he’ll whip this equipment and my company from under our noses in the blink of any eye, and, according to his lawyers, have me back inside a jail.”

“What? He really has that much influence?” My stomach twisted. There was only one person I knew in the supernatural world with that much power.

“Yes. He really does; and more. I get the feeling he’s a dangerous man to cross.”

Ember frowned. “Damn, that’s a lot of power.”

“Yeah, it is. He’s given us this equipment and shipped it all in, but don't for one moment think he doesn’t want something out of it.”

“But what? Access to the rift? The Weres? He can’t know about me; not even any fae beyond B’nar and Walker know what I am.” Ember’s brow crinkled.

I wanted to kiss away those lines…

“He’s into weapons isn’t he? How about the babies?” she asked, her wide eyes finding Owen’s.

A vicious growl escaped Owen, who looked at Myles and Kawan. “Those tossers get nowhere near the women and the babies.” Myles nodded, and after he and Kawan dipped their head respectfully my way, they disappeared out of the door, just as Alex came in.

The doppelganger clasped an envelope in one hand.

“Doppelganger.”

Ember hit my bicep. “Use his name and don’t be an arse.”

Alex smirked at Ember, then raised a brow at me. Yeah, I hadn’t seen Alex in four years, but before that he had become more than a useful acquaintance to me, he had been my friend. Through Prime, I knew he had been working with Walker. There were other things Prime had shown me that I couldn’t deal with right now. I knew I’d have to, but it could come later. I curled my mouth into a smile and nodded. “Alex. It’s good to see you, man. It seems I owe you thanks for looking out for my Firecracker while she was in Faerie, and beyond.”

“My pleasure, Connor.”

My eyes dropped to the envelope in his hand. “What have you got there, my friend?”

Alex glanced at Ember, then me. He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “It’s for you, from Zander.” He held it out.

For a moment I stared at it. Zander had protected me as best he could. My fae spirit let me see memories of him smuggling me food and fresh water. He had even tried to heal me as best he could; but we had both known only a mate could fully heal another. He was my brother and a fae, and I had discovered from him how to communicate with the darkness inside me and channel that spirit to protect my mind. I swallowed the ache in my throat. He had made the ultimate sacrifice. His life for mine. My gaze flicked to Ember, and I sucked in a shuddering breath. He had given me back my life with my mate. Mother Wolf, I even had a chance to see my mother again because of him. He was a true fucking hero…

---