Page 23 of The Last Bachelor Dragon

“Crazy,” Keith finished for him. “Yeah, I get that, but in the end, it doesn’t really matter what Max did or didn’t believe, we should be thanking him for building the resort and bringing us here.”

“I agree,” Blake said, “without the resort, I never would have found Wren again.”

“Well, now that you’ve all taken sides, just let me say that I was wrong, okay,” Max said. “I didn’t believe Mateo, and I stubbornly refused to see what was right in front of me for too long. But I’ve seen the light; this island is special, and it has a heart of its own. I’m very grateful for the gift I’ve been given, and I’ll never take it for granted. Now can we talk about how we’re going to defend this place so Carlos Adaloni doesn’t end up sweeping it right out from under us?”

“I’m satisfied now,” Theo said. “I think he’s properly sorry.”

There were nods of agreement from the other men, and he let out a long sigh, then turned and started toward the community center. “The first thing we need to do is set up a command center, and then I want to go over everything we’ve got on Adaloni. We need to know when he’s going to make his move,” he said. “Harrison, you’re the expert when it comes to this kind of thing, so I’d appreciate it if you took the lead.”

“I’ve already got a rough plan in my mind and we’ve got enough men and supplies to pull it off,” Harrison said. “We just need to work out the details. I’ll fill you in once we’re set up.”

It didn’t take long to transform the conference room into their headquarters. While Harrison, Blake, and Archie set up all the electronics, the rest of them set up a whiteboard, moved all of their research from his office, and arranged forfood to be delivered for lunch. Seated comfortably around the room, the eight men set to work coming up with a plan to defend the island, throwing ideas back and forth just like they used to when they were in college.

By the time they were ready to take a break for lunch, the whiteboard was full of lists, and they had a basic idea of how they were going to defend the island. “Now that we know what we’re going to do when Carlos and his men come after the island, we just need to figure out when he’s coming,” he said. “We need to get inside the compound, we need to know more about what’s going on in there. We need a spy. Is there any chance we could get to one of Adaloni’s men?”

Harrison shook his head, “It’s doubtful, he’s paying them too well,” he said, then walked over to the table full of electronics and picked up a box. “But I’ve got something here that might do the trick.”

After opening the box, he pulled out six little silver disks and set them on the table, then walked over to one of the computers and pushed a couple of buttons. A little light on each of the disks began to glow green, then blinked a couple of times before going out.

“Each of these is a listening device. All we have to do is get inside, place these around the compound, and we should have all the inside information we need,” Harrison said, then picked up another box and emptied the contents onto the table. “I’ve also got trackers for their boats if we can get close enough to put them on.”

“Perfect, then we’ll know exactly when they’re coming,” he said. “I assume you have a plan to get them in place. It’s going to be tricky getting on shore without being caught. Adalonis got men stationed all over the island.”

“I figure Keith and I can handle it. We’re the best swimmers in the group,” Harrison said. “We’ll slip onto the island in the middle of the night, plant the listening devices and thetrackers, then slip back into the water without them even knowing we were there.”

“I’m in. This will give us the advantage that we need,” Keith said. “I just hope you can keep up with me, Harrison.”

There was laughter around the room. “Well, we’ve got a plan. We’ve got a backup plan and some high-tech equipment, I think our work is done here,” Archie said. “I don’t know about the rest of you, but I’m starving. Let’s have some lunch, and then we can talk about the wedding. I haven’t heard you say when this grand event is going to take place.”

“The sooner, the better,” Max said. “I want to have that marriage certificate in my hand before Nora’s father shows up, and I guarantee he will. He’s not going to be very happy when he finds out what we’ve done. I don’t expect him to back down easily. I need the law on our side.”

“Tomorrow night then,” Harrison said, grinning at him. “How does it feel to be on the other side of things for a change?”

“To be honest, it feels pretty great,” he said, a big smile on his face.

***Nora***

Nora walked to the village surrounded by the women chatting excitedly about the wedding, how they would beat Carlos Adaloni, and the time they’d spend on the island. There was so much going on around her she couldn’t keep up, but discovered that she didn’t care. It would all sort itself out eventually. It would take some time to get to know the seven other women she was suddenly connected to through Max, a prospect she was looking forward to. Right then, she was just happy to be surrounded by people who cared about her.

“Hey, you’re awfully quiet,” Felicity said, sliding up nextto her. “This must all be a bit overwhelming. I wouldn’t blame you if you were feeling a little anxious.”

“A lot has changed in the last week. There have been so many ups and downs, I haven’t sorted it all out myself,” she said, letting out a big sigh. “But one thing I know for sure is that I’m right where I’m supposed to be. It’s been a long time since I had people who cared about me. I’m grateful to you all for everything you’ve already done, I think I just have some catching up to do.”

“That’s what today is for,” Kira piped up from her other side. “We all know your story or enough of it, we’d like to share our experiences with you. We’re all connected by the boys, and that will never change. Hopefully we can create a bond just as strong.”

She felt tears stinging her eyes, there was so much kindness and compassion swirling around her, but she didn’t want to cry. “I’d better warn you, I can be stubborn sometimes,” she said. “I think it’s my biggest fault.”

They all laughed. “We can work with that,” Feliciy said. “We’ve all been accused of the same thing at one time or another. A little stubbornness can be helpful when you’re married to a shifter.”

“You all…they all…” she stammered, making them all laugh again. “I thought Max was the only one. I mean, I guess I should have realized… Max and I haven’t really had a lot of time to talk.”

After a little more laughter, this time making her blush, Kennedy said, “No worries, we’ll get you all caught up. By the end of the day, you won’t be missing a single thing.”

“But first, we have to finish your wedding dress,” Wren said. “We’d better hurry, Marie is waiting for us, and you know how impatient she can be.”

When they walked into the shop, Marie was pacing the floor, mumbling under her breath, but a huge smile spreadacross her face when she saw the eight of them standing inside the door. She didn’t move for several long minutes, then rushed over to them, her eyes sparkling with joy.

“Look at all of you, together at last,” she said, beaming at them. “I’ve been waiting for this day for a long time. Into the back with you all where we can have some privacy. I’ve got a lovely little lunch all prepared.”

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