Page 30 of Dragon's Revenge

An ice-cold hand wrapped around Oliver’s heart. All the joy and warmth and hope he’d felt before vanished as he recalled another prophecy, one he’d dismissed as the overly emotional words of a dying mother. What was it that Queen Grian had said? “May the White Dragon bring justice and honor, restoring the alliance of old. May he find the courage and wisdom to sacrifice what must be given up to gain what must be won.” His voice broke. “Is that what she meant? Does Erwan need to give up Rhene to restore justice and peace?”

Tears formed in Oliver’s eyes at the thought.

“I don’t think so,” Delton said softly, his voice cracking a bit. “Because as fated mates, they’re connected to the point that if Rhene dies, Erwan will die too. He can’t bring justice and honor if he’s dead, to be blunt. So it would have to be something else. That doesn’t mean Rhene won’t suffer…but I have to believe he’ll return to the pack, to his mate.”

“From your lips to the ears of the gods,” Adar said. “May the moon and earth protect him.”

Oliver had stopped putting any faith in gods a long time ago. All his prayers and pleadings hadn’t made a difference in the abuse he’d suffered. Why would he honor gods who clearly weren’t interested in helping him? But maybe, in this case, he could make an exception. For Rhene, he would believe in whatever he needed to if that would help the alpha return safely to them. And so he took a deep breath. “From your lips to the ears of the gods.”

ChapterTwelve

Adar hadn’t mentioned his conversation with Delton and Oliver about Rhene and what the prophecies could mean to anyone, but it kept playing through his head. So far, every prophecy had turned out to be true, from that very first warning Arne, the dragon storyteller, had given about the dragons betraying the wolves. All of it had come to pass, and Adar had no reason to assume the later prophecies wouldn’t.

So it came down to interpreting them—not an easy feat, considering the dragon prophecies were about as clear as mud. Not that the wolf ones were much better. Adar respected the hell out of Grayson, their storyteller, but the man constantly spoke in riddles. What good was a warning or admonishing when you couldn’t make heads or tails of it?

He instinctively felt Delton was onto something with his reasoning that this couldn’t mean Rhene’s death. Whether it was wishful thinking or because Adar truly believed Delton was right, he wasn’t entirely sure, but he clung to it. The alternative was too horrific to even consider. Rhene had to return. For his mate, for his son, for the pack and the clan. The prophecies had to refer to something else, though he had no clue what.

He’d have to leave it to people smarter than him and focus on what he could control. Or at least, what he could figure out because he’d already learned a long time ago that few things in life could be controlled other than his own actions. So he’d focus on what he knew to be true and decide on his course of action.

They were growing closer, Delton, Oliver, and him. Their dinner might’ve ended on a more serious note than they’d intended, but they’d bonded. There had been a peace between them, a harmony that had been missing. Was it because he’d spent time with Delton and understood him better now? Or because Oliver had made such an effort, inviting them for dinner? Or was it because Delton had—once again—opened his heart to them?

Maybe it was all three and even more. Maybe the gods had finally taken pity on them and blessed their journey to a union. Because one thing Adar was one hundred percent certain of: Delton and Oliver were his mates. No doubt remained, not even a little bit. The pain at the thought of losing Delton had been so fierce, so debilitating, that it had wiped away any lingering confusion. Delton was as much his as Oliver was, and Adar was theirs.

So their journey to love wasn’t as rapid or romantic as other triads in the pack. Did it matter? Not even a little bit. Now that he knew they’d find their happily ever after, he could be patient once more, just like he’d been when he’d first met Oliver. They had time.

Besides, considering their characters, it made sense they wouldn’t jump into things. Adar rarely did something without thinking about it first. Delton was about the most thoughtful person Adar had ever met, and Oliver was too traumatized to take risks. So, of course, they’d take their time figuring out how they fit together. All Adar had to do was show continued dedication to both of his mates—no more preferential treatment for Oliver—and be patient. That, he could do.

And in the meantime, he’d focus on keeping the pack and the clan safe.

“How are the new omegas settling in?” he asked Sivney during an informal meetup with some of the pack’s leaders.

“As well as can be expected. The two most seriously wounded are still in the clinic, but the others have all settled into their cabins. Most of them are sharing rooms and even beds, but none have complained.”

Zack, who’d been accepted as the de facto leader of the new group, shook his head. “They’d never complain, not after what you did for us. They keep telling me to express to you how grateful they are.”

Sivney sighed. “I know, and it’s making me uncomfortable. It doesn’t feel like we’re doing anything more than showing human kindness. Or wolf-dragon kindness. Whatever. My point is that offering people shelter, a hot shower, and a warm meal shouldn’t be considered exceptional.”

“But it is,” Fallon said softly. “I know you faced your own challenges before you joined the pack, but for most of us, our lives were a literal hell before we came here. We went from hell to heaven, from the darkness into the light, from suffering into joy. I know that sounds dramatic, but it’s the truth. To them, this place is something they wouldn’t even have dared to dream of, let alone hope for.”

Adar cleared his throat. “It’s good to be reminded of that perspective. Makes me even more grateful for what we have.”

“Even after what Rhene told me, I couldn’t have imagined it would be like this.” Zack stared into the distance, his face tight, as if he saw something from his past. “I trusted him after he let me scan him, but I didn’t think it could be this perfect.”

“We’re not perfect.” Sivney leaned forward, his eyes intense. “We fuck up like everyone else. Don’t put us on a pedestal because sooner or later, we’ll come crashing down.”

“Sure, but you try to do the right thing, and that makes all the difference,” Zack said.

“You mentioned scanning Rhene,” Fallon said. “Do you have any information about the gifts of the new omegas?”

Zack nodded. “They were suspicious at first when Fergal and Gregor asked, but when I told them Rhene had let me scan him, they were a little more open about it. I’m not sure of all of them, but we definitely have a few with very strong magical abilities. Two of the former O’Connors are black dragons with the gift of energy, and there’s also one gifted healer from that clan. Then there are a few boosters, an influencer, two or three with fire, and at least one that I suspect is a red dragon. He’s from the Fitzgeralds.”

Sivney raised his eyebrows. “An omega dragon fighter? We only have one other fighter omega. Is he trained?” Then he caught himself. “Of course he’s not. Sorry, stupid question. They would’ve never allowed an omega to train.”

“Blair would be happy to train him,” Adar said. “Blair was the commander for the old Doyle clan and is now the head of our security team here. He’s been working with Crowell, the other fighter omega, and it’s been amazing to see his progress. He almost beat me when we did some sparring a few days ago.”

“You train with an omega?” Zack’s eyes practically bulged out of his head.

Adar shrugged. “How else is he gonna learn to fight alphas? If he ever needs that skill, it won’t be against other omegas. He’ll be facing alphas. Most likely, dragon alphas. So he might as well practice on me. Once he can beat me, he’ll start sparring with Blair.”

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