Page 31 of Dragon's Revenge

“Sorry, it’s gonna take me some time to get used to stuff like this.” Zack gently shook his head, still staring at Adar. “An alpha training an omega… If that isn’t the craziest thing I ever heard?”

Sivney chuckled. “You’d better buckle up then, kid, because that’s how we roll. Everyone is equal here, regardless of status. We look at gifts, talents, experience, and natural abilities to determine what someone’s task in the pack will be, not status.”

Zack raised his chin. “What if I want to become second-in-command too, like you?”

The challenge in that question was clear, and Adar held his breath.

But Sivney grinned. “You think I’m gonna stop you? Hell no. You tell me you’re serious, and you can start shadowing me today. I need all the help I can get. The gods know some of these alphas need someone to keep them in line…”

The latter was said with a firm look at Adar, who cringed a little.

“B-but how can you say that when I told you I want your job? Doesn’t that make me competition?” Zack stuttered.

“There is no competition in this pack. There’s plenty of room and certainly plenty of work for everyone, especially now.”

Zack’s expression changed into one of pure admiration. “Gods, I want to be you when I grow up.”

That had everyone laughing, including Sivney, but then the omega grew serious again. “We need to talk about the remaining Murphy omegas. Do we know how many there are left?”

Zack looked at Fallon. “Fallon and I tried to come up with a count. We think there are seven who will want to come and are being held against their will.”

“Only seven?” Adar frowned. “I thought they had more than that.”

“Two of them died.” Fallon’s voice cracked. “One due to complications when delivering an oversized egg, and one was…” He took a shuddering breath. “Shane was killed.”

“Killed?” Adar kept his voice in check. “By whom?”

Fallon gestured at Zack, who needed a moment before he answered. “He never made it out of the Dragon Council. After what happened to their clan, the Murphy alphas took out their anger on Shane, and he…” Zack made a helpless gesture, and Adar had no trouble filling in the rest.

That poor omega had died all alone, with no one coming to his rescue. And he’d been innocent. His only crime was that he’d been born an omega instead of an alpha. Enough. He could no longer stand by and watch omegas suffer and die.

Fury filled him, burning hot through his veins. His heart rate spiked, and he had to clench his fists to keep himself in check. “This ends now,” he all but snarled as he met Sivney’s eyes dead on. “I don’t care how, but we’ll get those seven remaining omegas out today. Not in a few days, not next week, but today.”

Sivney rose from his seat, holding out his hands in a placating gesture. “I know you’re angry, and so am I, but let’s not rush into things. If we do this half-cocked, it may fail.”

Adar gritted his teeth. “I’m not angry. I’m furious. That could’ve been my… That could’ve been Oliver. Or you, Fallon. Or Zack, or any of our omegas. We. Do. This. Today.”

Fallon rose and stood next to him. “I agree. The longer we wait, the more they suffer. If things were already bad before the Council, they’re bound to be even worse now. We can take them, wolves and dragons together.”

Sivney looked from Adar to Fallon, then seemed to capitulate. “You’d better come up with a plan then. And you’ll need to take a big team…though that would leave us all but defenseless in the event of an attack on the pack.”

Adar shook his head. “If what Fergal said was correct about there only being one dragon slayer left, we don’t have to worry about that threat anytime soon. He can’t attack us by himself, not even if he has Rhene.”

“That’s a lot of ifs,” Sivney warned. “One miscalculation could cost us.”

“Our safety isn’t more important than the lives of those omegas,” Adar countered. “And whereas we don’t know for sure if we’ll get attacked, we know for a fact they’re suffering and dying. That makes them the priority.”

“Okay.” Sivney nodded at Adar. “Come up with a plan, big guy, and we’ll make it happen. You’re in charge.”

He was what now? Sivney had put him in charge? That hadn’t been his intention, but he should’ve known that speaking up would mean taking the lead. He’d always been happy letting someone else be the leader, but maybe this was meant to be. He had a score to settle with Dempsey anyway, so he might as well do the right thing and kill the bastard while he was at it. Two birds, one stone, and all that.

He squared his shoulders. “Fallon, can you gather all the dragons willing to help? I’ll assemble a team of wolves. We’ll make a plan to free those omegas…and then we’ll bring them home.”

ChapterThirteen

Not even an hour later, they had assembled everyone willing to participate in the rescue mission. Fallon looked around the meeting barn, hope filling him at the sight of so many men. All Fallon and Adar had done was ask, and not a single person had said no. Well, except Oliver, but he had good reasons.

Adar cleared his throat. “I’m not used to taking charge, so bear with me,” he said softly, and everyone hushed. “And please speak up if you have objections or ideas, or anything. Together, we are so much stronger and smarter than alone.”

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