Page 56 of Dragon's Revenge

“Is he okay? Was he treated well?”

“Very well. He told us Duff cooked for him, kept him warm and safe, and didn’t lay a hand on him. He was bored out of his mind after a while, but other than that, he only suffered from the separation from Erwan, the same way Erwan suffered without Rhene. They both looked like crap, and it’s remarkable how much better they now seem after not even one day.”

Adar let that all sink in. He was growing tired again, but he didn’t want to go back to sleep. He had more questions to ask, and above all, he wanted to spend more time with Delton. “So that Duff guy is walking around freely now? Do we trust him?”

“Rhene said Duff has given his word he won’t harm us while he’s our guest.”

“But he can once he leaves. He could gather information while he’s here and use that against us later on.”

“Yes.”

Adar winced. “Bray must not be happy about this.”

“No, but he didn’t say anything in front of anyone else. I was watching him, so I could see it on his face, but I doubt many people did.”

Adar’s eyes grew heavy again, and he blinked slowly. “You’re always observant.”

“Thank you, but it’s my job.”

“Mmm, maybe, but you’re so good at it. You always see me. Truly see me. It’s rare.” He lost the battle to keep his eyes open. “Please don’t go.”

A soft squeeze of his hand. “I’ll be here when you wake up. Sleep and heal, my hero.”

ChapterTwenty-Two

The day after Rhene returned, he called a pack meeting. Other than Adar and Lucan, who was keeping an eye on Adar, everyone was present. Well, not everyone, since they always had security guards walking the perimeter, but that was an unfortunate necessity. Everything had been quiet from the Murphy’s side, but that didn’t mean it would stay that way.

Oliver hated leaving Adar, but Delton had told him it was fine, that nothing would happen to him in the hour or so they’d be gone. He still slept most of the day anyway. Oliver had reluctantly acquiesced, so now he and Delton were sitting together, hand in hand.

Hismate.Oliver still couldn’t believe Delton had finally accepted they were mates. Not that he could blame him for being so reluctant to believe it—not after what he and Adar had done. How they had hurt him.

But Delton kept assuring him that was in the past now and they needed to move forward, look ahead, and focus on the future. When Oliver had pointed out that those three phrases meant the same thing, Delton had looked shocked at first, then laughed until they were both in stitches.

“Welcome, everyone,” Sivney said, barely raising his voice, and a hushed silence fell over the barn. “I know I speak for everyone when I want to offer the warmest welcome back to our pack alpha, Rhene. Dude, we missed you, and we’re so glad you’re back. The floor is yours.”

A thunderous applause broke out and Rhene waved his hand somewhat awkwardly in gratitude. “Thanks, everyone. I’m grateful beyond words to be back and reunited with my mate and our son.” He shot a warm look at the first row, where Erwan sat holding Ainle. “I want to assure everyone I was treated well. My captor provided me with plenty of food and a safe shelter, and I was not physically harmed.”

Oliver had heard that through the grapevine, but it was good to hear Rhene confirm it. He still looked somewhat pale, but that could also be because he’d seen so little daylight that far north.

“I have brought my captor back with me,” he then said, and it became so quiet that Oliver could hear himself breathe. “I made an honor deal with him, one I fully intend to keep, but I know this has raised questions.”

“He’s one of the dragon slayers that attacked us,” Wilmer said, sounding plain angry. Oliver couldn’t blame him. That attack had left Wilmer fighting for his life and with severe brain damage that had lasting effects, even to this day. “Why the fuck would you bring him back with you?”

Rhene slowly nodded. “That’s an entirely fair question. The short answer is that I went with my gut. He’s acting based on a belief system with a deep hatred for dragons, but it’s based on half-truths and lies. He doesn’t know that not all dragons are evil.”

“But you’re giving him full access,” Wilmer said, clearly not convinced. “What if he uses that information to come back with a bigger group and attack us again?”

Sivney rose, holding up both hands. “Let’s listen to Rhene first. I promise there will be plenty of opportunity to ask questions later—trust me, I have a few myself—but we owe him the courtesy and respect to let him tell his story first.”

Wilmer sighed. “Fair enough.”

Rhene seemed unfazed. “Your questions are the same ones I asked myself…and they have no easy answers. But in the weeks I spent with him, I had a lot of time to think and analyze my conversations with him, and I came to an important conclusion. His hatred is rooted in lies, and the only way to combat them is by showing him the truth. Not telling him, but showing him.” He looked around the room. “A question for all the alphas here, dragons and wolves. How many of you were raised believing omegas were inferior to us?”

A few uncomfortable mumbles went up, but then slowly, almost every alpha raised his hand, including Rhene himself.

“What did it take for you to change your mind?” Rhene then asked. “What convinced you that omegas are our equals?”

“Sivney,” Nadiv joked, which got him a round of laughs. Sivney himself chuckled, clearly appreciating the humor.

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