Page 60 of Been There Dragon That
Kann’s eyes widened. “Shit. That makes a lot more sense. These wolves were idiots. Rylee is fine, none of them made it inside. Help me, would you?”
Wrath growled, but he followed Kann to the burning heap over on the side of the cabin. Scent told him the heap of bodies were wolves—Reylean.
He wanted to run into the house. The only thing he wanted was his mate in his arms, but Kann was in pain and struggling to lift the dead wolf.
“Why do you think the wolves were idiots?” Wrath lifted and swung the wolf body on top of the roaring fire.
“They didn’t know how to fight. Didn’t know how to maneuver. They were big and mean and tough, but they had no skills past that. They hadn’t been wolves very long.” Kann wiped blood from his hands on the already bloody blue t-shirt he was wearing. He had a few bad slashes on his arms and a deep one on his ribcage.
“You need to get to the bunker and let the magick-benders fix you up.”
“Yeah, I’ll not be leaving until I see my mate and my kids. Was it Tai that got Leif? More wolves?”
Wrath’s fangs lengthened. He was losing control. His dragon needed Rylee. He needed Rylee. “It was a slaughter. The man didn’t have a chance. We watched part of the footage. Humans started it. They work for Tai. Tai showed up late and shifted and killed Leif, no mercy, no reason.”
Kann snarled and rolled his neck. The lion shifter’s fangs descended, and the man growled from deep in his chest. “I’ll tell you why. It was to hurt us. Tai knew exactly what he was doing. This was coordinated. He wasn’t here himself. Too much of a coward, and then he sent more cowards here to threaten our families.”
Wrath couldn’t hold back his roar. Heat flared from his body, melting snow in every direction. His vision changed to thermal. If he wasn’t careful, he’d lose control and shift.
Kann’s expression softened. “Hey, man. She’s okay, I promise. She’s inside with my mate and the kids. Penny picked them off from the top terrace. She took out quite a few. Once Naomi got outside and shifted, pretty sure they knew they were in deep shit. Me and Aarav’s brothers took off after the runners once Naomi cleared most of the pack.”
He ran his hands over his face and into his tied back hair. “Damn. I thought Col was fucking scary. You do not want to threaten a momma dragon. Course my woman was damn scary with that sniper rifle too. So maybe you don’t want to threaten a momma in general.”
He threw a wide grin and nodded toward the house. “Come on. Let’s go check on our badass women. Col and Naomi are gonna end up pregnant again before they come back inside the cabin. Knox, Katherine, and Aarav are standing guard.” He pointed to the three Reylean’s that’d shifted and spread out around the cabin—a black wolf, a white one, and a massive sandy-colored saber-toothed lion.
Wrath scanned the treeline, allowing his eyes alone to shift and use his dragon’s heat vision. “Are we sure they’re all gone? Where are Raj and…” He took another long inhale. “Shenn?”
“Cleaning up in the river. I passed them on my way back with that wolf. They’re headed to the bunker to check in and make sure there’s not another group of wolves. The bunker is solid though. Penny said someone would need heavy ordnance or a tank to get inside her batcave.”
Wrath followed Kann’s quick pace back to the cabin, barely able to keep himself from running. His dragon was chantingmate mate mateinside his head. Kann’s lion was probably doing something similar.
Kann made it to the front door first. He threw it open. “Penny?” he bellowed.
“Upstairs, babe,” Penny responded, her voice slightly strained.
Kann heard it too, and his pace quickened. Wrath was a half a second behind him. Something was wrong.
They came barrelling up the stairs only to stop at Penny’s raised hand.
She was standing in front of the nursery door, talking in a soft low voice. “It’s okay, Rylee. I promise. Open the door, hon.”
Kann stepped up beside his wife quietly and kissed her. “What’s going on?” He kept his voice low and calm.
“Move. Penny. I need—” Wrath stepped forward, ready to take the door off its hinges.
Penny shook her head and snapped her gaze to Wrath’s. “Don’t you fucking dare.”
Wrath froze.
“She’s singing a lullaby. The babies are calm. I can hear them all. I think she’s probably in shock… She locked the door and won’t open it.”
More footsteps on the stairs behind them made Wrath turn slightly. Col and Naomi came into view a few moments later.
“What’s wrong?” Naomi spoke first.
“Wrath, she needs you.” Penny was talking to him again.
Rylee needed him. Of course she needed him.
