Page 37 of Wild Fire

“And if they could take control of the Shadow League, they’d have their interim bully boys to help bring about their amoral vision. He’d have to be clever and an excellent strategist, but I think whoever it is has proven to be just that.”

“What do you mean?” Dani asked, feeling completely out of her depth.

“It would seem that he or she has already set up a fairly sophisticated network and has, if we’re right, taken over the Shadow League under the nose of the Ruling Council.”

“I think we have time,” said Zahran, “but if he or she is working with geneticists and others, stopping them would appear to be the destiny of the Phantom Fire. Like the Cherufe, whoever this person is needs to be found and destroyed once and for all.”

“Gather what you can. As soon as the transport vehicles are out of range, we will raze this place and then return to Dragonwyk.”

Zahran nodded and then went to find the others.

“This is bad, isn’t it? Even worse than I thought,” said Dani.

Warrick nodded. “But at least we know what we’re dealing with, if not who. It may be that the other shifters focus on stopping the League, but we need to focus on finding out who is truly behind all this and deal with whoever that proves to be. We know how they plan to move, and we can begin to move against them. There is already a growing resistance to the Shadow League and their plans. The League is too stupid to see that they are only tools—a means to whatever is the true end game. We will not let whoever it is plunge the earth and all its creatures into darkness.”

“It wouldn’t do any good for me to return to Seattle and start trying to spread the word, would it?”

“I’m afraid not. At best they’d label you as mad and ignore your warnings. At worst those who plot against us would see you as a threat and seek to kill you. You are safer at Dragonwyk.”

Dani shivered and wrapped her arms around Warrick, who immediately enfolded her in his embrace. “I suppose I should want to be with you because I would be safer.”

“I’m not going to argue with you, Dani. I will have my way in this. I will keep you safe regardless of your thoughts on the matter.”

“Damn, but you’re sexy when you go all protective alpha dragon. And while my safety should be what I’m thinking about, it isn’t. I want to be with you—regardless of what happens or for however long the fates may grant us. I want to be with you.”

The softness in his eyes was something she would always remember. “Then let us return home.”

Falkor joined them. “They had stockpiled explosives down in their den of horrors. I think we level the building and then set them off. There needs to be no trace of what we discovered.”

“The girls will tell the cops…” started Dani.

“They will tell the police only that a group of men worked to free them and that the building and ships were here. There will be nothing left to tell the tale of what transpired.”

Falkor nodded and they began to pack up what they could to take back to Dragonwyk.

As the dragons shifted from man to beast, Dani approached Falkor. “He’s still weak, maybe it would be best if someone else carried me.”

Falkor laughed as Warrick roared into the night sky and blew a stream of flame between where she and Falkor stood. “I believe your mate objects to the idea of another dragon carrying you. He is recovered enough, and if not we will lend our strength to him. Arrogance aside, he will not let you fall.”

Warrick growled again and Dani headed back to him, muttering about dragons and their penchant for foolish pride. Once she had climbed aboard, Warrick galloped forward, beating his great wings and taking off into the night sky.

She chided herself for how blasé she had become about riding on a dragon through the clouds and stars, lit by the full, silvery moon. She was beginning to recognize certain landmarks, not that she could name them, but by their shape and proximity to Dragonwyk. Having realized she was as safe, if not safer, flying on Warrick’s back than in a plane, she could now watch the other dragons fly as they caught the shifting currents of the sky and glided through the air with a beauty and grace that took her breath away. What would it be like to be one of them?

Once they landed at Dragonwyk, Falkor sent word that the brotherhood would meet en masse in the dining hall in the morning.

“My apologies that you won’t be able to revel and recuperate in the morning, but we will need to know everything both of you saw. I can give you the night, and I’ll have food brought to you. Zahran can attend to both of you.”

“My wounds are well on the way to being healed, and I am grateful for the night and to get my mate settled,” said Warrick, leading Dani back to what she was rapidly beginning to think of as her home.

“I’m fine, as well. They banged me up but didn’t break anything. I’m mostly tired, hungry, and in need of my mate’s attention.”

Warrick lifted her hand to his lips. “Which you shall have.”

Wrapping their arms around one another they walked to their yurt. Once inside he pushed her toward the shower. “Go stand under the hot water while I draw you a bath in front of the fire. I have some herbal balms which will aid us both in healing and rejuvenating our bodies.”

“But you are going to feed me and then fuck me into oblivion, right? I could use oblivion more than anything.”

He hauled her against his body, rubbing his hard cock against her. “If it is oblivion you seek, my beloved, it is oblivion you shall have.”

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