“For my people, I would,” the blue said. “For rogues who mean nothing—” He turned his head, looking at Finn suddenly.
Why? Because he was alpha? Because he was a fellow blue dragon? “You still retain your mark,” he pointed out.
Finn turned to Delaney, who stood beside him, the picture of calm. The mates did that concentrated, silent thing that happened when they were speaking with their minds. Almost as though he was asking her permission.
Finally he turned back to the room. “An illusion,” he said.
Holy shit.
Not that the other man had been smiling, but now his expression fell dead serious. “The fuck you say. No one has that ability.”
“We went to Brimstone Inc.,” Finn said.
Well…wow. Even Hadyn had heard of the secret firm set up to help supernatural creatures with all sorts of problems. Apparently, the others knew the reputation of the woman who ran it, because they went so silent and still even the rock walls were louder than the shifters gathered in the room.
“By law, we should kill you right now,” the blue dragon said quietly.
Vilsinn snatched out a hand so fast it seemed an impossible move for the lump of rock, but suddenly the blue dragon was dangling from his fist.
Every other “guest” in the room tensed, so did her stomach, and Hadyn wondered if the others would back him up.
But no one moved a muscle.
Vilsinn turned his head, ostensibly looking for Lyndi. “You want I kill?” he asked.
“No,” Lyndi said quietly. But that was all, clearly leaving the door open.
The face of the dragon in his hands was starting to turn an alarming shade of purple, and he clawed at the troll’s rock-like hand. Slowly, visibly unwilling, Vilsinn set him down and let go. He pitched forward, hands on his knees, sucking in air.
“By rights,” the blue dragon said between gasps. “I should kill you all and report you.”
“You could try it,” Rune said. The almost lazy delivery of the words covered the unsaid bit. That the Huracáns wouldn’t be the ones doing the dying.
He meant it, too. A shiver skated over her skin even as a certain odd pride in him warmed within her. It had to be a lingering effect of the orgasm, but the sense was almost…proprietary. Possessive even.
“I wouldn’t recommend you do,” a female spoke up from the back. Black dragon based on her eyes.
“Stay the fuck out of this, Shula,” the blue dragon growled.
The woman shrugged, not even batting an eyelash. “Don’t threaten my friends.”
“We didn’t call you here to force your hand,” Deep said. “If you don’t want to be part of this, you won’t be forced.”
“Speak up now,” Rune said, the unspoken threat obvious. “And understand that we will need to hold you here until it’s over.”
She caught a small scowl from Finn. One she couldn’t quite interpret, but it disappeared as about ten of the men in the room stepped forward. Unfortunately, the memory wipes dragon shifters could affect only worked on humans, which meant they understood why they were going to be essentially imprisoned, though temporarily.
Deep was the one to take them and walk them back toward the dungeons where she’d been waiting earlier. They went without protest. He returned alone.
Silently, Deep’s gaze moved from face to face of those remaining. “Thank you,” he said. “Sincerely.” Another word that was unnatural for dragons.
“Yes,” Hadyn said, drawing all eyes to her. “Thank you from the bottom of my heart.”
“Let’s get down to it,” Rune said.
Chapter Fourteen
The rest of the day had involved filling everyone in on their roles, hashing and rehashing the plan, with meals in between. Rune was honestly astounded that only ten had decided not to join. That this many would help rogues, strangers to them, help him… Maybe when he’d been solidly in his enforcer days, he might have thought it possible, but the last few decades he’d been a wanted man. Hated by his kind. A cautionary story parents told their children. No way would anyone lift a pinkie toe to come to his aid.
Speaking of a wanted man, when the bounty on his head had been raised—he’d been hoping everyone would forget that bit—Finn and Drake had almost tried to leave his ass behind. Deep had had to intervene. Again.
Now they stood in the large family room space saying goodbyes to those who would stay behind. For this to work without blowing back on them, they had to be ready to keep their own mountain safe while at the same time going after the Alaz mountain in Colorado.
He stood to the side. Goodbyes weren’t his thing.
Rivin sent him a nod across the room, so did Keighan. The two white dragons were staying to hold down the fort with Levi. Lyndi was pregnant and no way in all seven hells was the beta letting his mate fight in that state, nor was she letting him leave her behind. Plus, all of Lyndi’s orphans needed them both here. Vilsinn would remain with Lyndi as well.
Aidan, Sera, and their son Blake, who’d been staying with Jiǎ, would also stay under the protection of those in their mountain as well. Shula, the black dragoness, had offered her people as a patrol net, guarding the mountain. Rune hadn’t been too surprised at that. Shula’s allegiance was to Lyndi, not the rest of them, but at least she’d offered her help. She said to bolster the numbers, but he was pretty sure her allegiance was to Lyndi above all others.
Leaving people he cared about, they all cared about, with unwilling “guests” to guard, was an exercise in trust and faith.
The last thing Rune was prone to do. Which was why he’d given Lyndi a pager to check in on her, as well as the number to his.
For those heading out, the rest of the Huracáns—Finn and Delaney, Drake and Cami, and Kanta and Hall, who refused to leave Hadyn as she was part of their clan, turned or not—would take the lead. Their remaining “helpers” had been divided up. They would come to Colorado and only join the fight if their numbers were needed. Jiǎ and the rest of Rune’s rogues included.
Hopefully, he could get Chaghan and Qara out without being noticed and needing to bring anyone else into a battle that would only escalate. If he was caught sneaking in or out, then the backup plan was an entirely different scheme.
Hadyn suddenly stepped in front of him, hands on her hips. “I’m going, Abaddon.”
“Uh-oh. You’re calling me Abaddon. Must mean you’re serious.” He’d been changing the subject every time she’d brought it up all day.
“I am serious. I’m not staying behind.”