Chapter 31 #2
Blair asked, “What are the rules of engagement?”
“Secure the compound with minimum force. Duncan and Donovan are to be detained, not harmed. We need them alive for interrogation and for the legal proceedings that will follow. The omegas are to be protected at all costs. Any alpha who stands down peacefully is to be treated with respect. Anyone who fights…” Gregor paused.
“Use your judgment. But remember that many of those alphas may be following orders they don’t fully understand.
Give them the chance to make the right choice before you make it for them. ”
“Let’s put Nadiv on that team,” Erwan suggested. “His influencer gift may be able to sway some people.”
And so they planned and adjusted and planned some more.
Gregor briefed Blair privately for another twenty minutes after the main planning session, sharing the layout of the Fitzgerald compound as he remembered it, Duncan and Donovan’s methods, the guard loyalists he’d identified, and all the vulnerabilities in the compound’s defenses.
Two centuries of knowledge, compressed into a tactical briefing that covered everything from ward configurations to which corridor squeaked when you walked on the left side.
It was, Gregor realized, the first time he’d ever entrusted Fergal’s clan to anyone else.
The weight of that trust sat heavy on his shoulders, but Blair met his eyes with a steadiness Gregor recognized—the same steadiness he’d seen in Fergal, in Erwan, in every person who understood that duty wasn’t about following orders but about protecting the people who couldn’t protect themselves.
“I won’t let you down, Commander,” Blair said.
“I know you won’t.”
That afternoon, Rhene called a meeting with the whole Hightower pack and Doyle clan, who all crammed themselves into the big meeting barn.
Rhene had insisted on this step, wanting everyone to know exactly what was going down.
The notion was foreign to Gregor and wouldn’t have occurred to him, but once everyone had gathered, something strange came over him.
It was a sense of…community, of the power of a united clan. He’d never seen anything like it.
Rhene explained the situation, then said, “We’re conducting two simultaneous missions. Two teams. Team One is the Fitzgerald Liberation and will be led by Blair.”
Gregor looked at the red dragon alpha, who stood a little taller and definitely prouder.
“Their objective is to secure the Fitzgerald compound, neutralize Duncan and Donovan, and establish legitimate authority until Fergal can return as king,” Rhene continued.
“He will have Cedric with him for teleportation. As a former Fitzgerald, he knows the compound layout and can get the team in without detection. He’ll also have Jermon for magical support and Crowell for combat capability.
He’s the strongest fighter among the omegas and has been itching for a real fight to kick some alpha ass. ”
That got a round of laughter, including from Crowell himself. Gregor had never seen an omega stand with more pride and confidence. His joy at being selected for this crucial mission was obvious.
“We’re also including Nadiv as an influencer—if we can turn some of Duncan’s loyalists without violence, Nadiv’s gift could be invaluable. Plus Zack for pack authority and because he’ll terrify anyone who tries to argue with him.”
More laughter, but it died quickly when Rhene continued, “Palani will be part of this mission as well. As the True Alpha’s mate and second-in-command, he wields Lidon’s power, and we’re convinced that will give us an extra edge.
And we have several wolf alphas who volunteered, including Bray from the Hayes pack.
Blair will signal when his team is in position, so both teams can move simultaneously. ”
Rhene nodded at Gregor to take over. “I will lead the other team. Our objective is to breach the compound’s wards, neutralize the Murphy alphas and Cladhaire and Baoth, rescue Fergal and any other prisoners, and end this. We will have the White Dragon with us.”
Gregor looked at Erwan, who stood with his arms crossed, his dark eyes holding the quiet intensity of a man whose power was vast and whose patience with evil had long since expired. They shared a look that needed no words.
“We will also have the True Alpha with us.”
A wave of hushed whispers traveled through the barn.
“Alpha, your support means everything. We’re not your pack, yet you stand by us,” Gregor said, and he wasn’t surprised when his voice broke near the end.
Lidon rose. “Fergal stood with Rhene and Erwan at the Council and helped them anyway he could. He upheld the ancient blood oath between the wolves and the dragons, keeping his honor, and so shall we.”
Then Grayson—Gregor hadn’t even noticed the Hayes pack’s storyteller had been present—stood, and a solemn silence descended.
“The time has come for the True Alpha and the White Dragon to stand side by side and fulfill the prophecies. Truth and honor are on our side, and we will bring peace. The Storyteller has spoken.”
Gregor looked away, blinking hard, his jaw clenched against the surge of emotion that threatened to breach every wall he had left.
Three and a half centuries of iron discipline, and two sentences from a wolf alpha nearly brought him to his knees.
Then again, everyone around him had a similar reaction.
They were about to make history, and deep inside him, Gregor knew they would prevail.
When he trusted his voice again, he said, “We will never forget this. Also joining team two is Fallon for magical support. His ability to channel the clan’s collective power was decisive against the Murphy kidnapping attempt, and with both Erwan and Lidon there, no one will be able to hold against him.
We’ll also have Valdis for fire and combat capability, plus wolf alphas from both packs who volunteered. ”
The team was formidable. The White Dragon, the True Alpha, a magic dragon who’d single-handedly defeated five Murphy alphas, a fire dragon, and a contingent of wolf fighters against the Murphy remnants and two old men clinging to stolen power. It should be enough. It had to be enough.
“Blair will signal when Team One is in position at the Fitzgerald compound. Both teams move simultaneously. If one team encounters unexpected resistance, the other continues with its objective. No delays. No hesitation.”
He looked around the room—at Blair, already focused; at Erwan, radiating quiet power; at Lidon, immovable as stone; at Fallon, whose gentle face held a fierceness that belied his omega status; at Zack, whose journey from the red tent to third-in-command had proven that courage wasn’t defined by status or size; at Rhene and Sivney, who would stay behind to protect the pack and who carried that responsibility with the same gravity as those going to fight.
These people—wolves and dragons, alphas and betas and omegas, born into different species and different cultures, united by choice rather than obligation—were going to war for Fergal.
For a Fitzgerald king most had only known for weeks.
Because it was right. Because the Code demanded it.
Because the alliance between the White Dragon and the True Alpha wasn’t just a prophecy—it was a living, breathing commitment to defend those who needed defending, regardless of clan or species or the centuries of betrayal that had come before.
He took a deep breath.
I’m coming for you, baby boy. Your mate is coming for you.