Chapter Five #2
“Some days, I wonder why you agreed to be our leader. If it was me, I would’ve run away screaming a long time ago.”
“Trust me, I’m tempted to do just that about twice a day.”
There was a pause before Brad spoke again. “Is that what you’re doing? Running away?”
Harmon didn’t want to lie to his second-in-command.
Brad wasn’t only that, anyway. He was also a friend—one of the best friends Harmon had.
He didn’t want to put that friendship in jeopardy by lying.
“A little,” he admitted. “It’s just become a lot lately.
I needed some time away, and this way, I’m still helping the coven. ”
“You’re also putting yourself in danger. Some people here might be brats, but they care about you. They don’t want you to get hurt.”
“I don’t want to get hurt, either. I don’t think I will be. Things are complicated, but the clan dragons know they lost this fight. They can’t risk antagonizing the pack by hurting us.”
“I hope you’re right.” Brad hesitated. “Will you be coming home?”
“Once this is over. I didn’t leave forever. I just needed some space.”
“Not from everyone,” Brad teased.
The last time he’d called, Brad had heard Rex, and Harmon had needed to explain that they were sharing a room.
For some reason, Brad had been excited by that and had mentioned something about there being a there’s only one bed romance.
Harmon still wasn’t entirely sure what that conversation had been about.
“Anyway, everything’s fine?” he asked to be sure.
“Everything’s good, so don’t worry and focus on what you’re doing. Who knows, maybe you won’t be coming home on your own.”
Harmon knew what Brad was insinuating. He glanced at Rex, who was talking to Merrick.
Merrick looked like he’d rather do anything but that, but his only alternative was talking to Jacob, and Harmon was pretty sure that Jacob would drown himself in his cup of coffee before willingly talking to Merrick.
He didn’t want to have this conversation here, where people could hear him—where Rex could hear him.
They’d talked about having a long-distance relationship, and they’d agreed that it wasn’t what they wanted.
Harmon couldn’t move in with the pack, and he wasn’t willing to step down as coven leader, so that left only one alternative.
Harmon wasn’t sure that Rex would want to move in with his coven, though.
It was a big decision to make and an even bigger thing to ask.
He stepped out of the conference room. He wasn’t planning on going far, but this way, Rex wouldn’t hear that he was talking about him. “It’s complicated,” he told Brad.
“Good things always are.”
Harmon rolled his eyes. “I don’t need you to be my therapist or love guru. I’m not saying it won’t ever happen. I’m just saying that it’s more complicated than it would be for someone who isn’t in charge of a coven.”
“Well, he knows what you do, doesn’t he?”
“He does.”
“So he knows that you can’t leave the coven. If he wants to be with you, he’ll move.”
“He has a family.”
“So? I have a family, too. I call them as often as I can, and we’re all happy.”
That was different. Brad was referring to his human family.
He’d kept in touch with his siblings when he’d been turned, and he’d gotten to know his nieces and nephews and their children, too.
Harmon had never met any of them, so he didn’t know what they thought of Brad being a vampire, but this wasn’t the same situation.
All of Rex’s family members were vampires.
But it wasn’t a decision Harmon got to make, and he was fine with that. Whatever Rex decided, Harmon would support. Hopefully, Rex’s family would, too.
“Look, I’m not saying that moving in with our coven is the only solution that you should offer, especially since you haven’t been together long, but it is a solution,” Brad said. “Keep it in mind when you start going all doom and gloom.”
“I don’t go all doom and gloom,” Harmon argued.
“Are you sure? Because I know you.”
“Sometimes, I wish I didn’t know you,” Harmon grumbled.
“That’s not true. You love me.”
“Again, sometimes I wonder why. You’re a pain in my ass.”
“Not as much as your guy, right?”
Harmon laughed. “That’s no way to talk to your coven leader,” he said.
“That’s good because I’m not talking to my coven leader.
I’m talking to my friend.” Brad’s tone became more serious.
“I just want you to be happy, and I know that leading our coven isn’t enough for you.
I hope you’ve found love and that you’ll find a way to make it work.
” He paused, then snickered. “Be sure to tell him that if he hurts you, he’ll have to deal with me and the rest of the coven. ”
“You think you’re scary enough to send him running?”
“My goal isn’t to send him running. My goal is to make sure he doesn’t hurt you. I’m ready to defend your honor if I have to.”
That was one of the reasons Harmon hadn’t given up on the coven.
They might annoy him to death and behave like kids, but they were his family, and he loved them.
He knew they loved him, too. Maybe instead of running away, he should have a serious and honest conversation with them.
They might behave like children sometimes, but they weren’t kids.
Hell, some of them were older than Harmon.
They’d understand if he told them how he felt, and hopefully, they’d change their behavior.
Besides, it wasn’t only their fault. Being a coven leader was time-consuming and stressful.
It would be the same with any coven, not just with theirs.
“There’s no need to defend my honor,” he promised. “And once again, thank you for everything you’re doing.”
“This is starting to sound like you’re planning on never coming back.”
“I’m coming back. You don’t have to worry about being in charge for longer than a few more days.”
“Good. Have fun, as much as you can. I know the dragons aren’t making it easy, but they’re not who you should focus on.”
Harmon disagreed with that because he was pretty sure that if he moved his focus away from the dragons, they’d take the opportunity to attack, but he didn’t want Brad to worry more than he already was. “I’ll be home soon,” he promised.
“And we’ll be here, waiting for you when you do.”
That was a different speech than the one Brad had been giving to Harmon lately, but they’d have time to talk about it when Harmon was home. For now, Harmon was relieved to know that Brad had everything under control.
He hung up and turned, hoping that everyone had arrived and that they could start working. He might have been eager to leave his coven behind for a bit, but now, he was eager to go home. He’d have work to do, but that was okay. He was a coven leader, after all.
He noticed something move from the corner of his eye.
He turned toward it, curious, but he wasn’t fast enough.
Something flew at his face. He realized it was a hand, and he raised his in time to block it.
That didn’t deter the dragon, though. She tried punching him again with her other hand.
Harmon noticed her fingers shifting into claws as they came toward his face, and he knew that he was in for a lot of pain if he didn’t manage to get her under control.
He was a vampire and a coven leader. He had decades of experience fighting and defending himself.
But this woman was a dragon shifter, and she looked pissed.
* * * *
ARLEN AND MALLORY HAD just walked in through the door, looking flushed and disheveled, when they all heard something break in the distance. Glancing around, Rex realized that Harmon still hadn’t come back.
He’d noticed Harmon slipping out, but he hadn’t followed.
Harmon would want to check in on the coven and make sure everything was all right back home since they had a moment as they waited for everyone to arrive, and Rex hadn’t been worried.
Instead, he’d been watching Jacob and Merrick, grinning every time Merrick moved and Jacob jumped.
It was like Jacob thought Merrick would lean over the table and attack him, which, knowing Merrick, was actually a possibility.
“What was that?” Mallory asked.
Rex shook his head as he got to his feet. He didn’t know what it was, but he didn’t like it anyway. He didn’t like that Harmon was nowhere to be seen. They needed to stick together because it would be too easy for one of the dragon shifters to hurt them if they were caught alone.
And Harmon was alone right now.
Almost as one, Rex and the others ran out the door.
Rex looked around frantically, trying to find his boyfriend, but he couldn’t see anything until Harmon stumbled in sight from around the corner.
A woman was slashing at his face, trying to scratch him.
Harmon had caught one of her wrists, but he looked like he was trying to avoid hurting her.
Normally, Rex would have understood, but not in this case.
That woman was trying to hurt Harmon, and that was enough for Rex to want to use any means necessary to stop her.
He rushed forward, but he wasn’t fast enough. The woman was damn lucky that he wasn’t the first to reach her. He wouldn’t have been as nice as Mallory, who caught the woman’s other wrist and pulled her away. Harmon let go of her, but he didn’t step away.
The woman screeched and turned her attention to Mallory.
She scratched his cheek, making him jump back.
Luckily, he wasn’t alone. Arlen was right behind him, and he caught the woman’s arm.
He twisted it and slammed her against the wall, which made the screeching stop.
She didn’t stop struggling, though. She tried to push away from the wall, and Arlen slammed her there again, pinning her.
He managed to get both of her hands behind her back, and he caught both her wrists with one hand.
He pressed them against the woman’s upper back, keeping her in place.
“Enough,” he ordered.