12
Sagan
The next morning, I had several people obviously wanting to speak to me privately before training and most didn’t look happy. One looked ready to explode though, and Treena, Velle, and Myriam all just pointed to him like “handle him.”
What a way to start a Monday morning.
“Ayao, let’s run up ahead before we start the meeting,” I offered, glad when the three women nodded that was the right call. Or maybe they wouldn’t kill me now?
I started out faster than my normal jog with him so we could get ahead but then kept the pace. He shot me a look like are we really doing this? Then he seemed to accept it… And he’d have to push himself to keep up with me.
That was fun for me. Fine, he was a big guy, even for dragons, but he could definitely train harder. He wasn’t as filled out as Thorn or others. It was more like he worked out so he didn’t look skinny being on the taller side of dragons.
And to look good. I bet it was about vanity not strength or for anything it should be.
My dragons chastised me for being judgy and just as bad to look down on anyone’s reasons that they went to the gym. They were right and I accepted their reprimands.
“Look, I think we can agree that I’m not like the other candidates and I’m not some dipshit,” he said once we were far enough away. “I’m not saying I’m perfect and don’t have my moments, but I’m useful.”
“Spit it out,” I chuckled when I realized he was going to circle around his point either because of the time or he didn’t know how to ask what he needed to.
“I want better access to you.” He growled when I snorted. “I don’t mean like that. Now you get why I didn’t know how to broach this. I don’t even have your direct number. I’m working on projects—look, I think Treena and Myriam are awesome and I’m grateful they’re at your side.”
It was hard not to laugh that he left out Velle. Even those of us who didn’t hate her anymore didn’t actually like her. It would be sad if she didn’t bring it on herself.
He waited until I glanced at him. “But they’re from other countries—Treena will be queen. I know she’s your best friend, but you need to choose what she knows sometimes. Not me. I need to be able to get to you and you can tell her what I know.”
Because he knew something right then that he didn’t think the Heir of Bodach should. “Give me an example of what you’re talking about.”
He tried to hide a smile but failed, fully knowing what I was doing and I basically had to yell at my body to calm down… Because the smile was so disarming that any sane woman with a pulse would react. Ayao Hamdan was fine.
Like with a capital “F” and could have been the top model in Thovudin if that was what he wanted. Sometimes I wondered why he didn’t go that route to break away from his family.
Then I remembered how he reacted to the media all in his face and that pretty much answered that.
“The Alphas took you not calling them on your deadline about Wilder as you conceding, caving and…” He nodded when I chuffed. “They had a call about it and Dray threw down that you’re queen and you have other shit besides babysitting them.”
The hair on the back of my neck stood up at his tone. “And really?”
“He got a tip that Darren took over the Gurren family and it got messy. He doesn’t know specifics, but ‘messy’ was what he heard, and it was a juicy story. Someone’s planning to break it this morning even and try to corner Darren? He wasn’t really sure besides sure its angle is to hurt you.”
“And he’s doing what with that?” I hedged.
“He threw down with the other Alphas and got it done,” he said, and handed me an earbud. “I set it up that my phone will read the statement to you while we run. There is no chance I can read it while moving and not die.”
I snorted, feeling the same. I thanked him and put it in my ear, ignoring how intimate it kind of felt as he put the paired earbud in his own ear.
Then I was just distracted by what I was hearing. Like almost tripped over my own feet shocked. Dray had thrown down was an understatement.
First, it was from all of the Alphas, even the acting ones.
Second, it was for more than I had wanted and made it clear they were done with the temples overreaching and were pushing back.
Third, they even made it clear this was completely due to my bold leadership cutting out the corrupt elders and now they were taking the next steps.
I handed back the earbud and then took off for several sprints as I processed what I’d listened to. Then I swung by Benson who was with us and was surprised when he turned to jog sideways instead of making me face backwards.
I matched him. “Ayao gets full access to my floor going forward. Put him on the list.”
Anger I wasn’t ready for filled his eyes. I swallowed a sigh and went to return to Ayao but almost tripped again when I saw several other upset people.
Fuck.
I decided to handle it by talking to Treena, Myriam, and Velle.
“He was right. This was something I needed to hear directly and only I should decide if it’s fine for citizens of other nations to know.
My advisor or aides or not. He—he gets access to me going forward given the projects he’s handling and how tapped in he is. ”
“Fine, but he owes us lunch or something for being so damn pushy,” Velle grumbled. “He’s polite but seriously pushy.”
Oh, that was hysterical coming from her, especially when most times she wasn’t even polite. I felt better when Treena and Myriam both gave her looks like you’re kidding, right?
I jogged back to Ayao and I saw how he was looking at the group. “Sorry, it’s Monday before coffee. I need like a month of sleep.”
He snorted. “They were going to think it when they learned I had access no matter how you handled it now. I prefer you made it clear up front it’s because of work. I like living.”
I gave him the look he deserved, but he just gave a half shrug like he stood by what he’d said.
I let out a slow breath and decided to focus on the ticking bomb I was basically now holding that could either explode in my hands… Or the temple’s.
“So walk me through this as if you were on my team,” I hedged.
“I am.” He sighed when I snorted. “I don’t see this team as not being my team. The moment I see a conflict, I will tell you and make it clear my team is my team. I’m not kidding that I believe in not fucking people over.” There was something in his voice that wasn’t hurt but kind of was.
And I felt small when I realized he was upset because he hadn’t told his uncle what he’d figured out and I’d just snorted at him.
“The snort was unfair,” I admitted.
He let out a shaky breath. “Thanks. I also get that it’s hard to consider anyone could be on your team after all you’ve been through.”
“Yeah. Too many who should have been weren’t.” I cleared my throat, basically wanting to say he knew that feeling too, but it seemed cold to mention.
We shared a look and I knew we were on the same page about it at least.
“Dray reminded them of their promises and to not fuck with you again when right now wasn’t the time to risk hate against the Alpha families after the chaos of Lori and Kole,” he said quietly.
“But also getting this done would make the news big and all over and no one would care about a head of the family change. At least right now.”
“And Dray wants what for his help in this?” I muttered.
He was quiet. “He said nothing and he meant it. Tried to brush it off as he was keeping his promise.”
“The reality?” I reached over and grabbed his wrist when he was quiet but dropped it as we kept running.
“I’m not going to fuck him over if he doesn’t come for me.
I promise, Ayao. I don’t have a grudge with him or Jade Creek.
I really did pretty much wipe the slate clean when I took over and Dray has helped. ”
“As long as he stays in his lane.”
“As long as he stays in his lane,” I confirmed.
He sighed and moved his hands onto his head… And I tried to ignore how fucking good his biceps and arms looked like that.
Seriously, I’d just had sex last night. Were my lusty hormones directly tied to my stress levels?
Actually, that sounded like it could be a thing, and I had a mental image of both of my dragons nodding. Great.
“We have problems with our temples in Jade Creek, and the worst temple head is the front-runner to become the new high priest. I think that’s why Dray jumped on adding your idea from our run with Joris. That’s my gut and knowing him.”
Fair enough, and I said as much and then he walked me through the rest.
Basically, Joris’s dad had told him enough with the temples and he was getting flak about it…
And it wasn’t the first time. The Alpha admitted this on the call with the others.
Joris pushed back and said it was worse than they knew, especially with the way they were pushing me and this idea of meetings, it was a line in the sand that couldn’t go unchecked.
And he was now working on another project with the temples for me, but other candidates would be involved as well, so that could take the heat off just him.
So like chill out already and let him do what he needed to because he was sick of being told he was too passive and then shut down whenever he didn’t act like his father’s toy to push around.
Dray said the Alpha was fairly impressed and said if nothing else, this contest seemed good to push some of the “kids” out of the nest and see how they flew. A few agreed that the old practice of being aides to the king or queen was smart and something to discuss bringing back.
Awesome for me or my kids, but that was a problem for future me.
Joris finally caved and said that it would be announced that a whole inspection of all the different temples’ food pantries needed to happen.
Also, what was going on from what he knew.
Of course the Alpha immediately told the others and it was fine this time, but seriously they were just proving my point of why I couldn’t trust any of them with information.
Really, they were.