10. Cillian
My dragon pushed against my skin, surging to the surface and desperately trying to break free. He wanted to annihilate the man who stood in our living room, threatening to take our mate. He wanted to unsheathe his claws and spill Nolan’s intestines out onto the rug.
I forced my beast down.
We had to play this smart. Nolan certainly was. He knew that if he got under our skin and one of us snapped, he’d have cause to remove Hayden from our care. I wasn’t about to give him that.
I pushed to my feet, crossing in front of Nolan and straight to Hayden. Knox stepped back, giving me space. My hand slipped beneath her gorgeous blonde tendrils, and I squeezed her neck.
It was a possessive hold. Every dragon in the room would recognize it as such. Everyone except Hayden.
She tipped her head back, looking up at me with such sweet submission. But there was fear and uncertainty in those hypnotizing violet eyes. The fact that Nolan had put those emotions there had me wanting to gut him all over again.
I dipped my head, brushing my lips across Hayden’s. It was a blatant fuck you to the council, but I didn’t give a damn.
Hayden melted into me, and I had to fight the urge to throw her over my shoulder and run fast and far. Everything in me wanted to create distance from the threat all around us.
I forced myself to pull away from Hayden’s mouth, her taste, and her jasmine and fresh dew scent. I knew my eyes had likely gone dark, but it couldn’t be helped. “Hayden is free to meet whomever she would like. And she’s also free to opt out of those meetings.”
Nolan’s brown eyes swirled gold. “You don’t have a say in that.”
“Boys,” Mona warned, uncrossing and recrossing her legs. “Let’s not allow this conversation to devolve.”
Nolan flicked her a look of annoyance, and as much as Mona pissed me off at times, I wanted to buy her a bottle of the god-awful vodka she favored. His focus returned to me. “Cillian needs to be reminded of his place. He already executed an alpha, a king of one of the hordes, without council authorization.”
My body went rigid as fury blazed through me. My beast pulled at the reins, dying to break free. “I killed my father when he attempted to slay my little brother. When he almost succeeded.”
I could still see the blast of alpha fire hit Declan in the chest, see his body fall, his mate weeping over him. I wished I could’ve killed Patrick over and over again. But even if I could do it every day for the rest of my life, it wouldn’t satiate my anger.
Hayden’s hand fisted in my button-down, her muscles tensing as she looked up at me in question.
Nolan picked up on it instantly. He grinned at her. “Your so-called mate didn’t tell you that he murdered his father?”
Maddox let out another growl. “You’re the only ones who let people get away with murder around here.”
Oh, hell. I could hear the fury in Mad’s voice. He was seconds away from snapping.
I sent Easton a sharp look.
He quickly stepped up next to Maddox, so close that he could grab him if Mad were to truly snap. “Are you here to investigate Hal Corbett’s attack on Hayden?”
I had to give it to Easton. His question sounded so innocent, as if he believed the council would actually work against injustice. But we knew the truth. Their fancy clothes, expensive cars, and palatial homes were bought with bribes from hordes all over the world.
Nolan’s eyes flashed. “Hal did report an incident to us. One that we were extremely concerned about.”
Fionn set his glass of scotch down on the side table. “He said that you attacked him, Easton. That a female dragon got caught in the crossfire.”
Hayden surged forward before I could stop her. “That’s not true. Easton didn’t do anything. That monster attacked us.”
Pain streaked across Easton’s face. Agony at the memory and that she was still trying to protect him, even though he didn’t deserve it.
Interest flickered in Mona’s eyes. “I know it can be hard, being introduced to a whole new world. You don’t always understand the dynamics of the supernatural world.”
Hayden glared at her. “I know when someone shoots a fireball at us out of nowhere. I’m not an idiot.”
Our girl had fire. And I loved her for it. But in this situation, that fire could get us into a hell of a lot of hot water.
Arthur scoffed as he ran his hand through his perfectly coiffed hair. “You know nothing about our world, girl.”
Redness crept up Hayden’s throat. “I know that I’m happy here and that I don’t want to meet any other hordes or whatever else you had in mind. Just leave me alone.”
Nolan’s eyes narrowed. “Careful. I might take that as an insult.”
Cáel moved then, hauling Hayden back against his chest. “Back off.”
“You don’t get to make that call,” Nolan spat back. “Unless you’re challenging our authority?”
“No one is doing that,” I interjected. “But Hayden does still have free will, doesn’t she?”
A mixture of anger and agony bled into those words as I locked eyes with Nolan. He knew exactly what I meant. He was the one member of the council who had been in leadership all those years ago when I’d tried to file my report. When I’d told them of the atrocities my so-called father had committed. When I still believed the council did some good.
But Nolan hadn’t given one flying fuck. Because he’d been in my father’s pocket all along.
Mona stood, feeling the building tension. “Of course, she does. But a girl’s gotta know her options so she can make an informed decision. So, we’ve planned a little cocktail party for the weekend. All eligible and appropriate hordes have been invited. Then Hayden can make her own choice.”
But I knew what that meant. All hordes that had paid the council to be invited. Hordes that would do anything for a mate. Even if that meant taking her.