Chapter 32 #3
“I don’t know, Hoheit. I really wish I did. But I counted vehicles as we came in, wanting to be thorough on the cleanup, and it matches what Cameron saw, so we’re short. I know we didn’t drive them, so…”
Alric used the vilest swear words he could think of in every language and still didn’t feel it adequately relayed his frustration. “So you’re telling me that once again, we were attacked, and we still don’t understand our enemy’s motivations.”
Baldwin grimaced. “I’ll search for survivors.”
“Go.” Alric highly doubted there were any. His clan had been too enraged to pull any punches. He couldn’t remain in dragon form, though. His left arm couldn’t hold up his body weight anymore. With a grimace, he shifted back into human form and tried not to show how much pain that caused him.
“Hey. I can tell you’re in serious pain right now.
” Cameron eyed his arm already starting to tremble with pain and fatigue.
“What the hell were you thinking, dropping in like that in dragon form? Although your dragon form is hella sexy, honey, I have to tell you. I about swallowed my tongue. I kept thinking, man, this is one powerful looking dragon, who’s this, then I realized it was you, and I almost forgot about the bad guys.
But seriously, landing on your bad arm?”
“They were aiming at the back of your head,” Alric explained simply. His whole body felt like one live wire of pain now that the adrenaline had worn off. “I had to shield you.”
Cameron stopped dead, and stared at Alric. “I’m not sure whether to shake you for the stupidity or kiss you for being so protective of me.”
“I’d rather a kiss. If I get a vote.”
“You most certainly do.” Cameron leaned in and kissed him softly, the kiss sweet and filled with not only gratitude that each of them were alive and well, but together. “I love you.”
Alric smiled and kissed him again, relishing in those words. Words he’d half lost any hope of hearing from a lover’s lips. “I love you.”
“Thanks for coming to the rescue.”
“Of course I’d come. Although I’m rather glad my chosen mate is intelligent enough to rescue himself.”
“So it was my brains you fell for?” Cameron teased as he put a supportive arm around Alric’s waist, taking some of the weight onto himself. “Not my beauty?”
Alric sighed and leaned into the hold. “Fortunately for me, you have both. Right now, I choose to be thankful for your brains.”
“I too like my brains, but even if I can get myself out of sticky situations, I want you to understand that I do not want to face the bad guys by my lonesome. You got me? That was scary as fuck.”
Alric looked up at him in concern. “You seemed fine so I didn’t think to ask, but you are well? They didn’t hurt you?”
Cameron snorted. “I barely have bruises to show. They were too worried about you guys quickly catching up to do much to me except throw me into a room. It’s why I sadly don’t know much.
I didn’t spend much time listening to them.
I picked up only a little. Thomas was here, he’s British, and he said that he wants mages as a stepping stone?
It didn’t make sense to me. I’m not sure what their aim is. ”
“I’d rather you safe and we figure out the mystery later.” Alric meant every word of it even if he did wish they had something of an answer. But it was a problem to be solved a different day.
“How’s Dieter? And Warin?”
“Both in pain and a little shaken, but fine. They were recovered enough to join the fight.”
“Thank fuck. They were down for the count when I was taken.” Cameron heaved out a relieved breath.
Alric’s eyes roved over him again, drinking in the sight of him hale and unharmed. Right now, he had a handsome man he wanted to reconnect with in every way possible. He knew how to tease Cameron a little and trailed a hand up the man’s thigh. “If you don’t mind, I want to examine you for myself.”
Cameron gave him a hopeful look. “Sexy examine?”
“Is there any other kind?”
“With you? I fucking hope not. We’ll figure this out. I promise. Let’s go back, okay? We’ve got wounded to tend to.”
“You speak wise counsel to me, Liebling.” Alric sighed.
He was in pain from landing hard on his left arm, tired from the magical draw Cameron had demanded of him—not that he blamed him for that one iota—and in need of just a few minutes reassuring himself that every hair on Cameron’s head was still there.
And maybe a stiff Scotch.
The battle, for today at least, was over. It was time to do cleanup so they could go home. It wouldn’t happen quickly, what with the building and general area on fire, people injured and in need of care. Alric would need to shelve his own pain long enough to attend to everyone else.
Even as he opened his mouth to do so, Cameron handed him over to Baldewin. “Take him, get some salve on him. Alric, take five, I’ve got this. Carla! Can you be fire control, we gotta get this put out before it spreads!”
Alric watched his lover go ahead of him, calling out questions to people, starting triage, forming people into work teams to handle the damage.
He did it effortlessly, as if he’d led and commanded others for years.
Alric knew he’d been nervous about leading the clan, that he’d had doubts about his ability to do so well.
But in the thick of the action, there was no doubt in Cameron’s mind.
No hesitation in his orders or movements.
“Look at him,” Alric sighed to Baldewin in true pleasure. “He’s a natural at this. I knew he would be.”
“He’s a people person, of course he’s good at leading,” Baldewin snorted.
“We all knew he’d be fine once he got a feel for the clan.
And look, he’s not even ordering so much as asking people what they’re doing, and they’re the ones choosing tasks, playing to their strengths. You did well picking that one, Alric.”
“That I did,” Alric agreed, still beyond pleased. He could watch his Cameron in action all day.
“I, for one, intend to follow his orders.” Baldewin hauled him off to sit on a nearby section of rubble. “Let’s get you tended to before Cameron realizes I haven’t done my job and comes back to bite my head off.”
“Baldewin, are you more scared of my mate then you are of me?”
Baldewin pulled out the salve from his pocket, already unstopping the lid. He gave Alric a flat look. “He just stopped a magical attack by multiple mages. By himself. Frankly, Hoheit, he’s terrifying.”
Alric beamed in response. “Isn’t he? I couldn’t be more proud of him.”