37. Chapter Forty-Two

"You better find your words, Boy, or I will find them for you."

I chuckled; my dragon's building emotions grew wilder by the second.

"Yeah? Do you think I'm scared that you'll put me in my place? I'm doing this because you won't help me. Because my mate is being threatened."

Dad chuckled humorlessly. "This is because you think this siren army is going to come and attack our kingdom? That ludicrous. You brought those dirty wolves here to help fight with you, Son? Have you lost your mind? You don't know them—,"

"I know them well enough," I lied.

Dad turned away from me and ran his fingers into his graying hair. "I was getting ready to send my army to annihilate the wolves, and my son brought them here without my permission. What in the hell is wrong with you?"

My dragon began to stir.

Amara stepped out from beside me and faced my father. His gaze shifted toward hers, and for once in his life, he was silent.

"Dorran doesn't deserve that," she said softly. "He just wants to protect me, and I'm sorry it's come down to this, but the sirens are coming."

He narrowed his eyes to slits. "Yes, Amara. They are coming. They're coming for you. If you leave then they won't come. It's been on my mind. The problem here is you."?"

Dread filled my stomach.

My heart stopped beating.

Stepping in front of her, I pointed my finger in my father's face. "If you dare ban her from this kingdom you will regret the day you ever had sex with my mother and formed me in her womb. I will rip this kingdom apart thread by thread until there is nothing left. You'll be moving everyone to The West Kingdom."

Turning his gaze toward the mountain, he slid his tongue across his teeth. "Come inside. We need to speak about this and get her leg bandaged. I can smell her blood. The vampires will be here before we know it," he said sarcastically.

The guards lining the bridge stayed in their spots, but some gave me a side eye that I didn't like. What had he been telling the castle since I left?

Amara winced when we started down the stairs, so I picked her up and carried her the rest of the way. She did not comment on what my father said. There was nothing to say. In reality, it was the truth, but I didn't give a damn.

I had a right to the throne in this kingdom, but if I had to choose, I would choose her every time.

Dad walked toward his office, but I swerved toward the kitchen, finding Glendora elbow-deep in the sink.

She looked over her shoulder. "Dorran," she said surprised, but then she looked at Amara and stopped.

"I need you to bandage her up while I talk with Dad, please."

Glendora asked no questions. She hurried toward the tall pantry cabinet, plucked a kit from the midst of the junk drawer, and ushered us toward the closest bathroom.

I sat Amara on top of the counter, pushing back her blonde hair and kissing her forehead. "Stay with Glendora once you're finished. Do not wander the castle."

"Ok."

Glendora caught my gaze in the mirror, and I saw a soft smile on her face. I didn't have time to question her intentions, I stalked toward my father's office, finding the king of The East Kingdom inside.

"Shut the door, Dorran," Dad said. "We need to figure this out, we can't have wolves in our kingdom."

"I don't know," I said, shutting the door with my foot. "We seem to have let everyone else inside."

Dad scoffed. "Have you ever seen these sirens?"

I struggled to keep myself calm. "Yes, I don't know how many times you need to hear it. They are coming regardless. We have to get the army prepared. I'm not tossing her out to defend herself."

"No one believes in these sirens. I think you're getting your tails ruffled for no reason," Dad said. "Why haven't we heard of them before son?"

The East Kingdom's King lifted his gaze toward me. "Not to mention, how on Earth did you get the werewolves to agree to fight?"

"They owed me."

Dad sighed heavily. "They need to leave. If the people of our kingdom find out about this, they will raise questions. I can't deal with any more drama at the moment. I'm already trying to merge two kingdoms and find jobs for everyone—,"

"Where is Damien?" I asked suddenly.

Dad slowly stood. "Get them out by the morning, Dorran. I mean it—,"

I left him standing in his office while I ran upstairs toward Damien's room. It was empty.

Mother stood at the doors to Dad's office when I came back down, her face red with irritation. "Dorran!" she shouted. "You come back here and explain yourself to me. I need answers—,"

"Some foundation will cover up the red."

Amara sat in a small foldout chair in the corner of the kitchen when I shoved through the doors. Her leg was bandaged well, while Glendora dried the dishes. "Have you seen Damien?"

She thought about it. "He's been spending time in the warrior's cabins."

Offering Amara my hand, I lifted her into my arms. "Thank you, Glendora."

"Wait, Dorran," she said, pushing a strand of gray hair from her eyes. "You take care of her."

"I will."

Shoving each door open with my shoulder, I carried Amara out of the back and down the trail that led toward the cabins. Most of the lights were off since it was only a few hours before they woke for training.

I opened the doors with my boot, looking over the sleeping dragon shifters until I found my brother with them.

He startled awake and blinked until his eyes focused.

"Get up," I hissed.

Damien dropped his head and groaned into his pillow. "What in the hell do you need? I'm attempting to earn our army"s trust for you and your messed-up love story—,"

"What have you been doing this entire time, Damien? Playing warrior?"

His icy eyes narrowed to slits. "Busting my ass. That's what I've been doing."

"Get up, we need to talk to the head of the warriors. Where is he?"

Damien jerked the covers from his body. "It's Gideon, and he has his own cabin. Why the rush?" he asked.

"I need to know that they are going to fight. Dad is adamant about getting the wolves that I brought over—,"

Damien grabbed a t-shirt from the floor. "You brought wolves into the kingdom?"

"I don't think you realize what the hell is going on. They are going to kill us if we're not ready—,"

Sirens rang from the castle that sent panic down my back. Amara sat up in my arms as all the dragons began to wake.

Disgruntled voices filled the room as dragons dressed and I took Amara toward the front doors. The sirens were ear-piercing and churned my stomach.

"Are they here?" she asked quietly.

Searching the land, I noticed the guards running toward something, and I didn't think it was the wolves.

"I think so."

I turned to go back inside when Gideon raced over, half-dressed with sleep in his eyes. "Dorran? Do you know what's going on?"

Amara shifted and stared over my shoulder as Gideon approached. He was a giant dragon, older than me by a decade, with deep curious eyes and a shiny gray tint to his hair.

"Sirens are coming. I told my father but he didn't believe me. There is a pack of wolves here to help."

A strike of lightning hit the trees next to us, and a roll of thunder followed.

Gideon adjusted the sword in his holder, his gaze shifting over the land, and settling on Amara. "Are they here for her?"

Adjusting her tighter in my arms, I waited for him to suggest anything rash. "She's my mate. I'm not handing her over.

Gideon glanced over his shoulder at the dragons filing out of the cabins. "Well then, Prince Dorran. Let's protect her, shall we?"

Pride swelled in my heart. My father may be a yellow-belly but his army was not. "Warriors!" he said, turning to face the pack of dragons. "We're fighting sirens tonight. We're protecting Prince Dorran's mate, Amara. If you see her hurting or cornered, you attack. Do not hesitate—,"

The heavy sound of rain and thunder masked my father's arrival. His heavy palm slapped my shoulder. "We're not fighting these sirens," he said loudly. "Do you see what they brought us? We're not fighting them," he said. "I refuse to give up my army for one person. I can't find some of my dragons. Where is Toby? I asked him to stay in the castle. Disobeying the King warrants punishment.

Gideon's brows pulled down in confusion. "No disrespect, Sir, but this is Prince Dorran's mate—,"

"No fighting," he snapped, silencing Gideon. "I'm going to surrender." He looked at me and shook his head. "I suggest you run with Amara."

Chandler and his pack of wolves barreled into the field next to the cabins.

"You go back home, Wolf," Dad said. "We're not fighting these things."

I felt Amara's heart racing in her chest. She was afraid, and it sent a dagger into my stomach.

Dad shot into the sky, going to surrender my mate to that lunatic.

Chandler scoffed. "We're not leaving unless you tell us to," he said.

Amara maneuvered her way out of my arms and pressed her palms down her clothes to straighten them out. Putting up her hand, she stopped the rain and sighed. "Gosh, that was getting on my nerves," she said, moving her wet hair from her forehead.

Gideon tilted his head. "You're a siren?"

She nodded.

"And they are coming for you?"

"Yes," she said helplessly. "I understand if you don't fight. He's your king, and it"s his order. He'll punish anyone that disobeys him."

He cleared his throat. "We're fighting. The King will get over it or get new warriors."

Grabbing Amara's hand, I pulled her to the side. "I'm not leaving you. If you need me, I'll be close. Do not go with Evian, Amara. It doesn't matter how bad things are," I said in a helpless whisper. "Do not leave me."

Amara's eyes built with tears, and she lifted onto her tiptoes. Wrapping my arm around her waist, I kissed her.

Tears leaked down her cheeks and into our kiss.

Pulling back, I rested my forehead against hers. "That felt like a goodbye kiss, Little Mouse. There is no goodbye with us. Got it?"

Her spine stiffened suddenly. She whipped around and faced what looked like an empty field beside the cabins.

"Put your hands over your ears," she whispered.

I glanced at Gideon, who obeyed and spread the word to the other warriors.

The insects were silent, and nature paused. The soft lure of a lullaby trickled down from the trees. Amara stepped forward, watching as sirens dropped from the treetops several yards away and landed in the field with us.

The song brushed against my skin. So, I pressed harder, blocking out their attempts. Seconds turned to minutes when a few dragons began to walk toward them.

I didn't dare drop my hands and grab them.

Amara lifted them and tossed them on the other side of the field.

If that didn't wake them up nothing would.

Someone jumped from deep in the forest and landed in front of Amara.

Evian smiled. "Hello, Little Mouse. Are you ready to come home?"