Chapter 20

Chapter Twenty

Callum

Freedom .

My brothers and I were finally free, us and those who'd been captured alongside us. I started to lose hope that we'd one day be free, that my daughter would find her mate. That her mate would find her.

I'd done everything I could for her until I'd been captured to keep the Drakon King from getting his hands on her. I haven't seen my beautiful girl since she was just thirteen. Lake has grown into such a beautiful woman. She looks so much like her mother. If not for the scent of Fae that clings to her, you'd never know her biological father wasn't me, but rather a Fae.

My mate, who I lost far too soon after I found her, she'd given me the best gift, even if she wasn't mine by blood. She shares my mate's blood. Her scent. She's the reason my mate had been able to escape so long ago.

The gifts that Lake was born with are the reason she's so special. Not just that she can breed a dragon, Fae, shifter, or a human, it's only once mated she is supposed to be safe, unfortunately, the Drakon King doesn't care. He wants my daughter as he'd wanted her mother. But he wants my daughter more than ever because of what she can do.

"Where's Lake?" Rohan asks when I take a seat next to him.

Walker slides a bottle of water in my direction. I take it and immediately open it. I bring it to my lips and swallow down the cool liquid. I hadn't had water in days. It's been even longer since I've had clean water, let alone cold.

The Drakon King didn't allow us to have much to eat. Mostly, we've survived on meagering moldy bread. Sometimes, if he felt gracious, he'd give us a deer or two. I always let the others eat before me. I didn't want them to go hungry. At first, they'd protest they weren't eating ahead of their leader. But I knew they needed the energy more than I did. Besides, I wasn't their leader. Tigers didn't have actual leaders. We had our streaks, but mostly, we were solitary. However, they all understood the significance of the dreaded future ahead of us. On top of all that, I knew the bastard Drakon wasn't going to allow me to starve to death. He intended to use me and my brothers as pawns to get my daughter to heed his demands once he caught up to her.

Thankfully, she finally found her mate, though.

And now, we're all free.

My sweet mate once told me of the prophecy that she heard. She explained to me the importance once I told her she was pregnant.

"I don't know. Her mate went to find her. I'm sure he knows where to find her," I answer and glance around us. My eyes land on Cassius's son once more. I didn't have to catch his scent to know whose son he is. He's the spitting image of our big brother. The only one of us who, until me, had found his mate. I never understood why he took off with his mate. I never met her and hadn't even known her name. Cassius had simply abandoned his streak to be with his mate. Now, I understand. I can smell it on his son. He's a crossbreed.

"What are we going to do now?" Trace asks.

"We stick close. We no longer need to run to protect Lake. She's come into her powers in full. Her mate will need us. We will be able to fight as we were always meant to." I tell them to scan the rest of the room, seeing the different shifters. Wolf, coyote, lion, leopard, and tiger. So many different breeds under one roof. It has to mean something that Tucker, the last tiger prince, would surround himself in such a place.

My brothers and I have always been friends with those of other breeds. Some of those within clubs such as this, but they were nothing compared to this one. Something about their leader, Corbin, I heard Tucker call him, he's an alpha wolf. For Tucker to allow himself to be a part of something that he's not leading, must surely mean Corbin is a strong leader. I hoped as such, especially with the battle that will surely be coming forth soon enough.

"You think he'll be able to do it?" Jair asks, glancing around.

"I believe he can," Rohan answers. "The way he looks at Lake and then pushes aside what he feels she's feeling proves it."

"I agree," Walker mutters. "He'd been able to get us out of that blasted tower without waking the beast. He made sure that Lake didn't say more than she did."

I nod, grimacing at the memory of seeing her again. I wanted to pull her in my arms and hold her tight. To give her what she seemed to want so much, it shimmered in her eyes, radiated off her. She wanted me to do all of this, and yet I didn't. If I had, we'd have woken Urgin, and all of us would be dead. All but Lake, who would then be in the grasp of Zurri.

It would be even worse for us if Urgin called to the beast that we'd only seen twice in the time we'd been captured. Dytar is only called upon by Urgin or Zurri himself. Dytar is known as the Breather of Eternal Ice. He's only allowed out of his confinements when commanded. Both times he'd been released was when the Fae decided to attack in the Drakon realm.

"Zurri himself will be coming now. He won't be able to help himself. Tucker will use his command of the true Alpha to take him on. We will fight to protect Lake." And maybe when this is done and over with, I can finally join my mate wherever she is.

A tiger could only hope for something so simple. I've longed for that of my mate long enough. Our daughter is grown, and once this is over, I'll be able to be at peace with the one woman I've loved yet not had enough time to love her as she deserved.