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“What can we expect from the Dragon Council? What will they do tomorrow?” Rhene asked.
“This is the first Council I’m attending,” Gregor said. “Fergal attended the previous one, but his father was still alive at the time and saw no reason for me to accompany them. So I have no clue.”
Fergal scratched his beard. “I have a hunch the Murphys are going to come for you first thing, and they’re going to hit hard. My gut says they want you out of here as soon as possible, and in this case, Cladhaire’s words have no weight, since your claim is against him. The Murphys will have to take the lead. So have your claims at the ready, with the receipts to prove you’re not lying. The one advantage we have is that it’s our turn to chair the Council, so at least there’s that.”
“And what will the O’Connors do?” Erwan asked.
Fergal’s expression hardened. “They will do what they do best—abstain and stick their heads in the sand. As long as it’s not something that directly affects them, they want nothing to do with it.”
That left them with two clans against them: one who wouldn’t lift a finger and one willing to defend them. Not the best odds, but for now, Rhene would take it.
In the meantime, all he could do was hope and pray the rescue mission had been successful and Erwan’s mom had been freed.
Chapter Ten
Adar had always considered himself a level-headed person. He was a man of action, someone who preferred a physical job, like the one he had now. Whether it was because of his dyslexia or because he was wired that way, he had no idea, but he’d never been all that interested in intellectual things. As a result, he took things as they came, not spending much time pondering the why questions of life.
But after the mission to the Doyle castle, after the powerful magic he had witnessed there, he was asking himself a lot of questions, all right. Miracles. He had seen miracles. There was no other word to describe it. The way Oliver and Fallon had dismantled the spell on that door…
He’d been worried sick, concerned they would overlook something and Oliver would get hurt. But they had done it, hadn’t they? Two little omegas had bested the black magic of a powerful man. A deep pride had filled Adar, mixed with an intense wave of gratitude.
It had cost Lucia her life, though. She might’ve been old, but she had deserved a kinder, gentler death than that. Adar had to believe her sacrifice would mean something. Hadn’t they seen that before with the wolves, that sacrificing yourself for the good of the pack—or, in this case, the clan—had powerful effects? Losing Jawon, Lidon’s cousin, in that brutal attack on the ranch had been a hard blow, but there was no denying his death had boosted the pack’s powers, maybe even made it possible for them to shift again. Would Lucia’s sacrifice have a similar effect? Time would tell.
On the long trek back, Oliver had been exhausted, and after he had stumbled and almost face-planted twice, Adar had asked him for permission to pick him up and carry him. Oliver had only hesitated briefly, then nodded. Adar had carried him the rest of the way, and even though his arms had hurt for hours afterward, it had been worth every second to hold his mate like that. Even better was that Oliver had fallen asleep against him, his head on Adar’s shoulder. That sign of trust meant the world to Adar.
But it also meant he needed a solution to his problem. He needed to talk to someone and get a second opinion on how to fix himself so he was worthy of Oliver, worthy of the trust his mate had put in him. And, of course, he could only think of one person who had the experience and the knowledge to help him. Plus, Delton knew both of them, so that helped too.
When he’d texted Delton, the man had asked him to stop by for lunch at noon, which worked for Adar. He had told Oliver he’d be busy for two hours and not to leave the house and, if he did, to alert Blair to accompany him. Oliver had looked surprised but had nodded, and Adar was certain he wouldn’t go against his advice. Oliver’s fear for the Murphys was far too deep to be that stupid.
On his way over to Delton, Adar picked up some delicious homemade sandwiches from Lev that he had requested earlier. “I brought lunch,” Adar said when Delton opened the door.
“Oh. Okay. I wasn’t counting on that, but thank you.”
Adar chuckled at Delton’s expression. “No worries, I didn’t make them. Lev did. And yes, you’re allowed to look relieved.”
Delton laughed sheepishly. “Sorry. It’s just that your lack of culinary skills is well known.”
“And with reason. So I don’t take offense.”
“Is it okay if we sit outside?” Delton asked. “It’s such beautiful weather, and I’ve found a lovely spot under the trees to sit and relax.”
“Are you sure no one will be able to listen in?”
“Wouldn’t you see them coming before they could hear anything?”
He had a point. And to be fair, Adar preferred sitting outside to being stuck in Delton’s cozy but small office. “Okay.”
They set off to the place Delton had indicated, and Adar had to admit it was perfect. The big tree provided enough shade, and the lush grass was a soft natural cushion.
“I wanted to talk to you,” Adar said after a few minutes.
“I gathered as much since you don’t make a habit of inviting me for lunch.”
“The lunch part was your idea. I just asked to talk to you. But yes.”
“What’s on your mind?”
Adar took a deep breath. “Oliver.”
