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Orla leaned on her cane. "That female will only bring trouble. She's with Clan Northcastle in Northern Ireland."
She may end up needing Bram's help after all since Clan Northcastle was in the UK. "Did she know about her and Killian's true mate connection?"
"I'm not sure. Male dragons always sense it first, but instinct and love don't always go hand-in-hand."
"True enough, but surely we can reach out to Northcastle and at least ask for a meeting along the border. Not even the DDA would consider that breaking the rules, as the border is open between the UK and Ireland anyway."
Orla harrumphed. "The DDA might not care, but Lorcan Todd would."
She frowned. "The leader of Northcastle? I know relations are tentative at best, but surely he'd be open to negotiation."
"Not in this, child. Killian's true mate is Lorcan Todd's daughter, Georgiana."
Blinking, she blurted, "What?"
"Aye, it's true. She accompanied Lorcan during a visit several years ago. Once Killian's dragon took notice, I helped my grandson to keep his distance from the female. Not even Teagan knew, although I suspect her dragon might've sensed it. However, because of it, Killian became unable to lead the negotiations and Teagan had no choice but to share her secret of being the leader with Lorcan."
While Glenlough had a history of female leaders, they had always ruled in secret, with a male to act as the public face of the clan. Otherwise, the other clans would've seen a female in charge as a weakness and attacked. Teagan's secret had only become known to the world in the last month or so.
"It couldn't hurt to ask Lorcan for help," Brenna suggested.
Orla tapped her cane. "He'll say no, the bastard. After all, in exchange for keeping Teagan's secret, he'd wanted my daughter Caitlin as his mate so that Glenlough would never attack or antagonize Northcastle again. Not to mention he'd hold dual citizenship and could come and go as he pleased between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, without DDA interference."
Brenna wondered why no one had thought to brief her more on the history between the two clans. "Since Caitlin's still here, the offer was plainly refused. And yet, Lorcan wasn't the one to reveal Teagan's secret."
The older female shook her head. "No. We ended up giving him resources and a few clan members to keep him quiet. Teagan eventually gathered evidence of Lorcan stealing sheep from local human farmers, and they came to a stalemate of sorts. The DDA would've taken Lorcan from his leadership role, if they knew of the theft."
Her frown deepened. "I think I'm missing another piece of information. Teagan's secret is out now, so she holds the cards. Why won't she put pressure on Lorcan?"
Orla sighed. "One of our clan members named Sadie ran off with a Northcastle bloke. Teagan is negotiating for Sadie and her lad to live here. Until that's done, she won't risk alienating the Northern Irish dragon clan."
"Right, then we need to do something else. While it's a big if, I can reach out to Bram and see if he has any suggestions. Northcastle and Stonefire aren't close, but Northcastle doesn't mind the Scottish dragon clan. Perhaps something can be done through them."
"I'll talk with Teagan about it. For now, just take care of Killian. He's a little less of a bastard when you're around. Who knows, maybe you're the key to his recovery."
"I'm not his true mate, Orla. The entire clan saw us kiss, and my dragon didn't go into a frenzy."
Orla thumped her cane again. "So? Teagan and Aaron aren't true mates, but they fit quite well together. Fate and instinct might have been necessary in the days of old to keep us alive, what with all the violence and mistrust, but I'm thinking it's no longer imperative for a dragon's happiness."
"You're somewhat forward-thinking for your age."
Orla shrugged a shoulder. "Change is necessary to survive." She tapped her cane harder. "Now, go back to Killian's room and maybe chat with my daughter. Caitlin takes after my late mate and is shy. Fake mating or not, she wants to know the female paired with her son. Killian losing his memory hasn't been easy for her."
She sensed there was more to the story, but instinctively knew that it wasn't Orla's to tell.
Brenna nodded. "I will, but I have a request."
"Aye?"
"I want all the information Glenlough has on Lorcan Todd and his daughter. I don't want to throw up any red flags about my possible plans, and I'm sure you know how to covertly get the files without getting caught."
"At least you don't underestimate me. I knew there's a reason I like you."
She winked. "You just want someone to sneak in weapons on demand."
"Hmph. I've been warned that my cane is too dangerous. Otherwise, I wouldn't need your help."
"Of course not." Brenna moved to the door. "Talk with Teagan as soon as possible, Orla. I know there are many ways to help Killian, but the more options we have available at our fingertips, the better."
