She cackled and leaned into the frame, motioning for someone offscreen. “Aelira! Draven! She’s alive but hobbling.”
Alpha Draven’s face filled the screen, hard edged and tired looking but still sharp as ever. “Glad you survived. Now get your ass in gear. We’re planning another raid.”
“Straight to the point. I missed you too, Draven,” I said, raising my mug of spicy root tea in salute.
Luna Aelira slid in beside him, looking every bit the regal powerhouse with her white braid twisted up and fae–touched robes glowing faintly with warding sigils. “We’ve confirmed a second compound. Heavily guarded. Women, pregnant women, and infants. Possibly magical experiments.”
My stomach dropped. “How many?”
“We’re not sure. At least fifty confirmed by Soria’s contact. Could be more,” she said.
Taya leaned in again. “We’re not waiting long. The moment we have full coordinates, we’re sending recon, then strike. But that’s not why
we called.”
Draven crossed his arms. “We did a headcount.”
“And?” I asked, sitting up straighter.
He grinned…not a friendly grin, more of a ‘we’re going to burn their world down‘ kind of grin. “Including human Marines, fae warriors, dragon shifters, witches, mages, beast shifters, and both wolf and lycan packs, we’ve got seven hundred thousand ready fighters. Give or take a few.”
I blinked. “Holy shit. That many?”
Lyssira growled her approval in my head. “We’re totally going to kick their asses!”
Aelira nodded. “The prophecy is spreading. Supernaturals who were in hiding are coming forward. They’re ready to fight. They’re ready to follow you.”
“No pressure,” I muttered, raking a hand through my still damp mane of hair.
Taya snorted. “You’ll be fine. Just don’t die. And hydrate.”
“Helpful,” I deadpanned.
“Also,” Draven added, “Stormclaw Keep has been fully fortified. Thanks to the fae and dragons, we’ve got the strongest wards known to the realms layered across every inch of this place. The portal is now open and stable between here and your dragon castle.”
Aelira tapped a glowing crystal on her end and a shimmering projection floated up, a magical map of both Stormclaw Keep and our territory in the dragon lands, connected by a glowing portal line. “We now have two strongholds, both armed and secured. Training can happen back and forth. Resource sharing is already set up. This is how we win.”
“You mean it’s not just me running around half naked in rage and chaos anymore?” I asked sweetly.
1/2
18:02 Thu, Oct 23
Chapter 197
Draven’s eyebrow twitched. “You still do that. But now we’ve got logistics.”
Taya leaned in again, grinning. “And spreadsheets. Goddess help us all.”
“I will burn your spreadsheets,” I muttered with mock horror.
A knock came at my door and Vaelrix poked his head in. “You talking strategy or roasting your friends again?”
“Both,” I said, motioning him in. “Come say hi.”
He strolled in shirtless and smug, hair still a mess from sleep. “Stormclaw team. Looking good. We’re ready for your warriors here. Our dragons are eager to train them.”
“Just don’t fry anyone on day one,” Draven said.
“No promises,” Vaelrix purred.
Aelira’s gaze softened slightly. “Elowen, this is happening. We’re building something no one has dared before. Uniting the species. Creating a future.”
My chest ached in the best way. “Then let’s make sure we don’t fuck it up.”
Taya nodded. “Agreed. And hey, after the war, can we have like…a girls only spa trip in the Fae lands? I want glitter baths and moonroot cocktails.”
“Deal,” I said. “Right after we tear Aegis apart piece by piece.”
“Sounds therapeutic,” Aelira murmured with a sharp smile.
As the call ended, I looked at Vaelrix and then to my mates starting to file in one by one, all rubbing the sleep out of their eyes.
“Seven hundred thousand,” I whispered.
“And every one of them believes in you,” he said softly. “We’re ready.”
Lyssira stirred in my mind, fierce and glowing. “We are becoming who we were meant to become.”
Chapter Comments
♡ LIKE
е
Write Comments
SHARE
