response. The three men showed various forms of regret and confusion about what to do next. Finally, Will said, “I guess we all assumed he was settling in and that Lucien was helping him adapt. And we were never going to kill Merlin. He’s a fucking pain in the ass, but he’s just a kid. We’re not Dracul…or humans, for that matter. We value our young and protect them as much as possible.”
Craig held up his palms. “You don’t need to convince me. Alun’s the one who’s worried. And I have to tell you that getting back his son is my number one priority when we take off for Syria.”
“That’s fine,” Val replied. “Just make sure the kid is really on our side. I don’t care what Annika says. I’m not convinced Merlin isn’t playing both sides against the middle. And,” he added, “keep in mind everything you just said about Alun. We know what you’re after, however benignly, but do you really think that after everything he’s been through, Alun’s ready for some kind of relationship? Plus, he can still get pregnant, so double bag that dick of yours if he ever lets you take it out.”
“I’m aware of everything, believe me. But I’ll point out that you just saw how Alun turned to me when you sent him into a possible tailspin of guilt and worry. He trusts me. Plus, he likes my kisses,” he remarked with a grin. “You saw that yourself.”
“Just take it slow, Jefferson,” Will said. “He’s not some exotic or easy lay.”
Craig turned serious on a dime. “I know that. And you remember that he’s not some broken thing. He’s a smart, courageous man. Treat him accordingly.”
With that, he tossed the house keys to Val and left.
* * * *
Merlin slipped out, away from the lax body of the snoring guard. The man was a complete pig but so easily amused and too stupid to make sure he stayed awake while his visitor was still there. He was relying on alarms he’d established on the perimeter to raise him if anyone approached any of the entry points. The idiot had actually shown them to Merlin and bragged about it when Merlin had oh-so-casually asked if it was okay for him to be away from the console without calling in his relief man. Naturally, Merlin had studied his movements and was certain he could turn it off when the time came.
Slipping on the stupid harem pants and ignoring the urge to wash, he checked the monitors to make sure no one was lingering outside in the corridor. It was empty, as usual, as was the room he was heading for. He’d made a couple of dry runs at this before, careful to make sure that his leaving wouldn’t disturb the man. Never had he actually gone into the room, but having confirmed that his plan had a chance of success, he decided that now was the time. Too many days had passed, and with each one, Dafydd’s condition in particular was getting more dire. He couldn’t risk putting off his transmission.
After checking one more time that the guard remained asleep, he slipped out and raced to the other door. It took nothing to unlock it using the keypad, as he’d gleaned that information the first time the pig man had fallen asleep. God, these humans were weak. It was easy to see how Dracul could have conquered this world, but for Alex’s interference. Really, the humans should welcome the help. They were rubbish at nearly everything, as near as he could tell.
The room was small, filled with more monitors and a computer bank that was his objective. He knew the codes for this, too, thanks in part to Petru, and seconds after sitting in front of the main console, he was into the system. He had to hand it to Dracul. Mad King he may be, but he’d taken the time to set up access to satellites that even Val hadn’t dared touch for fear of discovery. That ballsieness itself had given the guy a leg up when it came to the war the aliens had been fighting. Really, it was surprising that Alex was destined, at this point, to be the winner.
No, that was perhaps overstating the situation. Merlin hoped that was the case. Until the last of the mercenaries lay dead and Dracul had turned to dust, there was no predicting the actual outcome with any certainty. Using the skill and information both