The (Not) Satisfied Dragon - Colette Rhodes Page 0,37

with his wing while I grabbed the stupid dress I’d left on the ground and pulled it back on. It made for more convenient dressing, but I missed trousers.

Oren shifted back once I was dressed, giving me a heated look that suggested he had enjoyed the show. If it were any of the others, I would have been embarrassed, but I was more physically comfortable around Oren. He was the one who was around when I was at my most vulnerable, and he'd never given me a reason not to trust his intentions.

“Ready?” he asked gruffly once he was dressed. Unlike him, I'd politely averted my eyes.

“No.”

Oren snorted. “You have nothing to worry about, rebel. We’d never let anything happen to you.”

Chapter 9

I made a disbelieving noise as I followed Oren into the den. I’d like to believe they wouldn’t let anything happen to me — I believed that they’d try to make that a reality — but it wasn’t a promise Oren could really make. I hadn’t spent a lot of time with Ilia, but I doubted one got to be a dragon representative at the Avalon Assembly if they didn’t have their wits about them.

Just before we turned to enter the parlor, I slipped my hand into Oren’s. He looked down in surprise, but tightened his grip, firmly linking our fingers together as we passed under the archway to join the others.

Ilia and Ezra were both standing in front of the fireplace, while Levi and Seff sat up straight on the couch, paying close attention to the two alphas. Nerves churned in my gut and I half wondered if I was going to be sick. Even with no reason to suspect me, vomiting on my feet wouldn't be great for the innocence I was aiming to project.

“Shira,” Ilia said, giving me a sad smile. “It's so good to see you again, I have been so worried about how you've been settling in with these moody bastards. Unfortunately, today's visit isn't a social one.”

“What's going on?” Ezra asked, face a mask of icy calm. The little trickster. Or big trickster, more accurately.

“Flight Fiáin went to check in on Flight Milain as requested.”

“And?” Ezra asked, tilting his head like he was only mildly curious about Ilia's answer.

“They're dead,” Ilia sighed, rubbing his eyes with his hand, which gave me a convenient opening to school my features into an appropriate combination of shock and dismay. Oren's hand squeezed mine in a gesture that could have been support, or possibly a hint to improve my acting. “Murdered in their sleep by the looks of it. There was no sign of a struggle.”

“Who would do such a thing?” Seff asked, possibly laying it on a little thick.

“Flight Fiáin is investigating, but whoever killed them didn't shift or use magic which makes finding them almost impossible.” We all nodded along solemnly as we listened to this brand new information. “There are a few notable suppliers of obsidian blades, they'll check with them to see who they've sold to recently.”

Were the Edans one of the notable suppliers? In that whole cavern of weapons, there was only one obsidian blade, so I doubted it. Even if they were, I didn't think they'd tell. It didn't seem like their style.

“Have the other Councilors been alerted?”

“We’re working our way through everyone now, Enforcers included. News like this will spread quickly, and we need to ensure everyone stays calm. We don’t want them to think the Council is under attack,” Ilia finished, looking grim. That’s what they thought? Ezra’s jaw ticked slightly, I doubted he'd foreseen that reaction either.

“What do you need us to do?” Ezra asked all business.

“I hate to pull you away from your mate, but we're going to need you to do the rounds, keep an eye on things. Make sure there's no panic.”

“Understood,” Ezra said with a curt nod. “Shira?” he added in a more hesitant tone.

“I understand. Go. I’ll be here.”

✽✽✽

I’d barely seen my mates over the past two days. I wasn’t angry about it; I knew the Council was keeping them busy, and they would have been out there anyway to ensure Flight Milain’s deaths didn’t come back on me, but I was getting bored and jittery being on my own all the time.

I wanted to spend more time with my mates. I wanted to fly again. To talk about their idea for us all joining the Council together. Anything. By the time they all got home, they were so exhausted from a