Clan. Levi hoped they were reasonable men. “Understood.”
As his king stood to end the call, Levi stepped forward. “One other thing.”
Brand snorted. “You’ve got balls, Rowtag. I’ll give you that.”
Levi shrugged. “I can’t leave my men to join you.”
The scowl that dropped over the king’s face might have made a lesser man cower, but Levi was fighting for his family. He didn’t back down. “I can’t leave my mate and our orphaned boys that we are raising together.”
He was prepared to beg his king for this. Go down on his knees if he had to. If that didn’t work, if Brand still insisted he needed Levi, then Levi was prepared to consciously and deliberately sever his tie and go rogue. No way was he leaving his family.
Brand blinked. “Your mate?” he asked slowly.
“Lyndi Chandali.”
The king went stone still at that. “The fuck you say. Pytheios’s kin? Did I say balls? Brother, you have a death wish.” Then Brand glanced down, lips pursed as though considering. He took so long, Levi was readying himself to break every oath he’d sworn to his clan, break his code of honor.
“I understand, though,” Brand finally said.
He did? Levi didn’t dare let himself feel relief. Not until he was sure.
The king raised his golden gaze, lips tipping in the nearest thing to a smile Levi had seen from the man, though the expression was more feral than kind. “I have a mate myself. I couldn’t leave her, either. Even if it meant losing everything to that red fucker who named himself High King.”
“So I can stay?” Levi had to be sure.
“You can stay. Though the gods only know that I need more men here. Men I can trust.”
“Trust our team to do everything in our power to hold the colonies in your name.”
Brand nodded, though suddenly he looked…dead on his feet, haggard with dark circles under his eyes. Not a good sign for the Kings’ War.
Levi debated his next offer, but it felt too right not to do. “Our older boys are trained fighters. Only one of them is gold. The other two are white and green. But Attor, he’s a good…man. And a good fighter.”
Brand crossed his arms, expression serious. “I’d be honored if you’d send him in your place. I’ll make him one of my personal guards. Keep an eye on him for you.”
Levi blew out a sharp breath. “Thank you.”
…
Clean from a nice long shower after an even longer bout of sleeping, Lyndi dropped onto the bed to pull on her socks. Alone. Levi had been gone when she’d woken in the middle of the night, and again when she’d finally risen this morning.
Her mate.
That one incredible fact still felt surreal. Like she might wake any second in her bed at the orphan house to learn she was still unmated and Levi was still a distant part of her life.
The entire trip back to this mountain had been full of discussions about how best to get ready for the fights that no doubt were coming. Because not every dragon shifter in the colonies would see their situation as defending the lives of those they helped enforce. Many would see them as traitors and rogues. It wouldn’t just be the Alliance or the Imoogi team they’d have to go up against.
Even Vilsinn the cave troll, who had decided to come with them to the mountain headquarters, seemed fairly certain they were fucked.
Lyndi’s mouth tipped in amusement at the memory of the rock creature riding on Levi’s back all the way here.
Rivin, Keighan, and Hall might never let Levi live that one down.
And Levi still had to leave. The knowledge of that had hung over her, weighed her down, with every stroke of her wings, and every second since they’d arrived home, she’d been waiting for him to announce the time had come. He’d be late obeying orders as it stood.
The door pushed open and her mate entered. Damn those shoulders. She’d miss holding on to those while they were apart. Miss him. As though he’d take her heart with him, leaving a gaping hole inside her that nothing, maybe not even her boys, could fill in his absence.
With a tired groan, Levi dropped beside her on the bed. At least his leg was mostly healed. She swung her legs up on the bed and snuggled into him, smiling as a big arm came around her to pull her even closer. Eyes closed, they lay there in pure contentment. Stealing every second of time