“What do you mean?”
He was so afraid of her answer, but he’d never been a coward and he had to know. “What are your plans for our future?”
Seraphina froze at his emotionless tone. “Do you want me to leave?”
“Gods no. I just… I know how you feel about this time period. About…” – he barely bit back the word “me” – “dragons. So I was curious where you saw this going.”
“What do you want?”
“You.”
“And?”
He tilted his head to look at her. “I’ve always been a dragon of simple means. You know that. But we’ve stirred a hornets’ nest with everything that’s happened since your arrival. One I’m not sure we can walk away from. The gallu will be able to follow us. And it’s not just us we have to think about. I am still the Dragonbane.”
Seraphina swallowed hard at something they couldn’t escape. That would be with them forever. “Why did you kill him, Max?”
“Does it matter?”
“No. I love you, regardless. But I would like to hear your side of it.”
With her head tucked beneath his chin, he toyed with her hair. “Would you believe my truth should I give it?”
“I have learned to trust you. Whatever you say, I will believe.”
Still, he hesitated before he answered. “It was an accident. He wasn’t the one who was supposed to die. Rather it was his brother.”
Gaping, she rose up to stare down at him. “And that makes it all better?”
“Had you met his brother, yes. He was an asshole.”
“Max!”
Before he could respond, another knock sounded on his door. By the scent, he knew it was Alain Peltier. The eldest of the bears. “Yes?”
Alain didn’t open the door, rather he spoke through it. “I hate to disturb you, dragon. But we have a bad situation. Savitar has called the Omegrion and you’ve been summoned. By law, we have to take you in. However, we’ve taken a vote and we’re standing in solidarity by your side.”
“No!” Sera shook her head. “You can’t go. I won’t allow you to face them. I don’t care what Savitar says or how many stand with you. This is suicide!”
Max didn’t respond to her upset outburst. “How long do I have?”
“We need to leave immediately.”
18
After the quickest shower of her life, Seraphina dressed in a pair of jeans and a shirt, and walked with Max down to the parlor of Peltier House, where their children and basically every adult resident under the roof waited for him. As well as every Dark-Hunter, former and current, in New Orleans, along with Acheron, Sin, Zakar, and Styxx.
“This is utter bullshit!” Dev snarled, unaware of their presence behind him. “I say we tell Savitar where to shove it.”
Acheron laughed as he glanced past Dev to meet Max’s gaze. “I dare you.”
Max stopped next to Dev and put his hand on his shoulder. “It’s all right, bear. I’m not afraid.”
Seraphina laced her fingers with his. “For the record, I am.”
With a stern frown, Aimee caressed her stomach. “Can’t we do something? Max is here under our protection. I thought our laws protected him, so long as he doesn’t leave.”
Styxx sighed heavily. “They did. But the other dragons are calling for his ass. He attacked and they have the right to demand a hearing for his new crime… and the old when he appears for it.”