Page 43 of Held By a Monster

It had to be a thing.

Mate bond or not, I was ruined for anyone but Drym.

We’d hash out the details later, but there was no way I was leaving him. Being together would be hard, but not as hard as tracking two sets of bad guys and fighting against a possibly corrupt system.

When Bacon and I sobered I turned to the wyrfangs spread around the table. “What have you told them so far?”

Kragen answered. “Nothing. They’ve just arrived.”

I nodded and waited for someone to speak. Anyone. For several long minutes we all just stared at each other. I wasn’t sure what was happening, but it was awkward as hell. All the ‘fangs were bowed up and tense, almost posturing.

Bacon broke the tension. “If y’all need to whip ‘em out and measure, get on with it. Otherwise, there are things we should talk about instead of staring at each other wondering whose dick is bigger.”

I laughed and caught Kragen and Zeus both smiling.

“It is difficult for us to accept others in our space. I apologize,” Kragen addressed Bacon.

She just waved. “Noted. Get on with it.”

“Kendal said you had new information to share that couldn’t wait.” Zeus tilted his head toward Bull and his laptop. “We’ve found a few things as well.”

Kragen nodded. “It’s possible the director of BioSynth is one of Kendal’s hunters. After going through the binders Bacon provided, we’ve caught mentions of a Mr. Blue associated with your council. Mr. Blue is one of the primaries in the group who abducted and hunted Kendal. It seems too coincidental for there to be two Mr. Blues operating in the area.”

Zeus was shaking his head. “If that’s true, then at least one council member surely knows what he was up to. I don’t want to believe any of them would condone such a thing, but Society isn’t above cruelty any more than normals.”

Bacon was rummaging through her large pack, her hand shoved inside to the shoulder. She eventually emerged with a small notebook, which she flipped through until landing on a page near the middle.

She looked up when she realized everyone had gone silent. “Right. So I might track the council members for various reasons, none of which I can talk about outside Jackal Division, so don’t ask. A man, commonly referred to as Mr. Blue because he always has something blue in his outfit, has been linked with the fae council member.”

“Why would the fae be interested in creating a were/dragon hybrid?”

Drym moved to my other side as he spoke, unconsciously closing ranks with his brothers.

Bacon, Zeus, and Bull all shared a look before Bacon answered. “Because the fae have always felt like they should be in charge.”

twenty-eight

“I don’t understand.” Ifelt like I spoke for all of us, given the confused looks on my brother’s faces.

It was Zeus who explained. “A hierarchy of sorts exists in the council. Dragons have always held the tie-breaking vote on any matter and act as the ultimate peacekeepers. The longest lived among us, their experience borne of longevity is seen as the best for ruling over the entirety of Society. They often defer to the wider council on small matters, but in the end, their word is law.

“And the fae don’t appreciate it. They have always felt like they should be in charge—or at least hold equal power.”

Bacon continued, “So imagine you wanted to stage a coup against the most powerful supernaturals. You are no match for them, so you need something that is.”

“So you create a creature that is a blend of weres and dragons.” My mind whirled, stunned at the implication that we were created for a political takeover.

“Exactly,” Zeus said.

“Why weres? Why not a more powerful supernatural?” I quickly added, “No offense.”

Zeus chuckled. “None taken. Bull, you want to weigh in on this?”

The shifter paused his typing to look up. “I suspect they wanted our healing ability. Dragons are tough, but if you pierce their scales, they are vulnerable. We can rapidly heal from just about any injury. Dragons heal at the same rate as humans. Plus, the fae are smart enough not to give humans a weapon so powerful it could overthrow all of us, but egotistical enough to think they could retain control over any creature created. They needed something to threaten the dragons, and appease the human’s need for weapons, but not something that could take over Society as a whole.”

Kragen was shaking his head. “I still don’t understand how we would be a viable weapon against dragons. From the information Bacon provided, their scales are almost impenetrable.”

Bacon was nodding as she crawled back on top of the table to sit cross-legged. She reached out and grabbed my wrist, pulling it and me forward until I was against the table.

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