Page 24 of Heron's Flame

Hawk nodded. “Hit me up if you need flight time.”

Yeah, I would. Soon. But my focus shifted to Rebel, and nothing felt half as important as her. I heard the crows rattle their throats in agreement. They felt affection and urgency around Rebel. The need to protect her almost overrode common sense. She wasn’t in danger, so I didn’t understand why I kept feeling these strong emotions.

Nothing would harm her at The Roost.

“What’s got you on alert?” Talon asked, noticing that I sat forward, staring at the door.

“Rebel. I can’t shake the feeling that something isn’t right. I feel I’ve got to be with her every hour of the day.” It sounded crazy, possessive, and overprotective.

“Aw shit,” Talon laughed.

Hawk grinned. “You’re almost mated now.”

Mated? I hadn’t fucked Rebel yet. How was that possible?

Of course, I wasn’t telling Hawk or Talon.

“When the crow knows.” Talon ticked his head toward me. “That’s it. There’s no stopping it.”

“Stopping what?” Crow wondered as he entered the chapel. He took his position at the head of the table and picked up the gavel. With a quick slam on the wooden surface, he brought the meeting to order. “Might as well tell us all, Heron.”

I had the attention of everyone in the room. Fuck. “Me. Rebel is my mate.”

The room erupted in chuckles and groans, money exchanging hands as those who lost forked over their cash and those who won snatched their earnings.

Motherfuckers. All of them.

“You’re all assholes,” I grumbled, crossing my arms over my chest. “Shouldn’t you be happy for me instead of betting on whether or not I can seal the deal?”

Cuckoo snorted. “Don’t get your panties twisted, Heron.”

Crow held up a hand as the room silenced. “Our boy is finally growing up and popping his cherry.”

After that, I decided to ignore every last one of them. Indefinitely.

The laughter took way too fucking long to die down.

“Heron, you’re one of us. Get used to this shit. Just remember, when one of them goes through it, you get to return the favor.”

Crow had a point.

“Back to business. We have a new player in town. A crew who’s been pushing drugs through Vegas and close to our territory.”

The room sobered; no hint of amusement remained.

Raven frowned. “They got a name?”

“Grave Robbers MC. New president, too. Goes by Hammerhead.”

Hmmm. Something about that information didn’t sit right. It wasn’t just the name or how it reminded me of Rebel and our trip to the aquarium, but also the timing.

“We know his real name? Or what he wants?” I asked, feeling the tension build in my shoulders. That dangerous vibe and the overwhelming feeling I needed to protect Rebel grew stronger.

“No, but he’s asked for a meet. I’ve decided it’s best to sit down at table with him at the rally. It’s neutral ground. If shit goes down, we got plenty of brothers to watch our backs.”

Smart.

“And the Royal Bastards?” Hawk wondered.

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