Page 73 of Seducing the Dragon
When he caught up with Bram, Finn decided not to delay the inevitable. “Care to tell me if the alliance still stands or not?”
Bram stopped and turned toward him. “As much as my dragon doesn’t like it, I can handle you being the one to rescue Evie. She’s alive and I thank you.”
Finn raised an eyebrow. “But?”
“But killing Neil Westhaven was never part of the plan. You were supposed to help capture him and bring him back alive.”
Finn’s dragon huffed.Why would he want the traitor alive? It’s better that he’s dead.
He likes to play by the rules.
Hmph. Sometimes the rules are meant to be broken.
Finn agreed, but from what he’d learned of Bram Moore-Llewellyn over the last week, it would take a different way of thinking to preserve the alliance. “He had your mate in his arms, a talon at her throat, and was one slice away from killing her. The idiot had his back to me and I took advantage. Wouldn’t you have done the same?”
Bram stared at him a second before he answered. “Maybe. My concern is you acting out of turn and ignoring what we agreed upon for the alliance. You being unpredictable could hurt my clan.”
Finn’s dragon snarled and he pushed back his beast. “The foundation of the alliance is helping each other out and protecting one another when needed. I plan on doing that. My ways may differ from yours, but after what happened today, I reckon you and I need to stick together. The rescue was too easy.”
Bram’s tension eased a bit. “I feel the same. Simon Bourne isn’t an idiot. I can almost guarantee he allowed us to rescue Evie, Nikki, and wee Murray. I just don’t know why.”
“Right now, neither do I. But think about it—if we’re both gathering intelligence and keeping an eye on the dragon hunters,then our clans both have a greater chance of surviving whatever Simon Bourne may throw at us.”
The Stonefire leader assessed him, but Finn didn’t waiver. While the alliance would make his life easier, he could find another way to protect his clan if it came to that. Giving up wasn’t in Finlay Stewart’s vocabulary.
Another second passed and then Bram nodded. “Right, we’ll keep the alliance for now, but on one condition.”
“What?”
“Leave Arabella MacLeod alone.”
Finn’s dragon growled.No. I don’t like that.
Rather than answer his dragon, Finn merely replied, “If she seeks me out, I won’t turn her away.”
Bram searched his eyes. “While not quite the answer I was looking for, it’s better than nothing. You hurt her, and I will cut off your bollocks.
His inner beast said,We would never hurt her.
I know, but he’s blind to what Arabella needs. Let’s humor him for now.
His dragon conceded. Finn put out a hand. “So the alliance remains?”
Bram took his hand and shook. “Aye, but you’ve yet to earn my full trust.”
“Good, because you have yet to earn mine.”
Chapter Twenty-Six
Evie halfway closed the door to the spare room off the main living area. Melanie had brought a bassinet for Murray to sleep in and Evie had just managed to get Murray back to sleep after feeding him. She was glad the little boy wasn’t fussy. Her exhaustion was setting in and it had taken every bit of strength she had left to coo Murray to sleep without crashing herself.
She stood outside the door for a few more seconds to make sure he was truly asleep before heading into the living area. Melanie and Tristan sat together on the sofa. Each of them held a sleeping baby in their arms as they leaned against one another. The thought of her and Bram doing the same thing, albeit with some argument or another filling the room, made her smile.
Melanie grinned. “You have the new mother glow. I imagine not having to recover from birthing two stubborn dragon-shifter babies and nearly dying makes it all a bit more fun.”
Tristan growled. “I thought we agreed you couldn’t use that against me anymore.”
Mel looked at her mate. “Two days of labor and me dying for a few seconds means I can use it whenever I want.”
