Page 46 of Bound to the Dragon
Her huge brown eyes stare up at me imploringly. “How? I’ve wracked my brain over and over for a way out of this, but I can’t figure it out.”
I take her hands. “The same way I keep telling you. We have to work together. If you had stopped fighting with me from the beginning, we could have avoided this altogether.”
She relaxes under my touch. “You’re not mad?”
“Oh, I am,” I promise her. “But I’m angrier at the rogues for putting us in this situation than I am at you. One way or another, we’re going to figure this out.” I ponder the dilemma. “We need to call a meeting, all of us together.”
She stares at me blankly for a moment. “You mean…”
“I mean the rogues and Shadow Pine.”
A grimace forms on Madison’s lips at the suggestion, but she doesn’t turn it down immediately, probably because she doesn’t think of a better solution.
“What will you say?” She’s nervous, and rightfully so.
I also haven’t planned that far ahead, but it’s either a forum or more bloodshed. I’d much rather have the forum.
“Let me worry about that part. Can you arrange it on your end?”
She swallows and nods slowly. “I think so.”
“Good. Let’s get to it.”
It’s decidedly uncomfortable for everyone involved, but we all sit in the Shadow Pine packhouse civilly, even if there are suspicious glances from all involved. My enforcers are on highalert, fully expecting an attack, but I’m getting a different vibe from the group entirely.
“What is the purpose of this? We’re not trading back any more of our shifters to you.” The leader is adamant about this, and I shake my head.
“Madison doesn’t belong to you,” I tell the silver-haired leader. “She’s mine. Madison told me how you lost your land, and for that, I am sorry. But you will not take my mate from me.”
My mate gasps aloud at the blatant confession, her eyes locking on mine. The speech is carefully rehearsed, but I hadn’t shared it with her beforehand. I hold her eyes steady, waiting for her to counter my proposal as the leader turns to her. But the indignation that they’re waiting on doesn’t arise from Madison’s dark eyes.
“Well?” The leader spits out the word. “You’re not going to say anything?”
“He’s not wrong,” Madison utters the words without shame, my presence emboldening her, and I exhale. I had been worried she might decide not to go through with it under all this pressure.
But our mate bond is too strong.
The admission hangs over the group. Madison goes on. “I only came here with the intention of peace. I misled you all, but I am not one of you. I belong with my mate. I want to be with Blaze. But that doesn’t mean I want more conflict with you. How can we resolve this? Peacefully.”
There are low murmurs that don’t quite reach my ears, but I don’t have to make sense of them. They’re looking for a resolution, too. No one wants to keep doing this indefinitely. This has to end sometime.
“What will you offer us?” The leader looks at me, and that is a fair question.
“We will not stop you on your quest for retribution as long as you understand that it has nothing to do with Shadow Pine or my Luna,” I state very clearly. “You will not stage any more attacks on us. Ever.”
A slow nod of consensus rocks through the group.
“And no one touches Madison. She was a child when her father and Granger contrived their plot. If you have a grievance with anyone, take it up with Granger and the pack that now lives on your land.”
The room stands still at my latest command, but I feel the approval.
“If anyone comes at her again, we will be at war.”
Fear washes through the group of rogues, and it’s tangible. My point is made, and I know that no one is going to come for my pack or mate again.
“Then I think we’re done here.”
I stand and extend my hand toward Madison.
