Rayne looked around at his Force, the men he was the closest to, closer than any blood relatives could ever be. They had been through too many battles to count, had nursed each other’s wounds, buried their dead together. These men had been there when his father had fallen and had helped care for his mother until she had ultimately followed his father into the heavens. They were all wounded from tonight’s battle but they were at the ready to assist him in caring for his injured mate. He would forever be indebted to these men.
Lance jerked him from his thoughts when he yelled, “I have the gurney ready, Commander.”
“Good, let’s get her in it.”
Lance and Royce helped him for what seemed like an eternity getting Kyndel strapped in and secure. He had never witnessed his brethren be so gentle and caring. Everyone knew there could be no mistakes. Royce gave her an injection of herbs he knew were safe for her ensuring she did not wake while they were in flight. It wouldn’t be good for her first glimpse of her mate in dragon form to be while she was strapped to a gurney flying high in the sky.
“I will call forth my dragon. Lance and Royce secure the straps of the stretcher around my third and forth toe that way once I take flight I can wrap my talons around her like a cage.”
Rayne looked at his mate hurt and bleeding, wrapped like a mummy, secured to a makeshift backboard and sighed. He felt a pain in his heart a hundred times worse than any pain from any battle wound he had ever received.
“She will be ok, Rayne. In a day or two she'll be kicking all our asses and taking names.” Lance squeezed his shoulder.
Rayne turned and walked as far from his mate as possible and called his beast. Lance and Royce were right there with Kyndel. He lifted his paw and the men secured his beautiful mate for the flight to the lair. She would be alright, she had to be alright. He would accept nothing less. With that last thought, he took to the air leaving his men to dispose of the bodies and bring the traitor home.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Lance and Royce burned all the dead bodies and readied themselves to return home. Lance worried over the toll he saw all of this was taking on Aidan. The man hadn’t been the same since he believed his brother to be dead and now, to know that Andrew had betrayed them all, seemed to take away whatever life he had left. He looked lost and broken, not something that would bode well for the man or his dragon.
Lance strode to where the twins were sitting. The anger rolling off Aaron almost overrode the pain coming from Aidan. “You guys all set for the trip back?”
“Yes,” Aaron hissed through gritted teeth. Lance tensed at the heat in his voice but really couldn’t blame the guy.
“Anything I can do to help?” Lance put his hand on Aaron’s shoulder and squeezed, showing him he was there if he needed him.
Aaron shrugged off his hand and glared, “This is my mess to clean up, Lance.”
“Look, Air, I know this sucks,” Lance tried to use the nickname from their childhood to lessen the hostility, “We’re all here for you. You guys don’t have to go through this alone.”
“I said I would take care of it,” he hissed. “They’re my brothers, no matter how fucked up they may be and I’ll handle this. Now do what the Commander told you to do for once and butt the hell out.”
Lance knew Aaron was just lashing out but damn that stung. He walked towards Royce, who was waiting to transform. “You know he’s just pissed because it’s easier than all the other things he could be feeling right now.” The big guy was always trying to keep the peace.
“Yea, I know,” Lance chuckled sarcastically, “Who would’ve thought I’d be the touchy-feely one this time? Isn’t that your job, big guy?”
“Whatever, asshole,” Royce slugged him in the arm. At least they could act like things were going to be ok but Lance was sure this was just the beginning of the shit storm.
With everything loaded, Lance and Royce went to the farthest edge and called forth their dragons. Lance knew Aaron would make sure he and his brothers got back to the lair but the Universe only knew what would happen after that.
CHAPTER TEN
Andrew knew they were taking him back to the lair. He knew he would face charges of treason and be brought to trial before the Tribunal. He had not survived all the abuse and torture of the wizards and then dealt with the idiot hunters for all these years to be put to death by the exact people that had failed him. He had to think fast. His brother Aaron wouldn’t even look at him. The fury rolling off of him was enough to suffocate anyone within a ten mile radius. He had secured his arms and legs with silver chains, the only thing that could contain a dragon shifter.