Page 16 of Chasing Dawn

He didn’t cage me in his arms again, he just let me lie on him like he was a big, warm rock, and I drifted off to sleep.

Someone was whispering over my head, and it pulled me from the best sleep of my life. My previous best sleep had been the night before, in the soft bed of my new room, but even a California king with a pillowtop couldn’t compare to Vance’s chest. I even felt stronger.

“Tell him I’ll call him back. I don’t want to wake her.” Vance was whispering, but it still sent the faintest rumble through his chest.

“I want her to sleep too, Vance, but I don’t want to tell the convocation member to call back. Just give her to me, and I’ll put her to bed,” another voice whispered. Franklin, I thought.

Someone laughed to my left. “He’s enjoying himself too much. It has nothing to do with letting her sleep.”

I went to push myself up, but Vance’s hand wrapped around my back. “I’m sorry we woke you, Omega. Go back to sleep.” His voice was like a soft lullaby, and I resisted the urge to do exactly as he said.

“No, it’s okay. I feel rested anyway.” I pulled myself up, peeling off his chest where sweat and warmth had stuck our bodies together. “You should take your call.”

Vance hesitated but let me go. “If you’re up to it, you should stay. You’re the primary topic of the conversation.”

That chased away the final cobwebs of sleepiness. “I am?”

I was hesitant. Normally, we dealt with our problems with the Shifter Council. Talking to the convocation member was like skipping the manager and going straight for the CEO.

Vance nodded. “Among other things, but only if you feel strong enough.”

I wanted to whimper, hide beneath the bed, and pretend it never happened, like my old pack didn’t even exist, but I owed it to my family to get them justice, or this would all be for nothing.

“Okay.”

No sooner had I spoken than there was a whirring sound across the room. I gaped as the wall on the other side of the office lit up with the face of an attractive man.

Vance rolled his eyes at Talbot. “For fuck’s sake, you could have given her two minutes to freshen up and let me find a shirt.” He looked back toward the wall, and I realized it was like a giant television that I’d never noticed. Vance bowed his head respectfully. “Alpha.”

Talbot and Franklin did the same, and I resisted the urge to throw myself on the ground and expose my belly. Alexander, the King of Shifters, stared out from the screen. I could almost feel his power from here.

I didn’t think I’d ever recover from the shock of the convocation member, the highest position in the shifter world, bowing his head back at me. “Omega. It is an honor to make your acquaintance.”

I blinked at him. He bowed to me?

Talbot rested a huge hand on my shoulder. “Not everyone holds the views of your old Alpha and the Shifter Council. Alexander is of the old school of thought, where you respected Omegas in the same way you respected Alphas.”

Alexander snorted, and I fully expected flames to fly from his nose. “The very oldest school. Pretty sure the Earth’s crust was still cooling when I was born.”

I laughed, because I thought it was a joke, but the ancient being just stared at me, deadpan, through the screen. Holy shit, he was that old?

He burst out laughing. “Goddess, I’m not that ancient.” He shook his head as Talbot and Franklin chuckled behind me. “Now tell me why you dragged me away from my dinner. I was just about to catch him.”

A shudder ran down my spine, but Vance didn’t seem fazed.

“We’d like permission to kill the Alpha of the Truckee-Reno Pack.”

CHAPTER 10

VANCE

Dawn’s tiny gasp echoed around the room, dragging the dragon’s eyes back to her.

“Every time you ask permission for something, it’s to overthrow the leader of a pack that is not your own.”

I shrugged. “We both know the old lion regis had to die.”

Alexander inclined his head, because it was hard to deny the Chatsville regis was a fucking madman. I’d help Isla and those damn lions out again in a heartbeat.