Chapter Seven

Dallas and Jagger pulled up just as Ray and Francesca were walking up the porch steps, and they all went inside. The guys all went straight to the living room while Francesca went to the kitchen to grab a beer for everyone. Drinks in hand, they all got comfortable, Ray in his favorite large blue lounge chair situated next to the fireplace, and the others grabbing a spot on the blue extra-large three-seater sofa sitting across from the fireplace in front of the window. 

Ray cleared his throat and smiled sheepishly. “So, you may have already guessed, but the female dragon you all saw me making a fool over is my mate, Leah.”  

Dallas burst out laughing, then held his hand out to Jagger. “I told you so. Pay up, Asshole!”

Jagger glared at Dallas, reached into his wallet, pulled out a twenty-dollar bill, and handed it to his younger brother. “You got lucky, ShitFace!”

Dallas snatched the money from Jagger, then smacked him in the back of the head, which earned him a punch to the arm. The brothers glared and growled at each other, each rubbing his corresponding sore spot.

Ray chuckled and shook his head. They were always betting on something or other, so he wasn’t surprised that they had bet on this too. Dallas and Jagger were ninety and ninety-five respectively, seven and two years younger than Ray, and they had a competitive streak a mile wide. Ray knew he needed to put an end to their shenanigans before it came to blows, as it always tended to do. “Okay, guys, that’s enough. Can we focus back on the conversation at hand, please?”

“Sorry, Alpha,” they both said in unison.

Francesca rolled her eyes at the boys and sighed in exasperation. It always amused her how immature Dallas and Jagger could be, even though she was the same age as Dallas. “You were about to explain to us why things are complicated between you and your mate,” she told Ray, motioning with her hand for him to continue.

“Yes, things are complicated.” Ray sighed and leaned forward in his chair. “Leah’s father, King Marcus Sullivan, has made a deal with Queen Dominique Blackwell to mate her to someone from the Blackwell clan in order to stop the dragon war.”

Everyone began talking at once, outrage clear in their voices. Ray stuck two fingers in his mouth and let out a loud whistle to get everyone’s attention. Once everyone quieted down, he continued. “Leah is dead set on ‘doing her duty,’ and mating with this guy. I don’t know if I can convince her to not go through with it.” 

Francesca propped her right foot up on the couch, pulling her knee up to her chest and wrapping her arms around it. “Well, if she feels she doesn’t have a choice, then you won’t be able to change her mind.”

Ray growled angrily. “Then what am I supposed to do? I can’t just sit around and let her mate with someone else!”

Jagger stood up and began pacing. Dallas started tapping out a rhythm on his thigh. Ray ran his fingers through his hair several times. They had no idea what to do about the situation. It felt hopeless. 

Francesca looked around the room at each of the guys. Men can be so clueless sometimes. If it weren’t for women, men would not survive! She cleared her throat to get their attention. They all stopped what they were doing and looked at her expectantly.

She rolled her eyes. “It’s obvious what you need to do.” They all looked at her in confusion, so she continued with her explanation. “You need to give her some other suggestions for ending this war that doesn’t end with her being mated to someone else. Just telling her ‘you will mate with me and nobody else’ is not going to cut it.”

She stood up and began pacing, while Jagger took her seat. “Think of it like a football game. You wouldn’t just head out to the field and expect to automatically win. No, you would need a game plan, a strategy. Well, it’s the same in this situation. You need a game plan for how you are going to help your mate save her clan and win her heart in the process.”