Alliance of Shadows, Book 5: LEIF

A Queen's Fury

Rowan led Harper into the backyard. They spoke in hushed tones, their voices barely audible over the lingering tension in the air. Then, several flashes of light erupted at once, sharp and blinding. When the brightness cleared, Harper and Seamus were gone, leaving behind nothing but the crisp scent of magic settling into the space they once occupied.

I turned to Dreson, only to find the dark gleam still in his eyes. The fury hadn’t faded—if anything, it had deepened. Without warning, he shoved me against the wall, his mouth crashing into mine with a kiss so fierce, so desperate, that it stole the breath from my lungs. His hands gripped my shirt tightly, holding onto me like I was the only solid thing in a world that kept shifting beneath him. When we finally broke apart, his chest heaved, and I watched as silent tears traced paths down his face.

"Your uncle showing up did not help my father's temper after he witnessed his grandchildren being lured," Dreson whispered, voice raw. "But now you know my last little secret. Dad isn’t just the local King of Druids. He’s been the High King since my grandmother handed him the title when I was three."

I struggled to find words, nodding instead. Everything about today felt too heavy, too surreal. "He wasn’t plannin’ on revealing himself, but it is what it is. Been a stressful day, yeah?"

Dreson exhaled sharply, eyes flicking toward the hallway. As if he understood exactly what I needed—what we needed—he checked the space around us before dragging me into his office. "It's been a stressful few months, baby."

His arm shot out, sweeping everything on his desk to the floor in one fluid motion. Papers scattered, pens rolled, a stack of books thudded against the hardwood. His laptop, thankfully, remained untouched, safely tucked in its bag behind the door.

It amused me, because Dreson could be reckless like this, caught in the heat of the moment, only to spend hours later painstakingly fixing the things he’d accidentally broken. He had the power to destroy everything in his path, but he didn't like using it to hurt others. That was the part of him that mattered most.

That's what amazed me about his strength.

Finding the hem of his shirt, I groaned when Kaden knocked on the door.

"Decent, or will I need brain bleach?" he called out, his tone laced with amusement.

Grumbling, Dreson walked over to the door, frustration lingering in his movements. He pulled his wallet from his pocket, flipping it open with practiced ease before handing Kaden the black card.

"Order a large pizza and a family bucket meal from the local KFC," he instructed. "And get two dozen donuts in whatever flavors the kids want. They deserve a treat."

“Oki, but you’re going to regret giving me this card,” Kaden teased as he took the card with a satisfied nod. He slipped it into his back pocket before strolling off.

Dreson exhaled, running a hand through his hair before moving around the office. With deliberate care, he locked the door and drew the blinds, shutting out the world beyond.

"Now, where was I?" He said, stalking over to me as he tore off his clothes.

Letting him take control, I beat back the demons that threatened my sanity. He needed this. So did I, honest. I fought to remember that this was the man I loved and not some unbalanced abuser bent on fixing his fancy.

"Forgive me," he murmured against my skin. Moments later, he shuddered as he exploded. No longer able to hold on, I felt myself give in at the same time.

Sinking to the floor, he held me close as he struggled to catch his breath. His arms tightened around me, grounding himself with my presence as he sighed.

A ripple of laughter echoed from the hallway, Kaden’s voice carrying above the sound of the kids as he chased them around the house. The contrast between the chaos outside and the quiet between us made it all the more surreal.

I ran my fingertips across his washboard abs, muscles honed from years of training with his brother and friends. He sucked in a breath, the muscles twitching instinctively beneath my touch.

"Are you ticklish, my Prince?" I joked, my voice teasing.

He snorted, shaking his head as I continued my slow, relentless torture. "Leif, I'm going to hurt you."

I chuckled, unfazed. "No, ya won’t. Ain’t in ya to hurt the ones ya love most. The people who’ve stuck by ya through thick and thin are too damn important."

Squealing, he pulled away from me, laughter bubbling freely. "Damn, not even Neil knows I'm ticklish in the stomach area."

I sighed, my gaze locked onto his piercing blue eyes. A small smile tugged at my lips as I tucked a stray strand of his brown hair behind his ear.

He reached up, pulling me closer, his expression softening. "Everything we’ve done to now has always been for the stability you craved as a child. I know facing this s**t is tearing you apart, Leif. You have one helluva support system, and it's only going to get bigger once everything comes to light."

The weight of his words settled in, and before I could stop myself, a sob ripped from my throat. "I wouldn't even be here if it wasn't for you, Dreson. You’ve saved me so many times I’ve done lost count."

A light knock on the door interrupted us, followed by Heather’s small voice telling us that the food had arrived.

Dreson snickered, covering his mouth. "My brother sent the least likely to be yelled at for interrupting us. Kudos to him, I guess."

I glanced down at the man who had made my life worth living and sighed. "Kaden's going t’ let them eat dessert first if we don't move soon."

"f**k it," he muttered, rolling onto his back. "After the hell they just went through, let them eat ice cream for dinner for all I care."

There comes a time when everything comes to a head. When time gives you just enough of itself to get your affairs in order. It’s in those moments that you start thinking about the what-ifs and the regrets of leaving some things undone.

A bucket list left unchecked.

It was a game of patience for us as we paced holes into the floor, waiting for Rowan to get back to us. He’d gone to meet with the Sages, conferring about what needed to be done now that his boys and grandchildren were safe, with the wolves running perimeter checks around the property.

Cece had come by to check on us and ended up scolding Kaden for letting the kids eat sugar before dinner. Dreson got in the middle, calming her down as he caught her up on the day we’d been having.

The look of pure terror in her eyes when she glanced at me made me think I was in trouble. Then, as if she sensed my urge to bolt, she wrapped me in her arms and sobbed, thanking me for my sudden bravery.

Letting her read the papers I’d written over the last while wasn’t nearly as difficult as handling the explosion that followed. She ranted while I took the kids to the playroom, telling them to stay put. After everything that had happened earlier, I wasn’t about to take any chances, so I asked Kaden to keep an eye on them while Dreson and I worked to settle Cece down.

Again.

"Mom, please, calm down," I heard Dreson say. "It's going to be okay."

She growled, frustration thick in her voice. "Okay? Nothing is going to be okay, Dre. Baby, they're going to make him say this s**t out loud. Your man's been through enough hell, he doesn't need to do this in front of a room full of people who couldn't lift a finger to help him!"

"We know that, but you know Leif's stubborn streak is way stronger than mine. He's so damn strong, Mom," Dreson replied, his voice steady but edged with quiet admiration.

Celestia sobbed, anger and sorrow tangled in her expression. "He's always been strong, baby. I'm shocked he didn't beat your ass for hitting him. He thinks you're the patient one, but what he don't know is that you and Kaden had me buying that box dye s**t the pharmacy sells just to hide the gray hair you two gave me."

"Mother, please," Dreson muttered, embarrassment creeping into his tone.

I walked into the room and laughed at the bright pink blush spreading across his face. "That's a good look on ya, Dre."

Cece turned to me immediately, her presence commanding as she stepped forward. "You don't need to do this, Leif. Please, reconsider going in front of those people."

Her hands cupped my face, her warmth steady despite the storm in her eyes. She searched for any sign that I was going to back down, hoping—maybe even expecting—me to reconsider. I shook my head, stepping just out of reach.

"Sorry, but I do need t’ face this, Mam," I told her, the word still feeling new but undeniably right. She'd asked me to call her that, and I hadn't had the heart to deny something so simple, so deeply meaningful.

I swallowed hard before continuing. "T’ save the children that may still be gettin’ hurt by these people, I ‘ave t’ own me past an’ make ‘em bow t’ me for once. I don’t want t’ do this. I ‘ave to."