Our Right To Exist - Dragon King 3
Chapter 6 ~ Our Time Has Come

Evander’s POV ~

My beautiful mate. She is always so protective.. Especially of my Mom. Losing her mother while she was in captivity, did something to her. She is terrified now, where mine, is concerned. And it makes her possessive, to the point of obsession. I only pray we get through this war without her killing Amelia.

Not that I’d mind.. just that I don’t want my baby to carry that around.. her whole life. Erik and Blake don’t help. They encourage her. I know they replace it amusing how volatile she is.. But damn! Cut a brother some slack, here!

Mom walks over with Aunt Naomi.. who keeps snickering. Mom says “You have no idea how much I adore Adrianna. She makes me so proud! I just don’t want her to do anything that will hurt her soul.” I nodded and told her “I will speak with her, Mom. She loves you so much.. and Amelia keeps running her cocksucker (got slapped) Sorry! Her pie hole.. and Anna just loses it. In her defense, Amelia is an asshole!”

Naomi cracks up “Dude! I was praying! Out loud! Hoping to Goddess our girl would snap Amelia’s neck! When her wolf pushed to the surface, I was laughing in utter excitement! Has her wolf imprinted?”

I nodded and told them “I believe she has. Sadie had been so lost when Adrianna escaped and found out her own mother had died. She needed that maternal influence.. and Isla filled that void.”

Mom grinned and said “Isla has accepted her as our child, too! She is as much my daughter as Ada and Riki are! I just don’t want her to scar her soul with that trash!” I nodded, smiling “My girl is ferocious when it comes to her family.”

Alarms sounded and I saw my mate run to meet the witches. We could hear the F16s coming.. wondering why.. after nearly two months of nothing from the air.

I watched.. as they appeared, one jet veered left, and did a fly by on the pack house. I knew it was Dave.. letting us know he wouldn’t attack. He followed his trajectory and fled into the mountains.

The others dipped lower than usual.. and when I realized their intent, Seven jets fired all six AIM-9 sidewinders and unleashed the M61A1 six barrel gatlin on our people.

I screamed “Take cover” and grabbed Mom and Aunt Naomi.. slamming them under the veranda.

Dad and Erik ran to our SAM launchers and started firing. Adrianna stood in the open and kept sending the sidewinders into one another. Within minutes, the jets had retreated .. and nine of our own laid dead.

I heard the wailing.. felt the grief.. the hollowness in my soul of nine snapped tethers. My mate hit her knees. I ran to her and pulled her to me.. as Caleb and my mother began their grieving Heartsong. Howling into the evening air.

My father stood.. Proud and Stoic.. Looking out over our Kingdom. Donnaugh arose.. Making my dad look like the mountain he is “Tonight! This night! We lost! Nine innocent souls will rise to meet our Goddess! Tonight! We avenge our own! Prepare! At midnight the human airbase falls! There will be nothing! We leave all but one alive! David Anderson is the only one to receive our mercy!”

I lifted Adrianna and said “Prepare the pyres. We send our people home.” She nodded, as Mom and Aunt Naomi joined us. Mom looked at us.. hugging us both. “Go. Prepare yourselves. Naomi and I have this.. we will protect Avery.” I nodded and walked off to meet up with Dad and my brother.

Dad hugs me close. He whispered “I am so very proud of you! No matter how long I live, my son, I will never be able to thank you enough. Your quick thinking saved your mother. In that, you saved me!” A tear rolled down my cheek.. knowing I could have lost both my parents this day. All because we simply want to exist!

The funeral pyres were erected.. all our people had assembled. Adrianna and I stood on the dais.. in front of the podium. She stepped to the microphone.. and began to speak. “Our hearts are heavy this night. The humans have taken what is not theirs to take! The souls of our brethren will rise tonight! Enfolded in the arms of our Goddess!

We will rise from the ashes of these funeral pyres! We will make our enemies regret what they have caused this day! The time has come for us to be recognized! For our species to make our presence known! It is our right! Our privilege! Our Goddess tells us to go in peace! She tells us to protect our own.. to defend what is ours! To avenge! As is our right!

We have tried peace. We have exercised restraint! We have allowed the humans license to walk alongside our kind! They have abused that privilege. They have used us.. abused us.. and treated us as less than they are. That ends tonight! That ended when they took nine of us from this earth!

This is our realm! We allowed them to live with us.. have tried to replace a way to coexist without prejudice! The path they have chosen to walk, is one of destruction! This is the night we take back what they have deprived us of! Cheated us out of! Tonight! We take back our OWN!”

Our pack went wild. She was crying as she finished. My mom was sobbing. We stepped back and allowed the families to speak.. to say their goodbyes.

The funeral pyres were ignited. We all stood.. silently, as watched. The flames danced higher.. In awe, we all watched, as the souls of the fallen.. their beasts.. arose from the fires.. turned.. looked directly at their families, and soared toward the moon. The Goddess allows us to know She had called them home. It was enough.

It renewed our faith. It fueled our resolve! This is the final straw.. we had sat the sidelines long enough. The humans had taken all they would ever take. Our time has come!