climbed on top of the longest table and gave a shrill whistle. Some of the inhabitants roused to a semi-animated state. Some simply slept through. Those that were half-awake tried to pull themselves into a threatening posture.
Deliverance wasn’t impressed. While he loved real dragons, he ranked dragon shifters at the bottom of the list of creatures deserving regard.
“Here’s your warning, miscreants. Get yourselves sober and leave this dimension now, while you can. If you do, you’ll live to trash another world. If you don’t, you’re going to find that you’re responsible for destroying the very thing that attracted you to this world. Your choice. And let me make it easy because you don’t seem that bright. Leave and live. Or stay and die.”
Just as the strongest of the dragons was beginning to pull himself up, Deliverance vanished. He didn’t think his speech would have any effect on the future course of the dragons, but he could feel good about trying.
Within minutes the demon was in Loti Dimension standing at the foot of a bed where Stalkson Grey’s son, Windwalker, and his mate, Cloud, were making love. When he cleared his throat, Cloud shrieked, jerking the sheet up to cover herself while Win took Deliverance to the floor with a roar and a mid-air tackle. There was no macho satisfaction in it because the demon seemed to enjoy it. Win could tell by the laughing.
“For all that’s holy, Deliverance, don’t you have any understanding of propriety?” Win said as he shoved his legs into his jeans.
Deliverance shrugged, and ran his eyes over Cloud, who was scowling and grasping the covers under her chin. “Not really. I have news though. You want it or not?”
Win simply made a motion toward the door while he continued to scowl.
The demon followed Windwalker into the living room and watched the werewolf pour himself a drink. Begrudgingly, he offered the bottle to Deliverance. “It may be months before my dick unshrivels. And longer than that before Cloud feels like fucking again,” he said miserably.
“Well, maybe you shouldn’t be so shy.”
“Has anyone ever told you that you’re infuriating?”
Deliverance grinned. “Frequently. I can think of worse things.”
“Like what?”
“Like not being noticed.”
Windwalker sat on a leather ottoman by the hearth and stoked the embers into flame. “Okay. I’m awake now with blue balls. What’s the news?”
“Your pop’s got a dragon problem.” Win made a circular motion with his hand to indicate that he wanted to hear more and to cut out the dramatic pauses. “You know they have a no-tech, no-gunpowder policy on Lunark. Well the dragon shifters moved in, without permission, took up residence in the mountains and proceeded to terrorize the place.
“They’ve left your dad and his bros no choice but to revise policy.” Deliverance sat and leaned closer. “The Council sent a delegation to invite the dragons to a meet. They called werewolves food.” Windwalker recoiled at that just as the members of the delegation had. “The next day the dragons killed three hunters for no reason. Just to make a show of power. Or maybe for fun. I don’t know.
“Anyway, he asked me to tell you that, with the dragon thing going on, he’ll understand if you want to postpone plans to join them.”
Win sat in silence for a few minutes. He took a drink of Scotch and stared at the fire. “I think that, when this contingent of Elk Mountain hears that the others are in trouble, they’ll want to go sooner.”
Deliverance smiled. “Your dad said, just in case you leaned that way, to tell you to have every single person carry something that can be used to blast the fuckers out of the sky. Or something like that.”
“I’m not following.”
“He wants us to ask Black Swan for arms.”
“Like what? Heat-seeking missiles.”
“Well, sort of. I think heat-seeking missiles would work if you were trying to kill the dragons in human form, but