The female Skyhunter leader replied, "I'll do it. And not just because you're taking Aimee, either. If one day we need a favor, I'm hoping you'll help, too."
"I'll try, although I can't promise miracles." Finn looked at the last leader and one he called friend, Bram. "I already know you'll help. Just keep me updated, aye?"
"Of course."
Finn looked at each leader in turn. "One last thing. Once this problem is solved, I want to talk more about a Dettifoss-like Assembly. Maybe we should start fortnightly meetings, to better know each other and strengthen alliances."
The move was something he'd discussed with Bram before, but not the others. Finn didn't know what to expect.
The Welsh leader nodded. "Fine by me. I may need some help with something soon, too. And the more allies my clan has, the better." Finn opened his mouth to ask what, but Rhydian continued. "No need to worry about it now. I wouldn't classify it as an emergency by any means. Let's find a way to find and hopefully save Alistair first."
Lorcan chimed in next. "As soon as my mate hears what's going on, she'll want to help. Just don't assume things again, aye? I know you and Bram are trying to change things, but I have a lot more experience with certain things. Don't forget that."
Lorcan had ruled Northcastle for decades. While Finn knew Lorcan was thinking of retiring soon, he wasn't going to bring that up. "Understood." He glanced at the Skyhunter pair. "And you two? Ready to show your first piece of goodwill toward a future alliance?"
The female spoke up. "As I said, we'll help. Although I can't promise anything since I don't know all the clans in America."
"I wouldn't expect you to, Honoria. Thank you." He looked at each leader again as he said, "I'll have my mobile with me at all times. Ring me whenever needed, even with the smallest update. And in all seriousness, I appreciate your cooperation."
The leaders murmured their goodbyes, and the screen went dark.
Finn let out a sigh and stood. However, by the time he turned around, Arabella was already standing in the doorway. "You're amazing, Finn. And no, don't brush it off."
He closed the distance and cupped Arabella's cheek. "Let's hope it's enough to help Alistair."
She kissed him quickly and then murmured, "Kiyana is ready to talk with the DDA Director. She wants you nearby, so she can pull you into the meeting if it goes well."
After stroking Arabella's cheek a few times, he nodded. "Aye, that's fine. Although I'll need you to keep my mobile with you, in case anyone calls. I don't want to miss anything."
"No worries. My dad is helping to watch the children, along with Aunt Lorna and Ross. So we don't have to worry about little baby dragons trying to jump out of windows for a bit."
He smiled. "I actually look forward to that again, though. So let's solve this problem, aye? And then I can spoil our daughter and have you scold me for it."
She lightly hit his chest. "You're the worst."
"Aye, but you love me anyway."
After giving his mate one more quick kiss, Finn followed Arabella out into the kitchen. It was time to tackle the next item on his never-ending list of duties.
Chapter Eleven
Alistair had long ago stopped trying to escape his mental prison and instead had spent countless hours reviewing everything he knew about inner dragons, frenzies, and even rogue dragons. While there was a slim chance the effects of the drug would wear off on their own, he couldn't bank on it. In a little over five days, his bones would heal, and his beast would go searching for Kiyana.
Aye, Finn would do his best to protect the female. But with a rogue dragon made even more dangerous by the influence of an unknown substance, it may not be enough.
Thanks to the extra walls he'd constructed around his own mental presence, Alistair could think without his dragon hearing. Every once in a while, his beast's emotions of lust and dominance would seep through, but not enough to drive him crazy.
For the first time since his dragon had spoken to him at six years old, Alistair would have to think and plan on his own.
It was weird and gave him a glimpse of what humans had to contend with. But still, he would somehow make it work as best as he could.
There had to be something he'd read over the years that could help him. Ever since the Dragon Knights had started using various drugs on dragon-shifters, Alistair had gone out of his way to track the effects and remedies. While he wasn't a biologist or chemist, he'd studied enough of it earning his degrees to understand the basics and form his own theories about what might help.
The moss from Wales had cured the female dragon, and there was something else taken from the Amazon rainforest that had helped with the children in Wales. He tried, and failed, to remember the chemical makeups and what was similar about them.
His beast's latest round of lust and need filtered inside his mental space, and Alistair did his best to patch up any cracks. Doing so made him remember something about how the drugs had worked before, with regards to how they invaded a person's cells.
Or, rather, specific types of cells. Since the Dragon Knight drugs hadn't worked on humans, the effect was limited to dragon-shifter specific genes and markers.