Chapter 190
Tempest heard Dron’s roar through the door.
Her heart trembled at the sound. She didn’t know if she was more excited that he was close or scared that he had a group of alphas ready to break down the gate at his back.
Tempest turned back to the group of humans standing there. All of them were geared up and ready for a fight, though she could see on all of their faces that they were petrified.
Instead of addressing the crowd, Tempest went straight to Hen. "You need to stop this. Just open the gate."
"I’ve already told you that I can’t do that. I’m not just going to give the settlement over to them. Not when we’ve worked so hard."
"You’re not giving anything over to them, nothing but the benefit of the doubt. You and I both know that if you stay on this path, you’re going to lose. No one here can stand against the might of all those alphas." Tempest was desperate for Hen to see reason.
"I can’t... I just can’t." Hen looked from Tempest to the other people in the settlement.
"Then let me. Let me go."
"If I let you go, they’ll kill you." Hen hissed.
"I promise you, they won’t, but even if they do, that’ll be my choice. Unless you’re telling me that you’re keeping me prisoner." Tempest crossed her arms over her chest and glared at Hen.
She knew the truth; there was no way that Hen could keep her locked in there without looking like the same exact monsters the rest of the humans were scared of.
"You’re not a prisoner. I’m just trying to keep you safe." Hen muttered.
"I’m safe with them." Tempest reached out and touched Hen’s arm.
Hen didn’t say anything but she didn’t forbid Tempest from going to the gate either.
This was as close to permission as she was going to get.
Tempest wasn’t a complete fool, though. Even looking from high above, she couldn’t tell exactly where Dron was, and for all she knew, every last alpha on the other side of the gate was deep in their alpha instincts. Hen was right to fear that they would kill Tempest the minute she walked out. There was no protection for her. No one besides the alphas she came into the settlement with.
She rushed to the side where Aliq, Rynax and Gerax were standing.
"This needs to be documented. I doubt anything like this has happened before." Gerax was already busy taking notes on a piece of parchment paper. He didn’t have his wrist device, and Tempest was sure that it was driving him absolutely crazy not to take photos of everything that was going on.
"You’ll have all the time in the world to document after this stand off is over. Right now I need to figure out a way to get in contact with Dron. So I can either get him to the front or get the rest to stand down." Tempest spoke to Gerax.
"I think they may have already done just that." Aliq stated and tilted his head.
"What?" Tempest turned in his direction trying to figure out what it was that he knew that she didn’t.
"Listen, the chaos is settling." Aliq said as if it was clear as day.
Tempest closed her eyes trying to focus on the sounds around her but she could still hear the alpha’s at the gate. That hadn’t changed. She didn’t know what Aliq was saying.
"Seems like your mate might have just swayed the crowd." Rynax spoke without looking at her.
"What? Really?"
It shouldn’t have surprised Tempest. Dron had always been more of an influence than he gave himself credit for.
"Do you think I can go to the gate without anyone attacking me or the rest of the people in the settlement?"
Rynax nodded his head, "I think if anyone else tries to open that gate, Dron will order them to storm in to find you. You need to be the first person he sees if you want to make sure no one gets accidentally killed."
Tempest turned to the gate ready to rush head first but then Rynax dropped his head. He was hurting.
Tempest knew she shouldn’t care. Most of the problems that they faced were due to Rynax lying, but she wasn’t that heartless. She also knew Dron being at the gate meant, at least to Rynax, that he’d lost his chance at turning Tempest and making her his mate. He was about to watch the woman he had feelings for run off into another man’s arms.
It wasn’t going to stop Tempest, but she could take a moment and at least let Rynax know he was appreciated.
"You did good, Ry. You got me here. Kept me alive. I’m not going to forget that." Tempest touched his forearm, and he looked up at her with the saddest eyes she’d ever seen on his face.
"Go on. He’s waiting for you." Rynax jerked his shoulders once.
Tempest nodded once before exchanging a look between the three men who took this journey with her.
She took a step in the direction of the gate. There were some mumbling among the crowd of humans. Every step that she took toward the humans took one back. It was clear that they were terrified about what was about to happen. They had all the paraphernalia and looked to be ready for a fight but no one here actually wanted to try to go up against the alphas behind the gate.
They wouldn’t have to.
Tempest was sure of it.
It was all about to be over.
Finally, after all this time, she was about to be reunited with her mate.
It felt like every nerve in her body was on fire and pulling her in his direction.
She hoped that what Aliq was saying about the alphas behind the gate was the truth. She didn’t want to fight, didn’t want to search. She just wanted Dron.
"Open the gate." Tempest called out, and for the briefest of seconds, she worried that Hen would go against her word and not let her out.
Tempest shot the woman a look just as Hen was nodding to someone in the distance. A signal that the gate could be opened.
Tempest walked up and stood as close as she could. Slowly the gate opened, just an inch and then a little more.
Tempest gasped, and tears threatened to cloud her vision. She blinked them away. She didn’t want to miss even one second of this.
Dron was standing front and center, his head down and his muscles tense.
Slowly he lifted his head, and those dark eyes slammed into her.
She exhaled the same second he did. The connection flared and strengthened; seconds later they were running into each other’s arms.
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⏸ PAUSE■ STOP