Secrets Revealed

By D.G. Carothers

Previously on Dragon War Chronicles, we left our heroes fighting for their lives in the midst of battle...

Kollin races against time to get samples of the weapon used in Canada to their lab in Oslo. Kenshin races to get Danica back home in time to save her, Aiden and Xander. Danica's allies converge in Toulouse to prepare for what may come.

Will Kollin be able to help save Danica, Aiden, and Xander before all is lost? Will Matt be able to track down who's responsible for a new weapon that threatens them all? What will happen when Danica's biggest secret is revealed?

Secrets are revealed that will change the future for all dragon and SLIP kind alike.

Attention: This book contains explicit sexual situations that are MM, MF, and MMMF. There are romantic relationships displayed that are MM and some depictions of loving and consensual BDSM relationships. There are also bad puns, a game of tag with an invisible dragon, and lions, jaguars, and bears. Oh my!

Dragon War Chronicles is a continuous series. It is best read in order.

SYN Consulting
Secrets Revealed
First Strike
Dragon's Hoard
The Honeymooners
Cold Revenge (Coming Spring 2022)

• Language: English
• Publisher: D.G. Carothers
• Release date: Sep 24, 2021
• ISBN: 9781005240073

D.G. Carothers

D.G. Carothers is actually a dragon very cleverly disguised as a human. They are a non-binary author of LGBTQIA Romance and Urban Fantasy, who enjoys writing original and entertaining stories. They are very excited to share the worlds they've created with you.D.G. currently lives in Tennessee with their platonic life partner, who is not a dragon. They yearn to live back in Europe and will some day. In their spare time they are addicted to losing themselves in the lovely worlds created by other authorsD.G. is committed to writing the stories they see in their head without restrictions. Love is blind and doesn't see gender, race, or sexuality.

Book preview

Chapter One

Northwest Territories, Canada

Somewhere in the Mountains

Tuesday, 17 th August, 2027

Shortly After Dawn

Chaos was brought to order in the small SLIP town nestled against the mountain. Dust and debris were still settling from the explosions that collapsed the tunnels and caverns inside the mountain. SLIPs scrambled to help the injured and gather the few prisoners taken.

Kollin knelt with his head against Danica's chest. He could hear her heart beating, but just barely. It was irregular, and her breathing was ragged. Andrew landed and shifted, walking to Kollin. Is she…?

She's alive, but I don't know for how long. A quiver in his voice betrayed his fear.

Some of the SLIPs are running down the few stragglers left. Others are working on digging into the tunnels to get our brethren out, Andrew reported.

Kollin nodded as he willed her to take another breath. Andrew put his hand on Kollin's shoulder. We should move her.

You will do no such thing! In fact, both of you back up, someone shouted at him.

Kollin whirled around as he stood to see who dared give him an order, anger rising in his chest. There stood Kenshin Mori in combat fatigues and what looked like a katana strapped to one side and a handgun on the other. Kollin recognized him from the other night at the casino. He was surrounded by a mix of wolves, foxes, and felines. A Siberian tiger prowled close behind Kenshin, and his frosty blue eyes glared at Kollin. Kollin glowered down at Kenshin and took a step forward. The closest of the wolves growled a warning. Kollin put up his hands in surrender but did not step back, I mean her no harm.

"I'm sure you do not, but I will not allow you to take her anywhere. We both know how special she is. She has spent her whole life hiding from your lot. I will not let her be taken away now." Kenshin stood with his arms behind his back, not looking the least bit intimidated by Kollin who straightened his back and tried to draw upon all the regal entitlement ingrained in him since birth.

I just want to help, Kenshin. Kollin tried to keep his voice calm, pushing aside his fear for Danica.

Fine, you can help, but it will be on my terms. Understood? Kenshin's voice was firm but even.

Yes. Kollin turned to Andrew. Take care of getting the survivors out. I'll stay here. Andrew bowed his head, shifted, and flew back to the mountain.

A stocky wolf praeses pushed through the crowd shoving a man forward. Kenshin, Xander was chasing this guy when we arrived. He said he shot her with something.

Kenshin pointed at the man the wolf held. Strip him. Two red and white foxes came forward and shifted to their human form. They carefully removed the man's gear and clothing, putting it into a pile. The man was clearly scared, standing there naked, but there was hate in his eyes as they darted around, looking at all the SLIPs.

Kenshin knelt, going through the pile. The main item gaining his attention was a large caliber handgun. Kenshin sniffed it. His nose crinkled like he smelled something awful. He handed it to the praeses that brought the man in. See if you can find anything that smells like this between here and where you found him. Take whoever you need. The praeses nodded as he sniffed the weapon and then let three other wolves smell it. He handed the weapon back to Kenshin and then shifted. All four wolves dashed back to where he had come from.

Someone find the damn jammers and get them down immediately, Kenshin yelled as he pulled out his phone and shook his head, clearly, not seeing what he wanted on it. Three-fourths of the SLIPs around him took off into the woods in all directions. Continuing his inspection of the equipment, Kenshin found a sticky substance in the pants with some glass. He smelled it and then handed it to Kollin to inspect. Kollin leaned in to get a better look and jumped back as the smell hit him. It was faint but foul. It was also the same odd smell he had discovered on Danica. He moved back to her to compare them.

Turning to Kollin, who once again knelt at Danica's chest, Kenshin moved closer to Danica. Have you seen anything like this before?

Kollin stood. No, I haven't, but I smelled the same scent on her chest right after she got shot. Do you know who's responsible for this?

Yes and no, but we’ve been working on finding out. However, all this wouldn’t have happened if you had done even a smidgeon of the work we have put into this. Kenshin tried to keep the disgust out of his tone. From the look on Kollin's face, he wasn't too successful, and unsurprisingly, Kenshin didn't care. But as usual, the arrogance of your kind is your weakness, and now we are headed into war. One we are already ten steps behind in. And now my alpha and my packmates are dying because she insisted upon saving your ass. Kenshin's voice was level, but there was no mistaking his cold anger.

Kollin started to say something and then stopped. A flash of shame crossed his features.

A buzz from his pocket cut them short, and Kenshin stepped away to have some semblance of privacy despite how well dragons can hear. The buzz also signaled that the jammers were finally down. Pulling out his phone, he tapped the screen and saw Matt.

Finally! I was starting to get really worried about you guys. Matt smiled and then grew somber at the sight of Kenshin.

Much like his Danica, Kenshin went straight to business. We need a couple of helicopters out here now. She's been hurt, Matthew, and is unconscious while still shifted, so we will need something to lift her out of here. Xander and Aiden are unconscious and stuck in their animal forms. From what we’ve gathered so far, she was hit with a kind of poison. Anything beyond that will have to wait until we are back home and further analysis can be done. Kenshin's voice was strained, and his chest tightened with the possibilities as he relayed the information.

I'm on it. The previous excitement was stripped from Matt's voice, and worry replaced it. Matt's normally carefree eyes were now laced with panic, and he sympathized with his friend who was stuck at home, most likely feeling helpless.

I need you, Matt. You're our outside eyes and ears. Let me know if you see anything more on those sites. Make arrangements, and I'll bring them home. Kenshin waited until Matt nodded his acknowledgment and then shut off the line.

The medical team finally arrived and headed straight to Kenshin. Remove the bullets out of the bear and the wolf there immediately, he ordered. The lead inside Danica wouldn't hurt her, so the priorities were Aiden and Xander. They got to work right away, moving them into better positions to thoroughly examine them. The healing capabilities of their kind were vast but the foreign material would hinder that process.

Kollin evidently found some jeans and continued to listen at Danica’s chest, his ear plastered to it. Kenshin cocked his head and focused his hearing on her. Her breath seemed to have stabilized. That knowledge eased just a bit of the tension in his body.

You should see to your people, Mr. Ormsson. Kenshin jerked his head toward the mountain.

My brothers will be here soon. They'll take care of their clan. My place is here by her side. Kollin kept his eyes focused on Danica.

Kenshin looked at him suspiciously and then nodded. "She will live. She is strong and too stubborn to die. She loves those two too much to let them die with her. What we need to do is get her home. She needs her pack and her hoard. That will help keep her alive until we find a cure for the poison or whatever that stuff is.

I just don’t yet know how we will get her into her vault like this, but we’ll figure it out... Kenshin’s eyes widened, and he called Matt. Get a crew in the garage ASAP and have them dig up the floor until you hit the vault roof. He hung up without waiting for a response. Then he turned back to Kollin. If you really want to help, come with us. We’re going to need your help to get her into her vault.

Whatever you need, just name it, Kollin offered.

Kenshin narrowed his eyes at the dragon in suspicion. He seemed a little too cooperative, which consider what Danica was, wasn’t surprising, but Kenshin still didn’t trust it. Danica hadn’t been dreaming of him without reason which is the only reason Kenshin didn’t shut him out completely.

Kenshin turned his attention back to where the med team worked. They had IVs running into both Aiden and Xander, most likely for fluids, but they wouldn’t be able to keep the lines in long. Aiden's wounds were finally healing. Xander still looked in bad shape, but with all the fur, it was hard to tell.

JP bounded over with a kind of bandolier in his mouth. Kenshin reached down and took it out.

JP became human once more to give his report. That's all we could find. Most of the vials were broken, but four were still intact. They were large bullets with a sharp metal end for piercing and a vial in the middle that would collapse upon penetration. It seemed a bit complex but regular tranquilizer-type darts would not have penetrated dragon scale.

Kollin had come over while Kenshin examined the bullets. Do you have a lab that can analyze this?

Yes, but it's in Oslo. I can fly it over there. It's too important and too slow to ship.

I agree. Thank you. Kenshin gave a curt nod. You take two vials, and I'll take the other two back with me.

I'll wait until your transports get here, and then I'll fly there and meet you back in Toulouse.

Mori sama, one of the medics yelled out. Kenshin jogged over to Aiden, who was back in human form but still unconscious. His wounds were fully healed now, at least on the outside. The medics had to redo his IV, pumping more fluids into him. With his size more manageable, they moved him to a stretcher, readying him for transport.

Kenshin watched Kollin dash over to Danica. He was focused on her chest, so Kenshin opened his ears to listen as well, and her rhythms were still steady. Kollin whispered something to her, but Kenshin didn't understand what he said. He assumed it was something in Norwegian. The words sounded remorseful, but they were full of encouragement and maybe a hint of love based on the tone.

Kenshin brought out his phone again and called Matt. He answered, looking a bit haggard. Aiden is still unconscious, but in human form now. I’m hoping the same will happen to Xander and Danica soon. Ready a cargo plane nonetheless for once we hit Edmonton.

It's already being prepared. I figured we'd need it. I was able to get an emergency crew down here. They'll be here soon to start on the garage. Matt's voice was calm, but his eyes betrayed his worry.

We did find a sample of the stuff Danica was hit with. Kollin is flying some to his lab in Oslo. I’m bringing the rest with us. Get with my father and see what equipment we need for a lab and set one up in the building next door. I know he has some scientists in his pack so see about getting them flown to Toulouse. We’ll need to start working on an antidote as soon as possible. Kenshin paused, his face softening. How is Bastien?

He's— Matt looked behind him as if expecting Bastian to be there, —cleaning.

Well, it could be worse. Kenshin cracked a small half-smile.

He also moved all of the bikes and the SUVs to the other garage at the end of the block in preparation for the crew’s arrival.

Kenshin looked up at the sound of helicopters getting closer. The transports are here. I’ll let you know when we’re in the air. Matt nodded and ended the connection.

Two Chinooks and two medivac helicopters came into range. Each Chinook had a large sling hanging from it, like the kind used to move whales. Both of them approached and lowered the slings to be detached and then moved away to land. The other two helicopters landed nearby, and the injured were loaded. Thankfully, none of the SLIPs Kenshin brought with him were seriously injured.

Kenshin watched Kollin and Andrew pull metal from a nearby building and form a sheet that they coaxed under Danica with their magic. Between the two of them, they were able to lift the sheet using a combination of muscle and magic so the sling could be slid underneath it. Removing the sheet, they did the same thing to Xander to get him loaded onto the other sling.

Kenshin oversaw the extraction before checking on Aiden in one of the other helicopters. By the time the other two took off, three more transport helicopters landed. The rest of the team—minus several staying behind to help the survivors—were loaded and headed to Edmonton.

Kenshin surveyed the damage as they took off, watching the smoke rise lazily into the sky from a few buildings. He tilted his head back and closed his eyes. He'd lived through many wars and conflicts over the last two hundred years. He'd live through this as well, but what would be the cost this time?

Chapter Two

Before he left, Kenshin had given Kollin one of their phones so he could contact them. As soon as Kenshin was in the air, Kollin used some of the metal he pulled earlier to make a protective box and harness to secure the vials to him while in flight to Oslo. He also made another box to hold a change of clothes and the phone. Once he finished, he shifted and secured the boxes to his chest using metal straps.

Andrew? Kollin reached out.

Yes?

I'm flying to Oslo. Stay here and help the twins with the aftermath. Afterward, I'm flying to Toulouse. DO NOT say anything to anyone about Danica unless you absolutely must. The last thing we need is word getting out about her.

Absolutely! I understand. Good Luck. Andrew went back to directing the excavation.

Between flying all night and the battle, exhaustion was setting it. Kollin pushed it aside and spread his wings. He looked around at the destruction and cursed. This was his fault for being so blind. It would be a long flight to Oslo with many hours to think about everything that had happened. Once in the air, he turned east and pushed his aching muscles to their limits.

Knowing he needed to keep up his energy, he set about finding a snack on the way. Soon he spied a herd of caribou and quickly snatched one up into the air. Not wanting to stop, he craned his neck down and took the animal into his mouth. He gulped it down quickly. Feeling better, he picked up his pace and aimed for the halfway point of Greenland. He'd have to stop there and sleep for a few hours before continuing.

Kollin had flown this route many times over the years. He went on autopilot, letting his mind wander to that shocking moment when Danica appeared before him like an angry mother protecting her offspring. She was magnificent. She looked like a hybrid, but he didn't know what kind. He'd never seen anything like her before. Her true form was gorgeous and completely stunning. He longed to run his tongue over her scales, down her long neck.

No wonder he had been so drawn to her. Somehow deep down, his magic recognized hers. She was good at hiding her magic. He had never sensed it in her except maybe that first time that they had touched. It must have surprised her and caused her to bury it even deeper. This also explained her underlining smell of platinum and copper and why she always smelled like her protectors. She used them to cover her scent. That was the other mystery of her. It was rare now to have one fully bonded protector but to have two was, again, unheard of. Who was this woman? This dragon?

He thought then to everything she had accomplished in the last two decades, and it was astonishing. The business she built along with the connections she made and her obvious wealth. Now that he thought about it, her actions in these matters were very dragonesque. Somehow, as a human, she had managed to surround herself with SLIPs who trusted and were loyal to her. They’d been drawn to her and didn't even know why, except for those closest to her—her pack. She protected them just as any other dragon would.

Over the centuries, some SLIPs had become resentful of the dragons. He’d seen the contempt in Kenshin's eyes for him. He couldn't blame him. The Japanese SLIPs had been abandoned long ago when the clan there left, after their numbers became too few, and joined the other Asian clan. The SLIPs had banded together and thrived over the centuries, even after the war with America. Kollin surmised that Danica had secured the loyalty of the alpha of that large pack.

Dragons have always had SLIPs around them since they created them, but there were very few lone dragons. The few alone had either been banished from their clans or chose to live a solitary life. Well, there were the few that lived in prison down south,