A Successful Rescue
"Here is the plan," Orion stated calmly. He was in command and Harry loved seeing him like this. It made all if his instincts stand up a pay attention. "Some of us will be staying here to infiltrate the mountain and rescue the captured Dragel. Be careful and know that a bit of force might be necessary to keep the calm. Harry, I think you and the Pareya, for sure would be best suited for this. Jascha and I will choose which Gheyo will stay behind with you."
"I agree with that. I am an Empath and a Submissive, I won't be seen as threatening and I have been practicing projecting emotions. Hopefully, it will be enough to help keep everyone calm," Harry agreed with his Alpha. Orion was in charge here and even though Harry had been the leader in a war for years, Harry wanted to prove that he could follow his Alpha's lead when they were on missions. He didn't have the experience that others had when it came to dealing with Dragel or Torvak. If they needed a Dark Lord taken out, Harry was definitely their man. For this first mission at least, Harry would go where he was instructed and do what he was told to do.
Besides Dumbledore would be dead before they went back home. Orion had promised. It didn't much matter to Harry who killed him or how he died. If his Alpha wanted to claim the pleasure of doing it, then Harry was perfectly fine with that. Dead was Dead and that is all Harry cared about. Harry smiled up at Draco when he wrapped an arm around him. Draco was nervous. He didn't really want to be here but he wouldn't leave Harry to deal with this alone. Harry wouldn't be surprised if Draco volunteered to stay home most of the time when they started truly taking missions. Harry was pretty sure that Draco would rather be at home taking care of Teddy.
"Cedrella will lead the rest of us to Dumbledore and the Torvak leader," Jascha added to the instructions and Orion nodded. Sirius stepped forward and placed a gentle hand on Harry's shoulder before addressing the two Alphas.
"My Mage and I will be going with the group going after Albus and the Torvak," Sirius stated confidently. Harry smirked as said mage grumbled and hit the hellhound over the head. Sirius just laughed and winked up at him. Which only caused the grumpy mage to grumble more.
"That is acceptable as long as you understand his death belongs to me or one of my circle," Orion informed him. Sirius nodded.
"Oh, I understand. I am perfectly fine with you ripping that old bastard's insides out. I just want to be present to witness it," Sirius agreed. Orion nodded and then turned back to address them all.
"Any other suggestions on who would like to go where?" Orion asked. There were a few. Ariki, Rathal, Blaise, Quinn, and Alec specifically wanted to stay with Harry. Charlie, Fawkes, and Hadrian specifically wanted to be involved in the death of Dumbledore and wanted the chance to fight some Torvak. The others didn't have a preference and would go where their Alpha instructed. Therefore, they took a few minutes to mentally prepare themselves as the two Alpha as well as the Aces discussed placement amongst themselves.
It ended up with two more of Harry's Gheyo Arran and Declan staying with them as well as Marianna and a few of the Cunninghams. Everyone else would be going with Cedrella to deal with the Torvak and Dumbledore. Rathal was left in charge of those staying with Harry as he was the highest-ranked Dominant. With that being sorted out Harry and the others made their way into the mountain. Rathal and Marianna took the lead so that Cedrella would know they were friendly when they entered the cavern. Orion had come with them as well but that was simply so that he could retrieve Cedrella.
"Oh Merlin," Harry whispered when he saw the cages full of Dragel. "Can I?" Harry asked. He didn't know why they were still in cages he wanted to make sure that it was safe to touch them. Cedrella nodded.
"As far as I can tell there are no, spells or triggers on the cages. I just didn't feel like it was safe to release them just yet. I am only one Dragel and I didn't want them to feel overwhelmed by their sudden freedom and panic. It could have triggered something that would alert Albus to our presence here. Here are the keys," She handed Harry a skeleton key that she had found hidden by magic in a smaller cavern a little bit away that looked like the half-torvak had been using it for living quarters. Harry took the key and went straight for the submissive first.
She was a pretty little thing. Her skin was a pale almost lilac color with pretty fluted ears. Her hair looked like it would be almost waist length when it was cleaned and brushed. She looked up at Harry with sad, desperate purple eyes. Harry trilled at her in reassurance and continued to talk to her about how she was ok now and he was going to take care of her.
"I swear that awful man will never touch you again. My Alpha is going to rip out his spine with his bare hands," Harry continued to promise her violent retribution for the things that had been done and would have been done to her. When he finally found the keyhole at the back of the cage and turned the key the Merrow Submissive launched herself into Harry's arms and held on to him sobbing desperately. Harry had been right. She was small and just a smidge shorter than he was. He allowed her to cling and handed the key to Draco when he came for it to release the others.
The little Merrow had flinched violently when Draco had come close to them so Orion did not attempt to approach Harry. He simply inclined his head and pointed toward the exit. He and Cedrella were leaving. Harry nodded and moved over to the side out of the way while the other Dragel were released. The Merrow continued to cling to him and Harry let her. He started concentrating on projecting calm out into the room and knew it was working at least a bit when the now-free Dragel simply cried and thanked them for their rescue before huddling close together.
Everything was going really smooth which naturally meant everything had to fall apart. Harry had only just managed to convince the Merrow in his arms to sit next to him instead of clinging to him when he heard the sound of apparition and none other than Albus Dumbledore appeared in the middle of the room. He demonstrated quickly why he had always been considered one of the most powerful wixen of their age. Mere moments after arriving he had flung up a barrier that separated him and Harry, and by default the merrow since she was clinging to Harry again, from the rest of the Dragel in the room.
"My Boy, you have no idea how good it is to see you again," Dumbledore stated with a kind smile. Harry wanted to claw the man's infuriating twinkling eyes out of his skull. Harry pushed the Merrow behind him and drew out his sword and a dagger.
"You should have stayed dead, Headmaster. I am sure falling from the tower will be much less painful than the Death I will grant you this time," Harry snarled at him. He could see out of his peripheral that the others were working on breaking through the barrier.
"Now Harry, there is no reason to react so violently toward me. I have always been your friend, haven't I? I have always looked after you, mentored you," Dumbledore continued to pretend like Harry didn't have weapons drawn against him. Harry snarled at him again.
"How dare you? You are the reason James and Lily are dead. The reason I was raised in a home with people who hurt me. They starved me and beat me because you told them to. You spelled them to hurt me so that I would be compliant and moldable for you turn me into your perfect weapon. You are a terrible person and far darker than Voldemort or Grindelwald could ever dream of being. You won't leave here alive," Harry spat at him. Dumbledore looked at him sadly. As if Harry was a disappointment.
"I had such high hopes for you, Dear Boy. I should have kept a tighter hold of you. Maybe faking my death and leaving you on your own was not the best choice I could have made. No matter, you are here now and it will be easy enough to get you back under control. Don't struggle, Harry, it will only make this worse," Dumbledore said sadly. Harry braced himself for the fight he was about to find himself in. Just as Albus transformed into his half-bird form, Harry registered a blur of movement.
The Merrow had launched herself at Dumbledore and managed to claw his face up quite nicely before she was thrown into the barrier and slid to the ground. Harry did not give Dumbledore time to recover or brace. He launched himself at the old man and managed to get a few good slices in before he was pushed back by a feathered wing. Harry did not allow it to distract him. He ripped into that feathered wing until it was in tatters. He grinned when Dumbledore screamed out.
"I will put you down like a rabid dog. I will make you watch as I torture and kill your entire circle. I will...." Dumbledore started. Harry cut him off mid-rant when he launched himself at the man again. The two of them fought and Harry knew the old man had managed to hurt him a few times but he was working very hard not to let it slow him down. Finally, he saw his opening and swung his sword hard. He relished in the cry of anguish from Dumbledore as he tried to hold his guts inside.
"If I am going to die then I will not go alone," Dumbledore screeched out. Harry braced for the attack he knew was coming and then was surprised to see a fountain of blood arch out of the man's neck. The barrier flickered out of existence as Dumbledore fell face-first to the cavern floor. Harry locked eyes with the Merrow that had ripped out the old man's throat with her claws. She dropped the piece of his throat that she had been holding in her hand and once again launched herself into Harry's arms. Harry dropped both of his weapons before she reached him to make sure that he didn't hurt her accidentally.
Then they were surrounded by his bonded. Harry felt the Merrow in his arms trembling at so many people being close but she didn't say anything and just kept her head buried in his neck. Harry looked over to see Marianna instruct one of her Gheyo. Harry didn't hear the command but he grinned happily when Dumbledore's head was separated from his body.
"To make sure he is dead this time," Marianna told him. Harry nodded.
"Thank you. Perhaps we should set him on fire as well. I don't know how he survived the first time but I don't want him to be able to do it again," Harry insisted. He looked up at Rathal.
"It will be done, Love. We will take him out now and do it," Rathal assured him. "He will never hurt you or anyone else ever again." He then kissed Harry on the head making sure he did not touch the merrow still clinging to Harry.
"I think it might be best if we all head for the clearing just outside. This place is stifling. It will do everyone some good to get some fresh air," One of Marianna's Gheyo suggested.
"That sounds like a great idea. So long as everyone knows they are to stay together. It will be easier for us to defend you all from attacks if you are all in one place," Rathal agreed. There were promises from the rescued Dragel that they would stay together. So they all made their way outside. Harry kept the Merrow tucked close to him. She didn't seem inclined to leave him and he was fine to let her stay close if that was what she needed.
"My Quinn is a healer. Please, allow him to look you all over. He is very good at what he does and he will be gentle and respectful. He needs to make sure that everyone is well enough to travel back to Nevarah," Harry instructed. Then he looked down at the Submissive in his arms. "Will you allow my Quinn to check you out? I only know a few basic diagnostic spells. He is much better at it and he won't touch you." She looked up at him and then over at where Quinn was waiting a respectful distance from them. She looked up at Harry again.
"He is a good man. I promise he won't hurt you. He just wants to make sure that you are ok. That we can safely take you home to Nevarah," Harry insisted gently. Finally, she nodded her head. Quinn approached slowly and carefully.
"You are going to have to get her to let go of you. Just long enough for me to run the scan. If you are holding her, it will interfere," Quinn let Harry know.
"I am going to have to let you go for just a moment ok? If I am holding you when Quinn does his assessment it will affect the results. Is that Ok?" Harry asked her. She looked uncertain but she finally nodded and allowed Harry to step only a foot away from her. She kept her eyes on Harry the entire time like she didn't want to see Quinn so close to her or she was afraid that Harry would bolt if she took her eyes off him.
As soon as Quinn stated that he was done, Harry stepped back up to her. He had just managed to learn that her name was Zamira when they were approached by a man who made Harry's insides flip. He was dirty and emaciated but it was undeniable. Harry didn't care how impossible it was, he could feel the connection.
"Harry," The dry cracked lips parted and breathed out. Harry just nodded.
"Hi, Dad," Harry said with a choked sob.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Something isn't right," Cedrella stated as they watched the mansion she had lived in with her husband. "He should be here. He is always here."
They had been watching the house to make sure that Dumbledore was in the home at the monthly meeting Cedrella assured them would be going on tonight. Septimus had a meeting with his 'generals' every month at the same time under the guise of a dinner party. Dumbledore had been insistent that he was at every one of them since his 'death'. But The meeting was halfway through and he still had not made an appearance.
"We will just have to track him afterward. We can not let this opportunity pass us by. We need to stick to the plan," Orion growled out. He was not happy about this but he would do what needed to be done and then hunt the half-Torvak afterward.
"On your mark, Alpha," Jascha simply stated. They were already in formation surrounding the house. There were enough of them to cover all the exits while the others went into the house to quickly handle the Torvak leaders. Orion nodded and then waited another moment before sending a pulse of magic that caused lightning to streak across the sky. It was the signal to engage the Torvak.
Everything started out well. Two of the leaders were dead before they knew what had hit them and then suddenly the entire property was surrounded by Torvak. Then it was chaos. Everyone was fighting. Hadrian and the other Shadow Dragel tried to tag them all to make sure that none of the leaders escaped. If they did manage to escape, they would be able to be found. The Torvak put up one hell of a fight and the Dragel were certainly outnumbered but not out-skilled. The amount of Torvak began to dwindle.
Orion looked around for Septimus and spotted him too far away across the clearing. He was silently closing in on the Shadow Mage that Aiden had sent to help them. Orion began making his way to them as quickly as he could. Shouting would do no good because the mage wouldn't hear him through the noise of battle. Just as the Torvak released a stream of ice from his beak Orion watched in horror as Harry's only living parent dove into the blast to stop it from hitting the mage. Orion saw the Mage lose his shit and rip the Torvak's wings from his body before using his Shadows to pierce him through the heart.
When the Torvak leader fell, the retreat was sounded and the other Torvak fled the area. All of the leaders were dead so the Dragel let them go. Orion hurried to the place where Sirius had fallen and promptly had to turn and chuckle at the sight that greeted him.
"What the fuck is wrong with you? You stupid, impulsive, hellhound. Why would you do that? What if I had not also trained as a healer? I should just let you die since you seem to want to so bad. I bet you didn't even think about...." The rant cut off and Orion turned back to see that Sirius had shut the Mage up by kissing the life out of him. Sirius pulled back after a few moments and grinned at the scowling mage. How someone could be kissed senseless and still scowl, Orion did not know.
"Like I would let someone hurt you, Silly Mage," Sirius teased the Shadow Mage. "I knew you really loved me." Cethin rolled his eyes but it didn't go unnoticed that he did not let go of the hellhound. He was still holding him close to his chest and looking over him as if he was worried that he hadn't healed all of the damage.
"And what about you getting hurt?" Cethin snarked back. Sirius shrugged.
"I know you trained as a healer. I knew you would fix me up afterward," Sirius said quietly. Cethin huffed out annoyed and put his forehead against the hellhounds. "You know it would make it so much easier for the both of us if you would just admit that you want to be with me."
"I won't let you rush me, Hellhound. I will court you properly or not at all," Cethin said gently. Orion had never heard the man do anything but grumble or growl. That was different. Looks like Sirius was right. The Hellhound smiled brightly and kissed the Mage again.
"Of course, you can court me. I knew you were a softy," Sirius barely managed to get out before the mage shoved him out of his lap and to the ground. Sirius laughed brightly as he watched the Mage stand up and stride away. Orion reached a hand down for Sirius and pulled him to his feet.
"I don't know that I will ever understand that relationship," Orion said with a grin. Sirius just shrugged and smiled at the back of the retreating Mage.
"I owe Reggie and Harry twenty galleons," Sirius said with a grin. Orion raised his eyebrow. "They both said he would break the minute I was hurt."
"Is that why you took that blast?" Orion asked him in disbelief. Sirius shook his head no and his smile faltered.
"That was because I saw the beam headed for his back and panicked. But if you tell anyone I said that I will deny it," Sirius told him honestly. Orion patted him on the back.
"Your secret is safe with me. Now let's pack this up and head back to Harry. We need to let the others know what happened here and set up a hunt for Dumbledore," Orion instructed.
"You got it, Alpha," Sirius stated and then skipped off to annoy the Mage, Orion was certain. Orion found Jascha and then they gathered everyone and ported back to the clearing. He knew instantly that something had happened. There was a burning body off to the side and Harry was sitting with the Merrow submissive still held in his arms. Both of them were covered in blood. The thing that bothered him the most was the stricken look on his Submissive's face as he gazed up at one of the rescued Dragel.
He took two steps toward them when his hand was gripped by Draco who shook his head.
"Sirius, go to your son. Do not touch the Merrow," Draco ordered quietly. Sirius strode to the three Dragel and when he pulled the man around he gasped and pulled him into his arms. Orion looked down at Draco who had worked his way into Orion's arms. "That is Harry's Sire. His dad, James. He was one of the captured Dragel."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Harry looked up at the two men standing over him. So it was James. His Dad really was here. Sirius had been James' best friend since they were eleven. He would know James anywhere.
"Dad," Harry called quietly. This time he was talking to Sirius. Both men looked down at him but he only had eyes for Sirius at the moment. He had noticed the burn hole through his shirt. "What happened?" He demanded. Sirius looked sheepish.
"I may have taken a Torvak blast to the gut," Sirius answered. Harry scowled at him and stood carefully with the Merrow following. She looked between the three men and moved out of Harry's arms but only so that she could stand behind him. She gave him a little space but did not let go of his shirt.
"You did what now?" Harry scowled at his Dad. "Are you ok?" Sirius just grinned.
"Cethin patched me up good as new. Also, I owe you and Reg. You two were right, he broke as soon as he saw the blood. We are courting now. He is a proper softy believe it or not," Then Sirius yelped and Harry laughed as Cethin glared at Sirius as a Shadow retreated from his dad. Sirius then turned and grasped Harry's arms so that he had to pay attention to him.
"Harry, don't worry. It's fine. It really is James. You can look at him, let him hold you. Both of you need it," Sirius assured him. Harry took a deep breath and started sobbing. Sirius gently turned him toward James and pushed him into his arms. James wrapped his arms around his son for the first time since he was fifteen months old. His hand brushed the Merrow who gasped lightly and pulled her hand back. Sirius tried to reach for her but she violently yanked her hand back.
She kept backing away from him until Harry's Merrow stepped forward and rumbled to her soothingly. She calmed down and stopped backing away but still wouldn't let anyone touch her. Alec handed her a bottle of water and cast a spell that made her clothes and hair damp. The Merrow Submissive sighed in relief and looked gratefully up at Alec. Sirius figured she was fine and turned back to where James and Harry were still holding each other. They finally pulled apart and Sirius cleared his throat.
"Prongs?" James looked up at him and smiled.
"Been a long time since someone called me that," James said with fresh tears.
"Is Lily here too?" Sirius asked and glanced around. He had a sinking feeling that she wasn't. If Lily had been here she would have had Harry in her arms already. James' face fell and he knew he was right.
"No, Padfoot. She was with us for a few years but six years ago Albus taunted her with the fact that Harry had been placed with Petunia and that he was being mistreated daily. She lost it and attempted to escape. She got the closest to getting out of any of us. Even ended up almost ripping his damned wand arm off. She didn't succeed. He got her back in her cage and then two days later he brought a Torvak to the cavern who took her. He showed us proof two months later that she was dead," James explained to them.
"I am sorry, Jamie. How did he get you here? I saw both of your bodies that night. I checked you both. You were both dead," Sirius insisted. Harry wanted to hear this as well but he was also worried about Zamira. So stepped out of James' arms and looked around. The Merrow Submissive was standing a little bit away from them. Alec was hovering nearby but not close enough to touch her. Zamira was trembling and trying to watch where everyone in the clearing was all at once. Harry felt bad. He chirped softly and when her eyes locked onto his he chirred and held out his hand. She had crossed the space between them quickly and was back with her face pressed into his neck.
"Sorry, Mira. It's ok now," Harry whispered to her. Her shoulders relaxed and her trembling stopped. When she was calm again he looked up at the two men and nodded. James smiled gently at him and Sirius was grinning. He elbowed James.
"How much you wanna bet that when we get home to Nevarah, she comes home with us?" Sirius teased. Harry just rolled his eyes. If she settled properly and decided she felt safer with Harry for the time being then she was definitely coming home with them. He wouldn't force her to go somewhere she wasn't comfortable. Alec came up to them and pressed a jar into his hands.
"This is your moisturizer. The one Quinn gave Draco for me to use after my showers right?" Harry asked. Alec nodded.
"Her skin is really dry. I don't know how long she has been here or how long it has been since she has been in water, but she needs this. See if she will let you at least put it on her arms and face. It will make her feel loads better. You are the only one that she will let touch her," Alec instructed. Harry smiled up at his snarky merrow. He leaned up and kissed him softly on the lips.
"Thank you, Alec. I will do what I can," Harry said with love. Alec smiled at him before leaving him with his dads and Zamira. "Let's go and sit over there. It will give us a little bit of privacy and maybe it will make Zamira settle better with fewer people around her."
"Of course, Pup," Sirius told him and the four of them moved over to the area that Harry had indicated. He chirred to his Alpha, who followed them.
"My Alpha is going to join us. He looks ready to snatch me up. I guess Draco told him about Dumbledore," Harry said with a grin. Sirius narrowed his eyes at him.
"What about Dumbledore? He wasn't at the Torvak house," Sirius said. Harry gave him a look.
"Yeah, probably because he was here. Mira and I killed him when he showed up," Harry said with a grin. "She is quite vicious." Mira peaked up at him and smiled hesitantly. Harry settled on the ground with his legs open and Mira sat down facing him between his legs. Orion pressed a kiss to his head and sat down next to him while James and Sirius sat down across from them.
"You heard Alec about the moisturizer?" Harry asked Mira. She nodded and held out her left arm with a soft trill. Harry smiled at her and then looked up at the other three. "Go ahead. I am listening." Sirius snorted and Orion placed his hand on the small of Harry's back and started rubbing gently. Harry opened the jar and started rubbing it into the Merrow's arm.
James explained to them how Dumbledore put Death Seals on both James and Lily and how they had woken up in the cavern. He explained about all of the other Dragel in the Cavern and when each of them had come. Apparently, Zamira was nineteen and had come to them when she was barely four. She had been used to keep the others in line. First, because she was a child, and second because she was a submissive. She was beaten when the others acted up and had been raped many times by Torvak that paid Dumbledore for the privilege. Harry rumbled to her soothingly when she whimpered and continued to rub the moisturizer into her skin.
Harry wanted to beg Death to bring the horrible man back to life so that Harry could kill him again even more violently. When he was finished with the moisturizer Mira shifted so that she was laying against him with her head in his neck. She nuzzled him and Harry told her she could bite him. Which she did. She fed from him for a few moments and then she closed the marks. She continued to lay against him and Harry realized she was sleeping when her breathing evened out.
"It is very likely that she will not do well if they try to separate her from you for a while. Are you going to be ok with that?" Orion asked him. It was normal for children or Submissives to cling to their rescuers for days or even weeks after situations like this. It was something that Harry and the others who were not used to these types of missions had been warned about.
"She is welcome to stay with me for as long as she needs it. If the Merrow need to see her, they will just have to deal with me too. I won't let anyone force her to do anything or go anywhere that she doesn't want," Harry told his Alpha. Orion nodded and kissed his head, careful not to touch the sleeping Merrow.
"You have grown into a very good man, Harry," James said with tears in his eyes again. Sirius wrapped an arm around him and nodded. Harry could see the pride in his eyes.
"He certainly has. A brilliant father too," Sirius said with glee. "You are a grandfather, Prongs." James looked startled and then smiled.
"A father?" James asked and Harry nodded with a soft smile.
"His name is Teddy. We can tell you all about him when we get home. I think we are ready to go," Harry said pointing toward where the others were talking together.
Turned out he was right. They had been preparing to leave so that when Harry was through talking to his lost father they could go.
"Mira, I don't do very well with portals and I have to travel with my Ace. The best way is for me to travel in his arms so that his magic can overwhelm the feel of the portal. It is the only way that I don't break them. So if you want to stay with me that is ok. But you will have to let my Ace wrap you in his arms as well. I promise that you are safe with my bonded. They will never harm you, I swear it. Will you allow him to hold us both so that we can safely travel in the portal?" Harry explained the situation to Mira.
"I understand. Thank you for explaining it to me. I will let your Ace hold us both. I feel better closer to you," She said quietly. Harry smiled and then nodded to Hadrian who strode to them. He knelt down when he did so that his head was below Harry's and Mira's.
"Do you consent to let me touch me for the purpose of getting you safely to Nevarah?" Hadrian asked her. Harry was so grateful to his Ace. He purred at him and smiled when Hadrian smiled up at him. Mira gave him a hesitant smile and nodded. She tucked herself as close to Harry as she could get and Harry held her tightly as Hadrian wrapped his arms around them both. Harry prayed to every deity he could think of that his magic didn't act up and put them both in danger. The others all circled up and Harry looked over his shoulder to see Cethin with both of his fathers tucked close to him on either side.
Harry smirked the poor grumpy man had just agreed to court Sirius. He didn't know how his dads felt about each other beyond being best friends, but if it was more than that, they were going to drive that poor man completely insane. He didn't know what rank his dad held outside of Dragel because it hadn't been talked about, but he felt like a Pareya to Harry.
They were taking two portals home again. The fifteen Dragel that had been rescued were spread out evenly between the two portals. Harry closed his eyes and concentrated on keeping his magic calm when the portal was activated. When they arrived safely in Nevarah, Harry was grinning. They had successfully pulled off their first mission.
Dumbledore was dead, the Torvak leaders were dead, and all of the captured Dragel had been safely rescued and returned to Nevarah. Harry felt pretty good about himself and his circle. He was standing to the side holding Mira's hand while the others were checked in and then transferred to the care of healers. Someone came striding toward them and reached out for Mira who chirped in panic and hid behind Harry. Harry had his blade out and pressed under the Dragel's chin before they even realized what had happened.
"Don't touch her," Harry growled. The Dragel held his hands up placatingly and backed up two steps.
"I am sorry, we were told that all of them were to be taken to the hospital. She is the submissive you rescued, is she not?" The man asked. Harry nodded but did not lower his blade.
"She only goes if she wants to. But you never touch her without permission. Don't try it again," Harry ground out. The man took another step back and Harry lowered his blade and turned to Mira. "Do you want to go to the hospital to be checked out? Or do you want to come home with me and Quinn can look after you until Alec can retrieve a Merrow healer?"
"I would like to stay with you, Harry. Please," She said in a small voice. Harry nodded and then looked back at the medic.
"She stays with me. My healer is Quinn Kalzik he will monitor her until a Merrow healer can be retrieved for her," Harry informed him. The Medic just bowed his head and left them alone. Harry heard a chuckle beside him and turned. When he saw who was standing there he grinned brightly and slipped his dagger back into its sheath on his waist.
"Hi Xander," Harry chirped happily. He hadn't seen the Ace since his first day in Nevarah.
"Hello, Little One. It is good to see you. I am happy to see that I was right about your circle deciding to be military. From what I hear you did beautifully. Rescued fifteen captured Dragel. Personally killed your tormentor and the rest took out some very important Torvak. I am very impressed," Xander praised him. Harry blushed.
"Thank you. We only did what needed to be done," Harry replied. Xander laughed.
"I see that your circle has been training you really well. Your reflexes are fast. Are we going to be seeing you in The Pits soon?" Xander asked him. Harry scowled playfully and huffed.
"Not yet. Probably not ever. My Alpha says that I will only be allowed to fight in The Pits when I can knock him on his ass. My Beta and Aces agree with him. I don't think it is fair. Orion is amazing there is no way I will be able to best him," Harry pouted. Xander just grinned at him.
"I am sure with people like Hadrian and Rathal training you. It will happen sooner than you think. If you want, I could come over sometime and spar with you. Maybe offer my opinion or teach some techniques that your bonded aren't used to that might catch them off guard," Xander offered. Harry beamed up at him.
"Would you really?" Harry asked excitedly. Xander nodded. "That would be great. Hadrian and Rath were talking about asking other Gheyo to come and train with me. He said I am learning from them really well but that I could benefit from additional techniques. Maybe find a fighting style that suited me better." Harry felt a hand on his shoulder and looked up at a grinning Sirius. James was only a step behind him.
"Introduce us to the Handsome Ace," Sirius teased. Harry just blushed and rolled his eyes.
"Xander is the Ace who saved my life that first day here. Remember I told you I broke a portal? This is the man who saved me," Harry informed his dads. Sirius reached out and Xander grasped his arm.
"It is nice to finally meet the man in person who saved my boy's life. Thank you for that," Sirius said seriously and then James shook his hand as well and thanked him. Xander just smiled and waved them off.
"Trust me, it was my pleasure. Harry here is the nicest Submissive I have ever had the pleasure of rescuing," Xander insisted making Harry's blush deepen. Then he shrugged Sirius' hand off his shoulder when he laughed.
"Xander this is my Third Sirius, and this is my Sire James. I am warning you now that they are known pranksters and do not trust anything the two of them or my fire twins give you to eat or drink when you come to the house. It is the only warning you are gonna get. If you get caught unawares that is your own fault," Harry warned him. He warned everyone once but after that, they were on their own. Sirius and James looked offended that Harry would expose them like that but Xander just laughed.
"I will be sure to remember it when I come to spar with you," Xander agreed.
"Does he always throw you under the bus like that?" Harry heard James faux whisper to Sirius. The Hellhound pouted and nodded.
"Every damn time," Sirius stated. James looked between the two of them and put a hand to his chest.
"That's cold, Son. I can't believe you would expose your dear old Dads like that," James pouted with Sirius. Harry felt Mira chuckle quietly into the back of his shirt where she had still been pressed against him. He smiled and tugged her around so that she was next to him again holding his hand.
"Don't pay them any attention. They are just toddlers in adult bodies," Harry told both Mira and Xander. "Xander this is Zamira. She is one of the Dragel that we rescued today. Mira this is Xander. He saved my life my first day here. I will tell you all about it later." Xander smiled down at the hesitantly smiling Merrow.
"It is very nice to meet you, Zamira. I am glad that Harry and his circle were able to get you home safely. Welcome home," Xander said with a gentle tone. Harry smiled gratefully up at him. Mira nodded.
"Thank you. I am glad that he came for me. He is kind and caring," Mira replied.
"Yes, he is," Xander agreed. He looked up at the sound of a whistle. "It looks like everything is taken care of and you are all free to head home. I am sure you are ready to get home to your son. I will write you when I have a day off and we can see about scheduling a time for me to spar with you."
"Sounds good, Xander. It was nice to see you again. Hopefully, it won't be so long before I do again," Harry said and then the four of them walked off to join the rest of Harry's bonded. Sirius bumped his elbow into Orion's side and grinned.
"You know your little Submissive likes the Air Ace, right?" Sirius teased. Harry blushed and to his chagrin, Orion, as well as Hadrian and Draco both nodded. "Oh good. The Ace likes your boy as well. He has volunteered himself to come to your home and spar with Harry so he can kick your ass. It is going to be fun watching them dance around each other."
"He is a good fighter. He will be a decent Gheyo for Harry to spar with. I suspect his fighting style will actually suit Harry better than what we have been teaching him," Hadrian stated with a smirk.
"I give it, two or three years at the most for the two of them to stop playing around and start courting," Sirius bet. Orion held out his hand.
"Four," He said simply. Sirius nodded.
"Usual bet?" Jasper asked. Sirius and Orion nodded. Then Fred, George, Fawkes, Blaise, and Zenith all got in on the bet and chose their sides. The eight of them were always making bets. Harry and the others loved it when they did. The consequences of losing were always fun to watch. The usual wager was loser had to wear women's clothes out of the house for a week. No matter where they were going. It had been hilarious when Fred and George had lost a bet three weeks ago and had to visit their dad and siblings dressed in pretty dresses that Jasper and Sirius had chosen for them. Harry had loved the teasing they had received from Arthur, Ginny, Bill, Fabian, and Gideon. It had been so worth it.
"All right, you heathens. I want to go home. I miss my son," Harry said after they had settled their bets. He turned to Mira who had been quietly laughing at his circle's shenanigans. "You are going to love Teddy. He is so precious."
"I am happy to meet him, Harry," She said with a smile.
"So am I," James said from Harry's other side. He hadn't been too far from Harry at any given time if he could help it. Cethin pulled Sirius to the side and had a quick conversation with him that ended with Sirius kissing the life out of him. Cethin rolled his eyes and ported away as Sirius made his way back to them. "That looks interesting." Harry nodded.
"It has been so fun. Cethin is such a grumpy pants. I have never even seen him smile. Dad drives him insane, but you can tell within two seconds how much they like each other. I don't know how it works, but it does. The kissing is new though. Uncle Reggie and I called it though. We knew the moment something bad happened to Dad, Cethin would cave," Harry told him. James chuckled.
"That does sound fun. You both seem so happy," James told him. Harry nodded and smiled at him.
"We are happy, now. Being in Nevarah has been perfect. Life has never been better. We can tell you all about it after you and Mira have had time to shower and rest," Harry replied. Then they were all circled up with Mira and Harry once again in Hadrian's arms as they ported home. Teddy, followed by Magnus as a wolf, were the first to greet them. Teddy toddled straight into Harry's arms. Teddy and Mira were enamored with each other the moment they met. That made Harry so happy. He was glad to see the Merrow smile and laugh with his little boy.
Harry was currently sitting on the couch in Ethan's arms with Magnus sitting beside them both. Harry had missed them. The three of them were watching the Merrow play with Teddy on the floor in front of them. Mira was not happy if Harry wandered too far away from her. She was fine with not touching him constantly within the safety of their home but she wanted to still be able to see him or be able to touch him to reassure herself he was still there.
Alec had sent a message to King Alcandor about her and what was going on. Apparently, the Merrow King was willing to give her a day to settle and then he was coming with a healer to see to her. Alcandor said he would assess the situation and determine whether he would allow the Merrow Submissive to stay with Harry and his circle or if he would be removing her to Merrow waters. Alec said it was because Merrow were near instinct-driven when it came to the protection of their submissives.
He had also assigned two Merrow guards from his elite fighters, Crimson Tide, to stay in their home to keep an eye on the Submissive until Alcandor and the healer arrived the next day. Harry was fine with that for now. But, Alcandor had another thing coming if he thought Harry was going to allow him to force Mira to go anywhere if she didn't want to go. He didn't say it out loud but he knew his circle understood anyway.
Harry had threatened to tear into the Merrow King once before for trying to touch Alec. It would not bother him to do it again and follow through with it if Alcandor tried to force Mira to do anything she didn't want to do.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"I have seen that look on his mother's face before," Sirius nudged Wikhn. The Gheyo King looked over at his submissive and grinned. It wasn't a nice grin either, it was one that promised pain or fun or both.
"Our little Kitten is plotting," Wikhn purred. Sirius laughed when James looked at them questioningly and then back at Harry. He groaned when he saw the expression. They were right, whenever his wife looked like that someone was about to hurt.
"What happened?" James asked them. Alec sat down next to Wikhn and chuckled.
"I simply informed him that my cousin, King Alcandor is coming tomorrow to look over the Submissive. He says he will decide if she is allowed to stay here or if he will make her return to Merrow waters at that time," Alec informed them. Hadrian groaned from his position in the doorway.
"I guess I will be staying home tomorrow to make sure our feisty Submissive doesn't try to eviscerate the Merrow King again," Hadrian sighed out. Wikhn and Alec chuckled. Sirius and James made startled noises.
"Excuse me?" James stated. "He tried to do what now?" Alec looked at them with amusement.
"Harry protects what he considers his. My cousin threatened to force me to sever my bond to Harry and make me return to Merrow waters. Harry reacted in the most delightfully vicious way. If not for the Ace, the Merrow King would have been sporting some new scars," Alec informed Harry's fathers of what had happened.
"Well, that sounds terrifying," James sighed. "Please tell me that is the only Royalty that my son has probably offended." There was a chuckle from the opposite doorway. James looked up to see two new men standing there holding back laughter. Harry was listening to them all but studiously ignoring them.
"Alcandor was not offended. He loves Harry. Has actually been begging us recently to let them visit together. So far, Harry hasn't offended any of us," Raspen said with a smile. He leaned down and kissed Harry. "Welcome home, Love. It wasn't the same coming home without you here." Harry smiled up at him and kissed him again before he let him pull away so he could greet Perry.
"The rest of you?" James asked and Sirius laughed. "What?"
"Let me introduce you to the last two of our son's bonded. This is the Crown prince of the Earth courts, Raspen and the other is Prince of the Air courts Peryton," Sirius introduced. Then he turned to the Princes while James sputtered. "This is Harry's sire James Potter. And the little Merrow is Zamira." Raspen and Perry exchanged greetings with James who was shocked at the turn of events.
"You could have warned me," James hissed at Sirius when the Royals went to sit near Harry. Sirius just grinned and shrugged. Ethan got up and sat down next to Alec. He leaned in close.
"She doesn't exactly feel like a Submissive to me. But I have never been near a Merrow Submissive. Is there a difference?" Ethan asked Alec. He was always eager for knowledge. Alec looked sad and shook his head.
"There isn't a difference. Merrow Submissives feel the same as land walking Submissives. She isn't a Submissive anymore. Not exactly. The trauma she endured has changed her rank. If she ever bonds into a circle it will most likely be as a companion or carrier. Maybe a combination of both," was Alec's regretful response. "Alcandor was upset when I told him. It is always devastating when something like this happens. It feels like a failure for all of us that she was not protected from this." Ethan and Wikhn both comforted him.
"I just hope she is treated kindly if she does decide to bond into a circle," James said. "She has endured things that no one should ever endure." Alec and Ethan shared a look and then smiled at him. Mira was holding a sleepy Teddy and everyone over there had shifted around. Harry and Mira were now lying on the couch with Teddy between them. The three of them were sleeping soundly within moments.
"If their interactions and reactions to each other are anything to go by, she will bond into our circle. Harry is already plotting how to fight Alcandor for her," Alec informed James. Ethan nodded his agreement.
"He is right. This goes beyond how a normal Submissive reacts in this type of situation. Especially, since she has rank-shifted," Hadrian added from behind them. "We should all be prepared for the confrontation that will likely happen tomorrow if the Merrow King insists on trying to take Zamira. Harry already sees her as his. Especially, after our son's reaction to her."
There were others who agreed. They all sat quietly and discussed what kind of adjustments would have to be made for a little bit while the Merrow settled with them and learned that she was safe with all of them. It was likely that the only people she would feel safe with for a while were Harry, Quinn, Alec, and the Pareya. They would make sure no one touched her without permission and that they never approached her suddenly or from behind if they could help it. Just until she began healing from the trauma and abuse she had endured since she was five.
They could do it. They could make their home a safe place for her. It would be even easier when they moved into their own home. It was finally done. The message had been waiting for Orion when they had returned. The Pareya were going to go in the next few days to make sure it was furnished and ready to move into by the end of the week. Harry was going to love their new home. They had used the Black property that Hadrian had gone to look at when they were at the bank. Hadrian had pulled up the entire property and stored it in his void stone until they found land to put it on here.
The house of course had not been perfectly suited for their circle but it had given the Dragel they had commissioned to build something to go on. Orion, Ariki, and the Pareya were certain Harry was going to love it and all of the modifications they had made to it. They had also received a message from one of the military circles they had propositioned to train under. They had agreed and wanted to start working with them in two weeks. Their lives were far from settled but they were certainly moving in the right direction.