Chapter 215

Chapter 215: Chapter 215

Dron watched as Tempest and Minnie talked, both of them getting more and more animated with every word out of their mouths.

He, on the other hand, was spiraling into an ocean of guilt.

It wasn’t so much that he was upset that the work had been done, but that the work had been done without him there to help. Without him there to supervise.

He was supposed to be the leader of this entire group, but he allowed his baser needs to take over, and he left his people to their own devices. How did that make him any better than the Royals who abandoned them back in Thraqe?

Dron felt like a complete failure. He convinced all of these people to come here and help him, but at the first chance, he ran off to be with his woman. It was abhorrent.

"I need to get down there and start helping," Dron said, cutting Tempest and Minnie off mid-conversation.

"Oh, I’m sure if you two want to go back into the..."

"No, I’m going to help." Dron snapped at Minnie, and she jerked back in confusion.

Tempest stepped forward and put a hand on his shoulder to calm him. "You didn’t do anything wrong."

It was as if she could read his mind. It might not seem like there was anything that he’d done wrong, but he couldn’t stop the feeling that he was letting his people down in some way. He needed to get down there and help them the same way he expected them to help him. They were all here for him. People had died for him. People had agreed to go against their entire way of life for him. The least he could do was help them build a boat.

Tempest nodded her head slowly before she let out a breath. He prayed that she would understand that he needed to do this. That he needed to prove to himself and to the others exactly what they had done when they chose him to be their leader. He wouldn’t be like the other Royals. Wouldn’t just hide behind his gilded or dilapidated walls while everyone else slaved away. He was one of them. A member of this settlement and the community fighting to keep and live in peace.

He dipped his head and softly kissed Tempest on her cheek. He was worried if he pressed a kiss to her lips, he might start up his need for her again. It was never gone, but at least for right now, it was dormant. She gave him a soft smile and gently pushed him away as if that were her unspoken permission for him to go do what he needed to do.

He rushed down from the cliff, praying that she would be safe up there with Minnie. He had faith in his woman, but she was known to get herself into predicaments that she needed help getting out of.

Dron rushed to the space where Rynax and Aliq were bundling up resources.

Dron stood behind them for a few seconds, not sure of what to say or how to handle the situation. He wasn’t there when they had put everything in place, so it felt weird for him to try to come in and take charge now. Except that was exactly what he was going to do. He had to make sure everyone knew that he was still here and still present.

He had mixed feelings about the entire thing. Maybe it would be better if he were to just slink away and let what had already happened here continue. Someone else could take the lead, and the people wouldn’t have to look to him for the answers to everything. He could give Tempest what he promised sooner rather than later. Maybe they could just sneak away back home, and he could give her the life that she deserved.

He would have to do it in shame, though. No one would trust him if he were to just walk off now. No, Tempest didn’t deserve to live in shame. She deserved to be celebrated.

With that in his mind, Dron pulled his shoulders back and spoke. "Report."

Rynax whirled, obviously not expecting Dron to be standing behind him.

"You look like you lost some weight. You might want to go get some nourishment." Rynax looked Dron over.

"I know what I need, and what I need right now is for you to report," Dron spoke again, keeping the dominance in his voice.

Rynax smirked for a second as if he were about to say something smart, but once he caught the expression on Dron’s face, that changed.

Rynax stood tall and pulled his shoulders back as well. Dron knew the man didn’t like to be challenged and was surprised that he fell into the role of a soldier so quickly. Dron knew that wasn’t his trade. He was a merchant.

"Well, we’ve nearly completed the building of the ships. I used my knowledge to help with the building. I’m not much of a carpenter, but Aliq has been pivotal. There is plenty of wood and equipment. We’re just working on things from one place to the other. Honestly, it’s more busy work than anything," Rynax continued.

Dron nodded and followed along with everything that the man was saying.

"Has anyone been causing any problems?"

"No, mostly because they didn’t want to be the one to pull you from your mate during her heat. If they saw you when she was safe and how intense you were then, no one wants to see you when you’ve been interrupted during that time." Rynax shrugged twice.

"Thank you," Dron replied before he could stop himself.

"There’s nothing that you need to thank me or anyone else for. We are not just doing this because you told us to do so. We are doing this for a better life. You’re just giving us the way to do it. It’s good for all of us, and thankfully, we all know it."

Dron nodded and let out a sigh. Some of the weight he’d been carrying on his shoulders dropped off.

"Where is your woman anyway? Don’t tell me she’s out exploring on her own. In my experience, that never ends up well."

Dron couldn’t help but chuckle. The man wasn’t wrong. "No, she’s with Minnie. They were just talking when I left them."

Rynax brightened a little, though Dron could see that he was trying to mask it. "Minnie? Where did they get off to?"

"Oh, they are up there on the cliffs." Dron pointed over his shoulder and watched as all the color drained from Rynax’s face.

"On the cliffs? What are they doing up there? Is it safe? Can they get down?" The questions came in quick-fire succession.

"I accompanied them up. They will be able to get down on their own."

"Maybe I should go check. Minnie doesn’t have the best coordination." Rynax nearly ran in the direction of the cliffs.

Dron simply laughed at the man.

How quickly had it gone from him wanting to make sure that Tempest was okay to him wanting to make sure Minnie was okay?

Rynax couldn’t see what was going on right in front of his face, but Dron could.

Dron was happy for Rynax and hoped that the usually short-sighted man wouldn’t miss the blessing appearing right in front of his face.