Pressing his hands together, James took a slow measured breath. "We learned a lot today. Tomorrow, we are going to eliminate the dragons and the spiders."

"Is that the extent of our plan?" Amber asked with a snort.

Giving her a blank look, he pointed her out. "Amber has volunteered to be our bait. Her soul is nice and juicy, so we'll send her in first."

"What?" The cat glowered at him. Crossing her arms, she said, "if you think for one moment that I'm going in first, you are mistaken, mister."

"Actually, he has a point," Luna stated. "You can shift to the soul realm. Scout out the spiders and tell us what's going on."

Still frowning, Amber didn't stop glaring at him. "He wasn't talking about the spiders…"

"Yes, he was," Luna said in his defense.

James shook his head. "I wasn't, but we'll let you believe that."

"See!" Amber yelled. "He wants me to be eaten by a dragon!"

Jamie clapped her hands, drawing everyone's attention. "There are more people here than just you three. Now focus!"

"Amber, behave," James chided. "I'll be the one to take on the dragons. Alone."

"What? No!" Luna snapped.

Amber growled. "Are you insane?"

Slamming his hand down on the table, James silenced everyone. He waited a few moments before calmly saying, "I'll be handling this alone. I don't know what sort of Forsaken will flock to us once I start fighting. I need all of you, including Elder Bo to contain the area. We don't know how many spiders there are, or how strong they are."

Amber smacked the table in turn. "This is stupid!"

Throwing out his soul, he pressed down on her until she whimpered and dropped to her knees. "I wasn't asking, Amber. Need I remind all of you what level I am?"

"No," Amber wheezed.

Luna patted his arm. "It's okay, James."

Pulling in his soul, he turned to Mender. "You are going to have the hardest job. Everyone will pull what they can into the streets, while you ignite everything you can. Jamie will protect you, alongside the Elson brothers."

"What about me?" Linda asked.

"Overwatch," he answered. "Find a building and pick your targets carefully. Just make sure you are close enough that you can siphon them."

Nodding, Linda sat back with a satisfied smile. Amber got back to her feet and stormed over to him. Shoving her finger into his chest, she growled. "Why are you taking on the most risk?"

Luna moved to grab her when James held up his hand.

"What do you wish to change, Amber?" he asked.

Snarling, she poked his chest again. "I'm going to fight with you. I can handle the babies and keep them distracted while you handle the mama."

Frowning, he pushed her hand away from his chest. "And what makes you think I'm going to let you do that? I already gave you your job."

Lowering her voice, Amber whispered, "because you said I could stay by your side."

"And you will," he said, lowering his tone. "I just need you to fight with the others. I need you to make sure their side of the plan doesn't fail. I won't be able to stop fighting the dragon to back you up. I need you."

Amber's lips quirked up into a smile as she rested her hand against his chest. "Very well…"

"Umm…" Luna murmured. "You both know that we are still here, right? And what the hell are you doing with my husband, Amber?"

Jumping as if shocked, Amber backed away. "I was just telling him that his plan sounds good."

Jamie laughed and Mender joined her. Soon, everyone else was laughing while Luna glared at the cat. Amber fidgeted with her hands, looking anywhere but at the Fenrir.

Clearing his throat, James said, "you all need to get some sleep. We are striking the moment the sun rises. It's only a few blocks away, and if we are lucky, they will all be asleep still. That'll give you all time to set up."

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Luna cut in. "You all need to go to bed is what he is saying. We don't want you in our apartment any longer."

Another round of laughter went through the room before the soul cultivators departed. Left with only Luna, Amber, and Bo, James sat down.

"It's going to be a hell of a fight," James murmured.

Elder Bo nodded. "The last dragon you killed was a scaleless juvenile. This won't be the same."

Luna sat next to James and hooked her leg over his. "He'll handle it. He could probably kill all of the babies by simply looking at them."

"He's not that ugly," Amber joked.

"Harsh!" James grunted.

Rolling her eyes, Luna started to yawn. "You all need to go to bed. James and I need to talk."

"Can I join?" Amber asked with a smile.

"No," James answered. "Go to bed. And not my bed."

Pouting, she stuck her nose in the air and walked off. Elder Bo lingered for a moment longer with a small smile before departing. In moments, James was left alone with Luna.

"Are you sure about this?" Luna asked softly. "If I'm watching the others, I'm not going to be able to back you up."

James nodded. "I'll be fine. I need you to help Amber maintain order. She's headstrong and thinks she has more to prove than she does. We need the others to see her taking charge."

"I understand, James." Scooting onto his lap, Luna rested her knees on either side of him. "This isn't the same as fighting the giant Forsaken. This is a dragon. A monster that wiped out entire cities on its own."

James cupped her cheek. "I have a question for you."

Pressing into his hand, she nodded.

"What is a dragon doing on the outskirts of the city, and not in the center where it belongs?"

Luna's eyes slowly grew wide.

"That's what I'm afraid of," he whispered. "Everyone is scared of the dragon, but what is the dragon scared of?"

Luna's face grew pale as she stared at him. "We need to leave this city."

"I can't," he stated.

"Yes, you can," she argued. "You owe nothing to these nearby cities. There is nothing here you need to sacrifice yourself for."

He knew she was right, but he also didn't want to go. He wanted to know what was going on. What could possibly suppress his soul at his level?

Rubbing his eyes, he said, "I can't leave. I want to solve the mystery."

Sighing, she rested her forehead against his. "What if nothing sinister is going on? Maybe you are worried for no reason. Could that be it?"

James gave her a tired look.

Sighing, she scooted back. "Fine, James. I'll keep an eye on everyone. I still don't like that you are going to face a dragon alone."

"I know," he said softly. "I'll make you a nice coat afterward. Dragon scale should make a decent statement."

Scoffing, she playfully slapped his arm. "Take me to bed. I'm going to need you to cuddle me all night, so I don't stay awake worrying."

"And fluff your tail," he added.

"Yes," she said with a smile. "I think my tail deserves some extra attention tonight."

Picking her up, he stood and turned to their room. While Luna buried her head against his chest, he felt Amber push against his soul. She was filled with turmoil as she paced inside her room. She still didn't like the plan. Hopefully after the fight, she would have a little more faith in him.

***

Morning came swiftly and before the sun rose, James was standing at the window, overlooking the city. It had become a habit to spend what time he could alone with his thoughts. Although someone always seemed to interrupt him.

"Brooding again?" Amber asked.

"I'm not brooding." Turning to her, he found her only wearing her underwear and bra as she walked over to his side. "Not going to get dressed?"

"I shouldn't even be awake yet." Shaking her head, she stopped by his side. "I don't like this plan, James. I've barely had more than an hour of sleep as I've thought it over and over."

Frowning, he turned back to the window. The sun was just beginning to brighten the distant horizon. "Do you have that little faith in me?"

"No…"

"Then what's wrong?"

Grabbing his arm, she firmed her stance. "I should be fighting by your side. My place is protecting you and making sure nothing goes wrong. And you're pushing me away!" The last part was yelled, and it was only a second later when his bedroom door opened.

Luna glowered at them. "So much for sleeping."

"Sorry," Amber muttered.

"Go get dressed," James told the cat. Amber's shoulders slumped and she turned away. Reaching out, he touched her shoulder. "You are by my side. You may not see it, but being by my side doesn't mean joining my every fight. It might simply mean being there to help handle the fights that I cannot."

Touching his fingers, she nodded. "Thanks, James." Pulling away, she entered her room and shut the door.

Luna walked over to him. "She's very worried."

"She is," he agreed.

"What sort of spell have you put on that woman? She's devoted to you."

Taking Luna's hand, he kissed her fingers. "And I'm devoted to you."

Giggling, she pulled her hand away. "Don't be sappy."

"Sorry." Spreading out his soul as much as he could, he found everyone else awake. It was only a few seconds later that Amber was joining them again, a frown still in place. Eyeing the nekorian, he said, "if you get the most kills, I'll wash your tail."

Eyes wide, she perked up. "Really?"

Luna sighed. "Yeah, I'm going to have to make her lose now."

Taking the lead, James left the apartment. In the hall, he ran into Jamie and Mender who were on their way to him. Linda and the Elson brothers met them on the bottom floor. Elder Bo was the last to arrive, and as the sun rose enough that the night flares tapered off, they left.

The walk through the streets was filled with silence. No one wanted to talk, and Luna's tail was rigid, matching Amber's. None of them knew how the fight was going to go, and Amber kept sending him looks that spoke of her anguish over not being in his fight. Luna rolled her eyes more than once.

A few minutes later, they were outside the grocery store and James could feel the massive soul inside. He knew it would be a tough fight, and he was ready. Turning to his group, he whispered, "you know what to do. Get into position and you'll get started. Remember, we don't know how many reinforcements will come."

Luna nodded and took over. Spreading everyone out, she worked with Amber. With them handled James turned his attention to the store. The front doors were already open, and when he stepped through, the air was filled with death and misery. The baby dragons were already active and scurrying around as they felt his soul. It was only a second later that the mother noticed him.

"Come to kill me?" a voice asked in his head.

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