The distant commotion drew Sue-Ellen. Who could ignore the excited chitter of women and occasional thumps as jostling occurred for a better position?

What had them so excited?

Then again, did it take much? Sue-Ellen’s arrival at the Silvergrace manor—and by manor she meant holy square footage, practically a small town—certainly caused consternation. Sue-Ellen wanted to sink into a puddle of mud when she’d arrived dressed in a very pink tracksuit courtesy of the silver-haired girl who had literally grabbed her out of the sky when Sue-Ellen jumped out of the building. The encounter was…interesting.

The timing proved fortuitous, however. The other girl, a few years older than Sue-Ellen, had switched from her dragon to human shape as soon as they alit on a roof. “If you’re going to fly, you might want to try flapping your wings.”

“I wasss flapping them,” Sue-Ellen grumbled with a lisp. They were obviously defective.

“Remind me to show you the proper way to fly. And whatever you do, don’t let Aunt Yvonne know you can’t. She’s old school, which means she’ll take you to the top of the highest building she knows and shove you off.”

“Your aunt sounds nuts.”

“She is. I hope to be just like her someday,” sighed the girl with obvious hero worship.

“Who are you?” Sue-Ellen asked.

“Deka Silvergrace at your service. And just in time, too. Good thing Auntie told me to rush.”

“Someone told you to come find me?”

“Actually, her exact words were ‘don’t let the stupid girl meat pie herself on the sidewalk.’”

“But how did your aunt know I would be falling?”

“She just did, and we don’t ask questions.”

Sue-Ellen could respect that. She had a few relatives that demanded the same kind of unwavering respect.

“Here, you can wear this until we get to the car.” This being a long trench coat the woman tossed her way. Sue-Ellen flipped shapes and quickly slipped on the jacket. While she accepted the gift, she didn’t plan to stick with Deka. It would put the girl in too much danger. She highly doubted Samael and Anastasia would let her go so easily.

Tying the sash over her nakedness, Sue-Ellen looked up to see Deka staring.

With eyes wide, she jabbed a finger in Sue-Ellen’s direction. “Holy jumping jeepers. I know you.”

“I doubt it.” Sue-Ellen knew very few people.

“Actually, I do since I and the other girls went looking for you a little while back. You’re Brandon’s sister. We gave up trying to rescue you after your birthday party when you blew him off.”

This strange rescuer knew who Sue-Ellen was, which meant, “You know my brother?”

“Know him? He’s married to my cousin. Although he totally could have been mine if I’d found him first. But even if he married the wrong girl, we’re still family. Just don’t think you can borrow the car,” Deka said, pointing to the silver Mercedes parked on the street with the dark-tinted windows. “That baby is mine.”

That baby took corners much too fast.

It was rather exhilarating. Sue-Ellen rather coveted the feeling and eyed the car with new interest.

The chance encounter with Deka was how Sue-Ellen had ended up on a plane, wearing a hot pink tracksuit on her way to the stronghold of the Silver Sept.

Arriving at the manor, she’d endured an eerie Village of the Damned moment. Females, all sporting shades of silver hair, some with hints of red, blue, even green, poured out of everywhere it seemed. From the archway off the main entrance, crowding the balcony for the staircase. So many curious eyes, many of them glowing green. It almost froze her.

Danger.

She didn’t need the warning to flare her nostrils at the threat of so many predators in one place.

It didn’t help that a little silver imp ran from between a pair of legs and skidded to a stop in front of her. A nose covered in freckles wrinkled. “She smells funny.”

Sue-Ellen, having been raised amongst cousins in the swamp, knew what to do in this kind of situation. She bent down low and whispered. “Careful, little girl. I’ve eaten squirrels bigger than you. And I’m hungry.”

Eyes rounded—with delight—lips curved in a lovely horrified O—of pleasure—and the little predator-in-training ran off squealing—and giggling.

First test passed. Several of the bodies studying her disappeared, leaving her alone with only a handful.

One of them, a stately woman dressed in a pantsuit with her hair pinned up, eyed her with interest. “Another Mercer in an unascended state. I see Parker experimented on more than just one family member.”

“Even after his death, Parker is still managing to throw us surprises,” said another woman that Sue-Ellen actually recognized. Zahra, the matriarch of the Silvergrace clan, rumored to be the most powerful female dragon. A claim that Anastasia scoffed at.

“My uncle had a lot of secrets.”

“And how many do you have, girl?” Zahra fixed an intent stare on her, stripping away any lies and camouflage she might have had.

“Secrets are what kept me as a peon under my uncle’s thumb. I’m tired of being used.”

“Then stop.” Deka, who’d stuck around, hopped off the credenza she’d perched herself on—a piece of furniture straight out of some hoity-toity magazine done in distressed white and silver gilt. “Since rolling over and playing nice hasn’t worked for you, why keep doing it?”

“I thought I was protecting someone,” she grumbled, and even now, Sue-Ellen wondered if she should go back. Put herself back in harm’s way just to save an arrogant dragon.

“Who were you protecting?” asked the woman in the bun. “Another Mercer family member? I don’t recall Brandon mentioning anyone else being taken.”

“Not exactly family.”

“I bet I know why she didn’t run.” Deka jabbed a finger in her direction. “You stuck with your uncle for a boy!”

No point in lying. “Actually, he’s a man now and utterly arrogant on account of who he is. Although, you’d think he’d know better than to be so cocky, given he’s prisoner in some pit.”

“Who are you talking about?” Yolanda asked. “I wasn’t aware that any more of our kind were being kept prisoner.”

Given all the curious expressions, there was no point in hiding the truth. Besides, secrets were what led to all the troubles. “I guess you guys haven’t heard about Remiel yet. He’s Samael’s brother. Half-brother. And he’s a pure Gold.”

After that announcement, she spent a good two hours answering questions. Only once the matriarch and her second—the steely-eyed Yolanda—felt she’d siphoned her brain dry did they let Sue-Ellen escape—to a guest room.

She wasn’t a prisoner, but neither was Sue-Ellen in the mood to brave the big, wide world. Let her enjoy the safety promised within these walls. She deserved it, dammit.

Taking the time to shower and dress, she wondered what the Silvergrace Sept would do about Remiel. Sue-Ellen had explained his captive status. How they’d used Sue-Ellen against him. She’d asked if they would rescue and was told to not, “worry about it.” They wouldn’t give her the slightest inkling as to what they planned to do with the knowledge.

Exiting the bathroom, a new and clean woman, Sue-Ellen wasn’t surprised to find Deka lying across her bed. The silver-haired girl pointed a remote at the television screen. “Is this the guy you were lusting after?”

Glancing at the screen, Sue-Ellen immediately noted the long golden hair left loose across his shoulders. The white shirt tucked into snug jeans. “That’s him. Remiel. But how?” Had Samael finally let him go? She could see his lips moving on the screen. “What’s he saying?” Sue-Ellen asked, drawing close enough to flop on the bed.

Deka raised the volume. “Basically, ‘hey dudes, ignore my brother. I’m the real dragon king.’”

“That’s it?”

“Isn’t that enough? I mean, he just announced that the Goldens are back and there’s going to be some trouble.”

Sue-Ellen frowned. “He didn’t really say that, did he?”

“No, but the implication is totally there. It was incredibly hot the way he just kind of boldly stated it. I thought that Samael dude was cute, but this guy… He’s just oozing sexy, and my birthday is like weeks away. So I’m in dire need of a mate. Any pointers on how to attract him?”

“You want to date Remiel?” The shocked query burst from her lips.

“Date. Fuck. Keep. Can you imagine the brownie points I’d get if I snared myself the Golden king as a mate? Not to mention, the man has gotta be a beast in bed.”

“You. Will. Not. Touch. Him.” Without taking a breath or even a blink, Sue-Ellen found herself flipping Deka onto the bed, her arm over the back of her head, her knee shoved into the middle of her spine. She hissed, “He’s mine.”

Appalled at her behavior, Sue-Ellen almost apologized, but Deka shrugged and uttered, “Fair enough. But since you call dibs on him, keep me in mind for his brother.”

“Samael is a psychopath who threw me in a pit.”

“A man with a bit of backbone. Love it.”

“You’re nuts.”

“Thanks. Don’t worry. Soon, you’ll understand how the world works.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Sue-Ellen asked.

“Just that the world revolves around our kind.”

“I’m not your kind.”

“What are you talking about? I saw you. You’re dragon.”

“No, I’m not,” a vehement rebuttal, and yet, didn’t she hear a cold chuckle? Fool. You won’t be able to ignore it for much longer.

“Yeah, you are. Don’t forget. I not only saw you in your unascended shape, I can smell it on you, and it’s getting stronger.”

Great. Building body odor. Just what every girl wanted. “If I’m anything because of Uncle’s experiments, it’s a wyvern, not a dragon. You’re mistaken.”

“No mistake. I thought you knew.”

Could it be true? Sure, it had happened to Brandon. He’d become a dragon. But surely it hadn’t worked twice?

The phone on the nightstand—an ornate pewter-colored thing with a rotary dial and a proper headset—rang.

Dring-a-ling.

“You going to answer that?” Deka asked from underneath her.

Rolling off the woman, Sue-Ellen grabbed for the phone.

“Hello?” said tentatively.

“Are you all right?” Her brother’s voice boomed in her ear.

She grimaced. “Not anymore. I think I’m deaf.” It might have been a while since they’d spoken—my fault—but she’d still recognize his voice anywhere. It brought a prickle to her eyes.

“Don’t be a smartass with me. What’s this I hear about you taking a dive out of a building? I don’t care if you’ve decided you don’t want to talk to me, but I won’t have you hurting yourself.” Because he loved her.

She knew that, and the tears slipped free. “I wasn’t trying to kill myself.”

“Then why would you do something so stupid and crazy?”

“I have wings, Brandon.”

Those soft words abruptly silenced him. She couldn’t even hear him breathing.

“Brandon?”

A heavy sigh filled her ear. Then a stream of profanity that would have probably made her prudish uncle—who actually became a priest—die a second time had he heard it. The man had a fit every time the Mercers cussed, swore, and bragged about premarital sex.

“I’m so sorry, baby sis. I should have better protected you from our uncle.”

“It wasn’t your fault. You didn’t know.”

“I did know. He did the same thing to me. Which is why I don’t understand why you didn’t come with me when I came to rescue you.”

How to explain that she’d stayed and put herself in danger because she thought she loved a boy.

Thought?

If Sue-Ellen was honest, wouldn’t she admit she still loved him? Remiel hadn’t changed. He was still a victim of her uncle. Still the boy who’d given her electric shivers every time they touched. But was that reason enough for them to stay together?

“It’s complicated,” was what she finally told her brother. “It still is complicated, which is why I can’t stay here, Brandon. I might be putting these people in danger. It’s very possible Samael or Anastasia will want me back.” Especially if Sue-Ellen truly was becoming a dragon.

“They can try, but they are not getting you back. I can promise you that. So sit tight. Don’t you dare set foot outside that mansion until I am back in the country.”

“Where are you?”

“In the Caribbean on a honeymoon with my wife.”

Wife? Sue-Ellen could have cried. So many things I missed.

That would stop now. She was no longer under Uncle Theo’s or Anastasia’s thumb.

Deka leaned over and hollered, “Don’t worry Brand, we’ve got your sister covered. She ain’t going nowhere. Even better, she’s gonna hook me up with an evil dragon overlord.” The scary part of that claim? Deka was entirely serious.

Crazy woman.

Almost as crazy as the man entering the mansion. She returned to the moment and the commotion on the first floor. All the residents of the house seemed to be drawn to the vestibule, a sea of silver with glints of color. But only one crown was covered in gold.

“Remiel!” She merely whispered his name, but somehow, he heard. His head lifted, and his amber gaze found her. His nostrils flared, and his eyes filled with golden fire.

“Angel.”

The word echoed inside her head. The possessive, low tone squeezed her. It was both exhilarating and frightening. She took a step back and shook her head, trying to dislodge the resonating feeling in her that urged her to fly and meet him.

Why am I holding back? He’s there. He’s mine. The vehemence of the statement had her taking a step back.

“Oh no, you don’t.”

She could hear him talking to her even if no one else seemed to notice. This was between them alone.

Another step and she couldn’t see him anymore until Remiel took a pace toward her, but further progress found itself impeded as too many women stood in his way. Young women.

Want to bet they’re unmarried? The sly retort had her flexing the fingers hanging down by her sides.

Hands off. She wanted to scream it out loud as she swooped on him, prepared to make a bold claim.

No claiming. Was she insane?

Well, she had hung around Deka. But surely craziness couldn’t be caught that quickly and easily? After how she’d gotten burned by the D’Ore brothers, she needed to stay away.

Making any claim on Remiel would end badly—for her.

Besides, the same reasons that kept her and Samael apart still existed, even more so where Remiel was concerned.

A gator with the true Golden king? It could never happen.

She tucked her hands behind her back and moved until her back pressed against the door to her room, but she didn’t enter it. She stood and listened.

A few murmurs down below almost proved her undoing.

“He’s mine. I saw him first.”

“You did not see him first because you weren’t even here when he walked in.”

The women fought over him, but he belonged to Sue-Ellen.

“I’m gonna lick him.”

Not without a tongue, the hussy wouldn’t.

“I am totally going to claim him!”

“You can’t claim him. He’s the king. Only he can claim a queen, and by queen, I mean me.”

They were both wrong because Remiel belonged to Sue-Ellen. Mine.

And I shall hug him and…

She shook her head as the fierce need to possess took her.

What is wrong with me?

Remiel was most certainly not hers, and why would she want to own him?

Because if he’s mine, they can’t have him. It wouldn’t take long before Remiel found himself bound to a dragoness. The last true Golden dragon. Sue-Ellen could see how whom he chose would prove important to the future of his kind.

It wasn’t as if he’d suffer from the interest in him by beautiful women. He could take his pick of shape and size. He could choose to build his empire by aligning with an old family, one already rich and powerful and able to cement his claim.

All things Sue-Ellen couldn’t give him, and despite what Deka said, she knew she couldn’t be a dragon. She didn’t have that kind of luck.

But the silver lining is I am still alive. And alone.

Never alone. The words whispered. Whose words, though?

Whirling, she grabbed the knob to the door at her back and turned it, but she wasn’t fast enough to miss his bellow.

“Enough!” The command, all male, and very powerful, reverberated in the hall. Immediate silence reigned.

For a few seconds.

Then giggles.

“Look at him trying to give orders.”

“We’ll have to cure him of that habit.”

“Silly man.”

Fools. They might laugh now, but Remiel was just coming into his strength. Surely they could feel the rawness of it. It pulsed within him and would grow. He would have to grow in power if he truly wanted to be king.

History will tell stories of him.

She was about to step into the room when she heard, in her head, a very distinctly growled, “Don’t go anywhere. I’m coming.”

What? Whirling around, she stepped closer to the rail in time to catch a blurring glimpse of gold. Then nothing.

One moment, Remiel stood there. The next? Poof. Gone. Vanished into thin air, causing consternation.

Everyone peeked over their shoulders and spun around. But Remiel had well and truly vanished.

“Where did he go?” The awe in their tones served only to reinforce her belief.

Do I want to be with a guy whose every move is being scrutinized?

“Of course you do.” The soft words came out of nowhere and should have startled her.

But she knew that voice.

Opening her mouth, she managed only a tiny squeak before his hand over her mouth stopped further noise.

“You must contain your excitement at seeing me.”

The worse part about his arrogance? He wasn’t entirely wrong. A part of her truly was exhilarated at his appearance.

Hand over her mouth, and his whole body pressed against her, invisibly, she might add, which made it freaky, Remiel frog-walked her back into her room. The door shut with a click. Only then did he let her go.

She whirled around and saw nothing. She began to thrust with her fist, jabbing the air in front of her, trying to find him.

“You have a strange way of saying hi,” he claimed, shimmering into sight. He looked so pleased with himself.

“This is for trying to make me pee my pants,” she snapped before she slugged him in the gut. She might as well have punched a wall. The throb in her knuckles and his wider smirk only served to make her scowl. Mostly because he was so damned cute.

“I missed you, too.”

“Did not. Why are you here?”

“Because I had to find you.”

Name a woman who could resist a man saying that. Who could possibly stand firm against him when he said that to her with such sincerity? “I hate you.” She threw herself at him and mashed her lips against his.

His mouth didn’t seem to mind the attack. His hands reached around to firmly cup her ass in his hands. He yanked her closer to him, taking over control of the fervent embrace.

“I knew you missed me,” he said, much too pleased with himself, between kisses.

“I thought you were dead.” Knowing he wasn’t, knowing he’d come looking for her, was the most euphoric feeling in the world.

Although, if these kisses continued, she might revise that last statement.

“I’m not that easy to kill.” His teeth pulled at her lower lip. Teasing it while his hands roamed the shape of her ass, weighing and kneading the globes, grinding her against his evident arousal.

It was a little too much, too quickly. Her head and heart felt so muddled. She pulled back. “How did you find me?” Her lips throbbed, and she stared at his mouth. Wanted his mouth, his kisses a drug that made her limbs weak and her eyelids heavy. “Did Anastasia let you out?”

“Not exactly. I escaped.”

“I thought that pit we were in was foolproof?”

Remiel nipped her lower lip and then sucked it. “To an ordinary dragon, perhaps. But I am special.” And then he proceeded to explain just how simple it was.

She gaped at him and might have shuddered a few times as he nonchalantly talked about wading through a nest of very angry arachnids—they were quite peeved he’d killed their cousins. Then he went on to wrestle several dozen serpents into submission—the knots would take a long time to unravel according to his boasting. He’d finished his escape with a long swim on a single breath via an icy cold underground stream that shot out eventually into the bottom of a large lake.

“You really did escape, so why are you here?”

“To find you. I’ll always find you.”

“I almost wasn’t here to find. I jumped out of a window and almost kissed pavement.”

“So I heard. I missed your dive out the window by a moment.”

“But how did you know to go there?” She didn’t even know where she was until Deka told her.

“I found you because we’re connected.”

Her brow furrowed. “Connected how?”

“You do realize how cute it is when you frown, right?”

“Don’t change the subject.”

“Why not? You haven’t asked the most important reason I’m here yet.”

“Because you’re a king with no castle and needed a place to stay.”

“Who says I don’t have a kingdom?”

“You lived in a hole in the ground.”

“For a short period in my life. I think when I get someone to write my memoirs, I am going to refer to those as my sabbatical years. A moment of peace before the real work started.”

“And what’s the real work? Are you serious about becoming king? Do you have any idea what kind of responsibility that might involve?”

“I don’t fear work or even the fact the humans have started to move against us.”

Following the direction of his mind proved fascinating, as he offered so many paths for her to explore. She stuck to one. “What do you mean the humans are moving on us?”

“That’s not the most important issue facing me right now.”

If the humans were preparing for war, then didn’t they need to deal with it? “What could be more important?”

“Convincing you to accept me.”

The statement stole whatever breath she might have had. It sounded so perfect, so true. And yet, she knew it was a lie.

She shoved away from him, and her hand cracked across his cheek.

He didn’t flinch. He didn’t even move. He sounded curious when he said, “What was that for?”

“For making me believe the bullshit line about me being your treasure.” For a moment in the pit, she’d believed it, and then, when he’d arrived, she’d almost forgotten the truth Anastasia had revealed.

“You are my treasure, angel. My one and only.”

“Am I really? Because I hear you slept with other women.” She planted a hand on her hip. “Did you think I wouldn’t find out?”

“I didn’t technically sleep with them.” At her growl, he held up his hands in surrender. “Don’t be angry at me. I shouldn’t have to explain myself, but since you are obviously agitated, let me point out a few things, the first being those encounters happened during my forgetful time. I didn’t know you existed.”

“If I’m so damned important, you should have still subconsciously known.”

“Just like you knew you weren’t kissing the right man.”

Shame flushed her cheeks. He had a point. They’d both done things with other people, never realizing something about it wasn’t right. Not entirely true, she’d noticed the lack of buzz when they touched, just never understood what it meant.

Yet, now that they could be together, it still wasn’t right. “I can’t be your treasure. I can’t be your anything. You saw how it was downstairs with those dragonesses. You’re a big shot.”

“They just want me for my body.” He looked down. “More specifically, my seed.” His gaze rose to meet hers. “You only ever wanted me for me.”

True. But want wasn’t enough. “Were you serious about making a run for king?”

“Maybe. If I don’t, then that means Samael will be in charge, and given Anastasia’s motives thus far have been less than pure, that probably isn’t a good thing.”

“Are you going to try and convince me that you now care about the world? What happened to screw everyone but myself?”

“Oh, it’s still all about me. However, it does occur to me that I should take a more active role in what happens in the world. After all, our children will need a kingdom to inherit.”

Her knees kind of buckled at that point.