August Owens—Auggie to his friends and family—stared at the scene before him, abject horror immobilizing him. The wolf thought he’d seen it all. His decades serving as a secret soldier in the war against the dragons meant he was no wilting innocent, afraid of his own shadow. But the thousands of dragon eggs growing in the underground patch he’d stumbled upon was the scariest thing he’d seen in his forty-something years.

By the god that sustained them, he wasn’t even sure how old he was anymore. Forty-seven? Forty-eight? What did it matter? The ten dragons guarding this place, who would turn around and see him any second, would see to it his life ended immediately.

He had two choices. Stay and fight the ten here and hope there weren’t more hidden somewhere, or run for his life and return with help. Not that he had anyone to ask for assistance since his family and friends were hundreds of miles away, living a good life while he still did stupid shit like this day in and day out.

The war was over for everyone but him.

And at the moment, that was neither here nor there. He had to run for his life. One unshifted wolf against ten dragons? His chances were not good. Just as good sense invaded his brain and he’d decided to run, a dragon lifted his head and spotted him. They had a split-second of eye contact, enough for Auggie to register that the scaly reptile was a purple one, which meant it was smart, female, and breathed fire.

He shifted as he ran. Four legs would get him away faster. Although regardless of what he did, he didn’t stand much of a chance anyway. The dragon roared. Great, now they would all know he was there.

Auggie growled. His wolf wasn’t afraid and that was a problem unto itself. As his twin brother had once told him, Auggie’s wolf was a real asshat. His wolf had never met an opponent—or opponents—it didn’t simply assume it could beat. Running wasn’t in his four-legged self’s arsenal.

Tough. He was running away this time. Live to fight another day. Or at least to deliver the information of the huge amount of growing dragon eggs he’d found.

Fire hit his tail, and he yelped but didn’t stop running. Okay, he’d have to be faster.

The cave system he’d explored earlier in the morning contained high ceilings. That had been his first indication that something was weird. Caves were small. You had to fit inside of them. Really get low. He’d thought maybe he’d find a few hidden dragons. Most of them were sick and almost dead now. Easy kill.

This was something else entirely.

Why had he sent his fellow wolves home and done this all on his own the last few months? He could have used them now.

The sound of water caught his attention. He turned left toward it. On the way, he’d avoided the noise. Why did he want to get wet? This time, water sounded like a great idea. Water meant not getting burned. He hurried his run, fighting his wolf, who wanted to turn around and fight. Not unless they had to. There was enough sense left in Auggie to know when he was looking at a fight he wouldn’t win.

Self-preservation still existed somewhere inside of him.

If there was no other option, he’d take as many down with him and call it a good life. But first he had to see…

A waterfall! What was the deal with these caves? He jumped without looking. The dragon was so close to him he could feel its hot breath. There was no choice. Die by fire or die by water… he’d take the chance to tell the dragon to fuck off any day.

The water was freezing, and shock hit him hard. He could see the dragon flying high above the top of the falls.

Yeah… if it wasn’t following him, it thought he was dead. He probably was. His mind drifted away. His twin brother would mourn him when he felt their connection sever. They’d always known when the other one was hurt.

But Robbie had his mate, and she made him so happy. He was Alpha of the pack. With Tatyana’s help, Robbie would pull through this. His two younger brothers, Dougal and Devin, were also happily mated. They’d be okay. They would all remember Auggie as their disgruntled brother who could never be still.

They were right. He wasn’t the settling type. War had suited him. That’s why the gods hadn’t found a mate for him.

Auggie was so cold. He wasn’t sure he would ever get warm. What happened? What was wrong with him? What was…

“Sshh… Stop thrashing,” a voice called out to him. Female. Sweet smelling. Also… sick? He wasn’t sure. He couldn’t get his eyes to open. “Shift for me, soldier. You’ll feel better. I promise.”

Mate…

His wolf was sure of it. How could that be happening? Who was…

“Shift for me, soldier. Please, Auggie. I know you. You’re not alone. All these miles from our pack, and here you are. Shift.”

He’d never deny that voice anything. He called his shift, his fur disappearing and the coldness hitting his human form even harder than before. He cried out, self-loathing moving through him when he did. There was nothing Auggie detested more than his own weakness.

“Sshh.” That voice again. But now he was wrapped in something warm. Strawberries. The voice smelled like strawberries. Arms wrapped around him. He was safe. That was a strange thought, yet there it was.

Darkness moved through him and the world faded away.

He woke up warm, too hot. He squirmed, trying to throw off whatever blankets were on him.

“Sshh.” That voice again. The beautiful one. He struggled to open his eyes, but they felt glued shut. “There’s nothing on you. This is fever. You’re fighting infection from the dragon burn. Don’t fight me. I’ll get you through this.”

He believed her. “Who are you? I can’t see.”

“That’s the dragon burn, too. Never been burned before, have you?” Her voice was like a balm on his soul. “It’s brutal. You’ll recover if you just relax.” A cool hand stroked his cheek. “I’ll take care of you as long as I can before I have to go.”

“Go? Where do you have to go?” He grabbed out wildly, searching for this mysterious woman. His mate. He couldn’t lose her now that he’d found her. Auggie had never wanted this. Not ever. And he’d been a fool to feel that way. This person was his other half. Whatever else he did in life, seeing to her would come first.

She sighed. “I’m not free to be here. I’ll be in trouble when they find out. My pack… well, the pack that took me in after the war… they’re not kind to strangers.”

He tried to sit up, and she pushed him back down gently. “Relax.”

“I can’t. Not if you’re leaving. Can’t you smell it? You’re…”

A finger pressed onto his lips. “Sshh. Don’t say it. I’ll never survive hearing it. I know what you are to me. I always knew. The boy next door was my mate, but he never noticed me.”

His mind whirled even as darkness threatened to steal him away again. He fought the need to sleep. “Are you a Knox?”

“I am.”

This was a common theme in his family. How had they all not realized that the Knox women were their destinies? Stupid males, every single one of them. “What is your name?”

“I’m Clarissa. I’m the third oldest. Elizabeth was between Lena and me. You’d never have known me. I was a baby, and not a pretty one at that.”

He wrenched his eyes open. This was ridiculous. Light nearly blinded him, and he grunted, keeping his need to whimper inside. His mate was talking about leaving. Who could blame her, considering he’d been nothing but a burdensome mess since she… since she what? How had she found him?

When his eyes cleared, he stared at her lovely face. It took his mind a second to reconcile what he saw. The last time he’d seen this face, it had been much younger. A child’s eyes had become a woman’s.

“How old were you?” He didn’t expect her to misunderstand what he wanted to know and she didn’t.

“When you left? Eight.”

That explained it. Too young for him to notice. If life had been fair, she’d have grown up in their pack and sometime around her second decade, he’d have suddenly been aware of her. Then he’d have pursued her outright until she decided to acknowledge their mating and they’d have nearly a decade or more of loving each other behind them.

Pups. Laughter. Fights they made up from. Shared history.

Instead, they were strangers. Where were they? A shudder moved through him. The fever. It was hitting him hard. Auggie couldn’t remember the last time he was sick. Hurt, sure. Sick, no. She’d been right. In all the years he’d fought, he’d never been scorched. He should have been nicer to those who were.

Her golden hair wasn’t shiny. It looked like she hadn’t washed it in a while. Her cheeks were hollow when they should have been full. She was too skinny. Still, her blue eyes were gorgeous and he knew he’d never get tired of looking at her.

“Are you unwell?” The sweetness of her scent soured.

She shrugged just a little. “Out of the two of us, you are worse off at the moment.”

That he’d believe. Sleep kept trying to drag him under. “Answer my question anyway.”

“I have some problems that are affecting my health.” She touched the side of his cheek. “You’re so warm. But it’ll pass if you hold on.”

“Where are we?” That was first and foremost. He wasn’t going to let her get away with not telling him what he wanted to know. They’d start with where and move on from there.

She pointed to the left. “You should be two days that way. Back with your pack. You’re in the Mountains of Emkay. This was dragon country. Now it belongs to outlaws and nomadic packs.”

Yes, that was right. He’d been in Emkay hunting down what remained of the dragons. The question was how had he gotten to where he was now? As if sensing his query, she spoke again. “I dragged you out of the river. You floated by in your wolf form. I thought you were dead, but you were breathing. Thank the gods. I was so relieved.”

His mate. He smiled at her. Whatever was wrong, he’d fix it. “Why aren’t you with my brother and his pack now? Most of your family is there.” He’d have met her if she’d been there. Then he would have stayed put and not wandered on this endless dragon search.

As it was, this was all turning out to be fortuitous to the point he might actually believe the gods gave a shit about him.

“Why aren’t you?” she retaliated. Usually, hostility made him want to hit back harder, but not with this woman. She was his mate. She wasn’t feeling well and needed to be treated gently, not hollered at.

“I’m chasing dragons. It’s what I do. All I’m good at. I didn’t think I could stay put in a pack where I had no mate while watching my brothers settle into their various versions of domestic bliss.” There, he’d been completely honest. It was what mating required.

She looked down. “I’m not there because no one would want me there. I’m addicted to the dragon egg drugs. I haven’t stolen from my family as Elizabeth has, but I’m not clean. I wouldn’t be welcome.”

So that was what was wrong. He was glad he didn’t have to push any further for answers. “I see. I think you might be misguided in your thinking about whether or not they would welcome you. My brother…”

He was going to tell her about Robbie’s propensity for helping any and all in need. He was going to explain that Robbie’s mate had been human, that she had all kinds of tricks up her sleeve to help, but Auggie didn’t get to say that either. Instead, the world tilted sideways and he doubled over in pain.

She pulled Auggie to her with her cool hands. “Close your eyes. It’s passing out of you now. I can smell it. You’ll be better soon.”

He didn’t want to close his eyes, but they closed anyway. Auggie couldn’t remember ever really having been held. Robbie and he hadn’t been children very long. After their brothers were born, the attention went quickly to the younger boys, as was right. Their father was affectionate but not huggy. The twins entertained each other and kept each other mostly out of trouble. No one held them.

“Clarissa, I am going to help you feel better. You can count on me. I will be a good mate to you.” She needed to understand that his current state was not how he’d be forever.

She nuzzled the side of his head while she held him in her lap. “Rest, August Owens. All will be well for you.”

When August opened his eyes again he found himself alone. He lay on a blanket, the afternoon sun beating down on him. He wasn’t warm or particularly cold. Clearly, his body temperature had returned to normal. He looked around. All traces of his mate were gone. She’d left him the blanket and some water in a small jug.

His stomach growled, a need he would have to meet before he did anything else. His mate. He might have believed he’d imagined her if not for the lingering scent of her on his clothing. Clarissa Knox. Why had the men in his family been so oblivious to what was right across the street? Well, the answer was easy. The ladies had been too young; then the Owens boys had gone off to the war.

What might their lives have been if the dragons hadn’t woken, bent on taking over their planet? He supposed they could thank the now all-but-gone humans. Humans had genetically engineered wolves and dragons and stuck both beings in this situation to begin with. Only Robbie’s mate, who was distantly related to the Knoxs in her own way, had tried to help them. All the other humans were gone now, leaving the wolves and the dragons to see who would be standing in the end.

Auggie shifted, calling his wolf. After so many years on the run, he hardly noticed the pain of a shift anymore. The fact his joints objected was a tribute to how badly he’d been hurt when the dragon got him. Auggie wouldn’t be making that mistake again.

He had to eat, so he would hunt. Lots of game could be found in these mountains.

Then he would find his mate. She’d had to leave—or at least she thought she did—and he’d not told her that the reason he’d been a spy during the war was because he could find anything.

There was no way he’d be losing her.

She was his. He would find her, help her get better, and bring her home. Not necessarily in that order. Then he would love her hard enough that whatever demons plagued her, caused her to turn to what was naturally repugnant to wolves, eased off her soul.

He would also find a way to manage the dragon infestation in these mountains. But first and foremost: his mate.

That was forever. Eternal. Endless. Before today, he hadn’t really understood what it was to be a werewolf. He’d never misunderstand ever again.

Auggie tracked her scent—the beautiful strawberry essence—to a small town on the edge of the mountains. It had taken him two days to get there, which meant her pack had been moving fast. He’d eventually learned all of their scents. They were an eclectically put together group of werewolves. Before the wars, wolves stayed in packs, and those packs had distinctive smells. He could tell where someone was from based on some aspect of their smells. For the most part, wolves hadn’t moved far to find their mates. Maybe a few packs over, but not much more than that.

Now, since the war and the breakdown of packs, wolves were spread out everywhere. New packs were forming, like the one Robbie led, and their packmates were from all over the world. This one Clarissa followed seemed similar.

In addition, every single one of them was sick. They were all on the same drugs. That was interesting. Where were they getting the supply? Everywhere else was running out. Auggie shuddered at the thought. Not everyone survived coming down from the stuff.

Clarissa would. He’d see to it. That was his job as mate.

Her welfare above all others.

He straightened. If the Alpha of this pack wouldn’t give up Auggie’s mate, then Auggie would simply kill him. Dishing out death was part of his life. Anything that stood between Auggie and what was his was a threat. The war had taught Auggie what to do with threats.

Eliminate them.

He walked into the town. Some sort of fair was going on in the center and people wearing tattered, dirty clothing sold their wares. Jewelry. Bags. Clothing. Unusual baked goods. Auggie quickly matched faces to scents. This was his mate’s pack. This was how she’d been living.

Auggie stopped short. Clarissa was in the corner of one booth, helping to hang signs to sell talismans and amulets—things that were supposed to keep away dragons or bring your mate to you. She swayed on her feet, and a woman much bigger than she was slapped her hard. The sound moved through the square, and Auggie swore he felt the sting of it on his own cheek.

He growled, not trying to hold back the sound, and the square fell silent. Clarissa tried to turn around and had to grab the booth to do so. She was in bad shape. He rushed forward, his attention turning from wanting to kill the woman who’d slapped what was his to the shape his mate was in.

“Auggie.” She held her hands out toward him, and he grabbed them. “How did you find me?”

“That’s neither here nor there. Is this because you just used or you need to?”

Clarissa laughed which turned into a moan. “She won’t give me any. The old witch is angry I disappeared for two days to care for you. This is her making me suffer.”

“Who? The woman who slapped you?”

Clarissa nodded. Death was in the air. Not just his mate, but everyone here. This wasn’t just sick. This was close to the end. He rounded on the crone.

“Are you in charge here? Where is your Alpha?”

The woman he spoke to was younger than she initially seemed. She’d prematurely aged, but so had many who’d live through the war. She looked down. “Our Alpha is dead. There is only me left. Until we get more of a supply, I don’t have enough for everyone. I can’t give her any more. Not when she’s been gone without warning for two days. We were delayed getting here because we waited for her.”

“Give her some.” His wolf reared inside, and Auggie had to agree. Asking for the drug went against his moral code. But getting her what she needed to stay alive or standing on principle—there was no decision to be made. He’d just found Clarissa. He would keep her alive.

“I don’t have to answer to you.” The she-wolf had claws. Auggie might respect it if she wasn’t between him and what his mate needed.

He put his face close to hers. “You slapped my mate. She was gone for two days, caring for me. Give her what she needs, or you will know why I was so feared in the war that they made a separate squad just to contain werewolves like me. I was reported dead. Would you like to know why they thought it better people believed I was no longer alive?”

She gulped. The scent of her fear, when combined with her already drug addled smell, made him want to gag from the sourness of the whole thing.

“You think I care? What life is this? What life do any of us have anymore? There’s nothing. No point.”

Auggie went very still. His brother Robbie was Alpha. Had been born to be. But all aggressive males were protectors. His father had raised them to channel those instincts into being good men.

These people needed help. Not just his mate, although she came first.

Unfortunately, this went beyond his ability to fix on his own. There were too many people. Auggie stopped to think. “Do you have enough to give every person here a small dose of the egg serum?”

She nodded once, then looked away.

“Then do it. We’re leaving here.”

He hoped his brother would be glad to have him back, considering he was going to be arriving with at least twenty-five really big problems who were going to need help.

“Would you be our Alpha?” The woman looked so hopeful. He wished he could give her good news. “You’re her mate. That’s wonderful. You smell like an Alpha.”

In his arms, Clarissa shook. He sighed. “I’m sorry. I’m too dead inside to be anyone’s Alpha.” Auggie was fairly certain that had happened before the wars and not after. Maybe he was just made wrong. No matter, what he had was Clarissa’s. He’d figure out a way to be good enough. “But I will protect you and get you to a good one.”

Worst case scenario, Robert said no to taking in these twenty-five needy people. August would work out what to do then. One problem at the time. In the meantime, he had to get his mate high.

Such a strange course of events.

Oh, and there were dragons. A lot of them. In the mountains. Something had to happen with that, too.

The smell of death had diminished, replaced by the sour drug smell. Clarissa had stopped shaking. Around them, night had fallen. Auggie had led them for a few hours before they had to stop for the night. He rubbed his eyes.

“Clarissa, what were you doing alone down by the river?”

She glanced at him from where she stared into the fire and met his gaze before looking down again. There shouldn’t be submission issues between mates. He was higher in the dominance game, but as his mate, she should not be intimidated. They’d see what happened when the drugs were out of her system.

“I was considering going into decline.”

That’s what he’d thought. Maybe it was the sadness radiating from her that had given him that impression. He put his arm around her, and she leaned against him. “Then I guess it’s good that a dragon kicked my sorry behind and I ended up in the river that day, too.”

“Is it? You don’t even know me. I’m not sure I know me anymore.”

Auggie shook his head. “Then we’ll both have to get to know you at the same time. Mating can be like that sometimes.”

In the distance, owls called out into the night. He wasn’t going to sleep until he got these people home. Not one wink. There were still dragons in these mountains.