It took everything in him to not follow her out.

His shifter healing powers had kicked in during the night, and he was feeling stronger by the second.

His lion rumbled and pushed against his skin, asking him to go to her, to watch over her, make sure no harm came to her.

The man he was knew that would not work.

Somewhere in the last few minutes he’d decided death be damned. If he was going to die mating with her, then so be it.

He’d take a few hours of living with her, being with her in every way, than not having her in his life.

He only had to convince her that this was also the right thing for her.

Which meant he had to let her go, give her the freedom she craved, then seduce her to coming to him.

He could be charming when his lion was not too busy being dominant and overpowering.

He was charismatic, he could win her over, he just had to catch her off guard and get under her skin.

He got to his feet.

Without bothering with his clothes, he went outside and sniffed the air. Following the scent of water, he found a small pool that had been replenished by the recent rain. Wading in, he ducked his head under and rinsed off the dust and dirt. The back of his head no longer hurt, and he realized the wound must have healed itself.

Back on shore, he shook himself off. Entering the hut, he wore his now-dry clothes.

By the time Eve returned he had a fire going and had gathered wild fruits growing around the hut.

A rummage inside had produced coffee grounds, which he’d brewed in a makeshift mug.

A sound had him looking up.

Eve glanced from him to the fire. “I explored the island. The tides came in and submerged the bridge completely, cutting us off from the bigger island.” She drew a circle in the dirt with the tip of her boots.

“What are you not telling me, kitten?”

She was obviously putting on a brave front, but something was troubling her. She scraped her hair away from her face, twisting it up into a knot. “I still can’t shift. I can feel my dragon, but she’s not ready to fly. It’s like she’s waiting for a sign.” She clenched her hands into fists.

She was clearly anxious and on edge.

He needed to stay calm to find a way out of this. “You’re getting stronger by the second, Evie. Your dragon will fly when she’s ready.” Reaching for the pot of simmering coffee, he poured out the drink and offered it.

“I was hoping to fly us out of here and search for Serena.” She huffed. “Now we have to wait for the tide to recede, to walk to the next island. There should be a way to get to Seychelles from there.”

Cain thought of his sister at the mercy of the Elysians. A surge of anxiety twisted his gut. “We need to eat and rest up before we set off. It gives us the best chance to rescue Serena.” He said it to calm her but also to reassure himself.

The best he could do now was to make sure he had all his wits about him when they reached the Elysians. “We are more than halfway to our destination. If we get to the larger island and find a boat, we should be not more than a day’s journey away.”

Her gaze fell on the fruits he’d laid out on a banana leaf between them.

“You were supposed to rest and recover.” A smile played around her lips.

“I am much better thanks to you.” Reaching behind, he peeled off the bandage.

She walked around. Sinking to her knees, ran her fingers over the back of his head where he’d been hurt. It felt tender but otherwise there was no pain.

“You sensed me on the psychic plane.” She dropped her hand but didn’t move away.

He could feel the warmth of her body. Her scent crept up on him, sending a ripple of desire thrumming through his blood.

He turned to glance at her over his shoulder. “You saved my life.”

A spark in the fire flared up.

She cleared her throat. “We should eat.” Snatching up a blueberry, she curved her lips around it.

He couldn’t take his focus off her mouth.

Some of the juice dribbled down her chin.

Closing the distance between them, he placed his arms on her shoulders. Lowering his head, he licked her lips.

She stiffened. Her pupils dilated, the black bleeding out into the violet. “What are you doing?” Her voice hitched.

He trailed his tongue down to the base of her neck where a pulse leaped.

His lion sniffed the first signs of nervousness.

The thrill of the chase streaked through him.

Licking his lips, he straightened. “You ever hunted, kitten?”

She blinked, tossed her head. “I’m a dragon, of course I hunt.” The faint edge of arrogance in her voice had him rising to the challenge.

“You have five seconds, I’ll give you a head start.”

“I really don’t know you at all, do I?” Her eyebrows came down to form a V over her nose.

“Four and a half.” He didn’t take his attention off her. Dropped his arms to his sides.

His lion was super tuned in to her. He tracked her. Every quiver of her lips, every flick of her eyelids, the way her breath shuddered out, her chest rising and falling.

Somewhere along the way, the lion had moved on to stalking its prey.

“Do you really think this is the time for silly games?” She raked her fingers through her hair. The curls came loose and fluttered around her face. Her hand shook.

“Who said anything about a game?” He canted his head.

He knew his lion was peeking out from behind his eyes but he was too far gone in his animal to rein it back.

These were their last few hours together before they returned to searching for Serena. His lion had decided that was it. He was done with being reasonable. His lion wanted to play a different kind of game. A mating game.

Adrenaline punched his gut. His hair prickled, and his canines sliced through his gums. If he glanced down he’d see his claws were out.

Her legs tensed, elbows tucked into her sides. She straightened. A quick movement.

He didn’t miss it. “One second.”

“You forgot to tell me one thing.” She leaped to her feet. “Who’s the prey?”

“You.”