Smoke looked glad to see us when we returned—until his expression changed to one of knowing. And disappointment.

We had made a point of walking around to the main entrance, where Pierce had left his clothes before shifting.

If he showed up buck naked with my hand in his, it would look a little suspicious. I was still shy enough to take steps to hide our activity.

It didn’t matter.

“I see.” Smoke stared heavily at Pierce, who only shrugged. “You’re lucky I found something, then, since you barged ahead without waiting for me.”

“You found something?” Pierce nearly ran after him.

I followed them to the library, where a massive, leather-bound book was open on a table far too small.

Smoke pointed, and Pierce bent to examine the words on the ancient, weathered page. “I can barely make this out. I haven’t read that language in centuries.”

“I’ll help.” Smoke read aloud. “If a blood oath is made, only the altering of the blood involved may break it.”

“The altering of the blood involved?” I asked, looking from one of them to the other. “I don’t understand.”

“I do.” Pierce was beaming from ear to ear when he straightened up. “It means that when I mixed my blood with yours, it changed your blood from what was used to make the oath. You’re no longer the same as you were when your father promised you.”

“The composition of your blood has changed,” Smoke explained. “All your sister did was treat the toxic effects of dragon’s blood. But see, here,” he added, pulling out another huge volume, “when a dragon’s blood is mixed with another creature’s, it alters the composition. You’ll always be part-dragon, even if it’s a very small part.”

I was glad for the presence of a sofa behind me, because my legs buckled at the knees and sent me down onto it. “Holy shit,” I whispered. “Do you think this will work?”

“It has to. Unless…” Smoke trailed off, cutting his eyes in Pierce’s direction like he was reluctant to voice his thoughts.

“Unless what?” I prompted.

“Unless you feel an emotional bond with the man you’re promised to.” He grimaced, waiting for the potential fallout.

There was no reason for him to worry. “Oh, no. I can’t stand him. I never could. We’re oil and water.”

“You’re sure?” he asked.

“She’s sure. I can feel it.” Pierce’s relief was evident.

Then again, so was mine.

Smoke cleared his throat before leaving the room—I made a mental note to thank him for all his hard work as Pierce sank down beside me and wrapped me in his strong arms.

“There’s no reason for you not to stay now,” he whispered, stroking my hair.

I rested the side of my face against his chest and could hear the steady beat of his heart. It was like music. “Good thing, because I’m not going anywhere.”

“Not ever?”

“Never, ever. I meant it when I said I was yours. You know I am. Forever.” I straightened up, looking him in the eye. “There’s no getting out of this. I hope you don’t regret it.” I’d have to figure out what to do about my clan later, but my heart knew where it belonged.

“How could I ever regret being with you?” He kissed my forehead, my cheeks, then my lips.

I melted against him, sinking into his kiss like I would into a feather bed. I could still feel him on me, in me, the effects of what we did in the cell still fresh. My body sang with him.

“I love you, you know. Even if you inadvertently almost killed me.”

He rolled his eyes. “While I was trying to save your life for the second time. You tend to forget that part.”

“And I always will,” I teased.

“You’ll never let me live it down, will you?”

“No. Not ever.” I giggled at the look of mock pain on his face.

We both turned in surprise at the sound of footsteps.

Alina looked elated and stricken all at once. “You have a way to break the oath to Bradley?”

When I nodded, grinning, she barely choked back a sob.

I rose, with Pierce behind me.

“What is it?” I asked.

Smoke entered the room, frowning deeply.

And there I was, deluding myself into thinking the others would be happy for us simply because we were happy. Was I selfish to assume they would be?

“This loophole only covers one of you.” Smoke nodded at me. “You. Not your sister.”

I closed my eyes briefly as the truth sank in. Of course. There was no reason for Alina not to go back. Especially since I was staying.

They couldn’t get away with keeping the both of us.

“It would open a whole new world of trouble,” I murmured when it was all clear.

My sister looked heartbroken, and I understood why because I felt the same way.

We had spent our lives leaning on each other, trusting one another when there was nobody else we could trust.

We were each other’s secret keepers. The best of friends. And there was no way we could be together once she was gone.

“I don’t want to leave you.” She took my hands and squeezed hard, searching my face with anxious eyes.

“I know. I don’t want you to leave. I don’t know what life is like without you.” I looked at Pierce, who deliberately looked away.

I knew I was putting him in a bad position by even hinting that I wanted him to do something about it. I didn’t want to press.

Smoke did the talking. “If you don’t go, it would mean extreme danger for you, your sister, and the rest of us.” He sounded like a man convicting himself to death.

Only his sense of honor was strong enough to send Alina away. The deep attraction between them was obvious. I wondered if they were fated mates, too. Stranger things had happened.

“I know that.” Her big, luminous eyes filled with tears. “It’s just that I’ll be alone, and I’m not looking forward to it.”

“I thought you had an uncle.” Pierce didn’t sound unsympathetic, but his dragon had what he wanted.

His dragon would advise Pierce to keep his nose out of any further conflict. How I knew that, I’d never be able to explain. Something about mating with him had unlocked insight into his thoughts. It was unnerving and exciting all at once.

Alina and I both rolled our eyes. “He’s our uncle by blood, but there’s no affection,” I explained. “He and Papa never exactly got along. He was the tight-fisted one, the one who would rule the clan with an iron hand if he ever managed to get his hand around it. And he has now.”

“If anything, we remind him of Papa, and he hates it.” Alina shuddered, rubbing her hands over her arms. “He gives me the shivers. Not in a good way.”

“And you’ll be alone with him.” Smoke’s jaw tightened until I was sure his teeth would crack under the strain.

“He would never hurt us,” I jumped in, and Alina shook her head adamantly in agreement. “He’s just not the warm, loving type.”

“We’re all we have,” she whispered.

My heart ached until I was sure it would break open. I enfolded her in my arms and held her tight. Would it be the last time I ever hugged my sister?

Fence and Miles came in, followed by Cash. I could tell by the looks on their faces that they all knew.

“You realize you can’t tell anybody in your world about what happened here,” Miles explained.

“I know.”

“They can’t even know where Jasmine is,” Fence added. “Or that you were with her.”

“Believe me. I get it.” She let go and ran a hand under both eyes to catch the tears which didn’t get the chance to reach my shoulder. “I’ve already considered what I would have to do once it was time to go. I think it will be best to say I looked for Jasmine and never found her.”

I shuddered.

Pierce’s arm slid around my shoulders.

“I guess that makes the most sense,” I agreed in a soft voice. “Pretend I died. You were staying in the mountains while looking for me, but you eventually had to give up hope. It’s not as if we could call the police to search for me. There wouldn’t be a record anywhere of my accident or disappearance. It’s the easiest solution—if you think you can pull it off.”

“It’s a matter of life or death for all of us,” she reminded me. “I always perform best under pressure.”

“That’s true. You saved my life when I was at death’s door.”

“Don’t remind me.” She hugged me again, and I fought back the grief crushing my chest.

It was bad enough without me showing how tough it was to lose her. I made it a point to smile when I leaned away from her.

“It’s all going to be fine. You’re going to be fine.”

“I know. And so will you.” Her chin quivered just the same.

So did mine.

I couldn’t help but look at Pierce again. He was frowning as he watched us.

He felt sorry for us, I could feel it.

“Isn’t there any way I could still have her in my life?” I whispered, hoping against hope.

All he did was look at the rest of his family with a deep sigh.

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