The only time I ever felt truly free was when I was flying, but that was nothing new. I’d developed an addiction to the freedom of soaring through the open air the first moment I took wing, and I’d never been able to shake the need for it.

The air was cold, crisp. My favorite time of year by far. The trees out in the distance were changing their colors, a riot of crimson and fire orange and gold. It was breathtaking. I could’ve circled the mountain all day, just taking it all in.

It was better than sitting around, waiting for something to happen.

The dragon in me was happiest while in flight, of course. Even the twenty-four hours which we spent guarding the entrance to the cave wasn’t nearly as satisfying as being able to fly without a care. Sometimes I thought of my dragon as a thoroughbred spending most of its life in the paddock. Needing desperately to stretch its legs—or, in this case, wings.

I was able to indulge the dragon with a few more dips and drops, gliding through the air, the sunlight glinting off my silvery scales. The next time, I circled around until I flew over the cave’s mouth. There, I found Fence waving his arms to get my attention. I dove, coming to an expert stop in time to land on my hind legs.

“Mary’s calling,” he shouted before taking off at a run back down the tunnel.

I didn’t waste time shifting into my human form, no matter how the dragon protested at being caged up again so soon, and pulled my clothes on as I followed Fence’s lead. By the time I reached the control room, I was slightly out of breath.

“Sorry to disturb you,” Mary smiled when I walked into frame. Her eyes twinkled behind her glasses, reminding me of the librarians I’d seen on television and in movies. If she had deliberately set out to look like one of them, she couldn’t have done any better. Nobody would guess that such a mild, sweet-looking old lady wielded the sort of power she did or had the connections she’d made over the years.

“No disturbance,” I assured her. “I’m sorry to have kept you waiting—that is, unless you have bad news for us.”

“This is good news,” she assured us with a smile. “I’ve dug deep into my contacts, but I’ve found a solution. I spoke with an old friend of mine earlier today. He runs a special research arm of a government-based facility outside Washington, D.C. There’s another, more remote facility on the border of Maryland and Virginia where research takes place which is… let’s say slightly more confidential.”

“Secret.”

Her smile widened as she dipped her head in acknowledgment. “Yes. Secret. Would you rather it not be?”

“No. I would rather not mince words,” I replied with a wink.

“Fair enough.” She lowered the file and removed her glasses, leaving them hanging from a chain around her neck. “Whichever one of you goes for testing will stay in the compound. It’s state-of-the-art, comfortable, and your needs will be seen to for as long as you’re there.”

“Is this, like, a hotel for shifters and freaks?” Miles chuckled self-deprecatingly, and we all joined in.

So did Mary. “You shouldn’t talk about yourself that way, even when you’re joking around. To answer your question, I honestly don’t know. I don’t think so, at least. And whoever goes will be kept separate from any other subjects. I’ve made that clear.”

“We can trust this friend of yours to be discreet?” Pierce asked.

“Absolutely. I made it clear that this is a top-secret project, never to be spoken of, never to be documented. The purpose of this project is to create the formula which all of you will take as an inoculation before you go to Scotland.”

“How long will it take?” I asked.

“That’s not for me to say. I’m no scientist. But I made it clear that time is of the essence—even so, I’ll feel much better knowing the solution is a solid one, wouldn’t you?”

“Of course, of course,” I told myself to stop being so impatient. I sounded like a spoiled child. But the dragon roared in approval, paced and snarled, wanted to get going right away. If we could’ve shifted and flown all the way across the Atlantic Ocean, we would’ve left already.

“I suppose the only question we have left is, which one of you will go?”

“I will,” I replied without looking at any of the others.

“You’re sure about this?” Miles asked, eyeing me. “I mean, you know what this could mean?”

“What could it mean?”

“None of us has lived outside this cave for a millennium,” he replied tersely. “Have you considered that?”

“I can’t imagine I’ll get it into my head to visit a nightclub, if that’s what you’re worried about,” I shot back with a grin.

Mary cleared her throat. “As much as I hate to poke my head into these family discussions, rest assured the accommodations will be comfortable, discreet, and well-guarded. It will be much like your life now, only in a different location. There’s no need to leave until it’s time to leave for good.”

“See? It won’t make a bit of difference.” I turned to the screen. “When can we get started?”

“Work starts Monday. I’ll send you the location and what you’ll need to bring along.”

“I’ll be there.”

Smoke shook his head mournfully as he ended the call, then rubbed the bridge of his nose again, as he always did when something was eating at him.

“What is it?” I asked, ready for a fight. Would they ever get tired of fighting me every step of the way on this?

Only he wasn’t looking for a fight. “It won’t be the same, only five of us here at once.” His eyes were troubled when he looked up from his chair. “I’ll worry for you.”

“I think we all will,” Pierce agreed. “This is unlike anything we’ve ever done before. It’s always been the six of us. I don’t know if I’ll know how to get through the day without seeing your ugly mug.”

“You’re too sweet,” I snickered.