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I blinked over and over, but I still couldn’t wake up. This had to be a dream. There was no other explanation for the predicament I was in. I glanced to my right and then my left. My hands were still tied. I looked down at my naked body. This couldn’t be happening. A Drago could not get captured and tied up. Nope. Never. This sort of situation was for lesser shifters and vampires, not creatures descended from dragons.

But I was tied up. And I was naked. I blinked another few times. I focused on waking up. That always worked when I was asleep and dreaming. Nothing. I was still tied up. I was in a darkened room; the only light came from sconces several feet away. I was elevated, my feet well above the floor. I couldn’t turn my head enough to see much of anything behind me. I tugged against the binds holding my hands hostage. Nothing. I closed my eyes and focused. There was no fabric or rope strong enough to hold me back. Yet somehow there was. No matter how hard I fought it, I couldn’t break the strands.

Well, there was one other way out. It might hurt as the fabric covering my mouth was likely as strong as that binding my hands, but I had to try.

I felt the fire build in my chest, and I let it continue until it reached my throat. I breathed out. The heat was intense, and I embraced it. The fabric should have melted away, but it did nothing. What the hell? What fabric could withstand the heat of my fire?

The fire had nowhere to go, and I had to swallow it back down. It burned, but the sensation was nothing compared to the fear and anger that warred inside of me.

“Hello, Wyatt.” A sickening sweet voice spoke from some way off. I knew exactly who the voice belonged to, and I also knew there was nothing sweet about the owner.

“Oh, yes. I forgot. You can’t speak. Can you?”

I waited, knowing full well she’d step into my line of view eventually.

“I wonder if Hailey chose you because she knew what you offered underneath your clothes.”

I said nothing. I couldn’t. I struggled against the wrist restraints. They appeared to be a simple cloth fabric. I should have been strong enough to break them. What was happening to me?

“Or maybe it was your smile. Too bad I can’t see that smile now. Although I highly doubt you’re smiling. By now you’ve realized you’re not going anywhere.” Heels clicked on the white tile floor before Veronica stepped in front of me. Her long brown hair was down, partially obscuring her face. She was wearing high heels and a fitted red dress. Talk about an exterior not matching her true inner self. She was a monster both in the literal and figurative sense.

“You heal fast, Wyatt.” She walked toward me. The clicking was getting increasingly annoying. “Your face looks normal already. I’m enjoying this new way of conversing with you. You can’t argue or say anything. I have your undivided attention. If I’d done this to Sol maybe things would have turned out differently for us.”

Sol. The Seer. Where was he? I could sure have used any help at that moment. I needed to spring free and find Hailey.

“You’re angry. I can see it in your eyes.” She walked toward me. “There’s no reason to be upset.” She ran a hand down my cheek. “We have a chance to do great things together.”

I fought against the restraints. There had to be a way out. I felt the smallest tear in the fabric.

“Be careful, or you’ll hurt yourself.” She wagged a finger in front of my face.

Hurt myself? As if that was my concern.

“You’re wondering where Hailey is, aren’t you?” She cupped my chin and made me look up at her. “I suppose that’s only natural.” Her lips twisted into a smile. “I’m sure she’s enjoying the maze.”

The maze? What the hell was she talking about? Fear gripped me. I wasn’t worried about my own survival, but I would kill this monster if something happened to Hailey.

“Don’t worry there’s no Minotaur in my maze, and she has company. There’s even a tiny chance she’ll find her way out eventually. If she does, my associates might even let her live as long as she agrees to help. That is if she hasn’t completely lost her mind.”

I couldn’t take any more. I reached for more fire this time while letting my Drago side take over. My transformed state always brought more strength with it. My vision tunneled and my head spun until I could no longer feel my human side. I was all Drago. But something was different. A new strength surged through me. I fought against the restraints, and they fell away.

“Finally. I knew the real you was in there.” Veronica grinned. She looked different now. I could see her clearer and in a different set of colors.

“Where is she?” I tried to scream the words, but nothing came out. I looked around. My vision was sharper, deeper, but it was tunneled. My chest and legs were covered in scales, and I had a forked tail instead of legs.

“Perfect!” Veronica clapped. “I knew this would work!”

This couldn’t be happening. A Drago hadn’t turned into an actual dragon in centuries. We’d evolved past that.

“I know what you’re thinking, and it’s going to be okay.”

Okay? Nothing was going to be okay. I reached for my human form—but I felt nothing. It was only darkness outside of this dragon state. I was only the unfamiliar creature.

I wanted to burn her. Destroy her. Yet a voice in the back of my head warned me not to. Had Veronica done this? Could she change me back?

Veronica crouched down in front of me. “It’s all going to be okay. I promise there is still a man inside. I can help you find him. And I can reunite you with Hailey, but first, we have some work to do.”

Anger surged through me. I swished my tail, and the wheel I’d been imprisoned on smashed into tiny pieces.

“See how strong you are? And this strength you don’t have to reach for. It’s always there.” She straightened back up to standing. “I knew this would work on you. I knew you were the right one. We will do great things together, my dragon.”