“I’m not sure I’ll ever get used to that cat.” Hailey stared at the spot where Glendale had just stood.

“I’d worry more if you did get used to him.” I wrapped my arms around her from behind. Despite everything, I was still floating with relief that she was safe.

“Are you okay with everything we just learned?” She turned in my arms.

“No. I’m not, but I know everything will be okay.”

“Yeah, that’s how I feel exactly.” She rested her head on my chest.

“We still have choices. I never want you to do anything because you feel boxed in.”

“I won’t let fear rule my life.”

“Good.” I kissed the top of her head. “If we do, they win.”

“Yes. ‘They’. The elusive ‘they.’” She picked her head up. “So about that whole let Wyatt explain it to you thing…”

“Yeah… I assumed you already figured out the gist of it yourself.” It’s not that I couldn’t explain it, but I didn’t want her to think I was somehow making up something just to get some.

“Well, I gather it has to do with sex.” Her lips twisted into a smile. “Not that I believe for a second Glendale was too embarrassed to talk about that subject in front of me.”

“He likes to leave on a dramatic note. And yes, you guessed right.”

“But I don’t see how sex can possibly help. Is Glendale just being… well, Glendale?”

“The idea is that intense emotions can help bring out dormant abilities. Sex can create many strong emotions.”

“Oh.” Hailey blushed. “I don’t really know what to think.”

“Clearly we can work on this in other ways.” Not as enjoyable ways, but I wasn’t going to say that.

“It’s not that having sex with you isn’t appealing.” She pressed her palm into my chest. “It’s really appealing.”

“Good to know.” I smiled.

“But I don’t want to ruin it.”

“You don’t want to ruin sex?” I made sure I was following.

“No. I mean yes.” She flushed again. “You know what I mean.”

“How would it ruin it? Not that I’m pushing you either way…”

“Because what if I associate sex with you and work or something? I plan to… uh, be getting intimate a lot with you over the course of our lives.”

“You do, huh?” I grinned. I couldn’t help myself.

“Yeah, I kind of thought that came with the territory of being mated.”

“Wait.” I cradled her face in my hands. “Mated? You’ve thought about it then?”

“I’ve more than thought about it.” She let out a slow breath.

“Yeah?” I could feel my grin growing even bigger.

“Your mom showed me the future. I get it. I get it all now. Well, not everything, but I get we are absolutely right together. I may be confused about what I am now and what we’re supposed to do and where we’re going, but I am sure about us. There’s no confusion there.”

“Wow. There’s nothing I’ve wanted to hear more.” I pressed my lips against hers.

She responded immediately, and I deepened the kiss. There were so many things I needed to tell her, so many emotions I needed to express, and somehow it was so much easier to explain it that way.

Her sweet taste overwhelmed my senses until I could think of nothing but her. Perfection. That’s how she tasted, and that’s how she felt in my arms. She broke the kiss momentarily, and I glanced around marveling at the full bedroom that had appeared around us. Evidently Glendale’s abilities worked on his created places even without him being there.

My heart was racing, need surging through me, and so I pushed thoughts of the cat-demon away. We ripped away each other’s clothing in a blur. This wasn’t the first time, yet we both knew how different it was.

We fell onto the bed. Lips, hands moving everywhere all at once. Her eyes were wide open watching me as I explored her body as if it were the first time—and the last.

“Wyatt.” There was urgency in her voice as she pulled me down on top of her.

“Hailey.” I looked deep into her eyes before I thrust into her, needing to connect with her on the most intimate level.

We moved together perfectly with an urgency that had never existed before, and then she started to glow. Hailey was already the most beautiful being I had ever seen, but with the added light her beauty reached an ethereal level. I knew I’d never be the same after seeing it.

I neared my release but resisted. I needed to make sure she was satisfied first. And I needed to stay with her light. I felt it. Searing through my bones, through my entire body. It felt as if we were flying high above the bed. We might have been for all I knew, because in that moment it was only us.

“Wyatt!” She called out her name as she held on to me.

I reached my release wanting time to stand still so I could live in that moment forever. I felt free, weightless, and completely at peace.

We lay there for what felt like hours afterward, even though it was only minutes. Each second was so packed with intensity it played games with our senses.

“Wow.” She stared up at me as I remained inside her.

“Wow is right.” I finally moved and rolled over to her side.

“Well, that didn’t ruin anything.” She ran her finger over my lips.

“I told you it wouldn’t.” I grinned. I was on an uncontrollable high.

“I know… but it’s awesome. I didn’t believe it could actually be better.” She ran her fingers down my arm.

“And to think what’s going to happen when you fully come into your new powers.” I brushed some hair away from her face

Her expression turned serious. “And what about you? How do you feel?”

“Amazing.” I did. I felt untouchable. A sensation of power surged through my bloodstream like nothing I’d ever experienced before.

“Does that mean you’re ready for me to get rid of those strings?” She leaned up on an elbow.

“Can’t you tell?” I rolled onto my side so I was looking right at her.

“Tell what?”

“You did it already. I’m free of Veronica.” And I owed it all to Hailey.

“We need to be sure.” She sat up.

I watched her gorgeous, bare body, unsure of how I’d ever gotten so lucky. “Is that your way of saying you’re ready for more?”

“No. It’s my way of saying we should get dressed and test it.”

“What does being dressed have to do with it? Can’t we figure it out without being dressed too?” I pulled and rolled her over so she was on top of me.

“Wyatt, we need to be serious.”

“I am being serious. Why the rush?” I was in no rush to ever leave that bed.

“Because otherwise we’ll never get dressed.”

“You say that like it’s a bad thing,” I teased. I knew she was right, but I wasn’t ready for the magical experience to be over.

“Glendale said he’d be back when we’re ready. If you’re serious and I already took care of the strings, then he’s going to be back. And I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to be found naked.”

“Good point.” I reluctantly moved so she could get up.

She pulled on her jeans. Then her black tank top. “You know you need to stop staring and get yourself dressed too.”

“Really? I kind of like this whole staring thing.”

“Of course you do.” She shook her head.

I got out of bed and stepped into my pants. “I love you.” The words slipped from my lips. They were words I hoped she already understood I felt.

“I love you too.” She smiled.

“When things calm down, we can actually spend some time together.”

“Do you think things will ever really slow down?”

“We can hope.”

“Yes, we can hope.” She nodded as if trying to convince herself.

“Do you think you should check…” She pulled on her boots.

“Check what?”

“That when you transform it’s to a Drago again?” She stood up.

“Oh…” I knew she was right, but that didn’t mean I wasn’t nervous about it.

“I mean… I kind of need to do it too. Maybe we can both do it at the same time.”

“If someone didn’t know what we were talking about they might think you were talking about something else.” I grinned.

She frowned. “I’m being serious.”

“I know.” I put my hands on her hips. “Let me step away. I’m not taking the chance of hurting you.”

“At least we know I can bring you back to normal.”

“It’s amazing that the woman who can calm me down can have the opposite effect on me in bed.”

“Are we done with all the sex talk?” There was humor in her voice.

“Maybe.”

“Ok. Let’s do this.” Hailey transformed, her beautiful black wings extending from her back. She glowed, the same glow from before, only this time it surrounded her like a bright shadow of light.

I closed my eyes and reached for my Drago side. It was there. And so was the dragon. They were both there. How was that even possible?

Hailey froze. “What’s wrong?”

“I can choose either, I think.”

“Start with one and then do the other?” Amazingly she remained calm.

“You’re not freaked out to see me as a dragon again?”

“Why would I be freaked out? It’s still you.”

I pressed my lips against hers. “Thank you.”

“Not that I don’t appreciate the kiss, but you have two forms to try.”

“I’ll start with the dragon, that way I can end with my favorite form.”

“Ok.” She watched me intently.

I reached for the dragon. His rounded eyes watched me, urging me to accept him. He screamed of power and of strength. I pushed away my fear and accepted him.