Sunlight streamed on my head as something landed on the bed beside me where Robert should have been. I opened my eyes and stared at my husband, fully dressed in jeans and a black leather jacket. He pointed to the clothes laid out for me. I blinked the sleep from my eyes. "What's going on?"

"It's afternoon already."

The sun felt hot. I sat up, noting the matching leather jacket, white shirt and jeans—which were Valentino and, I checked the tag, in my size. Had they been Serena’s? I swallowed. "How?"

"We have to hurry to the cavern and back before dark. So get dressed, and I'll have Mrs. Adams make us a quick lunch and pack us something to eat."

I meant about the clothes. I stood up and stretched. Then he wrapped his arms around me and planted a light kiss on my lips. Once I was up, he said, "Meet me downstairs."

Designer clothes had never mattered. I swallowed my pride, scrambled to clean myself up and then threw on the clothes. The jeans fit like creamy froth to my coffee... okay I seriously needed a cup before we went anywhere. I stopped at the mirror and saw how different I looked. I used to dress frumpy. How did I end up looking hot? And that blonde streak in my hair made me seem bold. I smiled at myself and then sashayed out with an extra swing to my hips.

I went downstairs to the kitchen where Robert was filling a backpack with supplies. Mrs. Adams delivered a tray of orange juice to the table. I meant to ask Mrs. Adams how her leg was but my gaze wandered to a buffet of breads, cheeses, fruits, and eggs.

I made myself and Robert a plate. Mrs. Adams pushed the orange juice at me. Robert then joined me at the table and we ate fast. Once I was done, I nodded at him and stood. "Let's go.

Thanks for the clothes." I pinched the white shirt and tugged it a little. "I feel like a whole new woman in these."

"Samantha ordered them all." He glanced up and down my body, clearly interested in me and not the clothes. “You look great.”

Regretfully, we had no time for any of that. I gestured toward the door with my nose. "I will thank her later."

"Are you ready?"

"Yes." Robert walked me outside. The fresh air had a bite to it, making me want to stretch and run. I hadn't felt this way since I was a girl. As we continued down the road, I asked, "So what do we do?"

"It's not so much do. Just come with me and follow my lead." We headed toward the cliffs.

“Should we fly?”

“Patience. I want to walk next to my wife for a moment.” He took my hand and we walked in silence and stayed close.

The path ended and we stood over the rocky shores below. It seemed so huge with my human eyes. I glanced behind me and saw charred trees. We faced forward again. “Where are we going?"

"We're jumping in the Atlantic." He took off his shoes and jacket.

I stepped back and asked, "What?"

He gave me an alpha look. I kicked off the high heels I wore and placed my brand new leather jacket on the ground beside his. Once I stood up, he winked at me and then began a full sprint toward the cliff’s edge. "Where else would a cavern of dragons be safe? Don't hold your breath when we go under."

Hand in hand we jumped and I screamed out, "I can't."

"You can." We hit the icy water. A chill raced threw me and then I transformed into dragon as my heart raced furiously.

We dove deeper and I saw that his red eyes glowed under the water. I followed and once we dove thousands of miles below, I thought in my head. My grandmother is this way?

Yes.

I looked at the ocean bottom. Human debris littered the place but there was fauna and flora I’d never seen before.

As we passed a school of fish that glowed as we approached, I thought, It's beautiful.

He led me further and finally we reached what was practically the center of the earth. The water turned warm. He used his tail to knock on a rock. Moments later we were granted access as the rock rolled back. Robert let me go first inside and he followed.

We swam past the rock and as we rose to the surface, we hit air. My scales felt lighter. My huge feet stomped onto the rocky coast and I took a breath. There was no way I'd transform back into human here as I wasn’t sure my human form could stand the heat.

Robert said, "This will be our home when our human body dies and we return to being a dragon. My parents had talked about the cave before they died. I thought it was a fairy tale until I became a dragon myself."

I was glad we were staying as dragons. I snorted and a little fire puffed out of my nose. "How long do dragons live..." I stopped talking as I heard thunder coming toward me. Then I met the green eyes of the one person I missed. She wrapped her neck around mine and tears welled. "Grandma."

"Daphne, my girl." She untangled our necks. Joy shone from her eyes.

I never thought I'd see her again. My heart was full as I glanced behind her. "What happened to my parents?" Would they arrive next?

Her gaze was sorrowful. "They thought that they could help the humans make peace in the world."

Oh no. They weren't here. I closed my eyes so I wouldn't cry. "And?"

"Revealing themselves and their flight made them hunted. They were killed and kept as a science experiment. I hid you away from the government as well as the vampires by living a quiet, unassuming life."

No tears formed. I didn't know what to say. . Robert stayed near the entrance to give us space, but I knew he was here and that was a comfort.

Grandma didn't say anything either.

After a few moments I asked, "Why does your sister work as a maid?"

The cave shook. Another thunderous dragon must be coming. Grandma stepped aside as she said, "Aura also lost her parents. The human family she lives with adopted her, but she'll find out. Her grandmother is waiting for her to change."

I glanced at Robert. We’d been with her in Italy and he’d had no clue. "Aura is a dragon and my cousin. Wow. Robert, why didn’t you know?"

He shook his huge head. "I was pulled to you."

I turned toward my grandma. Until Robert brought me home and I’d transformed, I’d been absolutely clueless about my own powers or my identity as a dragon. "What does Robert mean, that he felt drawn to find me? How come I had no idea I should go find him or even who I was?"

Grandma sucked in her breath. The air around her was drawn into her mouth and then slowly smoke came out. "Male dragons reach a certain peak and must find their mates whereas the females tend to ground themselves in their human shell. Females are usually shown their true power when it is time for them to awake. You followed the traditional path."

This was just like every novel I’d read about a girl finding out she's special. I studied the rocky shore. "So I don't get a say?"

"Did you not want to marry me?" Robert's voice echoed in the cavern.

That wasn't what I meant at all. I blinked golden tears away. "I am just trying to understand."

Grandmother then came beside me. "Robert was following his instinct to find you. His mate."

Not love. My tail flicked. "Why me? He was married before.”

"She was not his mate." The answer didn't satisfy my question.

I needed to know Robert loved me for who I was and I needed to hear the words. I'd ask him when we were alone. His words were sweet and romantic when I tried to ask without asking directly, but I had to be certain.

Robert then asked, "So we only get one?"

Another male voice came from the cave and joined us. His feet stomped on the ground and we all stared in his direction as Grandma went to stand beside him. He was tall and golden, like me. "Yes. Dragon males will cast aside his entire life once the burning for his mate begins, and they will do anything to possess her."

"Daphne, this is your grandfather."

Grandma had told me that her husband had died years ago. My heart hammered with vague memories of my own parents. "Thank you. If you are here, Robert's parents are here, what happened to my parents?"

"They revealed themselves to the wrong humans and were killed in their dragon form and then destroyed, inch by inch. Their dragon souls could not survive that," my grandfather said. Robert's father was coming out of a grocery store in his human form. Guess it made the difference.

My grandfather continued, "They cannot join us in the cavern, and there are always less and less of us. If you enjoy your husband, please find a way to ensure you hatch children that will build the family."

Hatch. I'd never go to a hospital or have that movie experience but that would be okay, so long as Robert cared.

Robert pushed his huge tail next to mine as he said quietly, "Ask about the scale?"

Right. His injury. I explained the problem to my grandmother. "How can we heal Robert's scale?"

"When you are mating, cut his human form where he lost the scale, hold it there, while you climax."

My heart almost stopped. Grandma had never said anything like that before. I stepped back, glanced around and asked, "Seriously?"

Robert turned and the stomp of his feet was louder than elephants on stampede. "Daphne, we must go now. Night will hit the coast soon."

"I love you." I wrapped my neck with my grandmother's one more time, and said goodbye to my grandfather. I followed Robert into the water to begin our descent.

As we lowered our heads into the water, he asked, "Did you get your answers?"

On all but the question of love. Only he could answer that, but this was not the place. I'd rather be human when we had such an important conversation. My neck lapped against the ocean surface as I said, "Yes. Let's go home."