“Chrysoberyl left the building hours ago,” Kyan’s ops manager reported. “He declined security.”

“You should have watched him,” Kyan snarled.

“He was supposed to be under the personal supervision of Carnelian Clothiers.” The normally slick ops manager couldn’t quite make eye contact with Syenite. “We did not know the order had changed.”

Hellfire. The downfall of almost all operations was a communications failure.

Kyan stormed for the door. Even though he shouldn’t go to the hospital that was his destination. He had to know Laura was safe. “Find him!”

“Sir!” The comm technician stopped him at the door. “The Gnashing Teeth is decloaking.”

“Where?”

“Directly over Portland.”

Hellfire and brimstone! He spun on his heel, returning to the console. “Hail them.”

“They are not responding.” The technician drew a deep breath. “Their weapons are hot.”

“I will force them to respond.” He turned to Syenite. “Go to Carnelian Clothiers. Confirm your people are safe.”

Syenite shouldered his bulky coat and replaced his tactical shades. “What of your building?”

Jasper strode through the open door. “I will take over.” He had clearly heard the last of the conversation.

Kyan protested. “You have no experience.”

“As General Operations Manager it is my role to assume responsibility for our physical assets.” Jasper took Kyan’s usual seat and reviewed his protocols for a building evacuation. “I observed you conduct drills. You assumed I did so only for curiosity.”

Fine. He did not have time to argue. “Contact…”

Who could he send to the hospital? He needed to confirm Laura was safe — without compromising the safety of his siblings.

Jasper awaited his order.

Kyan could not split himself in two. But he was the only one who could board the warship, and he was the only one who could find Laura.

Mal yelled through the operations door. “There’s a warship over Portland! Whose incompetence brought them over human airspace?”

“Chrysoberyl’s,” Jasper replied.

Mal’s lip curled over his elongating teeth. His eyes flashed green. “He was not working on the design portfolio? I knew I should have demanded it by midnight last night! Our mother will hear of this.” He stormed away.

The internal phone system clicked. Their gravely voiced receptionist, Jeannette, reported. “The mayor of Portland is on line two. Who will take the call?”

“I will take it.” Alex strode in and picked up the phone receiver next to Jasper. “Madam Mayor? Yes, we are aware of the warship. … There is some misunderstanding. … No, there is no cause for immediate alarm. … Yes, we will ask them to keep the airport flight lanes clear.”

As his family rallied around him, Kyan’s heart swelled. This is what he had refused for so long. The team working together under pressure.

Many times he had assisted Mal, Pyro, or the others during a crisis. Now, they assisted him. He had his team all along. He’d just feared relying on them.

Syenite followed him down the hall to the glass shaft. “Someone must check on the human nurse.”

He felt the pull in his soul.

But the warship threatened the entire planet and the future of human-dragon relations. “The warship is the priority.”

“I will go to the warship.”

Kyan turned.

Amber stood in the middle of the hallway, her financial files held close to her chest.

“I know how to board,” he argued.

“They will not dare to refuse me.”

The military did not bow to singular females. “This ‘help’ is not requested nor—”

“And neither will you.” She dropped her files and hunched, exploding into dragon.

Oh, no.

He wheeled and flew.

Amber raged behind him like the fury of a storm, not the sister who frequently silenced herself to let her brothers shine. He raced Syenite up the glass shaft to the morning.

The gigantic warship blocked out the sun, a giant disc of lethality.

Syenite split west toward the Carnelian office. Kyan flew south, toward the warship.

Behind him, Amber roared. She streaked across the sky, a molten sliver of the sun’s plasma, curling and twisting toward the warship. Although as a human she was much smaller than her brothers, as a dragon, she displayed her full dominant power.

Perhaps the warship captain would listen to her. They might at least accept his technicians’ hail.

He dove for the hospital.

Landing on the street in front of the emergency department, he dodged the people pointing up. It was not his imagination that the warship was centered over the hospital. Was it?

“No,” his comm tech confirmed via his clear earbuds. “It is centered. And watch behind you. Syenite is coming.”

The head of security landed a moment behind him. “Pyro already evacuated Carnelian Clothiers and released me to assist.”

Kyan accepted his assistance. Together, they jogged into the emergency department.

He did not recognize the head nurse. “Where is Laura Jamison?”

“Who are you?” the nurse demanded.

“Her mate.”

He had said it. And when he found her, he would say it to her face.

“I can’t tell you private information,” the nurse said.

“She is not supposed to work this hour, but she is still here.” He checked his tracker. “Twenty feet below this level.”

The nurse blinked. “The basement?”

Kyan gripped the desk so hard it creaked. “Take me there.”

“I … I have to ask the Director.”

“Ask. Now.”

Endless seconds ticked by until he finally received permission. A guard escorted him and Syenite into the elevator, swiping his badge to move it down.

“What are you doing in the basement?” the guard asked, wary.

“We do not know yet,” Syenite told him.

The doors opened.

Battle sense broke over him. It had saved Kyan more than once.

He dodged sideways out of the elevator with one order to the human guard. “Stay back!”

Syenite flew on his heels.

Down the dark aisles, a muffled fight sounded. Laura’s voice, rising in pitch, set his heart at ease. She was still alive. But her words set him on edge again.

“…so then I’ll be dead and you still won’t be able to get out.”

“I will exit via a window.” Chrysoberyl sounded both pleased and irritated.

“There are no windows! This is the basement. It’s subterranean.”

“Stupid human. Give me the elevator key.”

“Untie me and call off your attack.”

“I cannot call off the attack. My uncle will know I lied.”

“So I can’t unlock the elevator.”

Kyan silently assumed his position and nodded at Syenite. Despite his lack of official black ops training, the fallen aristocrat flew to his place as though he had participated in hundreds of missions.

“I swear I will kill you,” Chrysoberyl said.

“Then you’ll be discovered in the basement with my dead body. If you thought it would be hard to explain before, no one will believe you then. And Kyan will kill you.”

“He would not dare.”

Kyan stepped from the shadows. “Try me.”

Chrysoberyl jolted, his shoulders up, and wheeled.

The gun swung away from Laura.

Just as Kyan had planned.

He burst to dragon and flew sideways. His shredded clothes fell to the cement.

Chrysoberyl shot.

The laser sliced his clothes and scored the cement.

“Kyan!” Laura shouted. “He has a gun!”

Kyan smashed the gun out of Chrysoberyl’s hands. It skittered across the basement floor and slid under a far shelf.

Chrysoberyl erupted into yellow-green scales. He attacked wildly, slashing at Kyan’s shoulder.

Kyan rolled under his claws.

Chrysoberyl snapped at his exposed neck.

He wheeled over the aristocrat’s teeth.

The younger male had mass and good health but not training.

Kyan shot up and slashed his face. His claws raked Chrysoberyl’s jaw.

“You struck me.” He gaped at the dripping blood.

Kyan tackled the aristocrat in a lock.

He squirmed.

Syenite knelt beside Laura. Using his rare tools, he demagnetized the rope and release her.

She dodged Syenite and fell on the shreds of Chrysoberyl’s suit.

Kyan started to snap at Syenite to move, but the security head maneuvered into a protective stance.

Chrysoberyl edged up one hand and cuffed him.

Hellfire.

Blood flowed over his eyelid, half-blinding him. He tightened his lock.

The aristocrat whimpered.

Laura lofted Chrysoberyl’s personal communicator. “Hello? Hello?”

The captain of the warship answered. “Are you at a safe distance?”

“No, Chrysoberyl isn’t.” Laura waved at the screen she was holding. “Hi, it’s Laura again.”

“Laura!”

“This is my hospital. Chrysoberyl lured me to the basement and tied me up. No one was hurting him. That was all a lie.”

“Where is he?”

“Fighting with Kyan.” She pointed the device at Kyan as he held Chrysoberyl.

“Uncle!” Chrysoberyl struggled in Kyan’s lock. “This is abuse.”

“You were trying to blow up innocent people,” Laura accused.

He whined. Blood dripped from the cuts on his face. He shrank to human form, looking pitiful. “This low caste attacked me.”

“You attacked him first!” Laura cried.

“I am the victim, Uncle. I am the right one. Listen to me!”

The captain’s gaze turned flinty. “It is a very serious charge to attack an aristocrat.”

Kyan returned to human form for a better grip. “I had no choice. He threatened Laura.”

The captain’s brows rose and then lowered. “And what is Laura to you?”

“Mine.”

The captain frowned. “Yours?”

“My female.” He growled. “My mate.”

She fumbled the phone. “What?”

Chrysoberyl stiffened. “She is no such thing.”

“Laura. Will you marry me?”

“Yes!” She danced. “Oh, give that guy to Syenite so I can hug you.” To the captain, she added, “Please don’t blow up the hospital or the city.”

A second call rang in the middle of the first one. The screen split. Mal’s face appeared on one side. “Chrysoberyl! My mother is recalling you to Draconis to discuss your recent performance. You are to leave immediately.”

He paled. “Your mother?”

Mal ended the call.

The captain cleared his throat. “It seems as though everything is resolved. Please call off your amber female dragon and we will withdraw.”

“Uncle, they are disrespecting me!” Chrysoberyl whined.

“Take your complaints to their matriarch.”

“Normally you would blow them up.”

“I have unprecedented patience and generosity since the healing of my arm.” He rubbed his sleeve. “There is no need for violence. This can be resolved peacefully.”

Laura brightened. “Will you still be interested in having me visit when I’m done with school?”

“We await your arrival.” He gave a rare smile. “Let today mark a new era of tolerance between the military and Earth. I will issue an advisory that all injuries to aristocrats must be investigated by the Palace to avoid false claims.”

Chrysoberyl whitened. “The Palace?”

“At the very least. Or the Gentleman’s Society.”

He moaned.

“Farewell Laura, Kyan. Chrysoberyl.” The captain ended the call.

Syenite took custody of a wilted, naked Chrysoberyl while an equally nude Kyan took possession of Laura.

She melted into his arms. “So I’m your mate?”

He tightened. This was where he needed her. And he needed her to say yes. “If you agree.”

“I already agreed! You want me to say it again? Then ask!”

He had not prepared. His heart was not ready. But he asked anyway. “Will you marry me?”

“Yes.” She hugged him tight. “Now take me back to my apartment so we can make it official. Dragon-style.”