Gregory woke to Naomi’s arm slung across his chest, her breath warm and regular against his cheek. As he watched, her nose scrunched up a little. When he leaned forward to press a kiss to it, she made a tired sound; a second later, she’d settled back into sleep.

Silently, Gregory slipped from the bed without waking her.

It was still early; the sun had risen a while ago, but they’d stayed up late, having wine on the balcony that overlooked the town below—and then tiring each other out by making love until Naomi was trembling in his arms, her gorgeous body limp with pleasure and flushed all over.

He’d always been told that making love with his mate would feel better than anything he’d ever experienced—but nothing had prepared him for the actual experience of it.

Even now, a new jolt of hot, hard desire raced through him as he thought of the soft curve of Naomi’s breasts rising from the blanket she’d drawn around her, the dusky rose of the soft nipples he’d sucked to hard little peaks yesterday while Naomi had arched against him.

The thought was enough to make his body harden with need for her once more. Still, he was determined to wake Naomi with a cup of coffee and a tower of pancakes with butter and syrup and fruit.

But once they’d finished breakfast...

Gregory added another generous helping of syrup. Perhaps, if he was especially clumsy, they might just have to use the large bathtub to clean each other up...

***

They didn’t even make it into the bathtub.

As soon as the pancakes were gone, Gregory dipped his finger into the leftover maple syrup and teasingly held it up to Naomi’s lips. When Naomi laughed and leaned forward to catch the golden liquid with her mouth, he smirked and drew his finger back just in time.

As he watched, the syrup dripped from his finger, leaving a golden drizzle all over her gorgeous, soft skin, just barely missing a nipple that hadn’t yet hardened.

A soft gasp escaped Naomi when he leaned over her, tracing along the trail of syrup with his tongue.

“Mm, you taste so good,” he said roughly.

In response, Naomi giggled breathlessly. “That’s because you got maple syrup all over me,” she chided. “Come on, we should shower.”

“Wait,” he said, giving her a wicked grin as he took hold of her hips with his hands.

He held her pressed down into the bed as she giggled again. He could feel her delight coming through the mate bond.

With another smirk, he bent down and licked straight over a nipple. This time, it won him a soft moan.

“No syrup there,” she protested breathlessly. “Seriously, you got it all.”

“Are you sure?” He drew her nipple into his mouth once more, his fingers drawing up and down her sides. Her nipple was hard now, and he gently tormented the little bud with his tongue until she was squirming beneath him, her skin warm and flushed.

“Very sure,” she gasped, looking up at him with her hair adorably tousled and her eyes wide with pleasure.

“I think there’s some more here,” he teased, and then licked downward, releasing her nipple at last.

Naomi exhaled a trembling breath. He could feel her fingers in his hair, gently petting—and then he licked down even further south, and Naomi tensed.

Her fingers released his hair, grabbing hold of the sheet just in time before he’d reached her wet folds. As he licked slowly and teasingly at the hot, dripping skin, she arched against him with a desperate whimper.

“Gregory,” she moaned.

He laughed softly. “Hold still. Let me do this. Let me see you as you come apart. You’ve no idea how gorgeous you are.”

Her thighs spread wide for him. The scent of her desire was heady, rousing the dragon inside him. This was his mate, his treasure, his one and only. He wanted to give her pleasure until she was moaning his name continuously, until the bond between them was overflowing with her ecstasy.

Slowly, he slipped a finger inside her. She was so wet he could have easily added a second. Instead, he crooked it a little, gently sliding in and out while her thighs began to tremble against his shoulders.

More liquid was dripping from her, and her fingers were clenching around the sheets as she moaned his name.

She sounded completely overwhelmed—but Gregory wasn’t done yet.

Hungrily, he licked around the little pearl of her clit, laving it with attention while Naomi squirmed, tightening around his fingers.

Now, at last, he added a second finger, feeling her open for him easily. Her entire body was as taut as a bow as he kept sliding in and out, keeping the pressure focused on the spot that made her moan so deliriously.

Her skin was damp with perspiration. He could feel the pulse of her heart, a steady throb that came through the bond between them, filled with a need that threatened to overwhelm him.

Still he resisted. This wasn’t about him. His own need could wait. First—first he wanted to pleasure his mate until she fell apart at his touch, flooding the mate bond with her ecstasy.

“Gregory—please,” she gasped, arching towards him.

Gregory’s dragon spread his wings inside him, power, need and desire rushing through him with irresistible force.

He fastened his mouth over Naomi’s clit—and then he sucked, his fingers still stroking her, right there at the burning, innermost core of her.

Her orgasm rushed through them both like an explosion.

He could hear her cry out, her inner walls tightening around his fingers with pulse after pulse of pleasure. Through the bond, ecstasy flooded, a pleasure so strong that it almost hurt.

It came with the force of a hurricane, washing all thought away until the only thing left was the awareness of his mate: the heat of her skin, the honey-warm scent of her desire, the overwhelming love and pleasure that came rushing through the bond in wave after wave.

Dimly, he was still aware of his own, throbbing erection—but there’d be time for that later. They had all the time in the world now.

And for now, there was nothing more satisfying than to feel Naomi tremble in his arms, and know that it was he who’d made her feel this way.

***

They ended up in the bathtub after all, once they’d recovered a little.

In fact, bathing, tasting every last delicious inch of Naomi’s skin with his tongue, and finally giving his own need for her free rein took so much time that for the first time in his life, he was running late for his meeting with sheriff Banner.

And by the little sniff and smirk the werewolf gave him, the sheriff knew what exactly had kept him so long. Although at least he had sense enough not to mention it.

“I’m here for business,” Gregory said firmly, before the sheriff could change his mind. “Let’s get this over with quickly. I’m officially not supposed to tell anyone yet, but I’ll be damned if I leave my own home in the dark about this threat. There’s a fire dragon on the loose, sheriff.”

The werewolf drew in a shocked breath. “Impossible. Aren’t they supposed to be extinct? Gone with the Middle Ages?”

“That’s what we’ve always thought,” Gregory said darkly. “Until just a few days ago a fire dragon appeared out of nowhere and kidnapped Naomi. He staked her out like bait—he’d obviously sensed that she was my mate.”

Banner’s expression immediately turned serious. “He wanted to draw you out.”

“He was waiting for me. He attacked, and I fought him. I needed to protect my mate.” Gregory grimaced. “I’m not proud to admit it, but I lost. He didn’t kill me though. He simply left.”

“Which means there’s a fire dragon still out there somewhere—with motives we don’t know. We only know that he seems to harbor a grudge against you.” The sheriff frowned. “Is it personal though? Or would he have attacked the first dragon he saw? Did he perhaps just move to the area and thought you were attacking his new territory?”

“We don’t know,” Gregory said. “But it felt... personal. Why attack my mate to get to me, but then don’t finish me off?”

Banner made a thoughtful sound. “Gone mad, perhaps? No offense, but we know how it is for dragons...”

“No. He seemed too focused for someone taken by madness.”

Gregory turned. They’d met in the room he’d claimed as his office, at least while he was spending time in Mountain View. The room offered a generous balcony—and through the large window, he could see the colorful roofs of the small town.

“Mountain View has always been the safest place I know,” Gregory continued quietly. “That’s why I’m telling you. There’s no need to panic yet—but I want you to know. So you can be prepared. If he’s still after me and Naomi...”

The werewolf nodded slowly. “I’ll try to get us prepared, boss. I won’t tell everyone—we don’t need a panic. But I’ll have a few of the dogs and lions be more watchful—and the birds. Perhaps just regularly scheduled flights around the mountain tops, so we’ll have an early warning if anything approaches?”

Gregory gave the sheriff a relieved sigh. “I knew I could rely on you, Banner. Regular patrols sound very sensible. And if you catch a whiff of just the smallest things that seems out of the ordinary—”

“I’ll let you know straight away, boss.” The werewolf gave him a toothy grin. “Wouldn’t want to fight a dragon on my own.”

“Earth and Water are hunting for him,” Gregory said. “The griffin joined them, too. But I couldn’t—not with Naomi needing me.”

“As it should be,” the werewolf growled. “You’re a good man, boss, but your place is here, with your pack. Sorry—your clan.”

“I hope we’ll have a real clan here soon enough,” Gregory murmured, imagining the small wings of a young dragonet reflecting the rays of the sun as they chased each other around the pool. “I know I’ve been gone a lot, sheriff—but I think I’ve come home at last. This time I’ll stay.”

The werewolf’s grin widened. “Glad to hear it—not only because it’ll make my job easier to have the dragon himself back home. But it’ll do you good to settle down. And the town’s already in a mad fever about the alpha ceremony.”

Gregory sighed, although he couldn’t help the smile tugging at his lips. He’d never been big on ceremony himself—but the people of Mountain View had always prided themselves on their little fairs and festivals.

And in truth, he was curious to see what they’d come up with. Also, this time it wouldn’t just be him opening the spring fair—this time, it would be Naomi by his side for the alpha ceremony. And she deserved to have the best his town could come up with. He wanted her dazzled and breathless with joy. He wanted her to love Mountain View as much as he did.

He wanted it to be a home, a real home, for both of them.

Gregory turned to firmly clasp the werewolf’s hand. They’d stepped out onto the balcony. It was around noon; the sun stood high in the sky, which was cloudless and blue. It promised to be a gorgeous day—the sort of day that should be spent playing in the hidden pool, and then coming back to the mansion, exploring the garden until they found a sunny spot for a picnic outdoors.

“Thanks for all your help, sheriff,” Gregory said firmly. “I appreciate it. And if anything—”

He broke off. From the corner of his eye, he could see the werewolf tilt his head in puzzlement, the sheriff’s hand still held in his own.

A second later, the tiny black spot in the sky that had caught Gregory’s attention continued to grow in size. Simultaneously, Gregory felt a familiar presence brushing against his dragon’s senses.

“A griffin,” the sheriff said next to him when his sharp eyes finally had to make out what Gregory had seen moments earlier.

“It’s Jared,” Gregory agreed. “But why’s he here?”

Tense, they both waited until they could hear the roar of the giant eagle’s wings beating the sky. A heartbeat later, the majestic griffin had shifted in the air, Jared’s human body landing next to them on the balcony with a thump.

“Hurry,” Jared gasped breathlessly. “We finally found his trail. He led us on a chase—but only to distract us. Gregory, the fire dragon headed straight back to Sky Home! And there’s no one—”

“No one but the chimera left to defend it,” Gregory finished tonelessly. “Damn! Was that its plan all along?”

Once more Gregory felt torn—anger had welled up in him at the return of the fire dragon, who had dared to threaten his mate.

And Sky Home was a sacred place to dragons. It was where the council of dragons had resided since it had first been created, long ago when the first dragons had been born with power over one of the elements.

An attack on the council and its master was an attack on all shifters, for the council stood for the secrecy that had protected them from humans for so long.

But Mountain View was his home, and Naomi was his mate. His heart clenched at the thought of leaving her behind, his inner dragon protectively spreading his wings.

Our treasure. Our mate. Our home, his dragon hissed in his thoughts.

But his dragon was torn too. The mere thought of the fire dragon threatening Naomi once more had fanned his dragon’s anger. He’d hurt Naomi once—but Gregory would rather die than allow that to happen again.

“Hurry! He needs to be stopped, and you’re the fastest of us all! The others might not make it in time,” Jared forced out, grabbing Gregory’s shoulder. “If we don’t stop him now—”

“I’m coming.” Gregory’s decision was made.

Jared was right. Gregory was the one who controlled the air. He had the wind and storm at his beck and call. No one could move as quickly as he could.

Gregory couldn’t abandon Sky Home. He had a duty to the council. And although the chimera was old and powerful, no one knew how the curse that was on him might affect his powers. He had not left Sky Home for as long as Gregory had been alive—and he certainly hadn’t fought any fights either.

To lose the chimera’s wisdom and guidance, and to the attack of a fire dragon, might plunge them all into a shifter war. And what would that mean for the safety of his home—and his mate?

“Sheriff, tell my mate—” Gregory began, before the sheriff cut him off.

“Go,” the werewolf said. “I’ll keep her safe. And I’ll alert the town.”

Grateful, Gregory inclined his head.

The sheriff hastily took a step back as Gregory simply leaped forward, jumping right from the balcony. Behind him, he heard the rush of air as Jared shifted on the balcony, his griffin’s wings beating the air as he rose up.

Gregory was falling, the air singing to him—and then he opened his eyes and spread his arms, and in one glorious burst of energy, he found himself in his true form.

His silver dragon wings spread wide, Gregory caught the current and soared. He opened his jaw, singing back to the air, and a heartbeat later, the wind had picked up, carrying him upwards. With powerful beats of his wings, he rapidly gained height.

Jared was still close, the griffin’s wings making use of the same wind that carried him. At any other time, Gregory would have slowed down a little to travel together. But now there was no time to lose.

Using all the strength of his powerful dragon’s body, he propelled himself forward through the air. Storm clouds gathered in the sky, the wind becoming a storm. With the air roaring in his ears, singing a song of battle and courage, Gregory left the rocky cliffs of Mountain View behind.

He’d risen so quickly that the roofs of the town were tiny dots below him, the mansion already nearly out of view. He wished he’d been able to explain to Naomi that he was doing this to protect her and the town, that it wasn’t just recklessness or the dragon’s anger—but that had to come later. And he trusted sheriff Banner to explain. Surely Naomi would understand. She’d seen what the fire dragon could do, after all.

The currents of air around him were cooler now. The dark storm clouds had gained in volume. As he shot through the air, he left a trail of lightning behind. Seconds later, there was the crash of thunder, and the dragon within him sang at the glory of wind and storm.

The air smelled of ozone. He was flying as fast as his wings could take him. The mountains were already out of view. If he continued at this speed, he might make it in time. And this time, the fire dragon wouldn’t be expecting him...

Then, suddenly, without warning, something seemed to reach inside his chest and close around his heart. It was as if a giant hand had reached out for him and brutally pulled him backwards.

He’d never felt anything like it before.

His wings ceased beating. He couldn’t breathe. There was only that sudden, absolutely overwhelming need to go back, to return—to find his mate.

I can’t, he thought in shock as his entire body shuddered in the air. I can’t, the attack on Sky Home...

But the invisible hand didn’t release its hold on him. It hurt now to move forward, away from his home. It felt like there was a hook piercing his heart, pulling him backwards towards his mate.

He ceased struggling against the sensation. Through the sudden pain and shock, now a new feeling began to trickle in.

Panic.

He knew the emotion well. A wave of fear threatened to crash over him, flooding all of his senses.

But it wasn’t Gregory who was afraid.

With another roar, the powerful body of the dragon turned right there in the air, lightning crackling all along the glistening silver scales. Once more the storm began to rage, angry currents of air carrying him rapidly through the sky.

Gregory was no longer moving forward. The storm dragon was now swiftly making his way back to where he’d come from, heading back home carried by an ever increasing storm cloud. Gregory couldn’t think, he could only beat his wings and move as fast as he could, flying faster than he’d ever flown before.

Because the panic wasn’t his own. He could feel it clearly now, even through the distance: a trickle of emotion reaching him through the mate bond that had begun to form.

It was his mate’s fear he was feeling. And that was a call he couldn’t leave unanswered.

He needed to protect his mate, regardless of his vows to the council. Naomi was the only thing that counted now.