Gregory had seen excitement and adventure before. He’d known panic—even terror, one day when he’d gone diving and there was a problem with his equipment.

But nothing could have prepared him for the storm of protective rage and fear rushing through his veins when he at last broke through the clouds of smoke that hung dark and threatening over his mansion.

There, somewhere on the ground below him, was his mate. He could feel her own terror pulse through the bond between them.

With all his might, he threw himself at the fire dragon, plummeting from the sky like a torpedo, aiming straight at the dragon who’d dared to attack his mate.

There was no time for thought. The fire dragon had defeated him before, but with his mate’s life at stake, Gregory had no time for elaborate plans.

With powerful beats of his wings, the fire dragon had turned just in time, ascending in the air to meet Gregory’s challenge. His jaw opened, revealing the flicker of lethal fire inside—but Gregory too had an element at his command.

A sudden gust of wind shook the fire dragon, just in time so that the fire that he spewed forth missed Gregory.

Gregory could feel the rush of heat. The fire had barely missed his left wing—but it had missed.

Making use of the second of surprise this gave him, he twisted. He was still plummeting straight at his enemy, but had turned upside down now, his legs stretched out.

With a roar of anger, the other dragon tried to twist out of the way—but it was too late. One of Gregory’s hind legs made contact, the claws of his foot opening a large cut all along the dragon’s side.

Quick like a snake despite the wound, the fire dragon’s head twisted and another gust of fire was breathed towards Gregory.

Gregory was too close to move out of the way—but fortunately he was so fast that it touched only the very tip of his wing. The burn smarted, and a roar of pain escape him—but even so, the wound wasn’t dangerous. It didn’t even affect his ability to fly.

Takes more than that to take me out, Gregory thought furiously as he kept plummeting from the sky.

The fire dragon was hot on his heels. For some reason, Gregory knew exactly where the dragon was, even though he shouldn’t know—the fire dragon was making sure to keep right in his blind spot.

And yet, as Gregory hurtled towards the side of the mountain that rose on the far side of his mansion, he could see it vividly. There was his own silver body coming straight at the mountain—and there, right behind him, angled so that even Gregory’s dragon eyes couldn’t catch sight of him unless he’d twist his head around, came the fire dragon.

But how...?

The mountain was very close. If Gregory didn’t turn now, he’d crash right into it. If the fire dragon wasn’t where Gregory thought he was, he’d have a perfect opportunity to hover above instead, waiting for that small window of opportunity to engulf Gregory with fire from above.

Yet somehow, Gregory knew that the fire dragon was still exactly where he’d been a moment ago, both now so close to the mountain that it looked like they’d crash right into it.

How...?

Be careful, the voice of his mate cried out in his mind.

Suddenly, Gregory understood what was happening.

Naomi!

It was the mate bond. Somehow, for some reason, he was seeing what she was seeing.

He hadn’t known that it was possible. It shouldn’t be possible, not so quickly. But it seemed that in this one moment of danger, their hearts had been forged together.

They’d truly become one, seeing what the other saw, feeling what the other felt.

Despite the danger, Gregory sent a wave of reassuring love her way—and then the stark rock of the mountainside reared up before him. With all his might, Gregory twisted.

It was an impossible feat. No dragon, no matter how strong, could have turned in time. Not at that speed, and not with the mountain close enough to touch.

You will not harm my home! the dragon inside Gregory roared with fierce anger. You will not harm my mate!

He stretched out his wings and twisted his body. Inside his heart, the storm of protective rage for everything he and his dragon loved had built into a force impossible to contain.

With a roar to the air and the wind, which had been his beloved companions since childhood, Gregory released the storm.

Wind with the power of a tornado hit him, catching his wings from below. He shot up in the air, his claws striking sparks at they scraped along the cliffside.

Through the bond, he could see what it looked like from below, an impossible display of strength and power—and he could also see that just below him, the same storm that had lifted him to safety had grabbed the fire dragon and smashed him right into the side of the mountain.

Roaring with triumph, Gregory spread his wings and soared.

Storm clouds covered the sky. The air smelled of ozone. Power sizzled along his wings.

Gregory felt immeasurably powerful. He had truly become the storm. He was of the clouds, of the air, of the wind.

He was an element of nature: the anger of the storm, the caress of the breeze, the beauty of lightning.

Like this, he could live and rule. He would be immortal, feared by all, a dragon truly come into his power. A ruler of the element, vanquisher of anything that dared to meet him...

Gregory!

It was the sound of Naomi’s voice that called him back from the maelstrom of power that had taken him captive.

Gregory, she called out again.

A shudder ran through his body, rippling along the silver scales.

My mate, he thought, and slowly, little by little, the roar of power within him receded.

The power was still there—it filled his dragon’s heart, a silver essence alight with possibility. But it was calm now, like the smooth surface of a lake.

It beckoned to him still—but it was no longer wild like an ocean, threatening to carry him away like the storm.

I am your master, he told it firmly. I am the master of the air. And I am Gregory Drago, of Mountain View, sworn to protect my people—sworn to protect my mate with my life. This is who I am. You will obey me. I will not obey you.

A ripple went through the power within his heart, but it remained safely contained inside him.

In his mind, he could still see what Naomi saw: the fire dragon’s large body, hurtling towards the ground now after crashing into the mountain. One of the dragon’s wing was strangely bent, but even so he was already beating his wings once more, trying to slow his fall.

Gregory took a deep breath. And then, at long last, he opened his jaw and allowed the new power within him freedom.

The storm clouds above him darkened. They gained in volume, circling around the mountaintops.

Gregory exhaled. From his jaw, a shower of fierce lightning burst free.

Jagged lances of electricity hit the tip of the mountain. Thunder resounded, so loud that the rock trembled.

And then, at last, giant slabs of stone broke free as the mountaintop crumbled.

The fire dragon had no chance.

The avalanche of stone came hurtling towards him. Moments later, it carried him away. At the foot of the mountain, it finally came to rest in a heap of stone, dust still rising into the air.

Gregory kept watching from his vantage point in the sky for long minutes—but there was no sign of movement.

The fire dragon had finally been defeated.

***

“Are you all right?” Naomi gasped.

As soon as Gregory had landed and shifted, she was been back in his arms. He embraced her as tightly as he could, his heart still pounding in his chest, and he didn’t let her go for long minutes.

“I’m fine,” he said roughly. “I was so scared for you. I’ll never leave you again, Naomi. I promise. You’re my mate, and if you don’t like Mountain View, I’d be content in any human town with you, just so long as you’re by my side.”

“I don’t want to leave,” Naomi breathed. “I don’t want to leave this place, and I don’t want to leave you. Oh God, Gregory, I was so scared. When you hit that wall...”

“You helped me,” Gregory murmured into her hair. “Do you know that? All of a sudden, I could see through your eyes. All this time, I knew exactly where he was, even though he was hiding in my blind spot. Without you, this never would’ve worked.”

Naomi released a trembling breath, then rested her hand on his chest, right over his heart. “The bond. I could feel you through it, too.”

Gregory nodded. His voice was still hoarse when he spoke. “The mate bond. I think it’s fully in place now, or near as.”

“What’s left to finalize it?” Naomi asked softly. “Dragon marriage—how does it work?”

“All that’s left is to claim you, and to vow myself to you in turn.” Desire was sizzling through Gregory with the force of a storm, but he forced it back down, determined. “To make love again—not just skin to skin, but soul to soul. Then the bond will be unbreakable, as strong and as beautiful as diamond.”

“I want it,” Naomi whispered, and then her lips were on his. “I’m already yours. This place feels like home. I want—”

“Yes,” Gregory rumbled in return. “I want you to be mine. I want to love and cherish you, always. I want to make a home, a real home.”

“I’ve been happy here, right from the first moment. I could be happy here, with a family of my own, with friends and—” Abruptly, Naomi broke off. “Ginny,” she then gasped. “We got split up when the dragon attacked!”

Suddenly, the roar of wings filled the sky once more. At the same time, something large and furious broke through the bushes that grew to their left.

For one moment, the dragon inside Gregory rose up with protective fury—but just as quickly, Gregory pushed it back down. He knew the shifters that had at last arrived.

“Friends,” he told Naomi with a small smile. “Mine—and yours. Don’t worry.”

From the sky above them, the majestic figure of the griffin descended rapidly, just as a group of various large animals, led by the familiar wolf form of sheriff Banner, came to a stop.

“Naomi is safe,” Gregory said, then nodded towards the rubble. “The fire dragon is somewhere in there—careful. He’s very powerful.”

Just then, a stone shifted and Naomi flinched.

But just as quickly, Jared came forward. The griffin shifter carried a phial of liquid that Gregory knew well.

Dragonsbane. If the dragon was still alive, contact with even a drop of the substance would keep him from shifting for several hours. Which would give them enough time to bring him to Sky Home in chains, to be judged by the council of elements for his crimes.

“We’ll search,” the sheriff said.

Naomi turned around with a little blush at the sight of the sheriff—who’d just shifted into his human form and so was completely naked.

“Oh,” Gregory said when understanding dawned. “I never told you about that little problem...”

“That’s a dragon thing,” sheriff Banner called out helpful. “We don’t get to shift with our clothes. Really sorry about that, Naomi, but we shifted and ran as fast as we could when Ginny told us—”

“Ginny? She’s safe?” Naomi asked in relief.

“Said you got split up, and she came as fast as she could to get help,” Banner replied. “She’s back in safety in the town.”

“I’m glad,” Naomi sighed.

Gregory tightened his arm around her. With one eye on the sky above them, he gave the air a little nudge. Obediently, the clouds drew together above the still smoldering tower, and then the rain picked up, dousing what flames remained.

“Repairs will take some time,” Gregory said, “but I’m glad no one was hurt. It’s just stone—furniture can be replaced. No one’s been living in that tower for a long time. It’s just things.”

Quietly, Naomi wrapped her arms around him. She was warm, and when he gently rubbed her shoulders, she shivered.

Then she took a deep breath, straightening again. “Just things,” she repeated and gave him a tentative smile. “And the dragon won’t be able to attack us again. Ginny is safe. Which means that it’s all over now.”

“It is,” Gregory promised and pressed a kiss to her forehead, ignoring the ashes smeared all over her skin. Soon, they’d go home and shower. But first...

Gregory concentrated. In answer, the rain increased. A torrent of water came down right over the mansion, the wind singing to Gregory of the hidden places where wood still glowed like embers, and where steel beams gleamed red-hot.

The rain kept falling and falling, and little by little, the whispers of the air grew calmer. It told him of smoke, of blackened stone and the crumbled top of the tower that had collapsed. It stood starkly against the darkened sky now, like a broken tooth. Outrage welled up once more in Gregory’s dragon at this attack on his territory.

Just things. Just stone, he told his dragon again, and then pressed another kiss to Naomi’s hair. Our treasure is safe, right here in our arms.

With a nudge of the wind, the rain’s intensity ceased. Instead of the downpour that had doused the fire, it now turned into a gentle, warm summer shower that kept spreading out until it covered the gardens with wetness. It washed the ash from grass and leaves, clearing the air little by little. At last, the sun shone from a blue sky once more, and it was possible to breathe without sneezing from the ash in the air.

“Thanks,” Naomi said quietly, looking up at him.

The rain had washed the dirt from her face. Gregory reached out to wipe one last smudge of black from her cheek. The scent of fire still clung to her hair and all of her clothes, but now, with the gardens slowly returning to normalcy, she no longer looked quite as shocked.

“We’ll rebuild,” he promised her, cupping her face in his hands. “No one’s been using that tower for ages. Nothing important was lost. And I think that as my mate, it’s your right to have a part in turning this into a home for us—and our family. We’ll rebuild together. And quarrel over the curtains, just like any other couple. He won’t take that from us. He’s no danger now, and we’re still here, with a home and with friends.”

“Oh, I actually don’t have strong opinions on curtains. Go with whatever you like.” Naomi gave him a teasing wink. “Wallpaper, on the other hand... don’t think you’ll get a say in that.”

With a laugh, Gregory picked her up. “I cannot wait. This is only the beginning. In twenty years, we’ll look back at this and laugh about how it all started.”

“With an adventure.” Naomi’s breath was warm against his neck. “An adventure we’ll tell the children about.”

“And there’ll be a lot of those,” Gregory promised tenderly. “At least three.”

“Three’s a good number,” Naomi sighed. “I always wanted lots of siblings when I grew up.”

Gregory grinned in answer. “Three... or maybe four?”

Naomi giggled. “How about we start with one and see where that leads?”

“I like the sound of that.” Tenderly, Gregory kissed Naomi again, the dragon in his heart rumbling with contentment.

It was all over now. The dragon had been beaten, and he had his mate right here in his arms. From now on, nothing and no one would ever harm Naomi again.

“Hey, boss! You want to take a look at this!” sheriff Banner called out behind him.

With a sigh, Gregory reluctantly released Naomi.

The others had gathered around the mount of rocks that had toppled to the ground there, burying the fire dragon beneath them.

By now, some of the larger rocks had been dragged aside. Several of the animals with sensitive noses were all over the mount, sniffing at every opening. Jared had climbed the rocks as well, the phial of dragonsbane still in his hand, and was now carefully crouching down.

A moment later, there was an agonized cry—a human cry, not the roar of a dragon. Still, the dragon inside Gregory’s own heart recognized it straight away.

The fire dragon.

“It’s safe!” Jared shouted a moment later. “I got him with the dragonsbane, he can’t shift now. Sheriff, you got some handcuffs or something?”

“Do I look like I do?” the sheriff, still naked, called back.

Next to Gregory, Naomi snickered.

“Fetch some,” Gregory ordered, “the strongest you got—manacles for hands and feet, just to be safe.”

A moment later, the sheriff had already shifted back into his wolf, running off quickly towards the town. On top of the mount of rock, Jared now shifted as well. His powerful eagle’s wings beat the air. He rose and hovered—and there, in his grip, was the figure of an unfamiliar man.

Slowly, the griffin descended with his prisoner still in his grasp, until the groaning stranger found himself unceremoniously dumped onto the ground in front of Gregory.

“Dragonsbane,” Jared said with a smirk once he had shifted back as well. “Hurts like hell, doesn’t it? Well, you brought it on yourself.”

Protectively, Gregory wrapped an arm around Naomi.

“He can’t shift now,” he explained for her benefit. “Dragonsbane keeps us trapped in whatever form we are in when we touch it. A drop is enough to keep you from shifting for hours.”

“I gave him most of the phial,” Jared said. “He won’t be able to shift for days—probably a week. Enough to get him to Sky Home—and enough to see him judged for his crimes.”

“Anything you want to say?” Gregory demanded of the man.

The stranger gave him an angry look. He had black hair that now looked ragged and tousled, as though it had been singed. He had scrapes and bruises all over his body. He was clad in black jeans and a black leather jacket, a red shirt beneath that showed through the slashes that had ripped the leather. His left arm dangled uselessly by his side.

“Fuck you,” the stranger spat. “You’ll all pay. You’ll all pay, you just wait.”

“I have no idea who you are—or what you are,” Gregory said calmly. “Or what your problem is. Fire dragons have been extinct since the Middle Ages—”

“That’s what you all like to think,” the man hissed. “You abandoned us. You—all of you high and mighty dragons, content to hide from the world like cowards, while knights slaughtered those of us who’d been born with the courage of the fire in our heart!”

“But not all of you,” Jared now pointed out.

The stranger scoffed. “Some of us lived. Some of us remembered how you left us to die. If all of you had risen up against the humans with us back then, the world would be a different place now. We’d no longer cower in fear, hiding in secrecy, letting humans rule lands that should rightfully be ours. We’re dragon! We command the elements! We rule over fire, over air, over earth and ice! This world is ours! But you abandoned us—and for that, you will pay.”

A soft growl escaped Gregory. “You attacked my mate, just because a long time ago, my ancestors didn’t join in with some crazed fire dragon’s attempt to subdue all of humankind? Are you insane?”

The man gave Gregory a cold smile. “We’ve learned patience. Almost completely wiped out, the last of the fire dragons hid away. Wounded and defeated, they waited for the day when they’d have their vengeance on those who abandoned them. That day has come now. I don’t care about your precious humans, your council, or your rules of secrecy. You’ll be wiped out, just as you were content to watch us being slaughtered by knights. And then, at last, we shall rule, as we were always meant to be.”

Next to Gregory, Naomi suddenly straightened.

“Listen to yourself,” she said, outrage in her voice. “It’s not the Middle Ages anymore! And you can damn well look me in the eye when you say things like that. Can you even hear yourself talk? This is the twenty-first century. We’re not just... cattle for you to rule over.”

Taken aback, the fire dragon stared at her. “You’re not supposed to talk like that, human!”

“Ha!” Naomi stood with her hands on her hips. “You don’t tell me what to do. And I have a name. It’s Naomi. The least you could do is learn the name of people you’ve kidnapped and nearly killed. And if you had any manners, you’d apologize as well. But clearly that’s too much to ask from a fire dragon all bent on revenge. I’m sorry you noble fire dragons have less manners than even the most infuriating teenagers I’ve had to tutor.”

Dazed, the fire dragon swayed a little in response.

“But you’re not... You’re not supposed to be like that,” he finally said, his voice weak. “I know all about humans. Are you sure you’re not a dragon?”

“Be grateful you didn’t meet my mom. She would’ve given you a piece of her mind, and by the end, you’d be grateful for a chance to do her dishes and mop the floors. And she’s all human, as am I.” Naomi’s eyes narrowed. “Maybe that’s something worth thinking about. Maybe you don’t, in fact, know all about humans. And maybe you shouldn’t waste a life on revenge when you don’t even know anything about the world you’re living in.”

The fire dragon gaped at her, clearly unsettled and overwhelmed by Naomi’s lecture.

“This isn’t at all what I expected,” he murmured at last. “But how are humans so...”

“Eloquent?” Naomi suggested.

“Brave?” Gregory added lovingly. He gave his mate an admiring look before he focused on the fire dragon once more. “You’ll have some time to think now, and then you can tell all of that to the council. You’ll be given a chance to defend yourself. And afterward, you’ll be judged for your actions.”

Gregory could feel Naomi’s hand coming to rest against his shoulder. In return, he wrapped his arm around her waist once more.

It was a worrying development, to know that there were still fire dragons in the world, and to learn that they had nursed an old grudge for centuries.

And yet, dragonkind had used those same centuries to build firm bonds. These weren’t the Middle Ages anymore. They had lived in harmony with humans for centuries, keeping their existence a secret, but living good, fulfilling lives.

One fire dragon wouldn’t be able to endanger this peace. Not if they all came together to deal with this danger: dragons and griffins and werewolves and cheetahs—and the humans that were part of their communities.

“I’ll let you deal with him,” Gregory told Jared. “As soon as you’ve got him in chains, bring him to Sky Home. I’d come with you, but—”

“You’ve got better things to do. Stay with your mate,” the griffin said fondly. “It’s about time you settled down. And I don’t want to be rude, but—you both really, really need a shower.”

Gregory chuckled tiredly. The rain had washed away the ash and dust from his skin, but the scent of smoke still clung to them. And now, with the adrenaline of the fight leaving his blood, he was starting to feel the ache of sore muscles and scratches.

“Thanks,” Gregory said with quiet gratitude. Then he turned, looking at all of the shifters of Mountain View that had come running at the first sign of attack. “Thanks, all of you. I’ve never been more proud to call this my home.”

One of the cheetahs open its jaw, tongue lolling out as it seemed to laugh at him. Several of the dog shifters started barking happily, and above them, two eagle shifters dipped their wings in a salute while circling above them.

Beneath the scent of rain and earth, Gregory could still make out the acrid smell of smoke. But now, with Naomi safe in his arms and the fire dragon defeated at last, even the ruined tower didn’t matter anymore. Everyone he loved was safe. And his dragon had his treasure right here in his arms.

His family was safe. That was all that was important.