Gregory couldn’t take his eyes off Naomi. She was pressed so close that he could feel the sweet warmth of her body. It washed through him, heat rekindling at the core of his being, the ages-old magic of his dragon awakened by her touch.

He’d always healed fast. It was one of the powers of shifters. But usually, it meant a night of deep sleep while his body healed from whatever fight he’d gotten himself into.

Now, with his mate in his arms, it was different. Already, the healing power of his dragon was at work, soothing the painful burns the fire dragon had left. He healed more quickly than he ever had before.

And he’d been stronger than before during the fight.

Gregory had felt the immense power of nature at his beck and call, there during that battle in the skies. He could’ve called down thunder and lightning, he could’ve spewed forth a tornado, he could’ve ravaged the earth with all the destructive power of the wind...

But even so, the other dragon had defeated him.

Gregory took a deep breath, concentrating on the feeling of Naomi in his arms to calm himself. Surely it wasn’t too late yet. His power was almost at its zenith—but it couldn’t be too late. He’d found Naomi. He’d found his mate. He wouldn’t be torn apart by his power, or lose his mind to it.

It wasn’t too late. He was still here, after all. And he wasn’t insane. With Naomi by his side, he saw more clearly than he’d ever seen before.

“What do you mean—mate?” she asked. “That dragon I painted... That was you, wasn’t it? Was this... Did you do that? Was it all some weird sort of game?”

Now Naomi rose up on her elbows to glower down at him. Gregory couldn’t hold back another smile at the way agitation made her eyes light up. She was glorious, his mate. And she was just right for him.

“I did nothing,” he tried to explain. “I’d nearly given up hope that I’d find you. I was planning to fly from coast to coast, searching for my mate—for the one person my heart was calling out for. Your painting led me to you. No human should’ve been able to see my dragon form. Human eyes can’t see us; it’s part of the dragon magic. When we shift, we’re invisible to you. That’s why you think we’re just myths and fairy tales.”

“But I just saw you diving out of the sky,” Naomi interjected. “And I saw that black dragon too.”

“It’s because you’re a dragon’s mate. You can see me. You can see all of us.”

“Oh,” Naomi breathed, her eyes wide with awe.

Gregory ignored the ache of the burns, concentrating on the soothing warmth of her body.

“It was no trick. I’d never play with you. Back then, when you painted me, it wasn’t because you’d seen me with your own eyes. It was because you’d seen me—”

“With my soul,” Naomi completed breathlessly. “That’s what happened that night. It never happened before when I painted, but it was as if the dragon had come alive in my mind. I couldn’t stop painting. I had to get it all down onto the canvas. And then when I saw you... When I saw your eyes... I knew you.”

Warmth burst open somewhere deep in Gregory’s heart. Despite the pain, he reached out to touch her cheek, the gentlest brush of his fingertips.

“Dragons,” Naomi whispered as she stared at him in disbelief. “Dragons! It should be impossible...”

Gregory smiled, his thumb tracing along her cheekbone. “Shall I shift and show you? I can carry you on my back as we soar above the clouds and—ouch!”

With a grimace, Gregory was forced to settle back down onto the soft carpet.

The movement had agitated the wounds the fire dragon had left. Even though his mate’s presence was speeding up his healing, it probably wouldn’t be a smart idea to shift for another day.

“You shouldn’t move, you’ll only make it worse. I saw him burn you!” Naomi shuddered with sympathy. “And then you plummeted from the sky. I should call a doctor—”

“No,” Gregory said. “I’ll be as good as new tomorrow. We heal very quickly. And the fire dragon might still be around. Don’t go outside, not until I’m strong enough to protect you.”

At the reminder, Naomi scowled at him. “What was all that about anyway? Leaving me tied up to a rock like a damsel in distress! Like I was—wait, that’s exactly what I was. I was bait. Bait... for you!”

Swallowing painfully, Gregory nodded. “I’m sorry. He must’ve been after me. I’ve never encountered that dragon before. There hasn’t been a fire dragon in centuries. He must’ve known that you were my mate. He knew that I’d do anything—anything at all—to protect you. I’d die for you, Naomi.”

“You don’t even know me.” Naomi shifted in his arms. After a moment, she added, “And I’d much rather you live for me. Promise me you won’t do anything crazy. No more dragon fights.”

“I’d much rather live for you as well,” Gregory murmured. “And I promise you that no matter what happens, I’ll protect you.”

“Hmpf.” Naomi made a doubtful sound. “Shouldn’t knights protect a damsel from dragons?”

“I’m afraid we ran out of knights several centuries ago,” Gregory said apologetically.

Naomi gave him an arch look. “In that case, I guess I’ll just have to accept a dragon protector. Or, you know. Not get myself kidnapped by dragons again. I think on the whole, I’d prefer that.”

Gregory laughed softly, his ribs aching a little as his body continued to heal. “I’d prefer that myself.”

“So. You’re a dragon. For how long? I’m sorry, or is that a stupid question? I just... dragons!” Naomi shook her head as she looked at him. “I don’t understand anything about this. You know that this really doesn’t make sense? You shouldn’t exist.”

“But we do,” Gregory said gently. “You’ve seen it. It’s all real. We’ve been hiding from humans for centuries. If you remember the knights and the dragons, that didn’t go so well for us. Keeping it a secret works much better for everyone in the long run.”

“How many of you are there?” she asked curiously.

“Dragons are rare. But... there’s more, Naomi. More shifters. Wolf shifters.”

Naomi made a little squeak. “Werewolves? Seriously?”

Gregory nodded earnestly, trying not to laugh. “They’re real. As are lion shifters, bear shifters... There’s so much more than you know.”

“Frog shifters? Fly shifters?” Naomi gave him a suspicious look. “You’re not just making me fun of me now, are you?”

“I’ve heard of a frog shifter,” Gregory said. “Never of a fly shifter. That’s, ah... not really an evolutionary advantage.”

“You mean they got—ugh, you know what, I really don’t want to think about it. Dragons are more than enough for a start.” Naomi’s nose crinkled in disgust.

With a soft laugh, Gregory leaned forward to press a kiss to it. “Sorry. It’s a lot to take in. I’ll explain anything you want to know.”

As Gregory watched, Naomi reached out to lightly run her fingertips over his arm. Her touch was very gentle, as though she was afraid of hurting him. But all the same, a reassuring warmth flowed through him at feeling her skin to skin.

It was how it was meant to be. And the dragon within him felt at once more powerful and more peaceful than he’d ever felt before.

Naomi’s fingers traveled up along his shoulder, and then she carefully cupped his cheek, the pad of her thumb stroking along his jaw. “Does this hurt?” she asked quietly. “You’ve got a mean bruise here.”

“Not at all.” Gregory had to swallow at the heat her touch sent through him even now. “It’ll be gone tomorrow. And the wounds you see will just be bruises tomorrow.”

Naomi released a shuddering breath. “I was... so afraid. When I found you on the ground, unmoving, covered in burns... I was, I thought—”

“Hush.” Gregory raised his hand to tenderly press a finger to her lips. “I’m so sorry I scared you. I’m so sorry this happened to you. But you were strong. You—”

Naomi laughed through her tears. “I dragged you here, all the way. Half of those bruises are probably my fault. Sorry. But I thought you were—that you would die...”

“Takes more than that to kill a dragon.” Very gently, Gregory leaned forward until he could press his lips to hers.

At the touch, Naomi sighed against his lips, her eyes falling shut for a moment as she relaxed. Her lips were soft, and at the kiss, more warmth rushed through his veins, the pain receding as his dragon’s power was kindled to new heights by the sensation of his mate here in his arms.

“We should get you cleaned up,” she said at last when she drew back, a reluctant smile on her lips. “Since it seems that it takes more than this to kill a dragon, getting that dirt and soot off you probably won’t kill you either.”

Gregory winced again as he tried to shift. “We heal fast,” he said apologetically, “but I don’t think I’m quite up for a shower yet.”

“No, don’t move. You’ve been through enough for a day.” With obvious reluctance, Naomi disentangled herself from his arms.

When she returned a few minutes later, she triumphantly waved a bar of soap and a wet cloth at him. “This’ll do for a start. Now hold still. And tell me something about dragons while I try to get you cleaned up.”

Gregory had to suppress another wince when she carefully pressed the cloth to his chest.

Naomi was very careful not to put pressure on the burns, but even so his fall had left him with large bruises. His entire chest felt sore. He supposed that he’d cracked a few ribs. The pain of that was familiar. But those would heal overnight. He just had to hope that the fire dragon wouldn’t return before...

“Dragons,” he said to distract himself from the pain. “There aren’t a lot of us. As you’ve seen, it would get dangerous if there are too many of us around.”

“Mm,” Naomi murmured in agreement. Gently, she dabbed at a scratch that ran across his biceps. “Does that happen often? Fights between dragons?”

Gregory shook his head. “No. There’s been peace for centuries. That’s how humans forgot we even exist. We have a council—the council of elements. All disagreements and squabbles are brought before the council. No fights where humans could be involved in any way. All of us have sworn to uphold the secret of our existence with our lives.”

Startled, Naomi looked up. “But—you told me! And that other dragon—”

“That’s what makes this so dangerous,” Gregory said. “That fire dragon—he shouldn’t even exist. No fire dragon has ever been on the council. We thought the fire element was extinct.”

Gregory took a deep breath, wondering what the council would make of this. “As for you—you’re my mate, Naomi. I won’t have secrets from you. I couldn’t. My heart will always be open to you.”

Slowly, Gregory reached out. He took hold of Naomi’s hand, then pulled it forward until it rested on his chest, right over where his heart was beating.

“I’m your mate, as you are mine. You soul called to me. My dragon has been yearning for you for so long.”

Slowly, Naomi’s hand relaxed, her fingers splaying over his heart. “None of this makes sense,” she murmured. “But it’s true. I don’t understand—but I can feel you. Here, in my own heart.”

She pulled her hand back to rest it against her own chest. Even without the touch a gentle warmth rushed through Gregory’s heart.

“I’ll keep you safe,” Gregory promised. He was still ashamed that he’d lost the fight. With his mate in danger, he hadn’t been able to think. Protecting his mate was the only thing on his mind, and he hadn’t been able to spare a single thought for any humans who might end up in danger.

He’d probably get in trouble with the council for this. The council had already been suspicious because of the painting of his dragon, on view in a gallery to every human interested in art. This wouldn’t help his case much.

But still. He’d found his mate now. He wouldn’t go insane; surely it wasn’t too late yet. His power had swelled to a dangerous amount—but at the same time, he’d found his mate.

Now that she was here with him, his mind felt calm and clear. It wasn’t too late yet. Surely the council would see that too, because he couldn’t allow anyone to part him from his mate ever again.