Gregory stretched lazily. He felt good—incredibly good, in fact. He was tired, but it was the good sort of tired that came from having Naomi in his arms all night.

Then his eyes were drawn to the window, and he slowly began to realize that it wasn’t dawn he was seeing.

His dragon was attuned to the forces of nature, and what his dragon felt wasn’t the slow rise of the sun in the morning, but instead the sensation of the sun sinking into the ocean. It was dusk, the half-hour of twilight before the sun would completely vanish below the horizon.

With a frown, Gregory moved his shoulder, rolling it tentatively as he waited for the pain of knitting bones.

There was no pain. His shoulder was completely healed.

When he drew a hand down his chest, he encountered no pain either. The skin should still be reddened, sensitive like a fading sunburn—but his skin was unblemished. All wounds the fire dragon had left were gone, healed within hours when it should’ve taken a full day.

Gradually, he became aware of a steady warmth that flowed through him. Naomi was pressed against his chest, her head resting trustingly on his arm. She was naked, her skin hot against his own—but the warmth that moved through him wasn’t just body heat.

The warmth came straight from his heart, that fiery core within him that was all dragon.

Surprised, Gregory drew in a breath. Somehow, a mate bond had started to form—and that even though they’d known each other only for such a short time.

He turned his head to gaze at Naomi, reaching out to gently trail his fingers along her cheek. He’d always thought that claiming a mate was mostly a formal event.

The few mating ceremonies he had witnessed had certainly been very elaborate, and the mate bond wasn’t supposed to spring fully to life until the ceremony and the mating.

For a dragon, the ceremony didn’t only declare two people married, but would also declare Gregory an alpha—a dragon shifter who’d come into his full power, who’d also found his mate. A dragon’s power was immense, and only through the mate bond could he find the strength to bear that power without crumbling beneath it.

For some reason he didn’t fully understand, Naomi had already claimed a part of his heart. He could feel her touch on his soul, the same way that he’d felt her fingers on his skin hours ago. They were one... or at least, that connection between their hearts had already surged to life.

The mating ceremony would seal it, but he was already Naomi’s. No other would ever touch his soul the way she had.

At the same moment as he felt Naomi stir at his touch, a sleepy smile appearing on her face as she opened her eyes, he became aware of a different sensation.

It was like a shadow had touched him. For a moment, it blocked out the heat of Naomi, and his body tensed in alarm.

Then he relaxed again. What he’d felt was the approach of another shifter. But it wasn’t the fire dragon.

This was someone he knew very well. It seemed that the council had sent an old friend to check on the situation.

“I know I told you about dragons and werewolves yesterday,” he murmured against Naomi’s ear. “How do you feel about meeting a griffin?”

***

A short while later, after they’d hastily pulled on their clothes once more, they were standing outside on the patio as before them, the sun sank into the ocean with a spectacular display of colors that lit up the sky.

But neither of them had eyes for the clouds that glowed in fiery hues of pink and purple. Instead, they watched the approach of what looked like a large lion with the wings and head of an eagle.

“A griffin,” Naomi breathed. “It’s really a griffin.”

Protectively, Gregory wrapped his arm around her shoulder. “His name is Jared, and he’s my friend. He won’t harm you. But if he’s here on official council business, he might be quite cross with me for getting into a fight on human lands.”

“Next you’ll tell me that Bigfoot is real,” Naomi muttered. “Or... or that dinosaurs are still alive.”

“Not that I know of,” Gregory reassured her. “And I’ve never met a vampire either.”

Naomi narrowed her eyes at him. “Wizards? Witches? Umm... poltergeists?”

Gregory shook his head, trying hard not to laugh. “No poltergeists in a dragon’s palace. I promise. Although... have you ever heard of chimeras?”

Before Naomi could answer, a roar filled the air. It was the sound of large, powerful wings beating rapidly. A second later, the griffin had landed before them, his majestic eagle’s head gazing at them from serious, golden eyes.

He shook out his wings, each of them easily as wide as Gregory was tall, and then he gracefully folded them up. He paced forward, his head swinging back and forth as he looked both of them up and down.

Gregory straightened, waiting for the message the council had doubtlessly sent. Then the eagle’s beak opened, and the griffin soundlessly laughed at them.

A heartbeat later, the air around him shimmered, and the griffin had shifted back to his human form.

Jared wore a suit. That’s how Gregory immediately knew that he meant business. Jared hadn’t come as his friend, but had been sent as an emissary of the council.

“Gregory Drago, Master of Air and Wind, Lord of the Council of Elements,” Jared said formally, “I have been sent to retrieve you to be judged. You are commanded to follow me and present yourself to the Master of the Council, who shall decide your fate.”

Gregory wasn’t even given an opportunity to argue with the summons.

“My orders are very clear,” Jared said. “You are to come with me, immediately.”

“No,” Naomi said firmly.

Surprised, both Gregory and Jared looked at her.

Naomi swallowed, but didn’t budge. “He’s going nowhere without me. And that’s the end of it. A dragon just almost killed me. I’m sorry about your council, but given that I was the one who was attacked, I think I’ve got more of a right to his company right now.”

“You heard her,” Gregory said, feeling proud of his mate. “I won’t leave her side. A dragon—an actual fire dragon—just kidnapped my mate. Not even a summons from the council could make me leave her defenseless.”

“Hey now,” Naomi muttered. “Remember who got us both to safety.”

Gregory winced. “She’s right. The other dragon defeated me. I don’t know why he didn’t kill me right there. Still, either she comes with me, or I stay here with her.”

“Come with you?” Jared gave him a surprised look. “No humans have ever been allowed—but then, you say she’s your mate?”

At Jared’s curious look, Gregory straightened, then gently pulled Naomi more tightly against him. At the contact, the bond between them surged to life once more, warmth flowing where they touched—and this time, the connection brought with it an awareness of Naomi’s discomfort.

“She is. And I won’t abandon her, no matter what,” Gregory declared, as much for Jared’s sake as to calm Naomi’s fears.

Jared frowned, giving Naomi a thoughtful look. “The laws of the council are quite clear. No humans are allowed to know of the council and its rulings. But at the same time—”

“There is a law that states that every shifter has the right to have his mate by his side, no matter his crimes,” Gregory continued triumphantly.

“You are not formally mated,” Jared began.

“But you can feel it too,” Gregory challenged him. “We are mates. You saw it the moment you landed. I could see it on your face.”

After a long moment of silence, Jared sighed. “Let the council sort it out, in that case. I’m just the messenger.”

Gregory turned to Naomi. Once more it hit him just how gorgeous his mate was: her face was animated, her cheeks flushed, and despite her obvious confusion, there were sparks of anger in her eyes. Through the bond, he could feel the steely resolve that was there, hidden at the core of a personality that was all sweetness.

Naomi was strong. Stronger than she herself thought she was. She’d faced a fire dragon, after all, and hadn’t been cowed by that. She’d broken free of her bonds all on her own. She was more beautiful than any princess—but she wasn’t helpless.

“Naomi,” Gregory began. “Would you do me the honor of accompanying me to the council?”

After a moment’s hesitation, Naomi nodded. “I’m not scared of any dragon. At least... at least I think I’d rather know all there is to know, instead of just getting kidnapped out of the blue. I won’t be used as bait again. I want to know everything that’s going on—and I want to be with you.”

At his mate’s words, Gregory felt new heat well up inside him. This time, it was pride, especially when he saw the look of new respect on Jared’s face.

He knew that at any other time, his friend would’ve teased him about finally finding his mate, and about taking his time to do it. But it seemed that there was no time left if Gregory wanted to convince the council that he hadn’t gone insane, and that there was a rogue fire dragon on the loose.

“In that case,” Gregory said softly, another smile spreading across his face, “have you ever thought about riding a dragon?”

Shifting was always a pleasure. It wasn’t so much like turning into a different creature, but more like relaxing and opening himself up fully to the powerful, ancient being that was always at the core of him. It was like coming home: the air, which had been his element since he was born, welcoming him as his senses grew more sensitive, feeling the currents of air flowing all around him, and feeling his own power to gently manipulate them to his will.

But this time when Gregory shifted, his mate’s eyes were on him. And through the partially formed mate bond, he felt her wonder and utter amazement.

There was no fear. Even during the moment when his form blurred and changed, he sent his love and affection surging through the bond between them. And when he had finished, his dragon’s mighty wings gently unfolding to test the wind, Naomi was laughing, and there were tears in her eyes.

“You are him. You’re truly him,” she whispered. “The dragon of my dreams.”

Slowly, Gregory lowered his head. Naomi reached out and pressed her hand to his neck, her eyes widening.

“You’re all warm!” she said.

Did you think I would feel cold and slimy, like a snake? His words came through the bond together with his amusement.

In answer, Naomi laughed. “You’re not a snake at all. You’re all dragon. Whatever that is. You’re lucky I’m not a biologist.”

Gracefully, Gregory lowered himself and stretched out his wing in invitation. After a moment’s hesitation, Naomi began to climb onto his back, settling at last between his wings. There were tiny little ridges there, growing along his spine, and she held onto them with her hands.

“Like this?” she asked. “I’m not hurting you, am I?”

You could never hurt me, he said voicelessly. Now hold on tight. And don’t be afraid. I would never drop you.

A second later, he spread his wings, feeling the power of the wind tugging playfully at him, as if inviting him to come and play.

He took a deep breath, aware of the heat of Naomi’s small body clinging to him—and then, with one powerful beat of his wings, they were in the air, Naomi’s excitement rushing through the bond.