The next morning, Timothy woke her early.

They’d stayed up late, sitting arm in arm by the fire as it burned down. They’d watched the moon rise over the calm, dark water of the ocean before them, and Liana had felt completely, utterly at peace.

Still, she didn’t feel tired this morning. She was too excited. Today, she’d get to fly on dragonback again—and then, she’d meet other dragon shifters.

Other dragon shifters with human mates.

Maybe it’ll be like going out with Clairice’s friends. I like those women well enough, but I’ll never be a part of them...

Or perhaps the other women would be just like her—completely new to the world of shifters, and excited about the freedom and adventure that their shifter mates had brought them. Perhaps, for the first time in her life, she’d find a small community of people just like her.

“Ready?” Timothy asked, pulling on a shirt that stretched deliciously over the hard planes of his pecs.

Liana swallowed as she watched his muscles move beneath the fabric.

Timothy had been a perfect gentleman tonight, and she’d never felt as safe and as protected as when she’d fallen asleep with her head resting on his chest.

Still, wanting to take it slow because it was all new to her didn’t mean that she didn’t want him.

Because she did. More than she’d ever wanted anything.

The mating. Not just our bodies touching, but also our souls.

Perhaps, after they’d returned from the trip, they’d have some privacy...

“As ready as you can be for a meet-up with a group of dragon shifters and their mates.” She found herself smiling, despite her nerves.

It would be all right. Timothy would be by her side. And if the other dragons were anything like him, they’d all get along just fine.

“About time,” Braeden said when they joined him in the kitchen.

Liana grinned and snatched one of the pancakes from his plate while he glowered at her.

“Don’t think I’ll let you carry me like that again,” he told Timothy. “That’s horribly undignified.”

Timothy smirked. “So?”

Braeden sputtered. Before another round of bickering could begin, Liana intervened.

“Let him ride on your back,” she said. “I don’t mind. And he knows you can just let him drop if he doesn’t behave.”

Braeden clenched his teeth. “I’ve got perfectly suitable wings of my own, you know. If you’d take off those bracelets...”

“Nope, sorry,” Timothy said cheerfully. “Chimera’s orders. We’ll see him soon enough, so feel free to argue with him and see where that gets you.”

Then Timothy stole the last pancake from Braeden’s plate, who glared at them in disgust.

“Anyway, it’s getting late. Time to head out.” Timothy nodded towards the beach stretching in front of the house.

The beach was completely deserted and quiet, the sand gleaming white in the light of the morning sun. Liana gave the gentle waves a longing look—but there’d be time for further trips to the sandbank when they returned.

Five minutes later, they were up in the air.

Braeden was indeed perfectly behaved. For all that he liked to complain, Liana realized that he was mostly all bark and no bite.

Of course, with his powers locked away, it wasn’t as if he had much of a chance to act up. Still, despite the way he and Timothy squabbled, Braeden wasn’t all bad.

And unlike certain other fire dragons, he’d never tried to kill her.

The sprawling mansion on the beach grew smaller and smaller below them as they kept rising.

For a moment, she had a perfect view of the entire peninsula. It really looked more like a tiny island, linked only by the one narrow road to the mainland. There were tiny houses dotted all over the peninsula, all with lots of space around them, and in the center, she could see the small town with its perfect little coffee shop.

Maybe, when they got back, they could take Braeden out for a coffee. Company might do him well. No wonder he was grumpy. He’d spent all of yesterday hiding in the house.

Then Timothy dipped a wing and they swerved to the left, steadily rising higher and higher until at last, they broke through the clouds that had begun to appear further inland.

The experience was amazing.

Liana had flown before—but sitting on a plane couldn’t compare to the feeling of clouds surrounding her. Wisps of white trailed from Timothy’s wings until they were right inside the clouds and she couldn’t see anymore.

For several long moments, everything around her was white. All sound was muffled. All she could hear was the thunder of her own excited heartbeat in her ears.

Timothy’s body was reassuringly hot beneath her, keeping her warm despite how high they were flying.

And then they broke through the clouds and soared right into brilliant sunlight.

Liana gasped in amazement. The clouds beneath them shimmered golden, so that it looked as if they were crossing yet another ocean. An ocean of light and billowing clouds.

When she turned around, an overwhelmed smile on her face, she saw that Braeden was smiling, too. There was a distant look in his eyes, and he was rubbing the black bracelets encircling his wrists.

Was he dreaming of flying?

Liana hastily turned back around. She didn’t want to embarrass him. From what she’d learned about the prickly fire dragon, he didn’t like to show any weakness.

Still—maybe there was a reason for dragging Braeden around with them. Maybe he’d learn that it wasn’t enough to simply not harm humans, and that it wasn’t possible to just sit back and watch.

If he thought that the other fire dragons were making a mistake, then eventually he’d have to go out there and do something. Otherwise, he’d be a coward. And no matter what she thought of Braeden, she was starting to think that beneath that annoying mask, there was a decent human hiding after all.

Or a decent dragon, she supposed.

They were soaring in the sunlight above the clouds for around an hour. Liana wasn’t quite sure how Timothy knew where they were, but after a while, he began to descend again. The clouds had given them short glimpses of the land below every now and then as the cloud cover grew less dense.

Now, she could see fields and hills and forest stretching below them.

Timothy landed on top of a small hill. There wasn’t any house or road nearby that she could see—which must be why they’d chosen this spot.

“We’re a bit early,” Timothy said as he checked his phone, looking pleased. “That was perfect weather for a flight. I can’t wait to get back up into the air again.”

“I wish I could say the same.” Braeden settled down on the ground, leaning against the trunk of a tree that grew there.

“It was amazing,” Liana said, looking back up at the sky and the clouds above them. She still couldn’t believe that they’d soared straight through them.

Real dragons are so much better than virtual ones!

Together with Timothy, she walked around the hill, climbing a small rock that gave them a perfect view of the valley stretching below. A river was running through it, and they could hear the distant, musical tinkle of a waterfall. Birds were singing, and a gentle breeze was cooling her face.

It was a perfect summer morning, and Liana wished all of a sudden that she’d thought to bring food along. They could have had a romantic picnic out here.

Of course, having Braeden around kept it from getting too romantic. Still, the area was beautiful. And coming from her, who preferred to curl up with her laptop or a book instead of going camping, that was saying a lot.

Suddenly, she realized that to their right, a dark spot had appeared in the sky. It was rapidly coming closer.

She nudged Timothy’s shoulder. “I think your friends are arriving.”

“About time,” he said and slung his arm around her, following her pointed finger.

And then he froze.

“Is something wrong?” Liana asked, worry rising up in her.

“I don’t know.” Timothy sounded strangely tense.

The spot in the sky had become larger. It didn’t quite look like a dragon. The wings looked wrong—and where was its tail?

“That’s not a dragon,” Timothy said a moment later, as if he knew what she’d thought. “That’s a griffin.”

“A griffin?” Liana repeated in amazement.

She’d played enough games to know about griffins—in theory.

Griffins were weird creatures that were half lion, half eagle. But they weren’t real. They were just a myth.

But then, I thought the same about dragons...

“What is he doing here?” Timothy murmured, still sounding tense. “I hope nothing’s wrong...”

“You know him?” she asked.

“His name is Jared. He’s a friend—he works for the council of elements. But there’s no reason for him to be here.” Timothy kept watching the sky.

“Maybe he just wanted to meet us as well?” Liana suggested.

“Maybe,” Timothy said, although he didn’t sound convinced. “He’d have called though. And he’s flying very fast, almost as if—”

He broke off. But even though he hadn’t finished the sentence, Liana found herself watching the sky with renewed worry.

She knew what Timothy hadn’t wanted to say.

Almost as if he’s being pursued.

A heartbeat later, Timothy stiffened.

“Shit,” he said very softly.

When Liana stared at the sky, her heart pounding in terror, she saw that in the distance, further tiny black dots had appeared.

“Your friends?” she said in a small voice.

Silently, Timothy shook his head.

It was difficult to make out how many dots were approaching. For all she knew, it could be a group of small birds.

But then, birds wouldn’t have Timothy so tense...

There was a sudden roar in the air, at first soft, then growing louder. The griffin was very close now, his giant eagle’s wings beating the air with powerful strokes.

Instinctively, Liana gasped and pressed closer to Timothy.

Playing with griffins in a game was quite different to the reality of meeting one.

Even though the shifter was smaller than a dragon, he was just as intimidating. He had the head and the wings of an eagle, while the back half of his body was that of a lion, covered with smooth, golden fur.

When he landed, she could feel the wind caused by his wings on her face. A second later, the griffin’s form shimmered and vanished. Instead, a man about Timothy’s age stood in front of them.

And he didn’t waste a minute.

“Hurry,” he gasped. “They’ve been hunting me for half an hour.”

“Fire dragons?” Timothy asked in a low voice.

“Seven or more of them. I don’t know where they came from.”

“Shit,” Timothy swore quietly, then stared at the sky again. “We should have a few minutes before they get here.”

“But if we just leave, what about your friends?” Liana asked worriedly.

“Damn it!” The griffin shifter had turned away from them and was now staring at the sky to their west.

Even before she’d followed his gaze, Liana knew what she’d see.

More tiny dots had appeared in the sky.

Swallowing, she turned.

To the north of them, clouds were covering the sky. Even as she watched, a handful of tiny, dark shapes broke through the clouds, rapidly flying towards them.

“I can outrace them,” Timothy said. “And so can my friends. I can fly higher than them, and I’m faster. And water will shield us from their fire breath.”

Even so, he sounded worried. Liana’s heart clenched when she remembered the jets of fire that had nearly burned them in the alley near her apartment.

That had only been a small group of dragons. This time, Timothy would have to deal with three or four times as many...

“We should go now,” Jared said. He still sounded breathless. “I’d love to give them a fight—but not with your mate here.”

“That’s why they wait to attack,” Timothy said grimly. “They want to kill her before we can mate.”

“Then let’s fly.” Liana’s heart was still pounding. “I trust you. I know you won’t let them harm me.”

“Jared, you’ll fly on my back as well,” Timothy said firmly. “I’m the fastest of us all. I have the power of my element to draw on—something those fire dragons can’t.”

“Unless their mysterious new master of the fire is among them,” Jared murmured. For a moment, he looked as if he wanted to argue. Then he stared at the sky again and changed his mind. “As you say. We’ll all ride on your back.”

Liana had been worriedly watching the sky together with the men. Now she suddenly remembered Braeden, who’d been leaning against the tree on top of the hill.

“Braeden?” she called out, frowning as she looked around.

She could no longer see him sitting by the tree. Where had he gone?

“What has that idiot of a fire dragon done now?” Timothy growled, hurriedly returning to where the solitary tree grew.

Liana watched as he circled it, then shook his head.

She swallowed, then circled around as well. Had Braeden gone off to explore the rocks and bushes that lined the steep incline?

“Braeden?” she called out again, more urgently. How much time was left?

“He’s gone.” Timothy was visibly upset. “I should have known it. He was in league with them after all. He must have led them here somehow. Now he’s run off to join them.”

“No,” Liana said, even though her blood was running cold with fear. “I can’t believe that.”

He’d been a prickly idiot most of the time she’d known him—but he’d also felt remarkably human. Not like a half-mad fire dragon out to kill everything in his way.

“Do you think... he might be trying to talk to them?” she asked hopefully.

Timothy clenched his jaw. “If that’s what he’s trying to do, he’s even more of an idiot than I thought. They’re not here for discussion. Shit, where can he be?”

He turned around again. Meanwhile, Liana peered at the sky.

“They’ll be here soon.” Her stomach twisted unpleasantly when she remembered the wall of fire filling the alley by her apartment.

“Let’s just leave him. He’ll see what he gets out of it,” Timothy said.

Despite his words, Liana could feel a wave of worry coming from him.

He’d obviously come to care more about the prickly fire dragon than he’d let on. And so had she, now that she thought about it.

Braeden had been an asshole at times—but more like that one annoying cousin who’d kept teasing her during family dinners. Not like an enemy.

“Last time, the fire dragons tried to kill him,” Jared pointed out. He still sounded out of breath from his own flight from the fire dragons. “Maybe he’s trying to lead them away from us.”

“There are so many of them that they could go after all of us.” Timothy took a deep breath, staring out at the valley. “Anyway, he knows that I’m stronger than them.”

“Stronger than five, sure,” Jared said. “But when’s the last time you had to fight twenty fire dragons at once?”

Timothy didn’t answer that question.

Worry clenched around Liana’s heart like a fist. She knew Timothy could get them all away safely. She’d seen him fight off their enemies before, after all.

But now there were three of them he’d have to protect—and one of them had run off.

Timothy watched the sky again. Then he clenched his jaw and shook his head.

“He’s on his own now. We have to go. Now.”

A second later, he shifted.

Hurriedly, Liana clambered onto his back together with Jared. Even as Timothy rose into the air, she desperately kept watch for a sign of Braeden, but she couldn’t find him.

And maybe Jared was wrong. Maybe Braeden wasn’t stupid enough to try and talk to them while his own powers were locked away. Maybe he’d simply seen a good chance to make an escape, hidden in some nook or beneath a large rock.

After all, Braeden was a captive. She couldn’t really blame him for wanting to be free. Now that she knew the joy and excitement of a dragon soaring through the sky, she could only imagine how painful it had to be for him to lose that freedom.

Still, maybe he’d be fine.

What mattered now was that the three of them could make an escape. After all, unlike the others, Liana wasn’t a shifter. She didn’t have any special powers to protect her from a fire dragon attack.

Through the fragile bond between them, she could feel Timothy’s nervousness. He really didn’t like leaving someone behind.

She reached out to smooth a hand over his blue-green scales.

It’s not your fault, she thought. You’ve done your best to protect him.

An answering wave of warmth flooding right into her heart through the bond. Despite her fear, she held onto that sensation.

Not matter what happened, they’d be together.

They rose swiftly into the air. For a long moment, Timothy kept hovering, as if he was searching for one final glimpse of Braeden. Liana kept her eyes on the hill beneath them, desperately searching for a sign of where the dragon had gone.

And there, just when she was ready to give up, she saw a shadow move between two boulders, close to where the ground flattened.

“There,” she called out, turning in excitement to nudge the griffin shifter.

“I see him,” Jared said hastily. “I’ll get him! Timothy, keep them off me if they get too close.”

Before she could say anything, Jared slipped from Timothy’s back right in front of her eyes.

She couldn’t quite hold back her shocked gasp when he fell.

But then, right as he was plummeting towards the ground, Jared shifted. Spreading his large eagle’s wings, his free fall turned into an elegant glide.

Nervously, Liana turned her head again. She could feel Timothy’s own fear through the bond. He was afraid, despite all of his strength and power—afraid for her.

Warmth rushed through her again. She pressed her hand against his neck.

I trust you. No one will harm me with you here. Don’t worry.

The fire dragons were close enough now that she could make out their exact number and see the dark glint of their cruel claws.

Claws just like that had grabbed her in the alley. Claws like that had pulled her far up into the sky...

She took a deep breath. It was no use thinking of that. Any second now, Jared would return with Braeden in his own claws, and they could finally run.

At that exact moment, an ominous rumble erupted far below her.

It was a sound she’d never heard before—deep and drawn out, stone grinding against stone. As if the earth itself was crying out in agony.

And then, just as Jared swooped down towards Braeden, sudden flames burst from the earth, blocking her view.