Shifters. Dragons. An oracle.

It was a lot to take in, but she wasn’t about to freak out now. Not after everything she’d been through, everything she’d survived.

The kiss with Cobalt had settled her, made her grounded in physical senses and warmth, if only for a moment. Even if he’d made her heart race at the same time.

It was also fun to see that big, awkward hottie in the glasses stammer and overthink it. She’d always had kind of a thing for nerds, and this had to be the hottest one in the world.

Shocking people, stunning them by being too forward, was a space she was comfortable in. Maybe too comfortable.

Even if she’d been surprised when the tall, dorky dragon had decided to switch things around on her, taking control and giving her a kiss so hot even the memory of it made her weak in the knees.

But she had to focus now as she followed Cobalt and his friend up the stairs to meet this oracle person. If this lady was the reason she’d been rescued, then she owed her thanks.

Truth was, even though she’d escaped her prison, she wasn’t sure she would have gotten far if these mysterious men hadn’t come through that portal and helped her get away.

Sylvie shuddered at the thought of still being back at the facility and reminded herself that was over, for now.

These people wouldn’t have rescued her if they were only going to take her back.

When they reached the living room, she was shocked as she took in how many people were there. Of course, with a house this huge, it wouldn’t be crowded, but still…

All the men from before were there, but in the light, they were much easier to see. Clearly all tall and hot even compared to the shifters who’d imprisoned her. Hotness on steroids.

They all had oddly hued hair and eyes that set them apart from humans as well. Several of them had women with them, so apparently, those guys were spoken for. She had no desire to mess with another girl’s man.

She had no desire to really mess with anyone, except for the hot nerd she’d just kissed impulsively. Would he tell the others? Would they guess something by the way he was still blushing furiously and refusing to meet her eyes?

As her attention turned to the small, curvy older woman in the room, Sylvie guessed not.

This was the oracle. Sylvie knew it just by the way she drew all the attention in the room, centered the energy like a vortex. When the oracle looked up at Sylvie and gestured for her to come sit on the couch beside her, Sylvie felt unable to refuse.

The oracle had misty, purple-white eyes that seemed to look through her. She looked tired but wise.

“It’s nice to meet you, Sylvie.”

“How did you know my name?”

“I’ve been looking for you for some time,” the oracle replied. “When we found the nurse who tended you at the scene, it helped us make a breakthrough.”

“Ah. Wait, that nurse, is she okay? Did they grab her, too?”

“Farrah?” The oracle nodded. “She’s fine. She’s here, in fact, but might be a little shy.”

“I see. Plus, she probably doesn’t want to see me, given that it’s my fault she got kidnapped. Now that you mention it, when they got us all rounded up on a plane, maybe I did see her in the crowd. It was hard to tell because it was dark, and they split us all up soon after.”

“So there were many of you.”

“A handful,” Sylvie said. “I hope the others are all right.”

“The double dragons have been able to rescue a few, and we are looking into other options. For the harder missions, we’ve used the dragons here.”

“So you three were taken?” She looked at the three human women in the room.

One of them was sitting next to a dude with longish blond hair, another by the man who had shoulder-length dark hair and hawkish eyes, and the last by the man with dark-gray hair and silver eyes.

“Brittany was.” The oracle gestured to the one with the leader of the group. She had blondish-brown hair and gentle blue eyes, and everything about her seemed soft and kind of pleasant. “Leanne, too.”

The oracle gestured to the woman sitting with the silver-eyed man. She had shoulder-length curls and deep-brown eyes.

Sylvie raised her hand in a silent wave at the two women, who acknowledged her with kind smiles.

The oracle continued. “Casey met Cadmium another way, and they can tell you about that later, I’m sure.” The woman with the blond man gave a nod as well. She had long, dark-brown hair that was back in a ponytail and hazel-green eyes.

Sylvie gave her a smile.

“Anyway, I’m not sure how much Cobalt has told you, but basically, now that the wolves are after you because you’re a dragon heart, we can’t let you leave. We may have rescued you, but as long as things are in flux in the shifter world, you’re far from safe.”

Sylvie looked around at the beautiful mansion, the kind people around her, and her gut said no one here meant her any harm.

“Fine by me.” She shrugged. “I’ve probably been evicted anyway, and they would have thrown out all my stuff or sold it.”

“I’m sorry for what you’ve lost.” The oracle looked at her regretfully. “You didn’t deserve for any of this to happen to you.”

“Thanks.”

“Then again, by the time this is over, you might find yourself grateful for being introduced to this world.”

Sylvie frowned. She didn’t like to think about the future, and she didn’t like to think long term. She lived in the moment. It was what had kept her sane when she was captured, what had helped her escape, and what kept her from sinking into despair and giving up.

“Anyway.” The oracle continued, sensing the awkwardness. “If you are fine staying here for a while, it would really help us out. The dragons here will make sure to order anything you need and can help with whatever you wish. Anything you want, it’s yours.”

“Except freedom,” Sylvie said drily, deciding this was just the way shifters operated.

“Except freedom, for now.”

“It’s fine.” Sylvie waved her hand, reminding herself it really was. She shouldn’t be in a rush to get home anyway, given that she’d probably be starting all over again.

She’d always had to fight tooth and nail, sometimes literally, for what she got, and she wasn’t looking forward to having to repeat her progress. “I’ll stay. But what am I supposed to do while I’m here?”

“The dragons can tell you. Games, movies. There’s a gym downstairs and a hot tub out back, I believe. Lots of good company once you get to know them. The dragons are still a little odd with Earth customs, but their warm personalities generally make up for it.”

Sylvie decided she liked the oracle. She was frank and no-nonsense and didn’t hold anything back. “Cool.”

“I can vouch for that,” Casey said. “These guys are fun to hang out with.”

“Think of it like a vacation,” Brittany said.

“Feels more like a cult,” Sylvie joked. Everyone just stared at her. “You know, ‘cause you’re all so friendly. Like, ‘Be one of us. We’ll be your friends.’”

Brittany and her mate shared confused glances, and Sylvie felt awkwardness settle in her stomach as she realized she’d goofed up.

“Anyway, shouldn’t everyone introduce themselves to me?”

“Of course.” The oracle stood. “Unfortunately, I must go. Our world is at war, and there are always a thousand things demanding my attention. But if you need to get in touch with me urgently, the dragons know how to contact my apprentice.”

“Okay,” Sylvie said, feeling nervous now that this kind older woman was going to leave her alone with a bunch of people she’d just compared to a cult.

One of whom she wanted to make out with.

“Oracle, can I speak with you quickly?” That was Cobalt, who was standing now and waiting for a response.

“Of course. We’ll talk outside, and then I’ll make my portal.”

Sylvie watched as they left and hoped Cobalt wasn’t about to tell on her for what she’d done.

Was coming on to dragons against the rules?

“So introductions,” Brittany said, leaning forward. “I’m sure you’re anxious to get to know everybody.”

“Especially since we’re apparently trying to induct you into a cult.” The man with black hair to his shoulders cocked his head at her. His eyes were a piercing emerald green.

Cobalt’s cousin, the man with pale hair and light eyes, let out a snort of amusement. Like the others, he was huge and muscled, but he had a different demeanor about him. Sort of quiet and laid back. Sylvie could foresee them being good friends.

“The sarcastic one is Arsenic,” the dark-haired leader said. “And the one who apparently finds this funny is Chromium, Cobalt’s cousin. I am Lead, captain of the dragon guard. Did Cobalt explain the dragon guard?”

Sylvie nodded. “A little bit.”

“This is Cadmium.” Lead pointed at the blond-haired man, who was currently stroking his hand cheerfully through his girlfriend’s dark ponytail, ignoring her attempts to swat him away as she blushed.

Cadmium gave her a wave. “Nice to meet you. This is my mate, Casey.”

He seemed like a cheerful type, but he was clearly taken, so she’d probably stay away.

“You’ve met Cobalt,” Lead said. “Oh, this is Zinc. He’s the next king of our world.” He gestured to the man with dark-silver eyes and dark-gray hair who was watching from a nearby recliner, his mate on his lap. He seemed more distant than the others, but his smile was polite. Kingly.

“Nice to meet you,” Zinc said. “As you heard, this is my mate, Leanne.”

Sylvie nodded. “So is that everyone?”

“Except for my mate, Farrah,” Arsenic said. “I’m sure she’ll be happy to meet you tomorrow, but she is very hard to wake at this time of night.”

“There are two others,” Brittany said. “Mercury and Marina are both dragons you might see pop up around here, but it’s hard to tell when. Marina is the oracle’s apprentice. She’s a water dragon.”

“Mercury,” Sylvie said thoughtfully, putting a finger to her chin. She lifted her gaze to the room, a grin spreading. “Arsenic, Lead, Zinc, Cobalt, Chromium. You all could have a sick metal band going here.”

“A what?” Zinc asked, cocking his head.

“A band, you know, like—”

Brittany let out a snort and then threw back her head and started laughing as Casey joined her.

At least the humans got the joke.

“No band, I’m afraid,” Casey said. “Their names are because of the metals in their blood.”

“But wait. Arsenic, isn’t that poisonous?” Sylvie asked.

“The poisons are carefully contained,” Lead said. “There’s nothing to worry about.”

“Hm.” Sylvie wanted to ask more questions but kind of felt like her mind was exploding.

All of her new friends were nice, but a part of her just wanted to see Cobalt again. She’d never been dependent on anyone and she was the furthest thing from clingy, but right now, despite barely knowing him, she sort of wanted him close.

Hopefully, he would finish what he was doing and come back in soon.