Cobalt didn’t have long with the cool air before the door opened behind him and footsteps sounded as someone came out onto the deck.

Sylvie. He could tell just from the lightness of her movements. She had a panther-like way of walking that probably came from the fighting she did before.

He stayed facing the lawn, watching the grass rustle in waves in the wind, and let her walk up beside him. She put her back to the railing and rested her elbows on it as she tried to get his attention. He averted his eyes, still not sure if he’d gotten himself under control.

He had no right to be acting like this, and as a human, surely she would be finding it weird.

Best to just let himself calm down.

“Hey. What’s wrong?” Her tone was frank as always, those nearly black eyes sparkling in the moonlight.

“Nothing.”

“No way.” She shook her head, making her short curls bounce. “I know when someone’s messed up. What’s going on?”

“I just got a little too involved.”

“How? You were awesome. Besides, if you’re out here pouting, who’s going to be my partner? We have to go kick Chromium’s ass a bunch of times now that he’s stuck with a computer.”

Cobalt smiled slightly at that. She had a way of putting him at ease. “I suppose you’re right.” His throat tightened. “You’re enjoying spending time with him?”

“Sure. He reminds me of guys back home.” She shrugged. “Why?”

“No reason.”

“I don’t buy it.” She pursed her full lips and moved her head slowly back and forth. “I saw how you reacted. You were super intense, and even when you won, you stormed off. I mean, I’ve seen sore losers, but sore winners is a new one. Do you have a problem being anything but super nice to him?”

Cobalt raised an eyebrow at her perceptiveness. “I suppose so.” He relaxed and joined her in leaning with his back to the railing, watching what was going on inside. Chromium had apparently decided to just keep playing against computers, and looked like he was enjoying himself, unbothered by their drama.

“I mean, I think he’s pretty resilient. I don’t think you have to worry about taking it easy on him.”

“I know.” Cobalt tilted his head. “You know, back on Drakkaris, we were practically brothers. We grew up together, always had each other’s backs. And in the absence of available mates, I suppose we’ve always been the only family we could count on. I suppose I thought we would grow old together.”

“And you can’t now?”

He looked down at her, wondering if she really couldn’t feel what was happening between them and the way it was affecting the tension between him and Chromium.

He couldn’t forget how stubborn Chromium had been about having her as a partner, how Chromium had sometimes blushed at lunch while looking at her.

Was it possible that the cousins had found the same woman they wanted to mate?

The thought made him shiver. Given the choice, he didn’t know what he would do. Of course, he wanted Chromium to be happy, with all his heart, but he didn’t think he could ever give up Sylvie to anyone else.

She was meant for Cobalt.

“There you go in your head again.” She waved a hand in front of his face. “Hey. Earth to Drakarlish.”

“Drakkaris?”

“Right. Brakkaris. My bad.”

“Drak-kar-is.”

“Right. Drag-gar-fish.”

He laughed. “You’re impossible.”

She grinned wickedly. “I made you smile, though.

Okay, tell me about it.”

He sighed, finally letting himself relax, feeling much better now that her attention was completely on him. “Chromium was always good with physical things. It was no surprise when he worked his way through the dragon guard to be the head bodyguard of the royal court, specifically the king.”

“How did he do that?”

“A lot of fighting. Chromium and I were born by the seaside, part of the merchant class of Drakkaris. Neither of us fit what our family wanted from us. I was more interested in books than business, and Chromium liked using his fists.”

“On what?”

“Bullies. He was a late bloomer, and combined with being quiet, it made him a target for bullies. I protected him, but as we grew, I gained a reputation as a ‘nerd,’ as you would say, and he was the one who started standing up for me.”

“I feel bad for anyone who picks a fight with either of you.” She let out a little sigh. “Drakkarish sounds like a cool place.”

He let out a small breath. “Drakkaris. I thought we covered this.”

She smiled up at him, smooth, brown skin glowing in the dim light. “I just like seeing you react. I know the name of your planet.”

“Right. You like my reactions.” He smiled slightly. “I always forget that.”

“Yeah, that’s why I’m always catching you off guard.”

He raised an eyebrow. “Don’t forget I can catch you off guard as well.”

She flushed, biting her lower lip as a crooked smile lit her face. “Cobalt, was that a dirty joke?”

He shrugged, turning back to the railing. “Maybe.”

She bumped him with her shoulder in a friendly way. “I guess I’m rubbing off on you.”

“I guess.” His smile was mild, but even that small contact made him want to think about her rubbing up on him. Off on him. Whatever she wanted to do.

“So Chromium was head bodyguard. What did you do on Drakkaris?”

He cocked his head at her correct pronunciation of the name and also her interest in what he did. He was used to it boring most people. “I ran the royal library.”

He waited for her to scoff at him, but she just put a hand to her chin thoughtfully.

“How big was this library?”

He pointed at a peak rising in the distance. “Probably as large as the base of that mountain and many stories high.”

“Wow.” She was quiet for a second. “That’s a lot of books.”

“It’s okay if you think it’s boring.”

She shook her head. “A space library ran by a hot dragon is not boring.” She let out a wistful sigh. “I wish I could see this space library.”

“Maybe I could take you someday.”

She went quiet at that and turned to look out at the night with him.

His heart sank as he realized the future was uncertain for her. She didn’t know if she was staying, and neither did he. He did know that wherever she went, he would want to follow.

“It’s still so weird to me. Shifters who can change from animal to human and now aliens from space.”

He put a hand over hers. “Not so alien.”

She looked up at him with wide eyes, lips parted, and then slowly moved her hand away, flushing. “Hey now. We’re in public.” She shot a glance behind them and seemed relieved that no one was watching.

Was she ashamed of him?

An even darker thought hit him, one he was ashamed of. Did she not want Chromium to see them?

He shook his head at that, knowing he was being silly.

“So basically, you run a gigantic library and you’re an even huger nerd than I thought,” she teased, moving slightly closer to him so their shoulders were touching.

Warmth moved through him. “I suppose.”

She nudged him slightly. “I think it’s pretty cool. And it’s cool that you’re close with Chromium as well. For what it’s worth, you’re both awesome people. And hot in totally different ways.”

He glared at her. Normally, he’d be happy for them both to be complemented, but he wanted all of Sylvie’s kind words for himself.

“Kidding,” she said, bumping his shoulder. “Come on. Stop taking everything so seriously. It’s a beautiful night, and I’m out here with you, aren’t I?”

He sighed, realizing she was right. He always dissected and intellectualized things, and it made him miss actually experiencing them.

He looked out at the clouds that were moving over the moon, making the sky darker and the stars more visible.

Night on Earth was beautiful, and he couldn’t think of a better way to experience it than with his mate right beside him.

She let out a sigh, resting her cheek in her hand and keeping her side pressed against him. “You know anything about astrology?”

He snorted. “You mean astronomy?”

She growled. “You know what I mean, smarty-pants. Tell me about the stars.”

So he did, with a laugh, and as she listened eagerly, keeping her soft, warm body next to him, he slowly relaxed.

He’d finally met someone who could help him live in the moment, and now he just had to not screw up so he could win the right to keep her by his side.

* * *

It had been a perfect night for Sylvie. She’d spent time with her hottie, watching the stars, and then they’d gone in to play games with Chromium and had fun watching computer-generated beasts fight to the death.

So really, she should be sleeping like a baby and looking forward to the next day.

But despite her big, safe room and wonderfully comfortable bed, Sylvie found herself jolted awake in a cold sweat.

She wiped her hand over her forehead, feeling the clammy dampness, and tried to push away memories of feeling alone and afraid as a child and an adult, not safe in her own home.

It was why she hated living alone, always insisting on having a roommate, even if they were a less-than-reliable person who might leave her on hook for the rent.

In her opinion, dangerous things could happen in the darkness, and while she’d been safe for a long time, she still occasionally awoke to nothing but the slightest bump in the night.

With her heart racing and her mind over alert, there was no hope for sleep now.

Wrapping her arms around her knees, she thought about her options.

She heard faint voices from downstairs and wondered who was up. Maybe it was Cobalt.

Her heart kind of hoped so. Not that she needed him, but she just wouldn’t mind him around at the moment.

She pulled on a robe over her pajamas and left her room, quietly peeking downstairs to see who was talking.

Peeking over the railing, she saw Zinc, the calm king of the dragons, talking to someone she didn’t recognize.

The man was kind of a mirror image to Zinc, if a mirror image could be slightly evil. His hair was longer and a brighter silver, and his posture was insolent, with one leg draped over the arm of the chair he was in.

Like the other dragons, he was handsome, but there was a hardness to him that she hadn’t noticed in any of the others.

She listened closely, knowing she shouldn’t be eavesdropping but unable to resist. Words like “throne” and “Drakkaris” floated up to her, and then an ominous silence fell over the room.

“I think we have company,” the stranger said quietly. Sylvie felt her body stiffen in response.

Zinc looked up at her with a reassuring smile. “Yes, and she’s welcome to join us if she wants.”

She stood up, cheeks flaming from embarrassment, and straightened her robe as she came down the stairs. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to eavesdrop.”

The stranger gave her a glittering, irritated glare. “I doubt that.”

“I was just… I heard someone from my room and wanted to see who it was.”

“Well, now you have and you can go away.” The stranger folded his arms testily.

Zinc shook his head with a laugh and gestured for her to join them. “Nonsense. Mercury, this is Sylvie, a very admirable dragon heart. She’d practically rescued herself by the time we showed up to rescue her. And before that, she stopped an armed robbery all by herself.”

Mercury, as the stranger must be called, raised an interested eyebrow. “Really?”

Zinc nodded. “And Sylvie, this is Mercury. He’s testy when he travels without his mate, though I can’t say he’s incredibly pleasant either way.”

Mercury shot Zinc a glare, and Sylvie had to stifle a laugh at his reaction and Zinc’s obvious amusement and affection for the other dragon.

Obviously, she wasn’t the only one who liked provoking people.

“So what can we do for you, Sylvie?” Zinc folded his hands over his crossed legs gingerly. Everything he did was kingly, in her opinion.

She looked from man to man and realized that neither of them was who she wanted to see. “I was, uh… just wondering where I could find Cobalt.”

The two dragons looked at each other and then faced her curiously.

Mercury’s lips curved in amusement. “Oh, so a booty call? With the local librarian? Interesting taste, human.”

She folded her arms and cocked a hip. “No more interesting than your mate must have had, choosing someone who looks like a super villain from space.”

Zinc let out a laugh, holding his waist, and Mercury simply cocked his head, raising an eyebrow.

“You know, you’re right, Zinc. This human is really something else.” He shrugged. “I bet Marina would like her.”

“That’s his mate,” Zinc sad.

Sylvie let out a frustrated breath. “So is anyone going to tell me where Cobalt’s room is?”

Zinc rubbed the back of his neck. “Well, it’s kind of irrelevant since I’m sure he’s still in the library. He stays there really late, even falls asleep in there sometimes.”

“Perfect place to ambush him for a booty call.” Mercury smirked.

“It’s not a booty call.” She glared at him. “And it’s none of your business anyway.” She gave Zinc a polite smile and a little bow. “Thanks for your help, Zinc.”

“Ungrateful human,” she heard Mercury mutter behind her, but she was already off in search of Cobalt and the little bit of peace she knew would come from seeing him.

She walked down the stairs and was almost to the library when she realized how odd what she was doing was. What would he think of her coming down here? Would he think of it as a booty call? She’d never met a man who didn’t assume a nighttime visit had something to do with action.

She sighed as she raised a hand to knock on the door.

She waited only a moment and then heard furniture scraping the floor and footsteps coming closer.

The door opened, and she looked up at a slightly disheveled Cobalt, glasses askew and hair ruffled as if he’d been running his hands through it.

“Yes?” He blinked a couple of times, and then his jaw dropped as she came into focus. “Sylvie? What are you doing here? It’s late.”

She shoved her hands in her pockets, not wanting to show any vulnerability. “Just, uh… wanted to see what you were up to.”

He looked at a clock nearby. “In the middle of the night?”

She felt warmth rush into her neck. “I couldn’t sleep.”

His expression softened as he stepped back, holding the door to the library open for her. “Well, you’re welcome to join me.

I’m glad you did.” His tone was warm and polite as he moved things off a nearby couch for her. It was ornate with dark wood and sumptuous red cushions. “It’s always nice to have company.”

“I hope I’m not bothering you.”

“Of course not.” He disappeared for a moment and returned with several pillows and blankets, which he handed to her on the couch. “Make yourself comfortable.”

She couldn’t believe how easy he was making this for her. He wasn’t bugging her with questions or making her feel odd for needing help or making her feel like an imposition.

He was making her feel… oddly safe.

It was something she wasn’t used to feeling, and as she positioned a pillow behind her head and curled up with a blanket, she wasn’t sure what to make of it.

“Did you want to do anything in particular?” His deep-blue eyes were patient, and he took a seat in the chair across from her, crossing his long, muscular legs in a relaxed posture.

“No.” She hoped her flush wasn’t showing much on her darker skin. She was more comfortable being fighter Sylvie. Sassy Sylvie. Not Sylvie who was afraid of being alone in the dark. “You can just go back to what you were doing.”

He studied her for a moment with those intelligent eyes, pushing his glasses slightly up on his nose and pressing his lips together. “I suppose so.”

She curled up on the couch, trying not to feel any disappointment. After all, he should focus on his work, not her, and she was just grateful not to be alone anymore.

“Or I could read you this new book I’ve been enjoying. It’s an account of the early adventures of Falsjäger, one of the ancient warriors of Drakkaris.”

“That sounds fine.” She nodded, making herself comfortable as he turned on a reading lamp and dimmed the other lights in the room.

“I find this is best for reading,” he said quietly, adjusting his glasses as he opened the book to the proper page.

She studied his handsome features in the low light as he read, his perfectly straight nose, high cheekbones, full but masculine lips.

As she did, something foreign welled up in her.

Something like longing?

The thought stunned her, but not enough to take her out of the moment, enjoying the quiet peace and safety he brought.

No one had ever made her feel like this. Treasured and safe. Valuable.

She cuddled into her blankets, enjoying the soothing sound of his voice, and slowly drifted off into sleep, dreaming of dragon wings and far-off skies.