The group of males sat in stunned silence for a few moments. Or maybe they were waiting to see if Meghan was going to say anything more. When she didn’t, the whole room erupted and everyone spoke at once. The only males not shouting some or other question at Meghan was him, Torrent and Blaze. Everyone else was yelling, growling, or shouting.

Coal was on his feet. “Silence. Silence!” he commanded, his voice drowned out by the madness. Okay, so Coal was yelling, but not questions like the others.

Blaze slapped his hand on the table. Every glass vibrated. One of them even fell over, smashing and spilling its contents. “Quiet!” He looked around the table. Everyone calmed. Those standing sat back down. The feeling of stress still reverberated around the room.

“I realize that this is a lot to take in. An amalgamation of the four species?” Blaze shook his head, he looked at Meghan.

“Yes.” She nodded. “In essence, the human-dragon shifter offspring are a completely new species,” she went on.

“What?” Thunder barked, jumping to his feet. “I’m not sure I understand what it is you are saying.”

“Sit down,” Blaze said, still completely calm. He paused until Thunder obeyed. The male still scowled heavily. “You heard the healer. She explained things very clearly. Young born of a human-dragon mating all have the same DNA. They are, in essence, the same. It does not matter if the father is Earth, Water, Air or even Fire.”

“That can’t be.” Thunder was frowning darkly.

Granite looked deep in thought. "Interesting." He rubbed his chin. "What are the implications? I mean," he paused, "will they all be the same in their abilities?" Tide knew precisely why Granite had asked the question. He wanted to know more about his own son's ability to breathe fire. Tide wondered if the male would come clean. Torrent had urged him to do so.

“I don’t know. Not at this stage,” Meghan answered.

“Would you be able to research and find out?” Blaze asked.

“I’m not sure. It could take months. I’d need to ascertain the mitochondrial inheritance pattern. Find that specific DNA sequence. In short, I’d have to dig much deeper. These things start to get very involved when we have to isolate specific … it’s complicated.”

“Is it possible though?” Blaze asked.

“Yes, but my main reason for being here is to find a cure for your silver allergy. I’m here to develop a vaccination. That would need to be my key focus.” Tide loved how she stood her ground, even against a male like Blaze. The Fire king was powerful and dominant. Even a human would pick up on that and yet she didn’t flinch under his gaze.

“There is something I need to … mention,” Granite said.

Here we go. Tide exchanged a look with Torrent, who sucked in a deep breath. Meghan sat at the head of the table. There were four males between himself and the healer. He didn’t like it. Hadn’t liked it when he’d been instructed to sit there earlier. Truth be told, he hadn’t expected the Earth king to come clean.

“Something happened,” Granite went on, “something that I need to disclose.”

Blaze shook his head. “This is not the forum—”

“Actually,” Granite swallowed thickly, “it is. My son, my second born, Quake … it happened the other day. He was upset, crying and it just … happened.” He paused. They had agreed that Granite was not going to mention anyone else having been witness to the event.

“What happened? Why is it pertinent?”

Granite huffed out a breath. “It’s very pertinent. Our children are a new species. They are unique. It stands to reason that we do not know what to expect. It was a shock when flames shot from his mouth.”

Thunder shot to his feet. “You must have been mistaken!” he yelled.

Blaze frowned deeply. He shook his head. “That cannot be,” he said, almost to himself.

“I know what I saw. My mate saw it too. There can be no mistake, Quake can breathe fire. He has done it again since.”

Tide’s gaze shot to Torrent who shrugged. His brother hadn’t known about the new development.

“His chest has flecks of gold within the mark,” Granite continued. “At first it was just an outline and then there were golden flecks. They appeared after he breathed fire for the second time.”

“What of Declan?” Blaze asked. “Has he too breathed fire?”

“No, his markings are still just an outline and there has been nothing out of the ordinary.”

Blaze was taking this well. He looked calm and together. “Have you seen anything out of the ordinary, Thunder?”

“No.” The male shook his head. “Nothing! My son’s markings are but an outline.”

“What of your son, Blaze?” Torrent asked. “Any sign of anything untoward?”

Tide held his breath.

“No!” Blaze raged, his fists clenched. Oh shit! Here we go. “And before you ask, Coal’s son has not exhibited any strange abilities either.” He looked like he wanted to say something and then thought the better of it. “I think that this needs to be explored, Doctor Roberts.” He turned to her, eyes blazing. “Shall we bring a second geneticist on board or will you be able to tackle both projects?”

“I will do my best, but I need to warn you all that it could take time.”

Blaze nodded. “You will let us know if you need more staff?”

“Yes, certainly. I understand the reluctance to employ more outsiders. I will do my best with the time I have.”

Tide breathed out, feeling some of the tension drain. Again he marveled at how well Meghan had handled herself.

The Fire king looked calm again. “I appreciate that,” Blaze said. “In the meanwhile I need you all to report any incidences. Do so immediately.” He looked from one male to the next. “One more thing. There was a child born to one of my warriors. The boy is a result of a human-dragon pairing.”

“What?” Torrent asked, eyes narrowed. “Why were we not told of this?”

“The child has the same marking as the royal young ‒ there is no silver to speak of. He should probably be tested—”

“We should have been told!” Thunder roared, slamming his fist onto the table, which made a cracking noise. “It was my understanding that there were only royal children born of human matings. What is this?” he added with a snarl.

Tide looked at Meghan who had sunk back in her chair. He wanted to jump to his feet, to go into protection mode and shield her with his body, but he was afraid that one move could provoke violence. The peppery scent of anger was strong around the room. It was that and adrenaline with a good dose of testosterone. A potentially disastrous concoction.

“I chose not to disclose—”

“That wasn’t your decision to make!” Thunder shouted, his focus on Blaze.

“I am the fucking leader, I—”

“I am also a king. Yes, we follow you and yes, you ultimately rule but there needs to be honesty and respect or it won’t work. Not telling us—”

“Was a decision I made and one I stand by,” Blaze’s voice was raised. “It was not pertinent at the time.” His neck muscles roped.

"Not fucking pertinent? Fuck!" Thunder roared, smashing the table a second time. The crack evident at this point. One more blow and the entire thing would break up into pieces. As it stood, every glass was smashed, the various contents spilled over the gleaming wood, dripping on the floor below.

“Do not forget that the human female is still in attendance.” Tide held up a hand. “Please, can everyone calm down?” This was getting more and more out of hand by the second. Tide rose to his feet. He gestured for Meghan to do the same. Her eyes were wide, her face pale. She might not have his senses but she could feel the brewing violence. She nodded once, doing as he said and doing it slowly and carefully.

Thunder narrowed his eyes. “This new breed of lessers and royals are indistinguishable. That’s what you’re saying, right?”

“All except for Granite’s second-born.” Blaze was frowning deeply, his eyes bright. Too fucking bright for his liking. Tide carefully made his way to Meghan, putting an arm around the female. He eased her behind him, stepping away from the table and towards the door.

“Does that mean that Granite’s second-born will rule all of the kingdoms then? Since fire breathers are the ones in control.” Thunder hadn’t just said that. "Because it seems to me that whoever can breathe fire wins." The male wasn't thinking before opening his trap.

“It means …” Blaze said, his voice too deep, his muscles flexed. This was bad. “You need to shut the fuck up. The healer will do her job. We will soon know exactly where we stand. All of us. We’ll soon have a greater understanding of the situation and will be in a better position to make decisions.” Although Blaze’s voice had returned to calm, a tendril of smoke wafted from his right nostril.

“You mean you will?” Thunder muttered.

“Hold your tongue.” Blaze pointed at Thunder. “Or you will lose it!”

“I won’t keep quiet!” the normally easygoing Thunder roared. “You mean you will know where you stand. The rest of us—”

“I already know where I stand.” Blaze vibrated with anger. His eyes glowing, his teeth sharp.

Thunder smiled. There was no humor there. “Your son on the other hand …”

Tide turned and covered the human with his body, pulling her to him and enclosing his arms around her.

* * *

Hot.

White hot.

She screamed, squeezing her eyes shut and burying her face in Tide’s chest. He roared, his whole body seemed to turn to stone. More roars and screams came from behind them. She smelled burning. Smoke filled the room, filling her lungs. Tide was moving though, dragging her. No, carrying her. Still shielding her body with his. The door was slamming shut and he was picking her up, carrying her. Running now. His face a mask of determination. His forehead dripped with sweat.

“Tide, we’re okay now. You can stop.” She coughed, her lungs still affected by the smoke she’d inhaled.

He shook his head, running faster. They burst through the double doors and out into the sunshine.

“Stand,” he growled, setting her on her feet and stepping away. He shrieked as he changed. It was a terrible sound. Like he was in pain. But he looked fine.

Before she could think about it, he was scooping her up and flying for home. Going so fast that she felt nauseated. Her hair whipped about her face, stinging her. She moaned.

Her fur coat was still in the conference hall, as was her bag and the rest of her things. Then again. They were probably burned. There had been so much smoke. So much chaos. She’d never seen that kind of anger before. Blaze’s eyes were terrifying. There had been scales showing on one of his arms and across that side of his chest. The other king, Thunder, had been just as angry. Blaze had blown fire. She hadn’t seen it happen but she knew that it had. Thunder must be gravely injured along with the others. She took stock of herself. Nothing hurt. She hadn’t so much as broken a nail. Tide had kept her safe.

Meghan shivered, her teeth clattered together. Her eyes tightly shut against the wind. Tide made another shrieking noise. It didn’t sound right. She cracked an eyelid. Was that the lair up ahead?

Then he was dropping. Meghan screamed. They fell a few feet before Tide’s great wings flapped again. Harder and yet they weren’t gaining much ground. They were slowing. He roared, his grip on her slipping. Meghan grasped his claws tighter. “Take us down!” she shouted, not sure if he heard her. “Are you hurt?” she screamed, feeling like an idiot for asking. Of course he must be.

They inched towards the lair. The few hundred feet felt like thousands. He nearly dropped her a couple more times. By the time they made it to one of the balconies ‒ it wasn’t the usual one, this one was much smaller, but closer and not as high up as the main balcony ‒ by the time they made it there, her arms were shaking from holding on. Tide dropped her from about eight or ten feet. She landed hard, falling onto her knees and scraping them. Tide crashed on the ground beside her, he rolled once, smashing into the glass, which cracked. Thankfully it didn’t actually break but a zig-zag pattern formed along the middle.

“Tide!” Bruised and scraped up, Meghan jumped to her feet and ran over to the giant beast. The dragon that was Tide was breathing heavily, his eyes closed.

“Oh my god.” She covered her mouth. His back was a raw open wound of singed scales and flesh. His wings were perfect, as was the front side of him. “What should I do?” She needed to get help. She needed to get him to an emergency room or clinic. She needed medical supplies.

He opened his eyes. Pale blue and slitted, blinking a few times. He breathed in deeply and then exhaled. Breathed in again, seeming to hold it in his lungs and gave a shake of his massive head. Then he changed, folding in on himself. It was slow and cumbersome. The seconds ticked by, Tide stayed in mid-shift. He groaned, shifting some more. His jaw was too long, he still had a partial tail and scales. His hands were still curled into claws. Only they were smaller. With a loud shriek that hurt her ears, he shifted completely, lying in a heap on the stone floor.

His chest rose and fell quickly. His breathing came in loud pants. Sweat covered his body in a sheen. She knew he needed a few moments to recover. The shift had been hard on him. He lay on his side, so she moved around him to get a better look at his back.

Meghan swallowed thickly. His hair at the back was singed. His upper back, a black charred mess. “Oh no,” she whispered, her heart racing. She felt her eyes prick with tears but sucked them back. She couldn’t fall apart. She needed to stay strong for Tide.

“Is it that bad?” His voice sounded surprisingly normal.

"Um …" She cleared her throat. "You have first degree burns covering two-thirds of your back." She couldn't lie to him.

“I’m a dragon.” His voice was a deep rasp. “Help me up.”

“You shouldn’t move. Let me fetch help.” She blinked again.

“No need.”

“Don’t be stubborn. You’ve sustained major injuries and need—”

“What I need are a few hours to heal and maybe a glass of water.”

“Water?” She burst out laughing. It sounded a tad hysterical. “Look, I had to study to be a physician before I majored in genetics. I did my residency at our local hospital and I’ve—”

“I’m a shifter, doc. I have advanced healing capabilities. You can keep your degree. I don’t need it.” Tide turned onto his stomach in a surprisingly graceful move. He sucked in a deep breath and then pushed himself up. It took effort, his muscles strained. Tide grit his teeth, his face a mask of pain.

“Wait.” She gripped his upper arms. Tide held onto her, he looked out of it. “Let me call someone.”

“No,” he groaned. “Need to keep you safe,” he muttered.

“I’m fine. It’s you I’m worried about.”

He grunted as he got to his knees.

“Hold on,” she instructed. “Let me stand and I’ll help you up.” She got to her feet and took hold of his biceps, which were almost too big to grasp with her hands. Stubborn, stubborn shifter. He needed his head examined, followed by his back.

“I just need a little leverage.” He grunted again, louder this time, lifting one leg to stand on his foot. He gripped her hips and pulled. So did she.

Meghan nearly fell over but somehow they managed to get him on his feet. Tide swayed, his eyelids at half-mast. She grabbed him by the hips. Tide held her shoulders and swayed again, almost pulling them over. He was breathing heavily again. “Damn, Blaze,” he muttered.

“Yeah, I can’t believe he did that.”

Tide chuckled. “Emotions.” He shook his head, looking a little drunk.

“Let’s get you inside.”

They slowly shuffle-walked until they made it to the door. Tide leaned against the glass that made up the wall, while she opened the door. They shuffled inside and Meghan shut the door with her foot. Then they continued over to the large bed situated in the middle of the room. It was unmade. There were signs that the apartment was occupied. A towel thrown over a chair and a pair of cotton pants on the floor in the bathroom, which was open.

“It’s mine,” he said, almost too softly for her to understand.

“Sorry?” she looked at him.

It took a second or two for his eyes to focus on her. “My chamber.” It took a lot of effort to say the words.

“Oh … oh, I see.” She nodded. “Let’s get you to bed.”

Tide chuckled, his laugh turned into a fit of coughing. He leaned into her, burying his face in her shoulder, swaying a little.

“Are you okay?”

He nodded. “Just wish I was stronger, since you’re taking me to bed that is.” He chuckled again. Flip, he was acting like he was completely out of it. Definitely not thinking straight.

Tide fell onto the bed as they reached it. All sprawled out, his body on the mattress and his legs hanging off of it. He spent a long minute catching his breath before pulling himself up so that his head was on a pillow.

His back looked really bad. “I need to find you help. Medication—”

“No,” he growled the word. “Water … thirsty.”

"I'm not arguing with you," she spoke over her shoulder as she walked to the kitchenette. "I'll bring you a water." She rummaged in his fridge, snagging a bottle of water and made her way back. "Once you've had a drink, I'm finding you painkillers and—"

“I don’t need it.” He lifted himself onto his elbows.

Meghan uncapped the water and held the bottle to his mouth. Tide drank deeply, his throat working with each swallow. Broken, burnt and weak, he still somehow managed to make the act of taking a simple drink look sexy. How was that possible? She felt bad for even noticing.

Careful not to touch his injured back, she put the bottle down where he could reach it, leaving the cap off. Against the stark white of the sheets, his flesh looked worse. Raw, charred. Just horrible. She tried not to react, not wanting to scare him. “I’ll be back within the next ten minutes. I’ll get help and a first aid kit. I saw one in—” She screamed when he grabbed her wrist and yanked her not only onto the bed, but right next to him.

Then he gripped her hip and flipped her around. He was still so strong despite his injuries. "No." A whisper. "Stay here." He wrapped his arm around her and pulled her against him. Right up close. Her back flush against his front. His very naked front. "Few hours." His words were slurred. "Safe." Then his breathing deepened, telling her that he was falling asleep. She expected his hold on her to ease as he sank deeper and deeper, but that didn't happen.

Great, he was gravely injured and wouldn’t let her leave to get help. Tide was not human, so she couldn’t think in human terms. He was going to heal up. Hopefully! A couple of hours though? That seemed just a little too optimistic.

What if his wounds became infected? With first degree burns like that, he might even go into shock. Her heart began to race but she forced herself to breathe slower. To calm down. She needed to find help, one of those dragon healers. What if he slowly became worse instead of better?

Damn. The stubborn idiot needed help. She tried to pry his arm off her but he was holding on too darned tight. Meghan attempted to slip out from his hold but he held her even tighter, muttering in his sleep. Then he hooked a thigh around her legs, completely trapping her.

Shit.

He was heavy. She was stuck. Unable to move a muscle. Okay, she could wiggle her toes but that was pretty much it. At least he was warm. Very warm. Too warm? Her heart raced again. What if he was running a fever?

Calm down! Stop it! There was nothing she could do. Not a thing. He had said he needed time and that he was going to be fine. She only prayed he was right.