Alexis’ head was a jumble of mismatched thoughts and confusion as the two men gave themselves enough room to transform. She felt tears welling up in her eyes and she had to fight hard to keep them down as she, Grear, Icarus and Cassidy watched on as the two Calder brothers turned into their dragon forms.

It was a magnificent sight, momentarily distracting Alexis from the nervous energy threatening to suffocate her.

You knew this all along, she reminded herself. Just a deal, just something that had to be done.

So why did it hurt so much when Galen hadn’t said anything in their defense?

When the dark bodies of the two giant dragons took flight, a gust of wind whipped hair into Alexis’ face and she brushed it aside, noticing that her hands were trembling. The dragons seemed to suck light into themselves in the dark night sky and as they rose to great heights, it was only the brightness of the full moon that allowed her to see them at all.

Her breath caught as she saw the first plume of dragonfire rocketing across the sky, as bright as the moon, licking at the sides of Galen. She couldn’t be sure how she knew, but she could tell the two dragons apart easily. Her heart was certain which was Galen, and which Georg.

Though a very loud voice in her head was telling her to just run, go now and remove herself from the situation, her feet were unrelenting. She needed to stay, for him. Even if this whole thing was a sham, as she always knew. She just hadn’t been prepared for the fact that it might hurt.

The dragons swooped at one another, clashing in the air in a tumble of wings and scales and dragonfire. Cassidy gasped and then giggled, clapping her hands together as Galen bit down violently on Georg’s wing and the hoarse roar of a dragon wounded rattled the skies. Alexis felt nothing but contempt for the woman. While she had no lost love for Georg, she still hated that either of the men had to get hurt to prove who was more worthy.

The dragons backed away from one another, looping slightly lower as Georg fought to deal with his injured wing. Alexis could see smoke rising from Galen’s body, probably from burns of the dragonfire hitting the delicate ends of his wings.

The men went for one another again, teeth bared, powerful bodies seeking to hurt and destroy. She could barely watch, but at the same time, she couldn’t look away.

“Those two fools,” Icarus growled by her side. “They’ll leave nothing but ashes in their wake at this rate.”

Alexis bit her lower lip, watching the dragons roll lower toward the ground again, ripping and shredding at one another, violent and enraged. A stark, acrid smell seemed to permeate the air and Alexis caught hints of smoke and blood in the scent, only adding to her worry.

I don’t want him to get hurt, she thought, miserable.

They were equally matched, with slight favor to Georg, as he was larger. Each attack resulted in wounds, deep slashes and cuts. Each flyby brought roars and dragonfire, scorching and destroying flesh in its wake.

Alexis shuddered, terrified for Galen. The last two weeks had been a whirlwind of adventure and excitement. And sex, truth be told. But it wasn’t their physical connection that had made her stay. Several times, she had thought to call it quits and simply give in, but being with someone like Galen, someone so determined to do the right thing and to persevere, had shown her that she had to go for what she wanted, too.

She’d tried to fight it, but the feelings had come of their own volition. She felt deeply for him. She loved when Galen laughed, and she wanted to share in his troubles. She wanted to make him happy, because he made her happy. It was a feeling she’d almost forgotten, something only hinted at sometimes when she felt a whiff of it at work after discovering something particularly exciting.

He’d been teaching her to be herself again, even if it sounded ludicrous for a relationship that had barely lasted a couple of weeks and was built on a mutual agreement. The realization that it might all end if Georg won didn’t bring with it the emotions she expected. Though the possibility of losing the Knossos horrified her, what was far worse was that she would no longer be with Galen.

She didn’t care about his wealth or his position. What she wanted was him. But if he didn’t become Alpha, he wouldn’t need a bride. And that meant he wouldn’t need her.

Pressing her lips together, Alexis knew how silly it sounded. She wouldn’t want to be with someone who was with her only to win at something, but it still broke her heart to know that her time with Galen would have to end. Without thinking about it, her hand clamped around the pendant he had given her, emanating heat as it sat on her chest.

I… I think I love him, she thought, the pit of her stomach feeling awful hollow all of a sudden.

Up above her, Alexis watched in shock as Galen seemed to lose his focus for a moment, stopping mid-fight. He stared down at her, intense gold eyes seeming to bore into her. The grip she had on the pendant got that much tighter.

Alexis… his voice echoed in her mind, nearly flooring her. I love you too.

Alexis’ mouth gaped open, her eyes wide as she watched Galen swoop at Georg now, needling his body into a fine, tight bullet. Her hold on the pendant faltered, her mind skipping a beat, trying to understand how he could hear her, but that wasn’t the most important thing for the time being.

In a hurricane of horrific teeth and fire and claws, she watched as the Calder brothers, both bloodied and wounded, smashed into each other. They tumbled down toward the ground, no control over their descent as Galen kept a firm grip on Georg, not allowing the other dragon to right himself.

Even Cassidy gasped as the dragons came so low to the ground that they blocked out the moon, casting a giant shadow on the people below. Icarus grabbed Alexis by the shoulders and shoved her out of the way just in time as a sickening thud hit the ground, throwing up dirt and flowers ripped from the ground. They all fell backward, losing their footing, but Icarus and Grear were up in a second, pulling the women up as well.

“Galen!” Alexis screamed, tears wetting her cheeks. “Galen!”

The dust settled quickly on account of powerful wings beating it away. One dragon remained in the sky, hovering low, as another lay collapsed.

Her heart leapt as she recognized the battered form of Galen, still in the sky.

Before she could think about it, she was running toward him.