“Is everyone in consensus?” Lane asked, looking around the Council table. Her eyes rested on Raven, who seemed happy to look anywhere other than directly at Lane or Alec.

“Sure,” Landon grumbled. “But seriously, can this be the last meeting until the next full? You guys are cutting into my social life badly.”

“What social life?” Laurel snickered. “You’re married now.”

“Engaged!” Landon protested. “And we have a very healthy social life when Raven’s drama isn’t cutting into it.”

“My drama? This meeting is all Alec’s drama!” Raven bit back. Alec glowered at her, and the demon snapped her mouth shut.

“Okay, the motion is passed,” Lane said, slamming the gavel onto the table. “Go home. Alec, you can let Briar know we’ll set a date within a fortnight.” She paused and looked meaningfully at him. “I know this is all new to her, Alec, but she has to know that—”

“Lane, please!” he snapped. “I can’t force the issue.”

“I’m not suggesting you force it, but there are a different set of rules to adhere to once this happens. If she’s not ready to face the Council…” Lane trailed off, and Alec felt all eyes on him.

“I’ll talk to her again,” he promised, gritting his teeth. Lane smiled patiently at him.

“We know this is a process,” she told him, and Alec almost snorted. Not long ago, Lane was the one running from the Council in near hysterics, but he didn’t remind her of that. This wasn’t about Lane. It was about Briar. “Tell her we say hello,” the witch said pleasantly.

Alec exhaled a breath he hadn’t realized he was holding onto and nodded curtly. He was sure that Raven would have had something to say about the meeting, but she had gone out of her way to keep her mouth shut for once, a feat that Alec knew wasn’t easy for her.

He was the first person to exit the meeting. He didn’t feel like hanging around and talking to anyone, knowing that the Seven all had questions of their own for him. But before he could get far, Raven’s voice called out to him, freezing him in his tracks.

“She’s still afraid of me?”

Alec turned slowly and scowled at the demon. “What?”

“Is that why she’s not here for this? She’s still afraid of me?” Raven asked almost impatiently.

“Wouldn’t you be?” he retorted. “You and your batshit crazy husband.”

“You know the matter is done, don’t you?” Raven asked, looking exasperated. “We’re not coming after her again.”

“I know that,” Alec snapped back. “But she doesn’t.”

“She’s going to have to learn the way things are,” Raven told him, her tone softer than he’d ever heard it. “She can’t hide out forever, not if she chooses to do this. Not that she has much of a say anymore. You had to know that this was going to be the inevitable outcome. This or death, of course.”

He cringed at the word coming from the demon’s lips. He didn’t like being told anything by Raven, whom he considered solely responsible for Briar refusing to embrace who she was.

“I’ll pass it along,” Alec growled. “Thanks for the insight, doctor.” He turned away, but Raven called out to him again.

“Alec…”

“I really need to get back,” he told her shortly. “She’s waiting to hear how the Council voted on this.”

“I just wanted to say sorry for how things went. Those rings…”

“I know, Raven,” he sighed. “I know Alaric gave you those rings.”

Raven ducked her head, her jet-black strands falling over her face.

“Do you think he’d be happy with the world we created?” she asked quietly. “Or do you think he’s spinning in his grave right now?” Alec smiled wryly.

“A little from column A, a little from column B?” he guessed. He cast her a wary look. “I know you’re sorry,” he told her. “And I get it, but don’t be surprised if Briar never looks at you the way I do.”

Raven shrugged and turned away. “Well, Drake hates all of you, so I guess we’re even, then.”

Alec snickered, watching as she disappeared out of the exit doors. We’ll be okay, he thought. The Council always prevails.

“You know I have houses all over the United States, right?” Alec asked, sliding his arms around Briar’s waist. “We really don’t have to stay out here.”

“Why?” she asked, tilting her head back to grin at him. “It’s worked for you for how long now? Two hundred years?”

“Yes,” Alec agreed. “I like my house in the boonies, but that was before I had someone to share it with. We can certainly move somewhere more metropolitan.”

“I’ve had enough of living in the city,” Briar sighed, turning to face him fully, her eyes searching his face closely. “How did it go today?”

He grinned and nodded. “Exactly as we expected,” he replied, but to his surprise, her eyes clouded.

“Raven objected?”

“Oh,” Alec laughed. “No. Actually, she cornered me outside the meeting and apologized for everything. I know you don’t know Raven—”

“I know enough about Raven,” Briar interrupted, her face paling. “And forgive me if I don’t buy into her groveling.” Alec laughed.

“Yeah, groveling is something that will never happen with Raven. She seemed sincere, though…” He caught the dubious look on his lover’s face and shrugged. “Anyway,” he said. “She was on board. The entire Council is on board. Lane said she’ll be in touch with a date within a fortnight.”

Briar eyed him. “A what now?”

“Two weeks. She’ll have a date for the process within two weeks.” Briar turned back toward the sink, reaching for the soapy sponge to continue washing the dishes. “You know, Alicia is still on payroll,” Alec offered lightly. “And I don’t think she despises you as much. You don’t need to do the dishes.”

“It gives me something to do,” Briar replied without meeting his eyes. “My brother got sentenced today. Ten years. He’s a two-time loser, Alec. If he does anything stupid again, he’ll be in for life.”

“He won’t do anything stupid again,” Alec said, even though he had no faith in his own words. He knew guys like Colton. He was a career criminal. Someone could hand him a million dollars, and he’d squander it on booze and women and return to the life again in months.

“Sure he will,” Briar said dully. “He can’t help it. Our entire family is filled with losers.”

“No,” Alec replied. “Your family is rife with dragon blood. Somewhere along the way, your ancestors got complacent, but not you, Briar. You fought your entire life.”

“I wish Colton had, too.”

“Briar, we’ll help your brother when he gets out, but you must know that Colton made his own choices—selfish choices, which affected you. His number one concern has always been himself, and no matter how much you want him to change, you can’t force it.”

Briar lifted her eyes and stared at Alec. He caught the flash of guilt in her clear eyes.

“You know, when all this talk came up,” she muttered. “I thought that Colton was going to get a free pass out of everything he did.”

Alec’s eyes widened. “You mean you thought—”

“Yeah,” she laughed bitterly. “I thought that if I have dragon blood, he must, too, and if…” She inhaled sharply.

“Why didn’t you suggest it if you were thinking it?” Alec demanded. She smiled wanly.

“You’re going to think I’m a terrible person,” she said, and he could hear the anguish in her voice.

“I’m sure you’re wrong,” he replied. “Why don’t you try me?”

“Because I didn’t want him to have this,” she rushed out. “I didn’t want my brother to share the immortality with me. I didn’t want him to become a full dragon because he doesn’t deserve it.” Her face was stricken, and Alec caressed her face with his fingers in a way she had grown so familiar with over the past months.

“You’re right,” he told her softly. “He doesn’t deserve it, and the Council never would have agreed to change him.” Briar blinked at him.

“Really?” she gasped. “They wouldn’t have changed him if he’d asked?”

Alec shook his head. “Not a chance. They wouldn’t want someone with his character among us. We’re very discerning about matters like this.”

Briar stared at him skeptically. “I thought this didn’t happen often,” she countered, her eyes narrowing. “I thought I was the first case of dormant dragon blood in centuries.”

Alec chuckled. “You forget that centuries to you is a long time. For us, it’s barely a decade. It happens, and we have refused to change hybrids. It’s at the discretion of the Council. We would never have allowed Colton to be changed, so you have nothing to feel guilty about.”

Relief flooded Briar’s face, and she dropped her head against his chest.

“God, I wish I’d told you this before. I’ve been carrying this around with me for months!”

“That’s why you’re supposed to talk to me about what’s on your mind before you go crazy,” Alec teased her, stroking her hair. She pulled her head back and stared at him.

“So it’s really happening?” she murmured. “I’m going to become a dragon like you?”

“Well,” Alec laughed. “Not exactly like me. I’m going to be bigger and have more experience than you.” Her eyes shone with wonderment and slight fear.

“What does it feel like?” she whispered. “Will it hurt?”

He beamed at her. “I guess that’s something you’re going to have to teach me,” he replied. “Watching you transform will be an education to me, too. It’s been so long.”

“What will happen to me?” she asked. “I mean, I know we’ve talked about this at length, but…”

“You’ll be reborn into immortality. Lane will perform a ritual which will enable you to become a true, full-blooded dragon.”

“I’m afraid,” Briar admitted breathlessly.

“Don’t be,” Alec assured her. “As I’ve told you before—as long as you’re with me, you’re in the safest place you can be. And I’m not leaving your side, not ever.”

And as he looked down into her face, he could see that for the first time, she finally believed him.