Wesley paced the floor of the Music Room, carefully weaving in and out amongst the various instruments strewn throughout the spacious room.

“What’s taking so long?” he demanded angrily. “I can’t hear anything through these soundproof walls,” he ranted. “I’m worried about her,” he confessed a bit more softly.

Lance looked up from where he sat at the piano and offered his brother a small smile.

“Patience big brother, it isn’t everyday a person has to chose between one life and another. Her entire life has been muted with the darkest blinders. She’s finally had them removed, can you imagine the culture shock she’s going through?” he asked and went back to tinkering with the keys.

Wesley scowled at Lance and his logic. At least he hadn’t commented on Wesley’s admission. He’d been smitten from the moment he’d first laid eyes on her, but the more time they spent together and the more he learned about her, he couldn’t help but fall hard.

She was smart, brave, kind and the strongest woman he’d ever met. She’d endured a hellish childhood and chalked it up to remaining loyal to her core beliefs. He couldn’t think of many who would do such a thing anymore.

He also couldn’t believe the Henderson family was only one among an entire community who’d refused to convert to Modernism. A vast number of his Faction still upheld and practiced the Ancient Ways. He couldn’t believe his father hadn’t known about this.

Lance’s cellphone rang, the trill interrupting Wesley’s inner turmoil. He sighed heavily and moved over to the large windows facing the back yard of the formal estate. He marveled at the grass and shrubbery covering the little oasis and wondered how his brother had managed to keep the greenery thriving in such a harsh, relentless environment.

“Wesley,” Lance called and he whirled when he noted the panicky tone in his brother’s voice. “You need to take this, it’s begun,” Lance said and shoved the phone into his brother’s hand. “We’ve yet to officially announce your return so everyone still thinks I’m your Proxy,” he explained and jerked his chin at the phone.

Wesley nodded in understanding.

“Yes, this is Prince Wesley Anderson,” he greeted the caller.

“Good to hear your voice again, old friend,” Jaxen Monroe, Prince of the Earth Elementals spoke on the other end. “I’m afraid I’m not calling with good news. As I’ve just explained to your brother, my estate is under attack. I’ve been told it’s the Rebels and the attacks are coordinated across the globe. You may want to get yourself and your Faction to safety.”

Wesley’s blood froze in his veins.

“Then what the hell are you doing making a phone call?” Wesley barked. “Get your ass out of there!”

“My guard has everything under control for the moment,” Jaxen responded and the line crackled with interference. “Since my mate is with child, I’ve already sent her to a safe house. I’ve already notified Axel and Damien so they’re prepared, I gotta go my friend, stay safe.”

Wesley pulled the phone away from his ear and immediately went into soldier mode. Tossing the device back to his brother, he began barking orders.

“Get Lieutenant Samuels on the phone, I need SIN in action yesterday!” he exclaimed and stalked toward the open doorway. “I need to get Beth and her parents to safety,” he called over his shoulder. “Once you do that, get your ass underground.”

Casting a quick glance back at his brother, he scowled when he noticed Lance directly on his heels. Taken aback by his brother’s quick metamorphosis from jovial to stern leader, he raised an eyebrow as Lance relayed a situation report to Lt. Samuels. Without noticing that his brother had paused in the hallway, Lance colliding with him.

“I’m not going anywhere,” Lance protested and shoved the phone back into his pocket. “I’m right beside you no matter what,” he declared and pulled himself to his full height.

Seeing his brother’s steely resolve, Wesley nodded once and approached the Library door. He grabbed the knob and scowled when he found the door locked. Raising his fisted hand, he beat on the solid wood.

“Beth,” he called. “I need you and your parents to come out here, we have a situation.” He kept his voice calm not wanting to panic her or the Hendersons.

The door swung open and Wesley found himself facing the business end of a .40 cal handgun. Jeremy Henderson smirked at him and jacked the slide, putting a round in the chamber.

“One more step and I’ll kill your brother,” Jeremy warned and swiveled to aim the weapon at Lance’s chest.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” Wesley growled as fresh lava burst to life inside of him. He felt the raging inferno explode in the pit of his stomach and jet into his bloodstream. His fingernails elongated into viciously curved talons and teeth morphed into lethal fangs.

“I’ve set a centuries old plan into motion,” Jeremy bragged with a sneer. “Elder Coffer’s little kidnapping incident was merely a diversion.”

Wesley glared past Jeremy to see Beth sitting in front of the fireplace with her hands bound and a gag across her mouth. His vision went red with rage. Suddenly it all made sense. The betrothal, the reason they’d never converted, the secret society in Texas. It was all part of a coup and Beth had been the pawn.

“Let her go and I’ll consider letting you leave in one piece,” Wesley offered, his voice already guttural with the oncoming shift. Every fiber of his being wanted to rip the snide asshole to shreds. The only thing that kept him from it was the stark fear in Beth and Emily’s eyes. He couldn’t kill her father in front of her.

“You arrogant pretender,” Jeremy scoffed. “You act as if you actually have a chance.” The older man laughed. Wesley took a step forward only to freeze when an explosion rocked the entire estate.

“Ah, seems my backup has arrived,” Jeremy bragged and motioned Emily to his side. “Bring Beth,” he reminded his wife. She dipped her head and took Beth’s bound hands, hauling her daughter to her feet and moved to her husband.

“She’s not going with you,” Wesley snarled and ripped his shirt over his head. Throwing his head back, he opened his growing maw and roared so loudly the ceiling cracked down the center. Jeremy’s eyes widened in horror as he watched the horrific transformation.

Instead of a calm, peaceful shifting, Wesley’s skin exploded from his body, his bones crunching and snapping as his human body morphed into his Dragon. Red hot scales burst from underneath the sinewy muscle and Wesley embraced the pain. He used it to fuel him.

His eyesight shifted from three-dimension to all-encompassing. He saw heat, energy and particles no human could without special equipment. With one hard whip of his head, he knocked Jeremy aside and advanced on Beth and Emily. The latter shrieked in terror and released Beth in order to scurry toward her unconscious husband.

A loud crash from downstairs prompted Wesley to whirl in the direction of the stairs. He was pleased to see his brother had also shifted and was currently headed toward the railing. In one fluid motion, small bat-like wings burst from Lance’s back and he glided over the balcony down into the foyer.

Gunshots and human wails rang out in tune with Lance’s roar and snarls.

“What do we do now?” Beth’s sweet voice rang out below him. Titling his head down, Wesley lowered his head until they were eye-to-eye. He couldn’t shift back and protect her at the same time and he couldn’t communicate with her in Dragon form. They needed to complete the mating ritual now or he risked losing her. Yet, he didn’t want to force himself on her if she didn’t want him.

Throwing his head back, he roared in pain and anguish. He simply didn’t have the energy to shift to human and back to Dragon.

The air grew heavy and rippled around him and suddenly he found himself being thrown across the hallway, his large scaly body colliding with the piano Lance had been playing only minutes ago. He clambered back to his feet and snarled angrily. However, time itself ceased to exist when he gazed at the bronze Dragon Goddess before him.

Almond curved, emerald green eyes, framed in thick, black lashes stared back at him. If he thought she was beautiful in Human form, there simply wasn’t a word to describe her Dragon. She wasn’t as large as him, but she was bigger than the average female Dragon.

Her golden scales held a ruby incandescence when she turned and the light reflected off them. She advanced on him like a predator on prey and for a brief moment he thought she’d betrayed him too. But instead of attacking him, she wrapped her large tail around his middle and sank her fangs into the one penetrable place on a Dragon’s neck, just below the jawline.

She growled low in her throat and he took that as invitation to complete his part. Using his large arms, he pulled her into an embrace and mimicked her actions. As they drank from one another, a bond as old as time was born. He felt her blood rushing across his tongue, coating his throat and sinking into his own bloodstream. Within moments, he felt as though she, herself, had crawled into his body and claimed him as hers.

“I wasn’t sure you wanted this,” Wesley murmured gently through their mental connection. “I know all this is difficult for you, I love you but I refuse to force you into something you didn’t want.”

“I want you,” Beth responded timidly. “I want us - this connection - forever. I understand the barbarism of the Ancient Ways and want you to teach me everything about Modernism,” she explained. “But right now, we have more pressing things to do.”