Vesta’s psychic energy smashed through and fragmented his lion’s secondary shield.

The physical impact had his body flying through the air. Cain’s lion crashed into the wall. His ribs cracked, his teeth snapped together, his body shuddered.

Pushing against the wall for purchase, Cain shook his head to clear it.

The lion bared his teeth, pushing aside the pain.

Nostrils quivering, jaws wide, he let out a roar. Thrusting his legs into the ground, the lion sprang to his feet.

Pain cut through him, the blood dripping from his wounds. His head felt like it was going to explode.

He wasn’t going to last much longer.

But he was going to take the Elysian down with him.

Paws flattened onto the floor as he lashed, his tail muscles coiled, ready to leap.

The door flew open, and Eve burst through.

Rolling to the ground, she then vaulted to her feet. Her eyes met the lion’s across the room.

On the psychic plane her dragon reached for the beast through the fledgling mating bond.

Before he could stop his lion, his amber energy surged through the bond, twining with her violet.

The mating bond slammed into him. He was overcome with a feeling of it being just so right.

It filled parts of him he hadn’t even known were empty.

Their joined violet-amber essence mixed with his blood. On the psychic plane, Vesta’s oily darkness rushed toward the joined-up energy.

Eve.

His fear must have communicated itself to her, for their combined mated energy drew right back through the mating bond and into the pulsing violet energy that was Eve’s dragon.

A shudder of transformation jolted Eve.

The air around her shimmered, sparks of gold and violet and red flying through the air. When it cleared, there stood the most beautiful dragon Cain had ever seen. Wings of violet touched with brilliant blue snapped out.

With a screech, his dragoness raised her neck. Smoke poured from the dragon. Opening her jaws, she let loose a stream of dragon fire.

The scent of burning flesh filled the air.

A cry of pain from Vesta echoed around the room. Her energy burned itself out on the psychic plane, consumed by the dragon fire.

Tibor threw himself at Vesta, taking her flaming body down and rolling with her. They slid across the floor. Before they hit the wall, the air around their bodies shimmered, becoming transparent.

They teleported away.

The alpha of the dragons raised her neck and expanded her wings. The span was wide enough to shove against the walls, which cracked and then shattered as the dragon spread her wings to their full length.

The breeze rushed in, pushing away the metallic stench of the Elysians.

Cain took in a shuddering breath of the cool sea air, realizing only then how much that scent had bothered him.

His body trembled, a weakness gripping him.

It felt like all the energy from his body had drained out. When he looked inside himself onto the psychic plane, it was to see the mating bond strong and glowing violet-gold. The energy from his body headed toward the bond, sucked into it and to Eve.

His cells changed shape, his paws drew back, and his mane turned into his hair. Glancing down at his hands, Cain realized he’d transformed back into his human self.

The energy from the bond that had helped Eve transform had replenished his shattered psychic shield around the lion. He was whole again.

For a second, he was just happy to be there with her, to have seen what they could have been together.

He got to his feet, only to find his knees couldn’t hold him up. A trembling gripped his limbs, and he fell back to the floor. “Eve.”

The dragon screeched.

Violet and blue flames swirled over her. The air shimmered, and she drew her wings close to her body.

The dragon surged toward him, its scales fading away, the neck shrinking, legs shortening, until Eve rushed to him in her human form.

Dropping to her knees, she pulled his head into her lap. “No.” Tears fell down her cheeks and onto his lips.

He licked them. “Sweet.” He blinked. Surprise shuddered a path through the strange darkness that was creeping in on him. “Dragon tears are sweet.”

The sound of footsteps echoed around the space, and Serena ran in. “Cain.” She gripped his hand.

She’s safe. Serena was away from harm.

His lips curved in a smile.

A sense of peace filled him as the tension drained out of his muscles.

Eve pulled him closer, kissing his forehead, his cheeks, his lips. “Don’t leave me, don’t you dare die on me.” Her lips wobbled.

Her breath stirred the hair on his head.

The pain receded, and his limbs grew light.

He raised a hand to her face, only for it to slide down to his side. It felt like he was floating.

His eyelids fluttered shut.