Eve had wanted to stay and search for Rage. It was his energy that had given her the power to break through the wall of her cell.

She reached out to Rage on the psychic plane, hoping to connect with her brother, but there was nothing. It was as if he was gone.

Had she imagined it all?

With Cain in such bad shape she couldn’t delay getting him back to Bombay. She’d have to come back for Rage.

She helped Serena wrap her scarf around Cain.

Once Eve transformed to her dragon form, Serena managed to get Cain onto her back.

She held him close as Eve snapped out her wings in a vertical take-off. Her body strained and pushed back the air.

Her scales throbbed with the speed she set herself. Her muscles protested, her limbs trembled as she flew, but she refused to let up.

She covered the distance to Bombay in under half the normal time.

Coming into land on the beach just outside the infirmary in Bombay, she flattened her wings and waited for Serena to slide off.

Logan rushed toward them, helping to lower Cain.

Only then did she let the transformation take over. Her cells shrunk, her scales folding in on themselves, her neck sliding back until she was once more in human form. Panting from the effort, sweat running down her back, her legs gave out, and she fell to the sand.

Logan took off his shirt and wrapped it around her quivering shoulders.

She slid her hands into its sleeves, not daring to take her attention off the unconscious Cain. She couldn’t rest until she got him to the infirmary.

Drawing on her lingering energy reserves, she pushed herself to her feet.

Between her and Logan, they balanced his body between them. With Serena leading the way, they got him into the emergency room.

Eve stood in the background as Vance sprang to work. He checked the lion shifter’s vitals, stabilizing him.

All through this, Cain was still.

On the psychic plane, she reached out to find he was empty. Where his amber energy had pulsed there was silence, a white space, and leading from it was the mating bond. A cord of amber and violet that fed her dragon fire.

Her gut tied itself into knots with fear.

He’d reached out to her through the fledgling mating bond and poured his life force into her. It was the trigger she’d needed to break out of the emotional barriers she’d placed on herself, to embrace her dragon and fly.

Vance looked up from taping Cain’s ribs. His gaze narrowed. Gone was his characteristic, laid-back attitude. In its place was a coiled mass of muscle that vibrated with concentration.

Logan and Serena were also in the room.

Vance focused those piercing eyes of his on her, his legs planted wide. “He’s not healing.” His voice was accusing.

The strain in the room shot up.

A jumble of emotions twisted her gut. She schooled her features so as not to betray her fear.

“What happened out there?” Vance’s words lashed through the silence. “What have you done to him?”

Logan laid a hand on his shoulder. “Easy, man, she saved his life by flying him here.”

Vance didn’t take his gaze off Eve. “Who saved whose life, hmm?”

Serena strode across the floor. She slid her smaller body between Eve and Vance. “Hang on, Doc. No one’s keeping tabs here. We’ve all been through a lot; we worked as a team to get here.”

Vance’s jaw firmed.

Serena folded her elbows into her sides.

Eve sensed something unsaid between the doctor and Serena.

“That isn’t true, is it, Eve?” He addressed her, but his attention was on Serena. There was an edge to his voice.

The hair on the nape of her neck rose.

Across the room, Logan straightened. His brows were furrowed.

Serena shuffled her feet. “What’s he talking about?” She turned those big amber eyes on Eve.

Eyes so like Cain’s.

It shattered her.

The ball of emotion in her chest grew bigger until she couldn’t breathe. “Putain.” She clutched her fists at her sides.

She’d sworn like him again. He was part of her. The thought had her stomach lurching in fear. She turned on her heel and ran out, brushing past Lana who’d just entered.

Out of the infirmary, down the lawn, over the small wall separating the building from the beach and onto the sand.

Running to the waves, she dived in. Eve swam out until her limbs trembled and refused to cooperate. She turned on her back and floated, looking up at the skies which were white. The first rains had come and gone; this was the respite before the onset of the monsoon.

Lana had told her that it was unpredictable when the rains would arrive, and when they did, there would be days when the rain wouldn’t let up. It would be fierce, and the force of the wind would pick up, blowing away anything untethered. Like her. None of the challenges she’d faced so far had prepared her for what Cain had done. He had swept away all her defenses, all her reasons, her very identity of who she was and what she wanted.

She’d thought becoming alpha after her father was the reason for her existence. Then she’d met Cain. Even then she’d thought he couldn’t be her mate.

Cain hadn’t cared about any of that. He’d followed his heart. He’d accepted the mating bond and thrust his life force into her. He’d twined his energy with hers.

The bond had given her the surge of power needed to push through all the emotional barriers that had held her back from shifting. It was because of Cain that her dragon was alive. He’d made her fly again.

So far it was he who’d done the chasing.

He was dominant, and yet there was a part of him that was so unselfish and tender—he’d given the most important part of himself to her; he’d given her himself.

He’d poured his energy through the bond, accepting it, knowing it would likely cost him his life, yet he hadn’t stopped.

He’d given himself to her. But a part of her had held back from submerging all of herself with the bond. She hadn’t opened herself fully to him.

It’s why he was dying.

Her stomach cramped. Bile rushed up her throat.

She couldn’t lose him.

There could be no one else for her. Regardless of what this meant for the future, for her bloodline, she had to save him. He’d brought her dragon to life.

She couldn’t live without him.

Never before had a dragon shifter mated with another shifter species, and for the mate to have survived.

If Cain died, so did she. She’d already become his, so why was she holding back?

A strange peace came over her. This was right.

She swam back to shore to find Lana waiting for her.

Sliding into the pants and T-shirt the girl handed over to her, Eve then pulled on her boots.

“Thanks.” She hugged the girl who reminded her so much of her younger sister, Indira.

They walked back in silence.

At the door to the room where Vance was treating Cain, Lana kissed her on the cheek. “Good luck, Alpha. Just show him how much he means to you.” She turned and left.

Eve paused on the threshold. Sometimes the young could see things with such clarity.

Inside the room, she stood next to Cain’s bed. His ribs were taped, the rest of his chest was bare. His sculpted abs rose and fell. The sheet was drawn up to his waist, his hands on either side, his fingers slack.

His face was pale, cheekbones stark against his skin. It was as if he’d lost weight in the last few hours. There were dark circles under his eyes.

He seemed vulnerable.

Nothing like the strong, dominant man he was.

Her chest grew cold. She jammed her hands into her armpits. She was not going to lose him.

Vance stalked her from the other side of the bed. He crossed his arms tightly over his chest.

She reached for Cain’s hand.

Vance took a step forward, his arm raised, palm up.

“I am not going to hurt him.” She met his gaze.

His jaw hardened. He clearly didn’t trust her.

Not that she blamed him. She’d do the same if this was her friend lying unconscious and unable to heal himself.

“I need a little time with him.” She swallowed. “Alone.”

Logan walked to Vance and laid a hand on his shoulder. The vampire straightened. Shrugging off Logan’s hand, he stalked to the door.

Her stomach rolled. Her legs felt weak. She wasn’t going to faint, not then.

“Don’t mind him.” Logan paused on his way to the door. “I know you are going to do the right thing, Eve. Cain is going to be okay.”

He had more confidence in her than she had in herself.

“I’ll keep the doc occupied outside and buy you some time.” The door closed behind him with a soft snick.

She turned back to the man who lay on the bed. She clutched his hand. His skin felt cold, so unlike the strong, vital man who was her mate.

Sinking into the chair next to him, she rested her forehead against their joined palms.