“And now, a waltz for the newly engaged couple.” Cade shouted from the stage.

It couldn’t be true. Couldn’t. Her smile said yes, her eyes said no.

I remembered him, the asshole who manhandled her the first night I met her at Acropolis. I nearly broke his arm. I wished I had. And then some.

The bastard hauled her off stage and into his arms. I trembled as my beast shook to let the rage fly. I longed to surrender, to crush bone, to make bleed, to burn to cinders. It would only take a few seconds to annihilate him into ash. No matter how irrational the man inside me knew these thoughts were, the dragon couldn’t give a fuck.

The asshole led her away into the crowd of dancers. I couldn’t see her face, but his expressed a triumphant man, having a prize in his arms he’d wanted for some time. One of his hands tightened low on her hip. Blood filled my vision.

She’d lied to me. Lied. My jaw clenched. Something popped. I swept toward the door, only to be caught by my father.

“Lucius. Why the scowl, son?”

I couldn’t even form an answer.

“Remove the look of death from your face before the natives think you plan to eat them.” He smiled to a passerby.

“I need to leave,” I growled.

“Not yet. Cade wants us to celebrate the nuptials of his daughter to the Grayson boy. After that, I’d say we’ve all done our part and can escape this charade.”

I followed in my father’s wake, readying myself to toast to the new couple, eager to make her squirm. In the mood I was in now, we’d all be lucky if I made it from this ballroom without bloodshed.

Lorian stood with his back to the wall, his hands clasped in front of him, wearing the appearance of a guest enjoying the party. But I knew otherwise. He was ready to bolt from this farce, but not as fast as I was.

The burn built with lightning speed, singeing me from the inside out, ricocheting into my limbs with crippling fire. I took a position next to Lorian and swept the dance floor, seeking her. They were on the far side, engulfed by dancers. I could only see the top of her beautiful dark head. Heartsick agony threatened to knock me to the floor. I wiped the back of my hand across my now sweaty brow.

“Fucking hell,” grumbled Lorian in a whisper next to me. “Are you going to pass out?”

“No.” Definitely more dragon than man in my voice now.

I felt the weight of Lorian’s gaze on me. “I know what you’re thinking.”

“You have no idea what I’m thinking.”

He chuckled low, and for the first time since we were kids I wanted to smash my brother’s face in. But this wasn’t his fault. I suppose it was laughable. The eldest Nightwing son of the famously powerful dragon clan reduced to this pathetic, shaking mess for a human woman who didn’t want him.

“You’re thinking you’ve been rejected for that asshole, Aron Grayson. That she led you to believe there was something between you when she had plans to marry another man.”

I could barely breathe—air winding in and out of my lungs like vaporous flame—much less speak. So I said nothing.

“What you probably failed to note was the shock on her face when her father made the announcement and perhaps anger that shortly followed.”

Still, I said nothing.

“You can’t see through your rage, Lucius. Trust me. I know that feeling well. You need to calm down before you do or say something you’ll regret. That’s also something I know a lot about.”

“Lorian,” I ground out with difficulty, “you don’t know who she—”

“I know exactly who she is to you.” He’d shifted closer. “Which is why you need to calm the fuck down and stop staring at everyone like you want to spray the walls with their blood.”

I did want to. But only one man’s blood. The one holding my Jessen in his arms across the room. I closed my eyes and fisted my hands till the knuckles cracked, willing my mind and body to cool down. Breathing slow and deep, I managed to reel back the beast from raze-the-village-to-the-ground fury to break-only-the-bones-of-my-enemy hatred.

“Good,” growled Lorian. “Now let’s see if we can get through the rest of the evening without starting a war between humans and Morgonkind, shall we?”

I had my doubts.

From the second Aron had hauled me into his arms, I’d bitten into the side of my cheek to keep from screaming and making a scene. I peered over the crowd, trying to find Lucius. I caught a glimpse of two black-winged Morgons in the vicinity of my father’s table. Aron gripped my hip, much lower than was proper, and whirled me again.

“I’m done with this charade.” I wrenched from his grasp, edging off the dance floor. Before I made three steps, he grabbed my wrist and pulled my back flush to his front, one arm wrapping my waist.

I glared at him over my shoulder. “What the fuck do you think you’re doing?” I struggled to break free. He held me hard, smiling like an ass to an onlooker.

“Watch your language,” he bit out through clenched teeth. “It’s unbecoming of a proper lady, especially one who is to be my wife.”

“The hell I am. I’m not marrying you. Are you dense or something?” I twisted out of his grip. “Must I literally spell it out for you? Or is even reading beyond your comprehension?”

Unperturbed, though gray eyes went glacial for a second, he gripped my arm in what might look like a loving touch to others, while his fingers curled into my tender flesh. “Have you ever wondered why you never had a boyfriend?”

I blinked. “What are you talking about?”

“I mean, isn’t it odd someone as wealthy and as beautiful as you has never held the attention of one man for any length of time? And you are beautiful, sweetheart. I love this dress, though the color is a bit stark.” His free hand slid over my hipbone in a sensual caress.

“Stop touching me that way.” An angry flame burned in my belly. “What are you talking about?”

“Oh, only that you’ve never had a boyfriend, because I made sure of it.”

A sinking sensation washed over me as if I were being swallowed whole by the earth. It was true. Every time I’d become really attracted to a guy, he’d lose interest after a couple of dates. “What do you mean?”

His eyes seared into mine, fixing me with cold brutality. His grip on my arm and hip tightened. “You are mine. You always have been. I watched and waited. I made sure every adolescent upstart who thought to have you knew you were already taken. Understand me, sweetheart, this will happen. Accept it, so we can get on with our lives, because I’ve waited long enough. My patience is running out.” His eyes dropped to my cleavage. He might as well have slapped me.

He was insane, literally insane. I shoved his hands off me, staying close enough for his ears only.

“Let me explain something to you, bastard. I don’t give a damn how many public announcements my father makes. He can take out an advertisement on every skyline billboard in the city for all I care. I have never been yours and never will be.” Fury lacing every word, I couldn’t help but pour out my heart. “As a matter of fact, I’m in love with someone else, and he could kick your ass into dust. So, stay away from me, and leave me alone.”

Someone grabbed my arm at the elbow with a tight hold. Father leaned close with a plastic grin for those who looked our way. “Smile, daughter,” he grated with steel in his voice, “or you’ll regret it.” He gestured with a nod to Aron. “Son, why don’t you head back to our table while Jessen and I have a chat.”

Aron’s fuming form brushed past us. As soon as he was out of earshot, I turned to my father. “Whose idea was this? Yours or Aron’s?”

“Aron and I both have your best interests at heart.” He spoke brightly to a passing couple. “Evening, Terrington! Glad you could make it.”

“If you had my best interests at heart, you’d actually care about what I wanted.”

“Aron is from one of the finest families in the city, and next to us, the wealthiest. There is no better match. He would take care of you. Offer you a secure lifestyle.”

Not true. The Nightwings were far wealthier, but he’d never consider them one of the finest families. “If you love him so much, you marry him,” I snapped. “It’s not like you give any attention to your own wife.”

His hold tightened in a painful grip. “You will smile and be a proper hostess, as is befitting a lady of your class. Do you really want to shun your duty to your family?” An iron gaze pinned me in place. The same look that made me feel five years old and powerless. “If you choose to reject this perfect match I’ve arranged for you, then you will no longer be a part of this family. You will lose everything. You will never see your mother or Moira again.”

I gasped, tears pricking behind my eyes. He knew where to hurt me most.

“Am I making myself clear?”

I gulped a breath of air and nodded. He hauled me through the crowd toward our table.

“Now, put a smile on your face. The Nightwings want to offer their personal congratulations.”

“No!”

“What did you say?” Ice in his voice.

I shook my head and bit my lip.

“That’s what I thought.”

Father couldn’t understand the real reason I didn’t want to stand there and receive congratulations from the Nightwings. He only saw defiance. Never see Moira again? I swallowed the lump forming in my throat, managing to paste on a wooden smile. We drew near the table where Lucius stood in conversation with Aron. My heart plummeted into my stomach.

Both men turned my way, one grinning, one not. Aron didn’t know as he clapped a friendly hand on Lucius’s shoulder that the Morgon man was a time-bomb of restrained fury, his face fixed in granite, anger brimming in his eyes.

“There you are, sweetheart!”

I winced.

“I was telling Lucius here that we’ll let bygones be bygones after the misunderstanding at his club the other night.”

I cringed at the sound of Lucius’s name on Aron’s lips. He didn’t have the right to speak his name. He was dirt beneath Lucius’s feet. Looking at them side-by-side, my mind tallied the differences. Physically, there was absolutely no comparison. A foot and a half shorter, Aron looked like a boy next to Lucius. But the arrogant slant of his mouth and the look of highborn superiority in his eyes aged Aron to a grotesque specimen of my father’s ilk.

“Tell me,” Lucius began, his deep baritone rolling in a deceptive string of silky words. “When did you two become engaged? And when are we to celebrate this happy event?”

I didn’t miss the cynical emphasis on happy. Aron did. He barreled ahead, oblivious to the stalking predator at his side. I gulped, lacing my fingers into a tight ball to keep from shaking.

“Jessen and I have been betrothed for years, actually. We just finally made it official.”

“Is that so?” The predator’s voice dipped to a growl, feral flare in his eyes.

My chest rose and fell a bit faster. I focused on controlling my breathing.

Aron looked back to the table where my mother and Mrs. Grayson were deep in conversation, probably making wedding plans. Bile rose into my throat.

Aron shouted over at Mrs. Grayson. “Mother, when should we set the date?”

“Oh, I think a spring wedding would be lovely, don’t you, Beatrice?”

My mother nodded and smiled her perfect smile. “Absolutely. We can start shopping for the dress next week.”

My pulse pounded so loud, I was sure everyone could hear it. The whole time, Lucius’s eyes never left mine, making me wish I was invisible, but something told me his burning gaze would always seek and find me.

“Ah, the wedding gown,” said Aron, shifting closer to me. “Yes, you must shop early.” He wrapped a hand around my waist, leaning in to whisper in my ear. “Be sure to buy something special for the wedding night.” His hand slipped to my hip and squeezed.

I heard something pop from the fuming man across from me. His jaw? A bone in the clenched fist at his side? I wasn’t sure. Aron apparently didn’t know or care that Morgons had dragon hearing. I swallowed, but found my mouth bone-dry, trying to find the courage to face Lucius’s gaze. When I did, I found him fixated on Aron’s hand at my hip, and I was afraid he might actually blow flame to remove it.

“Here we are. More champagne.” My father burst in on us, all cheery-as-shit. I wanted to crawl in a hole and die. I used the moment to move out of Aron’s hold.

Moira sat at a table with her friend Krissa. They giggled together. Moira, sweet and innocent, laughed openly, oblivious to the war raging inside of me. To give up my sister or my heart, my freedom…my life? Obviously, there was only one choice, but the pain of it pierced me deep.

I grabbed the first champagne glass and gulped the whole thing down. Then grabbed another.

“Slow down, sweetheart,” said Aron, wrapping a proprietary hand around my wrist. “You know how alcohol makes you.”

I gave him a scathing look and knocked the second one back.

“Yes,” interrupted Lucius. “Alcohol can make her a bit…unreasonable.”

Aron shot him a look, most likely wondering how he could know such a thing. I pulled my wrist from Aron’s grasp to lean over and take a third glass of champagne from the table. My father still engaged Adicus, Lorian, and Demetrius in conversation.

I edged closer to Lucius. “I’m only unreasonable when men try to manage me.”

“Mmm.” Lucius glowered. “Perhaps the men in your life cannot abide defiance and lies. To you, it only appears unreasonable.”

“I don’t lie.”

An arched brow raised on his granite face. “I think that is a lie.”

I opened my mouth to protest, then snapped it shut. I was a liar, but not in the way Lucius thought. I was standing there, an imposter, pretending I would tie myself to a man like Aron when I never could. Never would. I valued myself too much to betray my heart, my soul, in such a way.

“Well then,”—came my father’s booming voice—“let us lift our glasses one more time to the happy couple.”

Everyone else did. I didn’t. I could feel Aron’s eyes on me to my left. I didn’t give a shit. I couldn’t tear my gaze away from what I wanted most in the world. Lucius raised his glass, but didn’t drink, a mocking smile cracking his stony expression into something frightening. His eyes blazed with malevolence. I shook my head, pleading with him to understand. Apparently, he didn’t. With a last fiery glare, he turned on his heel and exited toward the gardens.

I glanced over at Moira, who happened to look up at that exact moment. Her smile wilted, seeing the sadness in my eyes. I set my glass down, maneuvered around the table and pulled her out of her chair into a tight hug. The others probably thought it some female whim to hug a sister in celebration of the engagement. This embrace was far different. It was goodbye.

“I love you,” I whispered into her ear.

“I love you, too.” She pulled back, eyes glistening with unshed tears. She knew something was terribly wrong. “What is it?”

I shook my head, forcing a smile, then pecked her on the cheek and ran for the garden door. Rushing, I tripped past the columns, down the stone steps, and onto the garden path. I searched for him in the sky.

Nothing. A pall of gray clouds smothered the night in gloomy darkness, mirroring my emotions.

He was gone.

“Lucius.” Please, don’t be gone. Please don’t leave me. I looked up, wishing for a star, wishing Fate wouldn’t keep him. “Send him back again.” Tears scalded my cheeks.

“You have got to be out of your mind.” I whirled to find Aron standing right behind me, eyes dark as pitch under the starless night. He’d followed me. “A Morgon? A Nightwing!” He sneered down, gripping both my arms. “You actually think you’re in love with that monster?”

“Aron, let me go.”

“Oh, I don’t think so.” His face and neck tightened with strain. Danger glinted in storm-shadowed eyes.

“Let me go.” A primitive fear urged me to get away, escape. Fast.

“I’m going to teach you who you belong to. Right now.”

“Aron. Don’t—”

He forced me to the ground, pinning me under his weight. “I’m going to make you mine.” Frightening words hissed in my ear.

I struggled, punching, pushing. He pressed a fierce kiss to my lips, cutting mine with his teeth when I jerked my head away. He stilled. I pushed him farther off of me, watching him slide his tongue along the spot of crimson on his lip. He grinned.

“It’s to be rough, is it? No problem. I prefer it that way.”

He backhanded me hard across my cheekbone. My head snapped to the side, knocking me into a daze. He yanked, ripping my strap off my shoulder, exposing my naked breasts to the night air. “Finally,” said the monster on top of me.

His hands squeezed my breasts, hard. It hurt. His breathing was ragged, repulsive with violent lust. My cheek stung and my head was fuzzy.

“That’s right, sweetheart. You lie still for me.”

His hand crawled under my dress and up my thigh. I opened my mouth to scream when a shadow descended. Aron was ripped off me. I heard a strangled gagging.

The haze receding, I rolled onto my side to find Lucius on top of Aron, choking him with one hand. Oh, God!

I crawled to him and grabbed hold of the arm snuffing the life out of Aron, whose eyes already glazed with the emptiness of death.

“Lucius. No!” I shook him. He was as immovable as a steel wall. I shook harder. “Stop! Don’t kill him.” He didn’t hear me, consumed by bloody rage. “They’ll lock you up.” His other hand gripped Aron’s throat—to kill him faster. “They’ll take you away from me! Lucius, I’ll be alone.”

I wrapped my arm across the front of his chest, trying to force him to look at me. My words must’ve broken through the maddening fury, as he released the now unconscious Aron, seconds away from death.

I cupped Lucius’s face in my hands, stark white against dark skin. Turning his face to me, I gasped at the terrifying rage that marked every line. His breath came quick and harsh.

“I’m okay,” I whispered, brushing my lips to his cheek, trying to bring him back. “I’m okay.” With gentle kisses, he finally softened, awakening from bloodlust’s grip.

He moved me away from Aron’s body with urgent swiftness. Before I could be embarrassed about my nakedness, Lucius took my broken straps in trembling fingers and tied it in a knot at my shoulder, covering me. How this man went from murderous frenzy to tenderness in a few short minutes rattled me to my bones. With hands on my shoulders, he closed his eyes and pressed his forehead to mine, slowly gaining control.

My breath caught on a sob. He wiped the tears away with a gentle, shaking hand. Blue-fire blazing down, he scooped me in his arms, cradling me against his chest in an unyielding iron embrace. We shot up into the air, melding with night and shadows. I clung to him, my soul sighing now that I was finally where I belonged.