Dragon opened his eyes and took in the destruction all around him. The night was dark and the moons covered by a thick blanket of clouds, but his eyes could see as clear as day that shifting into his dragon had collapsed the structure.

Gabriel’s gazebo, and the Lobos’ temporary residency, didn’t exist any longer. The ceiling lay partially on the floor, and the rest had drifted off to sea. Shards of glass, broken beams, and contorted pieces of metal littered the place. His plan had worked though, and it had been fortunate that he was seriously wounded and could shift into his dragon, otherwise Jade and the other two women would have been at the complete mercy of the assassin. At least, his beast had forced their enemy to use almost every arrow and javelin the man possessed on him.

“You did a number on this place.” Valerian’s quiet voice revealed his presence on the opposite side of the ruins.

“I’m sure Gabriel can’t wait for us to finally leave.” Dragon sat and raised his hand to catch the bundle of clothes his friend sent flying in an arc toward him. When he stretched his neck and rolled his shoulders, his body didn’t complain, and he didn’t feel dizzy. “How long was I out this time? A day? Two?” It couldn’t be much longer, otherwise he would be in a worse shape.

“Four days,” Valerian answered.

“I’m getting used to the poison.” Dragon couldn’t help but laugh at the thought. “Another attack, and I’ll be completely immunized.”

“That’s one way to look at it.” Valerian threw a pair of boots toward Dragon.

“What are you doing here?” According to his internal clock, it was almost dawn, and when he looked back at the night sky, he saw the first orange and pink rays of Coral peeking through the clouds.

“Babysitting you.” His lieutenant’s answer was dry.

Dragon gave him a puzzled frown. He had been wounded worse in the past. “I’ve never needed you—”

“I know, but tell her.” Valerian looked over his shoulder, pointing at the slim shadow furtively stalking across the bridge. “And don’t worry, Gabriel had the planks patched right away because he worried about your mate falling into the sea.”

Dragon watched Jade as she came closer. She couldn’t see him standing in the middle of the ruins, and her expression was guarded.

“What’s she doing here, this early in the morning?” he asked.

“Gabriel made her promise that she would sleep inside for her and her guards’ safety, and in turn, she made me promise that I would guard you nightly and call her if you woke. For the last four days, she has stayed with your dragon until late at night and has come here at the first light of dawn. I’m glad you’re finally up because I’ve had enough of this nonsense.” Valerian brought his fingers to his temple and left. On his way out, he crossed paths with Jade and pointed his thumb over his shoulder at Dragon.

Jade’s eyes followed Valerian’s gesture, but her sight couldn’t focus in the darkness. Dragon saw how she squinted and tilted her head, looking for him. His heart rejoiced at the notion that Jade had been worried for him. He exited the ruins, slowly walking toward her as her pace became faster.

When she finally saw him, her entire face lit up, and she sprinted to reach him. “Dragon,” she whispered hoarsely, stopping in front of him. So close, yet ever so distant.

Dragon wanted to take Jade in his arms and never let her go but he had made a promise and wouldn’t touch her. “I’m glad to see you.” He hoped she would come to her senses soon because standing before her, inhaling her scent, and not being able to touch her was worse than any torture.

“You’re healed.” The clouds had parted, and her black eyes searched him, roaming over his body from head to toe.

He turned on his heels in a slow circle. “I’m fine. Are you and the baby okay?”

“Yes, we are.” Jade stood before him, rocking on her heels, her hands wringing the hem of her shirt.

In all their times together, her attitude had never been less than cocky. Even at her most vulnerable, Jade had never looked uncertain, and yet, she looked almost shy now.

It took all his willpower not to cradle her against him and kiss her senseless. “Valerian told me you’ve remained by my dragon’s side, practically day and night.”

“I was worried.” Her voice was so low, only his sharp shifter senses caught her words. “You took the brunt of the assassin’s attack for us—” she said, her eyes downcast. “And I couldn’t do anything to help you.”

“I’m tough to kill, but if anything had happened to you and our child, I would’ve died.” He stepped closer to her.

If she only tilted her chin up, he would lower his lips and taste her mouth. But she didn’t, and his hunger for her only grew more unbearable.

Jade shivered, hugging herself. “I wish you wouldn’t say those kinds of things.”

“And I wish we were making love, but life is unfair, and we seldom get what we want.” His next words were raw, but he couldn’t help himself. “I wish you never had an erasion and cut from your memories that night we spent in the Cove.”

“That was the only time we were together,” she said, raising her voice ever so slightly at the end in a question.

Nodding, he inched closer yet. “I felt whole inside you,” he whispered in her ear. “It meant everything to me.”

“We conceived our child that night.” She remained still, but her chest pushed against his when she took a shaky breath.

He hadn’t thought of that. His hand automatically reached for her stomach, but stopped at the last moment, hovering over her small bump instead. “We created a life that night.”

“I too wish I’d never gotten the erasion,” she said, her hand raising in front of him.

He waited and watched as Jade’s fingers tentatively reached for his chest. His breath stopped in his lungs when she pressed her palm against his heart. Without moving a muscle, Dragon rejoiced at her touch. He had longed for it, and it felt like coming home after a long voyage, tired and thirsty. Jade was his haven.

Before he could envelop her in his embrace, Jade stepped back.