The spot was both beautiful and dangerous, depending on who you were.

For example, Titus often stood on the peak point of the Humewood Extension where it plunged into the blue waters of the Indian Ocean, marveling at the stunning beauty of the spot he had chosen to live his life.

South Africa was as big a piece of his heart as any place he had ever lived in. He had watched it grow from an ancient, tribal country into a haven for diamond searchers, eventually becoming the business center and ethnic hubbub of the continent.

But his companion did not seem to appreciate any of the history or geography surrounding him. George Vander seemed aware of little else but the fact he had wet himself as he stood at Titus’ side.

“Please, Mr. Williams, I don’t know what I’m doing here!” he cried again, and Titus wished he would just stop talking. Anders had disappeared into the clouds, his long wings fanning against the cumulous clouds after dropping the reporter from his glistening silver teeth at Titus’ feet. “Was that a dragon?” the man gasped. “Is that—what was that?”

Titus eyed him with aloof grey eyes. “I have no idea what you’re going off about,” he replied smoothly, leaning down to pick up a smooth, slate stone to skip across the choppy waters. “Dragons don’t exist.”

“Whatever I did, whatever—”

“George, shut up.” He said it conversationally, but judging by the look on the man’s face, he may as well have screamed it, shifting into his own supernatural form.

Titus wrinkled his nose and picked up another stone, biding his time for full effect. In truth, he was seething inside, knowing that this man almost cost Bella everything. If Anders had not called him with a warning about what George Vander had and was about to publish in the Cape Times, Cape Town’s leading news source, Bella would be in jail, awaiting trial until kingdom come.

But Titus was not one to allow his emotions show, no matter how much he wanted to crush the skull of the weasel sitting beside him.

I’m forbidden to kill him anyway, he thought with some regret. Besides, killing was not really his own style, though he knew some of his brothers would be up to the task. Even Anders would have no problem ending this piece of shit if given a chance.

“I understand you have taken some pictures of my houseguest,” Titus offered after George fell into a blubbering mess of tears. “I would like them, please.”

The young man turned his auburn head sideways and peered up at Titus as if he was crazy.

“Th-that’s what this is about?” he choked. “The pictures of Arabella Pinot?”

Titus nodded. “I’m glad we’re on the same page,” he smiled, clapping the sweaty reporter on the shoulder. “I understand you have been smart enough not to publish them.”

George gaped at him.

“After the fire in my apartment following a warning not to, I thought it was best to heed the advice!” he snapped furiously. “That was you!”

Titus shook his head.

“I had nothing to do with the fire or threats,” he answered. That’s half true. Anders took care of that for me. “Where are the pictures now?”

“I don’t have them! They burned with my computer!”

“I think you’re lying.”

George’s complexion was as clear as a glass of fresh water. “I swear to God!”

Titus sighed heavily.

“Here’s what’s going to happen, George—may I call you George?” The terrified man nodded reluctantly, visibly swallowing in fear. “If the pictures you took of Ms. Pinot outside my office end up anywhere in the public eye, you are going to have a lot more to worry about than just a crispy apartment. Do you understand?”

George bobbed his head again. “I swear, Mr. Williams, if I had known that you wanted to keep her out of the public eye, I wouldn’t have ever taken the pictures! B-but how did you know about them?”

Titus snickered. “My dear boy, I am Titus Williams. I own one of the biggest technology companies in the world. No one can start a webcam without my knowing it.” Except for Skylar Vernon, he thought bitterly. He’s apparently able to do anything he damn well pleases.

Titus found himself wondering how Bella was doing back at the compound. He turned to leave, almost as if he had forgotten that George was still there.

“Mr. Williams…”

Titus glanced over his shoulder. “Yes?”

“I—you don’t have to worry,” George gasped. “I never saw the dragon.”

Titus blinked at him. “George, I think you might need to take a little break. You’re starting to sound a little bit mad. Can you imagine what people will say if you tell them that you think you’re seeing dragons?”

He didn’t give George a chance to respond, running off along the extension to transform before his eyes.

I hope he takes what I said seriously, Titus thought, his gigantic frame soaring through the high clouds. If the police happened to see Bella out of the compound, or if the board got wind of an accused hacker inside headquarters, the results could be disastrous. They would be disastrous.

Titus was already doing a balancing act with Trina and Kamil, who still didn’t know that Skylar Vernon was responsible for the hack. How did Titus know he could trust them? For all he knew, one of them had called the press to snap pictures of Bella to get her thrown back in jail. For all he knew, one of them could be working with Skylar.

It was his own fault—he should never have brought Bella with him to the office that day, but he hadn’t been thinking clearly.

It’s hard to think clearly when your reincarnated lover is staring at you with those incredible eyes, he thought.

Outward in the ocean, Titus swept down, his claws grasping at the caps. He parted his massive jaws, allowing the salty air to filter through his throat before rising back into the sky and making his way home. Landing near the English maze, he hurried toward the garage where he had left Bella a few hours earlier.

Of course, he had not told her the real reason for his trip to Port Elizabeth. She had enough to worry about with knowing that she had almost been caught violating the terms of her bail.

And even if I could have brought her with me, Titus thought, our meeting would not have been nearly as effective without the ability for Anders and me to scare him with our shift.

As he entered the garage, he saw her seated exactly where he had left her late in the morning.

“Have you had anything to eat?” he demanded.

“One of the others contacted me,” Bella told him without preamble. “Look.”

He peered over her shoulder and read the exchange. It meant nothing to him.

“Are those song lyrics?” he asked, suddenly cluing in, and she nodded.

“That’s how we communicate general ideas.”

Titus leaned against the desk, folding his arms across his chest. “Explain it to me.”

Bella sighed. “It’s like… well, let’s say I wanted to ask you if we’re having chicken for dinner tonight,” she offered lamely.

He simply eyed her. “Chicken for dinner?” he repeated, and she grunted in exasperation.

“It’s just an example!” she insisted. “Work with me.”

“Okay.”

“I would type, ‘the bird is the word.’ And if you wanted chicken, you’d answer with some lyric from the song ‘Yes’ or something. But it always has to be in a lyric form so it could mean anything to anyone reading. Know what I mean? It can’t be used against us.”

Titus nodded slowly, his eyes narrowing. “It’s ridiculous, but… what if things get misconstrued?”

“Think of it like learning another language with someone,” Bella explained. “You and I might be off the mark at first, but over time, we learn how the other one communicates. It’s our own language, and we know other members of our tribes.”

“I see. So what does all this mean, then? Did your friend tell you anything useful?”

“He says he got out of the country, but you’re right,” she answered. “He doesn’t trust me. I don’t know if that’s because he’s with Skylar or because I got arrested.”

“What did he say?” Titus asked.

Bella sighed again. “Nothing. He’s not responding to me, but I tracked his IP server to England. I’m fairly sure that’s where he is.”

“Do you think Skylar is with him?” Titus pressed.

“I don’t know!” she almost yelled, and he sensed the frustration in her tone. “I’ve been sitting here for three days, and we’re no closer to figuring out where that bastard is than we were before!”

Titus crouched down and dropped his hands to her knees, squeezing them reassuringly.

“It’s going to be okay,” he told her comfortingly. “We have time. You just have to keep reaching out and see what happens.” Bella shifted her eyes away, and he felt a spark of nervousness. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” she said quickly. “I just…” She glanced down. “I feel like he’ll move his plan ahead if he knows we’re together.”

“Because he’s worried you’ll track him?”

“Because he thinks he owns me,” she blurted out.

Titus’ smoky eyes flashed with anger.

“Don’t worry about him,” he told her earnestly, reaching up to tenderly cup her face. “You’re safe here. I’m not going to let anything or anyone touch you. Okay?”

Bella nodded, her eyes meeting his. “I trust you,” she replied, and he could see she was being sincere. “I still can’t help but worry about—”

The door to the garage burst open, and Marta stood, gasping for breath.

“SAPS is at the gate, Tito,” she panted. “They’re here to take Arabella back into custody.”

Titus lurched to his feet, shaking his head. “What? No! They can’t! On what grounds?”

Marta shook her head. “They have a warrant to re-arrest her.”

“Come on,” Titus said, grabbing Bella’s hand. “We’re going to get you out of here.”

But Bella refused to budge, tears glistening in her eyes.

“No,” she whispered. “I can’t.”

“You can!” he growled, pulling her up. “I can find you a safe house—”

“No, Titus, I can’t run anymore,” she said. “If I’m not here when they come in, you’ll be in trouble, too. I have to go with them.”

“Bella, I don’t care about me!” Titus roared. “I care about you!”

“And I care about you,” she breathed, choking back the emotion in her voice. “I can’t let you throw away your future because of me.”

“Bella—”

She held up her hand and turned toward Marta, who gazed at them with woeful eyes.

“It’s over,” she whispered. “You’ve done everything you can to help me, but I need to go back and wait for my trial now.”

Titus opened his mouth to protest again, but Bella had already stridden toward the door, her back stiff and proud.

And at that moment, he realized that, as much as she was like his long-lost love, Arabella Pinot was very different.

Isabella ran away. Arabella is willing to face her fears.

Titus knew he would do everything in his power to get her back.

And to make Skylar Vernon pay.