“Which one is this one again?” Ara asked, sighing as she gestured at the open email. Titus glanced over her shoulder, taking another chunk of his apple as he read.

“That’s Cassius,” he replied.

“I can read,” Arabella chuckled. “I mean, which brother is he?”

“He owns a conglomerate? Lives on a private island off the Coral Sea?”

Ara nodded. “Right. Sorry. There’s so many of them.”

“He’s emailing you now?” Titus asked. “Should I be jealous?”

She giggled as he kissed the top of her head, taking another chomp out of the fruit piece.

“I don’t know,” she said. “Is he cute?”

“Cute? Sure, if you’re into warts and leprosy.”

Ara laughed aloud, knowing he was joking. She had seen pictures of all the Williams brothers, and she knew they were incredibly handsome in their own ways.

“No, really, why is Cass emailing you?” Titus asked, curiosity filling his face. “Are you trying to get in good with the family?”

“Kind of,” Ara replied evasively, turning to face him. “I’m looking into our family histories.”

Titus froze and stared at her. “What do you mean?”

She sighed. “Don’t overreact,” she said quickly. “But I’m interested in learning what I can about our genealogy.”

Titus scowled slightly.

“Bella, I thought we talked about this,” he said in a low voice, sitting at the table. He looked about to ensure they weren’t being overheard by Marta or Solomon. “You know my history. I’ve been forthcoming with you.”

“I know you have,” Ara insisted. “But…” Titus waited, his eyebrows raising. “I want to know about me, too.”

“You’re not making any sense,” he said slowly. “What does my family history have to do with you?”

She cleared her throat. “Nothing and everything.”

“You need to stop talking in riddles,” Titus sighed. “My head is still dizzy from the heat today.”

“I have told you about my dreams. Maybe I was in Isabella in a past lifetime, or maybe I am related to her.” Ara told him. “The one thing we know for certain is that she lived in Misty Woods with your family seven hundred years ago.”

“And you want to trace her back that far through my family and their extended families,” Titus finished. “But that was a long time ago, Bella. Will they even have records going back that far?”

“It’s the age of the internet, baby,” she replied, chuckling. “Everything is online. Even ancient artifacts.”

“Are you calling my family ancient?” he rasped, reaching forward to grab her arm.

She squealed and pulled away laughing. “If the shoe fits…”

“What will this do?” he asked softly. “What difference does it make if you were related to Isabella somewhere down the line? That was my past. You are my future.”

The corners of her mouth turned up in a wide smile. “Because maybe I can find a way to make things right now. Maybe if I go back far enough, I can find someone in my bloodline who was there when Opal worked her magic and…”

Titus’ brow furrowed. “And what? Make what right?”

“And I can be a dragon, too!” Ara blurted out, her face staining with red. “The way Isabella was supposed to be!”

Titus seemed to be at a loss for words, his mouth opening and closing again. “You… you want to become a dragon?”

She nodded, her expression filled with naked plaintiveness. “I want us to be together forever.”

Titus suddenly swept her into his arms, crushing his lips to hers as she gasped in shock.

“We will find a way,” he promised her when they parted, his eyes boring into hers. “I vowed that I would never let you go again, and I will do everything in my power to ensure that happens.”

Ara relaxed into him, her arms encircling his waist as she felt the heat of his crotch against hers.

“You promise?”

“I swear it. We will never be apart.”