Epilogue
Six weeks later…
Jenna took a deep breath and looked down at the swirling surf from the edge of the cliff. The prospect of jumping off it was pretty terrifying, and all of Maui seemed to hold its breath — either in anticipation of the sunrise or for the feat Jenna was contemplating.
I can do this. I can do this… she mumbled to herself.
“You ready?” Connor murmured from her side.
She gulped and nodded in a jerky way. Was she really ready? Maybe today wasn’t the day. And it was still dark. Really dark. Plus, the wind wasn’t right, and the distance seemed twice as high as usual. Then there were all those rocks to crash into if she messed up…
Of course I’m ready, a deep voice rumbled inside her.
According to Connor, every human had an animal side, and turning into a shifter simply woke it from its slumber. But, wow. Her dragon had come charging out of nowhere a few days after Connor had given her the mating bite. A dragon just as adventurous and unconcerned as she had always been with things like surfing — but, damn. This was flying, not riding a wave.
“No need to rush if you don’t want to,” Connor whispered after a few more agonizing seconds ticked by.
“I want to,” she said quickly, though she didn’t budge.
Definitely want to, her dragon growled.
She pushed the beast a little bit further back in her mind. Connor had taught her the importance of controlling her second side lest it begin to control her, but it still took an effort sometimes. Like now.
Way back when, she’d made a flippant remark about diving off the open ledge of her new home — a feat Connor had actually pulled off the day he’d saved her from Draig. But now that she faced it herself…
Not diving. Just launching into the air, her dragon said. Easy.
Right. Launching. At night. From this cliff. She gulped.
Her dragon snorted. The sun is about to rise, and the wind is just right.
Really, she had no reason to be nervous because she’d already been out flying a few times. Connor had helped her learn after her first shift, starting with little hop-glides down at the beach. Those were pretty short at first, but like the Wright Brothers at Kitty Hawk, she quickly progressed to longer and longer flights. Then she’d tackled taking off from modest heights, and that had gone well too. But somehow, this looming cliff seemed harder.
Pink light tinged the Pacific as another slow minute ticked by.
It’s easier from up here, her dragon said. More space and time for our wings to catch the wind. Nothing to it.
Jenna twirled the end of her hair with a finger, buying time. Nothing to it?
Come on, already, her dragon insisted. We’re running out of time.
“Listen, we can—” Connor started, ready to give her an easy way out.
“I’m ready,” she cut in, trying to act and not think. “Totally ready.”
Well, that was an exaggeration, but she did have to get herself into gear. She and Connor couldn’t risk flying in broad daylight, especially with her not yet completely in control, so it was now or never.
“Totally ready,” she muttered as she turned back to the bedroom area where she slipped off her clothes and removed the bangles from her wrists. She laid them beside the pearl on the bedside table, wondering what her mother would say about all this.
Then she smiled. Her mother would probably say, Go for it!
So she strode back out to the edge and raised her arms, releasing her inner dragon.
Shifting, she’d learned, was a lot like pulling on a wetsuit, what with the contortions and stretchy feeling that reminded her of the way the neoprene clung to her body while she tugged. Her skin stretched, growing dry and leathery, and her shoulder blades pulled back. But the changes in her senses always stole the focus from the strain in her limbs. Her vision narrowed slightly due to the protruding brows that protected her dragon eyes. At the same time, her eyesight was keener and the colors more intense, which meant the lush palette of Maui became even richer, like a magical wonderland. Her ears differentiated between many more sounds, just like her nose analyzed many more scents. The calls of a half-dozen birds, all greeting dawn with their own distinctive songs. The first whiff of ginger, and the waning scent of the night-blooming flower.
“You want me to go first?” Connor asked.
She nodded through the last of her shift then opened and closed her wings a few times. The first time she’d shifted, she’d nearly knocked a table over, but she’d learned to judge things better since then. She flicked her tail left and right, trying to form a mental picture of a graceful turn in the air. But mainly, all she imagined was the massive splash that would mark an epic fail.
Connor shifted smoothly and stood on her right side. Even in her bigger, mightier dragon form, he still seemed massive. Not so much from his greater stature, as from the alpha power that throbbed off him in waves. He kept that power semiveiled when in human form, but in dragon form, it was impossible to miss.
She grinned. Her man was one badass dragon. Of course, she’d known that all along, but it was nice to get a reminder of just how powerful he was.
And, damn. They made a pretty imposing couple — Connor with his gorgeous greenish-brown hide, her a creamy color, much like her hair. Him big and towering, her a little more petite — a perfect match, at least in her eyes.
Plus, we have matching mating scars, her dragon added with a sultry undertone.
That was true, too. Connor had explained that she could give him her own mating bite whenever she was ready, but the notion of biting him was so scary, she’d shelved it all the way at the back of her mind. But one night, in the throes of passion, she found herself leaning over in her cowgirl straddle of her man and baring her teeth.
Jenna, Connor had rasped, begging for her bite.
Instinct told her just how to do it, and wow. She’d never experienced a sexual high that long or that intense. Connor had thrown his head back and cried out too, assuring her it was just as good for him.
See? her dragon said. Just trust me.
She snapped her eyes open again, going from steamy memories to wobbling at the edge of the cliff.
Connor’s low, smoky dragon voice sounded in her head, repeating the coaching points they’d gone over dozens of times. So, here we go. Open your wings, get a feel for the wind, and hop.
Jenna shuffled forward, raking her claws over bare rock. Opening her wings and getting a feel for the wind were easy. But hop was the understatement of the year. She stared over the lip of the cliff into the crashing surf.
Connor, of course, made it look like child’s play. One little step and he was gliding gracefully away.
It is easy, her dragon insisted.
Jenna closed her eyes, concentrating on the flow of wind over her outstretched wings. The sensation made sense to her rewired mind, but when she overthought things…
She froze like a diver who’d ventured to the edge of a too-high board.
You got this, Jenna, Connor called.
I can do this. I can do this… she tried.
Just go, already, her dragon barked. Hop.
The beast must have pulled a sneaky move, shifting her weight just enough to make her lose her balance because a moment later—
“Oh!” she yelped, toppling over the cliff.
Ugly images flashed through her mind as she spiraled toward the rocks. Her father, who’d be so sad to hear of her senseless death. Her niece, whom she’d never see grow up. Connor, kneeling beside her grave, weeping into his hands, and a gravestone that said, She failed.
Oh, for goodness’ sake, her dragon muttered. Open your eyes.
Jenna snapped them open, prepared to see a blur before blacking out into death. But her field of vision was solid blue, like the ocean she was soaring over.
She blinked a few times. Soaring? As in, gracefully?
Gracefully, her dragon huffed. Just leave it to me.
She stared. She was flying a good sixty feet above sea level, gliding smoothly down toward the surface, then leveling out. Staying under the radar, so to speak, by flying a few feet above the tiny morning waves. The trade winds had been napping all night, so the Pacific was quiet, barely moving except for the light swell.
Perfect! Connor cheered, swooping over to glide off her right wing.
I did it! she squealed.
The wind rushed under her wings and along her tail, cooling and lifting at the same time. Her feet tucked tightly against her body, and her neck stretched long, keeping her streamlined the way she did when surfing out of the barrel of a long, rolling wave. Silver sparkles bounced off the ocean, showing her the way.
Woo-hoo, she cheered, swiveling around to dip one wingtip then the other. Look at me!
Connor laughed. Where else would I look, my mate?
Her dragon preened at that and started showing off with subtle little moves Jenna observed rather than controlled.
Watch this, her dragon murmured, sweeping into a barrel roll. Her snout pointed forward, but her whole body swiveled around it, doing a complete turn. And she didn’t stop there, rolling another quarter turn until she was sideways to Connor.
Oh, I like that, his dragon rumbled, turning at the same time.
They flew on in an erotic, belly-to-belly aerial move that made her dragon hum with pleasure. Blurry images of rolling in bed with Connor rushed through her mind, and Jenna had to take a deep breath to put them on pause. She could act on those urges when she got her man back on land. For now, she had to concentrate on flying.
When they broke apart, Connor swooped over, around, and under her. My mate, the gesture announced to the world. No one comes close. No one touches her but me.
My mate, Jenna crooned, wishing she could trumpet that message all over the state.
When Connor rose, she followed, feeling ever more peaceful. The human world and all its troubles seemed further and further away, and the dangers of the shifter world even more remote — especially with Draig’s yacht gone from the anchorage in the distance. A yacht she never wanted to see again, even if she and Connor ever did cash in on any part of Draig’s vast holdings.
Good riddance, her dragon snorted and sidled closer to Connor’s side.
They’d started out on a beeline toward the low pyramid of Lanai, then curved gradually toward the hulk of Molokai.
Someday, when you’re ready, we’ll fly over the islands together, Connor said. The cliffs and waterfalls of Molokai are amazing at night.
She couldn’t even formulate an answer except for thinking what a privilege that would be. Tourists with cash to burn might buzz over the neighboring islands on helicopter tours, but to glide over those sights in the sheer silence of night, and on her own wings…
Wow, she whispered, picturing it. That would be great. Then she laughed and added, Wait a minute. This is already great.
Connor chuckled. It is pretty great.
Slowly, they curved through every point of the compass until they were headed back to Maui. The rising sun was hidden behind the island’s tall peaks, but its light was streaming through the Central Valley in thick, golden rays. All too soon, she and Connor would have to land and hide from prying human eyes. Of course, that meant they could go back to bed and work off the thrill of flying in other fun ways. Then they could nap, eat, and be ready to set out on their next flying adventure the second it grew dark.
Connor laughed, reading her mind. Good thing we have the whole day off, huh?
A damn good thing. When she and Connor had just bonded, the others had reworked their schedules to treat them to a week off — a honeymoon, so to speak. After that, they’d both dived back into work — Connor as co-alpha of the Koakea clan, and she in her new surfboard-shaping partnership with her sister, Surf Chique. She’d been working six days a week to make up for lost time, but today was a day off. And that meant…
We have all day, she hummed as they flew along.
Life didn’t get better than that. Connor had won his place in his clan, and she had the fresh new start she needed, too.
The higher the sun rose, the lower they kept to the wave tops. Little splashes kicked up from time to time, spraying her wingtips.
Feels good, her dragon sighed.
It did feel good. Good enough for a dip.
The idea flitted through her mind, quick as a sparrow. She looked down into the ocean. A dip would feel great.
Yes, her dragon agreed. Just a little swim.
She looked at the horizon. They had a few minutes left. Why not give it a try? Draig was dead and gone, and turning into a shifter had definitely stirred something in her mermaid blood. She’d been swimming, diving, and surfing every day.
She thought it over, trying to calculate out the mechanics of diving from mid-flight.
Trust me, her dragon rumbled in a dangerously determined voice. Trust me.
After one more minute of deliberating, she finally gave in and called to her mate.
Hey, Connor.
He craned his long, dragon neck around and shot her a toothy dragon grin. Yeah?
Watch this.
A second later, Connor yelled, and she nearly did too. But hers was more a yelp of glee, because her dragon knew exactly what to do. She folded her wings tightly against her sides, threw her head forward, and dove.
Whee! her dragon hollered as she plunged into the sea.
A stream of bubbles followed her under, making her feel rocket-fast. And even when the momentum of the dive ended, the bubbles continued, because she knew instinctively how to kick, flap her wings, and churn her tail for maximum effect. She slipped through the water, as sleek and streamlined as a dolphin. As agile as a fish. As at home in the water as…as…
A sea dragon, that inner voice crowed.
She jerked to a stop, making the water roll and foam. She held up a wing. It wasn’t stumpy like Draig’s, but it was thicker than Connor’s, now that she looked. And her tail was longer, too.
Cool. I’m a sea dragon. She grinned.
Then it hit her. Sea dragons were bad, like Draig. Why would she want to be like him?
Not like Draig. Like me, her dragon insisted, zooming away again and showing off another impossibly tight turn.
Then she remembered what Cynthia had said. There were some famous sea dragons who did good deeds. Even a great sea dragoness.
Oh, I like that, Tessa had said. A kick-ass she-dragon who can fly and swim.
Jenna let out a shocked cough of bubbles. Could she be a kick-ass she-dragon who could fly and swim?
Ha. Watch.
Her dragon shot forward and turned in a spiral until she was dizzy. Then, with a sharp contortion of her core muscles, she twisted and zoomed off the other way. A short distance later, she spun around and torpedoed into the depths before snapping around and speeding for the surface.
Watch this, her dragon taunted.
She exploded out of the water, curved gracefully through the air, and dove back in with nary a splash. All in all, she was airborne just long enough to hear Connor’s frantic yell.
Jenna?
She splashed to the surface, chagrined. Poor Connor. For all he knew, she’d been attacked again.
Sorry! I’m fine.
What the hell are you doing? he boomed, hovering over her.
She paused, not quite sure what to say. Luckily, Connor spoke first.
“Wait a second. Do that again.”
Before she could even think about it, her dragon dove, eager to show off her tricks. She spiraled, turned, and breached out of the water, rising high enough to clear Connor before splashing down again.
A long-forgotten memory welled up out of nowhere, one of her father — or was that her mother? — holding her over the incoming surf at Seal Beach, back when she was tiny. She’d kicked at the waves with her tiny feet and squealed with glee. The kind of unbridled, unfiltered joy that grew rarer and rarer as she’d grown up. As a dragon, though, she felt it all over again.
Sea dragon, Connor breathed.
Her joy fled, replaced by fear. What if Connor hated that about her? What if she repulsed him?
But a second later, he broke out into a huge grin. A sea dragon. Holy shit, Jenna. I knew you were amazing, but… Wow. Is there anything you can’t do?
Live without you, she said without thinking. Then she looked around. Also, I’m not sure I can take off from the surface.
Connor laughed so hard, he nearly fell in.
Of course, I can take off from here, her dragon sniffed.
She pictured herself splashing and kicking like an albatross and decided to quit while she was ahead.
Hang on, she told Connor. Then she dove once more, built up some speed, and sped back up into the air with enough momentum to stay airborne.
Sorry, she said, shaking the water from her wings.
Connor fell into formation off her left wing, muttering Amazing again and again.
Jenna grinned and bumped him gently in mid-flight. You know who else is amazing?
He looked at her. Who?
You.
They laughed, free as a couple of kids, all the way back home. Jenna was still laughing when they landed on the ledge and shifted back to human form.
“So how about we—” she started, then froze in her tracks.
“How about we what?” Connor asked in a way that made it perfectly clear what he had in mind. He was in human form again, all man — and hungry for his woman, judging by the heat emanating from his body. His touch made her tingle, and her body yearned for his.
But part of her was still replaying what she’d just done. She about-faced right into Connor’s chest, then peered around him toward the ledge.
“Holy crap. Did I just land here?”
He chuckled. “Sure did.”
All her landings so far had been in wide, open spaces where she had plenty of room. To land on that shallow an area seemed impossible.
Maybe impossible to you, her dragon sniffed.
“Wow,” she whispered, still staring at the cliff.
“Told you you’re amazing.” Connor laughed, hugging her from behind.
She covered his arms with hers and settled back against his chest, humming as his touches ventured away from her belly. Slowly, sensually, he explored her human body.
She closed her eyes, swaying in time to Connor’s movements, playing different options out in her head. Did she want to lead him to the bed and wrap her legs around him there? Or should she turn, kneel, and reward her man with a few tricks of her own? The other day, she’d drawn him over to the rug, gotten down on all fours, and let him rock her from behind, and she sure wouldn’t mind trying that position again.
How about all three? her dragon growled.
Connor laughed, reading her mind. “No need to rush. We’re bonded forever, you know.”
Forever had a new ring to it these days, like a synonym for free. Which, she supposed, was the power of love.
The power of destiny, her dragon whispered.
She tipped her head back and let her mind blur as Connor fluttered kisses over her neck and collarbone. Finally, she let out a lazy laugh. “Wow. It’s morning, but it already feels like a whole day has gone by. Flying, swimming…”
Connor chuckled and spoke in that low, dangerous rumble that never failed to turn her on. “We’re just getting started, my love.”
Her body heated, and she broke into a huge smile. That was true in more ways than one.
Connor scooped her up effortlessly and carried her toward the bed. “Just getting started,” he murmured once again.
* * *
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