Ariel and the pride members filled their trucks with their belongings in under an hour, and then took the gravel road through the woods and onto the main road to the closest human city.

They arrived late, and purchased a bunch of food and supplies at a local shop before taking up residence in the warehouse Jett owned. Light bars hanging from the high ceiling provided illumination. Large CONEX shipping containers lined the walls and served as rooms. Japanese-style futons purchased from a nearby Ikea served as beds in those containers. It was the best her dragon could come up with on such short notice.

“Look at this,” Ked said. “There are enough CONEX containers here for us to house individually! Finally! Each of us gets our own room. We should have come here in the first place instead of that camp. Screw living five to a cabin.”

“Suits your hermit lifestyle, doesn’t it?” Brian said.

“It actually does,” Ked said. “I can’t tell you how many times I just wanted to go find a cave and hibernate when I was cooped up with you four in that cabin.”

“This place reminds me of a CHU-Farm,” James said.

“What’s a chew farm?” Teri asked.

“Oh, military thing,” James said. “I did a tour in Iraq. CHU-Farms were camps made out of shipping containers just like these. CHU stands for containerized housing unit.”

“What unit were you in?” Razor asked.

Ariel didn’t hear the answer, as she was already on her way to the bathroom area. When she finished freshening up, she made her way to the shipping container she would be sharing with Jett. He had pointed it out to her earlier—it was located in the middle of the warehouse, away from the entrances. Flame and Brazen took the container just to the left of it, while Viper took the one to the right. No one wanted to lodge with the vampire White Sword. He seemed to prefer it that way. Ariel had never seen Viper talk to anyone except Jett, who he exchanged words with in quiet tones, usually at night.

When Jett was inside, she immediately shut the big door, closing it with a loud thud. An air conditioner Jett had placed in the far corner immediately kicked to life. It was one of the more furnished containers, and actually had a couch and desk beside the futon. There was also a lamp, with a long cord that connected to an outlet in the side of the shipping container. That outlet no doubt functioned as a pass-through to another outlet in the warehouse itself.

Jett set down his bag on the desk and fished out his laptop, placing it on the surface. Then he retrieved his sat-phone and sent a text.

“Getting in touch with the White Swords you left in Midnight?” Ariel asked.

“How’d you guess?” Jett answered.

“You’d think I know you by now,” Ariel said. “Just a little bit.”

“Only a little,” Jett agreed, giving her one of those cute smiles he reserved only for her. “But actually, my lioness, I’m texting the local den.”

Ariel pouted, a little angry with herself for guessing wrong. “Oh.”

“But I do plan to text my White Swords in Midnight afterward,” Jett added.

“So I didn’t completely drop the ball, at least.” She sat down on the low-lying futon and flopped back with a sigh. It felt good to lie down. It had been a long day. She slid off her shoes and rolled higher onto the mattress.

She thought of something.

“How much can you trust them?” Ariel said. “The dragon shifters from the local den?”

“With Gabriel in charge of North America?” Jett said. “Not a whole lot. I’ve told them we’re heading out of state. Eventually Gabriel or one of his minions will contact them, and they’ll relay the news. Which is false, of course.”

“Will that be the end of it?” Ariel asked.

“No,” Jett said. “If he really wants to hand me and Blue Hurricane over to the witches, he’ll find us. The resources available to him are immense.”

“And yet you want to put yourself right into the lion’s den,” Ariel said.

“Hey, I’m in the lions den already,” Jett said, giving her a wink.

Ariel resisted the urge to roll her eyes. “You know what I mean.”

“I do,” Jett said. He was still thumb-typing. “I have to put myself into the lion’s den. Because as I said, if really he wants the witches to have us, he won’t stop until every last one of us is in their hands. Which is why I have to get to him first. Find out who is manipulating him.”

“What if he’s actually become a bad guy?” Ariel said. “What if no one’s manipulating him?”

Jett didn’t answer that.

She sighed and closed her eyes. Sealing out the world like that was a bad move: she was going to fall asleep at this rate.

She opened her heavy lids and gazed at Jett as he continued typing on his phone. She wouldn’t have long to wait. Thinking about all the things he was going to do to her, and she to him, revived her.

When he was finally done he stood, then plugged his phone into the outlet.

“You need to charge your phone?” Jett asked.

“It’s almost full,” Ariel said, not bothering to check.

“Okay.” He dimmed the light and removed his shirt, crumpling it into a ball that he tossed to the side of the cramped room the container provided.

She stared at his sculpted chest. Her throat fluttered as she began to purr. “Looking at your build never gets old.”

“My build now, huh?” Jett said.

“Oh yeah,” Ariel said. “And that’s not all I’m looking at. What’s that strange bulging in your pants?” She tried to make her voice sound all innocent. It didn’t really work.

“That’s my cock,” Jett said.

“Cock.” She mouthed the words deliciously, and her breathing increased.

Jett smiled playfully. “That’s right. You’ve heard of those, haven’t you?”

“Oh no,” Ariel said. “I don’t know what a cock is.” She stared at his crotch, her breathing coming in short, ragged gasps already. She swallowed hard and glanced at his face, trying to distract herself. His eyes shone with amusement and desire in equal measures.

He kicked off his boots and opened his jeans, quickly sliding them off.

“You’re supposed to give me a strip tease…” Ariel said. Though honestly, she wasn’t overly concerned about that at the moment.

“You first,” Jett said.

She finally got her breathing under control and forced herself to sit up. “Oh I’ll give you a strip tease, big boy.”

She hummed softly, sinuously moving her upper body as she opened the buttons of her blouse. She glanced at him shyly, ready to giggle at the silliness of it all, but when she saw that all the amusement had left his eyes, leaving only sheer want, she lost the urge to laugh entirely. Instead, that look only stirred her own desires. Jett was a muscular hunk of a man, the hottest, sexiest in the entire world, once a dragon king, now the Alpha of a pride of shifters, and he was all hers.

Ariel continued to move, relishing in the power she held over him. She found herself staring at his crotch once more, at the immense bulge that ran from his core all along to the right side hem of his underwear.

“What’s with the sideways motion?” Jett said, his voice ragged. “Are you supposed to be a snake charmer or something? Because my snake is certainly charmed...”

Ariel laughed. “Silly! Way to go and break the mood.” She stopped humming and tore off her top in frustration. “No more strip tease for you.”

Jett was staring at her chest. The fire had never left his eyes, which blazed even more fervently with desire. “Thank God.”

“I might have to start wearing underwear again,” Ariel said, teasing.

“Please don’t,” Jett said quietly.

“What, sick of foreplay already?” Ariel taunted.

“Screw foreplay. I’m going to fuck you right now.” He ripped off his underwear and his swollen member sprung forth. Mesmerized, she couldn’t take her eyes off it. All thoughts of foreplay were completely forgotten. She wanted him and she wanted him now.

Her breathing was out of control.

She didn’t want him to fuck her so soon. She needed every moment with Jett to last, especially tonight. All this talk of him running away alone bothered her. She wouldn’t allow it, of course, and she would come with him no matter what he said. Even so, it made her worry that one of them might not be returning from Midnight.

She forced the thought away. She was going to make this a night to remember. Her eyes focused on his extremely swollen member and all her doubts vanished.

“You’re the snake charmer,” Ariel said, panting with desire. “Or maybe it’s just your snake has such hypnotic eyes.”

“Only one eye,” Jett said. “And it’s not a snake, but a dragon.”

“I’ll say,” Ariel told him, smiling eagerly.

She quickly slid off her own pants so that she was completely naked. Jett reached the edge of the futon and started to kneel...

“Oh no you don’t,” Ariel said.

Before he could do anything, she rose to her knees and was on him. She licked her hand and grabbed the base of his shaft with her moist fingers; at the same time she slid her lips over the mushrooming tip.

Jett groaned as she swallowed as much of his member as she could. She would never be able to fit the whole thing inside her mouth of course, so she used her hand to make up the difference, sliding her nimble fingers up from the base of the shaft to her mouth at the same time.

Then she slid her mouth backward, returning her hand to the base, and then repeated the motion. Again, and again, making a slurping, sucking sound.

Jett moaned again, even more loudly.

She loved having her big man at her mercy like this. He was completely in her power. Completely.

You’re mine. All mine.

She had to be careful not to work him too long, however. It wouldn’t do for him to be spent before she had a chance to have her own fun.

When she decided he had had enough, she forced her mouth down as deep as she was able, until she felt her throat stretching and she couldn’t breathe. Then she slid back, sliding off his member.

“Oh fuuuuuck,” Jett said.

Then she lay back, and reached down to open her own throbbing center. It was swollen with arousal. She spread her legs, inviting Jett in.

When she looked at him, she could see his member pulsing visibly. She knew he wanted to take her right then and there, but instead he knelt, placing his head between her legs.

“My sweet dragon,” Ariel said. “Always putting my pleasure before his own.”

“Least I can do,” Jett said. “You did the same for me. At least tonight.”

“And so I did,” Ariel said. She squirmed as she felt his fingers enter her. He hadn’t even touched her clit yet, but she could already feel jolts of pleasure passing through her body at his touch. Whatever he was doing, it was working.

She slid her hands into his beautiful golden locks and scrunched her fingers. She squeezed her thighs, wrapping them around his head. She pressed them together hard. Really hard.

“Mmm,” Jett said. “I love your taste. And I love how you’re purring.”

She realized that yes, she had started purring once again. She couldn’t help it, not with a man like this.

She looked down at him, and watched his broad shoulders flex as he worked. Such beautiful muscles. She released his hair and slid her fingers down onto his shoulders, squeezing, feeling the striations in the muscles.

She felt so safe, and oh so good, in his hands.

She was getting close to her release, so close...

And then he stopped.

“No!” Ariel said.

Jett smiled wickedly, pulling back. “Hey, you did exactly the same to me.”

“You don’t play fair,” Ariel said.

“Never said I did.”

He slid off the futon and reached into the pockets of his pants to retrieve a condom.

“Maybe we don’t need a condom tonight,” Ariel said.

Jett hesitated.

He must have felt it, too. The worry that he might not be coming back from Midnight. And if he could give her one last gift, it would be his child.

But she couldn’t tell him that. Those words would have to be left unsaid.

He stared into her eyes, and she realized she didn’t have to tell him. He understood.

He seemed about to put the condom aside, but then abruptly put it on.

“Jett—” Ariel said.

“Stop worrying about something that’s not going to happen,” Jett said quietly.

And then he was inside her. He stretched her, filling her with pleasure and pain. His upper body fell down upon her, so that she was gazing into his chest. But then he leaned over, bringing her with him, so that they were side by side. And then he began to repeatedly slam into her, so hard that the entire futon moved. The mattress hit the shipping container, causing it to vibrate loudly. Again. Again.

Ariel hardly noticed through the sheer pleasure she felt.

“Jett Jett Jett,” Ariel said with each thrust. Mine mine mine.

“Ariel Ariel Ariel,” Jett said.

He bent over, kissing her firmly on the lips. His fiery eyes peered into hers, straight into her soul. They were one. One.

She opened and closed her mouth with his own, but their lips were slightly out of sync tonight. It was as if the kiss they shared was almost frantic. Their love making, too, had taken on a slightly desperate tone. Ariel wrapped her arms around him and tried to pull him to her tight, not wanting to let go. And he pounded harder than ever, as if he believed this really was the last time they’d ever be seeing each other.

Ariel told herself that she was imagining it all, but she had trouble shaking the feeling. She concentrated on the electrical sparks of pleasure that Jett ignited inside her with each thrust. She sensed her relief on the horizon...

And then she arched her back and curled her toes, and screamed Jett’s name one last time. Then she slumped.

She felt him convulsing inside her shortly afterward, and then he too went limp.

They lay there in each other’s arms for several moments. She listened to his sweet breathing, and ran a hand down his smooth chest, admiring him.

“I’m not going to lose you,” Ariel said softly. “Don’t go, don’t do this.”

Jett opened his eyes and peered down on her tenderly. He placed a gentle hand on her cheek. “I have to. You know I do. Facing Gabriel is the only way to protect us. We can’t run.”

“Then I’m coming,” Ariel said.

“No, my lioness,” Jett said. “I won’t see you step into harm’s way.”

She shoved his hand away from her cheek. “Silly dragon. You think I’m going to stay here while you go to face death alone? You gave up everything to be with me. Now it’s my turn to give up everything for you. I’m coming with you.”

“Face death... you make it sound like I’m going to die in Midnight,” Jett said. “I won’t.”

“Oh I know,” Ariel said. “That’s because I’ll be there with you to watch your back.”

He released her, and turned away from her to lie on his back, purposely avoiding her gaze. “Ariel, you know I—”

“I couldn’t live with myself if I let you go alone,” Ariel interrupted. She reached across his gorgeous chest and touched his cheek, turning his face toward hers. “If something happened to you, I’d never be able to live with myself, knowing that I could have been there to protect you. Otherwise, what was the point of sparring with you all those times? The point of learning the Strength? Of course it’s so that I can fight by your side when the time comes. I’m not letting you go alone.”

Jett studied her. “Stubborn lioness.”

“Damn right I’m stubborn,” Ariel said. “Especially when it comes to the safety of my dragon.”

He was quiet a moment, then his brow furrowed. “From what you just said, it almost sounds like you’re learning magic for me. I thought you were doing it for yourself.”

She smiled wistfully. “It’s partially for me, yes. But also to protect you.”

“I’m not sure I need your protecting,” Jett said. “But it is sweet of you.”

She lay back. It was her turn not to meet his eye. “You know, I guess a part of me still doesn’t feel worthy of you. Or at least used to feel that way. And I guess I thought that by learning this power inside of me, it would put us on more equal footing.”

Jett swiveled so that he was on top of her, holding his upper body off of hers with his forearms. “Oh my lioness, you’ve always been on equal footing with me.”

He kissed her squarely on the forehead.

“Love you,” Ariel said.

“And I you,” Jett said.

“Say the whole thing,” Ariel insisted.

“I love you,” Jett said.

“Better.” She kissed him on the lips and he returned it passionately.

She pulled away. “Are you going to let me come tomorrow?”

Jett sighed. He slid off of her. “I have a feeling I won’t be able to stop you.”

“No,” Ariel said. “Even if you decide to sneak away before dawn, I’ll hunt you down. Track your scent with my lion skills. Well actually, I won’t even have to do that. I already know where you’ll be going.”

“All right, you can come,” Jett said.

“Thank you!” Ariel told him. It was her turn to swing her body on top off his. She bent over to kiss him passionately on the lips.

“I just hope I don’t regret this,” Jett said, taking a moment to come up for air.

“You won’t,” Ariel said. “I promise you with all my heart.”