Dragon didn’t close his eyes. He stared straight ahead.

Peace descended upon him as he realized that he had saved Jade after all. If he hadn’t let her leave as was her desire, she would probably be at his side now.

“There’s another ship!” The first mate screamed the words, wildly waving his hands to catch the attention of everyone on the deck, then pointing at the porthole.

Dragon squinted, trying to make sense of the shadow rapidly growing in the blind spot behind the man-of-war.

A pink explosion brightened the white halo as the blast engulfed the man-of-war.

Time stood still, freezing Dragon’s heartbeat in his chest.

A collective shout went out as time resumed its course and the enemy ship fractured in a million pieces.

A moment later, the second ship came into sight, signaling its identity and intentions.

“It’s Sea Wolf,” the first mate said, his voice a raspy whisper, but everyone heard him as if he had shouted. “It’s Valentine Lobo’s.”

“Thank him,” Dragon said. “Profusely.”

* * *

Two months later.

“Daddy, Daddy!” Valemir called.

Dragon watched as the small child took a few tentative steps toward his father.

“Good job, Valemir,” Valentine said, a proud light shining in his usually hard gaze.

The child’s last few steps fumbled, and he ended up flying into his father’s safe embrace. “Love you, Daddy.”

“Love you, too, baby.” Valentine stood, cradling his son to his chest as he walked back to Dragon and Gabriel’s corner. “Any news from your assassin?” he asked Dragon as he lowered himself to the settee, taking care not to disturb Valemir. The boy had promptly popped his thumb into his mouth and closed his eyes for an impromptu nap.

Dragon shook his head. “Either the Jewel hasn’t landed yet in any of the ports I’ve sent my message to, or Jade is ignoring me.” He had made sure his note would be delivered to each one of the Outer Belts’ outposts, five thousand of them and counting, for what could only be estimated as a ransom of stellar proportions. Still, it was worth it if Jade ever answered him back. He massaged his face, feeling the stubble against his fingers.

“I knew she would try to cover her tracks and make it impossible for me to find her, but I thought—” Dragon’s hand found its way into his mane. “I don’t know what I thought.” He shook his head and chuckled sadly. “If I was even thinking at all.”

“I can only sympathize with you.” Valentine looked at his son who made the most adorable noises, sucking his thumb. “Since Mirella entered my life, I haven’t had a straight thought. It’s only emotions and feelings governing my actions, and the need to protect my loved ones.”

“I can’t say I’ve experienced what you two have, but I’m here to lend any support you might need, brother,” Gabriel said.

“We’ll find her.” Valentine brought his free hand to Valemir’s head, his large fingers playing with the soft curls. “You aren’t alone.”

“Thank you.” Dragon pressed his fist against his chest.

His friends’ commitment to help him find Jade meant more than words could convey. Since she left, his life had slowly descended into hell. Trying to fix things between him and his now ex-betrotheds had only strained the already rocky relationship.

The princesses’ families had accepted Dragon’s terms but requested that Lauren and Gilda remain at Sol Manor until the rebels’ threat was dealt with. The families argued that the princesses were still a target, even if their status had changed, and the safest place on all of Solaria was under the High Lord’s roof. Dragon had the hunch that both Lauren and Gilda were behind the request for completely different reasons, but splitting his army to provide his ex-betrotheds with the necessary protection against an attack would not be ideal. So, they stayed.

On top of an already uncomfortable situation, the near-death brush with the man-of-war two months earlier had left everyone shaken. If it weren’t for Valentine’s timely arrival, both Ferocity and Celestial Star would be drifting aimlessly in space with their dead crew.

“Do we have any news on the Front Pro Humanity?” Valentine asked, changing topic. The man skirted thanks like the plague.

“No, and it worries me.” Dragon stretched his long legs in front of him before crossing his boots at the ankles.

The terrorists behind all the attacks on Lupine, and now on Solaria, had been silent since the space battle.

“Has your technician found anything useful in the black box?” Valentine asked Gabriel.

Soon after Sea Wolf arrived at the scene, taking the mercenaries by surprise by attacking them with more fire than they had expected, the man-of-war exploded. They would never know the truth, but one thing was sure: the death-rings had been activated, destroying the ship to smithereens. After more than a month combing through the space flotsam, Gabriel’s crew had retrieved the mangled black box.

“No, he hasn’t. The damage was too extensive.” Gabriel reached for the flute on the side table and swirled the long stem between his fingers. The dark-red Laurum sloshed against the crystal walls of the glass, leaving a blood-like stain.

Dragon thought that for a vampire, Gabriel kept his feeding habits a secret. Martelli could be seen drinking his special reserve wines, but nobody knew how Gabriel sustained himself. In fact, when Dragon asked if he or his Celestian entourage and crew needed any special accommodation for their meals, Gabriel thanked him and said everything was already taken care of.

“We expected that opening the black box wouldn’t be of any help,” Dragon said. “It still sucks, though.”

The peace and quiet they were experiencing felt wrong. After the assassins’ attacks and a space battle, standing idle unsettled Dragon. “We are like sitting ducks, waiting for the slaughter.”

“I don’t like it either, but I’ve learned to enjoy the little moments.” Valentine’s adoring gaze for his son was endearing.

A year ago, such a domesticated sight would have shocked Dragon. His previous experience with the werewolf had never given him the impression that the man was capable of tender emotions. If anything, ‘barbaric’ would come to mind if he had been pressed to think of a qualifying adjective for Valentine Lobo. Yet, during Dragon’s stay on Lupine, the man changed, becoming someone else entirely.

Dragon couldn’t help but remember that awful night when Valentine burst into his quarters and found his wife in bed with Dragon. The pain Dragon saw in his friend’s eyes would forever haunt him. The thought that Mirella had betrayed him made him act like a wounded beast. Valentine was out for blood, and Dragon thought he had understood his friend’s motivations. The truth was, only now that Dragon had so much to lose could he fully recognize the sentiments that governed a betrayed man.

What would Dragon do if he found Jade in someone else’s bed? They weren’t mated, but to him, their union was as binding as if he had marked and collared her in the way of the dragon. If Jade took a lover, would he lose his mind and challenge her companion? He couldn’t even bear to think of the possibility.

“Something wrong?” Gabriel asked.

“Thoughts not worth dwelling on.” Dragon stood and served himself a shot of Radessium from the liquor cabinet. He needed something stronger than the refined Laurum from Martelli’s vineyards. The Solarian spirit burned a path down Dragon’s throat and found his stomach empty. He pulled the ring for refreshments.

A few minutes later, the door opened, but it was Valerian who strode in, instead of the food. Immediately after, Lars, too, appeared at the door.

“Captain Durant made contact,” Lars said, waving a brown cable message before him. “The Jewel is on Belarus.”