Amelia thought she heard horses behind her, so she veered off the path into the forest, hiding behind the trees. She tethered her horse and slipped from its back, creeping back toward the path slowly. She stopped walking a few feet from the path and crouched behind a bush listening for the horses she thought she had heard. She waited. She heard the soft neighing but there weren't any hoof beats on the ground. She squinted behind her on the path, but she couldn't make out anyone coming up from behind. The neighing was getting louder. She would see them soon. She held her breath and waited. She kept watching the trail when suddenly a loud whooshing sound was heard overhead. She looked up just in time to see impleva pass overhead. There were four of them. She squinted in disbelief. She'd never seen one up close in person. That meant dragons were near, maybe even close enough that she could claim sanctuary with them and ride back to Daikon. She raced back to her horse and j

It had taken a small amount of convincing, but Emilie was tucked between Nate and Kevin, much to their relief, on an impleva heading toward Daikon. Nate was grateful he could feel Emilie behind him as he flew toward the dragon kingdom. She was his ticket. He had several battles to fight to get Izzy back, but placating Firam was the first and foremost important one. Nate's impleva led the way, Seth and Logan followed with their mates, and Theo came in the rear with Arielle safely stowed on the impleva in front of him. He could not believe he had found her at long last. She had escaped him years ago, but it only took one fateful day and she had waltzed back in his life as if nothing had changed. She was here with him, and she was going back to Daikon with him. He had a long wait to claim her, but if he could convince her to stay in Daikon, he had no doubt he would succeed next June. He would find the thing she treasured most, and he would win her heart. He

Nate stood watch outside Izzy’s door despite the guards in the hallway. He didn’t want anyone else sneaking past him into Izzy’s room. He could smell her heat and it was nearly unbearable. He wanted to rush in, to scoop her in his arms and hold her tight but he had to respect the request of the king.The dragon’s pox was a vicious virus. It was nearly impossible for a shifter to catch without direct contact with an infected person. The fact that Izzy would have had to contact an infected dragon made him wonder how she had managed to catch the virus while he was away.“I thought I’d find you up here,” Marchessa’s voice ran down the hall. Her sultry tones were teasing as she walked down the hall toward Nate. Her swaying hips and tight dress were sending signals that Nate didn’t want to deal with.“You thought you’d find me in front of my mate’s door while she is ill? Good guess,” Nate sa

The king of Daikon was a powerful man, one of the most formidable men that had ruled Daikon in centuries. He had a presence that intimidated even his closest friends when he was in a temper. The footsteps pounded down the hall, coming closer and closer to his room. He could feel a change in the air. He didn’t know where it came from or what caused it, but the change was important. The air pulsed with the secrets that waited to be told. He considered the change, tucking away the feeling to analyze later. “What is it?” Neil asked, turning expectantly toward Theo as the door opened to reveal the dragon rushing into his office. “Cliff is on our border. He’s been sighted. Bram thinks he intends to come into our territory. He is looking for his mate,” Theo said with urgency in his voice. “He’s lost her already?” Neil said with a smirk. The news made him happy. At least Cliff didn’t have her in his hands any longer. He frowned at the news once the initial hu

Izzy opened her eyes slowly, letting herself adjust to the bright sun shining through the open blinds. It was mid-morning and she had finally slept through the night without a night terror. She felt a hand grasping her own and she looked to her left, seeing her mate in a chair by her bed.Nate was stretched out as far as he could in the chair, his feet propped on the bed, his head resting on the back of the seat cushion. He must have heard her wake up because he lifted his head and opened his eyes, assessing the room in alarm. Seeing no problem, his face relaxed and settled on Izzy's."That can't be comfortable," Izzy said softly as she gestured toward his chair with her free hand."It's the best sleep I've gotten in weeks," Nate replied honestly as he stretched his neck and back gently while sitting up. His eyes had dark circles underneath; his cheeks were gaunt from lack of sleep. He looked worse than Izzy and that was saying something.Izzy smiled at h