Tasha let out a growl, trying to stand between them and the wolves who were beginning to shift as they got close.
“The Darkness, he’s weakened,” one of them said. All of them were practically slobbering.
“That’s enough,” a voice boomed out as two figures materialized in front of them, startling all the wolves.
Felix looked up to see a tall man with golden hair and pretty features next to a taller man with dark hair and blue eyes.
Then a bright-gold shimmering shield went up, covering Felix, Tasha, and Diana.
“Heal him,” the golden-haired one said to Diana. “It’s in you. Feel it.”
“Yeah,” the dark-haired one said, stepping forward with clenched fists. “We’ll take care of the dogs.”
Felix felt himself losing consciousness and looked up desperately at Diana. “I love you.”
And then he felt the darkness that others had gotten from him for so long.
Chapter 25
Diana was still in shock over everything that had happened, but she knew she had to focus as Felix slipped into unconsciousness in her arms.
“Do something,” Tasha said. “Now’s our chance.”
“I don’t know how,” Diana said, holding her head in desperation. “I’m not a dragon. I—”
“Dragon heart,” the stranger with gold hair said just before he breathed a huge cloud of black fire over the entire courtyard, leaving all the wolves choking in green smoke that seemed to burn anything in its path.
Diana didn’t know what it meant, but she knew she had to save Felix.
She lowered herself over him and brought her lips over his, breathing into his mouth.
She choked as she felt something cold rushing through her, out of her body and into her mate’s.
With a coughing fit, Felix stirred, pushing himself up in her arms and looking around, panicked. “What did I miss? What’s happening?”
Diana turned to see the two men who’d come to help them. The dark-haired one was using his shield to guard himself and his partner, while the partner destroyed everything in sight with black flames.
“Dragons,” Felix said, pushing himself up so he could wrap his arms around Diana. “Don’t worry, love. I’m back.”
She slumped in relief. “I’m so glad.”
Felix reached his hand out, flexing it into a fist. “I think I even have my powers back. You must have cured me from the serum as well.” He grinned at Diana. “Are we just unbeatable or what?”
She grimaced. “Don’t ever scare me like that again, doofus.” Then she hugged him tight, feeling safe for the first time since she’d last been in his arms.
Fire and destruction raged around them, but all she could do was hold her mate until it resolved.
When the shield finally lowered, all that was left was green ash and an empty compound.
And two dragons looking around like they were amused by how easy it had all been.
A car pulled up at the edge of the courtyard, and Lock stumbled out. He ran forward, with Benny and Max and their mates following close behind.
Lock didn’t stop until he reached Tasha, falling and wrapping his arms around her neck, holding her tightly. “I’m sorry, sweetheart. I’m sorry they even took you at all.”
“It was Lock’s idea to bring dragons,” Felix said. “We didn’t know how much firepower we would need.”
“Why didn’t they fight him from the start, then?” Diana asked, looking at the two strangers who were talking a few yards away from them.
“It took time to bring them in. Lock had to get the oracle to summon them. He knows other dragons, but these…”
“We’re the same type as the one you just faced.” The golden-haired dragon crouched beside them, looking Diana and Felix over. “Are you two okay, then?”
Diana nodded. “Um, what just happened?”
The dragon cocked his head to the side. His bright-green eyes were large and almond shaped, almost feline. He would almost look feminine if not for his tall, muscled shape.
Still, he was dwarfed by his partner, whom he turned to face.
“Draven, you want to explain things?”
Draven, the tall, dark-haired one of the pair, stepped forward grumpily. “Not really, Ran.”
Ran sighed, running a hand through his golden, collar-length hair. “I think the oracle could explain more thoroughly. We have to get back to our mate. She’s going to kill us for just taking off.”
“It’ll be fine,” Draven said, putting a hand on Ran’s shoulder.
“Wait,” Lock said. “So how come you guys could kill like a hundred wolves and not get in trouble, but that Byron guy got sucked to hell for just trying to kill one?”
“The oracle trusts us,” Draven said. “We aren’t on probation.”
“How did you know that, Fifi?” Benny asked. “Is it the same place that Van went?”
Felix shrugged one shoulder. “It’s not for me to say.”
“Bullshit,” Max said. “We had to watch our friends in danger, and—”
“Aw, Max,” Felix said, pushing himself to his feet again. “Are we really friends?”
“I meant Tasha and Diana,” Max muttered, stepping away from Felix’s offered hug. “But I suppose you as well, when you’re not being an idiot.”
Felix laughed, pulling Diana to her feet and wrapping his arms around her instead. He looked at Ran and Draven. “Thanks so much for coming. I think we now have it under control.”
Ran cocked his head at Diana. “Do you think the oracle will have any idea how she was able to harness the dragon?”
“No,” Draven said. “I thought only humans could possess a dragon heart.”
Ran worried his lower lip. “Diana, what’s your alpha power?”
She looked at Felix as if asking for permission to say. Wolves generally only shared their alpha powers with their mates, and Diana hadn’t even told him what hers was.
“I’ve never been able to use it,” Diana said. “But I’ve heard that my mother was a healer. For everyone except herself. So not quite like Felix.”
“My power only works on myself,” Felix agreed. “Unless I give someone my blood.”
“Me too.” Lock agreed.
Ran folded his arms. “Perhaps you have some latent dragon blood somewhere in your genetic lineup.”
“Is that possible?” Lock asked. “How?”
Ran sighed. “We don’t really know how wolves and dragons evolved so differently, but we do know things were more mingled than most people think the farther we go back. So it’s possible that maybe your great-great-great-great-great-great—”
“We get the idea,” Felix said sardonically, earning a scowl from Draven for interrupting Ran.
Ran just smiled. “Well, a distant relative might have had blue dragon blood. So if that’s what they injected in you, instead of turning you into a wyvern, it might have brought out the latent dragon inside.” He cocked his head. “Kind of an amazingly lucky event, honestly.”
Diana was still reeling as she tried to comprehend it. “So I’m not a wyvern? I’m a dragon?”
Ran nodded, crouching in front of her. “When you were fighting it, you might have been something in between a wolf and a dragon. A wyvern. But as soon as your mate was in danger, you became your real self.”
Diana just gaped in response, glad when Felix pulled her in close.
“Regardless, she’s mine, and you can leave now,” Felix said possessively, making Ran laugh.
“I have my own family, and I’d like to get home to them,” Ran said, standing and looking at Draven. “As I said, the oracle will be in touch.”
“Good-bye,” Draven said. Then he touched something at his neck, and a swirling blue portal appeared, clean and clear and nothing like the one that had taken Byron.
They stepped into it, and then, with a wave, they were gone.
“Fuck,” Lock said. “That was interesting.”
Tasha laughed, still in wolf form
. “To put it mildly.”
Max held on to Jackie. “See? Everything worked out fine.”
Jackie clutched Max’s shirt, trembling. “I’m just glad everyone is okay.”
“Can I have some clothing?” Tasha asked. “I’d like to shift back and not be naked.”
“Come on,” said Harley, holding out a duffel bag and pulling away from Benny’s hand. “Let’s go behind the building.”
Benny looked around at all of them. “Damn, what an exciting day.” He looked at Felix. “You almost died three times. I guess I should be lucky I only almost died once when I went up against one of those dragons.”
“I still don’t understand what they are doing,” Felix said darkly. “If they are supposed to be in pairs, why the fuck are they out here alone?”
Benny shrugged. “I mean, you’re the one who knows about the portals. Are you going to tell us about that?”
Felix shook his head. “If I did, I’d be getting a strike. Suffice it to say, Byron won’t be coming back here. Not without a very profound change of heart.”
Benny only looked more confused by that, but Diana just smiled.
She didn’t care about Byron or the portal. She didn’t care about the ashes of the wolves who wanted to see her and Felix dead. Who had done terrible things in the service of Byron.
She didn’t care that she was a dragon or a wyvern.
All she knew was that she was free. Finally free to be with her mate. The only man she’d ever been in love with.
She grabbed his hand and started toward his convertible. “Right now, I just want to go home.”
* * *
As the others piled in cars and drove home, Felix followed Diana to his convertible, wanting them to be alone.
When the others had left, he trapped her against the side of the car and kissed her, holding her by the arms and letting the smoky air trail by as he just stayed there, enjoying her warmth.
As always, the connection between them was incredible. When he raised his head, finally a little calmer after everything that had happened, he looked at the burnt buildings and the ash all around him.
“Even in my day, I never caused destruction like this,” he said softly.
She grimaced as she surveyed the scene. “I’m glad I’m not a dragon like that.”
“You’re beautiful,” he said, brushing her hair back, pulling out a stray speck of dust. “No matter what form you take. You could transform into the ugliest wyvern in the world and still be the most beautiful woman to me.”
She snorted. “Flatterer.” Then she leaned against the car, looking up at him. “So what exactly was the plan there? Get your ass beaten a whole bunch of times?”
“Sort of,” Felix said. “The plan was also to hold him off and make him think he was getting what he wanted until help arrived.”
“I’m surprised his shield could block your sleep power.” She shook her head. “God, I can’t believe you ran up and stabbed him like that when you didn’t have any abilities.”
Felix shrugged a shoulder. “I couldn’t let him hurt my mate.”
She sighed, and her brown eyes were sparkling and calm as she looked up at him. “I’m not saying I like being a dragon, but I did like being able to help my mate.”
“Feels good saying mate, doesn’t it?” He put an arm through hers and led her over to her side of the car. Then he opened the door for her and helped her inside before closing it gently.
When he got in on his side, he started it up and reached for the button to put the roof down, then stopped. “I don’t know if we should.”
“I’m all for freedom,” she said excitedly. “God, I still can’t believe it all worked out. Can you believe this all started because I came to kill you?”
“No.” He corrected. “It all started because I came to investigate you.”
“It all started because I caught you.”
“It all started because…” He laughed as he turned the wheel, taking them on a long, winding road down the canyon. “I don’t care why it started. I’m just glad it did.”
She was quiet for a moment, her short hair blowing in the wind as she looked out at the trees and the cold ocean beyond them.
Was she thinking about what they did that night?
“You know, after everything that has happened, I’m glad it did too.” Her beautiful dark skin glowed in the sunset as she smiled over at him. “The bad parts are in the past, and all we have is a glorious future.”
“Speaking of that, where do you want to live?” Felix asked. “We could stay at Club Crimson or move out to where my cousin lives with her mate in the mountains.”
“Cousin?”
“Yeah. Matt. Well, Lacy. Hard to explain. She was raised as a boy to take over the Tribunal. She mated Lock’s twin, if I’m correct.”
“And they live in the mountains?”
He nodded.
“It’s hard to choose,” she said. “I like our new friends at Club Crimson, but I love living near wilderness as well.”
“You don’t have to decide now. We have time to figure things out. Well, except one thing that I’d like you to decide on right now.” He reached into his jacket and pulled out the ring box, which was slightly scuffed from him getting knocked around. “I know I should be kneeling, but I don’t even want to pull over before this happens.”
She took the box, and he hated that he had to keep his eyes on the road and only glance over occasionally. “What is it?”
“Open it.”
She did, and he heard her gasp as she caught the gleam of glittering diamonds. “Oh my God, why?”
He smiled. “I wanted something to make us officially mated. Of course, if you want a wedding ceremony, that’s fine as well. But even though we mated, I never got to officially ask you.”
She smirked. “You’re right. You’re supposed to get down on one knee.”
“I will pull over right now—”
“No,” she said, taking the ring out and slipping it over her finger. “Perfect fit.” She held it out and let it gleam in the sunlight. “Plus, it’s beautiful, so I can forgive you just handing it to me.”
He took the opportunity of a straight stretch of road to look over at her. “Diana, will you mate me?”
“Obviously.” She threw herself over to hug him while he grinned and tried to take control of the wheel.
When she pulled back, her sigh was one of pure happiness. “So how’d you pick it?”
“I ordered it the day I met you. After fighting those guys with the ducks. Today, I was just taking Lock to see the finished product.”
“It’s so interesting. I’ve never seen a ring like it. I love how all the diamonds spiral in and you can’t tell where they begin or end.”
“I saw it in a shop window and knew I had to have it,” Felix said. “It was an antique and needed to be restored and sized, but I knew it was the one for us.”
“And you knew you wanted to mate me from that day at the pond?”
Felix shook his head. “No, I knew I wanted to mate you as soon as I realized you weren’t dead and it was a possibility. You were always it for me, Diana.”
“You really didn’t turn me in,” she said, turning her ring around on her finger thoughtfully. “I realized it as soon as I saw your reaction to me, so happy to see me, but it took a while for it to sink in. For me to be less bitter.”
“So you were going to say yes to being with me, even before we took down the compound?”
She nodded. “I didn’t know how it was going to work. Damn, I should have had my guard up better. I didn’t know Byron was a dragon and that he could be invisible.”
“That’s right, you can go invisible too,” Felix said. “Like you did the first night you came back.”
“God, that was hot,” Diana said, grinning shyly over at him.
Felix gripped the steering wheel a little tighter. “There’s a hotel in the next town if we don’t want to go all the way to Club Crimson just yet. Tha
t is if you aren’t too tired—”
She put a hand over his. “I think if we’ve learned one thing from all of this, it’s that I will always want you. I wanted you then, I want you now, and I’ll want you forever. But yes, I want to go to a hotel.”
“All right,” he said, setting his map to the nearest lodging. “Anything for my mate.”
She was still looking at the ring as is sparkled. “We do have to celebrate, after all.”
Chapter 26
Felix barely had time to get the key to their cabin from the proprietor before Diana was grabbing him by the collar and kissing him, shoving him in the direction of their room.
“Easy,” he said, reaching behind him to undo the lock as she pressed kisses over his neck and collarbone.
He loved how short she was compared to him.
He opened the door behind them, caught her when she stumbled forward, and then set her on her feet so they could look around.
The cabin was quaint but well kept, with wood floors covered by a green area rug, rustic furnishings, and a huge bed covered by a pine tree pattern comforter.
Diana let out a long breath as she sat down on it, then flopped onto her back.
She was wearing her outfit from the fight. A blue button-up flannel shirt over a tank top and jeans. There was still a dirt smudge here or there, but overall, she looked like she hadn’t been hurt.
And there was his ring on her finger.
Finally.
So much waiting. So much wanting. There was a smudge on her hand next to the ring, and it gave him a sudden idea.
He reached out, grasping her by the arms. “Come on. Let’s take a shower together.”
“Boring,” she said, groaning as she let him pull her up. “Can’t we do it here?” Her hands raked down his chest. “I’m ready.”
He laughed as he hefted her up against his chest, glad when she put her arms around his neck.
Finally, she fully trusted him.
“It’ll be better this way. You’ll see.” He carried her into the bathroom, which had a big glass shower in it with multiple showerheads. It was nicer than he’d expected but worked well for what he wanted to do.
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