“I can’t compromise her role here. My mental stability depends on her professional help, but how am I supposed to maintain boundaries when everything screams at me to claim her?”
“Keep that knowledge private for now,” Jarek advised, his expression growing serious. “Maintain those professional boundaries. But...” A grin tugged at his lips. “Maybe you could flirt a little. Test the waters without jeopardizing her mission.”
Draven’s communicator buzzed, interrupting his response. Veyra’s face appeared on the small screen, her blonde hair perfectly styled and her pale blue eyes sharp with concern.
“Draven, darling, I’m calling to check on you after yesterday’s episode. How are you feeling today?”
Something in her tone set his teeth on edge. “I’m managing,” he replied curtly.
“You seem... different. Did something happen today?”
My fated mate arrived and turned my world upside down.
“Dr. Reyes from Earth arrived to begin therapy sessions at my mother’s request.”
Veyra’s expression darkened almost imperceptibly. “A human therapist? From Earth? That seems excessive and unnecessary.”
The dismissive tone sparked protective anger in Draven’s chest. “Dr. Reyes will be staying for two weeks to provide intensive treatment. My mental stability is the priority right now.”
“Of course.” Veyra’s smile looked strained. “I wish you luck with... that.”
She ended the call abruptly, leaving Draven staring at the blank screen with growing unease.
“That was odd,” Jarek observed.
Before Draven could respond, his communicator buzzed again. This time, Corin Vale’s familiar face appeared—the human rogue who’d proven useful in territorial negotiations.
“Your Majesty.” Corin’s gray eyes held an intensity that immediately put Draven on alert. “I hope you don’t mind the intrusion, but I’ve come across some information that might interest you.”
“What kind of information?”
“About your... condition. I’ve heard rumors of a cure that actually works without a fated mate.” Corin leaned closer to his screen. “The fire madness can be permanently cured through a mate bond with another dragon shifter using this antidote.”
Draven’s blood chilled. “And you’re telling me this because?”
“Councilor Veyra has been researching this extensively. She believes she could provide the stabilization you need.” Corin’s smile was carefully neutral. “Just something to consider for immediate relief, Your Majesty.”
The call ended, and Draven stared at the dark screen with his mind reeling.
“The timing of all this is convenient,” Jarek said quietly.
Draven nodded, his thoughts churning with confusion and suspicion.
What game are they playing?
But beneath the political calculations, his dragon remained utterly certain. Lila was his fated mate. The mate bond was real and undeniable. Whatever Veyra and Corin were scheming, it couldn’t change that fundamental truth.
The question was whether he could resist the temptation of their immediate cure long enough to see if Lila would ever choose him. Or if time would run out before then and the fire madness consumed him entirely.
FIVE
LILA
Lila settled into the plush armchair by the panoramic windows of her guest suite while her mind still reeled from the encounter with Draven. The twin suns cast crimson light across the volcanic landscape beyond the glass, but she barely noticed the breathtaking view. Her thoughts remained fixated on those piercing golden-brown eyes and the way her entire body had responded when their hands touched.
What the hell was that?
She’d worked with attractive clients before—handsome CEOs, charming politicians, even a few Hollywood types who’d wandered into her Santa Monica clinic. But nothing had prepared her for the raw magnetism that radiated from the dragon king like heat from molten lava.
