I want to fly.
Not yet.I run my hand along her jaw, scales smooth and warm beneath my touch.First you need to shift back. Prove you can control both forms before we test the sky.
She shifts back to human form instantly, the mist swirling as her body reforms. I catch her before she sinks beneath the water. Her legs give out, exhaustion crashes over her. I lift her from the pool and lower us both to the cave floor, cradling her against my chest.
"Easy." My voice is rougher than intended. "The first transformation takes everything. Your body needs time to adjust."
"I'm a dragon." Wonder threads through her voice despite the exhaustion. "I can feel it. Fire in my chest. Wings in my shoulders. It's like having phantom limbs that are also completely real."
"You're my dragon." I pull her closer, needing the contact, needing proof she's here and whole and mine. "My mate. Bound for eternity."
Through the bond, her mind brushes mine again. Satisfaction. A possessive edge that echoes what I feel. And beneath it, love that’s been building since the moment she walked into my cave asking questions about drowning patterns.
You're mine now. Forever.
The thought travels through the bond without effort. Telepathic link as natural as breathing.
I know.The response comes just as easily.I chose this.
The moment stretches, perfect and complete. Our heartbeats synchronize through the bond. Our breathing rhythm matches. Two bodies, two minds, one connection that goes deeper than flesh or thought.
My phone vibrates against the stone where I left it near the cave entrance. The intrusion shatters the moment.
I consider ignoring it. Nothing matters except the woman in my arms, the bond settling between us, the claiming that's finally complete. But the Brotherhood doesn't call without reason.
Lila tenses against me, feeling the change in my focus. "Answer it."
I retrieve the phone, keeping her tucked against my side. Declan's name displays on the screen.
"Talk." I answer without preamble.
"The operatives are mobilizing." Declan's voice has the flat urgency of someone delivering battle orders. "We've been tracking movement at the eastern caves since nightfall. Activity near the ritual sites. Whatever timeline Mikhail was following, he's accelerating it."
"When." It's not a question.
"Best guess? Attack comes tomorrow. Maybe sooner."
The timeline is impossibly short. Less than a day for Lila to master abilities she's had for minutes. Less than a day to prepare for a fight that's been building for centuries.
The transformation drained her. She's trembling in my arms, barely able to hold her head up, and Mikhail's operatives are mobilizing for an attack that could come in hours.
"Understood. We'll be ready." I end the call before Declan can argue.
Lila moves in my arms, forcing herself to sit up despite the fatigue pulling at her. "How long do I have?"
"To learn to fight as a dragon?" I help her stand, steadying her when she sways. "Not long enough."
"Then teach me fast." Determination sets her jaw. She pushes through the exhaustion like fire through smoke. "Mikhail's counting on me being weak. Untested. Easy prey while you're distracted protecting me."
"You are untested." Brutal honesty, because lying to her now would get her killed tomorrow. "You've been a dragon for minutes. Fighting in dragon form takes practice. Control. Understanding of your limits."
"So teach me." She pulls away from my support. Stands on her own despite legs that shake. "We have until tomorrow. That's more time than I had to disrupt his ritual last time."
Pride surges across the link. My mate. Brilliant, brave, refusing to be protected.
"Try calling for a shift on your own." I step back, giving her space. "Just the transformation. Don't attempt flight yet."
Her eyes close. The instinct is there, coiled tight beneath her skin, but she's trying to force it. Pushing instead of letting it flow.
