The sound of Kaelith moving, probably already heading to implement orders, came through the phone. “What about you? Please tell me you’re not planning to hole up at your place while the rest of us handle this.”
Damon paused in his packing, a black t-shirt halfway to the bag. The question struck deeper than Kaelith probably intended—cutting straight to the heart of everything that needed to change.
“I’m moving into Evelina’s estate. Temporarily.” He resumed packing with sharp, efficient movements. “To oversee her recovery and ensure Isla’s protection.”
“And to actually lead your clan instead of delegating everything to me?” The hint of challenge in Kaelith’s tone would have been insubordination from anyone else. From him, it was a necessary truth.
“Yes.” The word came easier than Damon had expected. “No more distance. No more leading from the shadows.”
“About damn time,” Kaelith muttered. “The clan’s been questioning your commitment for months and looking to me for stability.”
“That ends now.” Damon’s voice carried the ring of absolute authority—the Alpha finally awakening after a century of slumber. “Implement the security measures immediately. I want a full report on clan morale and loyalty within twenty-four hours. And Kaelith?”
“Yes?”
“Thank you. For holding everything together while I fell apart.”
The admission hung between them, weighted with decades of unspoken truth.
“That’s what family does. I’m just glad to see you finally stepping up.”
Damon ended the call and finished packing with mechanical precision. Clean clothes, weapons, the few personal items that mattered—everything he’d need to wage war while protecting the woman who’d already claimed his heart whether she wanted it or not.
Isla told me I’d have to earn her trust through action. Well, here’s my chance.
His reflection in the bedroom mirror showed a man transformed—no longer the isolated recluse hiding from responsibility, but a dragon lord preparing for battle. The change went deeper than appearance; it resonated in his bones, in the way his dragon had settled into ready alertness instead of restless anxiety.
No more running. No more distance. Time to be the Alpha they deserve and the mate she deserves.
He shouldered the duffel bag and headed for the door, leaving behind the sanctuary that had become a prison. Outside, the setting sun painted Everflame Isle in shades of fire andpromise, and Damon felt ready to fight for his future instead of hiding from his past.
SEVENTEEN
ISLA
The chair beside Evelina’s bed had become Isla’s anchor in a world that felt increasingly dangerous. She watched the steady rise and fall of the older woman’s chest, each breath a reassurance that they’d both survived what should have been a simple shopping trip. The late afternoon light filtering through the bedroom’s tall windows cast everything in golden hues, but Isla’s mind kept replaying darker moments—the terrifying sound of dragon roars echoing across Crimson Ridge, the metallic scent of blood, and the way her heart had nearly stopped when Sylara’s massive dragon form had turned those predatory eyes toward her.
I really thought I was going to die today.
The memory sent a shiver down her spine despite the room’s warmth. She’d faced heartbreak, loss, even the slow devastation of watching her parents fade away—but nothing had prepared her for the primal terror of being prey to something so much larger and more powerful than herself. Evelina’s courage in that moment had been staggering, the elegant woman transforming into a fierce blue dragon without hesitation to protect someone she’d known for less than forty-eight hours.
But it was the memory of salvation that made Isla’s pulse quicken even now. That massive obsidian dragon form cutting through the sky like vengeance itself, green eyes blazing with protective fury as Damon had descended upon their attackers. The raw power he’d wielded, the controlled violence that had sent two enemy dragons fleeing—it should have terrified her. Instead, she’d felt something closer to awe.
He came for us. He came for me.
The flight back to Everflame Isle replayed in vivid detail: the careful way Damon had moved, the steady rhythm of his wings, and the heat radiating from his scales. Even in dragon form, his protective instincts had been evident in every movement and every adjustment to ensure their safety.
Then the transformation back to his human form—that moment when the fearsome dragon had dissolved into the man who’d swept Evelina into his arms with such tenderness during their kiss. Isla had seen past the controlled exterior then, glimpsed the depth of love and responsibility that drove him. This wasn’t the emotionally distant man who’d told her she was a problem in his life. This was a natural leader responding to crisis with the kind of decisive authority that made others instinctively follow.
“I will always protect you,” he’d said, and those words had resonated through her entire being with the weight of absolute truth.
Her initial frustration at his decision that he’d be staying at the estate had been reflexive—the knee-jerk response of someone who’d demanded space only hours earlier. But watching him coordinate Evelina’s care, seeing the way he’d taken charge without hesitation, had shifted something fundamental in her understanding. This wasn’t about forcing proximity or ignoring her boundaries. This was about a man finally stepping up to be the leader his people needed.
The soft rustle of sheets drew Isla from her thoughts as Evelina’s green eyes fluttered open, immediately alert despite her ordeal. Dragon healing was apparently as impressive as dragon strength.
“How are you feeling?” Isla leaned forward, relief flooding through her.
“Like I’ve been trampled by a herd of wild horses, but better than expected.” Evelina’s voice carried its usual warmth despite the slight rasp. “Dragon healing has its advantages—I can already feel my body mending itself.”
