DAMON
Her hand found his, her fingers intertwining with a certainty that made his dragon rumble with satisfaction. “I know we still have a lot to learn about each other,” she said, her thumb tracing gentle circles over his knuckles. “And you have a lot of healing to do, mentally and physically. But I want to stay by your side through all of it. I can’t imagine my life without you now.”
The mate bond hummed between them, stronger than ever, weaving their souls together with invisible threads that defied logic and time. In her eyes, he saw his future—messy and complicated, yes, but worth fighting for.
“Things may be complicated right now,” she continued, echoing his thoughts, “but I’m choosing to stay and figure it out with you. I know we haven’t known each other long, but this bond... it makes me feel so deeply connected to you that it defies everything I thought I knew about love and time.”
Damon’s chest tightened with emotion as he lifted their joined hands to press a kiss to her knuckles. “That’s what a true mate bond is,” he said softly. “Despite everything else—danger, complications, fear—the bond is unbreakable between two people who are meant to be together.”
The truth of it settled between them like a vow. Through all his isolation, all his fear and self-imposed exile, this mate bond had been waiting for this moment.
“You are the sunshine to my darkness, Isla,” he continued, his eyes holding hers with a burning intensity. “I know you can help me heal and find my joy again. You already have.”
Her smile was radiant, transforming her entire face with warmth and hope. “Well, I certainly want to keep trying. And you... you’re the strength to my fragility.”
“You are not fragile,” Damon said sharply, his alpha nature bristling at the suggestion. His grip on her hand tightened protectively. “You’re smart and brave and quick-thinking. You acted so fast today to save me that I might not have survived if you’d just froze there like any other human might have.”
The memory of her racing to the café, organizing help, keeping pressure on his wounds while he bled—it all played through his mind like scenes from an epic tale. But this wasn’t fiction. This was his mate proving herself worthy of standing beside an Alpha dragon.
“You belong in this world, Isla. You belong by my side.”
Her chin lifted with that stubborn determination he was learning to love. “Well, I wasn’t going to just let other people decide whether we live or die. I was going to fight for both of us, and I will continue to do that.”
The fierce declaration sent heat racing through his veins. This was no helpless damsel waiting to be rescued—this was a warrior in her own right, choosing to stand and fight beside him.
Unable to resist, he pulled her close despite the protest from his wounds, capturing her lips in a kiss that tasted of promises and forever. When they finally broke apart, both breathing hard, he pressed his forehead against hers.
“Thank you,” he whispered, “for being my lifeline when I needed it most.”
A soft knock at the door interrupted the moment, and Evelina entered carrying a tray laden with steaming bowls and the rich aroma of hearty soup. Her knowing smile suggested she’d given them plenty of time for their reunion before interrupting.
“How are you feeling, nephew?” she asked, setting the tray on the bedside table.
“Better,” Damon admitted, though his jaw clenched as darker thoughts intruded. “But unsettled. How could an alliance with Veyrik form right under my nose? How did I miss the signs of betrayal in my own clan?”
Evelina’s expression turned blunt, her green eyes flashing with the kind of harsh truth only family could deliver. “Well, you were ruling from a distance for a century, Damon. Many people didn’t understand what that meant and took it personally. Thank goodness for Kaelith, who kept everything together for so long, or this could have happened much sooner.”
The words stung because they carried the weight of undeniable truth. His isolation hadn’t protected anyone—it had created the very vulnerability that nearly cost him everything today.
“Kaelith stepped up when he didn’t have to,” Damon agreed, humility settling heavy in his chest. “I hope that together we can fix this mess I’ve created.”
Evelina’s expression softened slightly. “Just eat and rest for now. We’ll handle everything in a few days. I’ll work with the loyal clan members in the meantime to build up morale and root out the traitors.”
“Thank you,” Damon said, meaning it.
After Evelina left, he and Isla shared their meal in comfortable silence, the simple act of eating together feeling profound after the day’s chaos. With each passing moment, he felt the mate bond strengthening between them, weaving themcloser together until he couldn’t imagine existing without her steady presence beside him.
If she hadn’t decided to stay yesterday, if she hadn’t fought for him today, he might be dead now.
TWENTY-NINE
ISLA
Four days of playing nurse to the most stubborn dragon shifter in existence had tested every ounce of patience Isla possessed. Each morning brought the same routine: Damon insisting he was fine, attempting to rise from bed with masculine pride intact, and Isla firmly pushing him back down with increasingly creative threats.
“The clan needs—” he’d start, only to be cut off by her.
“The clan needs their Alpha fully healed,” she’d replied every single time.
