For a dragon shifter who typically required substantial rest, it was a testament to how thoroughly this situation was unraveling his carefully maintained control. To make matters worse, his dragon had woken him before dawn, demanding action.
Find her. Claim her. Make her ours.
But Rune had spent centuries learning to deny his dragon's more primitive urges. The beast wanted immediate gratification, instant bonding, the kind of consuming connection that had turned his father from a powerful Alpha into a broken shell of a man after his mate's death.
No. I won't become him.
The heat flared again, stronger this time, and Rune's eyes flashed fully gold as his grip on the window frame left hairline cracks in the reinforced wood. She was close now—not just touching the marker, but physically in his territory. He could feel her presence like a magnetic pull.
The trap is closing.
For the first time in five centuries, Rune Trigg felt like prey instead of predator.
The sharp ring of his cell phone cut through the tension like a blade, and he nearly jumped—an involuntary reaction that would have been embarrassing if anyone had witnessed it. Alphas didn't startle. They didn't lose control. They certainly didn't let ancient magic reduce them to the emotional state ofan inexperienced Alpha. He glanced at the caller ID and felt his stomach drop.
Bram.
Rune answered on the third ring, his voice carefully controlled despite the chaos in him. "What is it, Bram?"
"There's a situation that's developed, and you need to come to the town council building immediately."
The elder's tone carried that particular blend of authority and satisfaction that Rune had learned to distrust over the centuries. Bram never called with good news, and he especially never called with the kind of barely contained excitement that colored his voice now.
"What kind of situation?" Rune kept his tone level, but his free hand clenched into a fist.
"I can't really discuss it over the phone, but it's urgent."
Bram's refusal to provide details confirmed Rune's worst suspicions. This had everything to do with the claim marker, which meant his mate was likely sitting in Bram's office right now, probably being filled with centuries of dragon tradition and mate bond propaganda.
The heat pulsed through him again, and Rune realized she was close enough now that the connection was becoming nearly unbearable. His dragon thrashed against the mental barriers he'd built, demanding action, demandingher.
"Fine," he heard himself saying, though every instinct screamed against walking into what was obviously a trap. "I'll be there in ten minutes."
He could handle this. He'd built an empire, commanded respect, survived five centuries without succumbing to the weakness that was emotional attachment. One woman with a claim marker wasn't going to destroy everything he'd built.
The ten-minute drive to the town council building felt like an eternity, every second stretching as the ancient magic pulsedthrough Rune's veins with increasing intensity. His knuckles had gone white against the steering wheel, the leather creaking under the pressure of his grip. By the time he pulled into the parking space, his dragon was clawing at his mental barriers like a caged beast desperate for freedom.
Control. You've maintained it for five centuries. Don't lose it now.
But the moment he stepped through the front entrance of the building, every carefully constructed wall he'd built around himself crumbled to dust.
The scent hit him like a tidal wave—sweet citrus intertwined with the delicate essence of roses, a combination so intoxicating it nearly brought him to his knees. His hand shot out to brace against the wall, his fingers digging into the painted surface as he fought to remain upright. The fragrance wrapped around him like silk, flooding his lungs and setting every nerve ending ablaze with recognition.
Mine.
His dragon roared the word with such force that Rune actually staggered, his vision flashing gold as the beast surged toward the surface.
"No," he growled under his breath. "This can't be happening."
But his traitorous body had already begun responding to her proximity. Heat flooded his system and his pulse hammered against his throat as primal instincts he'd spent centuries suppressing roared with urgency. Every step toward Bram's office felt like walking through molten honey, the ancient magic pulling him forward while his rational mind screamed in protest.
Get control of yourself. You walk in there, tell this woman she trespassed on your land, demand an explanation, press charges, and walk away. Simple and clean.
The plan sounded reasonable enough in his head, but his dragon had other ideas entirely. With each step down the corridor, the beast's demands grew more insistent, more violent.
You will not send our mate away. You need to claim her. Mark her. Make her understand what she is to us.
"No," Rune repeated through gritted teeth, his jaw clenched so tightly it ached.
