Control,he reminded himself desperately.Maintain control.
But as he walked toward the mansion's back entrance, feeling her eyes on him every step of the way, Rune wondered how much longer he could keep fighting a battle he was increasingly certain he didn't want to win.
An hour later, water droplets fell from Rune's damp hair as he descended the mansion's grand staircase, the shower having done nothing to wash away the lingering sensation of Maple's body pressed against his dragon form. Every muscle in his frame remained coiled with tension, the mate bond thrumming beneath his skin, demanding completion.
The living area stretched before him in all its ancient grandeur—soaring stone walls adorned with tapestries that had witnessed centuries of dragon history, artifacts from civilizations that predated human memory arranged with careful precision along hand-carved shelves. The massive stone fireplace dominated the far wall, its hearth cold now but radiating the warmth of countless fires that had burned there over the millennia.
Maple stood before the mantelpiece, her fingers hovering just above a bronze ceremonial dagger that had belonged to his great-grandfather. The afternoon light streaming through the floor-to-ceiling windows caught the gold in her green eyes as she studied the intricate engravings with the reverence of someone who understood she was witnessing living history.
She belongs here,his dragon whispered with dangerous satisfaction.Look how she appreciates our treasures, how she respects what we've built.
Ben sat rigidly on the leather sofa, his usual easy demeanor replaced by the fidgeting energy of a man desperate to escape an increasingly complicated situation. His weathered hands twisted together as he glanced repeatedly toward the windows, as if calculating the fastest route back to familiar territory.
"Ben needs to get back to his girlfriend Jackie," Maple said, her voice carrying careful neutrality. "She's apparently losing her mind about him being gone without explanation, and I told him he can't leave because it's too dangerous."
Ben's shoulders sagged. "Jackie called six times in the past hour. She's convinced something terrible has happened, and honestly, she's not wrong."
Rune studied the man's genuine distress. "If Ben needs to leave, I can have a few of my men look after him until we figure out what's going on here," Rune said, forcing his voice to remainsteady despite the internal war raging between his protective instincts and his need to maintain control.
Ben's entire body seemed to deflate with gratitude. "That would be really appreciated. I need to get back to Jackie before she does something drastic like call the police."
"I understand completely. I can have Zarik give you a ride back to the city after our discussion here."
"That sounds great," Ben said, then pulled out his phone with the efficiency of someone eager to prove his usefulness. "I was able to get a list of who's part of that dragon forum online. I sent it to your email—the one I found on your Trigg Corporation website."
Rune retrieved his phone from his pocket, noting how Maple turned from the artifacts to watch him with that intense curiosity that never failed to make his pulse quicken. The email sat in his inbox like a small bomb waiting to detonate.
He opened the attachment and scrolled through the names, his jaw tightening as familiar entries appeared on the screen. "Serena and Elias are on the list."
"We realized that before you came down here," Maple said, moving closer to peer at his phone screen. Her proximity sent heat coursing through his veins, her citrus and rose scent making his dragon rumble with possessive satisfaction. "But we still don't know what that means. Why are those two on this dragon forum, and why were they meeting at that restaurant today?"
Rune forced himself to step back, putting necessary distance between them before his control shattered. "I don't know, but what I realized during our surveillance was that Elias is not human. He's a rogue dragon shifter."
Maple's eyes widened with genuine shock. "Are you sure?"
"Completely sure. His scent was written all over him—smoke and ash, the signature of someone who's abandoned clan loyaltyfor personal gain." Rune's voice carried the authority of five centuries spent identifying threats to his territory. "Rogues are dangerous because they have no code, no allegiance except to their own ambition."
Ben leaned forward on the sofa, his archaeological mind clearly working through the implications. "Well, the only thing that makes sense is if they're trying to hunt down dragon relics just like you were, Maple."
Maple shook her head, her expression troubled. "But they're both reputable academics. Serena's competitive, but she's never seemed like the type to chase dragons. Neither of them struck me as believers in anything supernatural."
"The world, as you've now realized, is not what it seems," Rune said, his tone holding the weight of five centuries spent protecting secrets from human discovery. "Clearly they're involved in something bigger. We just need to figure out what and why."
Ben stood from the sofa with renewed purpose. "Once I get back to the city, I can follow Serena. See where she goes, who she meets with besides Elias."
"That's not safe, Ben," Maple protested, her protective instincts flaring.
"I'll be careful," Ben assured her, then looked to Rune with the respect of someone who understood hierarchy. "Besides, I'll have Rune's men close by in case any trouble happens."
Maple's jaw tightened with frustration, but Rune could see her analytical mind weighing the value of surveillance against the risks. "Fine, but if you sense any trouble at all, you better not play hero."
"I won't," Ben promised.
Rune dialed Zarik's number, his loyal enforcer answering on the first ring with military efficiency.
"Zarik, I need you to come by with Caius. You'll be taking Ben back to the city and serving as his security detail for a while."
"Understood," came the crisp reply.
