Sexual tension crackled between them with enough intensity to light the room. Every shared breath felt charged and every accidental brush of skin sent heat spiraling through her core. The mate bond pulled at her constantly now, whispering that he was right there, that she could simply reach out and touch him, could slide her fingers through his dark hair and remind him how perfectly they'd fit together.
But she forced herself to focus on the screen as information about Dr. Elias Vorn populated the browser. On the surface, everything appeared legitimate—prestigious university appointments, published research, glowing recommendations from respected institutions.
"Try searching the dragon forum," she suggested, her voice slightly breathless from his nearness. "And those fringe websites where I first heard dragon rumors."
Rune's typing became more aggressive as they dove deeper into the internet's shadowy corners. Within minutes, a different picture began to emerge. Elias Vorn's name appeared in connection with private collectors, black market dealers, and archaeological sites where artifacts had mysteriously vanished.
"I don't like where this is heading," Maple murmured, watching the evidence accumulate on screen.
Serena's name appeared with increasing frequency alongside Elias's, their partnership extending far beyond today's restaurant meeting. Financial records, shipping manifests, correspondence with buyers who preferred anonymity—all of it painted a picture of systematic artifact trafficking disguised as legitimate research.
Rune opened another database, this one clearly connected to dragon clan records rather than human institutions. His fingers flew across the keys as he searched through centuries of lineage and territorial disputes.
"Here," he said grimly. "Elias Vorn. Exiled from the Shadowmere clan a hundred years ago for attempting to seize control through force."
The photograph that accompanied the record showed the same man they'd observed meeting Serena, but his eyes held a coldness that chilled Maple's blood. This wasn't someone who'd stumbled into criminal activity—this was a predator who'd made it his life's work.
"So he's been building power systematically," Maple said, her analytical mind piecing together the pattern. "Using human institutions as cover while targeting dragon territories and hoards."
"And succeeding," Rune added darkly, scrolling through a list of acquisitions that spoke of wealth and influence no exiled dragon should possess. "He's absorbed at least three smaller clans in the past decade alone."
The scope of Elias's operation became clear as they continued their research. He hadn't just been collecting artifacts—he'd been systematically dismantling the hidden dragon world, one territory at a time.
"Why were Serena and Elias tracking me specifically?" Maple asked, though dread was already forming in her stomach.
Rune's jaw clenched. "Well, if this is any indication, I think you were a very valuable target to them. Look at this."
The screen showed a timeline of her archaeological activities over the past five years—every dig, every publication, every forum post she'd made about dragon mythology. Heat flooded her cheeks. Her obsession had grown more intense over the past few years.
"They knew that eventually you would stumble upon something they wanted," Rune said, his tone carrying a dangerous edge.
"What do they want?" she asked, though part of her already suspected the answer.
His blue eyes met hers, molten gold flickering in their depths. "They want me. My hoard, my territory, my clan. I've been untouchable for centuries—until now."
"Why are you touchable now?"
The silence stretched between them, heavy with implications she didn't want to face. When he finally spoke, his voice was barely a whisper.
"Because of you."
The air rushed from her lungs as understanding crashed over her. She wasn't just Rune's mate—she was his weakness. The claim marker that had drawn her to him had also painteda target on both their backs. Every moment she stayed in his world, every deepening of the bond between them, made him more vulnerable to enemies who'd been circling for decades.
She was the key Elias had needed to finally breach defenses that had protected the Trigg clan for centuries.
"I need air," she managed, pushing back from the desk with unsteady movements.
She had to get out of this room, away from the evidence of her own culpability, away from the knowledge that her childhood dreams had led them all into a trap she never could have imagined.
Maple fled through the mansion like a woman escaping a fire, her heart hammering as corridors blurred past in a haze of ancient tapestries and priceless artifacts. The weight of revelation crushed down on her chest—she wasn't just Rune's fated mate, she was his destruction. Every childhood dream, every archaeological pursuit, every forum post and midnight research session had painted a target on the back of the most powerful dragon in North America.
Five years,she thought desperately as she pushed through the French doors leading to the back terrace.Five years of reckless obsession, and I never once considered that bad people might be watching.
The desert air hit her lungs like salvation, dry and sharp and infinite. She stumbled onto the stone terrace that overlooked Rune's sprawling back gardens, gripping the carved railing until her knuckles went white. The sun hung low on the horizon, painting the canyon walls in shades of copper and gold that should have been breathtaking but felt like mockery now.
How could she have been so naive?
Serena had always been competitive, always watching Maple's career with calculating eyes and barely concealed resentment. But trafficking artifacts? Working with roguedragons who systematically destroyed entire clans? The scope of betrayal made her stomach churn.
