"It's surreal," Maple admitted, turning away from the mirror to face Jackie properly. "I keep expecting to wake up back in my Phoenix condo, with nothing but a red rock and a crazy story."
"But you're not going to wake up. This is real, Maple. The dragon world, the hidden town, the impossibly gorgeous Alpha who looks at you like you hung the moon—it's all real. And it's all yours."
All mine,Rune's voice whispered through their link, rough with possessive satisfaction.
Heat bloomed in her cheeks, and she had to resist the urge to respond telepathically with Jackie watching.
"I'm nervous about tonight," Maple confessed, smoothing the silk again. "What if his clan doesn't accept me? What if they think their Alpha deserves someone... more? Someone who understands their world?"
"Then they'd be idiots," Jackie said firmly. "You're brilliant, brave, and you've already proven you'll fight for the people you love. Any clan would be lucky to have you as their Alpha female."
Before Maple could respond, the suite door opened and Ben walked in, looking more polished than she'd ever seen him. The black tuxedo transformed her practical, sun-weathered best friend into someone who could have stepped off a red carpet. His face was still showing the aftermath of yesterday's beating—a fading bruise along his jaw and eye, a small cut on his lip—but he carried himself with his usual easy confidence.
"The guests are starting to arrive," he announced, straightening his tie. "And I'd like to escort my beautiful girlfriend downstairs before all the good appetizers disappear."
Jackie laughed, the sound bright and musical. "Your priorities never change, do they?"
"Food is important," Ben said solemnly, then broke into a grin. "Besides, I want to see if dragon appetizers are as impressive as everything else in this place."
He offered Jackie his arm with exaggerated gallantry, and she took it with a theatrical curtsy that made them both laugh.
"Have fun," Maple called as they headed for the door. "Knowing Rune, there's probably enough food to feed an army."
"That's what I'm counting on," Ben called back, then paused at the threshold. "By the way, you look incredible, Maple. Like you were born to be a dragon's mate."
The words hit her square in the chest, carrying more weight than she'd expected.
Born to be a dragon's mate.
Maybe she had been. Maybe every childhood fantasy, every impossible dream, every reckless chase after mythical artifacts had been leading her here, to this moment, to this man.
As soon as they left, the air in the room shifted. Maple felt Rune's presence before she saw him, their bond singing with recognition. She turned, and her breath caught in her throat.
He stood in the doorway like something out of a fairy tale—all dark elegance and barely restrained power. The black suit was perfectly tailored to his broad frame, the jacket emphasizing the width of his shoulders and the lean strength of his torso. His dark hair was styled but still carried that slightly disheveled look that made her want to run her fingers through it. But it was his eyes that made her knees weak—those blue depths that flashed with molten gold when his dragon stirred, currently fixed on her with a burning intensity that made the air crackle between them.
"You look absolutely breathtaking," Rune said, his voice roughened with emotion and desire.
The compliment sent heat spiraling through her, and she watched his nostrils flare slightly as he scented her arousal. The predatory way he moved into the room, closing the distance between them with fluid grace, made her pulse quicken.
"You don't look too bad yourself," she managed, her voice breathier than she'd intended.
He stopped just close enough that she felt the heat radiating from his body, his eyes drinking in every detail of her appearance. The red silk gown, the way it hugged her curves, the dragon mark visible above the neckline—she watched his pupils dilate as he took it all in.
"Mine," he said softly.
Instead of the flash of rebellion she might have felt a week ago, the declaration sent liquid fire through her veins. She was his, completely and irrevocably, and the certainty of it was intoxicating.
"Yours," she agreed, stepping closer until the silk of her gown brushed against his suit.
Then his control snapped. One moment they were standing apart, the next his hands were in her hair, and his mouth was on hers. She melted into him, her body molding against his as if they were two pieces of the same whole.
Through their completed bond, she felt his desire crash over her in waves—the need to skip the celebration entirely, to carry her to his bed and spend the night exploring every inch of her, to claim her again and again until there was no question who she belonged to. The intensity of it made her dizzy, and she pulled back with a gasp, her lips tingling and her heart racing.
"If we don't head down to that party right now," Maple said, her voice unsteady, "we're never going to make it there."
His eyes blazed with golden fire, and his hands tightened possessively on her waist. For a moment she thought he might ignore her warning entirely, might sweep her into his arms and damn the consequences.
Then his mouth curved into a slow, predatory smile that made her toes curl in her designer heels.
