Watching. Waiting. Letting others die while he stays safe.
The coward's strategy ignited something primal and furious in Rune's chest. With a roar that shook the canyon walls, he broke away from the main battle and shot toward Elias like a black meteor. The rogue tried to bank away, but centuries of territorial dominance had made Rune faster, stronger, and infinitely more motivated.
Elias's telepathic voice slithered through Rune's mind as they collided in midair, claws and fangs seeking vulnerable flesh.
You think this changes anything? All I'm doing is taking what I deserved from the beginning. You're weak, Trigg. Love has made you soft, but delightfully accessible.
Rune's answering flame seared across Elias's wing membrane, the smell of burning scale and flesh filling the air between them.
The only thing you deserve is to die for every clan you've destroyed and every life you've taken.
They grappled and twisted through the sky, trading blows that would have killed lesser dragons. Elias managed to sink his claws deep into Rune's flank, but Rune's retaliating bitecrushed bone in the rogue's shoulder. Blood streamed from both combatants as they fought with the primal fury of apex predators.
Maple's voice suddenly reached him again, filled with love and absolute faith.
Fight for us. Fight for our future.
Those words sent a surge of power through Rune's exhausted frame that felt like touching lightning. His claws found purchase on Elias's throat, and this time when his jaws clamped down, there was no escape. The killing bite crushed windpipe and spine in one devastating motion.
Elias's eyes went wide with shock, then dim with approaching death. His massive form went limp, and Rune released him to watch the rogue's body plummet toward the canyon floor far below.
Around him, the battle was ending. His dragons and Kade were finishing off the last of the hostile forces, their coordinated assault leaving no survivors among the invading rogues. On the ground, the gunfire had ceased, and he could see his enforcers standing victorious among the defeated mercenaries.
I'm safe,Maple assured him before he could even ask.Everyone's safe. Come to me.
Rune's battered wings carried him swiftly toward her—a shelter a mile from the mansion where she'd successfully evacuated the most vulnerable clan members. When he landed and shifted back to human form, his body was a map of cuts and bruises, blood streaking his skin from a dozen wounds.
But none of that mattered the moment Maple's arms wrapped around him, her warmth and strength anchoring him to everything that made the fight worthwhile. He pulled her against his chest, breathing in her scent and letting the reality of their survival wash over him.
They held each other in the moonlit canyon, two souls who had found their way home despite impossible odds. Around them, his clan began emerging from the shelters, their faces filled with awe and gratitude as they realized their Alpha and his mate had saved not just their lives, but their future.
Love hadn't destroyed him, Rune realized as Maple's arms tightened around him.It had made him unstoppable.
TWENTY-ONE
MAPLE
The desert sun painted golden streaks across the canyon walls as Maple adjusted her hiking pack, feeling the familiar weight of the claim marker nestled inside like a talisman from another life. Seven days had passed since the night that changed everything—since Elias's attack during their mate bond celebration had turned Rune's mansion into a battlefield.
The past week had been a revelation in ways she never expected. While Rune healed from his dozen battle wounds, she'd discovered something profound about herself. She was born to be an Alpha's mate. Not because of some mystical destiny, but because every fiber of her being came alive when she was caring for him, managing clan affairs, and proving herself worthy of the trust his people placed in her.
"You're thinking so loudly I can hear it from here," Rune said, his deep voice carrying that familiar note of amused authority as he checked the straps on his own pack.
She glanced over at him, taking in the sight of her mate—dark jeans hugged his powerful thighs, a forest green henley emphasized the breadth of his shoulders, and hiking boots that had clearly seen plenty of use over his five centuries covered hislarge feet. The cuts and bruises from the battle had faded to faint lines, but she could still see the careful way he moved, not quite back to his full strength yet.
"I'm just thinking about how much has changed," she admitted, falling into step beside him as they began their trek into the deeper reaches of his territory. "A week ago, I was forcing you to stay in bed while I handled clan meetings with Bram. Now look at you, dragging me on mysterious hikes."
The corners of his mouth curved upward. "You enjoyed playing Alpha female while I was laid up. Don't deny it."
Heat flooded her cheeks because he was absolutely right. Those first few days after the battle, when she'd essentially taken over his responsibilities while he recovered, had felt like coming home to herself. The clan members who'd initially viewed her with polite curiosity now sought her out for advice, brought her care packages for their wounded Alpha, and treated her with absolute respect.
"Maybe I did," she said, unable to keep the smile from her voice. "Your people are incredible, Rune. The way they rallied around us, the way they've accepted me..."
"They love you." His voice carried a note of pride that made her heart flutter. "I knew they would once they saw who you really are. You have the heart of a dragon, even if you're human."
They walked in comfortable silence for a while, the familiar desert landscape spreading around them in shades of red and gold. But something felt different about this hike—Rune seemed more tense than usual, his jaw tight with what looked like barely controlled nerves.
"Are you sure you're feeling well enough for this?" she asked, studying his profile. "Because if you're pushing yourself too hard just to prove a point?—"
