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“I hope you find peace.” My words were barely audible above the crackling of the fire that’d just been lit. “I swear to you, your sacrifice will not be in vain.”
As the flames grew higher, their heat reaching out to us, I watched the first tendrils of smoke rise into the sky. The wind caught hold of them, scattering ash over the lands my father had loved so dearly.
“Goodbye,” I whispered, my heart heavy as I turned away from the pyre and faced my new responsibilities.
* * *
Day six was a haze of anguish and uncertainty. With each passing hour, my torment grew as I agonized over Mariah's fate. The estate, usually a place of comfort and warmth, now felt like a cold prison holding me captive. There were things to be done, but I couldn’t bring myself to do anything else, not when my mate lay unconscious with no guarantee she’d ever wake again.
Even Sofia knew something was wrong. She clearly missed Mariah, her gaze always searching for her, even if she didn’t have the words to ask. She’d been more fussy than usual, needing her mother just as much as I did.
I paced the length of Sebastian’s office—mine now, though I might always consider it Sebastian’s. My thoughts drove me mad, twisting and turning with every possible outcome.
“You need to rest, Evan,” Lucas said from where he leaned against the doorframe with a worried expression. He’d been a strong, unwavering presence for me, taking over when Mason had to return to New York after Sebastian’s ceremony.
“Rest?” I whirled around to face him. “How can I rest when Mariah is lying in there, possibly dying? She's becoming a shifter as we speak. No one knows how this will end. This serum could kill her—”
“Enough, Evan.” Lucas stepped forward and gripped my shoulders, bringing me back to myself. All day, I’d been on the verge of snapping at the slightest provocation. “You're not doing anyone any favors by working yourself into a frenzy. Most importantly, you're not helping Mariah.”
I knew he was right, but what else was I supposed to do? I was utterly helpless where my mate was concerned, and it was killing me. I sighed and took a deep breath. “You're right, Lucas. I know that, it’s just… I can't lose her. Not now. Not after…”
“I know.” His eyes were full of understanding and compassion. “Why don’t you go downstairs and try to get some rest? I can take over whatever you need me to do today.”
I conceded, knowing deep down that he was right. After giving him a list of things to check on, I left the office and returned to my bedroom, where Mariah was still sleeping in her peaceful, otherworldly state. I watched for a long time before I crawled into bed next to her.
Exhaustion was nearly overwhelming, yet sleep remained elusive. I spent the night tossing and turning, haunted by the thought of losing Mariah, waking countless times to check on her, to make sure she was still breathing. Each time, her state was the same: no change, for better or worse.
When I woke up the seventh day after storming Tomas’s lab, I immediately sensed something was different.
I sat straight up in bed, an inexplicable feeling tugging at my very soul, as if I was being called, drawn by some unseen force. I turned to Mariah, still in bed next to me, still hooked up to an IV as the monitor continually beeped. Her eyes were closed, her breathing was steady, but something was different.
Then I sensed the energy in the room change, and it took me a moment to realize it was radiating from her, filling the room with a presence I didn’t fully understand.
“Mariah, can you hear me?” I said shakily as I leaned closer, reaching for her hand. It was warm, her pulse strong—a stark contrast to the coldness that’d gripped her just days before. Then, as I held her hand, I felt it: our connection, our bond, surging stronger than ever before. I could feel her in a way I never had, the bond between us intensifying a hundredfold.
Before I could even process it, her eyes flew open and she gasped, her body going stiff. I froze, half afraid this might be it, that she was dying before my eyes. My heart pounded furiously when those light brown orbs locked onto mine. Only now, something else shone within them. A fierce, primal fire that rocked me to my core.
“Mariah?” It was an awed whisper because of what I felt within her, what I saw in her eyes…
“Evan,” she said, her voice choked from days without water. Thankfully, her body settled back into bed again. “W-what happened?”
“You survived,” I said, my joy bursting forth as my soul sensed what she hadn’t yet. “It worked.”
She squinted against the light, confusion plain on her face. “What do you mean?”
I took a deep breath, not sure how this was going to go over. “Mariah… you were injected with the serum. You're a dragon shifter now.”
Chapter 29
Mariah
A dragon shifter.
I blinked, his words not fully registering. Everything was so overwhelmingly bright. I winced at the glare as I heard pots and pans clanging, causing sharp pain to shoot through my temple.
Everything ached, from the top of my head to the tips of my toes. I groaned against the pounding headache that was growing with every little noise: the snaps of twigs, the rush of wind, muffled voices…everywhere. What was happening?
I realized I was back in our room in Texas. But that didn't feel right. How did I get here? How long had I been here?
