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I met his stare with determination. "Okay, Evan," I finally said. “Let's do this."
A surge of excitement washed over me as his large wings unfurled and I stepped closer. I mustered every ounce of courage I could find, then climbed onto his back, my hands gripping the ridges of his scales for dear life.
The moment my legs settled in front of his wings, his powerful muscles flexed beneath me, the wings rising up before sweeping through the air in a graceful motion. And we were airborne.
The sensation was euphoric: a rush of wind, the ground falling away beneath us, and the electrifying connection with this dragon which made my blood hum. We soared above the land, the world below transforming into a patchwork tapestry of awe-inspiring beauty.
I took it all in, committing the sight and sounds and feelings to memory. This was like a dream I never wanted to wake up from. As we glided through the night sky, I marveled at what’d grown between us. I understood now, more than ever, that our connection went far beyond the physical, transcending the boundaries of what I thought was possible. I laughed with pure joy, the air carrying my exhilaration into the night.
We soared through the night, staying in the skies for what felt like hours, the moon casting its silver glow upon us while I clung to Evan's back. Each flap of his powerful wings echoed through my very being. As I truly relaxed and enjoyed the experience, I could feel that connection growing stronger.
Eventually we descended back onto solid ground. The moment I was steady on my feet, Evan shifted back into his human form, in a flash of bright light, and then he was there, holding me in his arms. The surge of emotions was unexpected, a strong burst that then faded to a dull remnant of the connection present when he was in dragon form.
Still, the connection remained stronger than before. I lifted a hand to my heart and caught my breath.
“Do you feel it?” he whispered, his arms tightening.
I nodded, wasting no time in flinging my arms around him and pulling his mouth to mine. I kissed him with a fervor and passion I didn’t know I possessed. Evan took control, turning my wild feelings into a deep, passionate kiss that left me aching for so much more.
"I can't believe it,” I said when he finally broke the kiss, a smile playing on my lips. “That was…it was incredible, Evan. More than incredible. I just flew on a dragon.” I laughed in disbelief.
Evan's eyes sparkled, back now to the deep, near jet-black color of his human from. Joy and affection shone in their depths, along with a bit of awe. He shook his head. "You were amazing up there, Mariah. So brave and strong. And you felt it. Our connection.”
I nodded, my heart full to bursting. "Yes, I did. I’m finally starting to understand. It’s because I’m your mate.”
He nodded. “That’s a taste of it, at least from what I understand. The actual mate bond will be similar but more intense.”
I’d been worried that it’d be different because I was a human, that I wouldn’t be able to feel the bond like Abi had explained it, but maybe I’d been wrong. Our connection went far beyond what I imagined. It defied the logical world and surpassed human limitations. I might be human, but I’d never been more convinced that we belonged together. We would face the challenges that lay ahead, with the strength of our love and our bond seeing us through.
Chapter 9
Evan
I stood over the long, polished, wooden table in the corner of Sebastian’s office, my eyes focused on the list of names laid out before us. The morning light from the east-facing windows filled the room.
"Phone calls won't be enough to get to these men.” Sebastian tapped the papers. “We'll need to meet them in person.”
I studied the list, noting that most of the targets were human. My eyes narrowed. Tomas held too much power over these people. Money had a way of swaying humans, and Tomas was giving them some big payouts.
"Maybe we can offer them even more than Tomas did,” Sebastian said, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. I immediately waved my hand in dismissal. Sebastian didn’t need to sacrifice anything more for this plan.
"No. I think we can get these men to fold without dangling money in front of them. I want to be better than Tomas." The flame-shaped alpha mark on the back of my left shoulder seemed to burn as I spoke, determination radiating through me. I wouldn’t sink to Hawthorne’s level.
Sebastian nodded. “I can appreciate that. Honestly,” he said with a faint smile. “That integrity is exactly what will make you an excellent leader one day.”
I shifted uncomfortably on my feet. I still hadn’t told Sebastian where I stood on that. Maybe once all of this was behind us, we could have a heart to heart about my thoughts on leading the clan, and why Lucas would be a much better choice.
When I didn’t respond, Sebastian pressed ahead. “Let’s find another way."
I glanced at the list again and tried to come up with a plan. We had more resources at our disposal than just money. We were a clan of highly trained dragon shifters. I was strong, fast, and fiercely protective of those I loved. But I didn’t want to come in with brute force and guns blazing, either.
"Let's go through the list again," I said, my mind racing with possibilities. “We can find the best way to approach each of these men individually. Find out what makes them tick. Then we can make them see that siding with Tomas will only bring them pain and destruction."
"Agreed.” Sebastian’s expression was grim, his jaw set with determination. "We'll work together to break this alliance between Tomas and his cronies. Not just for our family, for Mariah and Sofia, but for all the innocent lives that have been lost in this senseless rivalry."
I swallowed against the lump in my throat as I nodded. We would make Tomas pay for everyone he’d hurt, everyone he’d taken, including my mother and the clan I was born to. As we settled in for a long night, Sebastian and I went over the list again, talking out various options and scenarios as we plotted the downfall of our enemy. The end of Tomas Hawthorne's reign of terror couldn’t come soon enough.
"Sebastian,” I said after a while, rubbing my chin. “We need to think outside the box here. These humans may fear being imprisoned, but we can’t bank on that. We need to come up with something more than just exposing their dirty dealings. A different approach that will guarantee they side with us.”
