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“What is it, Evan?”
“I’ve been thinking about selling the penthouse. The city is no place for a dragon shifter to grow up. I want her to have a real home, open space, where she can fly freely and learn what it means to be a shifter. I want her to grow up surrounded by family."
He watched me closely, as if he wasn’t sure how his statement would land. New York was my home, and what he was saying carried heavy meaning. If that was what he really wanted to provide for Sofia, staying in the city simply wouldn’t work.
“I understand that.” I played with my hair so my hands had something to do. “If you’re asking if I’d be okay with that—with leaving New York…” I paused, gathering my thoughts. “A month ago, I never would’ve imagined I’d consider leaving the home I’ve known for so long, but now I realize that my home isn’t simply a place. My home is with you. With Sofia.”
He gathered me in his arms, holding me tightly. “You have no idea how glad I am to hear you say that.”
I rested my head on his chest. He wanted me to be part of their lives, to help him raise Sofia as if she were my own, to make a home and a life together. It was everything I’d ever dreamed of. “We’re in this thing together, and we’ll figure it out together, too.”
"Would you want to help me choose a home for us?" he said, his eyes searching mine for any hesitation. "I mean, once all of this is over. Have you ever had a dream home in mind?"
The earnestness there had me tightening my arms around his waist. No one had ever cared about my opinion or dreams like this before. "I'm honored that you want me involved in such a significant decision at all. Growing up, my aunt was very strict. She never encouraged me to dream big. Honestly, I don’t think she gave a damn about my future.”
A growl rumbled in his chest, but I pulled back, not wanting to dwell further on the past. I took his hand, leading him farther into the vineyard.
I tried to recall some of the dreams I'd had when I was younger, when the world was full of possibilities: a house with a sprawling garden, a place where children could play safely and explore their surroundings, a home filled with love, laughter, and stability. They were possibilities I’d all but dismissed. Yet here I was, with everything I’d ever wanted being presented to me.
“When I was younger,” I said after a few minutes, “most of my dreams revolved around getting away from my aunt. I wanted to go off to college, build a life of my own. But I never had the money to get started, so I became a nanny instead."
"Mariah, you've done an incredible job as a nanny," Evan said. "You've given Sofia so much love and care. And now you're pursuing your degree. You have no idea how proud I am of you."
My cheeks flushed at his praise, and I smiled, feeling truly grateful for this man who’d become such an important part of my life. "Thank you, Evan. That means a lot to me."
"Of course," he said, squeezing my hand. "So, have you ever thought about what kind of home you'd want? What it’d look like?"
I let out a soft laugh, realizing I’d never really let myself consider it before. "Honestly, I never thought I'd even have the chance to pick out my dream home. I figured I’d be living in my tiny apartment forever. But if I had to choose something, I'd want a home that’s warm and inviting, with lots of natural light. A place where Sofia can play and explore, where she can fly free, and we can create beautiful memories together."
Evan's smile was full of love when he stopped again and brought a hand to my cheek. "That sounds perfect. We'll find that place, I promise. As soon as all of this is over, I’m going to devote myself to making all your dreams come true.”
It was more than I’d ever hoped for as a young child, and made me even more determined to get through this, to bring Tomas down and start our dream life. My heart swelled with love for this man and our little family as tears spilled down my cheeks.
"Mariah? Are you all right?" Evan said.
I nodded, smiling through the tears. “I’m more than all right. I just never imagined I'd be this happy.”
“I know exactly what you mean.” He pulled me close, wrapping me in his strong arms. "You're the missing piece that makes my life complete, Mariah.
So full of love I thought I’d collapse, I kissed Evan with all the passion in me. Eventually, though, we had to make our way back home.
As we approached the house, hand in hand, our temporary reprieve from reality was shattered by the sight of Sebastian coming outside, his face tight with worry.
"Sebastian, what's wrong? Did something happen?” Evan asked, instantly on alert.
“It’s Porter," Sebastian said. "My security team lost sight of him. We're reviewing the security footage now, but I have a feeling Tomas isn't holding up his end of the bargain."
My stomach dropped, and I could feel the fear creeping into my bones. "What can we do?"
"Right now, we’re waiting for more information," Sebastian said with a grimace. "But be ready to act when the time comes. Tomas won't hesitate to make a move against us if he thinks he has the upper hand."
"Damn it," Evan growled, his grip on my hand tightening. "Just when things seemed to be going our way.”
“Come inside,” Sebastian said. “We need to come up with a backup plan.”
Evan nodded, following behind his father. As we walked back into the house, I felt dread settle in my chest. For all the happiness and love we'd found, there was still danger lurking in the shadows. For every moment of joy we had, there was always something waiting to pull us back to reality.
We’d barely made it inside when the sound of Sebastian's phone ringing shattered the tense silence. He stopped and turned to Evan, a grim expression on his face.
