 
# Charred Tears

### #2, Heart of Fire

## Lizzy Ford
By Lizzy Ford

_www.LizzyFord.com_

Smashwords Edition

Published by Kettlecorn Press

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Cover design by Phat Puppy Creations and Sarah Hansen

_www.PhattPuppyArt.com_

_www.OkayCreations.com_

_Charred Heart_ copyright ©2013 by Lizzy Ford

_www.LizzyFord.com_

Cover design copyright © 2013 by Sarah Hansen and Claudia McKinney

_www.PhattPuppyArt.com_

_www.OkayCreations.com_

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Cover Photo © 2013 by James Magnussen, model

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Dragon fleuron © Cartoon Images via Fotolia

All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means including information storage and retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the author. The only exception is by a reviewer, who may quote short excerpts in a review.

This novel is a work of fiction. Any references to historical events; to real people, living or dead; or to real locales are intended only to give the fiction a sense of reality and authenticity. Names, characters, places and incidents either are products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously and their resemblance, if any, to real-life counterparts is entirely coincidental.

### Contents

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Also By Lizzy Ford

About the Author

# Chapter 1

_I wish I had a magic cabin, _Chace thought, struggling to focus on the thin bar of light slowly making its way across his cabin ceiling. It was morning again. As with the past several mornings, he was surprised his battered, fevered, weak body decided to wake at all. Living hurt more than he ever imagined it could.

_If some part of you cares for her, you'll do whatever it takes to survive._

The parting words of the dragon shifter that abandoned him left Chace a miserable wreck, unable to fix himself but unable to simply die the way he felt like doing every time he opened his eyes.

But if he died, so did Skylar. There were a few people he thought of who deserved a quick death, but she wasn't one of them.

"Dammit." Though unable to sit up in two days, he was able to brace his feet against the bed enough to roll onto his side and then pushed his heavy body off the mattress.

Chace made it out of bed and rested on his knees. He was burning up from the inside out. His mouth was parched, and the head wound he'd tried to bandage smelled funny. He opened his mouth in a noiseless laugh, wondering if gangrene in his head meant someone was going to have to chop his head off.

_Sky would laugh._

He didn't let himself dwell on her too long, knowing he didn't remotely deserve to think of her after betraying her the way he had. Still, the memory of their time together, her sky-colored eyes and radiant smile, her oddball sense of humor, the heat of her skin and peachy scent, the way her slick core gripped his arousal, the sounds she made when she came...

The thoughts made him more fevered. He pushed them away.

The one room cabin was cold from the chilly night, his skin clammy and cool to the touch despite the fever raging within.

He was thirsty, but the trip to the sink on his hands and knees was going to be agonizing. For a moment, he considered just hefting himself back into bed and staying there.

But he didn't. He crawled on his hands and knees across the cabin. The journey felt like a million miles, and the effort of keeping his head upright left him breathless.

He reached the refrigerator. For reasons he wasn't able to explain, the fridge was the only part of his cabin that retained some sort of magic. Maybe Gavin did it to help him, or maybe his passive-aggressive cabin was messing with him one last time.

Opening the door, Chace blinked to clear his blurry gaze.

The fridge was full of vegetables and oranges, as if the magic thought he had a simple cold and not a head wound that required more than a huge dose of Vitamin C.

"That's not going to work," he muttered. He closed the door and leaned against it.

"So, there I was, drinking a glass of beer, when this thoroughly pissed off dragon came to get me. Plucked me right out of my seat. You know what happened then, Chace?"

Chace raised his head, unable to focus his senses well but trying to. Was there really someone in his cabin, talking to him, or had he moved from fevered to delusional? If he was delusional, he wasn't about to put in the effort it would take to turn around.

"He kidnaps me, tells me I can't use my magic again until I do exactly what he says, then dumps me on a cold beach in the middle of the night in Oregon."

"Gunner?" Chace ventured. "Where are you?"

"Um, right behind you."

Chace shifted painfully, wincing each inch he went, until he spotted the large panther shifter from the corner of his eye.

Gunner was staring at him. The normally hard-to-ruffle shifter was disheveled, his dark hair a mess, his clothing wrinkled and his features pale beneath the olive skin.

"Cats don't fly," Gunner said, gaze sharpening. "But I have a feeling you're in worse shape."

"I hope you're really here, because I need a doctor," Chace said. "Pretty sure I have gangrene in my head."

A puzzled smile lifted one corner of Gunner's mouth. He moved forward and knelt beside Chace, unraveling the pillowcase Chace wrapped around his head. One of Gunner's many occupations over the years had been as a physician, and he'd prescribed Chace sleeping pills on more than one occasion.

"I've seen five-year-olds make papier-mâché **** sculptures better than this," Gunner said.

Chace grunted, sagging against the fridge.

"I told you, didn't I?" Gunner continued. "Don't make a deal with some jackass who only comes around at night and won't tell you his name."

"I know. You were right again."

"Holy shit, Chace." Gunner dropped his hands, staring at the head wound.

"Is it bad?"

"If by bad, you mean is it the most disgusting, infected, horrible thing I've seen since I became an emergency room doctor, then yes, it's bad, Chace."

Chace grunted. "Can you fix it?"

Gunner was quiet for a moment, staring at the wound.

"Yo, Gun. Can you fix it?" Chace asked again.

"I don't suppose you have any penicillin." Gunner looked around. "Cabin. Meds, please."

"It's not magic anymore."

"Then we'll do this the old fashioned way." Gunner rose.

Chace followed him with his gaze, his energy for the morning spent. He waited, doubtful Gunner was going to be able to save his head, but hoping his friend could.

"Okay, here we go." Gunner tugged a stool over and set down a bucket full of supplies. He grabbed a pair of scissors and reached for Chace's hair.

"No!" Chace all but shouted.

"Look, I need to scrub out the wound and clean it. Your hair is in the way and might have germs that can –"

"I'd rather die with hair than live bald."

"Fine." Gunner wiped his face and dropped the scissors in the bucket. "I was going to be gentle with you, but not now. You're being arrogant and stupid, so that's how I'll treat you." He pulled out a scrub brush with thick bristles that had been under Chace's kitchen sink. "I'm gonna use peroxide to kill off what germs I can. It's the only chemical you have in the house. Then I'm going to scrub the shit out of your head."

"For reals?" Chace eyed the stiff bristles of the scrub brush, not wanting to imagine the pain it was going to cause against his tender head wound.

"For reals, Chace. You wanna live? This is the price."

_This is gonna hurt._ What other choice did he have? No matter how he felt about what he'd done and how much he screwed up, he was only able to think about the parting words from the infuriated dragon shifter. If Chace died, so did Skylar.

He'd fucked her over enough. He wasn't about to be the reason she died.

"Hopefully you pass out," Gunner said, upbeat.

"Yeah," Chace agreed, bracing himself. "Okay. Turn me platinum."

_I deserve all the pain in the world after what I did to her._

# Chapter 2

_" What happens after I find my dragon?" young Skylar asked her cheerful mother. Her legs swung, not yet long enough for her feet to touch the ground at the kitchen table in the farmhouse where they'd lived for a few months._

_"You protect him."_

_"I know." Skylar rolled her eyes. "But what else do I do?"_

_Her mother looked up from her breakfast, blue eyes sparkling in a golden complexion framed by dark hair that matched Skylar's._

_"Well, you help protect the others, too."_

_"What others?"_

_"The dragons and other shifters."_

_Skylar contemplated this for a long moment. "We might need a bigger farm."_

_"No, Sky!" Her mother laughed. "They aren't zoo animals. You don't keep them on a farm. When they need help, you'll know. And then you go and help them."_

_"How?" she asked skeptically._

_"The answer is in the palm of your hand."_

* * *

The dream slid away. Skylar awoke to the scents of bacon and eggs cooking. She lifted her head from the pillow and looked around. She'd fallen asleep on the couch and woke up in bed, no doubt because her newly found father carried her there.

She sat with a grimace. She felt sluggish and tired despite sleeping the night. With more effort than it should take, she put her hair back in a ponytail and swung her legs off the bed to reach the cool marble flooring.

Her hair was greasy, too, a feeling she absolutely hated. She pulled free a strand and eyed it. Normally, it took about four days for her hair to feel this yucky, and she'd washed it the day before.

_Gotta be the humidity._ Trapped on an island somewhere near the equator, she wasn't accustomed to the mugginess of the air.

She padded down a hallway to the open-aired kitchen at the edge of a vast living area with a near 360 degree view of the beaches and ocean around it. The contrast between the teal waters and sugary sand was beautiful this morning, and large palm trees leaned in an ocean breeze.

"I'm on a protein diet."

She turned at the man's voice, the peace she felt at the sight of the ocean fading.

"If you like carbs, you're out of luck," her father, a dragon shifter named Gavin, said.

"Fried chicken?" she half-joked, doubting he'd understand her humor.

"Nothing fried."

_Chace would get it._

The man who betrayed her – made love to her then traded her for his own selfish purposes – was probably the only person who ever liked her sense of humor.

"I'm good with bacon and eggs," she said and went to the breakfast counter overlooking the stove.

Gavin was tall, with a runner's body and cold eyes the same color of hers. He was dressed all in black. He glanced up at her then back.

"How are you feeling?" he asked.

"A little blah," she said with a shrug. "Maybe I slept too much."

"Possibly. You've been asleep for almost a week."

"Seriously?"

"Yes. The side-effect of having the bond you have with Chace broken."

She frowned. "What bond?"

"The one that put that tat on your neck."

She reached back absently to feel the raised tattoo. It was still there, a reminder of how she'd ended up tagged by a dragon shifter in the first place. It had to do with one of many incredibly erotic meet-ups that made her blood race just thinking about it.

Her father dropped a plate in front of her, yanking her attention from the thoughts of lying in bed naked with Chace, doing all kinds of yummy, naughty things.

"Oh," she managed. "So it's broken because he betrayed me?"

"Because he's dead."

She froze, the news a shock. A tremor went through her. She didn't know what it was: fear, sorrow. Disbelief.

_Not my dragon._ Was it stupid for her to want her betrayer to be alive and healthy, even if he was too far away for his wicked mouth and fingers to roam her body?

"Oh," she said again. She felt her father's gaze on her. "That's, uh... interesting. Can I ask what happened?"

"One of the slayers got to him."

Skylar picked up her fork and poked at the scrambled eggs, which were still steaming. According to her training as a dragon slayer, only a dragon slayer was able to kill a dragon, and she was the only one remaining.

She didn't kill her own dragon. So either her father was lying...

Or those who brainwashed her into thinking she was supposed to kill dragons were the liars.

"This is too confusing," she said. Either way, she didn't want to think that she'd never see Chace again.

But why did she want to, after all he'd done?

"I'm glad his death doesn't bother you," Gavin said. "I was worried it might." By his measured tone and the pause that followed his words, he was waiting for her reaction.

Skylar was quiet for a moment, exploring the instincts that had led her to Chace on more than one occasion.

"Honestly?" she started. "I've been lied to so much, I'm not going to believe he's dead until I see it."

"Interesting." Her father's voice was cold.

The silence between them made her skin crawl.

"Anyway, I've been asleep for a week," she said, clearing her throat. "I take it things are back to... normal?" _Whatever normal is._

She looked up and found her father studying her.

"As normal as can be," he replied.

The quiet moment grew awkward, tense. If she knew one thing about dragon shifters, it was that they were emotional. They made her – a nineteen-year-old who recently learned she'd been kidnapped and brainwashed – feel like the most stable person in the room.

"I'm just gonna sit in the living room and eat," she said, uncomfortable under his gaze.

"I'm glad you're okay." The edge in his voice softened, and the words were genuine.

"Thank you. I think," she replied. "This is still..." Every time she saw him, she remembered that she knew nothing about him or the life he'd shown her through thirteen years worth of scrapbooks. "...weird."

"I know," he said.

_He's not the warm, fuzzy type. That's for sure._ She offered a small smile then went to the living room, where she was able to see the ocean. As she ate, she couldn't help thinking that no part of her believed that Chace was dead.

He was a liar. A jackass. Traitor. _Dragon_ shifter. But he wasn't dead. She didn't know how she knew it, but it came from the same place within her that the instinct to protect him had come from.

_I'm not that lucky._

"You knocked up my mom without meaning to, which makes me think you dragons don't know much about protection. I wonder if I should take a pregnancy test?" she asked.

The sound of Gavin choking on his coffee reached her, followed by his coughing.

"I'm just kidding." She laughed without turning. It was nice to have the upper hand for once, even if it was a small victory.

"If he wasn't... dead, I'd kill him," her father said finally.

She smiled to herself and ate her breakfast, satisfied to know he cared on some level. He was impossible to read, like Chace – another trait of shifters – but it was nice to know the cold, distant man who claimed her as a daughter had feelings somewhere beneath the hardened exterior.

"I'm going to rest." A nocturnal dragon, Gavin slept during the day.

She glanced over her shoulder to see him disappear down the hallway. After a few minutes, she set down her plate and went outside.

The balmy morning was too humid already, reminding her that she needed a good shower after sleeping for so long.

Skylar walked the beaches around the island, judging the perimeter to be about two miles around. In the center was a thatch of rainforest while her father's home was built on a small hill on one end. There was no way off the island, no boats or even a dock for one. She saw no land anywhere in the distance.

Not even a plane flew overhead during the few hours she spent exploring the island getaway. Her father spent years finding a place where no one could get to what he valued most: his wife and daughter.

He'd succeeded, but it also meant there was no way off the tropical paradise, unless he flew her off.

Sweating from the heavy heat of the day, she returned to the living room and sat, gazing out the floor-to-ceiling windows of the cement and glass dwelling.

Was she protected or a prisoner? It was the latest mystery she had to solve, next to the missing memories from the past six years, what happened to her mother, what really happened to Chace, how to help the rest of the slayers who had been brainwashed...

She sighed and got up, needing to clean up after her walk. She took a long shower then returned to her room, digging around in the drawers to find clothing. To her surprise, the drawers were filled with new clothing in the brands and sizes she normally bought. She ruffled through some of the stacks. It didn't seem possible that her father had gone shopping for her clothes. He seemed like the kind who didn't notice what she wore, so long as she was safe.

Her eyes went to the two items she'd brought with her to meet him several days ago, the night Chace betrayed her. Her cell phone and one of the lassos sat on top of the dresser. She touched them, uncertain why the reminders of the life she thought was hers bothered her so much.

_Too much unfinished business._ It was with more than Chace. The lasso represented all the others who were possibly brainwashed the same way she had been. It reminded her of the shifters it was supposed to catch, the ones that weren't the threats she was trained to believe they were.

Skylar closed the sock drawer. Chace had a magic cabin. If her father didn't go shopping for her clothes, was it possible he did, too? And if so, had her escape route off the island been staring her in the face since she arrived?

"If you're a magic dragon lair, I'm looking for pink socks," she whispered.

A few seconds later, she opened the drawer again. Instead of the white socks, it was filled with pink ones.

_Interesting._ Chace wasn't the only dragon that took his home with him.

"Think I just found my way off this rock," she said, satisfied. _After I try to get some more answers tomorrow._

# Chapter 3

Chace cracked his eyes open and stared at the morning light on his ceiling. By his count, it was the third morning since Gunner arrived and did the impossible by making his pain worse. He'd awoken the past two days too fevered to move or think.

This morning, his mind was clear, though his body felt beyond trashed. He was hungry and achy, and his skin was gummy, like he'd been swimming in salt water and had forgotten to rinse off.

_Maybe Gunner tried to drown me._

Chace rolled onto his side and then pushed himself up. His hair was soaked, along with his clothing, as if the fever had broken shortly before he woke. His legs shook when he stood, and his head spun. The cabin smelled of blood and fever, and he made his way on unsteady legs towards the door.

Gunner was sprawled out on the couch, sleeping soundly. Chace paused and thanked his friend silently for the help. Pitying the man who had probably been up for three days straight to nurse him, he shuffled out of the cabin as quietly as possible.

The morning was chilly, the sun not yet visible above the forest behind the cabin. Night retreated ahead of him, and the savory scent of the ocean and pine trees eased some of his angst.

Too weak to go far, Chace sank into the sand on the beach he'd chosen as his cabin's final home. He shifted and wrapped his arms around his legs, shivering in the early morning air.

"A thousand years did not change you." At first the female voice was too ethereal for him to believe it was real.

Assuming a fever dream had lingered, Chace shrugged his shoulders and focused on the waves racing towards him before they ran back to the ocean. The rhythmic movement and sound was soothing.

"You look the same. Clearly, you did not learn anything, either." This time, there was no mistaking that someone was talking to him.

He twisted in the direction from where the voice came. His breath caught.

In the shadows of the forest was the shape of a woman he remembered too well. Tall, willowy and beautiful, the woman's hair shimmered like spun gold while her blue eyes stood out from skin so pale, it resembled the pure snows that topped the mountains where he'd first met her a thousand years ago.

"Freyja?" he asked, not trusting his vision. "I thought you were gone."

"Deep asleep, like the rest of our kind."

_Our kind._ Chace shifted to his knees to face her fully but didn't trust his body not to collapse if he tried to stand.

"Dragons," he said.

"Yes, Chace. Dragons." Her tone carried the mocking note he recalled despising long ago. When she walked towards him, it was with grace that made her seem to float rather than risk sullying her feet on the sand.

He watched her approach, able to see the feminine beauty that drew him to her long ago. Her self-control was evident in every step she took and the emotionless expression on her face, and he recalled what it was that drove him away, too.

_She's no Skylar._ Freyja was complicated, conniving, controlling. Even in bed, where Skylar was completely uninhibited with him, Freyja never lost her composure. Skylar was free spirited and gentle in comparison, with a genuine smile, fun sense of humor and a way of making him feel at ease. She was too honest to keep her opinion of him hidden, too blunt for her intentions to remain secretive, too good to plot to bring someone else down.

Skylar had helped him escape from her own people.

Freyja dropped him directly into a thousand-year downward spiral.

_Why didn't I see how different Sky is before this?_

Poised and perfect, Freyja sat on the edge of his front porch, holding his gaze. Her long dress of white shimmered, giving him the sense of being in a dream once more.

"Turning your back on me was one thing. On Gavin's daughter?" Freyja shook her head delicately.

"I didn't know she was his daughter."

"What better test of one's true character than to see what he does when he's unaware of the trial?"

Chace said nothing. His hands were shaking, and he wiped his clammy palms on the thighs of his sweats. Freyja was right. Gavin was right. He thought he'd been protecting the other shifters. He'd gotten lucky that Gavin was Skylar's father.

But what if that wasn't the case? What if Skylar had died because of him?

"There's only one reason you're alive." Freyja sounded amused.

"I know," he said in a hushed voice. "If I die, Skylar dies. At least I can be of some use by staying alive."

"Her magic is gone." Freyja twisted to gaze at the cabin. "She feels so... sad."

"That makes two of us." Chace's body was straining. He shifted until he was comfortable enough to retain his seat without passing out from effort. "You have a magic cabin?"

"Our lairs are all magic out of necessity. There was a time when the dragons had enemies, which was why we needed magical lairs and protectors to safeguard us during the day," she said, facing him again. "That was very long ago, though someone appears to be trying to bring that era back."

"Dillon."

"The griffin?" She laughed. "He's the muscle, not the brains. No, the mastermind still hides."

She shimmered and for a moment, he was able to see through her to the cabin door.

"Are you really here?" Chace asked. He touched his forehead. It felt hot again.

"Are _you_?"

He rolled his eyes. "Why didn't any of you feel the need to share your insight with this newbie dragon? Why release my magic and leave me to try to figure things out?"

"You pissed me off," she said, shrugging. "You weren't ready to know about us when we met, and I assumed a few hundred long years would teach you the lesson you needed to know before we revealed more."

"Yeah, that worked," he muttered.

"Unfortunately, I was involuntarily banned before I could help you, walk you through the politics of our complicated shifter family, so you were prepared for what's coming."

"What do you mean?"

"Differences of opinion, mainly." She shrugged elegantly, but her tone was too casual, warning him there was much more to her words than she was willing to tell.

"Something happened within the shifter community to get you banned, didn't it?" he asked.

"That's not for us to discuss here and now. You had everything and gave it up. This time around, you get to earn it all back, if you can," she said and stood. "Anyway, I came to tell you that there's a place you need to go."

"Not sure you noticed, but I'm not in any shape to travel."

"Cry me a river, Chace. You had it easy for a thousand years. So now you get to do things the hard way." She smiled. "Before you do anything, before you look for _her_ – if you were even planning on finding Gavin's little girl – you need to return to the place where it began."

He was quiet, thinking. He'd met her in the mountains of his home in a Nordic kingdom that no longer existed, but they'd eloped, or planned on it, traveling by boat to the mainland to what was now Scotland. Once there, he'd been enamored by a red-headed beauty with blue eyes and managed to sleep his way through half the clan's women before Freyja figured it out.

"You remember where we broke up?"

"Mountains," he said. "You left me in the mountains of Scotland."

"Dragons love mountains. We can be close to the sky. I suggest you find the nearest mountain and climb it to see what's waiting for you."

"My power!" His heart began racing. If he had his magic, he could find Skylar again.

"No. Something better."

"Not sure I like the sound of that."

"Oh, so you have learned a thing or two over the years," she snapped. "Time for you to wake up, Chace."

"The first thing I'll do when I have my magic back is put the smack down on you and Gavin."

"Two days."

* * *

_" Chace!"_

He wrenched awake, out of the too real dream. Chace oriented himself with some difficulty, blinking until he made out Gunner's face hovering over his.

"You were talking in your sleep," Gunner said. "I wanted to make sure you're okay."

"Okay?" Chace's voice was cracked and rough from days of illness and not talking. "What about this is _okay_?"

"If you're pissed, you're good." Gunner flashed a smile then began his routine poking and prodding of Chace's wounds for the morning. "Your fever broke."

Chace said nothing, staring at the ceiling. Gunner finished with his head wound, rewrapped it, then moved to the wound in his side.

The dream with Freyja was emblazoned in Chace's thoughts, too real to be anything but a vision placed in his mind. He'd forgotten how beautiful she was; likewise, he'd forgotten how much they butted heads, and not in the good way, like he did with Skylar. Skylar wasn't obsessed with controlling others, in teaching them lessons they didn't want to learn.

_You don't deserve someone like Skylar._ Gavin's parting words made Chace flinch, because they were true. As much as he hated Freyja and Gavin for messing with him, he wasn't able to blame them for the terrible choices he made that almost cost Skylar her life.

But how foolish was he that it took him almost dying to see what was right in front of him?

Chace's gaze dropped from the ceiling to Gunner. The panther shifter's face showed the signs of three days of hard living. He didn't complain, though, not about losing his magic or helping his friend under such circumstances.

"Hey, Gunner." Chace pushed himself up.

"You need water?"

"No."

Gunner waited expectantly, ready to hop up and grab whatever Chace asked him for. Chace wasn't sure what to say.

"Thank you," he managed finally. "For being my friend despite me being... me. I don't think I'm easy to deal with sometimes."

"This is the fever talking." Gunner stretched to touch his forehead.

"No." Chace batted his hand away. "I mean it. Thank you."

Gunner sat back. His confused reaction only reinforced what Gavin and Freyja had said – that Chace didn't know how to appreciate what he had unless he lost it. He wasn't going to lose his friend, though.

"You're not gonna try to kiss me now or anything, are you?" Gunner joked. "I mean, it's cool if you're batting for the other team now, but I only kiss girls."

Chace laughed hard enough that his body hurt and he became dizzy. He shook his head and steadied his breathing to keep from passing out from exertion.

"Promise. I'm not going to kiss you," he said. "You had your power stripped because of me and spent three days trying to keep me alive. I just don't think I ever told you that I appreciate your friendship in the five hundred years we've known each other."

"This is a first," Gunner confirmed. "But you don't have to, Chace. We're more like brothers than friends. We take care of each other. It's how this works. Although..." Gunner's smile was warm. "... I appreciate it."

"Now that our special moment is over, here's the bad news," Chace said with a grin. "I need to climb a mountain."

"Let's backtrack a little. Can you even walk?"

"Not sure." Chace chuckled. "I have to do it, Gunner, even if it kills me."

His friend sighed. "You need some real food then. I think there's some magic left in your cabin. It's kept the fridge full for me the past few days, though I'd say it's obsessed with oranges. Feline shifters like me need meat." Gunner crossed to the kitchen. "You're healing quickly but I don't think quickly enough to climb a mountain. It might kill you."

Chace glanced around, wishing he was able to feel the subtle hum of magic that used to fill his cabin.

Freyja was right. He'd had everything and given it up. For what? To spend the last years of his life alone and regretful? He'd never appreciated his cabin's magic or Gunner's friendship or anything at all about Skylar. He had a chance to try to make things better or at least, to try to make it up to those who deserved better from him.

"It's a chance I need to take, Gunner."

"I'm going with you."

"If a cat can't find its way out of a tree, what chance do you have on a mountain?"

"My personal vendetta against heights aside, I'm not letting you do this alone."

Chace said nothing, genuinely touched by his friend's concern. Gunner was leaving his comfort zone to help.

_I'll pay you back someday, brother. Promise,_ Chace thought.

# Chapter 4

_T hirteen-year-old Skylar sat in the room, lit only by the light from a single window. It was high in the wall, and both the walls and floor were made of cold concrete. Her surroundings and their musty scent reminded her of the basement of the farmhouse where they'd lived before moving to the two-story colonial where she'd been taken from._

_How long had she been sitting there, waiting? At least a day. The sun had set, and she'd been left to shiver in the darkness without even a blanket. Unable to sleep, she'd dozed fitfully until dawn crept into the cell._

_"Are you okay?"_

_She jumped. Groggy and tired, she hadn't heard her captors bring in the man seated beside her. He leaned against the wall, legs outstretched and smile quick, while she huddled in a corner._

_"My name is Mason," he said. His skin was as dark as the corners of the cell, but his brown eyes were much warmer. "What's yours?"_

_She hesitated, scared. They'd snatched her out of her house, bound and hooded her and thrown her into the trunk of a car, driving for what felt like hours. Her voice was hoarse from screaming. And then she'd been dragged here and the hood removed._

_No one would tell her where she was or what happened to her mother._

_"I promise. I'm here to help you through this." Mason had kind eyes and a warmth about him that made him different than the stone-face man who grabbed her._

_"S...skylar," she managed. "I want to go home."_

_"I know. Are you hurt?"_

_"No." She lifted one elbow to show him the scrapes from the trunk._

_"Good. I'll make sure you're treated well. Okay?"_

* * *

Skylar awoke with a jerk. Her heart was flying, the fear and coldness of the dream making her shiver. Unlike the others, she didn't recall the whole thing this time, but she remembered a cell. And Mason. He'd been smiling, always her friend, even in...

"Where the hell was that?" She'd learned to tell the difference between memories and dreams. This was a memory. The harder she tried to recall it, the faster it slipped away. "Dammit, Skylar!"

With a sigh, she got out of bed. Her first instinct was to want to see the scrapbooks again, to assure herself that the cold and emptiness remaining from her dream was only a tiny part of her life. That she had a family that cared.

She knelt on the ground and bent to look under the bed. Nothing was there.

"Hey, house. Can you bring back the scrapbooks?" she asked quietly.

She waited, staring at the space under the bed. Nothing happened. Disappointed that the house might not be as easy to work with as Chace's cabin, she sat up.

The scrapbooks were neatly sitting on a freshly made bed.

"You are awesome," she told the magic house. "How about some pizza?"

_We have a pizza date._

A pang of heartache hit her hard enough to render her breathless. She'd planned on having a pizza date with Chace, who agreed, then took her to a meeting where he betrayed her. She wasn't able to think of pizza without also recalling him and what he'd done.

"No pizza," she whispered. "Ice cream."

_Not the best start to my morning..._

"No, wait. Pizza. I'm not going to let _him_ stop me from eating my favorite food!" she growled. _Pizza and Chace shouldn't hurt me like this!_ "Ice cream. Okay, ice cream, house. Final decision."

She glanced around expectantly and spotted the large bowl of ice cream on her dresser. With a grin, Skylar hopped up and crossed to it. She took one bite and almost choked, forcing it down.

"Oh, ugh!" she muttered. "House, you're cool. But let's take this completely off the list of future requests. No more pizza-flavored ice cream. Ever. Sorry for the confusion, but no." She set it down and grimaced.

Skylar pulled on workout pants and left her room, hoping to catch Gavin before he went to bed for the day. The house was quiet, the door to his room closed.

Disappointed, she returned to her bedroom. The ice cream on the dresser was chocolate.

"Thanks. I need the chocolate," she murmured and took it. She sat down on the bed and began going through the scrapbooks once more. Uncertain what she sought, she relaxed when she saw the smiles from the small family.

Gradually, the sense of cold despair from her dream left her, replaced by a longing but content feeling. She'd been a happy kid. It was all that mattered.

When she'd passed a few hours with the scrapbooks, she ordered the house to put them away and got dressed, once again roaming the island. It took one more pass around for her to admit how good of a job her father had done finding a place remote enough that not even planes flew overhead.

She spent an hour testing the house to see how responsive it was to her, and then parked on the couch, waiting for her father. With more questions than answers, she desperately wanted to give him the chance to enlighten her before ordering the house to take her away.

He rose just before sunset. With a glance at her, he made himself breakfast wordlessly and took his food outside to the beach.

Skylar rolled her eyes at his back and trailed, sensing her solitary father wasn't accustomed to having someone else in his house.

"You can only fly around at night?" Skylar asked as she dropped beside him on the beach, watching the evening darken the sky.

"I can fly during the day. But I don't have my full powers. Flying is all I can do during the day," he replied. "And if I shift during daylight, I can't shift back until nightfall, which makes it hard to hide."

"You won't fit in the magic house as a dragon," she observed.

"No." He glanced at her. "You figured out it's magic."

"By accident. Same way I did Chace's."

Gavin made what sounded like a growl low in his chest at Chace's name. He set his unfinished breakfast aside.

"You really don't like him," she murmured, eyes on the first few stars that appeared above the horizon. "Because he traded me?"

"Because he's not capable of caring for anyone but himself. Not the shifters he should be protecting. Not the protector who is supposed to watch out for him. If he didn't sell you out to me, he'd have sold you out to someone else. Someone worse than me."

_Is someone like that possible?_ She was afraid to ask who Gavin considered to be a bad person, when he'd gone to such lengths to outsmart Chace and kidnap her.

"Can I ask... why did he trade me to you?" she asked. "So he could become human?"

Gavin didn't answer.

"I'll just ask him later," she told him. "Whether you tell me or he does, I'll find out."

"He's dead."

"No, I don't think he is."

Gavin's blue eyes settled on her. He'd gone rigid again, his features tense.

"You wouldn't be like this" she waved her hands at him "if he was dead. Don't get me wrong. I'm not happy with him right now. But I think unless one of us is dead, I'm supposed to be with him. The way mom and you were together. Right?"

Gavin rose and started away, stopped, then began pacing.

Skylar watched him, sensing he was close to telling her something important, but not at all certain what her unpredictable dragon shifter father would say.

"While you were with the slayers, did you ever find any reason to believe your mother was alive?" he asked finally.

Skylar tilted her head to the side, not expecting the question. "I'd hoped you'd know."

"I don't."

"Then why did you torch the slayers' compound?" she demanded. "What if all the answers we need were right there?"

"They weren't."

"You don't know that!" She rose. "Dad, there are hundreds of brainwashed slayers like me, probably the children of other shifters. All our personnel files were on the computers at the compound. I could've found some way to get into them, to help them, maybe even to find Mom. But you had to torch the place."

"The people and place that took you away from me? I'd gladly torch it again! I don't give a damn about the other slayers."

"I've never seen anyone throw a temper tantrum like a dragon," she said. "You are just as bad as Chace."

_Caleb's library._ Skylar suddenly recalled a second place where she might find out more: the treasure trove of information about slayers and shifters, allegedly collected over thousands of years in Caleb's house north of Phoenix. Was the large library, too, another well-manufactured falsehood? Or was some part of it real?

"I operate under different rules."

"Are all dragons like this?" She sighed. "Anyway, I want to go back to the slayers. I want to help the others and find Mom."

"No."

"No?" she echoed. "I'm not asking, Gavin."

He glared at her. "I spent the past six years trying to find you. I'm not going to lose you the way I did your mother."

"I get it. But I have my own life and make my own decisions. I'm not happy sitting here all safe and pretty while my friends are being brainwashed." _And I want to find Chace, not just my mom._

"You won't find him."

Skylar eyed him, not about to ask if dragons were able to read minds. She was afraid he'd say yes.

"You're not going anywhere, Skylar. This isn't your – _our_ fight. I followed through with my agreement with Chace about giving the other shifters a refuge. That's as much as I care to do."

"Was that why he traded me?" she asked curiously. "So you would protect the others?"

"Chace came to me and wanted to become human. He offered up everything that was his in exchange. I agreed. Later on, he realized what a stupid thing he'd done in granting someone else his magic. Without it, the other shifters would have nowhere where they'd be safe. He asked me for a new deal, one where I'd agree to protect them. In exchange, he hunted you down and brought you to me."

Skylar listened, uncertain whose actions were more appalling: her father tricking Chace into giving up his magic or Chace for being stupid enough to trust Gavin.

_I'm related to him, and I know not to trust him._

"I don't know if that's better or worse than what I thought," she admitted. "He traded me to you because he wanted to protect the others, but only because he'd agreed to give up all his magic in the first place and couldn't do it on his own. Though I doubt you told him up front what he was doing. You both sound like dicks in this scenario."

"He traded you the first time around. He just didn't know it."

She considered him for a moment. "Because I was – am – the other half of his heart. Because he's my dragon."

"You're safe. It's all that matters."

"You want me just to stay here for eternity and be happy about it?"

"Yes."

"You know as much about me as Chace does," she snapped.

"I don't need to know you. I need to keep you safe," Gavin growled. "You are all I have in this world, and I won't lose you again, even if that means chaining you in your room so you can't leave!" His eyes flashed fire, and muscles began to move beneath his skin, a sure sign he was angry enough to shift involuntarily.

Skylar began to think he'd lived five thousand years without anyone ever challenging him the way she did.

"There are days when I want to use the lassos on you both," she said.

"Lassos?"

"Yeah. Like the one on my dresser."

"How many are there?" he asked. Gavin's fire seemed to be snuffed out instantly. He was staring at her hard. This cold anger was scarier than the hot fury.

"Chill, dragon," she murmured. "There are two lassos. You go fly around and cool off, and I'll go inside and make tea. For me, because you're being an asshole. You can make your own when you get back, and we'll talk later."

Gavin was still for a moment then shrugged his shoulders to try to loosen them. The fire remained in his eyes.

She didn't wait for him to calm down but strode back to the house and went inside, angry with him but able to recognize a wall when she hit one. There really was no option. She had to help Mason, if not Dillon, along with the rest of the slayers. She didn't know what to think about Chace or the deal he'd made with her father. They both got their hands dirty in that agreement.

"Why can't you guys be less like dragons and stop to think before doing or saying something?" she muttered.

She turned to see Gavin flying into the sky, the powerful wings beating hard in the ocean wind. The dark blue scales lining his body reflected the last rays of sunlight, creating tiny rainbows around him. He was magnificent, beautiful and terrifying in the way of a mythical creature the size of a building.

Watching him fly calmed her, confused her. She'd spent the past few years believing dragons to be the enemy, only to discover her past and her future were intertwined with their kind.

Chace's betrayal hurt in a way that made her think she'd never be able to trust him again and yet, she sensed she was supposed to help him the way her mother helped her father.

_Maybe this way is better._ She knew now not to trust him, not to fall for the dragon she was safeguarding. Maybe now, she was able to focus on her duty and not on the spark between them.

Skylar shook her head. She'd never be able to face Chace again without wanting to melt into his arms. But if he was the man her father portrayed him to be, he'd just hurt her, if she gave him her heart.

"First things first," she said aloud to distract her thoughts. "Warn Mason and help the others." _I'll figure out what to do about Chace later._

Skylar returned to her room and changed out of the shorts and tank she wore on the island into clothing she could fight in. Her gaze went to the old, folded letter on top of her dresser. It was the final note written by her mother, Ginger, to Gavin. Seeing it softened Skylar's anger towards her father, made her remember there was a man beneath the scales who had lost someone he loved.

Gavin was hurting. What he said and did were to protect the only thing that mattered to him.

"Sorry, Dad," she said, picking up the note. She tucked it in her pocket. "But I can't stand by and let others like me get hurt." With a deep breath, she pulled on boots and stood. "Okay, magic house. Take me home."

# Chapter 5

Chace clawed his way up the last few feet of the almost sheer cliff. He'd given up trying to see straight. There was nothing but the cool, grey rock in front of his eyes. His body was numb, his head pounding from exertion far beyond what Gunner said he should be putting his battered body through.

But he needed answers. Even if Freyja claimed his magic wasn't at the top of the mountain, something was there, and right now, he needed everything he could get.

The air was cooler the farther up he'd gone and much thinner, giving him a new kind of headache. This one was in his temples and made his stomach unstable. He needed a nap for his head and some pizza to settle his belly.

He almost groaned at the thought, his mouth watering. He hadn't had his favorite food in too long. _If I survive this damn mountain, I'm going to eat four pizzas._

The cold, almost useless fingers on one hand slipped out of their hold, and he grimaced, digging into the rocky face as he slid down a foot. His hands were slippery from the bloodied fingertips he was no longer able to feel. Forcing himself to focus, he concentrated on one handhold at a time and lifting his body with nothing more than sheer will forcing his broken body onward.

Right now, he felt like letting go of the pain riddling his weakened body and simply... falling.

The thought was accompanied by a flash of Skylar's face in his mind, and he knew he had to keep going. Whenever he thought of her, he smelled her scent, the combination of a woman's musk and peach shampoo. It filled his senses, quelling his doubt and fear and anger, helping him concentrate, the way her touch did in person.

One hand found the top of the cliff he was scaling, and he shoved his toes into a new foothold, and then launched upward. Chace caught himself and breathed out hard, hauling his body over the edge. He lay still, shaking and weak. Cold, fresh mountain air chilled his skin while the heat of exertion and what remained of his fever kept him warm. The clear blue sky above reminded him of Skylar's eyes, and he rolled onto his belly.

He couldn't stop thinking of her. It was driving him crazy.

Chace rested long enough that he started to doze. He wasn't used to his body feeling so... useless. He shook, and his thoughts were woolly.

He pushed himself up to sit and look around. With Gunner's help, he'd climbed to the highest peak he was able to find in the Oregon mountains and sat overlooking a shallow, rocky saddle between two peaks. The brisk wind made his eyes water, and he wiped his bloodied fingers off then sipped from the Camelback strapped to his back.

"Dragons are better at climbing cliffs than panthers," Gunner grunted and hauled himself over the same ledge Chace had just conquered. "But give me a tree and I'm all up in that shit."

"Do you ever think it's weird that we are what we are?" Chace asked, scanning the area for some sign of what he was supposed to find.

"No. I knew what I was growing up. My mom was a shifter and so were my aunts. I guess I never had any reason to question it."

"I keep wondering why they couldn't just tell me that I was a shifter to start out with," Chace grumbled. "I would've done so many things differently if I didn't think I could be cured of my curse."

"A thousand years is a long time not to be comfortable with who you are."

Chace glanced at him, sensing the truth of his wise friend's words. He didn't know what to do with that truth, though. He'd wasted several dozen lifetimes trying to escape what he was, only to face his own mortality and wish he had that part of him back.

"I'm a dragon," he said softly. "Even if I don't have any wings."

"Yep. I'm a panther, magic or not. Though I wish you had wings, because I'm not looking forward to getting down from here. Cats don't climb _down_."

"Live a little, eh, Gunner?"

"When we're standing safely at the bottom of the mountain, I'll consider it."

Chace smiled and stood. He had a feeling Sky wouldn't back down from the challenge.

_Stop thinking about her!_

"We're here." Gunner joined him. "What are we looking for?"

"No idea." Chace took in the small plateau they stood on. Aside from one tree clinging by the roots to ground between two boulders, there was nothing else on the rocky shelf.

He could see for miles, though, great swaths of pine trees that rolled over the landscape in one direction to meet the dark blue depths of the ocean in the distance. In the other directions were stony mountains and more trees that seemed to end only where they met the sky. He had a sense of being alone but not isolated, for the subtle energy of his surroundings was like the gentle hum of his cabin. The world around him was quietly alive, the brush of fresh mountain breeze across his body a sort of welcome.

Had he ever appreciated the views he had from above? Even flying over the world, he wasn't sure he'd ever noticed it the way he did now, the vibrant, textured hues of nature. He never expected to miss sitting on top of the world, but a pang of longing struck him hard. He was close to the sky, but he'd never be able to touch it the way he did when he was flying.

_I've wasted so much of my life running from myself and my magic._

"Since we're at a stopping point, I want to check your head," Gunner said, slinging the pack at his back onto the ground. He knelt beside it. "I don't know how you managed that climb in your state."

"Felt like I didn't have a choice. Something important is here. Or... should be." Chace frowned, not seeing whatever he was supposed to find.

Gunner handed him a protein bar. Chace wolfed it down and dropped to his knees beside his friend, watching Gunner pull out the small medical kit he'd made before leaving the cabin.

"It feels like it's getting better," Chace said, touching the bandage around his head.

"You'll forgive me if I don't listen to the assessment of a man who thought a pillowcase would cure his gaping head wound."

"I've never had to take care of myself."

"Maybe you should've spent some part of the past thousand years bettering yourself instead of moping around," Gunner pointed out. He smiled to soften his words and motioned for Chace to lean forward.

Chace did so. "I know. I'm going to fix things. Appreciate life. Not suck as a friend. Get my magic back." _Find out if there's a chance of winning over Skylar._ "Take care of some unfinished business."

Gunner unwrapped his wound and studied it.

"All better, right?" Chace asked.

"Could be worse."

"That sounds like a good prognosis."

"We'll leave it unwrapped for a bit."

"I don't want goo in my hair."

"Your hair is nothing but dried goo and blood and God knows what else. You can wash it in a couple days," Gunner said. "My stitching is good but without medical grade supplies, I don't want to take the chance they come out."

"I'm messing with you, Gun." Chace touched the roughened area of his scalp where Gunner had stitched him up. "I appreciate it and won't wash my hair until you're okay with it."

Gunner sighed and relaxed visibly.

"Hope you don't have anywhere else to be, because I'm planning on waiting here until whatever it is I need to find shows up," Chace added.

"I need the rest."

"It'll be sundown soon anyway."

"Then lets get our campsite set up."

Chace shivered, the chill of the early evening air working through him. With some impatience, he helped Gunner set up their small camp: a two-man pup tent with space blankets, a tiny stove and a compressed wood log guaranteed to burn for twelve hours. Gunner started the small fire, and they sat on either side of it. The only sound on the mountaintop was that of the crackling wood. The sun began to set, and Chace squinted, unwilling to look away from his favorite part of the day, when light and dark traded places.

_Come on, Freyja. Show me what I'm here to see._

# Chapter 6

Skylar stepped out of the house, immediately noticing the change in the air. It was light, no longer heavy and humid. She oriented herself for a moment, trying to determine where the dragon lair had taken her.

"A little farther away than I hoped, but not bad. You did good, house," she murmured. "Go back to the island, before Gavin notices."

When she turned, the house was gone. The shapes of saguaro cacti and squat mesquite trees were visible in the grainy twilight, framed against an orangey-pink horizon. The house had left her near what remained of The Field, whose charred ruins were quiet and dark.

She pulled free the two items she'd left her apartment with – the golden lasso and her cell – out of her pockets. She silently prayed the phone would work for the first time since her most recent dragon kidnapping.

The phone lit up, and she released her breath. Skylar's eyes lingered on The Field, and she hesitated, confused once more. Despite sleeping for a week, she'd had only one emerging memory she was able to recall and no epiphanies about her past and mother. What if some of the slayers were there by choice? What if they knew about her, especially after her long absence, and she was getting ready to walk into a trap?

_What if the slayers are all like me and need help?_

Her mother claimed she had some kind of answer to what was going on, even if Skylar wasn't cognizant of what it was.

She dialed Mason's number.

He picked up on the third ring.

"Hey, Mason," she said.

There was a pause, then a startled "Sky!"

"Yeah. Still alive." She smiled. "Kinda need a ride, though."

"Where are you? What happened?" he exclaimed. "We've looked everywhere for you!"

"We'll talk about it," she promised. "I'm near The Field. Pretty sure I'll be hunted down by a dragon or two soon, so you might want to hurry."

"I'm on it." There were sounds of rustling from his end and the jingle of keys. "Hope it's okay, but I'm so not bringing Dillon. He's been spazzing out."

"Oh, god, I bet. Yeah leave him," she agreed. "But hurry, Mason. I'm serious about dragons."

"On my way." He hung up.

Skylar locked the phone's screen and tucked it into her pocket. She couldn't look away from the compound where she thought she'd spent her life learning to be a slayer. The Field deserved to be burnt to the ground and yet, the sight of all she'd ever known in ruins saddened her.

She trotted towards it, aware it would take Mason a good thirty minutes to reach her, assuming he sped like usual. She reached the compound ten minutes later and walked into the ruins. What hadn't been burnt had been bulldozed, probably to keep any secrets there nicely buried.

The blackened rubble was all that remained of her world. She sat on a cement block, unable to look away from the lifeless compound before her.

Her memories were still too fleeting to give her more than glimpses into her past. The scrapbooks helped fill some gaps, mainly by assuring her she'd had a normal childhood with a mother who doted over her and a father who was coolly proud. Only happy times were in the scrapbooks: birthday parties, silly childhood accomplishments, vacations. She loved how simple and cheerful the pictures were while straining to recall more of the underlying danger that appeared in the fragmented memories she saw when she slept. She needed to know why she and the slayers had been taken from their homes and brainwashed, why they were hunting down members of their own family.

She wanted to know more about her mother and to see the man her father had been in the scrapbooks. A part of her ached to recall just one of the beautiful scenes from the scrapbook in the hopes she was able to _feel_ – even if only for a split second – what it had been like to be loved, safe, happy.

It seemed so wrong to recall more about a world that didn't exist – the one now in ruins at her feet – than she did her own life.

The sound of crunching gravel announced the arrival of Mason's vehicle.

Skylar pulled herself out of her thoughts and rose, facing his black SUV.

He rolled down the window as he approached, waving at her. His smile was big.

She smiled back and hopped into the passenger seat, leaning over to hug him.

"Omigod. I missed you," Mason said, squeezing her tightly against his athletic body. "Dillon has been more of a dick than usual, and you weren't there to keep me sane."

She laughed. "No surprise there."

"Let's get out of here. I'm not in the mood for dragons today."

"Me neither!"

Mason leaned away and put the vehicle into gear, taking them away from The Field. He merged onto the highway through a dirt access road and started north, towards Tucson.

Skylar gazed out the window as dark fell.

"What the hell happened?" he asked at last. "We were in the lobby of your apartment building. I went up to check on you before my shift was up and you were just gone."

"Oh, I tried to take on the blue dragon myself," she half-lied. "It didn't go as planned." She dwelt for a moment on the last incredible night she spent with Chace before he betrayed her.

"You saw him?"

"Yep. And the Teal Dragon."

"I kinda figured that," Mason admitted. "The state of your bedroom was... ahem, kind of telling."

"Yeah." She debated what to tell the only person she was fully able to trust. "He turned me over to the blue dragon. Guess they had a deal, and Chace was supposed to deliver me. So he did."

"Yikes." Mason glanced at her. "You okay?"

"I'm good," she replied. "But you aren't. None of the slayers are. I learned a few thing while off on my latest adventure."

"Like why I keep remembering my sister when The Field claims she never existed?"

"Exactly. As much as I hate to say this, I need to go to Caleb's library."

Mason grunted.

"I promise to tell you what's going on during the trip to Phoenix," she offered hopefully.

"Caleb is furious with you still, and Dillon will probably be there."

"Please, Mason?"

"Like I've ever told you no."

She smiled. "I know. Thank you."

"To Phoenix we go!"

They spoke during the two-hour drive. Skylar's need to be able to trust someone in her life overcame the instincts urging her to be careful, and she revealed everything to Mason: from her sketchy family history to Gavin's true identity to what she'd learned about the connection between the shifters and slayers. As she spoke, Mason's features grew from disbelieving to grave, the normal humor that glowed in his eyes fading.

They reached Phoenix just as she finished pouring her heart out about everything. Skylar sighed, near tears, and rested her head back, not certain what Mason was going to say. He appeared pensive, his focus on the evening traffic on the eight lane highway.

"First, I'm sorry about Chace," he started. "I have a feeling you like him more than you let on. I hope he's got some good reasoning behind what he did. If what you believe is true about these marks we have, then I have to believe that we aren't both going to be screwed over by shifters."

"Do you ever see the girl who marked you?" Skylar asked curiously.

"Not really. It's weird. She shows up every once in a while. I never know when or why or if she's coming back. Sounds like Chace is just as reliable. Maybe being inconsistent is a shifter thing."

"Maybe," she murmured, not liking the idea of having her heart in the blender the rest of her life. "Kinda shitty for us."

"They're part animal. Could just be their natures." Mason shrugged. "If we stick together, we can get through it."

"Sounds like a good idea."

"You told me everything except why we're going to Caleb's."

"I want to see if we can find out anything about our families. Ourselves. Maybe why they're using us to track and kill shifters."

"Why do you think they are?"

"It makes sense to use the offspring of shifters, if we are the only ones who can find shifters. I don't know why they'd want the shifters dead, though," she said, considering. _Especially not Chace._

She didn't like thinking about him; it made her hurt. She tried to push away the memories of their time together, to write him off as some sort of user who wasn't capable of caring about her. After all, hadn't he betrayed her? It didn't matter that he'd done it to help the shifters. He was stupid to make a deal with her father in the first place!

And yet, her anger melted into longing when she recalled how comfortable and safe she'd been in his arms, the honey bonfire scent of his skin, the warmth in his eyes when he looked at her. She began to realize they hadn't had the chance yet to dive beneath the sexual attraction and get to know one another. The glimpses she'd seen of who he was left her perplexed.

"One decision shouldn't brand you for life, right?" she voiced aloud.

"Depends on the decision. If it involves hurting someone else, then I sometimes don't think there's anything that can be done to make up for it. There's no going back from that, even if you want to or wish you could." Mason shrugged, the hushed note in his voice sad.

"Yeah. True." She nibbled on her lower lip. "But you can always make a fresh start and try to do better, right?"

"I hope so."

Skylar didn't know what to think of Mason's somber mood. From what he said, he was reliving something he didn't want to, or maybe, the person he spoke about who made a decision as bad as Chace's.

_He'll talk to me when he's ready._

"I hope we can find some answers at Caleb's," she said.

"You got a good excuse as to where you were for over a week?"

"I'll just tell him the truth. I got kidnapped by another dragon."

Mason laughed.

Skylar sank into silence, troubled by her thoughts and more by the complication of Chace. She had enough to deal with right now; he shouldn't be forefront in her thoughts. But he was.

They arrived at Caleb's a short time later, and she rubbed sweaty palms on her pants, eyeing the house. Caleb's library was the only place she knew where the slayers' secrets might be kept, since The Field's computers were destroyed.

Mason got out of the SUV, and she followed more slowly, concerned. There was no explaining a way out of what had happened. The disappearance of the only dragon slayer around was going to be noticed.

_Not slayer. Protector._

Mason knocked then walked into Caleb's house, aware of the open door policy the most senior slayer had. After their last interaction, Skylar braced herself to have her ass kicked by the middle-aged slayer.

To her relief, no one was in the foyer when they entered.

"Why don't you go to the library and I'll smooth things over with Caleb?" Mason whispered. "It'll give you time to find something, just in case he decides to kick us both out."

"You don't have to ask twice," she said and started down the hallway at a jog.

"I'll text if we need to leave fast!"

"Thanks, Mason." Skylar set her phone to vibrate instead of ring and tucked it into her pocket.

She entered the huge library and stopped. Every time she came, she doubted she'd ever be able to find something in the thousands of books lining the floor-to-ceiling the shelves.

"It's not like I can google what I want," she mused. Was the lack of online information because the slayers had secrets or was it simply the discomfort of Caleb and his predecessors with modern technology? She'd seen Dillon try – and fail – to teach his father to use a computer more than once.

As usual, her attention went from the books to the odd collection of animals and creatures in the case at the center of the library. It always drew her interest, but this time, she sensed something different about the collection.

Skylar walked up to it, eyes falling first to the statues of dragons that appeared identical to the tattoo on her neck.

Absently touching her neck, she realized it was itching, the way it did when...

... _shifters._

She stared more closely at the figurines before her, not quite grasping what it was her instincts were telling her, why they always compelled her to the case first whenever she visited the library, why her neck was itchy now.

Why she felt the need to _help _them.

"What's your secret?" she whispered to the cluttered collection.

There were hundreds of the tiny figurines in the case. She circled the case then glanced quickly towards the library's entrance. Caleb had a way of sneaking up on her. She half-expected to see him in the doorway and was relieved that he wasn't there.

Skylar opened the glass case quickly and reached in, following the strange sense that felt too much like a shifter's presence. She plucked up two of the dragon figurines. Each was the size of a quarter, solid and black. It wasn't just the dragons that seemed to need help; all were radiating the shifter magic that beckoned to her.

"How do I help you?" she asked the statues.

_The answer is in the palm of your hand._

What had her mother meant?

Skylar's fingers tingled with warmth, the way they did when she touched Chace. Uncertain what to think of the sensation, she instinctively knew she had to protect the little figurines, the same way she knew she should protect Chace.

"So weird." With a sigh, she pushed the figurines into her pocket and went through the collection quickly, removing as many dragons as she could find and stuffing them into her pockets.

The soft scuff of someone's footsteps in the marble hall reached her. She hastily closed the door and hurried to one of the nearby shelves. The figurines in her pockets warmed the skin beneath almost to the point where she was uncomfortable. Distracted by the sensation, she didn't notice who entered until he spoke.

"Um, Sky, I think we should go. Fast," Mason hissed. He waved her towards him with a glance down the hall behind him.

She sprang forward.

Mason all but ran out of the house, and she went with him, heart thudding quickly. Skylar cast a couple of looks over her shoulder, expecting to see Caleb chasing them. No one did, and she hopped in the truck.

Mason started it and gunned the engine, tearing out of the crescent driveway.

Skylar's gaze went from the door of the house to him as she pulled on her seatbelt.

"What's wrong? Was he furious to know I was there?" she asked anxiously.

Mason said nothing, his laser focus on driving fast and well out of the subdivision. She studied him, noticing the wetness on his clothing for the first time. The faint, metallic scent of blood reached her, and she frowned. There was blood all over the front of his black jeans and speckling his bare forearms.

"Mason, what happened?" she asked in a hushed voice.

He ran his fingers through his hair then clenched the steering wheel with both hands.

But he didn't answer. His features were too tight. Sensing his distress, Skylar said nothing. She stared out the window for a long moment, afraid to know how bad things had gotten between Mason and Caleb.

One of the dragon figures was jabbing her in the thigh, and she shifted, reaching in to adjust them. She tugged one free to gaze at it.

"What is that?" Mason asked.

"A little dragon I found in the library." She studied it. "It's got shifter magic. It makes no sense."

"Is that from Caleb's figurine collection?"

"Yeah."

Her phone vibrated. She reached into her back pocket to grab it.

* * *

_W here are you?_

* * *

"One guess who that is," she said and instinctively glanced up at the moon roof to see if Gavin was hovering overhead. He wasn't, and she put the phone away, uncertain what to tell him. "Can we go somewhere where dragons can't get to us?"

"Does such a place exist?" Mason snorted.

"Maybe just inside. So we're not easy targets out in the open."

"This has been the worst night ever."

She didn't ask, and he didn't explain. Instead of leaving Phoenix for Tucson, where they both lived, he pulled into the parking lot of a hotel south of Phoenix.

"This work?" he asked.

"Yeah."

"I'll grab a room. Be back."

She almost stopped him to ask if that was a good idea, since he was covered in blood. His movements were too quick and jerky, a sign he probably didn't want to be reminded of whatever happened.

She watched him hurry into the lobby of the hotel before refocusing on the dragon.

"What's your secret?" she murmured once more. "Why were you in Caleb's library?"

The odd magic around the figure pulsed. An idea formed, one that seemed farfetched and outlandish.

"Are you what happens to old shifters? Or are you a new one?"

Mason's tap at her window jarred her. He flashed a room keycard and opened her door.

"Second floor, overlooking the pool. It's only got one bed, so I'll sleep on the couch. Don't say I don't spoil you." He tried to keep his tone upbeat, but it fell flat.

"It's perfect, Mason." Pitying him, Skylar offered a bright smile and got out of the vehicle. "Lead on."

She trailed him into the hotel, the dragon figurine clenched in one hand. Mason took the stairwell instead of the elevator, but she paused at the foot of the stairs, opening her fist.

The dragon was moving, its tail stinging her palm as it repositioned itself.

She uttered a surprised sound.

"You okay?" Mason called, out of sight on the second floor landing.

"I have to show you something!" She closed her fist around the moving figurine and ran up the stairs.

Halfway up, she slowed. The dragon was prying her fist open, not by its movement but because it appeared to have tripled in size.

"Mason..." She stopped, astonished. The creature grew before her eyes, turning from black stone into a faded purple, miniature dragon. It spread its wings and belched a tiny orange flame then hunkered down, as if focused on the rapid physical expansion of its body. "Shit. I think we have a problem!"

Skylar darted up the stairs. By the time she reached the second floor, she needed two hands for the dragon, which now felt like it weighed a few pounds.

"I need some place open."

Mason stared at her then the creature in her hands, his eyes widening as it grew larger, heavier.

"Now, Mason!" she barked. "I have no idea how big this thing is going to get!"

"I, uh... two-forty-nine. It's our room." He looked around wildly then approached the plaque on one wall. "This way!"

Skylar followed, careful to keep the ballooning dragon balanced in her hands. By the time they reached their room, it was large enough for her to wrap two hands around. The fur lining its translucent scales was soft, the scales themselves smooth and flexing.

Now the size of a terrier, the creature was trying to get free of her grip, growling in complaint and pawing at her arm with the one foot it had free.

"Okay, go!" Mason said, shoving the door open.

Skylar walked into the hotel room. It had one large bed, a tiny bathroom, and a small balcony overlooking the lit pool. Staggering under the weight of the dragon, she crossed to the balcony and nudged the doors with one hip, unable to open it.

Mason leaned around her and yanked it open, and Skylar hurried onto the porch outside, setting the dragon down carefully. The moment it was free, it squawked and unfurled its wings. They shimmered lilac and periwinkle in the light from the pool area.

"Where the hell did it come from?" Mason demanded, baffled.

_The answer is in the palm of your hand._

Skylar glanced at her hand. She stepped back, admiring the dragon's color and the way its wings almost glowed in the dim light. "I hope it doesn't get too much bigger."

Even as she spoke, the creature continued to grow, soon eclipsing the size of a couch, until there was no room for it and them on the patio. Skylar stepped back with Mason into the hotel room.

"You need to fly, dragon, before you take out that railing," Skylar said to it.

The creature faced her, its eyes a deep lavender hue. It tilted its head to the side, snorted a puff of smoke then turned away. It leapt up onto the railing overlooking the pool, expanded its wings on either side and leapt towards the night sky.

Or tried to.

"Oh!" Skylar rushed to the railing.

The dragon plummeted downwards, into the pool, landing with a huge splash that drenched the chairs and plants around the walkway. The sight of the great beast hauling itself out, growling and yowling all the way, assured her that it was pissed, not hurt.

Skylar laughed. "I swear these dragons are like five-year-olds!"

The dragon shook excess water from itself. It had grown larger, now the size of a car. Its wings went out again though this time, it tested itself before carefully taking flight. Hovering over the pool, it seemed satisfied and vaulted upwards, disappearing into the dark sky above.

Skylar followed it with her gaze until she wasn't able to see it anymore. The sight of the dragon thrilled her, reminding her of how beautiful the creatures were, despite their apparent moods.

"What the fuck just happened?" Mason breathed from behind her.

"I could ask you the same thing," she said pointedly and turned, crossing her arms. She leaned against the railing.

"Where did it come from?"

"Well, if I had to guess..." She pulled a figurine free from her pocket. "I was just holding it and it started to grow."

"What? That's crazy." Mason shifted forward to grab the stone dragon.

A sliver of unease went through her at the sight of it in his hand.

_It's Mason. The only person I trust._

"How many did you get?" He returned the stone dragon, eyes drifting to her pockets.

"Not sure. Maybe twenty?" She shoved a hand into each pocket and began pulling the figurines free. Skylar set them on the table then dug around for more, until she was certain she'd gotten all of them. "Twenty two, including the one that flew away."

"My god, Sky," Mason said. "Do you think you can do whatever you just did to all of them?"

"I've never heard anything that bat shit crazy in my life," she said. "But... Mason, I've always sensed some sort of magic around the figurines in his library. This time, it was really strong, like they wanted me to find them and take them away. I can't explain it."

"Try it again."

She hesitated then picked up one of the figurines and clenched it in her hand. It grew warmer, the shifter magic stronger, before it began to move again. Opening her hand, she set it on the ground on the patio. It went from quarter sized to the size of an apple, a basketball, ottoman, couch.

This one was a gorgeous dark green in color.

"Okay, off the patio, dragon," she ordered when it became too large for the balcony area.

The green dragon was more cautious than the purple and tested its wings before taking off into the sky.

"Mason, I don't get this at all," she whispered. "If each of these figurines is a dragon..."

"... then how did they get so tiny?" Mason joined her at the railing, watching their latest dragon fly away.

"You think that's what happened to them at The Field? Caleb was turning them into... those?" She motioned to the remaining twenty dragons.

"Then keeping them as trophies? Like some sort of psychopath?"

"I wouldn't put it past him." Another thought struck her, and she gave a confused laugh. "Should I have done that? Freed them?"

_Yes._ Her instincts were firm.

"I don't know, Sky. Nothing we've been taught is right." Mason's soft, frustrated tone carried a note of loss she felt, too.

"Should I... uh... free the others?" She stretched to grab another figure. "What if they really were making fried chicken out of people and this is their punishment?"

Mason picked up one.

"Or," she continued. "What if they've all had their lives taken from them, like the slayers, and are innocent?"

"I don't know." Mason wrapped his hand around the figurine. "I want to see if I can do it."

Skylar nodded. She picked up each of the figurines and set it on its feet, feeling bad that she'd manhandled them and stuffed them in her pocket without any idea the delicate figurines were somehow alive. They all appeared identical. There was no way to know what color the dragon would become once it was free, no markings of any kind or detailing on the tiny stone statues.

"It doesn't seem possible there's a whole dragon inside of here," she marveled, holding up one.

"It's not working for me," Mason said, disappointed. He replaced it on the table. "How old do you think they are?"

"No idea." She made a fist around one.

"Do you feel anything when you do it?"

"It gets warm."

"So maybe you're transferring magic to it." He grew pensive. "Like maybe, Caleb takes it away, and they turn to stone. Then you give it back."

"How?"

"It's a theory."

_We are the dragons' guardians._ The words had come to her in a dream, given to her by her mother.

"I'm going to free them," she decided. "And if one of them fries people, I'll re-capture him. I still have the lassos."

"I guess it can't be that bad, can it?" Mason reasoned.

_I hope not._ Skylar drew a deep breath and took the next dragon figurine in her hand.

Mason pulled the chairs from the patio into the room and propped the door open, offering her the chair closest to the door.

Skylar sat and placed the squirming dragon in her hand onto the patio floor. She leaned forward, intrigued by what color it would be.

"Light blue," she murmured with a smile. "They're so beautiful, Mason."

"Pretty but dangerous," he said. "Hoping they behave."

"Me, too. We've only got two lassos." Skylar leaned back as the dragon grew.

The beauty of the creatures left her mesmerized. She leaned forward to grab another dragon not long after the one on the patio took off.

"Hey, Mason," she said, giggling. "Just add water. Get it? Insta-dragon."

"I think you mean, just add fire," he said with a snort.

"Not sure what I'm adding, but it's working. I think we need to go back to Caleb's. Grab the rest of the figurines to see if they come to life, too."

"We can't do that, Skylar."

She glanced over her shoulder at him. His features were shuttered again.

"You won't tell me what happened?" she ventured.

"Maybe later."

"I'm worried about you, Mason."

"I'm fine, Sky. Promise." His expression was too troubled for her to believe him. "Work on your dragons. I'm gonna grab my bag from the truck and take a shower." He didn't wait for her to ask him more questions but rose and left.

Skylar watched him go, concerned. He'd been gradually growing tenser since leaving Caleb's. The more they talked, the more agitated he became.

The wriggling dragon in her hand pulled her attention back to her task, and she set it on the patio and sat back to watch it grow and take off into the night sky.

Dragon after dragon, she spent the next two hours freeing them, immersed in her mission. No part of her doubted she was doing wrong, not when she saw how incredible each creature was when it came to life again. None of them changed into their human forms, as if their initial instinct was to fly.

"Not that I blame you," she said to the last dragon figurine clenched in her hand. "There's something awful going on here." It wriggled, and she stretched forward to deposit it on the concrete patio.

Watching it grow, she experienced a sense of pride at seeing what she'd done and sadness knowing the dragons were still in danger that she wasn't able to pinpoint.

When the last dragon lifted itself into the sky, she stood and went to the railing. All of them had soared straight up, hovered briefly then oriented themselves north before taking off in that direction. It was almost like a bird's radar; something was compelling them north.

Exhaustion hit her. It was a little before midnight, and she sagged against the railing. Her head spun, and she was hungry.

"Bringing dragons to life is tiring," she muttered and pushed herself away. "How was the shower, Mason? Good water pressure?"

She retreated into the room, noticing for the first time that Mason wasn't there. His bag was on the bed, and the door to the bathroom was cracked.

"Mason?" Skylar pushed the door open to reveal an empty bathroom. The towels were all neatly folded still, the shower curtain open to show a dry basin.

She rubbed her face, worn out, but worried. He'd been acting weird since leaving Caleb's. Tugging her phone free, she checked it for missed calls and texts. Gavin had texted again, but there was nothing from Mason. She tried calling him, only for it to go straight to voicemail.

"Shit." She snagged the second keycard off the dresser and left the room for the parking lot.

His SUV was parked where they left it. Placing a hand on the cool hood of the vehicle, she was able to guess he hadn't used it since they arrived.

She retraced his steps, her concern turning into alarm. Skylar checked the hallways and stairwell and elevator for signs of struggle – flecks of blood, pieces of clothing – without finding anything. Finally, she returned to their room and stood in the middle, scouring every surface and corner.

She rummaged through his bag to find spare clothing, a small, unused toiletry bag, and an extra pair of gym shoes.

"He came in, dropped this on the bed and then..." She twisted around, mimicking his movements. "Left. Disappeared. Got kidnapped? Ugh, Mason!"

She would've noticed a scuffle a few feet behind her, even if she was fascinated by the dragons. No one had knocked that she knew of, and Mason left no note or message about where he was going.

He was simply gone.

Skylar was still, pensive. The only trouble she knew about was from whatever happened at Caleb's that Mason hadn't wanted to discuss. As much as she dreaded going back after how quickly they'd left, she had a feeling the answers she needed were there.

She texted Mason then snagged the keys off the dresser and left for his SUV.

Skylar hopped in, started it and headed north, towards Caleb's house.

# Chapter 7

"Maybe it'll show up in the morning, whatever it is we're looking for," Gunner said.

Chace lifted his gaze from the crackling fire. The cold night drove them both closer to the fire, and they'd wrapped their space blankets around their shoulders. Orange flames danced across the reflective surfaces of the silver blankets.

"Maybe." After sitting on the top of the mountain for hours, he was beginning to think Freyja had set him up. Hadn't a thousand years cooled her anger? Did she send him to the top of a mountain in the hopes he didn't make it down in one piece? "Were the shifters okay when you left?"

"Yeah. Your friend Mr. Nothing took over the bar. He's kind of a dictator. Created a curfew and drags in shifters who refuse to be there by curfew whether or not they want to be there."

"Good. They have no idea what they're facing."

"I think I speak for everyone when I say we wish you were there not him."

Chace said nothing for a long moment. He hadn't just abandoned Sky; he'd abandoned the only family he'd known for a thousand years.

"I really screwed up, Gun," he said.

"You're alive to try it again, get things right this time."

"You think it's possible?"

"Depends on what you're asking." Gunner smiled. "The shifters are your family. They'll forgive you. The girl..." He shrugged.

"That's what I thought." Chace rested his chin on his knee. He was weak and exhausted – but alive. Gunner was right; he had a second chance. How did he make things right with no magic?

How did he find Skylar, since her father had made it clear he was going to keep them apart? Even if he did find her, what chance was there that she'd forgive him, let alone want anything to do with him? How did he prove to her that he was capable of so much more than he'd showed her thus far?

_You're my dragon._ Though uncertain who she was, she'd spoken the words with conviction. Was there more to their bond than the incredible sex? He loved her sense of humor and bright smile, her dedication and straightforward way of viewing the world. She calmed him physically and mentally, gave him a place of peace.

But he didn't yet know her well enough to know if any of what he loved about her could be salvaged after what he'd done.

"I could try to be just friends," he said with a grimace.

"I think being friends is a lot to ask of her right now."

Chace's heart felt like it was breaking anew. He didn't let himself dwell on it. Gunner was probably right. The most he could hope for was that Sky didn't hate him. Someday.

"Okay. I need to focus on the shifters," he decided. "I need my magic back to help them, and we have to uncover what's going on with the slayers."

"Agreed. Let the universe work out the issue with your girl."

_I wish it was that easy._ Chace kept this thought private. He ached for Skylar too much to hope things worked out. Then again, he was the one who ruined what chances they had, so maybe Gunner was right.

"What're we doing up here?" he muttered and pushed his tired, sore body to stand. He paced a few feet from the fire, until the chilly night crept through the opening in his blanket. Returning, Chace stood and stared down into the flames.

Had he ever even noticed how beautiful fire was? It had been a part of him for so long, he never took the chance to marvel at the idea that as a dragon, he was able to create it, control it, walk into it without being consumed. It drew him now, its subtle magic a siren song that made him want to curl up in the middle of it and go to sleep.

Fire was like Sky: wild, beautiful, responsive to his touch.

_I have to stop thinking about her!_

"I need to find Dillon," Chace said. "He's behind all this. He wants her for some reason. I can't help thinking there's more to what he's doing than what he said."

"That he's simply after Mr. Nothing?"

"Yeah. It's gotta be more. He had Sky for years. Why not use her to get to Gavin before this?" He tossed his head back to see the bright, plentiful patch of stars directly overhead. The view here was as gorgeous as that from the mountains of Southern Arizona. There was no light pollution from nearby cities. From the peak, nothing came between him and the sky.

He had the sense of being close to the heavens, the way he was when he'd been able to fly.

A shape appeared overhead, circling the mountaintop from far, far above. Chace squinted to see it clearly.

"I really hope that's not Gavin," he said, mood turning even darker.

"I really hope it is. I want to be a panther again," Gunner said. "And I want a ride off this mountain."

"There's more than one." As Chace watched, another dragon joined the first, then a third, a fourth, a fifth. Fifteen minutes passed, and there were over a dozen of the large creatures soaring and circling above the peak.

"I thought you all were almost extinct," Gunner said.

"So did I."

More dragons came. They ranged in size, some clearly larger and some quite a bit smaller. Starlight reflected off wings in varying shades of purple, red, green, and blue.

His body complaining, Chace settled near the fire once more, his gaze on the sky. Dragons blocked the stars directly overhead, and he saw random bursts of brilliant flames from the creatures that seemed content to float above.

"I know, on some level, they're my family, but I really don't feel connected to them," he said quietly. "I feel more connected to you."

"Same here," Gunner seconded. "I know there used to be a lot of panther shifters. My mom, aunt and sister were panthers, but they disappeared years ago. I'm more likely to trust someone like Max than another panther I run across."

"Then why did these guys track me down?" Frustration crept into his voice. Chace took a deep breath to keep calm. "I can't even go up there and see what's going on."

"I feel ya."

"Sorry, Gun. Your magic was stripped because of me."

"No regrets, Chace. I'm happy to help."

Gunner meant it, and Chace felt worse. His selfless friend truly cared, and Chace had been ready to abandon everyone in his life to try to regain what he thought he lost: his humanity.

_I've got to make things right for everyone._

"One's coming down." Gunner shielded his eyes from the fire to see the descending dragon more clearly.

Chace followed his gaze and watched a dragon of light purple circle and draw near. Without knowing for certain, he sensed it was a female dragon, if her smaller size, larger eyes and cheerful hue were any indication. It went to the area outside their campsite.

The creature placed one delicate foot at a time on the plateau then folded its wings. The neck arched, and the dragon began to shrink in size, its body warping and changing before their eyes. Iridescent purple wings unfolded, revealing the trim, toned, naked body of a woman, before the wings, too, were absorbed by her human frame.

She approached. Her skin was bronze, her long, black hair silky and straight. Chace found himself more fascinated by her eyes – the color of tanzanite – while Gunner was staring at her breasts.

She paused a few feet away and looked between them, unconcerned by her nakedness.

"I require a robe," she said expectantly.

"No, thanks," Gunner replied.

Chace punched him in the shoulder to pull his friend out of his daze.

Gunner blinked.

"Give the woman your... robe," Chace told him.

Gunner shook his head and whipped off the space blanket, handing it over to the woman. She circled it around her shoulders and wrapped it around her body.

"What year is this?" she asked, gaze on Chace.

"What year do you think it is?" he asked.

"When they found me, I was in the court of my father, a vizier for the Turkish Empire."

Chace and Gunner exchanged a look.

"So about a thousand years ago," Gunner estimated.

"Who found you?" Chace asked.

"Where did all these dragons come from?" Gunner asked simultaneously.

The woman appeared annoyed by the questions. She looked around their campsite, disapproving of the meager accommodations.

"The Protector sent me here, so I assumed Gavin would be here," she said, ignoring both. She breezed by them to the fire and sat.

Gunner shook his head, the expression on his features as baffled as Chace felt. Chace sorted through what little Hala said, not understanding what was happening or where to start.

"You know Gavin," he said slowly, returning to the fire.

Gunner ducked inside their tent.

"You _don't_?" the woman asked pertly. "Gavin is the head of the dragons. But you should know that, since you belong to the Protector."

"I feel like we're talking in two different languages," Chace said with a frustrated sigh. "Who is the Protector and why did he send you _here_?"

She assessed him critically, her eyes flashing deep, mysterious purple. After a moment, she tossed her long, purple-black hair over one shoulder and took a deep breath.

"You should know this," she said and turned her gaze to the fire. "Gavin is the leader of all shifters and dragonkind. As is tradition, his daughter becomes the Protector, a human with dragon blood who can use our magic to safeguard us. Dragons are the strongest of the shifters, so the Protector must be born to a powerful dragon. The Protector always mates with a dragon, the strongest alive at the time, in order to ensure the line of strong Protectors is never broken. The chosen dragon safeguards her, becoming the king at his queen's side. It's been this way for thousands of years." Her last sentence was icy, pointed.

"Is this shit in a book somewhere? Because no one bothered to tell me!" Chace snapped in response.

"You should just _know._ You're a shifter."

"I'm starting to hate shifters!"

"Whoa, dragons," Gunner said, re-emerging. "Y'all are always wound up so tight. Here." He tossed clothing to the newcomer. "You can change in the tent."

She rose, the space blanket dropping from her shoulders.

"Or right here works, too," Gunner added, watching.

Chace's attention was on the fire, the flames taking the edge off his anger. If he'd known any of this... if someone had just _told_ him one part of the destiny he was supposed to fulfill... Instead, he'd been given some kind of blind test, one he failed.

_No wonder Gavin hates me._

"Skylar is the Protector," he started. "She takes care of us. I take care of her."

"Yes." The woman's voice was muffled as she pulled on the thin but warm thermal shirt Gunner had given her.

_Shit._ He reviewed what he'd learned from Skylar about her mother, working hard to connect all the dots with his tired mind.

"When the last Protector disappeared, the shifters started disappearing, too, because she wasn't there to help them?" he questioned.

"It started long ago. There was an internal war with the shifters, one I assume is not still happening?" the woman asked.

"Not that we know of," Gunner answered.

"Good. Four of us were caught in it and put into sleep for inciting a rebellion of sorts." She motioned to the sky without looking upward. "Dragons have always been the most scarce of the shifters. I came here with twenty-one others. All of us were freed by the Protector this night, so I believe there were eighteen dragons captured since Gavin's Protector went missing. No telling how many other shifters from the other clans."

"Hundreds," Chace murmured. "Those remaining could fit in a small building."

"So many." The woman's haughty carriage fell. She appeared worn down by the news.

"Where did you go for a thousand years?" Gunner asked.

"I was put into a deep sleep." She shrugged.

"I'm Gunner, by the way. This is Chace."

"Hala."

"Skylar... the Protector sent you to me?" Chace questioned.

"She sent us away," Hala answered. "Where else would we go?"

"You could track me."

"Of course. The Protector and her dragon can be found by any shifter, more so after they're magic is connected. It's the nature of their bond."

"Like how they found the bar, no matter where it was," Chace mused. "How did Skylar wake you up?"

"I don't know. The golden rope put me to sleep. The Protector woke me up. It's all I remember."

"Those lassos are no joke," Chace grunted, recalling the effect one had on him. "We have a problem, Gunner. Freyja said –"

"Freyja?" Hala interjected. "She's been asleep almost as long as I have. She disappeared right before I fell asleep." Hala's features were hard to read, a sign there was more to the story than she was telling.

Chace stared at her.

"You're sure?" Gunner asked.

"Of course."

"I saw her in a dream," Chace said. "She told me to come here tonight."

"This is good," Hala replied. "You are strong, if you can communicate with those who are asleep. This means your Protector is strong, too. You must do well together."

"Not so sure about that."

Hala frowned at the note in his voice. "Why are you not with your Protector?"

"It's complicated," he muttered. "I don't have any magic, either."

She studied him, gaze dropping to his heart, as if she was able to see through his clothing and skin to the core of him.

"That is not good," she said finally. "You must go to Gavin. If he lives, he is the strongest and oldest shifter alive."

"Oh, he lives."

"He probably doesn't want anything to do with Chace right now," Gunner added.

"Long story," Chace said at Hala's perplexed look. "Somehow, Skylar freed twenty two dragons from some sort of deep sleep. She wasn't with Gavin when she did this?"

"Gavin was not there," Hala reported. "Another man was, though."

Chace stiffened. "Who?"

There was a thoughtful pause. "She called him Mason."

"One of the slayers. What is she doing with them again? Why isn't she safe with Gavin?" Chace absently touched the wound on his head.

"Maybe she's trying to help the shifters," Gunner suggested. "She woke up all the dragons."

"I think it's more likely she's trying to help the brainwashed slayers. She doesn't know about Dillon, and we don't know if Mason is trustworthy either."

"Mason is a shifter," Hala said. "If the shifters are no longer at war with one another, then she is safe."

Unease trickled through Chace. Dillon, too, was a shifter, a griffin with a bad attitude. Gavin warned him that whoever was behind the brainwashing of slayers was close to Skylar. What if Dillon and Mason both were manipulating her?

_... the mastermind still hides._ Freyja had said in his dream.

Caleb was brainwashed and Dillon too hot-tempered. Chace realized he knew nothing of Mason, the third person who had made up the inner circle around Skylar.

"Maybe this shifter war isn't over," he said out loud. "Maybe it's started again, this time using the children of shifters to track down their enemies and put them into this strange sleep. Or kill them, in my circumstance."

"Your death would be a great boon to any enemy, shifter or otherwise," Hala agreed. "Without you, the Protector is vulnerable. Without her, the shifters as a whole are."

"Whoever is behind this used Skylar to find Chace, so they could take him out then take her out then destroy the shifters," Gunner summarized. "Or some of the shifters. Depending on who the enemy is here."

"Very much a possibility," Hala said. "Without Chace and the Protector, there is no one to safeguard the shifters."

"That's why I'm alive," Chace said. "Gavin knew all this, didn't he?"

"Yes."

_What an asshole._ Chace said nothing, understanding Gavin's reasoning more than he cared to while also realizing he'd made a few, horrible life choices that resulted in leaving Skylar vulnerable.

"Does being the Protector's other half have any perks?" he asked, half-joking. "Can you get us off this mountain?"

"Yes."

"What's the plan?" Gunner asked.

"Warn Skylar," Chace said. "Find Gavin and get our magic back."

The idea of seeing her again made his blood race and his heart pound.

"I'll prepare myself," Hala said, standing. She stripped out of the clothing Gunner brought her and dropped it in place, then strode away from them. When she had enough room to change, she dropped to all fours.

"Right now, I wish I wasn't celibate," Gunner said, eyes on her ass.

The sight of the beautiful woman's rear did nothing for Chace. He turned to face the opposite direction, his thoughts on when he'd had Skylar in a similar position. Seconds later, he heard the sounds of muscle tearing and bones breaking, an indication Hala had started to transform herself.

"You uh, think you should see Skylar before you have your magic?" Gunner asked quietly. "In case, you know. She wants to use those ropes on us."

"I don't know if Gavin will unlock my magic. If I'm going to make things right – or try to – then there's no better place to start."

"I'll let you do the talking. Might give me a chance to escape."

Chace rolled his eyes, hearing the empty threat. Gunner would never abandon him.

_He's a better person than I am._

The impatient cry of a dragon informed him that Hala was done shifting. Chace got to his feet and pushed off the space blanket, turning to see her again. The purple dragon was waiting.

"Let's get this over with," Chace said, a combination of dread and hope in his gut. He approached her, followed by Gunner. "Hala, take us back to wherever it was the Protector freed you."

The dragon bowed its head to show it heard.

"I hate heights, and I hate flying with dragons," Gunner moaned. "Panthers don't fly!"

Chace laughed. "C'mon scaredy cat. Let's get going."

# Chapter 8

"Caleb?" Skylar pushed the door to his house open. All of the lights appeared to be on, and the foyer was quiet. She spotted droplets of dried blood on the ground leading from somewhere in the house, down to the library where she'd been earlier then out the door.

Approaching the intersection, her attention was compelled towards the library once more. The shifter magic was still strong, even though she thought she'd freed all the dragons she found. Had she missed some?

Logically, she knew she should follow the blood trail into the house, but the pull of shifter magic didn't let her. She obeyed her instincts instead and returned to the library. Like the rest of the house, it was quiet, aside from the whir of air conditioning.

Skylar searched the case at the center of the library once more but didn't spot any more dragons. She eased the door opened and picked up the figurine closest to her. It was a tiger. Clenching it in her hand, she counted to ten, not expecting her dragon magic to work on any other kind of shifter.

Like the dragons, the tiger came to life in her hand.

Startled, she almost dropped it. Skylar moved away from the collection and set the tiger down in the middle of the library. She backed away quickly, putting a table between the two of them.

Uncertain what to think of the feline shifter, she watched it grow from tiny figurine into a white tiger with black stripes and eyes that glowed almost teal. It growled as it expanded rapidly, eclipsing the size of any wild cat she'd ever seen on television or at the zoo.

The size of a propane tank, the powerful animal stood perfectly still in the center of the library, its skin quivering and its nose up, smelling the air.

Skylar eyed a bookshelf nearby, wondering if she'd have a chance to climb it, if the cat spotted her and wasn't friendly.

She inched towards it, drawing its attention. It turned, stalking towards her with the effortless, deceptively simple walk of a predator.

"Nice, kitty," she said and held her hands out. "I brought you back or... uh woke you up or... whatever. From there." She pointed to the case.

It stopped walking to look, and she tried to remind herself there was a human somewhere inside the animal.

"No fried chicken here, kitty," she murmured.

The great cat stared at the collection then switched directions. With a sudden roar, it leapt up and smashed into the glass, knocking the case over. It shattered.

_So much for being discreet._ Skylar shielded her face from flying glass. When the tiger's bellow turned to a purr, she lowered her hands.

The tiger sat beside the shattered case and its scattered figurines, tail flicking back and forth, as if it was waiting for something. When she didn't move, the teal eyes moved to her, and it growled.

"Okay. Agreed. I need to free them. But you're really not helping me here," she told it, looking around for all the figurines. "You just made a big mess."

Its growl turned to a low rumble. Leaning down, it plucked up one of the statues carefully between its teeth and tossed its head, flinging it into the air to her.

Skylar caught it. "Another tiger. Great." She closed her hand around it and counted to ten. When it began to move, she set it down and stepped away.

The tiger picked up another and flung it to her.

"No, you have to wait," she said firmly. "I'll fix all of them. But I came here to find someone."

Another growl.

"Look, I deal with dragons normally. So you can throw a tantrum all you want, but you can't beat a dragon's hissy fit."

Its attention went to the other tiger, which was rapidly expanding in size.

"I'm going down the hall and will be right back," she continued, easing towards the doorway. "No more messes."

The tiger bared its teeth at her but didn't otherwise object.

Skylar didn't release her breath until she was in the hallway, halfway to the front door. She tucked the tiger in her hand into her pocket for later and shook out her shoulders.

_Shifters really stress me out._

With a deep breath, she glanced towards the door leading to the waiting SUV and then turned her back on it to follow the blood trail.

Heart fluttering hard, she paused in front of the door where the maroon droplets led and pushed it open. A fan was on in the ornate ceiling of the private study, the only movement. There were no books in Caleb's private office, just more figurines. They were lined up on shelves that ran along the walls. There was even one on his desk, separated from the rest in a round, glass container.

There were dozens. _Hundreds_ of shifters in here.

She stared around her, overwhelmed by the idea that each of the figurines was alive. Dormant and tiny but living.

What was Caleb doing with all of them?

She went farther into the study, almost reaching the desk on the far side before spotting the first sign of what happened there earlier. Blood pooled under one side of the desk. Suspecting what she'd find, Skylar circled the desk with growing dread and stopped.

"Oh, Caleb." If the amount of blood wasn't a giveaway of Caleb's condition, then his ashen skin and blue lips were.

Skylar knelt beside his body, struggling to determine what exactly happened. She and Mason hadn't been separated that long, maybe ten minutes. She hadn't heard any raised voices or sounds of furniture crashing around while in the library.

They'd all been trained to kill and fight. The sight of blood disturbed her only because it belonged to someone she'd know for years. She looked over his wounds expertly.

There were five neat, long slashes down his chest and his throat was torn out. Whatever knife Mason used had sliced easily through Caleb's ribcage; the bones jutting out were smooth with no signs of sawing or chopping or hacking. She frowned.

"It looks like an animal attack," she said to herself, thoughts on the figurine in her pocket. The tiger in the library was huge – but its claws weren't large enough to inflict the damage in front of her.

A little queasy with the amount of blood, she rose in time to see someone enter.

"Dillon!" she exclaimed.

He seemed just as surprised, his dark eyes settling on her face.

"Skylar?" he asked. "I thought some shifter grabbed you."

By the normal resentment in his tone, she guessed he didn't yet know she was standing over the body of his dead father.

"Yeah. Listen, Dillon, I need to tell you something," she said, pitying her ex. He was an ass, but Caleb was still his father.

"What're you doing here?" he demanded. "Where's my father?"

"Well... he's kind of dead."

Dillon stopped midstride and stared at her.

"I mean, he _is_ dead." _Way to be sensitive, Sky!_ She cursed at herself silently, uncertain what to do.

His look turned to one of disbelief. He started forward again.

"I'm so sorry, Dillon," she said. "We came here earlier, and I didn't realize..."

His gaze was riveted to the puddle of blood near her feet. He grew pale beneath his olive skin, his breath catching audibly.

Skylar's heart hurt for him. She didn't fault him for pushing her aside and watched him drop to the ground beside Caleb. Dillon rested his ear to his father's chest.

"Why are you just standing there?" he yelled. "Call 911."

"Dillon... um, it's too late for that."

He looked at her blankly. Skylar felt tears form at the sight of her bewildered friend. Yes, they'd broken up and had a rocky friendship since then, but there was a part of her that still cared for the man she'd dated for several months and trained with for a few years.

He sat back.

"I am so sorry, Dillon," she said, resting a hand on his shoulder.

He pushed her hand away. For a moment, he was so still, she wondered if he'd passed out in place.

"This is my fault." His voice was hoarse.

"No, Dillon!" she exclaimed and dropped to her knees beside him. "I don't know what happened, but I can promise you, we'll figure it out."

"If I hadn't killed Chace, you wouldn't have killed my father," Dillon continued, not hearing her in his state.

"Wait, what?" she asked. "I thought..." _Gavin claimed to kill Chace._ "You, uh, couldn't have killed Chace."

"Why? Because I wasn't good enough for you to stay with and he was?" Dillon turned his accusing gaze to her. "Why did you do this, Sky? Why couldn't you leave my father out of this?"

_Oh, shit._ A flare of madness was in Dillon's gaze, and she had the sense that the man she knew was at least temporarily too emotional to be present.

"I didn't do this, Dillon," she said in a calm, quiet voice. "I wouldn't do this. Not to get back at you for... whatever. Not for any reason."

"That's exactly why you did it!"

"You didn't kill Chace, Dillon. Okay. Let's start there. And I didn't –"

"I slashed his head open and left him for dead in a place where he couldn't have survived the night."

She stopped, a tremor of uncertainty piercing her confidence. Whereas her father had been vague in his claim about killing Chace, Dillon was the opposite.

She didn't want to feel anything for the man who betrayed her, and yet fear shot through her at the thought of losing him for good. She realized what it was about the dragons she'd freed that engaged her the most: the idea that maybe, just maybe, one of them was going to be Chace.

It was a foolish, stupid thought, one that left her frustrated and yearning.

"Chace isn't dead," she whispered. "I know it."

"He's as dead as my father." Dillon stood and leaned over the body to reach the drawers in the desk. He fumbled to open one, shaking. "As dead as you'll be soon, too, Sky!"

"Let's not be hasty," she said and stood. She reached into her pocket to grab the figurine and started counting silently.

Dillon straightened. He waved a pistol around.

Skylar backed away, towards the door.

"Come on, Dillon, you know I'm not capable of killing your father!" she said. "Just like I know you didn't kill Chace."

"You don't know anything about me," he replied. "It was a pleasure to kill that dragon shifting asshole."

"You're right about asshole. But you wouldn't do that. You _couldn't._ I mean, he's a dragon!"

"Not anymore. He was human when I saw him last." Dillon took aim with the gun.

The fear in her gut was growing. It was cold, and she was close to panicking. The tiger was twisting and turning in her hand. She tossed it behind a chair nearby.

"I stabbed him in the side then smashed his head in and left."

Anger spiked within her at the idea of someone hurting her dragon.

"I don't believe you," she said firmly.

"Do you believe I've had surveillance on you since you met him? That I didn't know you were fucking him?"

"Yeah, so? I fucked you, too."

"You left me. Dad told me not to get involved with someone like you. He had no idea you were strong enough to kill him!"

"Where did you leave Chace?" she asked. The tiger she'd woken up was growing fast enough, it'd catch his attention, if she didn't keep him focused on her.

"Somewhere where you'll never find his body." By the look of triumph on his face, he was telling the truth.

Skylar swallowed hard, unable to calm the clamoring instincts and panic inside her. If Chace died then...

... what? It wasn't like they were even really dating.

_I'm the other half of his heart._ Her mother had said as much in a dream, claimed she had to protect the dragon that was hers.

Loud gunfire jarred her from her emotions. The bullet whizzed by her ear and made the wall behind her explode in a small puff of drywall.

"Look, Dillon. I'm sorry about us and sorry about your father. But I didn't –"

Another shot grazed by her other ear. She looked quickly to the tiger growing on one side of the room. It had just reached the size of the settee she'd thrown the figurine behind.

"- I came to find Mason. I think he and your father got into an argument of some sort and this is what happened."

"I know Mason wouldn't hurt my father."

"And I would?" she asked, exasperated. "Listen to reason, Dillon!"

A third shot went just over her head. It was followed by a roar.

Dillon whirled to face the massive tiger shaking off its long sleep on one side of the study. It focused on her first then on Dillon. The hair at the back of its neck stood up. A growl much more threatening than the one she'd heard from the other tigers filled the study.

"Okay, just calm down, Dillon, kitty," she said.

The tiger responded by crouching, ready to pounce, while Dillon's arm wavered between pointing the gun at her and the creature.

"We can be civilized here. No need for –"

"Fuck you, Skylar!" Dillon's aim returned to her, and he fired.

Skylar didn't have time to move. Fire pierced her shoulder, followed by a flash of hot agony as the bullet grazed her.

The tiger launched at Dillon.

Skylar turned and ran. She was a few steps down the hallway when she realized the study had gone utterly silent. No sounds of desperate gunfire from Dillon, no gnashing of tiger teeth as it ripped him apart.

She gripped her wounded shoulder, listening hard.

Nothing.

Easing back, Skylar peered around the corner into the study. Her mouth dropped open.

The tiger was in two pieces. Dillon, however, stood over his father, unscathed. As she watched, he knelt to Caleb's side again.

What could tear a cat that size in half?

Skylar didn't want to find out.

_Something bizarre is going on here_. She tiptoed away then ran when she reached the hallway leading to the library.

The two tigers were prowling around the library. They'd gathered up the figurines into one pile and were yanking books off the shelves and tossing them across the room.

"You all need to leave. Fast," she hissed at them. "Something bigger than both of you is in the house. So... go." She waved them towards the door.

After a pause, the two tigers strolled through the doorway into the hall.

"Straight down the hall then to your right," she told them.

They at least started down the hallway, and she ducked back into the library to the pile they'd created.

She didn't have enough room in her pockets for all the figurines. After a brief hesitation, Skylar yanked off her long-sleeved shirt. She straightened the T-shirt she'd worn beneath it and then quickly pushed or dropped figurines into her makeshift satchel.

One of the tigers roared down the hallway, and she froze. The sound that came in response to the challenge was just as unexpected: a combination of a bellow and a squawk. It rattled the windows of the library.

"I need someone who can fly," she said, sorting through the figurines. She recognized many of the creatures but some she didn't at all. With no time to explore the unusual creatures, she plucked up one. "Pegasus. Awesome."

The sounds of battle between the tigers and whatever was down the hall made her want to avoid it. She carefully gathered her shifters and wrapped them securely in the shirt. Skylar scooped up the ones that fell out of her makeshift carrier and put them into her pocket. She'd grabbed as many as she had time and room for then quickly shoved the rest under a couch, praying it was enough protection for the statues.

With the winged horse in her hand, she crossed to the window and opened it, stepping over the sill to the ground outside.

"Skylar!" Dillon shouted.

Quickly closing the window, Skylar ran down the length of the house and slid around a corner, squeezing the Pegasus in her hand.

"Come on," she whispered, impatiently counting to ten. "Grow fast!"

It wriggled in her hand. She set it down, holding her breath and listening for sounds of pursuit. A peek around the corner eased some of her concern. The two tigers were racing down the driveway, towards the road.

"Look both ways before crossing, kitties," she whispered. "Don't eat anyone."

Dillon and whatever creature was in the house were nowhere in sight.

Skylar returned her attention to the Pegasus. It came up to her knee, and she waited expectantly for it to grow.

It didn't. The white foal with cream wings bucked and kicked playfully, spinning in circles, hovering briefly on long wings, then collapsing to the ground only to pick itself up again.

"Why aren't you growing?" she hissed at it.

Its ears flickered back and forth, its large eyes on her.

"You're a baby Pegasus, aren't you?" Skylar sighed. "Dammit! I need a ride."

The animal sat on its haunches, wings out on either side. It was far too small to carry her.

The strange squawking sound came again, this time outside the house. It sounded like it was around back.

Hunting her.

Skylar shifted the t-shirt full of figurines to one hip, grimacing at the pain that shot through her injured shoulder in response. She strode forward, snatching up the playful Pegasus and holding it on her other hip. She bolted around the front of the house to the waiting SUV, going as fast as she could with the foal in one arm and bulging shirt in the other.

Her ride was unlocked, and she yanked the driver's door open, tossing first the t-shirt then the foal into the passenger seat. She slid into the driver's seat and locked the doors immediately before fishing out the keys.

The Pegasus was tugging on the seatbelt, intrigued by the way it snapped back into place when it let go.

"Stop it!" Skylar snapped. "Sit down and get ready for a rough ride." She pulled her seatbelt on and started the truck, putting it into gear fast and tearing out of the driveway.

Skylar drove fast towards the highway only to slam on the brakes when she saw the two tigers loping down the road. She considered them briefly then put the truck in park and hopped out.

"C'mon, guys!" she shouted to them. Skylar opened the back of the SUV and waited.

The tigers trotted towards her and hopped in back, scuffling over who got to climb from the trunk space into the back seat first.

She slammed the doors closed and looked around quickly, relieved not to see anyone – or anything – chasing them. Climbing back into the driver's seat, she glanced in the rearview mirror.

"Y'all are gonna blend in better if you're human," she told the tigers.

One replied with a yowl she didn't know how to interpret.

The Pegasus had pulled the knot in her t-shirt loose and was dumping the figurines out on the seat, snuffling and sorting through them with its muzzle.

"I'm starting to wish I really was a slayer," Skylar said, grating her teeth. With the three creatures in the car, she didn't have time to think about Chace or what happened to Mason or what was going on with Dillon.

Skylar got onto the highway and went south, towards the hotel where she'd lost Mason.

"Find your mama in there," she told the Pegasus. "I'm so not babysitting tonight."

The foal nudged another figurine off the seat to the floor into a pile that had formed below. A glance at those she'd let stay on the seat revealed a handful of other winged horses, while the rest of the figurines were sentenced to dwell on the floor.

_Shifters are so weird._ Skylar began to think she wasn't cut out for whatever it was she was supposed to do or that she'd ever get any real answers about her past or family.

She didn't even know if Chace was alive. Dillon's words shouldn't have had the impact they did. What she'd had with Chace was a fling, one that ended badly, with him betraying her.

First Gavin and now Dillon claimed he was dead. Of the two, she believed Dillon's story more, because he was convinced it was the truth.

"He can't be dead," she said under her breath. "I don't want anything to do with him, but he can't be dead."

The Pegasus nudged her arm and dropped something into the cup holder.

"Is this who you want me to wake up first?" Skylar asked.

There was a soft nicker in response.

"Okay. But not in the car. I've had enough issues for tonight." She tested her injured shoulder. She needed to go to the doctor, if Mason wasn't back to help her bandage her shoulder.

She signaled to leave the highway and started down the access road leading to the hotel. For a split second, she thought she saw something flicker in front of the windshield. She blinked, hoping it was just exhaustion or shock setting in.

A moment later, the sound of nails on chalkboard made her jerk and look up towards the closed moon roof of the vehicle. The sounds came again, and the SUV lurched to the left, into the lane of oncoming traffic. It was too late for cars to be out, and she yanked the steering wheel to the right.

The SUV returned to its lane... then kept going. It didn't hit the low curb running along side the road but went up and over it.

Skylar slammed on the brakes several times before realizing the SUV was in the air. Something very large was lifting it off the road and carrying it away.

"Shit, shit, shit!" She slammed her hand into the steering wheel, mind racing.

How did she escape a flying vehicle with two tigers and a Pegasus on board, not to mention the figurines waiting to be woken?

With a sound of frustration, she shoved back the covering from the moon roof, then opened it, trying to make out what kind of creature had them. The window slid open, and she wasn't able to see more than the belly side of some great creature.

Skylar leaned over to open the glove compartment and snatched a knife and a lasso, securing them in her pockets. She grimaced as she pulled herself through the moon roof.

They were a good ten feet off the ground. Any higher, and no one in the car was going to survive, if dropped.

Hefting herself onto the roof of the SUV, she considered her options then crawled unsteadily across the roof. Unsheathing the knife, she buried it to the hilt into one of the creature's legs.

It gave a familiar squawk-roar, one that warned her she hadn't escaped the mysterious creature from Caleb's house.

Skylar yanked the knife free and was getting ready to stab it again when something wrapped around her neck. She was pulled out from under the creature by its whip-like tail. Flailing helplessly, she clawed at her neck.

Movement from the corner of her eye drew her focus down. The creature had released the SUV, and it plunged twenty feet downward, landing with a crunch of bending metal and the crash of breaking glass.

She stabbed at the tail strangling her, gasping for air. The edges of her mind started to grow dark. Desperately, she stabbed downward and felt her knife strike flesh and sink into muscle. The squawk came again, and she was whipped around like a rag doll. Skylar swung one leg up until it caught on the thicker part of the creature's tail. She hauled herself up and wrapped both legs around it, preventing it from flinging her around by her neck anymore.

Near unconsciousness, she stabbed its tail again and again, until her hand was slick with blood.

The monster screamed this time, and dropped towards the ground, releasing her when they'd reached the desert.

Skylar sucked in air, disoriented and nauseous from the jarring trip and quick descent. Her vision cleared long before she was able to move or breathe right, and she made out what creature had grabbed her.

_Griffin._ It was larger than any depiction she'd ever seen, with a razor sharp beak, muscular cat's body and the whip-like tail that nearly broke her neck.

She started to get up, but one large talon shoved her back down, gripping her chest tight enough to cause pain. Her head hit a rock with an explosion of tiny stars, and she slipped into unconsciousness.

# Chapter 9

Chace scanned the hotel room with his gaze, Gunner at his side. There were no signs of fighting or distress, but he frowned. Aside from being empty, there was one bed for the two people Hala claimed were in the room when she was awoken.

_Skylar has every right not to be with me,_ he reminded himself.

"Interesting," Gunner said, eyes on the bed.

"No shit." He had no claim to Skylar, but he wasn't able to stop the anger boiling inside him at the sight of the single bed.

"The good news is it's still made," Gunner said, following his gaze.

"What she does is her business."

"Whatever you say."

Her faint scent was in the air, but she was gone, and there was no way to know where she went. He wasn't able to track her or protect her or talk to her without his dragon senses and ability to fly.

Was her absence a blessing in disguise? Because he had no idea what he'd say when they met. _Sorry_ wasn't going to be enough.

"Did you hear that?" Gunner asked, head tilted to the side.

"Hear what?"

"Some sort of animal cry."

"I have none of my shifter senses."

"I do. C'mon." Gunner led him out of the room and through the hotel, exiting through the lobby into the cool desert night. He paused, and Chace waited impatiently. "This way."

Gunner headed towards the access road running between the strip the hotels were on and the highway.

Chace looked up, expecting to see the dragons hanging around. Two had given them lifts, Hala and a green dragon. They were gone, but there was something else in the sky.

"Whoa, Gun, what the hell is that?" he asked, grabbing his friend's arm. He pointed.

"Flying SUV?"

Chace squinted, willing his human eyes to adjust more quickly to the night. An SUV was suspended in the air, headed away from the highway into the desert. As interesting as it was to see a car fly, the creature carrying it was what alarmed him more.

"Griffin. That's got to be Dillon," he said. "Which means the person in the car is probably Sky." He took off running before finishing the sentence, Gunner at his heels. He ignored his body's objections after all he'd put it through the past few days and pushed hard.

Suddenly, the SUV dropped out of the sky, landing with a crash a few dozen feet away. Chace looked from it upward and saw the form of someone caught in the grip of the griffin's tail.

"Check the car," he instructed Gunner. "I have a feeling that's her."

"Got it." Gunner leapt over a barrel cactus and raced towards the car.

Dillon's cry was one of pain, and he whipped the person trailing him around.

Chace did his best to judge where they might come down and alternately jogged, adjusted course then sprinted forward. Dillon was incensed, flying in circles, darting this way and that. Finally, after another few cries, the griffin plunged towards the ground, stopping a few feet above the desert sand to lower itself.

Chace ran, closing the distance as fast as he could. The griffin limped as it turned to face Skylar. It shoved her into the ground with one thick talon.

Skylar went down hard. She didn't get up or move.

Urgency gripped Chace, along with a fury too deep for him to control. He stooped to snatch fist-sized rocks off the ground.

Dillon unhinged his jaws, getting ready to snap off Skylar's head.

Chace threw the first stone. It landed squarely in the side of Dillon's head. The griffin bleated and shook his head, stunned.

Chace threw the second. It hit the same spot, and Dillon staggered away a couple of steps. Chace tried to shove him, but the creature weighed a ton. It slammed a leg into him, sending him flying several feet back.

Dillon refocused on an unconscious Skylar. His tail wrapped around her neck and hauled her off the ground, so his beak was better able to snap her head off.

In that moment Chace hated what he'd let himself become. He was helpless, his human body too weak to stand between Sky and her danger, his magic trapped somewhere deep within him. A lifetime of bad decisions led up to now, and someone else was about to pay the price for his mistakes.

_Not just someone else. My Sky._

He wasn't able to shift or protect Skylar the way he should, but he wasn't going to stand by and let someone hurt her either, especially knowing what he did about her helping awaken the other dragons.

With nothing more than a prayer he'd help her survive, Chace took a deep breath and charged the griffin getting ready to hurt the woman who held the other half of his heart.

_I must save her._

A trickle of fire escaped from the prison deep within him, a flare of heat that coursed through his body like a sudden fever.

The next few minutes were a blur of fire and griffin feathers, of heat that threatened to tear him apart from the inside out and the sense of not quite being in control of himself. Chace knew he attacked Dillon but didn't feel the fight or see the flailing of beak and wings. He was stuck in surreal stage, the world moving too fast around him for him to understand exactly what was happening.

Only when the griffin was flying away was he able to register his world again: the chilly desert night rustling his hair, the scent of fire in the air, and the sense he'd done something he wasn't able to remember. Dazed, he realized his body was shaking from emotion and exertion.

One minute, he'd been unable to think of a world without Sky. The next, Dillon was fleeing. What happened in that blink of time?

He looked around for Skylar and saw her crumpled on the ground. One of her arms was bloodied, and bruises were already darkening her neck from where Dillon had grabbed her. She was pale, her dark hair tossed around in the desert breeze.

Chace knelt beside her, afraid to touch her for fear of disturbing her then _needing_ to know she was okay.

He gently gathered her warm body in his arms. Her hair fell away from her face, and he studied her gorgeous, feminine features. He'd never seen her in a state like this, and it frightened him not to know what to do to help.

Chace sat for a moment and gathered his strength, unable to look away from the woman clutched in his arms or dismiss the fear swirling within him. His body was hurting again, but he forced himself to stand, cradling her against him. Chace walked with what speed he had left towards the wrecked SUV, where Gunner was kneeling beside someone.

"Gun! Need your help," he said when he was close enough.

"Almost done here," Gunner reported, twisting to see Chace. "She bleeding?"

"Yeah."

"You know what to do."

_I don't want to fuck up._ Chace didn't say the words, unwilling to admit out loud his insides were trembling at the idea of hurting Skylar worse because he fucked up again.

He set her down and brushed wispy strands of hair out of her face then knelt beside her injured arm. He had no idea what caused the gash along her shoulder and grimaced. There was sand and dirt in it already.

Chace peeled off his sweater and then his T-shirt. He tugged on the sweater before using his t-shirt to wipe away excess blood. He carefully but tightly bound her injured shoulder and shifted to prop her upper body up, maneuvering his thigh beneath her shoulders.

Gunner had lectured him about first aid for three days in the cabin, and Chace was once again overwhelmed with gratitude for his wise friend.

Skylar's body was warm, her breathing steady and deep. She seemed so... fragile lying against him, a state he'd never seen her in. Chace didn't like it – not at all. He ached to hear her odd sense of humor and see her blue eyes sparkle again.

In all their nights together, he'd never feared touching her. He did now, because he didn't know what else was wrong. Her limp body was bad enough; he couldn't bear the thought of causing her more pain than she was in. The bruising around her neck wasn't something he knew how to fix, and he wasn't able to tell if the blood splattered all over her body was from her shoulder or Dillon's wounds or something worse – an injury that might be killing her before his eyes.

Afraid of what he'd find, Chace slid a hand beneath her t-shirt, checking her warm skin for injuries. He stretched to run a hand over her legs then checked her head gingerly.

"What you got?" Gunner asked, crouching beside him.

"Bleeding from her shoulder. Neck all banged up. I think that's all."

"Good chance she's got a concussion after being thrown around by that thing." Gunner eased her away from Chace and stretched her out flat. "Why she doesn't have a broken neck is beyond me."

Chace's breath stuck in his throat at the words. His eyes went over Skylar again.

_I should've been there for her._

Gunner expertly poked and prodded her neck, checked the wound in her shoulder and did a quick exam of the rest of her body.

Chace waited impatiently, one of his hands remaining in contact with her at all times. The idea of not touching her was almost as painful as his beaten down body.

"Neck's fine, just bruised," Gunner said, sitting back. "I can stitch up her shoulder. She's got a knot on the back of her head. The shoulder wound looks like she got winged when someone tried to shoot her. I'll need to check her head, though." He rose. "She shouldn't be sleeping with a possible concussion. Fortunately stitching her up with no anesthetic should wake her up."

Chace released his breath. He resisted the urge to wrap Sky in his arms once more, not wanting to cause her more suffering. He made himself content with brushing her cheek with the back of his fingers and leaning forward to plant a light kiss on her forehead.

The sight of her injuries and blood made him feel sick.

And furious. She'd turned from slayer into someone who had freed trapped dragons. She was the Protector of the shifters, and he was her guardian. Never again would something like this happen to her, no matter what he had to do to stop it.

"This is it, Sky. You may hate me when you wake up, but I'm not leaving your side again," he whispered softly, firmly. "I'll figure out how to protect you, even if I never get my magic back again. I will find a way."

"Damn tigers. Think they own the world," Gunner muttered as he returned.

Chace looked up, his hand remaining on Sky's abdomen. It moved up and down with her breathing, and the heat of her body reached him through her T-shirt, assuring him she was alive.

"This is Penny." Gunner motioned to the small form beside him. "Pegasus shifter."

Chace leveled his gaze on the small girl with golden skin and dark hair. She was somewhere around six or seven, pudgy, with large eyes and a band-aid on her forehead. She wore a long sleeved t-shirt that smelled faintly of Sky.

"Protector," she murmured, squatting beside Skylar.

"You want to tell Chace what you told me?" Gunner asked the little girl gently. He knelt beside Skylar, his small first-aid kit in his hands.

Penny held out her hand. Chace reached out, and she deposited a tiny figurine of a Pegasus into it.

"That's my mom," she said.

"What?" Chace looked from the figurine to her.

"Apparently, that's what happens to the shifters that the slayers catch. They're turned into one of those," Gunner said. He nudged Chace aside to get to Skylar's injured shoulder.

With reluctance, Chace moved away.

The little girl followed and pried the figurine out of his hand.

He clenched and released his fists, not liking the idea of being so close to Skylar without touching her. His attention split between watching Gunner work and the story the Pegasus shifter just told him, he addressed Penny.

"How did you turn from this into you again?" he asked.

"The Protector. She goes like this." She squeezed it tight in one fist. "Then, we wake up."

"You're serious?"

She nodded.

"That's incredible."

"She woke up the two tigers and was supposed to wake up my mom but the griffin got us and made us fly into the sky." The girl rose as she told her story, pointing upwards then twirling around. "We turned and turned and turned and turned and then – he dropped us!" She indicated the SUV. "But I protected the rest of them."

"The rest of who?" Chace asked.

"Come on. I'll show you." Without waiting for him, she spun and trotted towards the car.

Chace didn't want to move. Sensing he wasn't ready to leave Sky, Gunner tossed his head towards the SUV.

"Go see. Let me work in peace."

Chace growled but rose and trailed Penny, who was trying to pry open one mangled door.

"Wait," he said, stooping down to pick her up. He held her against him with one arm then yanked the passenger side door open. It creaked but gave. "What am I looking for?"

Penny squirmed to be free.

"Be still. There's glass everywhere," he told her. "I'm not setting you down to get hurt."

She gave an exaggerated sigh. "They're in there." She pointed to the seat then the floor. "I was counting them when the griffin took us flying."

The faint light overhead illuminated dark figurines amid the glass and flecks of metal littering the cab of the SUV.

Chace took her a few feet away and set her down.

"Stay there," he ordered.

"I'm a _Pegasus,_ " she returned, crossing her arms with a pout. "I don't have to listen to a dragon."

He leaned over to meet her gaze. "You really think a little pony can take on a mighty dragon?"

"My mom says Pegasuses are smarter."

"Dragons are bigger."

"I can fly faster."

"I can breathe fire."

"You're not in a pissing match with a seven-year-old, are you?" Gunner called.

"Yeah, are you?" Penny echoed.

Gunner laughed.

Suppressing a smile, Chace shook his head and straightened. He returned to the SUV and began digging around, collecting the tiny figures. When his hand was filled with them, he stopped to stare.

The inanimate objects in his hand were _alive._ Somehow. Not only that, but Skylar had figured out how to return them to life. What was more amazing: the figurines or her gift?

A shirt dropped on his head. Chace snatched it off, looking up.

Penny had found a way to defy him. She hovered a few feet overhead in her Pegasus foal form.

"You just wait," he told her clearly. "When I get my magic back, I'll show you why people don't mess with dragons."

Penny whinnied loudly. He had the sense she was laughing at him.

Chace smiled to himself, amused by the playful filly, and set down the shirt she'd been wearing. He gathered up the remaining figurines and placed them in the shirt, growing more concerned and amazed with each one he collected.

How many shifters had been put to sleep by Caleb, Dillon and the rest of the slayers?

"The tigers said there are a lot more at Caleb's, but I think the car ride confused them. They don't know where that is exactly," Gunner said, joining him. "Now we know what happens to those of us that got caught."

"Skylar can wake them up," Chace said. He held up a panther. "Maybe this is your sister or mom."

Gunner took it. "It doesn't... feel that way. I wonder if I can tell." He sifted through the figurines in Chace's collection and pulled out another panther. "This one. No idea who it is, but she's talking to me."

Penny lowered herself to their level and stuck her muzzle into the middle of the figurines, alternately blowing air out through large nostrils and pushing shifters around.

"You looking for someone?" Chace asked, trying to keep any of them from falling to the ground.

Penny snorted.

Chace moved several steps away and knelt, placing the shirt on the ground. Penny landed beside him and began sorting through the figurines.

"I can't get over it," he said softly. "She can fix whatever happened. How many hundreds or thousands of shifters can she restore?"

"When I was little, my mother said there were enough shifters to fill a kingdom," Gunner answered. "With you and Skylar to help them, we just have to find them all and help them wake up."

Penny picked up one delicately with her lips then sprung into the air, flying the short distance to Skylar.

Chace realized for the first time that the woman was conscious and seated, propped against a boulder, her back to them. Her hands shook as she held out one to Penny, and her profile had grown even more ashen.

He stared at the back of her head, every fiber of his being urging him to go to her, to wrap his arms around what was his and never let go.

It wasn't an option, though. He was a disgraced dragon with no powers, one who not only turned on his protector but failed to appreciate anything about her until it was too late.

Penny dropped the figurine into Sky's hand and landed nearby, ears forward as she waited expectantly. Skylar made a fist around the figurine and shifted onto her knees, tucking hair behind one ear. After a few seconds, she placed the figurine on the ground and moved back.

To Chace's surprise, the tiny statue was moving. And growing. Fast.

"My god," Gunner breathed.

"It's incredible," Chace agreed, his eyes sliding to Skylar again. Aware of the movement as the Pegasus grew, he wasn't able to take his attention from Sky.

Or what he'd been thinking since waking up in the cabin, convinced he was going to die. He had nothing but regrets – about not accepting what he was, about not realizing how much he'd had until it was gone and about _her._ He didn't know where to go from here, only that he needed to protect her the way she had him and the rest of the shifters.

Keep his distance or plunge in and hope for the best?

_Which one got me into this mess to start out with? Because I'm doing the opposite this time._

# Chapter 10

Skylar watched the Pegasus grow. The back of her neck wasn't just itching – it burned. Without turning, she knew _he_ was close. She took her time assessing her body and emotions. Her head throbbed but not as much as the stitches some panther shifter had just put in her shoulder.

It was more painful than the gunshot wound and pulled her out of the dark slumber she'd fallen into when her head hit the rock. He'd introduced himself as Gunner then ordered her to lay still and be happy he was there to fix her. Every stitch felt like he was stabbing her.

_Shifters are jackasses._

Yet the pain and headache – coupled with the unpleasant introduction to Gunner – were nothing compared to the buzz in her body created by Chace's nearness.

Her instincts were getting stronger. The more she accepted what was going on and her role as a protector of shifters, the stronger her intuition became. She didn't know what to think about it or how her intuition could be so right about helping the shifters and so wrong about Chace.

It urged her closer to him. If she listened, she thought she might be able to hear his heartbeat, no matter how impossible it seemed.

_God I hope I can walk out of here._ Her upper body was a mess, her muscles strained from fighting a griffin in midair and her neck and head heavy and hurting.

The foal Pegasus squealed when the creature beside Skylar finished growing. The loud, high-pitched sound made her flinch in pain.

Despite her misery, Skylar wasn't able to help but stare at the Pegasus. Its long, white wings unfurled, looking as soft as the clouds the creature flew among. Its body was cream rather than white, its eyes large and dark. It arched its long neck before tossing its head, the black mane blending with the night.

It nipped Skylar's arm then nudged her, as if urging her to stand.

With effort, she rose, willing herself to be stronger than she felt. She wasn't about to pass out in front of Chace or to show any other kind of weakness. No, he'd get no help from any opening in her defenses.

Balanced and stable on her feet, she faced the waiting Pegasus. It bent one leg in an eloquent bow.

"Yeah, whatever. You're welcome," she said, too agitated to know how to respond. "Do me a favor and stay out of trouble. I can't handle too much more shit."

The Pegasus tossed its head in response then leapt deftly into the air. The dragons drew their grace from sheer power while the winged horse was the epitome of ethereal beauty. Skylar watched it, entranced by the surreal vision of mother and foal moving through the air.

At last, she knew she couldn't delay the inevitable anymore. Skylar drew a deep breath and braced herself to meet Chace for the first time since he betrayed her and she began to accept he was right all along about the slayers and shifters.

She turned, her gaze falling immediately to Chace's tall, muscular form. His chiseled jaw was shaded by several days of growth, his broad forehead and aquiline nose, high cheekbones and sculpted lips bathed in starlight. His dark blue gaze was direct, resting on her. Though he seemed tense, she sensed something else about him, a strain in his features she didn't recall from their last meeting, as if Dillon told the truth about hurting him somehow.

The sweater he wore was loose, stretched across wide shoulders and draped over his fat-free form. His jeans hugged his hips and long, lean thighs in a way that left her too warm.

Why was he keeping his distance? He had never hesitated to approach her before. Did he suspect that she planned on decking him if he got close enough?

Then again, did she want him close enough for her to smell his honey-bonfire scent? She was already on the balls of her feet, leaning into the breeze, to see if she could catch the faintest whiff. Too aware of the tension that was always between them, she wished for once she was able to think without her emotions interfering when he was around.

How did the scorching look of one man threaten to undo every decision she'd made the past few days? His intense gaze sizzled through her, thrilling her before she had even touched him.

No, Chace being close enough for her to deck wasn't a good thing. She wasn't able to look away from him or quench the need to touch him.

The thick silence grew long and awkward. Gunner looked between the two of them.

"It's great that all of us are not dead, right?" he asked.

His voice broke her spell. "I'm not so sure about that," Skylar said, folding her arms across her chest.

"Tough crowd." Gunner cleared his throat. "He did kick the griffin's ass. Saved your life."

_Dammit._ She was hoping the griffin had just flown off, thinking she was dead after she hit her head. It was already hard to hate Chace when her body was straining for him to touch her, even harder if he helped her.

"I'm just gonna go... over here." Clearly uncomfortable with the tension stretched taut between them, Gunner backtracked slowly towards the rear of the SUV.

A soft yowl from one of the tigers greeted him.

"I thought you were human again," she said to Chace.

"I am. More or less. Not sure what happened exactly," he replied, his deep, soft voice sending shivers down her spine. "Decided not to be a selfish dick for once."

Skylar almost smiled but stopped. She said nothing, reminding herself that he'd betrayed her once already. She wasn't going to risk trusting him again.

"These are yours," he said, holding out her long-sleeved shirt, filled with figurines. "The little Pegasus said you can fix the shifters that were turned to stone."

"Apparently I'm the opposite of a slayer," she said, unable to bear the thick silence between them.

"Just add water," he half-joked.

She glared at him.

"Or not," he muttered. "The dragons you freed found me and brought us back here."

"They did?" she asked, meeting his gaze again.

"Yeah." He seemed like he wanted to say more but didn't.

What wasn't he telling her? Immediately suspicious, she frowned at him. Her eyes went to the statues. Why did the dragons bring him back to her?

"You want these or should I just put them down and walk away?" he asked.

"Yes."

He said nothing, and she could tell he was trying hard not to show his feelings. After a moment, he did as she wanted and set down the figurines before moving away.

She approached and bent to retrieve the tiny shifter statues. She straightened and caught a wisp of his intoxicating scent. It made her blood sing, and she shuddered.

"For what it's worth –" Chace started.

"No. Don't apologize," she interjected. "You did what you did. Sorry isn't going to make up for it."

"I figured as much," he said. "What I was going to say is that I'm happy you're okay."

His honesty took her by surprise. Skylar stared at him for a moment before managing to find a response. She felt embarrassed she'd assumed he meant to try to offer up some meager apology and excuse about what he'd done.

Then again, she shouldn't be surprised. Chace was too arrogant to apologize.

_Do I want him to try or not?_

"Thank you," she said.

"It's cool what you're doing with the shifters," he said, glancing at the figurines in her hands. "Freeing them after what Caleb and Dillon did to them."

Her brow furrowed. "Dillon?"

"The griffin. I'm assuming..." Chace studied her. "Dillon is a shifter. A griffin. The one that tried to drop your SUV from the sky."

Some part of her knew it after their exchange at his father's house. Still, Skylar wasn't sure how to digest the news. She'd dated him for a few months – without suspecting him of being a shifter. She cared about him, even if their friendship was rocky, and she never wanted to see his father hurt.

"Mason-" Chace started.

"No!" she snapped more sharply than she intended. "Dillon I can almost believe. Not Mason. He's been the only friend I've had the past few years. He was marked by a shifter the same way you marked me, and he has memories like I do of his family. He just wants answers, like I do!"

"Okay, Skylar," Chace said softly. He tucked his hands into his pockets. "But know I'm not going to trust him, just because you do. Right now, I don't think you should trust any of the slayers."

"I guess you'd know a thing or two about being untrustworthy," she said before she was able to stop herself.

"Yeah."

Skylar expected him to get angry. Instead, he stayed calm, focused on her, almost pensive. She felt herself falling into his dark blue eyes the way she had too many times before and looked away. Being near him, craving him with inhuman need while knowing she'd never touch him again, was making her crazy.

Something happened to him. It wasn't enough for her to want to trust him again, but it warned her that the man she thought she knew was different.

"Mason went missing," she continued. "I went to Caleb's to see if he was there and found these guys." She lifted the figurines in emphasis. "I need to wake them up."

"I'd say you need some rest."

"I don't care what you say, Chace," she retorted.

"Fair enough." He was unexpectedly calm. His jaw was clenched, his gaze steady, but he was making an attempt to give her space. If she'd said the same to the Chace who betrayed her, he'd be struggling not to turn into a dragon.

This Chace was watching her closely, listening, with no sign he was angry or frustrated or agitated.

She shivered, exhausted and chilled by the night air. She needed to think, away from his presence. The Arizona desert didn't feel large enough for her and Chace at that moment.

"I'm headed inside," she said and turned away.

"We came to talk to you," he said.

"Later."

Chace said nothing. Skylar held her breath, wishing he would at least try to say something. She walked away, her heart toppling when nothing but the sound of her footsteps reached her ears.

_I don't want to lose him? Or do I?_

Her head hurt too much to think clearly.

She made it back to the hotel stairwell before sagging against a wall. Dizzy, weak and tired, she slid down to sit for a moment. The tiny figurines were heavy in her shaky arms, her shoulder hurting bad enough that she wanted to cry.

And then there was Chace. She thought it'd be easy to write him off, to send him packing if he ever crossed paths with her.

The simple exchange, however, made her whole world flip inside out. Some small part of her rejoiced to see him, and she hated herself for it.

"You, uh, need a hand?"

Skylar wiped her eyes hastily and looked up. Her head a mess, she hadn't heard Chace enter the stairwell or noticed him standing over her. His scent soothed her, which only agitated her more. In the light of the hotel interior, she was able to see the strain on his features more clearly. White underlined his eyes, a sign of pain, layered with dark circles that marked his exhaustion. Despite this, he was as she always remembered him: build like the proud, noble, irresistible Viking god whose attraction she'd been unable to fight since they met.

"No. I'm fine," she said and pushed herself up with effort.

"Gunner said you need to stay awake until he can determine if you've got a concussion," Chace told her.

"Thanks." She maneuvered around him to the stairs without looking at him again.

"Will you let me walk you to your room at least to make sure you're okay?"

"I think you've done enough, Chace," she said and then held her breath again, waiting to see if he would disappoint her once more.

He said nothing.

_I knew it. Maybe sleeping with me was a lie, too._ Even more upset, she put the last of her energy into climbing the stairs and shoved the door to the second floor open. Striding down the hallway, she fumbled with her keycard only to find the lock to her room was broken.

Skylar sighed, knowing it was dangerous to stay in a room with no lock, but too worn out to make the journey down to the lobby and ask for a new room. She nudged the door open with her hip before crossing to open the patio door.

She wanted nothing more than to curl up and go to sleep but doubted the pain in her shoulder would let her, even if she ignored Gunner's message and tried to sleep. Instead, she sank into the chair near the patio, chilled by the evening air creeping in through the open door. She set the figurines on the ground beside her and picked up the first one, a panther.

Leaning forward to rest her elbows on her knees, she felt like passing out for a long moment. She floated in the in-between place until the panther in her fist began wriggling.

Skylar forced her eyes open and rose, stepping to the patio to deposit the figurine on the balcony.

Too worn out to make the trip back to her chair, she sat against the doorframe, watching the creature grow. A faint smile crossed her features. As messed up as her night was, at least she was doing some sort of good by saving the figurines and returning their lives to them.

When the panther had grown, it paced into her room, looking around. She followed him with her gaze, startled to see Chace standing in her room near the door, as if he was deciding whether to stay or go.

"Not trying to tell you how to do things, but setting free a bunch of predators and mythical beasts in a hotel might scare people," he said with a small smile. "It's twenty feet to the ground. You'll survive a jump." This was addressed at the panther trying to nose the door to the hallway open.

Chace closed it and waved the animal back towards the balcony.

"Shift when you can, and avoid crowds. You're gonna stick out here," he added.

The long, large, black animal with golden eyes growled deep in its chest but retreated towards Skylar. It nudged her with its head as it passed in a form of either greeting or silent order to move. She didn't know but pushed it away in response, too tired to move. It stepped over her, its soft, silky fur brushing her as it did.

The great cat lifted his front legs to peer over the balcony then hopped up, balanced with the lethal poise only a cat had. It shifted its body, sharp gaze on the pool area below, before leaping.

"One down. A hundred more to go," she murmured, stretching towards the others. She snagged the sleeve of her t-shirt and pulled the figurines to her.

"Seriously. You need rest." Chace knelt beside her and tugged the t-shirt loose, pushing the figurines away. The warmth of his body and his honey-fire scent washed over her, stirring her blood and making her too aware of how close he was.

He moved away and sat opposite her, settling against the other side of the doorframe. His long, lean legs stretched out on either side of her, and she worked hard on ignoring how nice it would be to sink into his strong arms and rest her head against the width of his chest. Seated directly across from her, it was difficult for her to deny her anger, hurt – or the charge of sexual tension that always stretched between them, straining to pull them together, where they belonged.

They gazed at each other. He seemed to be waiting for her reaction, and Skylar grappled with her feelings to determine what exactly that should be.

She felt like crying, if not because of the pain in her body then because of the twisting of her heart.

Chace was too selfish to understand the depths of her emotion for him.

# Chapter 11

Chace had never faced as much emotion in someone as he did now. He studied Skylar, sensing just how much she was trying not to show. Her breathing was growing shallow, not out of desire, but because she seemed ready to cry. Her eyes were large and filled with turmoil, her beautiful features pale from blood loss. She was beat and struggling to stay upright, when she clearly did need to rest.

What bothered him more? That she was bloodied, bruised and upset? Or that he wasn't able to do anything to help her? She wasn't going to trust him to hold her, when it was all his body wanted him to do. Without his magic, it was all he _could _do.

He cleared his throat and glanced at the figurines.

"Can I try?" he asked.

"Why would you be able to do it?" she asked, the edge of anger still in her voice.

"Because you're the other half of my heart. You could control my cabin, so maybe I have the power to wake up the shifters, too," he said simply. He didn't look at her when he said it but reached for a figurine. "Let's try one that won't scare people." He sifted through them, willing her to say something while he took his time finding a statue.

He pulled another Pegasus free.

"What do I do?" he asked.

There was a pause before she responded. "Hold it in your hand and count to ten." The tremor in her voice warned him that something he'd said had hit too close to home. He avoided looking at her, wanting to give her some space, even though they sat a few feet apart.

Chace did as she directed. He counted to ten and was about to smile and make some verbal observation about how she was the good one in the relationship when the figurine in his hand began to move.

Startled, he dropped it, staring.

Skylar gave a husky, tired laugh.

He glanced up. Her eyes were glowing.

"That's really... weird," he said and eyed his hand. It was warm and tingly where the Pegasus had been.

"You have to put it out on the porch," Skylar said. She reached forward and grabbed the expanding creature with two hands and placed it on the balcony. She pushed it away. The small Pegasus was turning from black to gray.

Chace watched it grow, even more fascinated to know that he'd been the one to awaken it.

"Hala – one of the dragons you fixed – said the lasso puts them into this deep sleep. I guess it turns them into these little stone figures. Then we wake them up," he said.

"I don't understand why, though," Skylar said. "Why would anyone want to do this in the first place?"

"That I don't know. Dillon and I had a little... talk." Chace rolled his eyes. "I think it has to do with the fact that you're the Protector of the shifters. You're meant to help them when they need it and can use their magic to do so. Someone wants their magic, and the best way to get to it was to take you out of the picture. I don't understand the reasoning of whoever is behind this."

" _All_ the shifters?" she repeated, thoughtful despite the note of alarm in her voice. "I guess I knew... or should've known that. It was another dream..." She drifted off. "But Caleb wanted to kill you, not take your magic."

"I think I'm a different story," Chace said wryly. "I imagine you don't blame him for wanting me gone."

She pursed her lips together.

"Go, Pegasus," Chace told the fully formed creature on the balcony.

The graceful, tall animal offered a quick bow and then unfurled its wings. It gathered its strength for a leap over the balcony railing, its haunches bunching. After testing its wings, it vaulted up and over the railing and caught itself easily with the long wings.

"I wish I could fly," Chace said before he was able to stop the words. The yearning in his voice embarrassed him, and he cleared his throat.

Skylar was gazing at him, her expression a mixture of guardedness and compassion.

Chace sought something else to say. He wanted to talk about what he'd done, to get it out in the open that he would do whatever it took to make things right.

The words stuck in his throat, though, and he didn't know if it was because he didn't want to distress her even more this night or because he was afraid that – no matter what he said or did – she'd reject him.

At the same time, he needed to know if there was even the smallest chance they might have something. Chace prepped his words carefully in the thick silence.

"Sky-" he started.

"My two wounded warriors hanging out together," Gunner said, pushing the door to the hotel room open. "I need to check both of you."

Skylar's eyes were riveted to Chace, as if she suspected the gravity of what he'd hoped to say. When he didn't continue, she frowned and turned her attention to Gunner.

"You I need to check for a concussion," he said, crouching down beside her. He flicked on a penlight and peered into her gaze. "Looks normal. You have any ringing in your ears? Any pressure in your head? Feelings of confusion?"

"Not from being hit on the head," she replied archly.

"Sense of humor is always a good sign. Follow my finger."

"I'm fine," she said grouchily and pushed his hand away.

"Glad to hear. I found this in the desert." Gunner held out a cell phone. "I mean this nicely, but get your ass on the phone and tell dragon-daddy to give me back my magic."

"Just don't mention I'm here," Chace muttered under his breath.

Gunner sighed. "Fine. We'll wait 'til you have your strength back." His friend shifted to him.

Chace sensed Skylar watching him once more. Gunner poked around Chace's head wound and sat back.

Accustomed to the panther shifter's blunt and brutal assessments of how bad his wounds were, Chace braced himself to learn his head was infected and Gunner was serious about chopping it off this time.

"How bad, Gun?" he asked.

Puzzled, Gunner examined his head one more time.

"Whatever happened out there, you must've tapped into your magic. You're healed, Chace."

"For reals?" Chace asked, reaching up to touch his wound. Where stitches had lined one side of his head, there was now a thick, knotted scar.

"Good. You'll be in shape to meet my dad," Skylar said. With effort she was trying to hide, she climbed to her feet and lifted the phone to her ear.

"Nice going, Gun," Chace said, raising his eyebrows at his friend.

Gunner smiled. His dark gaze sparkled. "Off with the shirt. I'm checking your side to make sure it's healed, too."

Chace grunted and shifted to his knees, used to his friend's brusque commands when dealing with medical issues. He pulled his sweater over his head and looked down at his side.

"Scars. That's it," Gunner said in approval. "So what the hell happened out there?"

Chace hesitated. "I don't know, Gun. I felt like I was fevered again. Everything was a blur and then the griffin was flying away." He shrugged.

"You kicked its ass, Chace. I'm thinking some part of your magic is still working. The magic refrigerator in the cabin, fighting off a griffin the size of a dragon, healing..." Gunner shook his head.

"Then why does it work now?" Chace demanded, irritated. "Why not when I was lying in my cabin dying?"

Gunner twisted to look towards Skylar. Chace did as well. The slayer was staring at his bare chest, a faint light in her gaze. The moment his eyes met hers, she flushed and turned away, returning to her phone conversation.

"If she's really on the phone with dragon-daddy, you might want to figure out how to get that magic back," Gunner advised quietly. "That man does not like you."

"Oh, I know," Chace agreed. "I understand why now. It's not just because I betrayed his little girl. It's because I sold out the Protector I was supposed to safeguard." Admitting the truth aloud stung hard enough that his breath caught.

Gunner's gaze turned warm. "I hate to say it, but you needed this lesson. She deserves the best Chace there is. I know how good you are, hidden beneath that damn dragon arrogance."

"Are you encouraging me or trash talking me? Cuz it sounds like both."

"Don't fuck this up." Gunner flashed a smile and stood. "Sky, tell your father I'll be outside waiting."

She shot him a look. Gunner left, pulling the door closed behind him.

Chace pulled his sweater back on, cold in the night breeze. He didn't know where his relationship with Sky was at the moment, but he guessed nowhere near the stage where they'd be naked any time soon.

He watched her on the phone, visually roaming her body. She was shapely and firm, her skin softer than flower petals and her hourglass form feminine yet tougher than it appeared. He had the urge to bury his nose in her hair to smell her peachy shampoo, to wrap her in his arms and swear to her he'd do whatever it took to make up for every wrong he'd done to her.

The idea she didn't trust him, might not want him around, filled him with sadness that was like a cold, empty hole in the center of his being. He recalled what it'd been like to lose Freyja, and it wasn't like this. He'd almost been relieved when she broke it off.

With Skylar, he wasn't able to think of anything else but holding her, seeing her smile again, being the kind of man she deserved. His whole being cried out in objection when he thought of how that might never, ever be possible again, not after all he'd done.

And it hurt. More than anything else. She was a few feet away, and yet, it was like she was gone forever.

_Gunner's right. Sky deserves someone better than I've been._

Was it too late for him to be that man?

"Gavin is on his way," Skylar said, lowering the phone. She turned to face him. "Gunner is right. He'll shred you if he finds you here."

"I know." Chace drew a deep breath. "But I'm not leaving."

Skylar blinked, brow furrowing. "That may not be a great survival strategy."

"You never know. Maybe he's warming up to me." He winked.

She looked ready to laugh.

"If you want to rest, I'll keep an eye out for him or any griffins," Chace offered.

Her expression turned suspicious once more.

"No ulterior motives," he promised and stood. "You need a break."

She sighed, gaze going longingly to the bed. He saw the exhaustion on her features and repressed the urge to hold her once again. She wasn't ready for him. Might never be ready for him again.

"All right," she said finally. "I need a short nap. I've got a lasso, and I will use it on you, if you try to turn on me again."

"Scout's honor."

She almost smiled but turned away quickly. Skylar crossed to the bed and sat, fumbling with her bootlaces.

_Walk. Away._ No part of him wanted to listen, but he did it, crossing to the door and managing to close it behind him.

He released his breath, amazed he'd been able to do the opposite of what his instincts and libido were screaming for him to do. He needed to be near her, to experience her calming touch.

Right now, she didn't want him there. For once in his life, he was going to respect what someone else needed from him instead of putting his desire first.

"It sucks," he mumbled, leaning against the wall outside her room. He absently touched the healed wound on his head. Reluctantly, he recalled what Freyja had told him in the dream, that he'd have to earn back everything he lost this time around.

He'd placed himself in danger to save Skylar and been rewarded by a healed body.

_I've got to put others before me._ It sounded so simple and yet, it went contrary to how he'd lived for a thousand years. His resistance melted when he thought of the sacrifices made by Gunner to help him and Skylar in danger.

He stood close enough to the door to hear Skylar move around inside. The door didn't sit in the jamb completely after he'd smashed it open earlier. Leaning his head back against the wall, he heard a faint sound.

Chace inched closer to the door and listened.

Skylar was crying.

The sound devastated him. He froze, uncertain what to do, not wanting to make things worse. Inaction wasn't in his nature, but she didn't want him in there, which left him in a quandary.

The sound of her tears, though, was his undoing. His heart felt like it was breaking all over again, and he realized with a combination of unease and appreciation that there was too much to how he felt for her ever to walk away like he probably should.

Chace opened the door. Skylar was in the bathroom, the shower running while she struggled to pull her shirt off. One arm was limp, the skin around the stitches in her injured shoulder swollen, red and angry.

He walked into the bathroom. Warm, moist air rolled over him, and he reached for her instinctively.

She jerked at his touch, twisting to face him. The tears on her face were from pain. She ducked her head quickly and moved away.

"What do you want?" she snapped.

"You need a hand. I've got two."

"I don't want your help."

"I don't give a shit." Chace waited a moment then touched her again, his palm resting on her hip. He drew her closer then released her. As much as he wanted to let his hands roam her body, to soothe her pain by giving her pleasure, he didn't.

She didn't move or snap at him again. Chace ran his hand up her side then gently worked her hurt arm free from her T-shirt and pulled it over her head. Her hair brushed his fingers. He automatically captured a few strands but just as quickly released them.

Skylar stood stiffly before him, her upper body bare if not for her bra. The feminine shape of her shoulders and tucked waist begged for kisses and his touch. Without her shirt, he was able to smell her musk once more. It was enough to drive his hormones wild and fill his senses. His imagination took off, and he began to think of all the incredible things he could do to her in the shower.

Her breathing had quickened at his touch. His fingertips tingled from where they'd connected with her skin, a combination of warmth and calm spiraling through him. He remembered too well what it was like to fall asleep with her supple body in his arms, the sense of peace he experienced nowhere else. It would be so easy to reach out, to take her into his arms for a brief moment and take the edge off his need to feel her skin against his.

_Respect her space._ Chace forced his mind away from what he wanted and took one step back then two.

"You got it from here?" he asked lamely.

"Yes." She didn't move, not until he was outside the bathroom once more. Skylar turned to face him, troubled. The tears on her face killed him, but he kept his distance. "Thanks."

"No problem." He closed the door. Not because he wanted to, but because the lost, hurt look on her face made him want to do whatever it took to make her smile again.

_That was the hardest thing I've ever done._ He was uncomfortably aroused, physically aching for her while his feelings began to grow more clear.

"She's my Sky," he whispered, staring at the bathroom door. "She's my heart." _And I fucked it all up._

He retreated to the hallway, unable to tolerate the thought of being near her without touching her.

# Chapter 12

Skylar didn't know what shocked her more: that Chace genuinely meant to help her or that he'd done so without making a move on her. She stood in the bathroom, pensive and tired, not sure what to think about him or how hard he seemed to be trying not to be the ass he was.

Her skin quivered from where he'd touched her. He'd been beyond gentle when he worked her arm free of her t-shirt, for which she was grateful.

He'd stopped there. Was the desire he expressed during all their nights together also a lie? Why didn't he want to touch her now?

Finally, she shook off her confusion and got into the shower. The hot water pelted her, and she groaned, hissing in pain when it hit the tender skin around her injured shoulder.

She stood in the shower, letting the water wash away the blood and grime from her day. It soothed her headache and the tension in her body, everything but her troubled feelings.

She didn't have the strength to stay in the shower long. With a sigh, Skylar got out and dried off the best she could with one arm. She pulled on a terry robe provided by the hotel and glanced at her clothing.

_I wish I was in a magic cabin or house,_ she thought ruefully.

She opened the door. Steam rolled into the hotel room. She looked around, eyes settling on the form near the patio.

"Mason?" she asked, surprised. "You're okay!" She smiled to cover up the disappointment in her tone. She was angry to realize she'd hoped to find Chace there.

"Relatively," Mason replied, facing her. One of his eyes was black, and his clothing was dusty and disheveled, as if he'd been in a fight. "Wow. Are you?" His gaze was on her bruised neck.

"Yeah, great. What happened? Where did you go?" she demanded. "I turned around and you were gone. I went back to Caleb's..." she drifted off, not wanting to bring up what she'd found in the study. "I got attacked by a griffin, too."

"Griffin," he repeated with a frown. Mason folded his muscular arms across his chest.

Skylar's instincts tingled. It wasn't the warm nudge she got whenever Chace was around. It was something different. A warning.

_I am_ not _believing Chace over Mason!_

"You sure you're okay?" Mason asked, his gaze warm.

He'd been an awesome friend as long as she was able to remember. He'd supported her every step of the way down this new path, too, sharing his own experiences with her.

"More or less," she said and sat with a sigh.

"I've got extra clothes," he said and crossed the room. His movements were jerky as he pulled the extra clothing out of his gym bag. He held them out to her.

"Mason... you're not telling me everything," she said, accepting them. "I saw Caleb."

He looked away.

"Did you do that?" she whispered. "You can tell me, Mason. If you got in a fight and things got bad..."

"We'll talk about it," he replied. "You want to change first?"

She nodded, almost sighing in relief. Mason was the friend she knew him to be. She rose and crossed to the bathroom, pausing.

"I'm glad Chace let you in," she said with a small smile.

"Chace?" Mason echoed.

"Oh did he stop standing guard in the hallway?" she asked. Was she happy or disappointed he'd just left?

"Maybe. I didn't notice. Got a lot on my mind."

Skylar frowned. "Mason, whatever is going on, we'll get through it together. Like we said."

He met her gaze, a shadow crossing his expression.

_Something's wrong._ She waited.

"You're a good person, Sky," he said finally. "You give me some hope."

"You're welcome. I think," she replied, puzzled.

"Go get changed." He gave her a winning smile. "We've got a lot to get through."

_Starting with who he got into a scuffle with. Why he killed Caleb. Where he disappeared to._ She retreated into the bathroom and mentally listed off the things she wanted to know from him. Getting dressed was painful and took her much longer than she wanted.

When she was done, she opened the door.

Mason was gone.

"No, no, no, Mason," she whispered, tears in her eyes once more. " _Please_ be the one I can trust." She wiped her eyes and went to the door, opening it.

Chace stood opposite the door, leaning against the wall. He looked up, and she found herself unable to remember what she wanted to ask him. Mesmerized by his dark gaze and the crackling tension between them, she leaned against the doorframe. His muscular frame was relaxed, and she wished she knew what he was thinking, if she could trust him.

"You need anything?" His offer sounded forced.

She didn't know what to think. He was in her hallway, clearly guarding her door, yet there was reluctance in his voice.

"I was looking for Mason," she replied.

He tensed.

"He was just in my room. I changed clothes, and he was gone," she added.

"Hmm." Chace clenched his jaw, as if to keep from saying what was on his mind.

"Do you know where he went?"

"Haven't seen him all night."

"Not when he entered?"

"Nope."

_This_ Chase she recognized. He was bristling and angry.

"Maybe he flew up to the balcony," he suggested.

"No."

"He got up there somehow. I've been standing right here."

"No," she said more softly. "He's the only one who hasn't turned on me." She whirled and stalked back into her room. _Not Mason._

Chace had been right about everything so far. Skylar grudgingly went to the balcony and leaned over to see the pool area.

The clothing Mason was wearing a few minutes before was in a pile next to the pool. The sight hit her like a ton of bricks to the gut.

Skylar's tears fell, her ears buzzing and mind racing.

_Maybe he's afraid to tell me. Maybe he's ashamed about Caleb..._ Possibility after possibility went through her thoughts. The only thing she knew for sure was that Mason was a shifter, and he'd killed Caleb. That didn't make him bad, though.

It meant that the final piece of her reality the past six years really was shattering, revealing how fragile and fake her world had been.

"I hate being right," Chace's whisper came from behind her.

She pulled in a deep breath, his scent filling her senses. It calmed her and stirred her blood simultaneously. He rested a hand on either side of her on the railing, the light brush of his body against her back elevating her awareness of the chemistry between them. It had started weeks ago as a spark. Standing on the balcony with him, she realized whatever was between them had only gotten stronger. It was now a flame – a combination of burning emotion and near-crippling need.

"It doesn't mean he's bad," she said, wiping her face.

"Funny. There was a time you would've insisted he probably makes fried chicken out of people."

"Be quiet, Chace," she ordered in a tight voice. "In the morning, I'm going back to being pissed at you. But right now ..."

His arms wrapped around her, pulling her securely into his strong body. Skylar sighed, at home, even if she didn't know what to think about him. He nudged her head aside with his and placed a warm kiss on her cheek.

He made no further moves on her, simply held her. She relaxed and closed her eyes, resting against him. He supported her without question, his hug warm and tight. In his arms, the world didn't seem so scary.

"I learned a little bit more about what's going on." Chace's chest rumbled as he spoke.

Her pulse quickened, and she started to tense, not certain she wanted to hear what he had to say.

"I can wait," he said gently, hugging her.

"No. I need to hear it."

There was a pause. "Every generation has a Protector, a woman whose job is to protect and help the shifters," he started. "She has a guardian, the strongest dragon in existence, who's supposed to safeguard her while she protects the shifters."

Skylar listened closely, recognizing the truth of his words. Her mother had said similar in a dream. For a moment, she experienced familiar panic, a need to deny what he was saying and to return to her old life.

_My old life isn't real. Mason was the last pillar, and he just crumbled._

"I'll let you guess who is who in this story," Chace said.

"You forgot the part where the dragon sells out the Protector and loses his magic. Oh, and that she's been brainwashed and tried to capture and kill the shifters she was supposed to protect."

He said nothing.

She was tense again. Skylar drew a deep breath. Chace's heat moved through her, helping her relax once more. His breathing was steady, along with his heartbeat.

His explanation disturbed her.

"So we both messed up," she murmured. "I hurt the shifters by capturing them and you betrayed me."

"We even?"

"No."

"Didn't think so."

"What kind of shifter is Mason?" she ventured.

"I don't know."

"He's not bad."

Chace was quiet. This time, she sensed he disagreed.

Skylar twisted in his grip. His hold around her remained, and she gazed up at him, breathing in his warm scent. His hair was tied at the base of his neck. The light from the pool area created shadows beneath the sharp lines of his chiseled jaw and high cheekbones.

She rested her hands on his chest, able to feel the heat of his body through the soft sweater. He held her close enough for their lower bodies to be pressed to one another, and the evidence of his arousal was long and hard against her belly.

Chace's gaze was steady, and her eyes slid to his full lips. They'd roamed her body many times, and the memory of their time together made her body warm from the inside out. Intoxicated in his heat, scent and strength, her anger at him melted into desire.

"I want to kiss you, but I don't think you're in any shape for where that'll lead," he said, cupping her face with one hand. His palm was calloused but his touch gentle. The pad of his thumb slid across her lips. "Why don't you get some rest."

Skylar hesitated.

"I'll stay with you. We'll call this a temporary truce. You can go back to being pissed at me in the morning," he teased, a spark lighting in his eyes.

Heat crept up her face. "I have a good reason," she reminded him.

"I know." Chace's hand dropped away. He leaned down and lifted her, carrying her over the threshold into the hotel room. He set her carefully on the bed, then lay down with her.

Skylar almost objected, certain she didn't have the energy for one of their long nights of lovemaking.

"Go to sleep," he ordered. He wrapped one arm around her and pulled her once again into his body.

His nearness and strength at her back made warmth pool in her belly and race through her body. She closed her eyes, doubting she'd be able to sleep while so turned on.

_He's my dragon._ Regret and sadness went through her, along with relief that he was safe. Another emotion was growing in her breast, one she didn't want to feel. The sense she belonged in his arms and he belonged at her side were stronger, despite all they'd been through.

She cared about him. Too much to send him away.

Chace kissed her temple and she drifted into the sleep of the exhausted. The darkness of slumber soon retreated, easing her into another of the memories.

# Chapter 13

Chace felt her slide into sleep. Her body relaxed in his arms, and her breathing grew deep and steady. Holding her while keeping his hormones in check was torture. Injured and mistrustful, the sleeping woman in his arms let him touch her only because she needed the comfort. What he wanted tonight didn't matter.

He didn't think she was far off about hating him again in the morning, but part of him hoped he'd been right in seeing the warmth in her face.

He nuzzled her hair, breathing in her scent. She smelled of the shower she'd just taken, her own scent faint. Her hair was damp from the shower and her face still tight and pale from pain.

Chace touched her injured shoulder lightly.

Skylar murmured and shifted in her sleep.

He removed his hand, concerned. He didn't want to see her suffer from fever and infection the way he had.

_I'd give anything to keep her from that pain._

Resigned to his helplessness, he tucked her deeper into his body, once more angry for not having the magic he needed to help her.

He never thought he'd be this close to her again. Chace's body relaxed under the influence of the warm power flowing off her into him. She was getting stronger, able to draw off the power of shifters, the way Hala said she'd be able to.

He lifted his head to make sure none of the tiny figurines had moved. The pile of stone statues were where he left them, and he marveled at the power both of them had to bring the creatures back to life. There were few moments in his life that made him proud, but bringing the Pegasus to life was one. Holding Sky was another that made him realize how incredible of a second chance he'd been given, one that touched him in a place he didn't know existed.

Whatever emotion was blooming inside him, he wasn't going to forget to appreciate this moment. After all, Skylar was likely to turn him over to her father to shred in the morning. This might be the last night he would ever have the chance to hold her.

Chace traced a finger down Skylar's face, regret deep in his gut. He wanted more than sex from Skylar. He wanted everything: her smile, corny jokes, her spirit. The sense of needing to possess every part of her was stronger as well, a primal impulse to claim what was his and never let go. The instinct had been present since he first met her. He'd shunned it, though, in favor of using her to get what he wanted.

After years of living for himself, he was starting to understand the lesson Freyja wanted him to learn.

_This is the woman I love._ Yes, she was the other half of his heart and yes, she was his Sky. But love? The concept was foreign to him, something he hadn't felt in a thousand years. He could see himself with Sky forever but the idea of loving someone after losing so many friends...

It terrified him.

He lowered his hand and hugged her close, resting his head on the pillow.

To let himself fall for someone was to set himself up for eventual heartache. At least, this was his experience thus far in life. What if Skylar wasn't immortal like him?

What if they ended up like Gavin and Skylar's mother? Gavin was an angry, lonely creature who didn't even know what happened to his love.

Yet with his arms around Skylar and her body curled against his, Chace wasn't able to think of anywhere else he'd rather be, of any moment that meant more to him, of anything he wouldn't do to make this a nightly occurrence.

Drowsiness crept over him, a result of his sheer exhaustion. With his heart aching, he nonetheless fell into a deep, dark sleep.

# Chapter 14

_S kylar smiled at the cake on the break room table of the slayers' compound._

Happy 16th, Skylar! _ It read._

_There were no candles, just a small cake with plain white frosting and writing in green. It was her sixteenth birthday, a huge milestone at The Field, where recruits went out on their first missions soon after turning sixteen._

_More importantly, Mason promised to teach her to drive._

_"It's small, but we can't have a birthday without cake," he said, leaning against the doorway of the break room._

_She grinned at him. "You rock, Mason. Thank you!"_

_"You're welcome." His smile fell for a brief moment. "It's an important day." The softness of his voice was lost on her in her eagerness to dig into the sweet treat._

_"Cake?" Dillon asked, pushing past the dark-skinned friend who'd been like an older brother to her, as long as she could remember. "Sugar isn't on the slayer diet."_

_"It's a special occasion. Chill, Dill," Mason said._

_"Yeah. Chill, Dill," she echoed. There were days she didn't like Dillon and days when she thought he was the most handsome man she'd ever seen._

_"Eat up, Sky. We gotta go driving after this," Mason told her with a smile._

_She grinned._

_Dillon's gaze swept over her, before he turned to speak to Mason quietly._

_"She's sixteen. Time to make things permanent," he said._

_Skylar pretended not to hear, eating her cake quickly. She wasn't certain what he meant by permanent. She'd been here her whole life, since she was orphaned soon after her birth._

_"It can wait a day," Mason replied. The troubled note in his voice distracted her._

_She glanced at him._

_He was watching her, no longer smiling._

_Skylar hesitated, the back of her neck itching the way it did around him sometimes._

_"No, it can't. No delays, or the process won't be permanent. Besides, our mistress wouldn't approve of any delay," Dillon said crisply. He faced her, and she looked down quickly. "Happy birthday, Sky," he said with a brief smile. "After this, report to the shrink for your annual session."_

_"Okay, Dillon," she murmured._

_Satisfied, he left._

_She looked at Mason quizzically. "What's wrong? What does permanent mean?" she asked him the questions she wasn't going to ask Dillon. While handsome, Dillon was also the son of the most revered of the slayers, someone Skylar feared upsetting, if he found out from Dillon she was asking about things she wasn't supposed to._

_"Don't worry about it. You can go in tomorrow to see the shrink. Today is your day," Mason said with a glance over his shoulder. "Let's sneak out and go driving."_

_Skylar didn't need a second invitation. She shoveled as much cake as would fit on a plate and bounced to her feet, following Mason through the corridors of The Field to the motor pool._

* * *

Skylar awoke the next morning to the sound of someone splashing around in the pool. Her dream faded again, and she once again was only able to recall Mason. This time, she'd been content in her memory, not scared like the first one he'd been in.

Despite the rough day before and vivid dreaming, she was surprisingly refreshed, if achy and sore. The soft snoring of Chace made her frown. She'd been tired enough to lower her guard with him last night, leaving her confused as to whether she should be angry at herself or at him.

His body was molded to hers beneath a blanket, his strong arms wrapped tightly around her and his breath tickling the tiny hairs on her neck. His body heat kept the morning breeze from chilling her. The hard, thick frame at her back made her want to stay in their cozy little cocoon as long as possible, protected and comfortable.

_I can't forget what happened._ No matter how much she loved their bodies being together, she wasn't able to forgive him yet for what he'd done.

She grudgingly and gently worked her body free from his. Almost instantly, the chill of morning crept around her. Crawling to the edge of the bed, she paused. Chace remained on his side, his features relaxed in sleep. The lines beneath his eyes were gone. The sight of his lean, muscular frame teased her, beckoned her back to his strength and heat. She could see herself wriggling beneath the crossed arms until he pulled her against him and the two of them falling back into happy sleep for hours.

The idea of leaving him made a pang of longing hurt more than it should.

Skylar shook her head but wasn't able to purge her senses of his scent. He was in her skin and hair once more, a taunting reminder of the man she didn't know what to think of. Her body and heart were his but her mind...

_I know better than to trust him._

Doing her best to remain resolved, she pulled on her boots and stooped to pick up the figurines on the floor when she froze.

Her body was sore but not hurt, as if...

Skylar straightened and yanked up the sleeve of her shirt to see the shoulder that had been swollen and painful when she went to sleep.

Nothing but scars remained. She checked the back of her head, expecting the knot Gunner said was there. It, too, was gone.

She turned to stare a Chace's slumbering form anew. He'd rolled onto his stomach in his sleep, his arms stretched over his head. Her gaze went to the rounded shape of the firm ass she'd dug her nails into on more than one occasion.

She checked her shoulder again.

"I'm not dead," she murmured, perplexed. "Which means he healed me."

Mason was right about shifters being inconsistent.

Exasperated before she'd even had breakfast, Skylar snatched up all the figurines, placed them into Mason's gym bag and marched out of the room. Her hands were shaking. This time, it was emotion, not exertion.

The farther she got from Chace, the harder her intuition pushed her to go back.

She ordered her instincts to be silent and went to the lobby, not certain if Gunner was still waiting for her father. Neither was present, and she pulled out her cell to see a message waiting for her.

_Breakfast._ Gavin had texted not twenty minutes before.

Skylar crossed to the small restaurant off the lobby and paused in the doorway, looking around. Her gaze settled on the solitary figure of her father near a window. Before the hostess was able to intercept her, she struck off in his direction. Uncertain how her dragon of a father was going to react, she slowed.

"Hey," she said, reaching the table.

He glanced up at her, cold eyes giving no indication of what he was thinking.

"Can I join you?" she asked.

He motioned to one of the three vacant chairs at his table. He'd already started eating an omelet and sat back, watching her with his usual lack of warmth and emotion.

"So..." she started awkwardly. "Glad to see you made it." _Maybe._

"Where is he?" Gavin asked.

"Why is that any of your business?" she asked, immediately guarded. "You two have a horrible history, but I mean, come on. Stop being moody dragons for one minute! You both need to understand I can make my own choices and if I'm going to be a protector, I need to be able to focus without you bickering."

"I meant Gunner."

"Oh." Her face flashed hot. "Not sure. We all had a long night." She touched her shoulder absently.

"Chace told you that you're the Protector."

Skylar met his gaze. He didn't sound pleased about it.

"You are one of three people keeping secrets from me," she snapped. "Fess up, Dad. Tell me why you didn't want me to do what I'm supposed to or about Chace being my shitty-but-legitimate guardian."

"I wanted to protect you," he replied without hesitation. "I wanted to ensure what happened to your mother didn't happen to you."

"We don't know what happened!"

He was quiet.

Skylar wanted to be angry at him for giving up on her mother the way she wanted to be angry with Chace. Recalling the last letter her mother had written Gavin, she struggled to hang onto her emotion. She, too, thought the chances of her mother being alive were slim, if Caleb was involved.

"You dragons are so hard to read," she said with a sigh. "I don't need protecting anymore."

"Because you have Chace." The note of disapproval was clear.

"No, because I have a good head on my shoulders. I don't need a dragon guard dog."

"You do. If you think you can protect thousands of shifters alone, then you aren't thinking at all," he replied.

"I don't trust any of you," she pointed out. "Is there anything else you're hiding? Anything else I need to know about who or what I am?"

He said nothing.

"Or maybe why Caleb and Dillon are doing this?" she prodded.

Gavin released a deep breath and shifted forward in his seat. She waited, sensing he was about to reveal something she needed to know.

"A few thousand years ago, there was a division within the shifters. It was fueled by differences in opinion about how we should behave within the human community and a natural division about who should be in charge. Dragons are very rare, and it was thought for a while that there would be no Protector born. Three thousand years passed. I had many protectors – female companions – but none of them had the blood of the Protector, the woman meant to protect the shifters," he said slowly. "I believe that a movement to wrest control from the dragons was reaching its peak when I found your mother. Five thousand years of waiting, and I stumble upon her accidentally at a mall."

"You think they figured out their plan was going bust and then started chasing Mom?" she asked, intrigued by the insight into her father's secretive life.

"Yes. The lassos Caleb had used to belong to the dragons. It was how we kept internal order, by putting our kind into a deep sleep as a form of punishment. It was an alternative to killing," he said, shrugging. "Not my idea. But a tradition I maintained. The lassos went missing soon after I met your mother."

"Caleb... or Dillon... whoever is behind this... started using them to take down the shifters."

"Kidnapping and brainwashing the children of shifters to use them to track down the shifters themselves in a power grab."

"I don't know," she murmured. "Sometimes, this seems really... personal. Like they had me for six years. If you were the problem, or Chace was, why not use me sooner to hunt you guys down?"

"It might be personal," Gavin said. "Griffins are as rare as dragons and used to be the natural enemy of dragons. His father is likely like you, someone with the blood but not a full shifter. I've made some enemies over the years. When you're the biggest and baddest of the shifters, you tend not to care."

"Until they track down your wife and daughter," she pointed out.

He said nothing but sipped from his water glass.

"What about Mason?" she asked, throat tight.

"I don't know him."

She almost sighed.

"Maybe I should say, I don't know that name," he clarified. "Dillon and Caleb have had many names over the years. I made an effort to track them. If Mason had another name, I might know it."

She groaned. "Okay. Then how did Mom use the shifter magic to protect them."

"Fairly simple. Whatever shifter is nearest to you, you can tap into their magic. Use it to control them."

Skylar leaned over, remembering the bag she'd brought with her. She pulled one of the figurines free.

"I can also bring them back to life," she said, setting it on the table.

"Yes," he agreed softly. "You can undo what I did with the lasso. The Protector safeguards. Her dragon enforces the rules or punishes those who endanger the shifter community." He lifted up the figurine. "Our community is not a close knit one, but there are rules and an order that must be maintained."

Her tattoo burned. Skylar cursed quietly, uncertain if her father's cooperation was about to take a dive once he knew Chace was there. She sought him out and saw him in the doorway of the restaurant.

He was watching her, muscular frame tensing when his blue gaze went to Gavin. He waved away the hostess and took a seat just outside the restaurant, stretching out his lean legs and folding them at the ankle.

"Can I trade my dragon for a new one?" she asked, irritated by the reaction her body had to him.

"No."

"Did you and Mom have a rough start?"

"No."

Skylar clenched her mouth closed.

Gavin smiled. "It wasn't easy," he added. "But I had the benefit of knowing my history and what I had when I found it. Chace has no appreciation for anything outside his ego."

"You two aren't that different," she replied. "Both of you think your opinion is the only one that matters."

"When you've been a ruler for five thousand years, you get used to people obeying," he said.

"In all my memories, I don't recall you being there," she said, troubled. "Why were you always gone?"

"I wasn't always gone," he replied softly. "Sometimes I had to watch over you from a distance. Shifters can track their king, which meant Dillon always knew how to find me. If I wasn't too close to you, you had a better chance at surviving to an age where your power manifested like it has."

_If I have a daughter..._ she almost asked what happened but stopped herself. There was too much between now and that future.

"Why didn't you just take him out?" she asked.

"We were on the run the entirety of your young life," he explained. "I could only use my dragon senses at night, and he knew that. I wasn't about to risk your mother's life by sending her after him during the daylight."

"You were scared."

"Terrified. To live five thousand years alone in contentment and have your life usurped by the beautiful blue eyes of the woman you didn't know you'd been waiting for..." he drifted off, rare warmth crossing his features. "Dangers I'd ignored, because they couldn't get to me when I was alone, now had the chance to take everything from me. The first few years were difficult. I learned a lot about the kind of ruler I should've been."

"Like Chace."

"Like Chace. When we identified him for what he was, Freyja, one of the oldest dragons at the time, tried to talk some sense into him. It didn't work. She then betrayed me and the rest of dragonkind to side with the griffins. I put her to sleep for it." Gavin's voice hardened. "I saw firsthand what kind of dragon he is – trading you to me without caring what happened."

"He's trying to be a better person," she said automatically before rushing on. "Not that I disagree with you. But you must've said or done something to him when you stripped his magic. He's different."

"He's lucky he's not dead," Gavin said acidly.

"You sent Gunner to help him?"

"I checked up on him every night. He didn't have the skill to fix himself without his power. Yes, I sent Gunner to help him."

"Because you know deep down that I need him."

Gavin's jaw clenched, ticking visibly. His blue eyes were frigid.

"Not judging," she said. "But I mean, you know he's strong enough to protect the shifters."

"Strong enough, yes. But too selfish."

_That's changing._ Sensing how sore of a topic Chace was, Skylar sat back and searched for something less intense to talk about.

"Got you a new SUV." Gavin slid vehicle keys across the table to her.

"Thanks," she murmured.

Movement in the doorway of the restaurant drew her attention, and she saw Gunner there. He waved then sat beside Chace.

"Gunner's here," she told her father. "I still feel like I need more answers."

"Neither of us knows what happened to your mother, but everything else seems clear to me. Dillon must be stopped. The damage he's done must be undone."

She almost sighed. Dillon was the key. Their last exchange was less than encouraging. With his father dead, he was likely going to be erratic, hard to predict.

"Invite them to join us," Gavin said coolly.

"Um, only if you promise there won't be a dragon smack down or something," she said. "You'll behave?"

He nodded his head once with noble eloquence, a king granting a small favor.

Skylar rolled her eyes in response. She stood and waved to catch the attention of the two shifters seated outside the restaurant. Motioning for them to come in, she sank back into her seat and clenched both hands in her lap.

Too aware of Chace's nearness, Skylar tried to psych herself up for the meeting with reminders about how they were all working towards something important. There was no place for emotion here, not even when her gaze was drawn to Chace's powerful form and stuck to him.

"Good to see you again," Gunner said to Gavin. He slid into the seat across from Skylar while Chace silently took the seat beside her.

His leg brushed hers, sending a flare of heat and need through her. She eased away from him and tried hard not to look in his direction.

"How's the shoulder?" Gunner addressed her in the tense quiet.

"Great."

"You need me to look at it?"

"No." She cleared her throat. "It, uh, kinda healed."

"What?"

"That's great," Chace said, inquisitive gaze on her.

"So. You guys both know my dad, Gavin. We were talking about how we need to fix this Dillon issue."

"We've got an army of shifters," Gunner said, picking up the one on the table.

Skylar reached forward to reclaim it, protective of her figurines.

"We could use our magic." Gunner looked pointedly at Gavin.

"You, yes," the ancient dragon said.

Chace said nothing, and Skylar risked a look at him. He didn't seem surprised or offended by the purposeful exclusion.

"Keep in mind we've got a bunch of angry slayers tracking the shifters, too," he said.

All three of them looked at her. Skylar shook her head.

"We need to help them, too," she said firmly. "If I woke up, so will they."

"You're stronger, Sky," Gavin said. "It took you six years and some trauma to start to remember. For those without dragon blood, it'll be harder."

"We have to try," she replied.

No one spoke. Her stomach turned over. She didn't want to know what their alternate plan was to do with the brainwashed slayers. She didn't bring up Mason, either, still convinced he wasn't what they thought he was.

"So we have to help the shifters and the slayers," Gunner summarized. "Anyone have an idea where to start?"

"Dillon," Chace and Skylar said simultaneously.

She glanced at him, face warm again.

"Capture him and interrogate him?" Gunner asked.

"Yeah," she answered.

Gavin was watching her. "He's strong, Skylar."

"We've got dragons," she replied.

"All but one are nocturnal and the one who isn't has no magic."

"Well what do you suggest?" she asked impatiently. "He might know what happened to my mom, how to turn off the slayers, if there are any other shifters trapped as stone statues."

A quiet fell. She sensed the men around her were all thinking thoughts they had no intention of sharing with her.

"We could use the bar." Chace was the first to speak. "The slayers have been tracking it. We can pick a place to make a stand."

"But not hurt the slayers," she said. "We could capture them. If we can't fix them, Dillon can tell us how when we find him."

"Sky, I think we need to be open to the chance that there might not be a way to save some of them," Chace said quietly.

She looked at him full on for the first time since he sat down with them. "It's not their fault they got sucked into this and brainwashed!"

"He's right, Sky," Gavin said. "We'll feel it out. But sometimes you have to make tough choices as the Protector."

She said nothing, fuming and hurt to think of those she'd spent the past few years with being written off. If she and Chace could be salvaged, then the others deserved the same chance.

A glance at those around her revealed that she was in the minority. She kept her thoughts to herself, determined to help as many people as possible.

"First step. Waking up these shifters. I think we'll need all we can find," Chace said, lifting her bag from the floor.

"There are a lot more at Caleb's," she said. "Chace and I both can wake them up."

"Sounds like it's close to a plan," Gunner said. "Gavin can't do jack during daylight. As soon as it's dark, we need to plant the bar someplace where the slayers can find it."

"Near The Field," Chace suggested. "Lots of open space, no people around to get caught in any crossfire."

_There won't be crossfire,_ she vowed. She sat back, listening as they plotted a simple strategy to draw out and capture as many slayers as possible and hopefully, snag Dillon as well.

Her gaze went from them to the window, and she looked twice.

Mason was standing in the parking lot, near an SUV. He looked a little better this morning, as if he'd gotten some sleep.

He was gazing at her, as if waiting for her to notice him.

"I'll be back in a minute," she said, standing.

"Whoa. No," Chace said. He caught her arm with a strong hand, his eyes on the figure in the parking lot.

"Don't tell me what to do!" she snapped and twisted away.

Skylar strode out of the restaurant and reached the automatic door of the lobby before Chace managed to grab her arm again. Whirling, she glared up at him. He drew her closer to him, until she was able to feel his body heat.

"Whatever your plan is, it shouldn't involve someone like that," Chace said in a low, quiet voice.

"Something's going on. I'm going to find out what," she retorted.

"You're so beautiful when you're angry," he said, a trace of a smile going across his tight features.

She said nothing, taken aback by the random compliment. Chace's gaze dropped to her lips, and she pursed them to keep from wetting them in anticipation of a kiss. Her body was burning up at his touch and nearness, his scent making her tingle. His soft sweater and the shapely muscles beneath it were begging for her touch.

"Let me go, Chace," she ordered, hating the breathless note in her voice.

He did.

She remained in place, close enough for their bodies to brush if she leaned forward slightly. Caught in the dark blue depths of his gaze, she forgot briefly what they were arguing over.

"You're welcome for healing you," he said, warmth softening the skin beneath his eyes. "I'm a dick. We all know this. But please don't deal with Mason alone."

His genuine concern bothered her when she was working so hard at disliking him.

"I'm just going to talk to him," she said.

"No getting kidnapped."

"Since you've lost your powers, my kidnapping average has dropped down close to zero!" she retorted.

He touched her cheek with one hand. "Be safe."

She half-expected him to insist she let him go. But he didn't.

"I will be," she said, stepping away from the overwhelming affect he had on her senses.

She turned away, unable to figure out what this new Chace's game was. She exited the hotel and took a deep breath to clear her thoughts and then approached Mason.

"Hey," she greeted him, pausing a few feet away. She searched his gaze, not sure what she was looking for. A sign of what kind of creature he was? Any indication he meant to hurt or betray her?"

"Hi, Sky," he said. His hands were in his pocket. His bruised eye appeared less dark during daylight. "Sorry about last night."

"It's okay," she murmured. "Um, so Dillon is a griffin shifter who tried to kill me."

Mason met her gaze.

"You knew what he was," she guessed. "Because you're a shifter, too."

He drew a deep breath. "Yeah. I am."

"Why didn't you tell me?" she demanded.

"The time wasn't right."

"What about all that nonsense about being bitten by a shifter and falling in love with one?"

"I needed to see where you were with things," he admitted.

"So it was all a lie?" Her throat and chest were tight. "Everything I remember about my life is a lie!"

"No, Sky," Mason replied. "We're friends. We've always been friends. We'll always be friends. I hope."

His firm assurance calmed her some.

"I couldn't tell you anything that might make it back to Dillon."

"Did he know what you are?"

"Yes and no." Mason flashed a quick smile.

"Whatever," she said, folding her arms across her chest. "What happened at Caleb's?"

Mason looked into the sky, gaze distant. "You're right. I can have a fresh start, and I told Caleb I was done. We got in a disagreement."

"You killed him."

"I didn't have a choice. We needed time to get away before Dillon came. I'm big, but I'm not going to risk facing Dillon in his shifter form."

She wanted to ask what Mason was but feared the answer. She scoured his features, wanting badly to know her friend was still there somewhere like he claimed. His dark eyes glowed with familiar warmth, and she recalled with appreciation that he'd supported her at The Field when she'd wanted to find Chace.

"I want to believe you, Mason," she murmured.

"I've always taken care of you, Sky. Even if you can't remember it."

She studied him. Her instincts were certain about Chace despite her anger. With Mason...

She didn't know.

"I have to go," he said. "Text or call when you want to talk." He dropped off the curb and walked towards the driver's door of his SUV. "Preferably when no one else is around. You'll forgive me if I'm a little leery of the company you keep."

His words confused her more. Did he mean Chace? Her father?

Her father's explanation of there being a division among the shifters stirred her instincts. Were Mason and Dillon on one side of the divide and her father on the other?

She watched him drive away, waving when he did. The back of her neck was burning again.

"He's either a fantastic liar or there's some truth to what he says," Chace said from nearby.

She turned to face him, guard going up. His blue eyes flickered from her to the SUV pulling out of the parking lot then back. He stood, deceptive relaxed, one hand in his pocket while the other clutched the strap of the gym bag containing shifters.

She wanted to defend Mason and say he'd never lied to her, but he just admitted to keeping the truth from her.

"People like to do things to protect me," she said. "I wish they'd just tell me what I need to know. I'll figure it out anyway."

"Shit. I've got nothing to hide from you anymore," he replied.

"No?" she challenged. "I bet there's something!"

"If you go through something like facing your mortality or losing everything you had, you start to view things a little differently." The words were quiet, the emotion in his voice carefully controlled. His gaze was steady, and she sensed the pain deep within him. "It's like flying. Gives you a new perspective. What you thought mattered, doesn't anymore, but you damn well know what does now."

The intensity of his look made her warm from the inside out. She had the sense of being overwhelmed, of him seeping into her guard and growing roots deep in her emotions when she desperately needed a clear head.

"Though I wonder if it's too late," he added at her silence.

"We all make our choices." She looked away. Yesterday, she'd wanted him to show some sort of regret for what he'd done. Today, she didn't want to get into it with him.

"Right," he said coolly.

_I need space to think._

"You all want to go to Caleb's for the rest of the shifters?" Gunner interrupted the tension between her and Chace. "Gavin is resting."

"Sounds good," she replied. "I got my lasso for Dillon, in case he's there. Since you all are relatively defenseless." The words were hotter than she meant.

Chace frowned. She turned away.

"I'm really looking forward to this ride," Gunner said sarcastically. "Y'all need to fuck and get it over with. This is killing me."

"Fat chance," she snapped and stormed away. "I'm driving."

The two powerless shifters trailed her to the SUV. She climbed in and waited for them with barely restrained impatience, anxious to be on the road. Chace climbed in next to her while Gunner got in back.

Being in a car with Chace was the last thing she needed, except she didn't realize it until they hit the highway. Gunner was right. Her attention went from trying to breathe in more of his scent to trying not to notice how close his arm was to hers. If she shifted even just a tiny bit, she'd be able to feel his warm skin and the roped, supple muscle of his forearm.

# Chapter 15

No one spoke during the quick trip to Caleb's. She drove as fast as she could, uncomfortably turned on being so close to Chace. No part of her was able to focus solely on driving with him beside her.

They reached Caleb's, and she flung her car door open before the engine stopped completely. She was halfway to the front door when she reminded herself that Dillon was pissed – and a badass shifter who almost took her out once.

She slowed and listened for any sounds of anyone being in the house. She heard and sensed nothing.

The front door was ajar, and she pushed it open.

"Easy, killer," Chace said from behind her, sliding a finger through her belt loop to pull her to a stop. "Gunner still has his panther senses."

Reluctantly, she stepped aside so the large panther shifter could enter. He stood perfectly still in the foyer.

She swiped Chace's hand away from her pants and waited, trying hard to ignore the solid warmth of him at her back. Her stomach fluttered at the idea of her skin brushing his, even if accidentally.

Gunner moved after a minute, waving them in.

"I don't sense anyone," he said. "What are we looking for?"

"There are a handful of shifters in the library." She pointed down the hallway on their left. "Under a couch. There are hundreds of them in the study." She indicated the hallway ahead of them.

"I'll check the library," Gunner said and started down the corridor without waiting for anyone else to join him.

_Shit._ The idea of being alone with Chace was a little too appealing – and distracting.

"This way," she said and walked down the hallway.

He followed.

Skylar opened the door to the study with some apprehension, recalling how awful her last visit there had been. She expected to smell the scent of death, for she'd last seen a dead tiger and Caleb in the study.

Both bodies were gone, though the destruction of her battle with Dillon remained.

"This is where I got shot," she murmured as much to Chace as herself. She touched her shoulder. "How did you heal me?"

"No idea. My magic seems to be acting out at will." By the reserved note in his voice, he had an idea of why.

She eyed him and moved away to the far side of the study. The fight between Dillon and the tiger knocked shelves of the shifter figurines to the floor, and she knelt to start gathering them.

"I can't believe how many there are," Chace said from his spot kneeling on the other side of the room.

"I know. At least they aren't dead," she said. _Like the slayers you all want to kill._

"I wonder how many of them I know."

A glance in his direction revealed him holding one shifter up to the light from the window. It was a dragon.

A trickle of jealousy went through her. She returned to gathering the statues and forced her mind away from any thought of wanting something more with Chace.

"If these shifters have been fighting for thousands of years, how long can a shifter's offspring bear a grudge?" she asked curtly.

"Probably too long."

"Especially if she's got good reason."

"You're acting moody like my magic cabin," he snapped.

"Your cabin was at least nice to me. Is it still magic?"

"No. Only the fridge is."

The visual of a magic fridge struck her as funny, and she laughed.

Chace eyed her.

"Ice cream for me, turnips for you," she said cheerfully. "Definitely no fried chicken for this dragon."

"I'm glad someone finds this amusing."

"Hey, your sudden lifestyle change was your choice," she reminded him.

"That's it." He rose and dropped the pile of figurines in his hands onto a chair. "I've been trying to be nice, but I can't take it anymore. You got something to say, say it, instead of all this passive aggressive bullshit."

Surprised, she hesitated. He stood in the middle of the study, hands on hips and blue eyes sparking. He was the dragon shifter she recalled, the man with a temper and magic he wasn't able to control. His fire was a turn on, one that made her skin prick.

"Oh, now you're quiet," he goaded with some satisfaction.

Her anger bubbled. "You're an asshole, Chace!" She rose and met him in the middle of the study, arms crossed. "You fucked up your life and almost mine, because you're a selfish dick."

"I can't change what happened, Skylar."

"You haven't even tried to apologize for betraying me, Chace!"

"You said not to!"

"You're supposed to _try_. It's how this works!"

He stared at her.

"Oh, now _you're_ the one who's quiet," she retorted. "Not even gonna try to suck up with another comment about how pretty I am while angry?"

One minute, she was glaring at him in triumph. The next, she was in his arms.

Chace pulled her into his body, his hungry mouth capturing hers before she was able to offer up any further comment. His warm lips were demanding, his velvety tongue sliding between her lips.

Any thought she had of pushing him away melted under his intensity, and she leaned into him. She knew she'd missed his hard body, but feeling him pressed against her once more made her realize just how much she needed him.

Her eyes watered. In this very place, she'd almost had a panic attack at Dillon's claim that Chace was dead. She held nothing back but kissed him with the need she felt, her arms wrapping around his neck. She was home in his arms, even if she was still confused about what exactly that meant.

There was too much emotion in his kiss for her to understand all he was showing her. Her own feelings were close to boiling over, and hot tears stung her cheeks.

Chace drew back enough to speak and rested his forehead against hers. The sounds of their uneven breathing filled the space between them. He smoothed away the tears from her face, the warmth of his thumbs sending small bursts of hot energy through her.

They stood in the peaceful moment long enough for her to doubt her reasoning behind keeping her distance.

"I'm sorry for hurting you, Skylar," he whispered huskily.

"I know." Unable to untangle her emotions from her physical desire, she struggled for control. "They tried to tell me you were dead." She squeezed her eyes closed and drew deep breaths, comfortable against his body.

"I'm right here, honey."

She nodded and took one of his hands, kissing his palm. Even his hand smelled of the delicious mix of bonfire and honey. She breathed him in, loving the combination of his warmth and scent.

"Whatever happens, I'm still pissed at you," she warned in a quiet voice.

"I'm okay with that." He lifted her chin.

She opened her eyes to meet his gaze.

"When you think I've made it up to you, you can tell me. Until then, I'll assume you're still mad and will do my best to help out," he said.

She gave a strangled laugh, overwhelmed by the emotion blooming in her breast.

"Deal?" he asked.

She nodded and flung her arms around his muscular frame, temporarily finding solace in the man she didn't know what to do with. He hugged her hard, and she sighed. Sky wiped her tears on the soft material of his sweater and used the opportunity to take a deep whiff of his masculine, slightly sweet scent.

"You all down here still?" Gunner called from down the hall.

"I swear he's the king of interruptions," Chace grumbled.

She pulled free from his arms. His hand stayed on her hip until she was too far for him to reach. Affected by his gentle words, Skylar returned to her duty of picking up the shifters.

She wanted... _yearned_ to believe him. Her resolve to keep him at a distance was near the breaking point, as fragile as her emotions. She was shaking and turned on, grateful that he'd finally admitting to screwing her over yet wishing they'd had time for more.

She feared he wasn't yet able to follow through with what he said, no matter how much he meant it.

Her skin burned where he'd touched her, his fingers branding every part of her they reached. She wanted to be absorbed by his heat and smell, to surrender to it and just let the world work its own issues out.

With a deep sigh, she turned her focus to the shifters.

"I found another eighteen in there," Gunner reported, entering the study. "Wow. There are a ton in here."

"Yeah," she said without looking at him. Her body hummed from even the brief contact with Chace's skin. She struggled to push her mesmerized senses into focusing on her task instead of being naked, wrapped in Chace's arms.

Barely aware of what she did, she collected figurines until there was nothing else to pick up.

Skylar sat back on her heels, scouring the area around her. Only one remained, and she stood, approaching Caleb's desk. The figurine was encased in glass. She'd almost forgotten seeing it the other day. It was a dragon, and she picked up the snow-globe shaped crystal housing it.

Why did Caleb put this shifter here? As with all of the figurines, there were no distinguishing marks. It was a dragon – and that was all she could tell.

Skylar dropped the glass jar. It shattered on the Saltillo tile floor. She picked up the dragon figurine and dropped it into her pocket. Confident she had them all, she opened the heavy bag and peered in. The figurines almost reached the top.

"Last handful," Chace said and knelt beside her. He placed his cupped hands into the bag and released the batch he had.

Sensing her gaze, he glanced up, pausing before moving away. Their burning attraction was back, too intense for her to ignore, too strong for her to know what to do with.

Chace offered a trace of a smile and touched her cheek lightly. He rose and walked away, the warm tingle from his fingers remaining. She watched the way his muscles moved, smooth and powerful, beneath the snug jeans and sweater.

He was the sexiest man she'd ever seen. Every time she saw him, a pang of both hurt and need hit her hard enough to make her breath catch.

Skylar dropped her gaze to the figurines.

"We have our own army," she assessed. "It would be cool if you all were this size normally. I could take you everywhere. Insta-ride home from the mall."

At their silence, she glanced up. They were both eyeing her, as if suspecting she was serious.

She snorted and rose, lugging the bag across the study to reach them. Chace automatically leaned down to take it. Their hands brushed, and warmth crept through her body and up her face. The small touch was enough to leave her rattled again.

Flustered, she released the bag and started forward, the sudden need for air overwhelming any other thought. She didn't notice the hallway or glance toward the library where things went bad the other night. She didn't register anything until she was standing in the warm, early afternoon sun.

Skylar took a deep breath to steady her nerves. She climbed into the driver's seat and started the SUV. The others got in as well.

If nothing else, they were leaving with the figurines. She willed herself to think of this as enough.

No one spoke as she pulled out of the driveway and drove to the highway, merging onto the four-lane road.

"Um, where are we going?" she asked. "I don't think we should return to the hotel."

"Gavin can't move the bar until dark," Gunner answered. "Your place?"

Her face felt hot again at the memory of the last time she'd been at her apartment. Chace had been there, too.

"I guess. I need to stop for food first."

"Pizza," Chace said instantly.

"Wings," Gunner replied.

"Easy enough." She hid a smile. "You have something against things that can fly, Gunner?"

"Don't all cats?"

"So I bet you like fried chicken."

"Definitely."

"I thought so." She grinned and glanced at Chace.

He rolled his eyes.

Gunner's innocent admittance left her more satisfied than she expected. She went through a drive-thru pizza place then hopped back on the road.

"Meat lovers," she said of Chace's choice. "Why am I not surprised?"

"What kind do you get?" Gunner asked from the backseat.

"Pineapple, peppers and bacon," Chace answered for her. "Sweet and spicy. Definitely no surprise there."

Gunner smiled at her through the rearview mirror. She said nothing, hating how easily Chace got to her.

Skylar ate as she drove. The shifters were quiet, and they spent the next two hours in silence on the trip south to Tucson. At long last, she turned into her apartment community.

"Sky, you mind if I take your vehicle out for a bit?" Gunner asked. "I need to get some clothes somewhere. Been wearing the same thing for almost three days."

"That's fine," she said. Silently, she willed Chace to go with him, not yet sure she was ready to be alone with him.

"I'll go with you, Gun. I could use a change, too," Chace said.

_Thank you!_ She almost breathed a sigh of relief. Skylar pulled up to the curb near the stairwell leading to the third floor and got out of the SUV.

The doors to Gunner and Chace's seats opened. Chace waited for her on the sidewalk, the bag of figurines in one hand.

"I'll walk you up," he offered. "These are heavy."

"Thanks," she murmured without looking at him.

"Hurry up!" Gunner called, sliding the driver's seat back before he was able to get in.

Skylar led Chace up the stairs and paused outside her apartment, fishing the key out of the case on her cell phone. She opened the door and stepped in, holding it open for Chace.

His faint scent lingered in the air from the last time he'd been present in her apartment.

She glanced around. She'd left most of her weapons on the kitchen table, and they were in disarray from what she and Chace had done on top of the table. The memory made her stomach flutter.

"You can just set them there," she said and indicated a spot on the floor near the door.

He placed the bag on the floor and closed the door.

Skylar glanced him, expecting him to be in a hurry. Or maybe, _wishing_ he was. It was hard to keep in mind how he'd disappointed her, betrayed her, when he stood so close.

"If you want, I can stay," he said, the offer in his voice clear.

She froze for a second then turned to face him.

"I don't think that's a good idea," she murmured.

Chace studied her in the indirect light of the tiny foyer of her apartment.

"I'll make it worth your time." He smiled slowly as he said the familiar words she'd used against him more than once, a cunning gleam in his eyes.

_Yes._ Her body was already caving, before he even touched her.

"One kiss," she said. "Then you're gone."

He didn't wait for her to change her mind but crossed the foyer, cupping her face in his hands. He peered deeply into her eyes, and she gazed back, already knowing they'd never be able to stop at one kiss.

His thumb grazed her lips.

"You gonna tell Gunner?" she asked.

"He'll figure it out in about two minutes," Chace replied. "It's killing me to be so close to you all the time but not touch you."

"It's helping me, though," she said. "I've got to figure things out. It's hard to do when you're around."

"As long as one of us is happy," he grated.

She laughed and closed the distance that remained between them. With their bodies just resting against one another, she was able to feel the warm hum of energy she experienced whenever they were together, the sexual tension that was taut enough to compel them towards one another, no matter how angry she was.

She rested her hands on his chest, the soft sweater transferring the heat of the skin beneath it.

"Just a reminder. I haven't forgotten how much of an ass you were," she told him.

"I get it. I'm more than willing to let you use my body for your pleasure until you decide to forgive me," he said, grinning. The small flame of desire was in his pupil again, an indication he retained some magic like he claimed.

"Actually, I'm more interested in your magic refrigerator. Does it make casseroles or –"

He kissed her, deep and demanding. She responded with her own hunger, running her fingers through his hair with one hand while pushing the other beneath his sweater to feel his body. Chace wrapped his arms around her tightly, his arousal thick and long already.

The need boiling in her lower belly was too hot for her to be patient. Skylar didn't expect the desire to grip her so quickly. It was becoming stronger between them, as if Chace had become a part of her, something she needed to survive.

She ran her hands over the hard muscles of his chest, the feel of his warm skin crippling any part of her that was reluctant to be with a traitor. His plush lips and velvety tongue drifted from her mouth to trail hot kisses down the side of her jaw.

Chace leaned back only to pull off her shirt and unsnap her bra, quickly returning to her body.

Skylar groaned at the heat of his skin against hers. Her breasts were aching and sensitive already, the coral peaks tight buds. The sparse hair on his chest tickled them, and she shivered at the exquisite sensation.

Chace's kisses continued down the sensitive part of her neck to her collarbone. He returned his lips to hers then, and she wrapped her arms around his neck, parting her lips for his hot tongue to slide into her mouth, the way her core ached for his dick to do.

He tasted as sweet-spicy as he smelled, the light flavor of _him_ combining with the honey-fire smell to overwhelm her senses. His hands traveled down her body to her pants, and he unfastened them then ducked down to push them to her feet.

Skylar waited impatiently for him to stand. He stripped off his own pants next, and her eyes went to his straining cock, large and thick. The sight was nearly crippling, the ache between her legs making her thighs tremble in anticipation.

Chace's large palms skimmed over her legs as he straightened. He gripped her hips and spun her to face the wall, his hands running over her lower abdomen then up to cup her large breasts. He lifted them, thumbs teasing her nipples, and leaned into her.

"Oh, god, Chace," she breathed at the feel of his thick arousal pressed to her backside.

"Remember how we fucked the first night?" he whispered, nipping her neck.

The need to join with him, to feel him inside her, was almost too intense to bear. Her breathing was as erratic as her heartbeat, her skin so sensitive, it quivered in anticipation of his touch.

"Yes," she managed. Her legs parted of their own volition, and she wriggled her ass to his dick, hoping to encourage him to move a little faster.

"The night I marked you." His voice was thick, husky, but the heavy emotion in it wasn't one she was able to define.

Skylar tried to push away her pleasure and need long enough to decide if something was wrong. If he was once again plotting to betray her after they fucked or if there was something else on his mind.

His hands left her breasts, and he wrapped them securely around her, pulling her into his body. His dick slid closer to her core, and she struggled to decipher what her instincts were telling her about Chace.

"I bit you here," he said and kissed her tattoo. "The rest is history."

"Are you okay?" Even as she asked, she was focused on the hand sliding down her abdomen, her lower belly, pausing at the apex of her thighs...

"Yeah."

He wasn't. She heard it this time.

With effort, Skylar planted both hands on the hand so close to her waiting clit to keep him from touching her in a spot where she knew she'd never be able to focus on him if he did.

"Chace, what's wrong?" she whispered, ensnared by the sensations of his body yet concerned as well.

# Chapter 16

"Nothing."

Chace couldn't get over how soft her skin was, how intoxicating her scent was and the way it left him feeling high. Her body was trembling in his arms, and he knew without a doubt it would yield to anything he asked of it, the way she had before.

This time, it was different.

This time, he knew he could lose everything again. He'd never experienced the loss that he did when he was trapped in his cabin, dying. The emotions going through him were more intense than regret, deeper than need. When he'd fucked her before, he'd been riding the wave of physical pleasure, able to ignore the instinct that warned him of the potential for so much more with Skylar.

He'd lost her and nearly his life. Yet he was here again with her, given a second chance at both, and he knew in no uncertain terms that she might wake up in the morning and decide he wasn't worth her heartache.

_I can't lose you again._

If he'd learned one thing over the past two weeks, it was that there were no guarantees when it came to her. He was helpless without his magic and at her mercy, after screwing her over.

It made him want to savor every second he had with her, just in case he lost it all again. It wasn't about the wave of pleasure, however strong its tug was. Being with her this time was about showing her he was capable of more than anyone else thought: their fucking today was all about her and ensuring he left her side knowing he'd showed her what he felt for her.

She twisted in his arms, face flushed with need but blue eyes warm with worry. They were the color of the sky he loved, large and bright in a sun-kissed complexion. Her lips were red and roughened from his kisses already, her expression slightly dazed. Her body had already surrendered to him, and she rested against him, gazing up at him with a sweet innocence that snagged the emotion growing inside him.

"You're sad," she guessed. "Why?"

"I have a lot of regrets."

"With me?"

"With not realizing what I had until it was too late."

The red flush to her face grew deeper. She offered a small smile then took his face in her hands and kissed him hungrily. Releasing him, she slid down his body to her knees.

"I'll help you smile," she said with a mischievous twinkle in her eye.

He ran his fingers through her hair, tossing his head back. Her hot mouth sank onto his dick, and he groaned loudly.

Skylar's wicked tongue swirled around the tip of his arousal. She gave a loud sucking sound and then took all of him in her mouth, her fingers teasing his sack. Grazing the sensitive skin of his dick with her teeth and alternating the pressure of her lips, she was true to her word.

Chace's sorrow slid away as the warm energy of their shared magic worked its way through him. He had her now; he wasn't going to waste any of their time together thinking about the past.

He bent to pull her to her feet once more, his desire flaring with new life after her tease. Chace pressed her against the wall behind her, loving the feel of every inch of his skin being in contact with hers. His hands moved over her body, tracing the line of her jaw, down her shoulder, her side. He pushed one between their bodies and slid two fingers into her core. She was hot, wet and tight around his fingers, a sensation that made him desperate to feel her sheathe around his dick.

Her kisses were growing more demanding, less controlled, a sign she was as affected as he was.

Chace reined in his need, wanting to make this afternoon about her. His fingers slid from her core to her clit, and he circled it gently. Skylar pressed her hips to his, trapping his hand between them, in an attempt to increase the teasing pressure.

He broke away with a breathless chuckle. "All right. A man can take a hint."

Chace tugged his hand free then squeezed her ass before lifting her onto his hips. He pierced her hard and fast, his dick sinking into her tight depths.

Skylar gasped, breathing uneven.

"Yes, yes, yes," she murmured, moving against him after a moment.

Chace kissed her and wrapped his arms around her to keep her against him. Her thighs were tight around his side, the scent of her arousal stronger now that he'd penetrated her.

"Strap yourself on," he warned her. "This will make flying feel like a nap. What's the number to beat? How many times have I made you come in one round?"

"Six." Her eyes were burning, her body straining for more of him.

"We can beat that," he said, smiling slowly.

She grinned eagerly.

Chace kissed her, finished with talking, unless it was her crying out his name. He carried her to the bedroom and lowered her gently. He moved in and out of her a few times, relishing the sensation of being so connected to her. Aware of every inch of her body, he marveled at her unguarded responses, the quiver of her skin, the gentle sighs, the way she held nothing back from him.

In bed, they were one. After a thousand years alone, he realized how incredible it was not to feel alone anymore, to be with someone who completed his heart and his body.

Chace withdrew, careful not to get to the point where he lost control, then pressed his lips to her neck. He fluttered kisses down to her breast then tickled the tip with his tongue then grazed it with his teeth, loving the way she gasped. His hands roamed her body. He was concentrating on memorizing everything about her, the shade of coral of the nipple in his mouth, the way her body tucked at her natural waist, the feel of the curve of her hips.

And her taste.

Chace made his way to the other breast then down her lower abdomen to the womanly folds of her sex. He parted the plump nether lips, drooling in anticipation of the honey flavor at her core. Slightly sweet and slick, her flavor was the drink of the gods, as far as he was concerned.

His tongue sank into her, and he lightly teased her clit with one finger.

Skylar's body responded instantly, going still for a moment before her hips began to move, urging his finger to press harder. Chace drank from her nectar for a moment then replaced his finger with his tongue.

He swirled it around the clit, and she went rigid, holding her breath at the pleasure he was giving her.

He smiled to himself, privately triumphant that he was able to give her such pleasure. Today, all that mattered was showing her that he cared in a way that meant more than words.

He pushed two fingers into her core to tickle her G-spot then went to work on her clit, earnestly using his mouth, tongue and teeth to take her to orgasm. He ached to be inside her, to feel her core milk his dick when she came, to climax with her.

But he didn't, instead finding his satisfaction in knowing how much pleasure he gave her. He waited for the sign she was close – until her body arched and she went rigid – then slowed his movements, drawing out the moment before orgasm as long as possible.

"Chace!" Skylar cried a second before she came. Her body bucked beneath the intensity, her sheathe gripping his fingers as the waves of pleasure swept over her.

He lifted his head and smiled. When the most intense waves receded, he pulled his fingers free from her.

"That's one," he said. "Hope you're ready for two."

Skylar gave a breathless laugh.

Chace slid between her thighs, taking in her dazed expression. He entered her slowly, watching her eyes widen and the look of pleasure cross her face. He kissed her deeply, moving in and out of her body. Her nails traced his back and gripped his ass, pulling him into her.

"Hope you're ready for two," he said and leaned his head beside hers. He nibbled her earlobe then traced his tongue around her ear and down her neck.

"I can hang," she replied confidently.

"Good. Roll over."

She laughed again.

Chace waited for her to assume one of his favorite positions on all fours and gripped her hips, penetrating her slowly.

It was getting harder to ignore his body, but he focused on her, running his hands down her body to her shoulders. He lifted her and wrapped a thick arm around her, holding her against his body while moving in and out of her faster. He teased her clit with the other hand.

"Chace..." she murmured, trapped in his arms. "I want to be able to touch you."

"We've got time for that," he said. "I want you to be happier than you've ever been."

"I always am when we're in... bed." Her body was growing tense again.

He quickened the speed of his thrusts and fingers, sensing she was close.

"I want this to be about us... not just me."

Chace wondered briefly how she'd figured out what he was thinking. Did she know that he didn't feel worthy of her body? That he was trying to apologize and deny himself the pleasure he didn't deserve?

"Please," she added breathlessly.

Something within him broke and he realized that of the two of them, _he_ was the one putting distance between them, even if she was the one with the reason to do so.

Chace withdrew and released her.

Skylar's features were dazed and yearning, her hair mussed. She moved to look at him and cupped his cheeks in her hands.

"Whatever is wrong, stop," she ordered him softly. "Just be here with me right now. Okay?"

He rested his forehead against hers, uncertain how to respond.

# Chapter 17

He hugged her to him tightly. Skylar had guessed right; he was holding back for reasons she suspected extended from his betrayal.

Her body humming from her orgasm and the new one building, she felt like she was drowning in his scent, in the heat of their skin.

She was also hurting, aching inside to reclaim the trust they'd enjoyed when they made love the last time they were in this bed. Her pain trembled inside her, mixing with her desire to create emotion almost too strong to contain. She felt like crying once more, out of frustration and hope, disappointment and the intensity of what she felt for Chace.

Their connection was strong; she felt a part of him in a way she never had anything else. She'd never known her family, but she hoped that the emotion she was feeling was what family felt like. After a lifetime of not knowing who she was, she at least knew where she belonged and it was here, with Chace.

With the man who betrayed her.

The tears were forming.

"Okay?" she asked again.

"Yeah." The raw note in his voice indicated he was going through a similar range of emotions.

"Good. Now make love to me, Chace," she ordered.

He responded with a kiss unlike his others. Still hungry, it also conveyed a sense of longing, a need deep within him that was more than the lust they'd felt since meeting.

"You're crying," he said, pulling away.

"I'm fine," she assured him through a tight voice.

He wiped away her tears, peering deeply into her eyes. Gently, tenderly, he lowered her onto her back and settled between her thighs without looking away. He said nothing, for which she was glad, but slid inside her body once more.

She shivered at the sensation of him filling her, claiming her. Her sheathe adjusted around his size. He didn't move or thrust, simply stayed inside her while they held each other's gazes. Their bodies were pressed together fully, joined together physically while they simultaneously gazed into the depths of each other's souls.

The intimate moment was unlike anything she'd ever experienced, intense and personal. Nothing was between them here, and she felt exposed, vulnerable – but safe. As if she could trust the man who already betrayed her once. She was bound to Chace by more than their shared destiny. More than lust or magic or her role as a Protector. He was her dragon, but he was more. He was the other half of her heart, too.

"You're beautiful," he whispered. "I never want this moment to end."

"My dragon," she replied, tracing the angles of his face with her fingertips. "I miss you, Chace. I miss trusting you."

Pain crossed his eyes.

"Show me you care?" she murmured, her throat almost too tight to talk. "Show me there's more to you than the dragon."

He began to move in and out of her again.

"We can come together," she said, smiling up at him. "Assuming you can make that happen." She rolled her eyes to lift the tension between them.

"I can," he assured her. "Thank you, Skylar."

"For what?" Surprised, she raised her eyebrows.

"For being the only person who's ever been my home." There was too much emotion in his hushed answer for her to know how to respond.

Humbled by the words, she was also scared by them, unable to shake the notion that – if he'd betrayed his other half, his home once – would he do it again?

She pushed the thought away and pulled him down for a kiss, needing the physical distraction to keep from breaking down into tears.

# Chapter 18

Hours later, Chace traced his fingers down the naked side of her body, smiling at the goose bumps that formed in their wake. She snuggled closer, and he ceased teasing her to secure her against his body. Tucking her head into the nape of his neck, she blew out a breath that tickled him.

"Still hate me?" he whispered.

"Yes."

"I'll keep trying to prove myself." He understood their dynamics – physical gratification while she tried to understand what she wanted – and was secretly rejoicing for the ability to touch her again.

Chace smoothed her hair away from her face, working out knots with his fingers. Her eyes were closed, her breasts and hips pressed against him. Her ultra-feminine body was an absolute delight, from shadows that played across the soft shapes of her body to her woman's musk and the honey at her core that made him want her even more. He'd never met anyone capable of ensnaring every one of his senses in such a way.

"You're like a drug. I can't get enough of you," he said. He lifted his head to nuzzle her neck and collarbone then flicked out his tongue to trace a path down her shoulder.

He also didn't know what possessed him to reveal something so private as telling her that she'd become his home, the only person who ever made him feel accepted.

She shivered.

"It's more than physical," he added, attentive to her body's reaction.

"Deeper," she supplied.

"Exactly. Like we're connected on some level I didn't know existed."

"More like... we've always been together but just now met officially."

He chuckled. "Something like that."

"Then how could you turn on me?" She propped herself up on one elbow, pulling away enough to see his expression. There was pain in her voice and eyes.

Chace didn't know what to say. There was no good explanation for what he'd done, but she was waiting for something. He didn't understand it now either. He'd learned a lot in the past couple of weeks and desperately wished he'd known a fraction of this knowledge the night he took her to Gavin.

"I don't know." He rested a hand on the side of her face, tracing the line of her jaw with his finger. "I know that's not the answer you want."

"The answer I want is that you'll never do it again. You'll be there when I need you instead of turning your back."

"I will," he said firmly. "I'll do everything I can, Skylar."

Her features remained troubled. "I want to believe you. I can't yet, Chace."

"You're afraid to."

"Yes." She lowered her upper body and snuggled against him once more.

His stomach sank. He knew regaining her trust wasn't going to be easy, but he'd hoped her pain didn't run so deep, it was impossible for him to win her back.

_Stupid assumption, Chace._ He'd left her to die. There was no way to soften the impact of what he'd done. What he didn't know: if she'd eventually walk away from him, when she had enough time to sort through her emotions.

"You're my dragon, Chace," she said sadly, as if able to read his thoughts.

"I'll always be that," he assured her. "You'll always be my Sky." _I hope._

She planted warm lips against his neck.

Chace settled with her in his arms, unable to recall a time when he'd felt more complete than he did now. She'd made his heart beat the first night they were together. He was pretty sure she was the reason it continued to beat.

"We better get going," she said with a sigh. "It's almost nightfall."

The shadows had grown longer as they made love over the course of the afternoon. Chace didn't want to think about what that meant, that their time together was almost over. Dread settled into his stomach whenever he thought about facing Dillon and trying to protect the shifters and Skylar – without his magic.

Their plan wasn't the masterpiece he would've liked. The chances of any of them getting hurt were high if they did what Sky wanted and captured the slayers rather than killing them. With Gavin, they stood a good chance of fighting off Dillon.

The idea Gavin would be protecting Sky because Chace wasn't able to didn't sit well with him either. It infuriated him, knowing Gavin was the one who stripped his magic in the first place.

Why hadn't he been able to go through these trials when the stakes weren't as high? When Skylar wasn't endangered?

"I hate to leave here," he said. He pulled away. "But I guess the sooner we take care of business, the sooner we'll be right back here."

She smiled up at him, troubled. Skylar touched his face.

"I've never known anyone as incredible as you," she murmured. "You twist me into knots, Chace."

He captured her hands and kissed her fingers. "So do you. There seriously are days I'd love to turn you into fried chicken."

"Trust me, the feeling is mutual. I'm not joking about lassoing you one day," she replied with a husky laugh.

"I'm game for you trying," he said. He held her gaze, his tongue flickering out to tease a fingertip. He sucked on it, mimicking the movements he'd made earlier to her clit.

Her breath caught, her features flushing with desire.

"Post-griffin date?" he asked.

"Yes." She took his face in her hands and tugged him down to her, kissing him hungrily. She released him and hugged him to her once more. Her heart was beating fast, her hands shaking.

"Don't worry, Sky," he said, disturbed by how bothered he was by her fear. "Your dragon will take care of you."

"I know," she said against one ear.

The intimate moment stretched on. A few moments later, her phone buzzed.

"Think that's the sign we need to go," he said reluctantly. "You ready?"

"Yeah." She didn't sound sure.

Chace kissed her quickly then sat up and left the bed, holding out a hand to pull her up. She took it, wrapping her arms around him once more in a brief hug.

He watched her step away, admiring the way shadows played across her feminine shape, the sway of her sexy ass and hips. His eyes traveled down her shapely thighs and calves then up again, resting on the glimpse of a breast he saw when she bent over to pull on her pants.

"You have the sexiest body I've ever seen," he said quietly. "I could spend the rest of my life fucking you, Skylar."

"We'll see about that," she said cheerfully. "You've gone one whole day without screwing up. Can you make it two?"

"If I can spend half the day in bed with you, yes."

She shot him an amused look.

He smiled and got dressed, already missing the feel of her body. He crossed to her and wrapped an arm around her, pulling her against him.

"Down, dragon!" she objected, half-dressed.

"Hush, slayer."

She yielded in his arms, resting her head back against his shoulder. He held her for a minute then released her. It took only the loss of her body heat for him to wish he was able to hold her again.

A glance at her revealed a troubled expression on her face. She was nibbling on her lower lip, gaze on the message.

"Everyone okay?" he asked.

"Yeah." She locked the phone and shoved it in her pocket.

Chace wanted to pry but didn't, doing his best to respect the boundaries he suspected he should.

"Gunner said he left the SUV where he dropped us off. Keys in the ignition," she said.

"Great."

Ten minutes later, they left her apartment. The sun was setting in the west and her SUV waiting where Gunner indicated.

The chill of evening sank into him, along with the sobering reality of what they were doing this night. The bag of figurines was on the seat beside him. Gavin was likely already in dragon form, making his way to the bar so he could transport it with his magic to the place they'd chosen to attract the slayers.

He wasn't feeling warm fuzzies about Mason's odd involvement or Skylar's insistence they try to capture slayers.

He wasn't feeling confident about his lost magic, either. His skin smelled of Skylar, and his fingers twitched with need to touch her again. If anything went wrong, if she got hurt because _he_ failed to protect her...

He drew a deep breath to try to loosen up his body. All he had to do was protect her, no matter what. As long as he didn't leave her side, there was no danger. He didn't have magic, but he could beat the shit out of a too-human slayer. He'd learned to fight over the years if nothing else.

Trailing her down the sidewalk, his sense of foreboding grew stronger. He placed the figurines on the floor of the passenger side of the SUV then climbed in. Skylar was quiet, her face drawn.

_Something's not right._

# Chapter 19

Skylar pulled out of the parking lot of her apartment building, dwelling on the text from Mason.

_If you want to know what's really going on, I can tell you. But I need you to trust me._

It wasn't exactly inspiring any sort of confidence, given his latest actions and the admittance he'd lied to her. She rolled it around in her head, assessing what she knew of him, of what was happening around them. What else had he kept from her?

Chace was quiet. She glanced at him, at once awed and confused that no part of her regretted their afternoon together, even if she knew she wasn't yet sure she could trust him. Even now, a furnace was burning low in her belly, stoked on by the scent of him and the knowledge he was within inches of her.

_Thank you... for being the only person who's ever been my home._

She couldn't get over what he'd said. He'd looked at her and spoken to her as if he loved her. But it didn't seem possible. Or maybe, she wasn't ready to know that the man who betrayed her was also in love with her. Unable to think about what that meant for her, what kind of decisions she'd have to make, she concentrated on the road.

She drove them to the spot where they'd agreed earlier to have Gavin take the bar. It was just past dark when they arrived, and she didn't expect to see the bar already there.

"That was fast," she said, parking the SUV at the edge of the parking lot that came with the bar.

"Yeah." There was a note of loss in his voice she understood.

Instinctively, Skylar reached across to grip his forearm and squeeze it. He placed his other hand on top of hers, its calloused warmth sending energy spiraling through her to the burn in her lower abdomen.

As much as she hated to admit it, she was really looking forward to spending more time in bed getting to know him. He was always gentle, but there was something more in the way he'd looked at her, touched her, this time around. Like he cared. A lot.

She didn't know what to think of it.

Skylar turned off the vehicle and hopped out. Chace followed her lead, the bag of figurines in one hand. Cool desert air made her shiver, and she slowed as she neared the bar.

"So... last time I was here, that huge guy almost kicked my ass."

"I remember." There was amusement in Chace's voice. "I rescued you."

"Not sure I'd call it rescuing, seeing as how you dragged me into this weird world of shifters."

He snorted. "You're safe. Don't worry."

_That guy was freakin' huge._ She kept this to herself, deciding to stick close to Chace. He had no power, but he was a friend of the huge man who almost choked her to death once.

Chace's step quickened, and she wondered if he'd missed his friends. Bitterly, she recalled she no longer really had any friends since meeting him. Mason was up in the air. Caleb was dead and Dillon was on a rampage. She didn't know where the rest of the shifters stood in terms of how they viewed her, but she had to think she was now considered a traitor for consorting with their enemy.

There was no mistaking the shifter magic from those in the bar. It rolled over her like the rock music blaring from the brightly lit bar. Cigar smoke reached her before she entered behind Chace, tense. One hand went to her pocket, where the golden lasso was. Her instincts were much stronger this time, compelling her to Chace while the shifter magic was like a wall of energy that washed over her.

A few of the shifters in the bar glanced in their direction while most ignored them. Chace made his way to the table in the back corner. The only time she'd seen him there, he'd been with three others.

This time, there were five people at the table, including Gavin and the bear of a man who almost clobbered her the first night.

Skylar drew a deep breath. It was difficult for her to focus with all the shifter magic floating through her senses.

They reached the table, and the massive man who once almost killed her rose. She looked up at him. He was bristling, his long beard and dark eyes a stark contrast against his pale skin.

"Hey, Max," Chace said, slapping him on the arm. He slid by the large man to sit at the table.

"Hi, Max," Skylar said. "I'm Skylar." She held out her hand. "I don't think we were properly introduced last time."

He glared down at her long enough for her to doubt her newfound status as Protector meant anything. Finally, he stepped aside and motioned to the table with his head.

She released the breath she was holding and moved by him to the table. The seat beside Chace was open, as was the one beside Gavin. She glanced around the table, feeling everyone's eyes on her. Rather than sit by either of the dragons, she sat in the seat farthest away from both, with her back to the room.

"This is Sky," Chace said. "Sky, you know Max. This is Luke, a phoenix shifter and Wyle, a tiger shifter." Luke was a blond like Chace, though his olive coloring and green eyes were a stark contrast to Chace's fair skin and lighter eyes. Wyle had dark hair and eyes and a quick smile that reminded her of Mason's.

Her father was watching her closely. Skylar met his gaze, uncertain why he was concerned this time. He was with the others yet clearly apart, his observant aura and naturally chilly reception of the world around him giving him an unapproachable air.

Chace was the opposite. He was alert and warm, despite the features that appeared to have been chiseled from stone. Would he become like her father in another few thousand years?

"Gun told us the plan. We just sit and wait?" asked the shifter introduced as Luke. He looked from her to Chace.

"I don't like waiting," Max grumbled, his deep voice rolling like thunder.

"You finally get a chance to make a stand," Chace said to the brooding, bearded shifter.

"And capture the slayers," she reminded them.

There was a quiet moment, then all eyes turned to Gavin.

"Right, dad?" she prodded.

"Not if it puts any of our kind in danger," he replied.

"They _are_ our kind!" she retorted. "They're the children and relatives of shifters."

"They're killing shifters. There's no coming back from that, Sky."

The resolution on the features of the others was clear. They truly had no regard for those like her.

"These slayers have had their whole lives taken from them. They're no different than these guys, except at least I can transform them into shifters again!" She yanked a shifter figurine out of the bag on the table. "You can't fix dead."

"Sky, the plan is not to go on the offensive," Gavin said patiently. "The plan is to get Dillon here and identify whoever the mastermind behind this is. But if attacked, we have every right to defend ourselves."

"I know. I just..." she struggled with her emotions and the sense of fear that shot through her like she was dropped into a pool of frigid water.

Despite his claim, Gavin had no compassion for the slayers. If he'd nearly killed the dragon meant to take care of his daughter, what was he going to do to the people he held responsible for his wife's death?

"Just think of them the way you think of me," she said finally, frustrated with trying to get them to understand. She clutched the shifter figurine in her hand and began the count. "Chace, you thought I'd killed off your dragon friends and still couldn't kill me. Gavin, you had me taken from you six years ago. Remember what that feels like. There are other shifters who are hurting like you because they lost their children."

Gavin was unyielding. Chace at least attempted a smile, though she saw the truth in his eyes.

He was about as likely to fold as her father when it came to the slayers.

The figurine in her hand came to life. She leaned down to place it on the floor between their table and the next and glanced at it to see what it was.

_Wolf. Great. Hope he doesn't fight with panthers._

"Just a reminder of what this former _slayer_ can do," she said pointedly and scooted her chair over for them to watch.

The wolf grew fast and large, its color charcoal grey and its eyes silver.

The others at the table were silent, staring in interest if not surprise. Chace smiled, this time more easily, his gaze on her. He reached across the table to squeeze her hand briefly, as if to reassure her.

She pulled away, displeased with all the shifters in the world this night. Full grown, the wolf's back reached midway up her torso, if she stood. It shook its large head and looked around, orienting itself. With a low growl and sneer, its eyes settled on Gunner.

"Not a fan of dogs," the panther shifter muttered.

"No shifter craziness. Go." Skylar pushed the large wolf, her hands sinking into its thick, soft fur.

It nudged her in what she understood was the way a shifter thanked her, then slunk through the tables to the door and into the night.

"That's amazing," Luke said, the first to speak.

"Some of these guys have been asleep for a thousand years," Chace said, pulling a handful of figurines out of the bag. "She woke up twenty two dragons."

"Some were put to sleep for a reason," Gavin said. "Maybe the time in solitary has cooled them down some."

Skylar bit her tongue to keep her acidic remark about there being no difference between untrustworthy shifters and brainwashed slayers. The men before her were too set in their ways to listen to her. She prayed the slayers didn't come, that only Dillon showed up to finish what he started.

"Let's create an army," Chace said, handing her a bunch of statues. "I'd recommend not freeing anything with wings in here. Chances are, they'll be big."

She nodded, only half paying attention. The others fell quiet, watching in fascination as she and Chace began to awaken the shifters that had been sleeping for years.

"I called in the other dragons," Gavin said. "A reminder. If the sun rises before Dillon comes, none of us will have any magic. It's hard to win a battle when one side has magic and the other doesn't, even if we've got strength on our side."

Skylar glanced up from the shifters clenched in her hands.

"Are all shifters nocturnal?" she asked.

"Most are. The latest generation doesn't seem to be constrained by the time of day the way I am," he explained. "Chace is the youngest dragon."

"Must take dragons a few thousand years to mature," she observed.

"Thanks," Chace replied.

Gunner laughed, and Luke smiled. Max didn't seem to find anything worth commenting on, aside from talk of crushing slayers.

Gavin said nothing, his eyes on her hands as she awoke the shifters.

Wyle brought them a round of beer and snacks from the bar counter, and Chace joined in casual conversation with his friends while working with her to bring the shifters back to life.

Skylar didn't know what was bothering her: being so close to the man who drove her crazy, tolerating the man who raised her or watching the shifters have their lives returned to them when she still didn't know much about her own.

Mason's text haunted her, because she really did want to know the other side of the story. Why she and the others were kidnapped and most importantly, how to undo what was done in a way where those like her were given a second chance, like the shifters in her hands.

Even with the murmur and activity of people in the bar and blare of classic rock, she remained overly aware of Chace's low voice, his every move. How was he able to affect her so much? She wanted to walk away long enough to think, but even then, her mind kept returning to him.

He was more relaxed among his friends in the magic bar than she'd seen him elsewhere. Some part of him knew this was where he belonged, recognized his shifter family as his own.

She, however, felt like she was on the outside looking in. Logically, the same magic blood in their veins ran through hers, but she couldn't help thinking she'd feel more at home at The Field than here.

Was that the brainwashed side of her? Or was it really what she felt?

Disturbed, she focused on the tingling flow of shifter magic around her. Gavin claimed she was able to use the magic of the shifter nearest her. It worked in his house and Chace's cabin and also to awaken the shifters. What else was she able to do?

For several hours, she worked on the figurines until only a few winged ones remained. The warm bar was comfortable – but the company stifling. She was starting to worry that their plan might not work.

What happened if Dillon came after daybreak and brought the slayers with him? Nocturnal shifters like her father would be out of the picture. She didn't want bloodshed, but the show of force from a few hundred shifters – including some truly frightening ones – was part of how they'd win the psychological battle. If the slayers knew it was too risky to fight, then they wouldn't attack.

A glance at her stoic, calm father made her think the possibility of no bloodshed was already gone. Needing some air, she stood.

"I'm taking these guys outside to wake them up," she said and lifted the bag. "They all have wings."

"Not alone," her father objected.

"No way," Chace said simultaneously.

The two eyed one another, both growing tense.

"Before this turns into a testosterone match – I'm going out alone," she said. Without waiting for their reaction, she left the table and made her way to the door.

The night air was fresh and cool, a welcome change from the overwhelming shifter magic pervading the bar. Skylar stepped into the shadows along one side.

She set down the bag and pulled out her phone, reading Mason's text again. With some hesitation, she replied.

_I need to know what's going on, Mason. If the slayers can be saved. Please PLEASE tell me you're on my side._ She sent the message and leaned back against the wooden wall of the bar, waiting for his response.

There was no movement in the desert in front of her, and the moon had begun to sink from the center of the sky to the western horizon. Silvery light outlined the cacti while the nearby mountains were dark shapes against the sky.

Her phone buzzed.

_It's complicated, Sky. But I can promise you'll be safe if you come with me._

Mason's response made her stomach sink. She re-read it twice before responding.

_You've been my friend since the beginning. Are you still my friend?_ She asked.

This time, his response wasn't immediate. Skylar tucked the phone in her pocket, disappointed and hurt.

"Guess that answers that," she muttered. She squatted down beside the bag and dumped out the rest of the shifters. With anger she knew shouldn't be directed at the sleeping creatures, she glared at the one in her hand. "I wish I'd never met any of you." _Except maybe Chace. If he was human._

# Chapter 20

Chace stayed in place despite the instinct that told him Skylar was upset. He wanted to pull her into the back room and make love to her until she was less stressed. For all he knew, she was pissed at him again.

_Or maybe,_ still _pissed at me._

Gavin rose shortly after she did. Instead of following her, he went to the bar and sat, ordering shots of amber liquid.

The father-daughter team was not on the greatest terms, and Chace suspected Skylar's unusual quietness stemmed from her worry about the slayers. For once, he agreed with Mr. Nothing. He didn't care who the slayers were; they were endangering his family and his Sky.

"Whoever said being nice won't kill you never really tried it," he muttered.

"You're still alive," Luke said, smiling.

"I'm proud of you. You're doing good in your resolution to be a better person," Gunner said.

"Thanks," Chace replied. "Anyone else here want to take off Mr. Nothing's head and feed it to Dillon then pluck all his feathers off before killing him, too?"

The others at the table raised their hands in unison.

"Okay, good." Chace relaxed. "Glad I'm not the only one."

"We're sitting ducks out here," Max complained.

"Yeah. We don't know anything about these slayers except that Gavin torched their headquarters and pissed them off. They aren't going to turn us into cute little statues this time," Luke agreed.

"I just have this feeling that these slayers aren't like Skylar," Chace said. He leaned back, fingers wrapped around a glass of wheat colored autumn beer. "The more I learn, the more I think this is a disagreement between two shifter factions that's turned into a war. The key to winning seems to be who has her, but I don't understand why."

"You really think that?" Gunner asked. "That the slayers aren't children of other shifters?"

"Something strikes me as very wrong. I know a lot of the folks at The Field were brainwashed. But I don't think it's possible that they're all children of shifters. I mean, wouldn't we know if mass amounts of shifter kids were being kidnapped?" he puzzled. "Wouldn't we hear rumors or notice the people here talking about it?"

"Unless the shifters and their kids disappeared at the same time," Gunner pointed out. "I'm not ruling it out, but I agree. Something is really off here."

"Something to do with your girl," Wyle added. "Everything seems to center around her."

"Yeah," Chace said.

They fell into a thoughtful quiet.

Chace woke up the last three wingless shifters, marveling at the ability to help them. He'd once thought himself cursed for being what he was. Now, he realized he had the power to help others. It started when he met Skylar, when his heart began to beat, and he was only growing stronger.

Even so, he didn't see himself taking over the position of Gavin. The ancient dragon commanded respect wherever he went. Many younger shifters didn't know who he was, but they sensed _what_ he was – their leader. The creature who would show up at their doors if they brought unwanted attention from the human population upon the shifters or if they quarreled among themselves and threatened the peaceful existence of the shifters.

People moved out of his path, and when he sat at the bar, those near him got up and left.

For a moment, Chace was almost able to pity the man who had lost the other half of his heart. Chace had a second chance, much like the shifters he was bringing back to life, but Gavin didn't.

_We both have Sky._

"Chace," Gavin's voice pulled him from his mind.

Chace glanced up at the shifter king's arrival.

"You have a moment?" Though phrased as a question, the words were as far from a request as could be.

"Sure." Chace rose. He trailed Gavin out back. Gavin went a short distance away, as if to be certain no one was following or within hearing distance.

Chace pushed his hands in his pockets, doing his best not to tense up around the shifter who had been too eager to help him ruin his life. Gavin faced him, and uneasiness swept through Chace at his predatory gaze.

"If anything happens to Sky, I'll kill you," Gavin started calmly.

"I think you're starting to warm up to me," Chace said.

"You fail to see how serious this is."

"No, I get it," Chace growled. "Serious enough that you bind my magic so I can't protect your daughter."

"At your request."

"Undo it!"

"I can't. Our magic is not fully ours to control. If so, she wouldn't be able to use it against our wishes."

"So... I take it you told your lair not to let her go and it did," Chace guessed. "She's going to do what she thinks is right."

"At the cost of her life." Gavin's gaze went to the heavens. "Like her mother. Erred on the side of helping others."

"I thought you didn't know what happened to her." Chace frowned.

"I have an idea. In my time, there was only one golden lasso, and the dragon belonging to the Protector safeguarded it. Skylar says there are two?"

"According to what Caleb told me during my unpleasant trip to The Field, there are two real ones. The rest are fake."

Gavin nodded. "Then I know what happened to her mother."

Chace shifted, mind going to what Caleb had told him about the lasso when he was at The Field.

"Caleb said its core is the hair of a shifter," he said. "What does that have to do with Sky's mother?"

"That's only part of it. They take the hair of the strongest shifter they can find and braid it together to form a rope. But it takes the magic of a Protector – the only person shifter or otherwise whose blood runs with the magic of every shifter alive – to create the crippling effect of putting a shifter into permanent sleep. Only the Protector can do it, and only the Protector can wake them up. One lasso was created long, long ago to give to the dragon charged with safeguarding the Protector. A sort of fail safe, in case the Protector was ever endangered. Or killed."

"You think the second lasso came from your wife."

"It has to be sealed with her blood," Gavin said softly. "With the amount of magic they'd need to do it, there'd be nothing left to keep her alive."

Chace shivered as much from the chilly evening air as the story. He didn't want to imagine what Skylar's mother had gone through in order for the second lasso to be created.

He studied Gavin. The older shifter showed no sign of his pain or anger, but it sizzled in the air around him.

"This is why they wanted Skylar, I think. To create a third lasso and to get rid of the one person who is able to stop the internal shifter struggle. Her magic only awakened when she met you, when your heart began to beat," Gavin said. "They probably planned on keeping her until that happened, to be sure, then doing to her what they did to her mother."

"She can't go back to them."

"No. Never. Her magic has manifested itself, if she's able to bring back the figurines."

The gravity of Skylar's danger sank into Chace. Whoever was behind this had been carefully working on trapping her since she hit puberty, just waiting for the moment she became the Protector, so her magic and blood could be harvested.

It infuriated him, more so to know he wasn't able to do anything about it, without his magic.

Chace began pacing. "Give me my magic back, Gavin!"

"I cannot, even if I wanted to," replied the dragon. "If you are truly worthy of her, you will be able to save her, no matter what."

"And if I'm the piece of shit you think I am?" Chace snapped. "What then? Our egos get in the way and she dies?"

"Your magic is inside you. As I said, it has a mind of its own. You wished it gone, and it went. Now you must earn it back."

"Don't twist this around! You sent it away!"

"I used my magic to encourage yours to do as you wished. Nothing more."

"Bullshit." Chace paused in his pacing. He tested himself to see if his magic responded.

It didn't. He wasn't able to feel it at all.

"It's there," Gavin said. "You weren't able to control it when you had it. What makes you think you can control it at all, especially if you view it as a curse rather than the gift it is?"

"You're saying my magic is as moody as my cabin?"

"More or less."

Chace didn't like how truthful the words felt. His magic was tied to his emotions; he'd always known this. If he felt too strongly about something, it turned him into a dragon, whether or not he wanted to be one, with no control of what size he'd become.

"It works sometimes," he voiced.

"When?"

"I had a magic fridge in my lair. I healed Skylar." He thought hard. "Every time it's worked, it's been because I was thinking of her."

"There's the key, Chace. You gave up more than your magic in our deal. She's your heart. She's belonged to you since the day you met. You surrendered her, too, along with your magic," Gavin said.

Chace listened. Gavin was right on all accounts, and Chace resented him for it.

"I may have encouraged your magic to retreat. Or maybe this has been all you the whole time." Gavin shrugged. "Sky wasn't taken from you the way her mother was from me. You gave her up and with her, your magic."

"My cabin always did like her more than me," Chace mused. "How do I get it back?"

"That's on you. But if I'd have to guess, it probably has something to do with winning over your heart again."

_Shit. We don't have as long as that could take._ Skylar had shown a freeze in her resolve towards him, responding to him in bed with the same lack of inhibition she always had.

But she was too wary of him outside of the bedroom.

"My point in bringing you out here" Gavin continued, unconcerned with Chace's internal war "was to warn you. This plan is going to go bad."

Chace's gaze dropped from the sky to Gavin.

"Dillon isn't going to make his move until it's advantageous for him. Not because he has any sort of brainpower for strategy but because whoever is pulling the strings will know what our plan is," Gavin said. "The shifter divide is deep. My wife wasn't the first Protector to disappear soon after her power manifested. This has been a quiet struggle at the highest levels for thousands of years."

"You think someone in the bar is going to tip off Dillon or already has." Chace's jaw clenched. "They were able to track us at one point, before I connected with Skylar. You think someone on the inside tagged me?"

"I do. And I think at dawn, we'll have our answer about whether or not the slayers can be saved."

"Sky isn't going to like it."

Gavin said nothing.

"She's thinking with her heart. It's why she rescued me from The Field without understanding who or what she was."

"Chace, whatever happens at dawn, I need you to keep a few things in mind." Gavin's tone was grave. "One, her life is more important than mine, than yours or anyone else's. Two, she cannot – under any circumstances – leave with the slayers. They are not what she believes them to be, even though she refuses to consider it. Some may very well be the children of shifters like her, but most are not. Three, keep her away from Dillon. No matter what."

"Easy," Chace said. "I don't question any of those things. We'll stay close to her and ensure she doesn't do anything stupid like try to run away with Mason."

Gavin didn't appear convinced.

"And I'll get my magic back." _No matter what it takes._

"You'll have to. She's not going to survive without you. I won't be around forever, Chace."

The dark note in the ancient dragon's voice warned Chace that Mr. Nothing was back to keeping his secrets once more.

A large creature took off from the side of the bar, drawing both of their gazes. Chace knew Skylar was there without looking, able to sense her. Another creature took flight a moment later.

"You're not going to tell her the fate of her mother, either," Gavin directed.

"She needs to know."

"In time. She has enough to deal with, and it's about to get worse."

Assuming Gavin referenced the slayers not being what Skylar thought, Chace understood the wisdom behind not overwhelming her with the truth about her mother.

_I don't need a dragon guard dog!_ Skylar had insisted the day before.

Chace debated internally, uncertain whose wishes he should respect more. Gavin made sense, but Skylar deserved to know. She'd been seeking answers to her past since they met. She already mistrusted him. How hard was it going to be to keep her safe, if she believed him incapable of the truth?

"All right," he said at last. "But after we capture Dillon, one of us is going to tell her about her mother."

Gavin said nothing, gave no indication he was even listening.

Chace knew he was purposely ignoring the statement.

A third creature took flight from the side of the bar, turning west.

In the east, a thin bar of light rested on the horizon, a sign Gavin was right about Dillon not attacking at night, even though the bar had been sitting out in the open for a good nine hours.

"It's almost time," Gavin said. "Once the sun is up fully, I lose my magic. I'll be able to transform into a dragon and use brute strength against anyone who attacks, but that's it."

"What about Dillon? Nocturnal or no?"

"Not from what I've seen. The griffins have mastered the ability to evade me."

The foreboding that had been following Chace around since leaving Skylar's apartment grew heavier around his shoulders. He began to understand Gavin's grim mood.

If what Gavin said was true, and Chace was the reason his magic was gone, what would it take to regain it? Winning over Skylar's heart? Or merely her trust?

He didn't have the time to do either by the time Dillon showed up.

A flash of silver caught his attention. Chace stared at the dragon soaring into the night sky.

"Is that..." he trailed off.

Gavin followed his gaze.

"Better not be Freyja. If so, we're in trouble," Gavin said. "Rule four. Don't let Skylar near her, and keep away from her as well."

Chace didn't know what to think about the warning. Freyja had awoken his dragon magic then disappeared. Hala claimed she was asleep, so it was possible she was among the dragon figurines from Caleb's house. But why would Gavin fear any dragon, let alone one who also tried to teach Chace a lesson?

"Don't fuck this up," Gavin said and started away into the desert. The muscles and bones beneath his skin were rippling, a sign he was starting to change.

"Yeah," Chace said and then silently cursed. Life wasn't about to get any easier. Gavin was preparing for a fight, and Chace once again experienced a sense of helplessness he hated.

Within seconds, Gavin's powerful wings were taking him high into the sky. Chace watched him enviously. The massive dragon was the kind of creature he wanted on his side, even if Gavin's personal feelings towards him were far from warm.

"Where's he going?" Skylar's quiet voice asked from behind him.

"Keeping watch, I imagine," Chace replied. He faced her.

Her gaze fell to him. She was troubled and tense, her blue eyes almost silver in the indirect light of the setting moon. Her direct look lit his blood on fire. As always, the need for their bodies to be in contact was stronger than his desire to keep his distance.

Chace drew nearer, until he was able to feel her body's warmth.

She'd grown tenser at his approach, and he began to think she'd overheard some of what he'd discussed with Gavin. When he touched the soft skin of her cheek, though, some of the strain in her features fell away.

She took his hand in both of hers and held it, searching his face the way she had many times since their paths crossed again. The inches of distance between them almost crackled with the physical tug he always experienced around her, a need to possess her, to wrap her in his arms and never let go.

"All of the shifters are free," she murmured. "I wish I could say the same for the slayers."

A pang of sympathy almost undid his resolve to keep the truth from her. Chace offered a tight smile instead and squeezed her hand. With his other one, he traced the side of her face lightly, down her neck and around to the base, tracing his raised mark.

"Scratch," she ordered, arching her neck. "You guys make me so itchy."

He chuckled and obeyed. She gave a tiny groan, one that reminded him of their time in bed together. Chace cupped the back of her neck and drew her into his body gently.

Skylar hugged him. He breathed in her scent, lazily exploring his body's reaction to hers. Her full breasts were plump and soft against his chest, her smaller frame fitting into the crook of his body as if she'd been made for him. Wisps of dark hair tickled his face, and the dragon magic humming between them was overcome only by the always-present sizzling sexual tension.

The emotion blooming inside him was far more than desire, and yet, it wasn't enough to egg his magic free. Dwelling on Gavin's explanation, Chace realized it would take more than his feelings for Skylar to free his magic. It was going to take her forgiveness, maybe even her love, before his power would accept him back again.

"I really wish I could protect you better," he said with regret.

"I'm good." Her voice was muffled, her face buried in his shoulder.

He pulled away and lifted her chin. "No matter what happens, stay with me, okay?" he said.

"You need me to defend you?" Her eyes twinkled. "I can do that."

"If that's what it takes, then yes, I'm a damsel in distress," he replied. "Mainly, I don't want to lose you."

She arched an eyebrow, and he had a feeling she was getting ready to tell him off again.

"Guys, we got movement," Gunner called from the back door of the bar.

"Saved by the panther again," Skylar snapped. "You are so lucky, Chace." She tugged free of him and spun, marching back to the bar.

Chace's eyes went to her hips and ass, and he admired the way they swayed and moved with her movement. In a few hours, this would all be over. He'd be able to reveal what Gavin shared, and he'd fuck her until neither of them could walk.

His blood already racing in anticipation of feeling her naked skin against his again, Chace followed them into the bar and back to the table where Luke, Wyle and Max sat.

Another shifter was present, one he didn't recognize.

"This is the cat who was scouting when they flagged him down," Gunner explained, motioning to the new shifter at their table.

Gunner was grim, Skylar troubled.

"What's up?" Chace asked.

"Well, our plan worked. Sorta," Gunner said. "The slayers are in the valley about a kilometer from us. They want us to meet them halfway between their camp and ours."

Chace crossed his arms. "We'd be sitting ducks out in the open desert with Dillon hovering over head."

"Too dangerous. We've only got Gavin for another half an hour or so," Luke agreed. "The sun will be full up soon."

"We've got two hundred other shifters," Skylar objected. "Besides, they promised a peaceful meeting."

"Yeah, temporary truce." Gunner rolled his eyes. "Because those always work out."

"Then stay here," she told him. "I'm going."

"It's foolish," Chace replied. "What's your plan? Talk to them?"

"Exactly!" Her face was flushing, her eyes sparking with anger. "They don't know who they really are. Maybe if I can show them, they'll –"

"That's a one way trip, Sky," he said firmly.

"What's the alternative?" she demanded. "We tell them to shove their olive branch up their asses and wait here?"

"Think this through," he urged. "What's the point of talking? In the middle of the desert? Away from the only refuge the shifters have, if things go downhill?"

"If they try anything, we capture them. There are less than fifty slayers, Chace. We have over four times that many shifters right here in the valley."

"Half of those we awoke are nocturnal," he reminded her. "Look, Sky, we don't know whose alliances are where. If there is a shifter divide like Gavin believes, then half the shifters with us might not really be with us."

She frowned. "I have to try, Chace. I'm going." She spun and started away.

Frustrated, Chace watched her. Every fiber of his being warned him that this set up wasn't a truce at all but a trap.

"If things go bad, Gavin can airlift her out, even if it's daylight. We'll take our chances," Gunner said. "We can easily outrun a bunch of humans in our shifter forms."

"I don't like this at all," Chace snarled.

The moment Skylar disappeared out the door, his decision was made. A sliver of panic went through him at the idea he was about to lose her again.

"Gotta die sometime, I suppose," he said. "Gun, tell our friends to try to be discreet. I'm going with her."

"Will do." Gunner's skin was rippling already as he began to shift. "Be safe, Chace."

Chace smiled grimly and trotted out of the bar. Instincts at a roar, he nonetheless knew he had a promise to keep. Even without it, he wasn't going to let Skylar go again, not without a fight.

"Sky!" he called, waving at the figure in the SUV. "I'm coming with you!"

# Chapter 21

Skylar hesitated, thoughts on the last text she'd received from Mason. He'd asked her to come in good faith. She wanted desperately to give him that one chance to explain, to go without the army of shifters the others thought was necessary.

Her gut wasn't clear about what she should do. There was too much truth in what the shifters tried to tell her in the bar. But she wasn't one of them. They made that much clear every time she mentioned the slayers. She was their Protector, which made her special. Yet at the end of the day, she was more like the slayers waiting to meet her in the desert than she was the shifters.

No matter how confused she was about who to trust, she waited for Chace. He trotted towards the vehicle, his muscular form framed against the lightening eastern horizon. He got in with a glance at her.

_Why did I wait?_ She never understood what it was about him that made her whole world stop. Some of her distress calmed when he was near, and she tried hard not to think about the warning from the others that she might be entering a trap. If so, she didn't want him with her – she'd handle it on her own.

Then again, one look at his thick biceps, and she began to think she did want him there, in case someone threw a punch.

She put the vehicle in gear and drove away from the bar, towards the rising sun.

"Dragon-daddy is kind of a dick," Chace noted. He was leaning forward, peering up at the sky.

"Yeah. I don't always know what to think of him, either."

"He loves you."

She gripped the steering wheel tightly. She knew how much Gavin cared to do what he'd done. She just wished he was more affectionate, more like the father she'd always imagined she'd have when daydreaming of what her family was like.

Her mother was everything good and cheerful and warm, from what she was able to recall. What did she see in Gavin?

Skylar's gaze slid to Chace. Innately she understood that being with her dragon was not entirely by the choice of either of them. It was their destiny. There'd been more to her parent's relationship – that much was clear from the photographs, the letter she had in her pocket, the lengths her father went to in order to try to protect those he'd loved.

As angry as she was at Chace, she was also able to see the effort he was making to make up for what he'd done. Since they'd met, she'd been drawn to him physically. At some point, it had turned into something more than sex. When?

_The night he betrayed me._ It'd started then, if not before. The depth of her pain was too great for their relationship to be strictly physical.

She halted the SUV at the small line of hills that marked the halfway point. Several SUVs were visible nearby at the point where the hills started. Resembling an enormous, poised vulture, Gavin was perched on the tallest of the hills, overlooking the valleys that ran in either direction.

Somewhat comforted by the proximity of her father, Skylar saw Mason step away from the other slayers. He was flanked by two others dressed in dark tactical uniforms identical to the one she wore.

Unaware she was staring, she almost jumped at Chace's touch.

"We can turn around and go back," he offered.

"No," she said and turned off the ignition. "Stay here." She climbed out of the car and closed her door, only to hear Chace's close as well.

"Oh. I meant to tell you. I'm not doing anything you say until I know you're safe," he said casually, joining her at the front of the SUV.

"I need to talk to Mason," she told him.

"Anything he has to say to you, he can say in front of me."

She glared up at him, not liking the idea one bit. She knew where Chace stood on Mason and doubted her friend was going to be willing to talk in front of the dragon shifter who betrayed her.

"We can go together, or I can tell dragon-daddy to come get you," Chace warned, his chiseled features resolved.

"If you betray me again..."

"Golden lasso yadda yadda pocket-sized Chace. Go."

Skylar drew a deep breath and went. "It's kind of ironic, isn't it? I don't know which of you is more likely to turn on me or lie to me," she hissed as they walked.

"Not me."

"You're telling me you'll never keep another secret from me?"

Chace said nothing.

Skylar glanced up at his hard face. His blue eyes were stormy.

"Oh. What a surprise," she snapped. "You're hiding something from me right now."

"Assuming we both survive, we'll chat later."

She ignored him, irritated that her instincts were right about things not quite being right between her and Chace. She turned her attention to Mason, and her heart grew heavier. They reached him and the others, stopping a few feet away.

He offered a small, guarded smile that did nothing to alleviate her sorrow.

"Hi, Mason," she started.

"Hi, Sky. I see you brought a friend."

"And you brought two."

"They're your friends, too. Or so I thought?"

She glanced at the two with him, a man and woman she'd trained with at The Field. People like her – trapped between worlds.

"Yeah," she murmured. "So... what am I doing here?"

Mason glanced at Chace before focusing solely on her.

"We have a slight problem. Dillon has gone crazy," Mason started. "Off the map crazy."

"You kinda killed his father," she reminded him. "Not judging. Just saying that might upset someone."

"True," Mason agreed. "But... this is different. He blames you completely. He's endangering all of us. Your people and mine."

"My people," she repeated. "Slayers? Or the shifters?"

"You haven't remembered more yet." Mason cocked his head to the side, gaze sliding to Chace again.

"What gave it away?" she said drily. "What are you, Mason? What are _they_?" She motioned to the two slayers with her.

There was a pause. Chace moved closer behind her until she was able to feel his warmth.

"We got a problem," he whispered for her ears only. "Your friends are circling around behind us."

She waved him away. "I deserve some kind of answer, Mason."

"Most of them are shifters," he replied finally. "Some of them are the children of shifters we... removed from their homes to groom."

Skylar looked at him anew, not believing her Mason was admitting to kidnapping and brainwashing the children of shifters.

"It didn't start out as it ended up," Mason continued. "The cause was a bit more noble than... what you went through."

She crossed her arms. "Then this shifter against shifter issue is real. You're on one side and my father is on the other side."

"It's been that way for thousands of years. Caleb and Dillon went too far on our end," Mason said. "I never fully bought into it and tried to take care of you the best I could, given the circumstances. Caleb saw your mark a couple of weeks ago and figured out that someone on the inside was working to sabotage their grand plan."

He paused. Skylar waited, her intuition humming with alarm.

"When we went to the library, Caleb had figured out it was me who was running interference. I made sure the reprogramming process wasn't complete. I watched and waited for your dragon to mark you, hoping it was enough for you to remember who you were." A dark look crossed Mason's features.

"Really. We're not going to be able to leave soon," Chace whispered to her.

"What do you want with me, Mason?" she asked, waving him back once more.

"You're the Protector. You should be neutral. It's what we wanted when we took you from your home. Someone who would see both sides of the story and broker a peace," Mason supplied. "They wiped out all the shifters old enough to remember the first war between shifters. By grabbing you, wiping your mind, they hoped to control the rest of the shifters through you."

From behind her, Chace growled low in his chest.

"Like I said," Mason added. "Things got out of control. Look, whatever happened, the truth of where we are now is that Dillon is a loose cannon. He's taken the rest of the griffins with him and will try to start a second war."

Skylar wanted to believe him, wanted to think her friend had no involvement in the brainwashing of innocent children. The more Mason said, the less she was able to hold onto the notion that he truly didn't know what was going on. Whatever Mason's intentions were, it wasn't for peace. Peace wasn't won by brainwashing a generation of children and turning them against their parents.

Yet she recalled her first years at The Field and what she knew from the past few she'd spent with Mason. He'd never done anything but be a friend to her. Was he that good of a liar, or did things really get out of control?

"I can prove everything to you," he said. "Come with me, and I'll show you what our program was supposed to be. I have years of documentation, including the files about you and your mother."

"My mother," she echoed. "Do you really have a file on her?"

"Pretty sure," he said vaguely. "Come with me, and we'll find it."

"No," Chace snapped sharply enough for her to jump. "Skylar, if he meant half of what he said, there wouldn't be a dozen slayers standing between us and our truck. Or his spies in the bar feeding him information."

"Spies?" she echoed. She twisted to look up at him. "We did have an inside source..." She drifted off, recalling how she'd tracked down Chace and his bar initially.

"We do," Mason confirmed. "Just our way of keeping an eye on things."

She shifted. Sifting through what she'd learned, she still felt like something was missing, the piece of the puzzle she needed to put everything together. Mason appeared truthful in all he said. He was admitting to some wrongs while pushing off others, which left her uncertain as to how much to believe.

"Whatever you think of me, of your former coworkers, please know that we never meant _you_ any harm," Mason continued. "Right now, we've got to stop Dillon."

"I'm not sure Dillon is a common enemy here," she replied. "The slayers you've brainwashed. Can they be fixed? Can they have their lives returned to them?"

Mason studied her, as if debating how to answer.

"Mason, can I have my memories back?" she asked more quietly.

"The... brainwashing uses magic to wipe clean the part of the mind where memories are stored," he answered.

"Then... no. You wanted to turn me into someone else."

"It's complicated," he repeated. "I knew you were starting to remember and that you were suspicious. No other slayer who went through the complete reprogramming has had a break through like you. I don't think they can be saved."

His claim was a blow. Her father and Chace were right. There was no helping the others, if what Mason was saying was true.

"But you've lied to me about everything," she voiced. "The mark on your belly. Everything. Maybe you're lying about fixing the others and trying to help me."

"It's what a good manipulator does," Chace said. "Builds a sense of commonality, shared experiences or feelings, all the while pushing you in the direction he wants you to go in. Relate and control. Trust me. The bitch who turned me into a dragon for the first time was great at it."

Skylar didn't want to remember. She'd confided everything in Mason, believing him to be going through the same experiences she was. The memories of their families, being compelled to a shifter, even promising to be there for one another when their shifters were inconsistent.

"I've tried to protect you, since you got to The Field," Mason replied. "I swear it, Skylar."

"God, I _hate_ that excuse!" she all but shouted. "Now I know you're a typical asshole shifter. I've yet to meet one who wasn't a total jackass."

"Skylar – "

"No, Mason. You listen to me for once," she interjected. "If you want my help, then I want you to turn over every brainwashed slayer you have on staff with instructions on what you did to them so I can try to fix it! Then, you stop hunting and tracking my shifters! If you refuse, then you can clean up your own mess with Dillon."

Mason appeared taken aback.

"Good girl," Chace said under his breath.

"Shut up, dragon!" she snapped, furious at every shifter that ever walked the earth.

"While you got him on the run, why not ask about your mother?" Chace prodded, nudging her.

"Do you know, Mason? I need that answer now, or I'm walking," she said firmly.

"No, I don't," Mason replied. "But I have a feeling Chace might."

"Chace wouldn't know anything about her."

"That right, Chace?" Mason's gaze was on the dragon shifter behind her.

She twisted to look up at him. "Just ignore..."

Skylar stopped. The same stormy expression crossed Chace's features.

"You do know," she breathed, stunned.

"Not now," he muttered. "It's not going to work, Mason."

Mason said nothing. Skylar was frozen for a moment, unable to believe Chace knew something about her mother and hadn't told her. He knew she'd been seeking answers almost since the day they met.

_Focus, Sky._ She faced Mason again, who was calmly waiting. Skylar shielded her eyes against the sun glaring straight into her face. It sat on the horizon, banishing night from the desert.

"I know we should have her file," Mason said. "I don't know what happened to her, but we can find out together. It'll be my good will gesture."

"A good will gesture is letting us leave," Chace said.

Skylar didn't know what to think. Her tongue didn't want to move, and her chest was almost too tight to breath. The cold twisting of her gut – the sense of betrayal – had a hold of her again. She'd experienced it one other time, the night Chace traded her to her father.

Chace and Mason were by no means friends, if their frigid exchanges were any indication. But where did that leave her? With absolutely no allies she was able to trust?

Her shock wore off, and she found her voice at last.

"I... need to think, Mason." Unable to stand close to either traitor, she whirled and breezed by Chace, back towards the SUV.

The slayers were there as Chace said. Skylar didn't stop, and they parted for her. Whether Mason signaled them to or they were aware of Gavin hovering overhead, she didn't care.

She was nauseous and furious. Her head felt like it was seconds from exploding, and she desperately needed a quiet, safe place where she could sort out all she'd learned.

Skylar almost reached the SUV when a deafening roar overhead jarred her out of her angry thoughts. She froze, craning her head back to see what was going on.

Far enough above not to endanger any of them, Gavin and Dillon were circling one another. Her breath caught in her throat at the beauty of the terrifying moment. The two mythical creatures, each graceful and powerful in its own way, even with massive talons and fangs displayed.

The familiar sound of an SUV hitting the ground came from behind her, and she whirled to see Hala, the purple dragon, flying twenty feet over a mangled SUV.

Mason was staring towards it in surprise, his gaze going up to the sky.

Hala dived and snatched another of his SUVs off the ground, hauling it fifty feet into the air before dropping it.

Skylar watched, unable to look away from the amazing sight of a vehicle that size falling from the sky.

"It's raining cars," Chace said.

"Think I prefer cats and dogs," she replied.

"No shit."

Her SUV exploded suddenly, sending shards of glass raining over them. Chace snatched her against his body and turned his back to the scene, shielding her.

"What the hell?" she muttered, pushing past him to see what happened.

A second griffin – half the size of Dillon – was fighting with another dragon. They'd tumbled out of the sky and landed on the SUV. The two creatures were picking themselves up, shaking off then eyeing everything around them.

The griffin spotted Skylar and leapt into the air, charging her.

"C'mon!" Chace snatched her hand and ran with her towards the hills.

The griffin gave a shriek as the dragon t-boned it, knocking it out of the sky once more. Unable to take her eyes off the massive beasts fighting, Skylar glanced up.

Far overhead, her father was entangled with Dillon, their bodies locked together while their wings beat hard to keep them afloat. Fear shot through her at the idea of Gavin being hurt so soon after she'd found him again.

Chace yanked her down behind a boulder, his arms going around her instinctively.

Skylar pushed him away. "Don't touch me, Chace!" she snapped.

"I'm in the doghouse again. I get it." His eyes were flickering between the different battles going on. "There's a good reason for it."

"You're trying to protect me?" she guessed.

He glanced at her.

"I'll take my chance being kidnapped by a griffin!" she rose, infuriated.

Chace dragged her down and pressed her back to the boulder, meeting her gaze.

"You're not the only one with hard decisions to make!" he growled.

His honey bonfire scent crept into her senses again, his intense blue gaze stirring her anger and desire.

"I will _not_ let anything bad happen to you, Sky." His resolve was firm in his voice.

"All you do is hurt me, Chace," she said, angry enough to cry. "How could you not tell my about my mother?"

"I just found out, Sky. I swear. I wanted to tell you, but after all this." He was calming, worry replacing anger on his features. "Don't do stupid shit just because you're mad at me. Trust me. Been there, done that. You don't get a t-shirt for stupidity."

"I swear to you, Chace, I'm walking away from you when this is over. If you come near me, I'll lasso you and never wake you up again!" she said.

"Fine. As long as you're safe. I love you, Sky. Nothing you do or say to me is going to change that."

"Don't mistake fucking for love, Chace. You know a lot about one and absolutely nothing about the other."

They stared at each other, breathing hard. She sensed she'd wounded him with her harsh words, and she was glad for it.

For a moment. And then she registered what he'd said.

_I love you, Sky._

His grip on her arms loosened, and he dropped his hands. A mask went over his features, shuttering his emotions away from her. He moved away from her.

The sudden withdrawal had the impact of a vehicle hitting the ground from fifty feet in the air. It hurt. Bad.

Another SUV smashed to the ground just on the other side of their safe place, and they both flinched. Chace inched up to see, and Skylar straightened, shifting to her knees and peering over the top of the rock with him.

"What the hell is going on?" she asked, bewildered.

There were more griffins now and more dragons. The latest SUV dropped – another of Mason's – had been by a griffin almost the size of Dillon. The slayers had scattered, along with the shifters in animal form that had followed Skylar and Chace to the meeting. No one was willing to tangle with a dragon or griffin. Roars and squawks filled the air.

A moment later, Mason ducked down behind the same boulder.

"Right about now, I wish you could turn people into fried chicken, Chace," Skylar said, hard gaze on Mason.

"So do I," he replied in a clipped tone.

She didn't want to feel bad for hurting his feelings after all the pain he'd caused her, but she did.

_We're never going on that pizza date._

Skylar sought out her father in the heavens and gasped. Griffin and dragon were streaked with red blood, the swaths wide enough for her to see from the ground. Gavin had Dillon by the neck.

"Gavin has no magic. If he lets Dillon put distance between them, Dillon can use his magic to royally fuck up Gavin," Mason told her quietly. "His best bet is to use his strength."

Her heart was pounding at the thought of her father in danger. She had the lasso, but she was no match for a dragon or griffin, especially not one in flight.

Movement from her peripheral drew her attention, and she gasped.

"Um, guys." She pointed.

Rising up behind the hills, two dozen more griffins were cresting the peaks and starting towards the battle. She counted fifteen dragons hovering nearby.

Suddenly, one dropped out of the air and landed in a heap, going still. Seconds later, it burst into flame.

"Yeah, that's what happens if the griffins get a chance to use their magic," Mason said. "Most of your dragons will be dead before they can fight."

Fear tore through her. "We have to send them away!"

"After we get you out of here," Chace said.

_Get out of here, Dragons!_ Warmth spread through her. One minute the dragons were headed to battle, the next, they were turning away, flying west.

Skylar marveled over the ability to influence them for a split second.

_Later, I figure out how to do that to Chace and Mason,_ she promised herself.

"What the..." Chace glanced at her.

"We'll find our own way out." Her eyes went to the sky. "I have to help Gavin somehow."

"Let dragon-daddy take care of himself," Chace ordered. "I'm getting you out of here."

"Agreed," Mason seconded.

They both eyed at him.

"Whatever this is" he waved to the creatures in the sky "it's not me or my shifters and slayers. You don't have to trust me. Just let me help you escape."

"We can go around the hill." Chace took her arm and hauled her up.

"No!" she said, pulling away. "You don't get to make decisions for me! Neither of you! My father is all the family I have. I'm not leaving him!"

A griffin swooped close. She saw its claws outstretched but didn't have time to react.

Chace shoved her out of the creature's path, landing hard on top of her. He grimaced, and she heard the sound of talons shredding through his back.

"Chace..." she whispered, breathless. "Oh, god, are you okay?"

"Great," he grunted. "Just scratches." He ducked his head beside hers, his breathing harsh in her ear.

Skylar felt warmth again but wasn't certain what the shifter magic was doing. The griffin was circling, preparing to attack again.

A flash of black crossed her vision. A lion the size of a car launched upwards, its large teeth sinking into the griffin's neck while massive paws wrapped around the griffin's body. With nothing but brute strength, the lion dragged the winged creature out of the sky.

She heard the sickening crunch of bone snapping.

Chace climbed off her, twisting to peer at his back.

"You healed me," he said.

"I guess we're even." She rolled onto her stomach to see the black lion releasing the downed griffin. It glanced in her direction and licked the blood from its muzzle.

"We need to go," Chace said, pulling her to her feet. "Mason can't catch every griffin that comes near us."

Skylar nodded, no longer able to rationalize what was gong on around her.

A griffin and dragon locked in combat smashed into the ground beside them. The earth trembled under the impact. Mason pushed her with his massive head, his back reaching her shoulder.

The dragon stayed down and within seconds, burst into flame. The griffin stumbled away then spotted them.

The sleek black lion slid past her, snapping at the griffin.

A second griffin landed on their other side. Skylar whirled, backing into Chace.

"Run, Skylar," he said for her ears only. "Gun will be on the other side of the hill."

"I'm staying with you!" she insisted.

"No, you're getting your ass to –"

Something clamped around her midsection and snatched her off the ground. One minute, she was standing before a yelling Chace. The next, he was a shape beneath her on the ground, one that grew smaller fast. Wind roared by her ears

She twisted to see who had her, praying it was her father or another dragon.

It was a griffin.

# Chapter 22

"No!" Chace shouted as Skylar was wrenched out of his grip. He stared, unable to fathom that some creature was flying away with his woman while he was trapped on the ground. "Let me help her!"

His magic ignored him this time. The griffin nearest him swiped at him with a tail then vaulted into the sky, after the one that had taken Skylar.

"Gavin!" Chace yelled as loud as he could. "Gavin!"

He didn't know if the massive blue dragon fighting for its life was able to hear his cries or not.

The griffin fighting Mason managed to get away before the lion snapped its neck, too, and flew upward, leaving the two of them on the ground. Mason was panting, his eyes on the sky.

Helpless, Chace watched the griffin that had Skylar, willing her silently to use her newfound Protector magic to influence it. Assuming she knew how she'd sent away the other dragons.

The sky was swarming with griffins. Hala, a dark green dragon and Gavin were the only dragons remaining, and the griffins were working hard to gang up on them.

Rage burned within him at the idea that he might be able to turn the tide and rescue Skylar. None of the other dragons were able to breathe fire in the daylight or use any of their other magic. They relied on their agility and strength to outmaneuver and overpower the griffins.

But strength wore down, and agility was little help when surrounded.

"C'mon, Sky. Use the griffin's magic against it!"

Suddenly, as if compelled towards Skylar, Hala twirled in midair, changing directions fast enough to throw the pursuing beast off her tail. She made a beeline at full speed towards the griffin carrying Skylar and rammed it from behind.

The griffin tumbled a hundred feet towards the ground before catching itself.

Chace's heart seized, his chest in a vise too tight for him to breathe.

"Don't be an idiot, Hala!" he breathed. He started forward in the direction of the griffin and Hala. He didn't think he'd be able to catch anything that fell out of the sky, but he'd do his damnedest to be close to where Hala brought down the griffin.

Mason loped after him with a plaintive cry. Chace ran hard, his eyes on the sky as if his whole life depended on it.

_It does. I'm not going to lose her._ He'd violated almost every directive Gavin gave him. If Hala found a way to bring Skylar out of the heavens safely, Chace swore never to let her go again.

He didn't let himself dwell on her stinging barb about him not knowing a thing about love. He knew he needed her and that he had to save her – this was all that drove him.

Hala rammed the griffin again. This time, Skylar came loose.

"No, Hala!" he cried, his heart dropping to his feet. Chace's blood roared in his ears, his adrenaline racing hard enough to make him dizzy.

Skylar was falling fast, her arms and legs flailing.

_Let me fly!_ His magic didn't respond. Chace had never felt the sense of despair he did, watching Skylar tumble out of control towards the ground.

Suddenly aware of what she'd done, Hala maneuvered away from the griffins, tucked her wings, and dove headfirst towards Skylar.

Chace ran as hard as he could towards the two, knowing there was no way for him to save Skylar but needing to be close, needing to do something to keep his fear from rendering him an impotent mess.

Hala snatched Skylar's foot fifty feet from the ground, her wings flaring out on either side of her to halt her free fall.

_Thank god!_ Chace's hope began to rise now that Hala had Skylar.

Hala started towards the hills, intent on dropping the woman to safety. Chace saw the griffin barreling towards dragon and woman before Hala did. To his horror, a griffin snatched Skylar in its mouth, right out from under Hala.

The dragon bellowed a challenge, altering her course to pursue the griffin. Another smacked into her, and Hala toppled out of the sky, landing hard on the ground not far from Chace.

Mason bolted past him to the dragon. Hala was still, but she didn't burst into flames, indicating she was still alive, if unconscious.

Mason leapt over the dragon into the air, snatching the wing of a griffin that meant to finish off Hala. The great cat dragged the beast to the ground and killed it.

Chace regained his balance and sought out the griffin that had Skylar. He shielded his eyes against the sun and saw Gavin. The massive blue dragon was struggling to stay afloat, one of his wings bent at an unnatural angle. Dillon didn't look much better off; blood coated the griffin, and his response time to Gavin's attacks was slow.

"Hang in there, Gavin," Chace said. "Your little girl needs you."

The green dragon was in pursuit of the griffin that had Skylar. Larger in size than the griffins, it was tearing through them, using speed and strength to clip and slash wings with its talons.

Chace flinched as it smashed into the griffin in midair.

Suddenly, the griffin was gone. Completely disappeared.

He stared, not believing it possible, until he caught a flash of gold in Skylar's hand. The lasso was like a tail of gold behind her as she fell.

She'd successfully used the lasso.

"Good girl," he said, what she'd done dawning on him. "Stay alive, Sky."

The green dragon dove to snag her, but a pair of griffins doubled teamed it, sending it reeling across the sky. Preoccupied with the two griffins and catching its equilibrium, the green dragon was retreating, staggering.

Skylar was falling too fast.

Chace tried again to access his magic. There was a trickle of warmth then nothing.

"Hala!" Chace shouted to the dragon nearest him.

Mason was done wrestling down the griffin and crouched, tail switching as he waited for his next victim to get close enough.

Hala was unresponsive.

Beginning to panic, Chace cursed loudly, running again in the direction where Skylar was falling out of the heavens.

"Skylar!" his scream was lost in the roar of a dragon.

Gavin sailed far over Chace's head. Chace shadowed his eyes against the sun to see what direction the great dragon was going.

Gavin dove, fast and hard, towards Skylar. He tucked his wings completely, and Chace held his breath.

With Gavin's size and speed, there was no pulling out of a dive that close to the ground.

Chace watched with a combination of hope and terror as Gavin flew at breakneck speed towards his daughter, whose death was assured if she hit the ground.

Just when Chace thought it was too late, Gavin snatched her in midair and rolled, tucking her against his body and wrapping both wings around her.

Seconds later, Gavin hit the ground hard enough to make the earth buck. Chace landed on his backside while Mason sprawled on all fours.

The great cat recovered first and tore off towards the two, followed closely by Chace. His emotions scattered, Chace could only pray Skylar survived. Legs and lungs burning, he reached the large dragon just behind Mason.

Dazed, Skylar was alive, sliding off the chest of the blue dragon. She seemed disoriented.

Chace heard her strangled cry of dismay and pushed his body faster to reach her.

Gavin's wings fell away from his body, and the great creature went limp and still.

"Skylar!" Chace exclaimed, reaching her. "Come away!"

She fought him, trying to reach her father.

"He'll burst into –"

Gavin's body exploded into fire that singed Chace's face and eyebrows. He grabbed Skylar and twisted away to shield her. She was shaking hard, her breathing ragged and features pale.

Chace moved them away from the dragon's burning body, holding her close. Skylar clung to him, and he struggled to catch his breath at the mesmerizing flames. Regret and sorrow sank into him at seeing Gavin burn, along with a sense of pride that made his eyes mist over.

The great blue dragon had a heart. He'd exchanged his life for his daughter's. Chace suspected he'd misjudged the depths of Gavin's emotions or that maybe, Skylar was the only thing Gavin really cared about. His sacrifice opened Chace's eyes even wider to his own selfishness. Gavin gave up everything for Skylar, when Chace had simply given her up.

Movement caught his attention, and he ducked instinctively.

The griffins were circling, kept at bay by Mason's periodic leap at whichever one got too close. Aware of the damage the lion had done, the winged creatures kept their distance.

Large cats of different colors raced across the desert from the direction of the hills, led by a tan panther he knew to be Gunner.

The griffins pulled back, unwilling to tangle with the cats. After a few minutes, a bellowing squawk resounded around him.

Chace looked up and saw Dillon limping away in the sky, leading his griffins into a strategic retreat.

Skylar pulled away from Chace. He let her go, trailing closely. She stood as close to the body of Gavin as she could, staring into the fire. Tears streaked her cheeks, but she wasn't crying, only watching.

"Skylar," he called gently.

She didn't answer, gaze on the flames. Her expression was unreadable.

Chace waited, suspecting she was in shock.

Mason loped a short distance away, the other cats giving the feline king a large berth. Chace watched him, still not trusting him in the slightest.

"Why didn't you help us?" Skylar's distraught whisper pulled his attention back to her.

Chace faced her. Skylar was in shock, her eyes glazed and face blanched beyond a hue remotely healthy. She was struggling to stand in place, but her eyes were locked on his.

"Honey..." he started, reaching for her, needing to touch her to know she truly was safe.

She wrenched away. "You're a dragon, Chace. Why didn't you help us?"

Her heart wrenching question and raw, distraught emotion killed him. Chace had never felt as humbled as he did, gazing into the eyes of the woman he loved and forced to admit the truth.

"Because I'm broken, Skylar," he whispered, aching for her. "Because I fucked up and can't protect you the way I'm supposed to."

She didn't respond, simply gazed up at him, her pain in her eyes.

"You're right, Sky," he continued hoarsely. "I don't know anything about love. I've never experienced what it means to care for someone so much, you hurt when they do. I've never wanted to crawl into bed with someone and never get out. I want... _need_ to touch you every second of every day. I can't get your smell out of my skin, and I don't want to. But..." He cleared his throat. "I'm broken, Skylar. No matter what I feel for you, I fucked up. That's why I didn't help you. Because I _can't_."

Her gaze fell.

Chace's insides were twisting and clenching, his pain as real as hers.

The cats were circling them. Dressed once more, Mason trotted towards them from the direction of the only working SUV that remained.

Chace moved to intercept him, suspicious and protective of the fragile woman behind him.

"You're welcome," Mason grumbled, stopping where Chace indicated he should. "I've got the only vehicle in any shape to drive out of here. Skylar, if you want a ride, come on."

"She's not going anywhere with you," Chace snapped. "You brought this war to our doorstep."

"I've also got the answers she needs. Or maybe you want to tell her about her mother?" Mason retorted.

"I want you to leave us alone!"

"Stop it!" Skylar said.

Chace turned to face her. She was focused again, though off-balance and trembling.

"You're father asked me to ensure you didn't go with Mason," Chace told her more gently.

"It's my choice, Chace," she replied. "I want answers."

"Sky," he drew nearer, so Mason didn't overhear. "You can't trust him. He was working with Dillon in the past. You don't know if that's still the case or not. My gut says he's hiding a lot."

"Aren't we all?" She didn't look at him. "I appreciate your concern, but I'm getting to the bottom of this." The words were spoken in a level tone.

"Skylar." He touched her arm. "Think about this. Please."

"I have, Chace." She met his gaze. "You said you wouldn't keep any more secrets from me. Will I ever be able to trust you?" She blinked back tears. "Because I love you, but I need to be able to trust you."

"Then trust me now," he urged. "Don't go with him. Stay with me. We'll figure this all out."

"There's only one way to figure this out," she replied. "You walked into The Field to find out what was happening to the shifters. I'm going to do the same now."

"It was a horrible plan," he admitted. "You were there to save me."

"Then you better be there to save me," she whispered. "I'm going with Mason. If you mean what you say, you'll be there to catch me when Mason and Dillon drop me from the sky next time. Because right now, I have no one else, Chace."

The heartbreak in her voice made him ache for her more than he had seeing her cry.

She slid away from him and approached the lion shifter.

Chace watched them walk away, grappling with his emotions. He started forward, but Gunner stopped him. The panther leapt up and planted its paws on Chace's shoulders.

Chace relented. He watched Skylar walk away with Mason. She was limping slightly, her eyes on the ground ahead of her. She was in shock, and he had a feeling she wasn't thinking straight at all.

He couldn't guess what she was feeling. He was choking on his own emotions, helpless and furious once more. He'd admitted the truth to her and she'd done what he feared. She'd rejected him.

And admitted she loved him. he clung to this, sensing she was serious in her ultimatum. She was putting herself in danger to get the answers she needed. He'd done the same not long ago. Only this time, Skylar expected him to become the man he'd thus far failed to be.

_... you'll be there to catch me when Mason and Dillon drop me from the sky next time._

This time, if he failed, there was no one else to help her. If he failed, she died.

"You can trust me, Sky," he swore. "God help me, I'll reclaim my magic and I'll be there to catch you."

* * *

Heart of Fire

"Charred Heart"

"Charred Tears"

"Charred Hope"

# Also By Lizzy Ford

### Adult – erotic fiction

Non-Series Titles

Star Kissed (erotic sci-fi)

A Night Worth Dying For (short story, contemporary erotic thriller)

* * *

Trial Series – erotic paranormal romance

Trial by Moon

Trial by Thrall

Trial by Blood

Trial by Heart

* * *

Heart of Fire – sexy dragon shifter

Charred Heart

Charred Tears

Charred Hope

* * *

Incubatti Duet – Buffy meets 50 Shades

Zoey Rogue

Zoey Avenger

* * *

Writing as SE Reign, erotica writer

101 Nights Box Set (featuring all seven serials)

### Adult – Sweet Romance

(no graphic sex scenes)

* * *

Non-Series Titles – 2014 \- 2018

Black Moon Draw (fantasy romance)

White Tree Sound (2018) (fantasy romance)

Highlander Enchanted (historical romance)

* * *

History Interrupted – Time Travel Romantic Adventures

West

East

North

South (2018)

* * *

Super Villainess Chronicles – twisted superhero romance

It's Not Easy Being Evil

It's Not Easy Being Good

* * *

Starwalkers Serials (with Julia Crane) – new adult science fiction serial

Severed

Trapped

Exiled

Revealed

Escaped

Ascended

* * *

Sons of War – contemporary military romance

Semper Mine

Soldier Mine

SEAL Mine

* * *

Rhyn Trilogy – new adult paranormal with demons

Katie's Hellion

Katie's Hope

Rhyn's Redemption

* * *

Rhyn Eternal – Death finds love

Gabriel's Hope

Deidre's Death

Darkyn's Mate

The Underworld

Twisted Fate

Twisted Karma (2017)

* * *

War of Gods – paranormal with gods, guardians and exceptional humans

Damian's Oracle

Damian's Assassin

Damian's Immortal

The Grey God

* * *

Damian Eternal

Xander's Chance

The Black God

* * *

Hidden Evil – paranormal with angels and four horsemen

Hear No

See No

Speak No (2017)

* * *

Unnamed Series

Unnatural (TBD)

* * *

Short Stories

Santa's Ninja Elves: Natasha

Santa's Ninja Elves: Hunter

Snow Whisperers

* * *

Non-Series Titles – 2011 \- 2013

A Demon's Desire (paranormal romance)

The Warlord's Secret (fantasy romance

Maddy's Oasis (contemporary romance)

Rebel Heart (sci-fi romance)

### Young Adult Fiction

Non-Series Titles

The Fall of Esme (2017) (teen paranormal)

The Door (teen sci-fi)

* * *

Lost Vegas Series – young adult post-apocalyptic

Aveline

Tiana

Arthur

Black Wolf

* * *

Guardians of the Realm – young adult romantic fantasy

Water Spell

Dragon Spell (2018)

Moon Spell (2018)

Sword Spell (2019)

* * *

Omega Series – teen dystopia with Greek Gods

Omega

Theta

Alpha (2017)

* * *

Omega Beginnings Miniseries – individual episodes

Alessandra

Mismatch

Phoibe

Lantos

Theodosia

Niko

Cleon

Herakles

Omega Beginnings Miniseries – complete set

* * *

Theta Beginnings Miniseries

Silent Queen

Shadow Titan

People's Champion

Supreme Magistrate

Theta Beginnings Miniseries – complete set

* * *

Anshan Saga – new adult science fiction romance

Kiera's Moon

Kiera's Sun

* * *

Witchlings – young adult paranormal

Dark Summer

Autumn Storm

Winter Fire

Spring Rain

* * *

Broken Beauty Novellas – new adult dramatic fiction

Broken Beauty

Broken World

Broken Chains (2017)

* * *

Foretold Trilogy – young adult fantasy

Elle's Journey

Shadow Rising (2017)

Journey West (2018)

* * *

Voodoo Nights - young adult paranormal

Cursed

# About the Author

I breathe stories. I dream them. If it were possible, I'd eat them, too. (I'm pretty sure they'd taste like cotton candy.) I can't escape them - they're everywhere! Which is why I write! I was born to bring the crazy worlds and people in my mind to life, and I love sharing them with as many people as I can.

I'm also the bestselling, award winning, internationally acclaimed author of over sixty titles and counting. I write speculative fiction in multiple subgenres of romance and fantasy, contemporary fiction, books for both teens and adults, and just about anything else I feel like writing. If I can imagine it, I can write it!

I live in the desert of southern Arizona with a pack of spoiled dogs and Tubbs, the Godfather cat who rules them all.

Connect with Lizzy

www.LizzyFord.com

lizzy@lizzyford.com

 Facebook

 Twitter
