Page 15

And when a Dragon’s Rose dies, so does the Dragon.

I thought I’d made peace with it.

Figured I’d go out helping the ranch, making sure the others had their happy endings.

But then this happened. I mean, this, like as in right now.

It’s her.

Casey.

Sharp-tongued.

Soft around the edges.

Laugh like whiskey and honey.

And the second I saw her again—really saw her—my fire flared like it remembered what it was for. All my hesitations and denials turned to ash.

I should be cautious. Guarded.

But something dangerous is blooming beneath my ribs, fast and reckless.

Hope.

Hope for a future I stopped believing in a long time ago.

And gods help me, I want to believe in it again.

I try to keep my chill in place as I continue down the road until we start to pass the cabins taken by the other Crew members.

Dante’s is second to last. After Emmet’s and Kian’s. Before mine.

But I can see it from here.

My cabin. Home.

Usually the sight settles me.

Not today.

Because she’s in my passenger seat.

Casey.

And instead of bringing her straight to my cabin like I want to, I have to force myself to slow in front of the fucking Grizzly Bear’s house.

My body has been on high alert since the moment she opened that damn door and looked at me like she didn’t know she was mine.

I throw the truck into park, cutting the engine. I’m stupidly angry that I have to stop at Dante and Avery’s place instead of bringing her right to mine.

“We’re here.”

She blinks out the window, eyebrows rising as she takes in the ranch.

“Wow. Okay. This is so not what I pictured when Avery said ranch. I thought more, I don’t know, like more cows and tractors. Less Yellowstone vibes.”

I grunt, fighting the twitch of my lips. I want to smile. I want to do a lot of things.