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“Maria knows?” I asked, alarm shooting through me. “About all of this?”

“Everyone knows, Kai,” Luke said gently. “You kind of transformed into a dragon-human hybrid thing in front of the entire supernatural community. It wasn’t exactly subtle.”

“Perfect,” I groaned, sinking back against the pillows. “So much for keeping a low profile. I was really hoping to maintain at least some semblance of normality.”

“Normality?” Luke snorted. “Dude, you’re mated to three alpha werewolves and you just discovered you’re part dragon royalty. The normality ship has sailed, crashed into an iceberg, sunk to the bottom of the ocean, and is now being eaten by a kraken.”

A soft whine from the foot of the bed caught my attention. I looked down to see Shadow, Storm, and Scout all watching me with uncanny intelligence, their massive forms somehow squeezed onto the end of my hospital-style bed without disturbing any of the medical equipment.

“How long have they been there?” I asked, genuinely surprised I hadn’t noticed three wolf-sized dogs literally at my feet.

“Since they carried you in,” Luke replied. “They refuse to leave. The medical staff had to work around them because Derek said anyone who tried to remove them would answer to him personally.”

“Of course he did,” I muttered, though I couldn’t help the warmth spreading through my chest. “God forbid anyone separate the mighty alphas from their property.”

As if sensing they were the topic of conversation, all three dogs perked up, their tails beginning to wag hopefully. Scout actually whined again and inched forward, his golden eyes fixed on my face with what could only be described as canine concern.

“Hey, guys,” I said softly, reaching out a hand. All three immediately surged forward, competing to be the first to receive attention. Shadow won by virtue of his size, shoving his massive head under my palm with a satisfied huff. “At least some things haven’t changed. You’re still pushy attention hogs.”

“They’ve been worried sick,” Luke informed me. “Scout actually howled for hours the first night until Caleb came and sat with him.”

“I’m okay,” I told the dogs, scratching behind Shadow’s ears exactly how he liked. “Or I will be, once someone explains what the hell is going on. Preferably with visual aids and a glossary for all the supernatural terms I’m apparently supposed to know now.”

“That would be my cue to get your mates,” Luke said, standing up. “They made me promise to alert them the second you were properly awake.”

“Wait,” I called as he headed for the door. “Before you go… how bad is it out there? Really?”

Luke paused, his expression softening. “It’s… complicated. The Knox Pack has sworn fealty to you or whatever medieval term they’re using. The White Tiger Clan is treating you like long-lost royalty. The Blackwood brothers want an alliance. And there’s a whole council of werewolf elders who’ve been in meetings for two days straight trying to figure out what all this means for supernatural politics.”

“So basically, I’m screwed,” I summarized.

“Pretty much,” Luke agreed cheerfully. “But hey, at least you have cool dragon powers now. That’s something, right?”

“I’ll let you know if they turn out to be useful for anything besides attracting ancient evil and causing diplomatic incidents,” I replied dryly. “Though I suppose ‘can breathe fire’ would look impressive on a resume.”

Luke grinned, some of the tension leaving his shoulders. “There’s the Kai we know and love. I was worried the dragon transformation might have affected your snark levels.”

“My snark is the only thing keeping me from a complete mental breakdown right now,” I admitted. “That and the fact that I’m still half convinced this is all some bizarre hallucination caused by bad ramen.”

“If only,” Luke sighed, heading for the door. “I’ll be right back with your wolf harem.”

As Luke left, I sat propped against the pillows, surrounded by three massive dogs who seemed determined to touch some part of me at all times. My body felt strange—not painful exactly, but different, like my skin didn’t quite fit anymore. When I flexed my fingers, I could feel a strange energy humming just beneath the surface, ready to be called upon. The dream-memory of silver-blue fire dancing across my fingertips didn’t seem so impossible now.

I didn’t have long to contemplate my new reality. The door opened, and Marcus entered first, followed closely by Derek and Caleb. They froze just inside, their expressions a mixture of relief, concern, and something deeper that made my heart skip a beat.

“Kai,” Marcus breathed, his usual composure nowhere in evidence. “You’re awake.”

I tried for a casual smile, though I doubted it was convincing. “Hey. So… apparently I’m part dragon. That’s new.”

Caleb was the first to move, crossing the room and pulling me into a careful embrace.

“You scared us,” he murmured against my hair. “Don’t ever do that again.”

“Which part?” I asked. “The turning into a dragon thing or the passing out for two days thing?”

“Both,” Derek said firmly, joining us by the bed. “All of it.”

Marcus approached more slowly, his eyes never leaving my face. When he reached the bedside, he took my hand in his.