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“The young lord is awake,” the old man observed, his ancient eyes fixing on me with undisguised interest. “We sensed the awakening of your dragon spirit.”

“And you couldn’t wait for an invitation?” Derek asked dryly.

The old man inclined his head slightly, not quite an apology. “The Imperial Dragon bloodline has been lost to us for a generation. Forgive our… eagerness to serve once more.”

“I don’t need servants,” I said, feeling the gold flecks in my eyes warming again. “And I’m not a ‘young lord’ or whatever you think I am. I’m just Kai. The guy who still can’t figure out how to fold a fitted sheet properly.”

The old man’s lips twitched in what might have been amusement. “Just as your mother insisted she was ‘just Sarah,’ though we knew her as Lady Chen Mei-Ling. The dragon blood shows itself in more than just power, young one.”

“Chen Mei-Ling?” I repeated, the name feeling both foreign and strangely familiar on my tongue. “My mother’s real name was Mei-Ling?”

“Indeed. A name that has been in your family for generations, though she abandoned it when she fled to your Western world.” His eyes studied me with undisguised interest. “She never told you?”

“No,” I said, a pang of loss hitting me unexpectedly. Another piece of my mother I’d never truly known. “She was always just… Mom. Sarah.”

“We protected her family for generations,” he confirmed with a respectful nod. “Until she chose to flee rather than take her place in the Imperial lineage. We have searched for her—and you—since her disappearance.”

“Well, congratulations on finding me,” I said, my usual snark reasserting itself despite the emotional revelation. “But I’m not going anywhere. If you want to help me understand this dragon stuff, you’ll have to do it here. Preferably without destroying Miguel’s flower beds in the process.”

The old man studied me for a long moment, then surprised everyone by chuckling softly. “Indeed, you are Lady Chen Mei-Ling’s son. Very well. We will adapt our training methods to accommodate your… unique circumstances.”

More commotion erupted in the hallway. This time, it was Luke’s voice rising in alarm, followed by what sounded like multiple heavy objects being dragged across the floor.

Luke appeared in the doorway, his expression a mixture of exasperation and disbelief. “The Knox alpha is here,” he announced. “With what appears to be half a forest worth of offerings. And he’s insisting on presenting them to the ‘honored one’ personally.”

“The what now?” I asked, increasingly bewildered.

“That would be you,” Caleb supplied helpfully. “Apparently, saving a pack of wolves from ancient evil earns you some serious supernatural street cred.”

I looked from the White Tiger Clan to the doorway where Luke was now trying to physically block someone from entering, then back to my three mates watching me with varying degrees of concern and amusement.

“This is my life now, isn’t it?” I asked no one in particular. “Dragon training, wolf politics, and supernatural fan clubs.”

“Afraid so,” Marcus replied, his lips twitching into a rare smile. “Welcome to your new normal.”

“Lucky me,” I muttered, reaching down to scratch Shadow’s ears as the dog pressed reassuringly against my side. “I don’t suppose there’s a handbook for all this?So You’ve Just Discovered You’re a Dragon-Wolf Hybrid: Now What?”

“If there is, we’ll find it,” Caleb promised, his hand finding mine again.

“And if there isn’t, we’ll write one,” Derek added with surprising humor.

As the chaos in the hallway grew louder and the White Tiger Clan began setting up what looked suspiciously like a ritual space in the corner of my room, I leaned back against the pillows and contemplated my new reality. Part wolf, part dragon, claimed by three alpha werewolves, hunted by ancient evil, and apparently worshipped by former enemies.

“Just another day in Cedar Grove,” I said to myself. “The supernatural capital of weird.”

Chapter 25

Five days after waking up from my dragon transformation, I was beginning to adjust to what passed for normal in my new reality. And by “adjust,” I mean I was only having one minor existential crisis per day instead of hourly.

“Your energy patterns are stabilizing nicely,” Dr. White informed me during her morning checkup, scanning me with some kind of supernatural medical device that looked like a cross between a stethoscope and a coil. “The dragon blood is integrating with your wolf heritage more smoothly than I anticipated.”

“Great,” I muttered, watching golden light pulse beneath my skin where she touched the device. “So I’m only half freak now instead of double freak. Progress.”

Dr. White gave me a look that managed to be both sympathetic and exasperated. “You’re not a freak, Kai. You’re a unique supernatural hybrid with extraordinary potential.”

“Is that the medical term for ‘complicated mess’?” I asked, pulling my shirt back on.

“It’s the medical term for ‘stop feeling sorry for yourself and embrace your heritage,’” she replied dryly, packing up her equipment. “The brothers tell me you’re starting basic training in a couple of days.”