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“You see that?” I whispered into Dylan’s ear. “That’s Dad’s house, way down there.”

“It looks tiny,” he whispered back.

“Over there’s the little downtown strip. You see the playground?”

“Whoa…”

I pointed out a few more places as we soared over them. Soon, the town faded into a vast expanse of trees. The forest was far below us, and the mountains surrounded us, close enough that I could see the snow on their peaks.

“Hey, Mom?”

“What is it, Dyl?”

“I’m really happy.”

I squeezed him closer to me, my actions mirroring the way my heart squeezed in my chest. That was all I’d ever really wanted, wasn’t it? For Dylan to be happy. I hoped Stephan had heard his words, too.

Soon, Dylan was resting back against my chest. The rhythm of Stephan’s gently beating wings and the soft breeze lulled him to sleep in my arms. I gazed out toward the horizon, at the beautiful landscape spreading out like a painting in every direction.

I’d never felt so at peace.

We flew until the moon was high in the sky. At some point, Stephan turned, and we flew back toward the clubhouse. The moon reflected in the still lake below. Many of the dragons split off and flew away from the clubhouse, back to their own homes. Stephan soared down in a low, easy spiral, and landed with the gentleness of a cat on the soft grass outside the clubhouse.

“Hey,” Hawk said with a smile. “Let me give you a hand.”

“How’d you know?” I asked. I helped maneuver Dylan, still dead asleep, into Hawk’s arms.

“Those rides can be hypnotic, and Dylan’s had a long day.”

I smiled. “He’s not the only one.”

“I’ll go put him to bed in the clubhouse,” Hawk said. “We’ve got plenty of space.”

“Thanks, Hawk.”

The clubhouse was quiet. The few lingering clan members were cleaning up inside, or retreating to the spare rooms to spend the night. The bonfire in the big firepit had lowered down to a glowing pile of embers. In the surrounding trees, a few owls called out.

Stephan turned toward me and tipped his head to the side curiously. He folded his wings against his back. The moonlight gleamed off his deep green scales, making him look ethereal, like something from a storybook. Even in the darkness, his golden eyes glimmered.

I watched as he shifted back into his human form. Magic crackled through the air like an oncoming rainstorm. Shifting was always strange to see. When I first saw him shift all those years ago, I’d expected it to be grotesque and terrifying, like those old werewolf movies that shifters all said were offensive and inaccurate. In reality, it was like seeing a shimmering mirage. His scales melted away, and his massive dragon form receded inside him like he was taking a breath. It happened quickly, in the space of three heartbeats, and then Stephan was standing in front of me, shirtless, in the same jeans he’d been wearing this afternoon.

He looked gorgeous after flying. His face was slightly flushed, and his hairline was edged with sweat. His tan, tattooed skin glowed in the moonlight.

I sat down right by the edge of the lake. I pulled my shoes off and let my bare toes dip into the cool, crisp water. Then I raised my eyebrows and nodded for him to join me.

He sat down next to me with a smile and pressed his shoulder to mine. “Not tired?”

“A little invigorated, actually,” I said. “It’s beautiful up there.”

“I’ll take you whenever you want.”

We lapsed into a comfortable silence. I leaned my head against his shoulder, and he put his arm around my shoulders. The small waves lapped at my feet, and in that moment, everything felt perfect.

Stephan hummed low in his chest. “You know… I think you’re probably right about us not jumping headfirst into things.”

That wasn’t what I’d expected to hear. Especially not after today—not after Dylan was introduced as the next alpha, and such a long, dreamlike, magical ride through the Lakeview skies. I also wasn’t expecting the swoop of disappointment that rolled through me. It was completely irrational. “What changed?” I asked.

He fell silent again as he gathered his thoughts. He inhaled, then exhaled slowly. “There was an incident today.”