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Tiber tried not to stare at Mia as they made their way to the festival. Each day this week there was something she had to attend—and he didn’t like her being so exposed.

Not when there was something going on—a threat she refused to voice aloud. He wanted to simply order her to tell him.

But even he knew that was not the way to go.

“It’s so beautiful out here.” Her eyes lit up with joy as they reached the courtyard where thousands of magically lit bulbs floated over the party. “It’s like the bazaar during the day, but on steroids.”

He wasn’t certain what steroids were—sometimes there wasn’t always a translation—but he could guess from context. He simply nodded.

As part of the week-long festivities, tonight’s was what she said, a bazaar. All artists, from someone with Mia’s talent to those who created everyday items to sell. There were also street vendors and dancing—essentially it was a giant party.

As if dragons needed a reason to party.

At least it wasn’t formal, and unlike the evening before, the people attending weren’t the wealthiest in the realm. To be fair, he was wealthy, but only because he was ancient and he hoarded his treasure like… well, the dragon that he was.

And at that thought, he glanced at Mia again. She was the real treasure. Not that he could actually say that to her.

But at least she seemed to be tolerating him. Maybe even more than that. Or perhaps that was wishful thinking on his part.

“Mia!” Cyprus stepped out from behind two food vendors, a big smile on his face. Then he pulled her into a giant hug that had her laughing, the sound literal music to his dragons’ ears.

He would have to remember to wipe that smile off Cyprus’s face later.

“Tiber.” Cyprus clapped him on the shoulder with a bone-rattling grip and pulled him into a hug.

Ah, his friend had gotten into his cups. Still, his dragon was right at the surface, dangerously close to coming out to play. And by play, his dragon wanted to rip the face off anyone who got too close to Mia. Even Cyprus.

It is an acceptable courting gesture . His dragon’s tone was imperious.

It most definitely was not. Tiber ignored his dragon and nodded at Cyprus. “I see you’re enjoying yourself.”

“Indeed. This is one of my favorite weeks of the year.” He smiled pleasantly as he looked between the two of them.

“Mia.” A female he vaguely recognized approached them, hugged Mia with the same exuberance as Cyprus, then hustled her over to a nearby table next to one of the food vendors.

Cyprus’s expression turned more serious once she was out of earshot. “Have you discovered anything about who is bothering her?”

His old friend had told him that she’d seemed particularly curious about the vampires visiting the realm.

“Not yet, but I’ve sent someone to keep an eye on the vampires.

” The coven in the territory wasn’t scheduled to attend these festivities at least. They were involved in some type of negotiation for trade.

“Who’d you send?”

“Octavia.”

Cyprus nodded. “Good choice.”

“Thank you for your approval,” he said dryly.

The warrior gave him a surprised look, then grinned. “Ah, this is because I hugged her, yes?”

He glanced over to where Mia was currently talking to a handful of females who looked as delicate as she was.

A couple humans, Tiber thought, but also some other types of shifters.

Not dragons, that much he was almost certain of.

They were all simply too short. There were, of course, exceptions to that rule (one of the realms’ princesses was as small as a human) but he didn’t recognize those females, so it was a safe assumption they weren’t dragons.

Tiber lifted a shoulder. “Maybe you should keep your hands to yourself.”

“And if I don’t?” Cyprus was full-on grinning now. Obnoxious asshole.

He looked closely at his friend. “How much have you had to drink tonight?”

“Not enough. But I’ll keep my hands to myself. Probably.” He grinned, clapped Tiber on the shoulder once again before he sauntered off and blended into the growing crowd.

What the fuck had gotten into his friend? Tiber shook his head and took in the rest of the scene, not surprised to see Starlena arriving. But he was stunned to see her mate, Bodhin, with her.

He had the same regal bearing as Starlena, but there was something almost otherworldly about the ancient male that Tiber’s dragon was very, very aware of.

He was certain it was the male’s age (which no one knew).

He had silvery gray hair, just as Starlena did, given their age.

But his eyes were a dark blue with flecks of silver in them.

They were so very ‘other’ even for dragons.

There was no way this male could pass as human or anything other than what he was.

Tiber bowed ever so slightly as the couple approached, but Starlena waved him off.

“Stop with that nonsense.”

Yeah, that wasn’t happening. The two were royalty, but it wasn’t that. They were a true power and had protected, bled for, and destroyed for the kingdom in ways most people in the territory would never know.

“It’s a pleasure to see you both out,” he said, looking between the two of them.

Bodhin simply nodded.

“I heard the auction was quite the success—and that your little human was the star.” Starlena grinned smugly at him.

His instinct was to tell her that Mia wasn’t his human, but his dragon half told him to shut the fuck up. “The auction was indeed successful, but something odd is going on.”

“I’ve already spoken to Valentina.” Starlena pitched her voice low as she glanced around, making sure no one was close enough to overhear.

Of course, she had.

No one was paying them any attention. “I’m taking care of it.”

She nodded as if she expected nothing less. “I have no doubt. We’re actually here because I wanted to speak to you. Bodhin and I are leaving at first light. There’s an issue in the western territory we’ve been asked to check into.”

He straightened slightly, going on alert.

“A threat? What do you need? I will go with you.” Because if the queen had asked her parents to look into something, it could be a true threat.

The kingdom hadn’t been under siege in over a century, but everyone here remembered the last time they were attacked.

The bloodshed. The loss. The dragonlings who’d died.

He gritted his teeth, unable to dwell on the senseless violence.

It would never happen again, not under his watch.

Bodhin’s quiet voice made him go still. “No. Your place is here.”

Tiber glanced at him. The ancient male was looking off into the crowd, his expression one of contemplation, as if he wasn’t seeing what was right in front of him. But Tiber had no doubt the male saw and would remember every single individual who passed in front of him tonight.

Tiber looked at Starlena, eyebrows raised.

She nodded in agreement with her mate. “Thank you for the offer, but you are needed here. You’re one of the few people I trust to run our guard while I am gone. And if you must leave for any reason, you know who to leave in charge.”

He nodded. Cyprus and Octavia worked well as a team and would keep the entire guard in line if he was called away.

But he didn’t like to leave when Starlena was away from the castle.

It was part of his duty as general of their elite guard, one she’d recruited him for back when he’d been merely a warlord.

Now he ran the day-to-day things including training and preparing for missions.

He was too well known now to undertake any high-profile missions where he might be recognized, but he was training the newest generation of assassins and understood how important that was.

“I’ll keep the territory safe while you’re gone. I won’t leave.”

Bodhin touched his arm gently, once again surprising Tiber. “Do not be so sure about that.”

He looked at Starlena once again, as she usually translated for her mate who simply said what he wanted, and then that was that.

But she just shrugged. The male had just told him that his place was here and now he was telling him not to be so sure about that?

Tiber wondered if the ancient just liked to screw with people sometimes and speak in riddles.

Starlena’s shrug was beyond infuriating—but not as infuriating as the sight of a male pulling Mia onto the nearby dance floor.

The band had started up again with a lively tune and all the dragons mingling and talking under the trees and lights started moving closer to the dance area, clapping, and cheering as everyone merged onto the dance floor.

His dragon reared up as he watched the other male pull her into his arms, and he stepped forward before he realized he was moving. He didn’t bother saying anything to Starlena, belatedly realized he should have, but too late now.

It took restraint he’d never had to deal with before not to pound everyone who was in his way as he moved through the throng of mostly dragons.

As he reached the side of the dance floor, he waited for his opening.

As Mia and the male who was spinning her moved past him, he slid in between them, taking her into his arms.

He heard laughter behind him, assumed it was from the other dragon, but all his focus was on the breathless Mia in his arms.

She’d pulled her long hair into a braid, and it was coming loose, the wild auburn strands dancing around her face as she looked up at him in surprise.

He tried to smile at her, working muscles he hadn’t in ages. She frowned up at him, but just as quickly, she laughed as he spun her, then pulled her back to him. Something in his chest loosened at the pure joy on her face, the sound of her laughter—the feel of her in his arms.

“You’re a very good dancer. I’m not sure I even understand all the steps.” She spoke in breathy laughs and he wanted to soak up every second of this moment.

Savor the feel of her in his arms. Her orange blossom scent was addicting as it wrapped around him.

He knew they were surrounded by people (something he normally hated) but everything around them was just background noise. She was the only one who existed. “I had to learn.”

“Had to?” she asked as the music slowed.

And oh, he liked that. He pulled her a little closer, his dragon practically purring as their bodies slid together. “When I was just a young recruit, Starlena made all of us learn. Said it was a valuable tool to have in our arsenal.” And she had been right, as she was about so many things.

He hadn’t had to use that particular skill until about a hundred years after she’d forced him to learn, but it had helped him blend into enemy territory in the most unexpected of ways.

“It’s hard to imagine you as a young recruit. How old were you when you first learned… if it’s okay to ask that question? I’m a little fuzzy on the rules.”

He shrugged. “I’m not quite sure how long ago.” But it had been hundreds of years ago, and he didn’t wish to remind her of their age difference. Not that it mattered in the slightest to him. But she was human, and he imagined she felt differently about such things.

He didn’t wish to think of it at all. He’d already ruined their first meeting, and he wouldn’t screw up again with her.

“Well, I’m impressed with your skills.” She moved a little closer into his arms as the music slowed and when someone approached, clearly to cut in, he let his dragon show in his eyes. Though he resisted the urge to growl at them so that was something.

Tiber didn’t think she noticed. “I’m impressed with your paintings,” he said, trying to focus on the conversation at hand and not how good she felt in his arms.

How warm and alive and goddess, what he wouldn’t give to bring her to climax right now. Maybe not right here, because he didn’t share and would never let anyone else see her that way. But he wanted nothing more than to give her all the pleasure she deserved, to taste her sweetness.

Her cheeks flushed pink and sweet goddess, he had to look away.

That was when he spotted another male moving toward them on the dance floor.

His dragon roared to the surface again and the male smoothly headed in another direction when he saw the look in Tiber’s eyes.

By now everyone in the vicinity should know to stay away from them.

He was staking a claim for all dragons to know that Mia was off limits.

“Impressed for a human?” Her tone was tart.

And he deserved it. He winced slightly. “You are talented. Period.”

Her green eyes narrowed slightly at him. She started to say something, then yet another male approached. So apparently this dragon had a death wish.

“All her dances are taken,” he growled at the well-dressed dragon he vaguely recognized as some royal asshole.

The male simply ignored him and smiled politely at Mia. “May I cut in?”

Oh, this one had balls. For now, anyway.

Mia smiled sweetly at him, and he tightened his grip on her. He knew she wasn’t his, wasn’t a possession, but he still wanted to keep her. His dragon half wanted to fly her into the mountains right this instant and add her to his hoard of treasure.

To his surprise, she shook her head. “Maybe later.” Then she turned back to him as he subtly moved her closer to the edge of the dance floor. “I don’t understand you at all, Tiber.”

He loved when she said his name, had to bite back a groan of frustration and something else altogether. Need. Raw, desperate need for this sweet female with the big green eyes and so much talent he wanted to buy all her work and hoard it for himself. “What do you not understand?”

“You don’t like humans.”

“I never said—”

Her eyebrow arched.

“I might have said that. Once . And I tried to apologize but you didn’t want to hear any of it.”

“I still don’t want to hear it because I don’t believe you’re sorry. I think you’re sorry I overheard you and you were embarrassed.” She sniffed imperiously, then something flashed across her face.

The same as the other night. Fear. She spotted someone behind him and moved in closer, clearly seeking protection.

He didn’t care that she was using him as he held her close, inhaled her sweet orange blossom scent as she basically clung to him.

“I would like to leave,” she whispered, her fingers digging into his back.

A dark, territorial protectiveness coiled inside him, ready to strike. “Whose head do I need to remove from their body?” He kept his voice pitched low.

She blinked up at him, stared for a long moment, then tightened her grip again as she gave him what he could only describe as a flirty smile. It was so at odds with her terrified scent. “No one,” she clearly lied. “I would just like you to take me home now.”

“Come on,” he growled, ready to have her all to himself—even if he was ready to burn whatever or whoever was scaring her. “This way.”