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THIRTY-EIGHT

T he playfulness in his expression shifted to something more intense. “Are you sure that’s what you want, Zina?”

She nodded, heart pounding as he leaned closer, his free hand coming up to cradle her cheek. Their lips met in a kiss that started gentle but quickly blazed into something more urgent, more demanding. Unlike their first kiss—tentative, exploring—this connection sparked with shared knowledge and growing trust.

His hand slid from her cheek to the nape of her neck, fingers threading through her hair as he deepened the kiss. Heat radiated from him in waves, not burning but deliciously warm against her skin. Zina found herself melting into his embrace, her hands exploring the solid planes of his chest through his shirt.

When they finally broke apart, both breathless, she noticed golden scales shimmering briefly beneath the skin of his throat before fading back to human appearance. The sight fascinated rather than alarmed her—a glimpse of his true nature breaking through careful control.

“Sorry,” he murmured, pupils dilated to eclipse the gold of his irises. “You affect my control.”

“Don’t apologize.” She traced her fingers along his jaw, following the path where scales had momentarily appeared. “I like knowing I affect you.”

His eyes darkened to molten gold. “More than you realize.”

He pulled her closer, his arms encircling her waist as his lips found hers again. The kiss was deeper, more demanding. His hands spanned her waist, mindful of her healing wounds even in the heat of desire. She reveled in the contrast of his firm strength and gentle touch, her body responding with an answering fire of its own.

They might have lost themselves entirely in that moment had a page not caught Zina’s eye as it fluttered from her forgotten bag. She reluctantly pulled back, though she remained in the circle of his arms.

“Wait,” she said, voice husky from their heated exchange. “We should actually look at those research notes.”

Xai groaned softly, pressing his forehead against hers. “You’re right, but your sense of timing is cruel.”

She laughed, placing a quick kiss on his lips before retrieving her bag. “Priorities, dragon. Save the world first, continue this later.”

“Promise?” His voice carried a note of vulnerability that tugged at her heart.

“Promise.” She settled beside him again, closer than before, her legs tucked beneath her as she opened her mother’s journal. “Now, about this Founding Pyre...”

Xai’s arm draped comfortably around her shoulders as he opened an ancient leather journal, its pages brittle with age. The casual intimacy felt surprisingly natural as though they’d been sharing space for years rather than days.

“My family records say the Founding Pyre was created from three equal contributions,” he explained, carefully turning to an illustration. “Dragon fire for power, lion heart for courage, and panther shadow for protection.”

“Panther?” Zina frowned, leaning closer to examine the faded drawing. She nestled against his side, drawing comfort from his solid presence. “There aren’t any panther shifters in Enchanted Falls anymore.”

“Precisely.” Xai’s voice rumbled beside her ear, raising goose bumps along her neck. “The Gravemont family. They departed or died out nearly a century ago.”