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I looked over at the dragons. A few of them had taken to the sky to make more space and were circling slowly, or doing playful loops and chasing each other around.

“You’re sure?” I asked.

Stephan huffed, and it sounded so much like his human laugh that I chuckled. “Okay, okay. But no going upside-down, okay?”

He nodded, then lowered his head so it was nearly level with the ground.

I climbed onto his back and sat right behind Dylan.

Stephan’s body was strong and warm beneath me, nearly vibrating with power.

I wrapped my arms around Dylan and hugged him close to my chest. Stephan looked back over his shoulder with a curious tilt to his head.

I nodded. “Ready.”

Stephan stood up. The dragons, both shifted and not, cleared out of his way. He took a few steps forward, then beat his immense wings.

“Bye!” Mia called. “Have fun!”

Then, I heard nothing but the rush of the wind in my ears.

“Whoo!” Dylan shouted. “Faster!”

A sound rumbled from Stephan, almost like a laugh.

We soared into the sky. The motion was smooth and effortless.

I barely heard the strong pull of his wings through the air.

We soared higher and higher, until we were coasting through the fluffy clouds surrounding us.

The moon looked close enough to touch. Other dragons looped and soared, darting around us like playful birds.

Stephan, on the other hand, flew with such elegant control.

Even though we were high enough to feel the water droplets of the clouds around us, I felt safe.

Protected. I hugged Dylan closer to my body.

He’d gone silent with awe as he looked around the night sky.

Flying was just as exhilarating as it’d been when I was a silly teenager, clinging to his back and shrieking with delight and terror. I’d dreamed about it so often over the years, and I’d never thought I’d experience it again.

“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.”

“An incident?”

“My brother had two hired guns try to do some serious damage to my business. Striker had to handle them.”

“Handle them. You mean…?”

“Kill them,” Stephan said.

My stomach turned. The peaceful feeling I’d been enjoying was crushed, like the campfire embers doused with ice water.

“I spoke to Sean,” Stephan continued. “He’s unpredictable. And angry. And determined to try to take the clan from me.”

“But you won’t let that happen,” I said. My emotions were a confusing mix of fear, sadness, and anger.

“Not ever,” Stephan growled. “And I’m changing this clan, day-by-day, to get us out of the crime world that Sean’s wrapped up in. I’ll have to handle him if I want this clan to go legitimate.”

There was that word again. Handle. I said nothing.

“He’s going to escalate,” Stephan continued, “and I don’t want you and Dylan to get caught in the crossfire. I don’t know how long this will take. I don’t know when he will challenge me. I know he will, and I don’t want you or Dylan to be around to see that.”

“What’s going to happen?” I asked. “When he challenges you?”

Stephan turned and pressed a kiss to the crown of my head. “I don’t think I’ll be able to spare him this time.”

There was no anger in his voice, only deep resignation. I laced my fingers through his. At the same time, I wrapped my other arm around his waist, so we were tangled up as close as we could get.

“This isn’t how I wanted this to go,” Stephan said.

“I’d hoped that one day, Hawk and I would be able to get through to Sean.

To bring him back to us. I thought he’d accept that even though he wasn’t the alpha, he was still a part of this clan.

This family.” Stephan heaved a sigh. “But he’s too far gone.

There’s nothing left in his heart but hate. ”

My heart shattered. I’d known it was bad, but I hadn’t known how much it was hurting Stephan. And there was nothing I could do but listen and hold him close.

“But I’m not going to let you, nor Dylan, get hurt because of this,” Stephan said. “You’ll be safe in Atlanta. I know some guys down there—I’ll make sure there’s someone around to keep an eye on you.”

“You don’t need to do that, Stephan, we’ll be okay.”

“It’ll make me feel better,” he said. “I can’t take care of Sean if I’m worried about you.”

I turned my head and pressed a kiss to the warm skin of his bare shoulder. “Okay.”

“Good,” he said. “Good. You’ll be safe in Atlanta.” It sounded like he was speaking to himself more than me. That resignation was back in his voice.

I pulled away enough to look up and catch his eyes. “It’s not forever, Stephan.”

That seemed to snap him out of his own head. His gaze dropped to mine. Gold still ringed his hazel irises. “It’s not forever,” he repeated in a low, serious voice. “I wouldn’t let it be, Harley. I’d follow you to the ends of the earth if that’s what it took. So no, it won’t be forever.”

“Just for now,” I said. “We’re taking it slow.”

He nodded. His eyes held a heavy sadness, like the losses he was envisioning had already happened. Brushing his thumb over my cheek, he leaned down and caught my lips in a kiss.

It was heated and slow. Stephan was savoring this kiss, like he was committing my lips and taste to memory. Like I was already halfway to Atlanta.

I felt his passion. His pain.

I wanted to be there for him. I wanted to tell him it’d all be okay in the end.

But part of me still quivered with fear. Striker had killed two men today. Stephan thought he might have to kill his brother.

What if something went wrong? What if he had to go back to prison? What if this time, it wasn’t for a few years, but for the rest of his life?

Breaking the kiss, I tucked my face into the crook of his neck and inhaled deeply. His skin was warm with sweat and still humming with shifter magic.

I wanted to be with him. I wanted to be with him forever.

But I didn’t want him to break my heart again.