Chapter 10

TEN

A sher’s attention caught on something else—a pull in her chest, drawing her closer to Talon. The mate bond, she realized, growing stronger with each passing moment. Every cell in her body hummed with recognition.

“This is your fault,” she informed him, trying to ignore how perfectly she fit against him. “I had an impeccably good system for pretending I wasn’t attracted to you, and now my entire body’s like ‘mine mine mine’ every time you look at me. Very inconvenient. Especially with the whole evil brother situation.”

The pull in Asher’s chest suddenly intensified, making her gasp. At the same moment, a wave of foreign energy brushed against her senses—dark, wrong, threatening.

“That’s... distinctly unpleasant.” She pressed closer to Talon instinctively, her dragon rising in response to the threat. “Also, extremely rude timing. I haven’t even figured out how to control these wings yet, and your brother’s already crashing the party?”

“He won’t get near you.” Talon’s eyes blazed gold, his arms tightening around her.

“Again with the protective growl.” She tried to sound exasperated, but it came out breathless instead. “Very disrupting when I’m trying to focus on the whole ‘being in danger’ thing.”

The final wave of transformation hit without warning. Power exploded through her, stronger than before. Her wings snapped out fully, scales shimmering across her skin. But instead of pain, this time she felt... completion.

“Oh,” she breathed as everything clicked into place. Her dragon surged forward, recognizing Talon not just with her mind but with every cell in her body. “That’s... that’s...”

“What do you feel?” His voice was low, rough, and intimate.

“You. Everything. Like you’ve been written into my DNA.” She blinked up at him, surprised by the certainty in her voice. “My dragon’s very smug about this, by the way. Apparently, she’s been waiting for me to catch up.”

The dark energy pressed closer. This time, instead of fear, Asher felt anger. Her dragon rose in response, protective of her newfound mate, her family, and this connection she’d just discovered.

“No.” The word came out as a growl. “He doesn’t get to ruin this.”

Power surged through her again, but this time she controlled it. The lights flickered as energy crackled around her hands. Talon’s sharp intake of breath made her look down.

“Huh.” She stared at the lightning dancing across her fingers. “That’s new. And significantly more dramatic than my usual lab work.”

“Impossible,” Eldric, Talon’s dad, breathed. “Electric manipulation is a rare gift, even among dragons.”

“Of course, it is.” Asher rolled her eyes, though she couldn’t quite hide her smile. “Because apparently, I couldn’t just turn into a normal dragon. Had to be an overachiever. Though my dragon’s mostly focused on how impressed you look right now,” she added to Talon.

“I am impressed.” His voice dropped lower, making her shiver. “And your dragon’s not the only one focused on that.”

“Flirting during a crisis? Really?” But she leaned into him anyway, her newly completed bond humming with satisfaction. “Though I have to say, the whole ‘proud mate’ thing is working for me. Even if your timing is terrible.”

The threat of Dimitri’s presence still hovered at the edges of her awareness, but somehow it didn’t feel as overwhelming anymore. Not with Talon’s arms around her, their families rallying behind them, and the absolute certainty filling her heart.

Her life had completely changed in the span of one night. She wasn’t going to die soon. She’d gained wings, scales, apparently some fancy lightning powers, and an impossible connection to the man she’d spent months trying not to want. Her careful, scientific world had been turned upside down.

And somehow, she couldn’t bring herself to regret a single moment.

“So,” she said, smiling up at Talon as lightning continued to dance across her skin, “I don’t suppose the employee handbook covers what to do when you accidentally turn into a dragon and discover your irritatingly attractive boss is your mate? Because I have some suggestions for the next edition.”