Chapter 18

EIGHTEEN

T alon felt Asher’s immediate shift from playful to focused. Power crackled around her hands as her dragon responded to the threat.

“Let’s go,” she demanded, all traces of flirtation gone. The sudden intensity in her eyes made his dragon surge with pride.

The boardroom’s massive screens displayed surveillance feeds and energy signatures. Levi stood at attention, carefully not looking at where Lori was dismantling their security protocols while improving them.

“His patterns have changed,” Eldric noted, studying the data. “He’s not just watching anymore.”

“He’s testing our responses,” Asher said suddenly. Static danced between her fingers as she approached the displays. “Look at the intervals. He’s probing for weaknesses.”

Talon moved to stand beside her, close enough to feel the energy radiating from her skin. “You see something.”

“I see...” She bit her lip in concentration, the gesture nearly derailing his thoughts. “I see someone who wants attention more than victory. These attacks aren’t strategic—they’re performative. Like he’s trying to prove something.”

“He’s always been theatrical,” Harlynn confirmed, though her usual humor was absent. “Even as a child, everything had to be a production.”

“Because attention meant belonging,” Mom said softly. “We tried so hard to show him he already belonged...”

Asher’s hand found Talon’s instinctively. He felt her genuine empathy for his family’s pain mixed with fierce protectiveness. His dragon practically purred at her desire to defend their clan.

“The northern wing of our building is the most vulnerable,” Levi reported, managing to sound professional despite Lori’s presence at the security console. “Our wards there are?—”

“Outdated,” Lori cut in, fingers tapping on her tablet. “But nothing we can’t fix. Especially if we combine them with Asher’s electrical abilities.”

Lightning arced between Asher’s fingers as she studied the ward configurations. The casual display of power made Talon’s control slip, his eyes bleeding gold. She shot him a knowing look.

“Focus on the threat, not how attractive your mate is when she’s being competent,” she teased, then immediately flushed. “I said that out loud, didn’t I?”

“You did.” His lips bowed even as his dragon preened. “Though perhaps we should discuss ward reinforcement instead of my... competence.”

“Your competence is very distracting,” she muttered, then straightened. “But yes. Wards. Protection. Things that aren’t how good you look when you’re being all strategic.”

A new alert flashed across the screens. Dimitri’s forces had breached the outer warning system, testing their defenses. Talon felt Asher’s immediate reaction—not fear, but determination. She stepped forward, electricity crackling around her like a storm about to break.

“Let me try something,” she said, raising her hands toward the security feeds.

Raw power surged through the room as Asher connected with the building’s security systems. Lightning arced from her hands, merging with DragonTech’s ancient wards in ways that should have been impossible. Talon’s dragon roared with pride even as his human side calculated risks.

“Remarkable,” Eldric breathed, watching centuries-old protections adapt to her energy. “The wards are accepting her power as if she’s always been part of the clan.”

“Because she has been,” his mom said softly. “We just had to wait for her to find her way to us.”

Asher’s concentration broke slightly at that, her eyes meeting Talon’s. He sensed her surprise and pleasure at being so easily accepted. His dragon pushed hard against his control, demanding to show everyone exactly how much she belonged with them. With him.

“The wards are stabilizing,” Levi reported, professional mask slipping as he watched the readings. “This level of integration is unprecedented. It’s like the building recognizes her as?—”

“As an alpha mate,” Mallory finished quietly. “The ancient magics are responding to their bond.”

Power continued to flow from Asher’s hands, but Talon could sense her exhaustion. Without thinking, he moved behind her, letting his strength flow into her through their connection. She leaned back against him instinctively.

“Show off,” she murmured, even as she drew on his energy. “Using our magical bond to be all supportive and distracting.”

“Says the woman rewriting centuries of clan protection protocols.”

“Technically, I’m improving them.” She twisted to look up at him, eyes bright with power and mischief despite her fatigue. “Your wards were tragically outdated. Almost as outdated as your habit of scheduling unnecessary meetings just to see me.”

His dragon rumbled in amusement even as the last ward locked into place. The building hummed with renewed protection—ancient magic enhanced by her unique abilities.

But as the power settled, Talon caught a darker edge to the energy patterns. Dimitri wasn’t just testing their defenses anymore. He was studying her.

The realization made his arms tighten around her. His dragon snarled at the threat to their mate while his strategic mind began calculating contingencies.

“You’re worried,” Asher said quietly, reading him. “About what he might do.”

“Yes.” No point lying when she could feel his concern.

“Then we’ll face it together.” She turned in his arms, electricity still dancing across her skin. “But first, you have to actually tell me what we’re facing. No more protective editing of information.”

His dragon bristled at the thought of exposing her to more danger, but she deserved to know. Needed to know, if they were going to survive what was coming.

“Tonight,” he promised. “I’ll tell you everything.”

He sensed her satisfaction mixed with lingering exhaustion from the ward working. Without discussion, he swept her into his arms.

“This is becoming a habit,” she observed, though she didn’t protest. “Very unprofessional boss behavior.”

“I think we’re past professional boundaries.”

“True.” She yawned, curling closer. “Though maybe we should work on your tendency to resort to caveman tactics whenever I do anything slightly impressive.”

His chest rumbled with suppressed laughter. Even half-asleep, she couldn’t resist challenging him. His dragon adored it.

As he carried her toward his private quarters, he felt his mother’s knowing smile, his sisters’ amusement, and most importantly, Asher’s complete trust.

Tonight, he would tell her everything—about Dimitri’s true plans, about the dangers ahead. But for now, he would simply hold her, marveling at how perfectly she fit in his arms.

His mate. His match. His brilliant, sarcastic, completely unexpected destiny.