Chapter 47

FORTY-SEVEN

T he war room had finally emptied after hours of strategic planning. Talon stood at the window of his private office, watching the sun sink behind Manhattan’s skyline. Behind him, Levi poured two glasses of the whiskey they saved for serious conversations.

“She’s going to be fine,” Levi said, holding out one glass. “Asher’s probably the most capable person I’ve ever met. And I’m including you in that assessment.”

Talon accepted the drink with a wry smile. “I know. That’s not...” He trailed off, searching for words.

“Not what’s really bothering you?” Levi settled into one of the leather chairs, his usually jovial expression serious. “Come on, brother. Talk to me.”

Talon swirled the amber liquid, gathering his thoughts. “I knew the moment I saw her,” he finally said. “ She was brilliant and beautiful and absolutely terrifying.”

“Terrifying?” Levi’s eyebrow rose. “The great Talon Draker, terrified of a tiny scientist?”

“Terrified of what she could mean to me.” Talon sat heavily in the other chair. “I felt the mate bond trying to form and I... I ran. Buried myself in work, avoided her department, told myself it was better this way.”

“Because heaven forbid the mighty dragon CEO actually feel something?” The teasing held understanding rather than judgment.

“Because I’d spent centuries believing love was weakness.” Talon stared into his glass. “That letting someone have that much power over you was asking for pain. And then she...” He laughed softly. “She just walked into my life with her brilliant mind and her terrible science puns and her complete disregard for self-preservation, and suddenly all my careful walls meant nothing.”

“She does have a gift for demolishing defenses,” Levi agreed. “Must be all that research into breaking down cellular barriers.”

They shared a knowing look before Levi’s expression turned more contemplative. “You know why I understand?” He took a long drink. “Because every time I see Lori bent over those computers, cursing in binary and threatening to reprogram reality itself, I feel exactly the same terror.”

Talon’s eyes widened slightly. They’d all suspected, but Levi had never confirmed... “She’s your mate?”

“Yeah.” Levi’s smile held wonder and fear in equal measure. “And like you, I tried to fight it. Told myself it was just attraction, just admiration for her skills. But then I’d catch her singing Broadway songs to her servers at four AM, or watch her face light up when she solved an impossible problem, and...” He shrugged helplessly.

“And suddenly fighting it seemed pointless,” Talon finished softly.

“Exactly.” Levi leaned forward. “You know what I realized? All those centuries of watching others find their mates, thinking they were fools for giving someone that much power over them? We were the fools. Because this... this isn’t about giving someone power over you. It’s about choosing to share your power with them.”

“When did you get so wise?” Talon asked, but his tone was thoughtful.

“Probably around the time Lori hacked my personal security protocols just to leave a note telling me to get more sleep.” Levi grinned. “Hard to maintain your mysterious warrior persona when your mate’s that determined to take care of you.”

“Asher reprogrammed my office lights to dim automatically when I work late,” Talon admitted. “After calculating the exact optimal lumens for preventing eye strain.”

They both laughed, the sound holding equal parts amusement and amazement at finding themselves here - two ancient warriors brought to their knees by brilliant women who loved them not despite their strength but because of it.

“You know the real irony?” Talon swirled his remaining whiskey. “All that time I spent afraid of letting her in, and now... now I can’t imagine not feeling her through our bond. Not knowing exactly how her mind works, how she categorizes every emotion even as she feels it. She’s made me stronger, not weaker.”

“Because love isn’t weakness,” Levi said simply. “It’s just taken us a few centuries to figure that out.”