Chapter 5

FIVE

T alon hung up as Asher stirred. For six months, he’d carefully avoided being alone with her, knowing his control wouldn’t survive direct contact. Now, watching her eyes flutter open, he wondered how he’d ever thought he could resist this.

“Well,” she managed hoarsely, “this is either going to kill me or cure me. At least it’ll be interesting.” Her eyes focused on him and widened slightly.

The casual mention of her death made his dragon surge forward with a ferocity that startled him, even as her sass pulled an unwilling smile. “Why would you risk?—”

“Risk what? Dying?” She let out a sharp laugh. “Spoiler alert: already doing that. At least this way it’s on my terms.” Her attempt at a careless shrug failed as another wave of power emanated from her body. “Though I have to say, if I’d known nearly dying would get you to stop avoiding me, I might have tried it sooner.”

His hands clenched at his sides, fighting the overwhelming urge to pull her close. “I wasn’t avoiding you.”

“Really? Because I’m pretty sure you developed a fascinating new allergy to any room I entered. Which was kind of impressive, actually. Very smooth exits. Very CEO-like running away.”

“I wasn’t running.”

His phone buzzed with Levi’s increasingly panicked updates: She just hacked the west wing using a PHONE. While drinking her third Red Bull. And explaining the flaws in our Norse runes. I think I’m in love. I mean in trouble. Security trouble.

Talon ignored it as Asher swayed on her feet. This time, he didn’t fight his instinct to catch her. The moment she collapsed against his chest, electricity surged between them. Six months of careful distance evaporated like smoke.

“You’re not dying.” His voice came out rough, more dragon than human. “I won’t allow it.”

“Pretty sure genetic deterioration doesn’t care about your permission.” But her hands gripped his shirt, betraying her fear. “Though your sudden overprotective streak is both confusing and oddly hot. Which would be embarrassing if I hadn’t already spent months trying not to notice how attractive you are when you’re being all commanding in meetings.”

The admission pulled a growl from his dragon. “You noticed?”

“Please. Have you seen you?” She managed a weak version of her usual smirk. “Though it would have been nice if you’d mentioned the whole dragon thing before I started having inappropriate thoughts about my terrifying boss. That should have been in the employee handbook somewhere.”

“My dragon knew your condition the moment you walked into that first budget meeting,” he admitted, his control slipping further as she pressed closer. “When you destroyed my financial projections without breaking eye contact.”

“That’s what cracked the conference table?” She winced and clutched his shirt tighter, but her eyes still danced with amusement. “And here I thought you were just really passionate about quarterly reports.”

Another text flashed: CRISIS UPDATE: Scary tech genius found my secret coffee stash, called it “cute,” AND hacked our barriers. I may have whimpered. Very professionally.

“Your dragon knew for six months and you still played avoid-the-scientist?” Asher’s attempt at indignation was undermined by the way she burrowed into his chest. “That’s... actually kind of flattering. The terrifying CEO lost his cool because of little old me?”

“You challenged every decision I made,” he growled, though his dragon practically purred at the memory. “In front of the entire board.”

“Someone had to. Your risk assessment models were tragically flawed.” Her body quivered, stronger this time. The lights flickered wildly as she gasped, “Though I have to admit, this isn’t exactly how I pictured getting your attention.”

“I always notice you.” The words escaped before he could stop them. “Every time you enter a room. Every time you argue with me. Every time you look at me like I was a puzzle you want to solve.”

“To be fair,” she managed through gritted teeth, “you were a very attractive puzzle. Even if you did practically vault over office furniture to avoid me.”

His phone lit up again: Both families incoming. Your mother’s plotting something. Dr. Andrews’s mother just reorganized our entire security team because their “molecular cohesion lacked efficiency.” I don’t know what that means but they all apologized.

“Oh god,” Asher groaned. “Our mothers. Together. This is worse than dying.”

“They planned this,” he realized suddenly.

“When my mom came back talking about how nice Nellie Draker was? And how I should really pay more attention at work instead of just arguing with my boss?” She let out a weak laugh that turned into a gasp as another transformation wave hit. “I’m going to kill them. Right after I finish not dying and figure out why you smell like a thunderstorm.”

The first shimmer of scales appeared along her skin, drawing his dragon’s attention like a beacon. He nearly transformed on the spot. She had injected herself with dragon DNA. How had their parents set up all this? But was he going to argue?

He’d fought this for so long - fought the recognition, the attraction, the bone-deep need to claim and protect. Now, watching her transform, he couldn’t remember why.

“Because you’re my mate,” he said quietly. “My dragon’s been screaming it for months.”

“Your mate?” She looked up at him, fever-bright eyes searching his face. “That explains why every meeting felt like...”

“Like everything else disappeared?”

“Like I couldn’t breathe when you looked at me,” she admitted. “Which was really inconvenient when trying to point out the flaws in your strategic planning.”