Chapter 19

NINETEEN

Samantha

I've been driving for nearly two hours when my truck makes a terrible whining sound and starts to slow. I manage to pull over, beneath the shade of some trees, before it dies altogether.

Fuck. This is just my luck.

My heart races, and I grab my phone, trying to call Aydan for the thousandth time since I left town. But to no surprise, the call doesn't go through. Not on this piece of shit mountain.

At least I'd been able to have a text exchange with Dahlia before leaving town. She'd told me that she was safe. She, and the rest of the students and faculty were underground, beneath the campus, safe and waiting for word that they could come out. Her text sounded scared, but I was grateful that she was safe, both from the earthquakes and the dragons.

Not wanting to alarm her, I'd lied and said I was safe too, but that I had a lot to talk to her about. Maybe I would tell her the truth. Maybe I wouldn't. But I mostly just wanted to live to see her again.

I don't know what to do. The town is a few hours back by foot. If I walk, I should make it by nightfall. But why would I go back? There's a dragon in that direction and a very angry man I trapped in a freezer not so long ago. My only chance of escaping them is to go forward, but it'd probably take me two to three days to walk down the mountain from here. Unless I find another vehicle or can hitch a ride from someone else who's fleeing. I can't count on someone to help me out, and I don't have the supplies to survive several days out here… at least I don't think I do.

What the hell am I supposed to do?

I rub my arms, even though I'm not cold. I look around, trying to think. On this side of the mountain, I haven't seen even a whisper of the deadly green dragon. Maybe I'm safe here for a little while, but do I go back up to danger or down and risk a different kind of danger?

Birds take flight above me, soaring through the sky, completely free of any problems like mine. If only I could fly, that would make this whole thing a lot easier. I freeze. I can fly… can't I?

Opening the back of the truck with shaking hands, I dig through the scattered contents of the bag and find a granola bar and a bag of jerky. Wishing, belatedly, that I'd found a way to take some water at the gas station, I eat, standing up, thinking, even though my leg throbs when I do so. If I could fly, it would make things a hell of a lot easier. It'd take me no time at all to get to the bottom of the mountain and find another town to disappear in. There, I could call Aydan and Granger and make sure they're still safe. I could find a way to get them down and get us all as far from the captain and the dragon as possible.

Yet… what if being in the sky makes it easier for the other dragon to find me? I stare up at the clouds, remembering birds disappearing within them. Maybe I can take cover there?

As I chew aggressively on the jerky, I consider that. If I turn back into a dragon and shoot right up into the sky, only coming out once I'm far enough away, the dragon probably won't find me. It'd be much faster, safer too, I think, and then I could be in touch with Granger and Aydan before nightfall.

The more I mull over the idea, the more sure I am that this is the right thing to do. And yet, how do I… turn back into a dragon? This ability didn't exactly come with an instruction guide. Do I have to throw myself off cliffs just to turn? Last time I'd turned when I was about to die, so that could be possible.

God, I hope not. Because being wrong about that decision would have dire consequences.

I finish my food, make sure my phone is tucked securely inside my back pocket, and pray it'll stay in one piece if I shift. Then I try to become a dragon. Only, every time I think about becoming a dragon I have flashbacks to that green dragon and my skin grows cold and I feel sick.

Ugh, damn it!

Realizing that train of thought isn't helping me, I instead try to think about skydiving. I don't know where the thought comes from, but once it hits me, it's all I can think about. I picture Granger, Aydan, and I after we'd turned eighteen. We'd saved all year to go skydiving, and it'd been worth every penny.

Sailing through the air that day with my best friends near me, I'd never felt freer. It was like for a moment my dad's death wasn't part of me. My mom's sorrow wasn't part of me. My own grief wasn't consuming me. It was just me and the big world beneath me, the wind in my hair, and a feeling of never-ending freedom.

Being a dragon, for all its terror and confusion, was a little like that, only better. I'd owned the sky. I'd owned the world beneath my wings, and there was a freedom in that, which I was only just now realizing.

A shudder rolls through me. I focus on that feeling of my scales, my wings. Of the air beneath me. And I realize that the idea of me like that isn't so strange any longer. Instead, it feels a little like a second skin I was always meant to wear.

There's another shudder. A shiver down my spine. A chill and then a warmth. It's hard to breathe. I fall to all fours like a cat about to hawk out a hairball, and a whimper slips from my lips. My body grows, changes, and expands, and then there I am… a red dragon in all its glory.

And I was right. Being a dragon doesn't feel like stepping into someone else's body. It feels like a body that's always belonged to me. I stretch my big body like a reptile in the sun, and wiggle my wings, feeling alive and powerful.

I flap my wings, and although it's a bit uneven at first, I get the hang of it. For a minute, I just hover above the trees and the road, feeling like the whole world is small in comparison to me, and then I remember that I'm supposed to be running and hiding. Two things that I hate to my core. Two things that feel terribly wrong, but I know are smart, even if they go against my instincts.

Shooting up into the sky, I rise above the clouds and have to force myself not to roar in triumph. The air feels rich and clean in a way air has never felt before. Flying is easy. It takes no thought. It's like breathing. Like being alive.

Time passes, and I'm truly enjoying myself. I'm shocked that only a short time before, I was just a human. Or was I? Have I always been a dragon but I never knew it? That feels true to me, somehow, like my dragon counterpart was simply buried inside of me until it was time to be freed once more.

This is the time of dragons. The thought seems loud in my head. Different from my others. I frown and try again. I'm free. Nothing can touch me here.

It's strange. It's almost like the words are spoken instead of thought. Which is a weird notion. Probably a crazy one. But given the fact that I'm currently a dragon flying above the clouds, I'll let myself be a little crazy.

My spine stiffens. Some unseen force disturbs the air. I look around me. There's no reason to explain my feeling, and yet, I know something is wrong. I know I'm in danger.

I get these feelings sometimes. I've gotten them since I was a little kid. And so far, they've never been wrong.

Should I look beneath the clouds? The memory of the green dragon makes me hesitate. What if that's what I'm sensing? What if he's just feet below me, waiting to attack?

Instead of going down, I turn around, but only for the briefest moment before the dragon emerges above the cloud far in front of me. Every muscle in my body tenses. Except, this dragon is gray, not green. Does it matter? No, it doesn't. If the last dragon was an asshole, chances are this one is too.

Turning back around as he closes in on me, I push myself harder, flying as fast as I can to escape him, but the beast is definitely tracking me, because he speeds up too. Glancing behind so often to check for him is slowing me down, but I can't bring myself to focus just in front of me. I need to know where he is. I need to know if he gets too close.

And he is. He's gaining on me.

I dive back under the clouds and try to turn and circle the mountain in an attempt to lose him. To my annoyance, he does the same, the distance between us getting smaller with each second that passes. I dive back up, then down, swerving and again trying to use the mountain to hide me, but he's quick. Quicker than the green dragon had been.

If the day hadn't been so long, if I hadn't been so injured and needed to heal, I have a feeling I could outrun him. But it doesn't matter what I could do tomorrow or the next day. I'm in the animal kingdom now. It's all about surviving one moment to the next.

He's bigger than me. Far bigger than me. I don't know if I could take him in a fight, but maybe he wouldn't expect me to. Maybe the rabbit could evade the wolf if only it went on the attack instead of running.

Unsure about the wisdom of my choice, but knowing that he's nearly upon me, I shoot straight upward, wait above the clouds, and then see him blindly come exploding out. Leaping onto his back, I tear into his throat the best I can, but the scales are harder than I thought. I taste blood, but not nearly as much as I should.

Except, then his scent comes over me. My entire body tightens for a different reason, and I try to injure him with my claws. He doesn't fight me. A strangled sound between a roar and a grumble escapes his mouth, and it shocks me when my dragon self seems to press closer to him.

It's not a fighting sound. It's a sound of arousal, and my dragon knows it well. She likes it.

This can't be happening.

I claw at him again, then spring off his back, flying for my life. Unlike with the green dragon whose scent filled me with terror, this gray dragon is doing something unexpected but equally dangerous to me. He's turning me on. My dragon seems to want to stay as close to him as possible, which makes me want to get as far from him as I can.

I soar down, diving away from him, deciding to land and shift and hide. I act with quick movements, but I can't escape his scent. It's of brimstone, burnt electricity… and leather. A shudder rolls over my dragon, and I have to fight my instinct to go back and find him.

I spot a proper place to land, still seeing no signs of the strange dragon, and head straight for it. My landing isn't as smooth as I would have hoped, but I'm not hurt. Now, I just need to shift back and become a smaller target. I can slip away into the woods where he can never find me.

The earth shakes behind me, and I whirl in shock. I don't know how he was so fast. He must have simply fallen with no regard for his own safety, coming crashing down beside me. He rises from the crater he's made in the earth and shakes his head, reminding me of a goofy labrador, only much more dangerous. I keep him in sight, and we circle each other.

He's trying to get on my back. That much is clear. The bastard wants to pin me down and mate me, but I'll never allow it. Even though his scent is washing over me again. Even though my dragon seems to want something different than I do.

Desire, white hot, is flowing through me. My dragon, me, we like that he's so big. He's powerful. He'd have powerful babies. He'd be capable of offering strength and protection, especially when it came to the green dragon. Instinctually, my entire being seems to want to welcome this dragon, to let him mount me, but I'm more than my instincts. I'm not ready to be fucked as a dragon by a dragon.

He tries to switch direction. I switch too, a low grumble rolling through my throat. He pauses, tilts his head, then tries to jump. I leap out of the way, growling like a damn wolf. It's a sound I never imagined a dragon could make.

The bastard is confused. I bet he is. He thought this would be easy. He was wrong.

His scent is everywhere. Delicious. I breathe it in. Overcome by it.

My moment's distraction is enough. He leaps onto my back, and his weight is crushing. It's hard to breathe, hard to think around my own panic. He pins me, and a sound slips from my throat of distress.

" I don't want to do this! I don't want this to happen!"

The dragon behind me stiffens. " You don't want me?"

I'm breathing hard as Evander's voice flows through my mind. I'm so panicked that it actually takes a minute for me to, number one, recognize him, and, number two, realize that the voice is in my head, not spoken out loud.

"Sam?" His voice is low and aroused, but confused.

I remember before, how some of my thoughts had felt more like speaking aloud than thoughts. Is that our way of communicating?

With nothing to lose, I decide to try it. " Evander? "

The dragon rubs his cheek against mine from behind. " You smell amazing. I can't… I can't control myself like this. I don't know what I'm doing. No, I do know what I'm doing, but I don't want to stop."

My eyes flutter closed. I don't want to stop either, but I'm not ready for this. " I want to shift back. Get off of me."

He's slow. Reluctant. But he climbs off of me and circles so that he's in front of me.

" Are you going to hurt me if I shift back?" I ask.

His big head shakes, and his dark eyes hold mine. I sense his desire, rolling over me in waves. He wants to mate me, he wants to be close to me, but he's fighting his instincts, and I'm grateful for that.

Closing my eyes, I focus on shifting back, and it's easier this time. All I do is picture myself and push the idea that I want to be back in that form, and I feel myself shifting and changing. But to my surprise, when I open my eyes, Evander has shifted back too.

I'm panting. I don't know why. "You're a dragon too."

He nods, licking his lips as his gaze roams over me.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

It seems like it's an effort for him to speak. "I didn't know I was one, until that green dragon almost killed me. After you almost killed me in the freezer."

"I almost killed you?" I ask, confused.

"You left me in there to die," he says, his eyes locked on mine. There's intensity in his gaze, but no anger in his voice. It's like he's some kind of expert at keeping his feelings in check.

Not that he should be angry. I didn't do that.

"No." I'm shaking my head. "I told the people in the gas station to let you out."

He gives an angry laugh. "Well, newsflash, they didn't."

My stomach twists. I really did almost kill him. "Sorry," slips from my lips.

I swallow. He moves closer to me, and I don't pull away.

"You smell good," he says, moving even closer, inhaling deeply. "Like heat. Like fire, marshmallows, and caramel. So damn sweet."

Reluctantly, I admit, "You smell good too."

His eyes darken. "Really?"

I nod, and a shudder rolls through me.

He closes the space between us and toys with my torn shirt. "You haven't changed yet."

I lean into his touch. "No time."

His hand slips between the pieces of fabric and touches my skin. "You're hot."

My gaze moves to meet his dark eyes, and then his lips descend on mine. His scent flows over me, until all I can smell is him, and it's intoxicating. Every thought slips from my mind, and all I have is a deep instinctually need to mate with this man. My lips open, and his tongue dives in, and then our mouths are just hot on each other. Hot, and hard, and possessive, claiming one another in a way I feel down to my soul.

Our hands are on each other, tearing each other's clothes off, needing to shed the fabric that separates us. We barely break from our kiss as we do, and then we're back together, heat moving between us.

His scent is intoxicating. It makes my head spin. His hands pull my hips against him, and his hard, naked cock presses into my belly. I reach between us and grasp him. He growls against my lips, which encourages me to stroke his tip until precum dampens my belly. I shudder, loving having his scent on my body.

His lips break from my mouth and move down my neck, sucking aggressively at each point. marking me as his own. One of his hands drifts from my hip up to my breast, and then he's plucking the hard peak, driving me mad.

I stroke him harder. His moisture covers my stomach. I move his dick around, spreading the moisture. I love the feeling of it on me. When we're done, I'm going to smell like his female.

Soon, both his hands are on my breasts, and his hips jerk as I continue to stroke him. When his head falls back, I rise to my tiptoes and start to suck his neck too. His growl comes again, low and sensual, and I get the sense that he likes that I'm marking him too.

When I'm done sucking all the way down, both sides, rubbing my breasts against him, marking him in my own way. I drop to my knees and take him into my mouth. I'm not gentle or slow, taking him all the way in until his long, thick cock hits the back of my mouth.

"No!" he shouts, his voice low and husky.

He steps back from me just far enough that his cock pops free from my mouth, and then he's spinning me around. My hands hit the ground, and my ass rises in the air. He's behind me in an instant, rubbing his cock in my wet folds. He groans and rubs harder and faster until my desire dampens my thighs. Until I'm having trouble catching my breath. Until I desperately need this man inside of me.

Then his tip nudges my entrance, and I feel my pussy shiver in anticipation. He presses in, and I'm shocked by the sheer size of him. Sex has never been like this before. Never felt anything like this. It's like he's turned nerves on that never existed before, and I never want to go back to how I was before.

He slides in further and further, and my body protests every step of the way, tightening around him like a vice. But as tight as the fit is, it also feels incredible. More incredible than I thought imaginable.

I choke on my own saliva, breathing hard. When he goes another inch deeper, he shocks me by yanking me back, slamming fully into me. It feels… oh so good . Like he's stretching my insides in an absolutely delicious way.

"Good?" His words are a husky bark that turns me on.

I wiggle, and a string of curses explode from his lips.

He leans down and bites my shoulder, and I don't even care that it'll leave a mark. He bites a little harder and draws out of me, then slams back in. His teeth leave my shoulder as he keeps a tight hold on my hips, keeping my knees from crumbling under me as pleasure radiates through my body.

"Good girl," he whispers behind me.

Which should be annoying, but my pussy tightens, loving his words.

He starts thrusting slowly at first, in and out, sending sparks exploding from my core and radiating through my body. My muscles stay tight, something he seems to be enjoying, given the grunts of enjoyment coming from him. Deep, primal sounds that make my nipples hard.

He gets harder and faster, and I move to take his thrusts each time. The sound of our bodies coming together fills the silence every time he slams into me, heightening the sensations. His hands are vices on my hips, keeping me firmly in place no matter how hard he thrusts, and it feels damn good to be controlled like this. And then, I swear to God, he starts to swell, getting thicker inside of me until I'm squirming, caught somewhere between being uncomfortable and feeling… too good.

I throw back my head and he goes to town, so hard and fast that my vision actually goes black. Every muscle in my body tightens and my orgasm hits with all the strength of a train barreling down on me. His name slips from my lips, a strangled sound, and I feel him come, exploding inside of me.

His thrusts don't stop for an amazingly long time as I continue to feel wave after wave of pleasure slamming into me. When I finally go to hit the ground, he comes down with me, but his cock stays firmly inside of me from behind.

Panting, I groan, "Pull out."

He's too big still. Too thick.

"Fuck," he groans, shifting behind me. "I can't."

"Can't?" I ask, still panting.

"Stuck."

"Stuck?" I wiggle, but he seems to be lodged deeply inside me.

"Hell, what do we do?"

"Finish?" he asks, huskily.

I look back at him. His dark gaze is still locked on me. "You're not finished?"

"I don't think so." I feel him shudder behind me.

And then he starts fucking me again. My head spins, and my body heats up as he rails me into the ground. My fingers tangle into the grass, and then I'm moaning, "Yes, yes, yes!"

"Fucking hell, Samantha," he groans.

My chest feels warm. I like the sound of my name on his lips. I like his scent wrapped around me. I like feeling… owned by this big man.

He works faster this time, but his hand reaches around and finds my pussy, stroking my clit while he takes me deeper and deeper. I'm practically purring. I would be if I could. Pressing my ass back against him, goosebumps erupt along my flesh.

"Hell," I whisper, my eyes fluttering closed, and then I'm orgasming again. This time, it feels different, deeper, shooting through my body, making my nipples painfully hard.

He comes again, and I can feel him, wet and sticky inside of me, and it turns me on. I expect him to stop, but he remains swollen inside of me, starting right back up. This time, he pushes me down into the grass and grabs my legs, listing them up on both sides of my body as he kneels on his knees.

The new angle makes my mouth form into an O of surprise and pleasure. He's rapid, efficient. He knows just how to work his huge cock to bring me the most pleasure, and my next orgasm comes as a surprise to my overstimulated body. Tears roll down my face, and I'm gasping in air, tangling my hands into the grass until I'm pulling out strands.

He comes, groaning my name, then collapses on top of me.

We're both breathing in rhythm, and his scent is everywhere. It's all around me. When he starts to thrust again, I whisper, "My God, how long has it been?"

His chuckle is low and sexy. "It's not the length. It's you. It's your scent. It's driving me wild, and my damn cock seems to be just as crazy. It doesn't want to pull out of you."

What proceeds is another ten rounds of sex from every angle he can manage without pulling out of me. I'm dripping with cum, spent, strangely comfortable beneath the big man, when he finally pulls out of me, soft, at last.

He kisses my back. My shoulder. My neck. And it's weird how aware I am of his scent and mine, weaved together. It feels… right.

Rolling to his side, he pulls me against him so that we're facing each other. His dark eyes meet mine, and then thoughts roll through my mind that don't belong to me. " You're the most beautiful woman I've ever seen."

I stare at him in shock.

"Why do I feel this way?"

The wonder in his voice makes my chest ache. "Can you read my thoughts too?"

He startles, but then relaxes again. "Sometimes. When we were having sex, sometimes I knew what you wanted because of your thoughts in my head."

My cheeks heat. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"You were… busy."

I bow my head, hiding against his chest.

"So, I guess this dragon stuff is more complicated than we thought."

"This is definitely dragon motivated. I'm not usually like this."

"Starved for sex?" he asks, amused.

Kill me. "Yeah, I'm usually… sexually fulfilled."

"With how many men? When?" He sounds angry.

I glance up at him, and, sure enough, he's surprisingly angry. "That seems like a TMI kind of question."

"It's not. I should know." His mouth is pulled into a thin line.

"And I should know about all the women you've been with?"

He waves a hand away. "No one else matters. Forget about them."

"Seems like you should take your own advice." I smile, too brightly.

Slowly, he returns my smile. "So, there's no one I should worry about? Good."

No. One. He. Should. Worry. About.

Fuck.

I roll away from him and spring to my feet. Searching out my clothes, I start gathering up the tattered remains. I can't believe I did this. Aydan. Shit. It's not that we're something. I know damn well he was going to tell me to forget about the almost-moment between us, but it's that I'm attached to him. I'm not over him. There's no way I should have slept with a potentially bad guy when I'm still in love with Aydan.

"What is it?" he asks. Behind me, he's rolled to his feet, standing naked in all his glory, but looking confused as hell.

"We shouldn't have done this," I manage as I start pulling my clothes on.

"Done this?" He snorts. "We hardly made a choice. This was some dragon magic pheromone stuff."

"Yes, that's all it was," I say, emphasizing each word.

His gaze holds mine. "I didn't say that's all this was."

Wiggling into my pants, I try not to look at him, glad my leg isn't hurting any longer. "Yes, it was."

He's in front of me in seconds, faster than I would have imagined, catching my hands before they can finish buttoning my jeans. "You saw that green dragon before, right?"

I don't know where he's going with this. "Yes."

"And was it like this with him? Did you desperately have to fuck his brains out?"

Every muscle in my body tightens. "No. I was scared of him. I kind of hated him."

"So this isn't just a dragon thing," he says triumphantly.

No. This is a dragon thing. I don't even like this guy as a person. Hell, I don't even know if I can trust this guy. There's nothing real going on between us.

"You're just the guy who wants me to be a pin-cushion to a bunch of scientists," I tell him, stepping back and continuing to put my pants on.

There's a moment of silence between us. "Look, I know we didn't get off on the best foot, but I was honest when I said the scientists I work with could help you. When we get out of this, I'm going to go to them myself. They have answers, and I have lots of questions. I've seen them conduct a number of experiments, and they've never been unethical about it. They're going to provide us with the help we need right now."

I study him beneath my lashes as I pull my shirt on. He seems sincere. I might have to rethink the whole Specter Inc. thing because he's right about one thing: we need help.

"Are you going to get dressed?"

He glances down at himself, then back at me. "You want me to?"

My cheeks heat. The man looks good naked, and he knows it. "Yes."

Then I watch him while he bends down and picks up his clothes. His ass… it's magnificent, and he's got the kind of thighs that could crack a watermelon open. Thighs I remember gripping me quite clearly during a certain upside down doggy position.

He catches my gaze as I blatantly stare, and his eyes darken again. "Round… what? Fifteen?"

I turn away. "Nope. We are never having sex again."

It takes a lot of willpower, like, a lot of willpower to keep my eyes locked on the setting sun while he finishes dressing, but then I sense him behind me. Trying not to give him the satisfaction of knowing that I can sense him even before he reaches me, I hold still, and his delicious scent wraps around me again.

"Why in the hell wouldn't we have sex again?"

I glance back at him, trying to decide the best way to handle this delicate situation. "I have someone I… care about?"

Anger transforms his face. " Who ?" And the word is almost a threat.

"It doesn't matter. All I know is that what we did just now can't happen again."

He doesn't seem to hear me. His features grow even harsher with his anger. "Boyfriend?"

"No–"

"Fiancé?"

"No–"

"Husband?" He looks enraged.

"No." And before he can cut me off again, I press on, "Nothing like that. He's just important to me."

"So important that he hasn't even put a label to what you are?"

I glare, crossing my arms in front of my chest. "This is none of your business."

He doesn't react. "I would say it became my business just around the tenth time I filled you with my cum."

My jaw drops open. "You can't say that."

He pulls me against him, then leans down so his lips are inches from my ear. "You're dripping with it right now. Try to tell me I'm wrong."

I squirm, and he groans.

"D-don't."

I hold still. I hate that he smells so good. I hate that I love that I'm dripping with his cum. There's something… erotic about it.

This must be a dragon thing.

"We're acting like this because of what we are now, but I'm telling you we're not having sex again."

"Because some guy who bangs you but doesn't want to identify your relationship will have a problem with it?" he grumbles.

I finally manage to take a step away from him, and his hands drop at his sides into fists. "You wouldn't understand, so let's stop talking about it. I just wanted to make sure we're on the same page."

He leans in, eyes intense. "We're not."

I release a shaky breath and cross my arms in front of my chest again, this time to keep from reaching out and touching him. "We… we need to talk about the green dragon and what comes next. I was going to head out of town and call my… friends to make sure they were okay, but maybe with the two of us, we can handle the green dragon."

He smiles in a way that's far too cocky. A way that makes me want to lick him. "I already handled the green dragon once. I can probably handle him again."

"So, we should head back?"

His smile fades. "No, you and I should head for base, get their help, and figure out the limitations and strengths of what we can do."

As soon as he makes the suggestion, I know what I need to do. "No. I'm going to go back for my friends."

He frowns. "That's the wrong choice."

"I don't care."

"You won't be safe on your own."

"I don't care."

He inhales sharply, takes a step toward me, then away. "My people are trying to take down the green dragon right now. We don't want to become their new targets. Let's get to base, tell them what's going on, and I can encourage them to go secure your friends."

"No."

His eyes narrow. "You're being stubborn."

"Maybe."

His jaw ticks. "You know I'm not going to leave you, so you're forcing me to make a bad choice to help people who don't matter."

"I didn't say you had to come."

Even though I may just shift and head back to town, I turn and start walking, deciding to make my point. He's right. With him at my side, with two dragons against one, there's no reason not to go find Aydan and Granger.

He catches my wrist from behind, and I glance back at him. "If I help you get your friends off this mountain, I want your word that you'll return to Specter Inc. with me."

I pause. It feels like I'm making a deal with the devil. But the truth is, if he's planning on turning himself into these people, they can't be that bad. Can they?

Promises don't come easy to me. This one struggles to leave my lips, some deep sense within me knowing that if I give my word, I have to keep it. "Deal."

He grins. "Okay, let's go back. Not walk. Fly. And I'll do everything in my power not to mount you."

I hesitate, and his grin falls away. "I don't want to ever be forced."

He grows serious. "It's my natural instinct, but I'll fight it. Just talk to me like you did before. Remind me that I'm human."

I nod. "Okay."

He pulls me a little closer and tries to kiss me, but I look away, Aydan's face burning in my mind. I know I don't owe him my loyalty, but everything I've done with this man feels like a betrayal to him. No matter how hard I try, I can't shake the feeling.

"Sam?"

I look up at him.

"I'm going to label this thing. And I'm not patient when it comes to the things I want."

A shiver rolls through me, not from fear, but from anticipation.