Chapter 1

ONE

Samantha

I awake, held tightly in the arms of a man I feel unbelievably comfortable with, for reasons I don't understand. Evander. Dawn has arrived, illuminating the outside world through the curtains. It's a reminder that we'll need to be awake and moving soon. I'm naked and absolutely satisfied from the night before. With Evander. I want to snuggle deeper into his arms. I want to pretend the whole world doesn't exist outside of the two of us, but when my thoughts slip to Aydan and Granger, every muscle in my body tenses and any chance I had at pretending is gone.

It's tricky to slip out of Evander's arms. He's holding me like he wants to make certain I can't get away from him, which shouldn't be so hot, but it is. It's got to be a dragon thing, because I was never like that about possessive men before. Now though, I'm not exactly human. More animalistic needs are rising inside of me that are hard to control.

Going to the fire, I find my washed and dried clothes from the day before. Unfortunately, they're still cut to ribbons from my attack and stained with blood. I could try to wear the man's clothes from the cabin, but they're definitely not the right size. So, I sit down with a pair of scissors and turn my shredded top into a kind of halter top. It has sleeves, but it's cut off right below my breasts. And I turn my shredded and blood-stained jeans into shorts. When I'm done, I put them on, knowing that it doesn't really matter how I look, as long as I don't attract attention in public, but glad they look half-decent.

Feeling a little better, I try my best to fix my curly red hair with my hands. But it's like combing out a rat's nest, and just as much fun. I stare at my reflection in the mirror, and my gaze moves from my tangled hair to the marks that cover my throat. My cheeks heat. I want to see Granger and Aydan soon, but there's no denying exactly what the marks are, and I'm horrified imagining my best friends seeing them.

Looking away from the mirror, I decide to stop putting off what I have to do. Glancing at Evander, checking if he's still sleeping, I pull out my phone from behind the plant and text Granger and Aydan.

I'm still in the cabin. How close are you? Are you okay? I think we'll be leaving here soon to head to Specter Inc. If we don't meet up at the cabin, we might have to meet up there.

The message goes out, thanks to the signal booster in the cabin, and I try to think about what else to say. I have no idea where they are on the mountain. They were near the town the last time we spoke, but the green dragon was in that area too. They'd have to leave carefully if they wanted to make it out safely.

I don't know if they're still in the town, if they're on their way here, or if they've somehow missed this cabin and gone right past it. And with the shitty connection on the mountain, it's unlikely they'll get my message any time soon, but at least it's been sent.

"Are you trying to contact the non-boyfriend again?"

I drop my phone, scramble to pick it up, and then I'm standing, eyes locked with his. His gaze is a mixture of jealousy and anger, and I don't like it one bit. I know my dragon-side seems to think this man is mine and that I'm his, but I'm a human before I'm a dragon, and I don't like being controlled one bit.

"It's none of your business."

He lifts a brow and rolls onto his back. The blanket shifts lower, only covering his waist and legs. I hungrily drink in the sight of his eight-pack, his hard chest, and his huge, tattooed arms. The gray dragon that covers one of his biceps stares back at me, his gaze as cold as Evander's.

"Can I use your phone?"

I clutch it harder. "Why?"

"Got to get in contact with the base."

I bite my lip, debating. We're technically going there now. I'm technically treating this man like someone I can trust, since I'm giving myself to his scientists and praying they won't dissect me into pieces, but some part of me doesn't want to give up control of my phone. It's my last lifeline to Granger and Aydan. Besides, the last time Evander got ahold of it, he didn't give it back.

"Seriously, Sam, at some point you have to trust me. At least a little bit." Yet, his expression is still hard to read. I've realized this man tends to keep his emotions carefully locked away, which doesn't exactly encourage me to trust him more.

Yet, I did spend the entire night fucking him, letting him twist me into positions I've never been in before. Even now, the room smells like him, us, and sex. It makes my nipples harden, which is frustrating as hell. I will not let this man have power over me, but I also won't cause problems between us for no reason.

"Promise you'll give it back?"

He raises an eyebrow. "Yes."

I sigh and decide the hell with it, then climb onto the bed and hand it to him. He snags it, but a hand snaps around my waist too and pulls me closer. He breathes in my scent like a man desperate for it, and groans, sucking on the soft skin at the base of my neck.

My heart hammers. "Evander…"

He stops sucking but doesn't let me go. There seems like a long minute when he's debating what to do with me before he releases me and rolls off the edge of the bed. As I stand, my gaze is drawn to his rather large erection. So, I guess it's clear what he had on his mind.

Without glancing in my direction, he types out his text, so I recline back, letting my gaze drink him in. There's so much I'm curious about. Do all dragons look like him? The green dragon hadn't. I don't recall the size of his dick, but I wasn't impressed by him. And this undeniable attraction between us, does it mean that he and I are compatible as humans, or just that our dragons want to bone constantly?

My phone chimes.

"Base says they have everything ready for us. We'll be good to go once we reach them." Then, he clicks away on the phone for a few more seconds before he lowers it, and our gazes meet. Before I can move, he's back on the bed, pinning me down to the mattress, my arms above my head. "You didn't have to get dressed."

"I thought we were leaving." My words come out breathless.

"There's no timeline." He's breathing in my scent again, his hard length pressed between my thighs.

He starts to kiss my neck, making my toes curl. My eyes flutter closed, and I know I'd be digging my hand into the back of his hair if he'd let me go. He rubs himself between my thighs, and heat pools at my core. I know if I don't stop things now, I won't have the strength to stop them at all. And maybe I don't even want to stop what's about to happen.

The problem? Aydan and Granger could be out front right now. Or they could be across the world. I really don't know, but it's enough that my neck is covered in very obvious hickeys. I don't want them to catch us like this.

"We have to go."

He looks more than a little disappointed. "You sure?"

"I'm sure." I don't sound sure.

He doesn't seem convinced, but he shifts off of me and climbs off the bed, then starts to dress. I try not to watch him, instead opting to check the message he sent to base. Unfortunately for me, he's deleted it. The bastard wants me to trust him, but then pulls shit like that.

I need to figure out how to get the green dragon to stop tracking me. I need to go somewhere and learn about what I am now. Specter Inc. seems to be the place to do that. But if this all ends up being some kind of trap, I'll go dragon and learn how to burn the place to the ground. And even if they planned for that, they didn't plan for Aydan and Granger. They'll be with me every step of the way.

"So, what's so special about this non-boyfriend of yours?"

Sitting up, I slide my phone into my back pocket and climb off the bed, looking for my socks and boots, and buying myself more time to answer. "You wouldn't understand."

"Try me." He's got his pants on. His military vest is clutched in his hand while he eyes me angrily.

I meet his gaze. "For one thing, I can trust him."

"You can trust me," he answers back without hesitation.

I laugh. "Sure."

He looks irritated. "What else?"

I set my shoes and socks at the end of the bed, but when he catches my wrist, I'm forced to look up at him. His dark gaze… it's intense. "There's no way he's better in bed than I am."

My cheeks heat. I don't know how Aydan is in bed. "It doesn't matter."

His jaw ticks. "The fuck it doesn't. Tell me I'm better in bed than he is."

When I don't answer, he drops his vest, and his arms are around my waist, pulling me against him. My gaze moves up to meet his, even though my face is burning from embarrassment. I'm not about to tell him I have no idea how Aydan is in bed, but then I remember our almost moment together. The one where the professors had nearly caught us. That was hot. But was it like it is with Evander? I don't know, and I sure as hell don't want to compare the two.

"Sam." My name is a low growl, a sound that a human could never make. It rolls up my spine and draws a shiver along my skin.

"I don't want to talk about him," I say.

He looks like he wants to shake me. Instead, he spins me around and my hands hit the foot of the bed. He's undoing my shorts from behind, and I want it. I really want it, but I need to stop him.

"Evander, no."

"Like fuck you don't want this," he says behind me, rubbing his hard cock against my ass from behind.

My nipples harden. "We're not doing this right now."

"Why? Because of him?"

When I don't answer, he jerks away from me, and my head is left spinning. I stand fully and rebutton my pants, then grab the clean pair of socks off the edge of the bed. It's a task I take too long to do. To clear my head.

"You know he's probably not coming." I glance back at Evander. He has his vest on. His chest is rising and falling rapidly, like he's been running. "There's a fucking green dragon destroying everything in sight. If he's smart, he'll stay inside."

Yeah, he should, but he won't. I know he won't. Because Aydan might not love me the way I love him, but he does love me. He and Granger will come for me, no matter how dangerous the situation is. I just hope they're smart enough to be as safe as they can about it.

We finish getting ready, have another can of soup, then clean up the best we can, hoping the owner of the house won't be too disappointed that we had to crash here. Evander turns off the generator, but not before I can send one more text telling the guys we're leaving the cabin.

Outside, I blink into the early morning light.

"You ready?"

I nod.

Evander hesitates, then he stands in front of me, looking down at me until I meet his gaze. "We're going to fly straight to Specter Inc. You're going to stay close to me. Any sight of the green dragon, and you're going to take off, and I'm going to handle him."

"Wh-what? No way."

He smirks. "He wants you, not me. We'll probably piss each other off for a bit before he starts tracking you again. I'll be fine."

"Evander…"

Does he really expect me just to take off and leave him if he's in trouble? Part of me remembers the female phoenixes and their shredded wings, the bastard males, and the asshole green dragon, and know it's the smartest move. Especially when Evander and I aren't… anything, not really. Getting away from him might even be a good idea, but it feels wrong.

"Trust me. I might not have fought a lot of dragons in my life, but I have fought a lot." He gives a little smile that makes my heart sputter.

Then, a shadow passes over the cabin.

A scream catches in my throat as I point, but Evander has already come to the same conclusion. "Go! Run for the road! I'll handle him!"

I barely have time to spring back when he starts shifting into a massive gray dragon. Then, I'm stumbling away from him until I'm under the covers of the trees. He roars, a sound that echoes around me, and takes off into the sky.

I don't hesitate. I can't. I start running toward the main road, staying close enough to the little road that leads to the cabin to know where I'm going, but far enough under the cover of the trees that the green dragon can't just pluck me off the ground.

Shadows darken the sky above me. Roars fill the air, and then the scent of smoke. I keep glancing up, sneaking peeks of Evander and the green dragon. I wonder which of them is bigger. Which of them is stronger. Will he be okay? I feel like a coward hiding under the trees while he fights in the air. I'm a dragon. This isn't what I'm made for. I'm made to fight.

I have to go back. My hands curl into fists. When I reach the open space of the road, I'll shift, and I'll help. I don't give a fuck that it's not smart.

Exploding out of the trees, I catch movement and leap back as a car screeches to a halt in front of me. My arms drop from my face, and a car door flies open. Aydan is there in an instant, grabbing my arm and hauling me to the car. He throws me in the back, leaps in after me, and before the door's even shut, we're screeching off down the highway.

Aydan manages to grab the door and swing it closed. My eyes go to the sky, and I see Evander and the green dragon tangling together in the air. The green dragon is on Evander's back. Biting at his throat. Evander is struggling. My heart aches, and every inch we speed away from him a terrible pulling in my chest magnifies until I actually grab it, willing my heart to stop hurting.

"You're okay!" Aydan says, and then his arms are around me, squeezing me into his chest.

I'm blinking away tears as his familiar scent washes over me. There's blood and dirt, unexpected aromas, but also his scent. I've smelled him a million times before, but it's like all my senses are magnified. He doesn't just smell smoky. He smells like smoke and pine trees and nature all rolled into one. His scent is masculine and powerful, just like the man himself, and it surprises me how much I seem to understand about him just based on his scent.

He pulls back from me. "Are you okay?" His gaze searches my face.

I look back to the sky. The dragons are smaller, further away, but they're still clashing in the air. Flames roll from Evander's mouth as the green dragon makes it onto his back once more. Evander isn't experienced enough in fighting, in being a dragon. Can he really take down his enemy?

"He's going to kill him." I need to go back. I need to help him.

"Who?" Aydan asks, and there's concern in his voice.

I hesitate. "The green dragon. It's going to kill Evander."

There's silence. Silence that's heavy and meaningful.

"You don't owe him anything. All you need to do is to get as far from here as you can." Aydan's voice is harsh, harsher than I've ever heard it before.

My gaze swings back to Aydan's baby blue eyes. "And let him die?"

His mouth pulls into a thin line. "Do you think you and him together can take down the green dragon?"

"I don't know." The words are a whisper away from a sob.

"There's no point in you both dying. You're our priority. Nothing else."

Before I know what I'm doing, I turn and grip the doorhandle, but Aydan's hand covers mine. "Don't."

"Aydan…"

"I know. Okay? I know. But if you leave now, you're not just putting your life in danger, you're putting all our lives in danger. Is he worth that?"

He's asking the only question he knows that will make me stop. I love him and Granger. I would never put them at risk. Still, his question lingers in my mind. Is he worth it? His life is worth more to me than I can possibly understand, but not Granger and Aydan. Never them. If something happened to them, I could never forgive myself.

I look back at the sky, tears in my eyes. The pulling intensifies as we round the mountainous road and the sight of the two dragons battling disappears from view. Evander. Please be okay. You have to be okay.