I accept the offer and clasp his hand.

  “Take good care of her,” Rafe can’t resist warning me. The unspoken part of the sentence is or else we’ll be back.

  I curl my lips to show my fangs. A smile and a threat. “She is royalty here.”

  “It’s true,” Tabitha says.

  Enough of this dominance posturing. I step back and sweep Tabitha up into my arms. “If you’ll forgive me, I have a bride to claim.”

  “That’s what’s up,” the pilot, Theodore, gives me a thumbs up, even as Channing mutters, “Fucking gross. Keep it to yourself, dragon. We don’t need to hear that shit.”

  “Thanks for the attempted rescue, guys!” Tabitha calls over my shoulder. “It was unnecessary, but I appreciate the gesture.”

  “Yep. Anytime,” Rafe rumbles.

  I hear the slam of doors on the Jeeps and then the vehicles departing, but my attention is focused solely on my beautiful treasure. My sweet bride.

  “I can’t wait to make you mine,” I murmur.

  Tabitha twines her arms around my neck and nips my ear. “I already am yours, dragon. I think I always was.”

  Tabitha

  By the time Gabriel kicks open the door to my bedroom, I’m cracking up. “I want to be in the room when Rafe tells Adele about today,” I say.

  “That can be arranged.” He doesn't let me down but carries me straight to the bed. “But first, it is time for me to claim you, my treasure.”

  I’m woozy with the aftermath of adrenaline. I’m barefoot–the slippers I was wearing are long gone. My cheeks are flushed, my hair is wild. The insane magnetism between us crackles like electricity, and arousal pulses between my legs.

  I cup his cheek, molding my fingers over his jaw, his brows, his beard. “I’m glad things worked out. There was a moment with the dragon, I wasn’t sure he was going to allow you to come back to me.”

  “He spoke to me.”

  “He did?”

  “Yes. We are now one. Because of you.” Gabriel turns his head and kisses my palm.

  “And now you’re going to claim me,” I whisper. I crane my head to meet his lips and gasp as a fireball of heated need rolls through me. I wriggle, stripping off the sweater he gave me and the rest of my clothes. I want nothing between us.

  Gabriel takes my clothes and tosses them in the corner, pausing to drink me in.

  “What are you thinking?” I reach to help him with his shirt.

  “The fire branding may hurt you,” he says.

  “I like a little pain.” I bounce my brows.

  He remains solemn, slowly shucking off his clothes.

  “Are you nervous?” I ask.

  “I don’t want to hurt you.”

  Sweet dragon man. “Trust yourself,” I say. “And trust me.”

  Naked now, he steps close to the bed. I examine his hardened chest. Hovering a finger in the air, I trace the lines where the net marked him.

  “Does it hurt?” I ask.

  “Not anymore.”

  I bend my head and press a butterfly light kiss to the burned skin.

  “My sweet mate,” Gabriel rumbles.

  He leans forward, but I push him back, guiding him to lay down. I curl a fist around his proud cock. He stretches out, six feet plus of bronzed beauty. This is the first time he’s let me be on top, in control.

  “Suck me,” he orders, and I grin. He’s still in control.

  Licking my lips, I lower my head. He tastes like smoke and spice. I curl my tongue around him and hum, working my neck up and down. He fills my mouth so perfectly. My pussy aches, ripe and juicy.

  “Tabitha,” he calls, but I continue to bob my head, sucking so hard I hollow my cheeks. “Tabitha.” He tugs my head up by my hair, growling, “It’s time.”

  He has to help me straddle him. He’s still gripping my hair, maneuvering me into position. I spread my thighs wide, guiding his hard rod to my slippery sex. He snaps his hips, driving into me with full force, filling me. My head flies back. Only his grip on me keeps me upright.

  “Ride me, my treasure.” With his free hand, he covers my left breast, squeezes, smacks it. The slap transmutes to a spear of pure pleasure, slicing through my core and spurring me to motion. My inner muscles ripple, clenching impossibly tight until Gabriel is part of my body. There is no separation between us. We are interlocking circles, woman and man and beast becoming one.

  “Give yourself to me,” Gabriel grunts. “Now.”

  Heat blossoms in my belly and rolls through me. The sensation spreads up my back, like someone ran a warm glove up my spine. I rock over Gabriel, my body undulating out of my control.

  Red and gold flames flicker on the edges of the bed. They’re not real–they blend with the pink and green and purple of our auras. Every cell in my body tightens. An explosion is brewing inside me, fire and heat and power caught in the crucible, ready to blow.

  “Yes!” Gabriel shouts.

  A flash of light–a red and gold supernova–blinds me. I cry out. The heated cape on my shoulders slices into my skin. It doesn’t hurt–it feels like a metamorphosis. Awakening. Becoming.

  Wings of fire blast from my back. Gabriel is under me, grounding my body when I’d float off the bed.

  The light disappears, and I’m left blinking. Red sunspots dance in front of my eyes.

  “It is done,” Gabriel growls.

  The flames around the bed are gone. So are the wings I saw with my psychic gifts.

  There’s a fading heat on my back. I twist, but I can’t see, and I don’t dare touch. If that was a vision, why is my skin so warm?

  Gabriel sits up, steadying me. Keeping me in his lap, he swings us off the bed and lifts me with his palms under my ass. He carries me to the gilt-framed mirror in the corner of the room.

  Something glimmers on my back. I blink, but it’s not an illusion. At the base of my spine, three interlocking circles shimmer red. Borromean rings. When the light hits them, they shine gold.

  I’m marked with a mystical tattoo. My flesh will forever bear the same symbol as the dragon’s scales.

  “The firebrand,” Gabriel murmurs. His aura is a soft sunset around his head.

  “I'm yours,” I breathe.

  “Yes.” He bows his head, resting his forehead against mine. We’re pressed together, heart to heart, our bodies joined and our spirits entwined. “We are one.”

  “I think we should have a wedding,” I say, only because his castle is the perfect place for a destination wedding. “Invite my mom and all my friends from Taos. And the villagers. Like the Christmas ball.”

  “No,” Gabriel says. “It will be far grander than the Christmas ball. I will spare no expense for my bride.”

  I smile. “You know I’d be just as happy with a barefoot backyard wedding, right?”

  He looks confused. “Is that what you want?”

  “No, I’m a dragon’s bride. I should have a grand castle wedding.”

  He kisses my nose. “The grandest of all weddings.”

  “I love you, dragon-man,” I murmur.

  “I never knew love before you,” he confesses. “I am a changed man.”

  EPILOGUE

  THREE MONTHS LATER

  Tabitha

  The snow has mostly melted in Taos ski valley by late March. There are a few white patches in the shadows of the pine trees, on the edge of the Black Wolf pack’s lawn.

  Gabriel opens my door and offers me his hand. I swing out of the Aston Martin, not bothering with my coat.

  “Are you warm enough, my treasure?” Gabriel asks, examining my bare arms.

  “All good.” I’ve always had a high cold tolerance, but since the firebrand, I might as well be impervious to the winter chill. Which is good because all of Gabriel’s houses seem to be in remote, snowy places. You’d think the dragon would prefer the heat, but no.

  I tuck my hair behind my ear. It’s been a month since I’ve seen my friends and their mates, and I’m strangely nervous.

  “You look lovely,” Gabriel assures me, offering his arm.

  “You know, you don’t have to wear a suit to dinner. It’s probably going to be a cookout.”

  “I will eat with the wolves. I will not dress like them.”

  I roll my eyes. Stuffy old dragon.

  “I heard that,” he growls in a tone that promises delicious retribution.

  I take his arm and let him lead me up the driveway. He places a hand over mine.

  “If at any point you want to leave, speak into my mind, and I will ensure you get your wish.”

  I love how open I can be about my psychic gifts. My abilities are growing stronger, thanks to practice with my mate. “And if I want to say I love you, I’ll tug my ear.”

  Gabriel looks at me blankly, even though I know he gets the reference.

  “Thank you,” I say. “But these are my friends, Gabriel. It’ll be fine.”

  He nods, but I hear his unspoken grunt. It better be.

  I hide my smile. He takes his protection duties very seriously.

  As we walk up to the front door of the lodge, Gabriel’s fingers find the thick gold band I wear on my ring finger. I wasn’t a huge fan of wedding rings or weddings, but my mother insisted. She also hired lawyers to review our prenup and was mollified when it merely stated that all Gabriel’s wealth belonged to me.

  We had a big ole wedding at the castle, as traditional as it could be. My friends were bridesmaids, and the whole village was invited. Giampi made six wedding cakes.

  The wedding rings we wear are made of the same material Gabriel designed for the cuffs. Two small cuffs—one for him, one for me.

  I still wear the cuffs, of course. During sexy times.

  The front door to the lodge opens before I can ring the doorbell. Rafe stands there, and for a tense few seconds, he and Gabriel stare at each other.

  “Dragon,” Rafe jerks his chin up.

  “Wolf,” Gabriel replies. I squeeze his arm.

  “Human,” I put in my own imitation of a manly growl. “Mate.”

  Both Rafe and Gabriel look at me.

  “Meat,” I grunt. “Booze. Now.”

  Rafe’s cheek twitches, and he steps back. “Come on in.”

  The Black Wolf pack’s lodge smells like heaven’s kitchen. Adele must be cooking.

  “Lucy, I’m home!” I shout halfway down the hall.

  Gabriel dips his head close. “I Love Lucy, 1950s sitcom.”

  “That’s right,” I whisper back. We round the corner to enter the living room.

  “Tabitha!” Charlie and Sadie cry. My friends are lounging with their respective boyfriends. Their mates.

  There’s a rush of hugging. We’re joined by Adele, who clomps from the kitchen in her apron and high heels.

  “You’d think you’d haven't seen me for a year. Not a month,” I pretend to grumble from the center of the hug-huddle.

  “There wasn’t a ton of socializing after the wedding. Not when Mr. Dragon wanted to fly you off to Paris for a honeymoon,” Sadie teases.

  “It was Italy and Paris and Switzerland, remember?” Charlie says.

  “Right,” I say. “Gabriel does nothing in half measures.”

  All our mates are on their feet, standing in a loose circle around us. Lance in particular looks watchful, wary. As soon as the hugging ends, he tugs Charlie into his arms and folds them both into a huge armchair. His hands cover her burgeoning belly.

  Deke is a tall, dark shadow by the fireplace. He wears a forbidding expression. But that’s Deke. He has resting badass face.

  Gabriel has his hands in his pockets, but a smoky, spicy scent like charred cinnamon fills the room.

  I go to him and thread an arm in his. “You all know Gabriel.”

  “Oh yes. I’ll never forget a man who flew me and all your bridesmaids to Paris for dress fittings.” Adele gives Gabriel a smile, which reduces the level of tension in the room.

  From what I gather, wolf shifters and dragon shifters don’t mix. They’re used to seeing each other as a threat and really don’t like each other in their homes or around their mates.

  On top of that, Gabriel and the Black Wolf pack don’t have the best history. Something about Rafe and the ops team breaking into his chalet, and Gabriel thinking Adele was his mate because she was wearing the scarf I gave her.

  I’ve had long conversations with Gabriel about how to repair the relationship after he played all his little games.

  Seeking Adele’s forgiveness was paramount. The trip to Paris and unlimited shopping spree helped a lot. Plus Gabriel was the perfect host during our wedding.

  “Yeah, still not sure if I’m over you fucking with my mate,” Rafe growls.

  “I returned her to you when I realized my error,” Gabriel counters. “And I destroyed her enemies in the meantime.”

  “Yeah, about that,” Lance interjects. “You can’t just go incinerating drug cartels in their homes with dragonfire. It confuses the hell out of the local authorities.”

  I stare at Gabriel. “You did that?”

  “They were after Adele,” he says as if that explains everything. “And I thought she was you.”

  “Don’t tell me you wouldn’t have done the same,” Gabriel says to Rafe.

  “We try to follow human laws,” Rafe says stiffly.

  “Bullshit,” Deke coughs into his fist.

  “Well, we cover our tracks better when we do clean house,” Lance explains. “You need to up your game there, dragon.”

  “Perhaps you’re right,” Gabriel says. I love him for being conciliatory.

  “Excuse me, I need to check the roast,” Adele says. “Rafe can get you a glass of wine.”

  “Need help?” I ask.

  “No.” She flaps her hand at us as she heads back to the kitchen. “You guys relax.”

  Rafe follows her to fetch the wine. Lance and Charlie are already curled up in the armchair. Deke sits on the stone fireplace ledge and pulls Sadie onto his lap.

  Gabriel and I settle on a loveseat together. He looks so formal with his suit and straight posture, I surreptitiously stick my fingers in his hair and mess it up.

  “You’re too pretty,” I murmur.

  “How long will you guys be in Taos?” Charlie asks.

  I twist to her. “I was thinking we’d stay for a while. There’s Sadie’s wedding, and of course, I want to meet the baby.”

  “Oh, that’s lovely,” Sadie pipes up.

  “We have a place near Angel Fire,” I say.

  “Not staying in the train car?” Charlie teases.

  “No, I turned that into my studio,” I say. “Gabriel got us a chalet. You guys can come visit. It’s nice.” The chalet is a twenty-bedroom mansion on a private mountain, with its own helipad. Nice can’t begin to describe it.

  “Sounds great.” Sadie drinks us all in. “Look at us. Just a few months ago, none of us were dating. Now we all have mates.”

  “Where’s Channing?” I ask.

  “On a road trip,” Lance says. “He’s been doing that more lately–going off on his own.”

  “Maybe he’s going to see a woman.” Charlie bounces her brows.

  “Or two. Or five. Player’s gonna play,” Lance says. Charlie rolls her eyes and Lance nuzzles her neck. The expression on his face is so tender, I look away to give them privacy.

  “Dinner!” Adele calls, and we tromp to the dining room and let Adele arrange us in the seats the way she wants. There are huge covered dishes lining the center of the table.

  “I hope it’s all right. I set it up family-style,” Adele says, pointing out the green bean casserole, mashed potatoes, salad, and roast beef.

  “It’s perfect.” I grin at Gabriel. “That means you’re family.”

  “Family,” he echoes.

  “Yep.” Charlie sinks into her chair and pats her stomach. “Hope you’re up for babysitting.”

  “Hell, no,” Lance mutters. “I am not letting my pup go near a dragon.”

  “I don’t eat pups,” Gabriel says mildly.

  “Maybe you’ll be the ones babysitting,” I say lightly.

  Adele gasps.

  “Oh, do you have news?” Sadie asks. Beside her, Deke fills his plate with a leaning tower of beef.

  “Not yet.” I flush. Gabriel and I had a long discussion about modern birth control. Turns out he knew from the start that I’d had an implant. At any point, he could’ve ordered it removed. I asked him to give me a year or two to get used to the idea, and then he has free reign to ‘breed’ me.

  I can hardly wait.

  The rest of the meal goes smoothly, mostly because the wolves are too busy stuffing their faces, leaving me and my friends to carry the conversation.

  After dessert, Charlie says, “One day, when I can travel again, I’d love to come back to Romania. Do more sightseeing.”

  “You’re welcome anytime,” I say.

  “I hear there’s a real dragon who lives there,” she teases. “You know, when I was a child, I was obsessed with dragons. I’m so happy to know they really exist.”

  “There are very few of us left in this world,” Gabriel says solemnly. “But hopefully we can add a few more.” He kisses the top of my head.

  Charlie claps her hands. “Baby dragons would be the best.”

  Gabriel angles his head towards her. “Do you want to see my dragon?”

  Charlie gasps. “Really? You would do that? That'd be epic.”

  “I have procured a suitable flight pad nearby.”

  “The fuck?” Deke mutters.

  As one, the wolves and Gabriel rise from the table. Sadie and Adele and I leap to our feet. The tension ratchets up in the room.

  “What are you talking about, honey?” I trill, taking Gabriel’s arm.

  “Follow me.” The tips of Gabriel’s canines flash with his enigmatic smile.

  “Still playing games,” Rafe murmurs, but the pack follows Gabriel and me out of the house and to the edge of the lawn. When we head into the forest, I’m dancing with curiosity.

  A faint trail through the leaves leads us to a large patch of cleared land. We traipse out of the woods and fan out in the vast bare lot.

  “Seriously, dragon?” Lance says. “You bought this place?” He turns in a circle and kicks a big clump of dirt out of his way. “I thought they were going to build a big house here.”

 

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