Page 77 of Betrayed By Dragons

Honestly, I have no reason not to. Ember trusts him, and she's my mate. She shares the same sacred bond with him that she does with me. If he had evil in his heart, she'd sense it. She'd tell me. Even if she didn't, I'd know. No one can keep a secret from their mate.

Right?

"But..." Rafe supplies, prompting me to continue.

I purse my lips, choosing my words carefully. "But at this point, I don't know what to believe."

"It has been an interesting couple of days."

A huff of laughter escapes my throat. "Understatement."

We're both silent for a moment.

Rafe clears his throat. "What she did just now--what was happening to her..."

Right before she ran out, when Rafe and I started butting heads again, Ember threw herself between us, and I've never seen anything like it. She glowed.

Nothing about our mating has gone the way I imagined it would. From her second mate to our unexpected magic to...well, this.

The power of the Stone Dragon magic bursting forth within her shook my foundations. But she held fire in her hands, too.

There's an uneasiness in my core.

I said before that a dragon could never keep a secret from their mate. But my certainty in that has been rocked.

Ember is more than she appears.

"She was magnificent," I say, my tone hushed.

"Yeah." Rafe's admiration is as strong as mine. But considering the way he stiffens, his misgivings may be just as significant as well.

I twist my head to look at him full on. Our gazes meet, and it's as uncomfortable as every other part of our alliance. Quietly, I ask a question I never imagined I would have to. "Do you trust her?"

"With my life."

"Me, too." And it's not a lie. She's the missing part of my soul. Nothing could ever make me doubt her.

And yet. There's something going on here that's beyond my understanding. She wandered into our lives, unable to shift, speaking naively about peace, love and harmony. Now she's embroiled in international affairs, facing down kings and growing in power at a rate I could never have imagined.

It seems impossible that she could have any malicious intentions. But I can't shake the nagging sense that I'm missing something here--and if I am, that she must be hiding it.

Rafe and I exchange another glance, and it's a tentative, silent agreement. Our bond with her is absolute. But whatever comes next, we're walking into it with both eyes open.

Nodding, he pushes back his chair. "We should go find her."

I follow suit. But before either of us can take a step toward the door, a ripple of psychic energy pierces my thoughts. I put my hand to my head, and my other to my heart. It's not pain, I feel--not exactly.

It's fear.

Come, Ember's voice vibrates through my mind. I need you.

Rafe's gaze darts to mine. His eyes are wide, but his pupils are narrowing to serpentine slits. My own dragon spreads its wings within my chest.

"Ember," he gasps.

Any misgivings I might have had get shoved aside. Before I can spare another moment for thought, I'm moving, pushing past him and out the door. Urgency claws at me.

I need to get to my mate.

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