Page 37 of Hex and Scales

“I may have done some reconnaissance.” He caught her hand, pressing a kiss to her palm that made her pulse skip. “Eiji helped.”

“You asked Eiji for dating advice?”

“He volunteered it. Repeatedly. With charts.”

“Charts?”

“PowerPoint presentations, actually. With animated transitions and a section titled ‘How Not to Brood Your Way Out of Romance.’“

Their laughter drew smiles from passing couples. Sabine spotted Clover and Rook near a magical photo booth, their heads bent close as they examined something on Clover’s phone.

“Look at you two!” Clover called out. “Finally figured it out, hm? Remember when we were that adorably besotted?” She elbowed Rook.

“We were never that obvious,” Rook replied with dignity. “I had a five-year plan.”

“You had a spreadsheet,” Clover corrected fondly. “With color-coding and pivot tables.”

“Must be a shifter thing,” Sabine murmured, hiding her smile against Ren’s chest.

“Dragons prefer to call it strategic planning.” His fingers traced her spine through silk, making her shiver.

“Is that what this is? A strategy?”

Ren turned her to face him fully, one hand sliding into her hair while the other settled possessively on her lower back. “No.” His voice roughened. “This is me, done fighting what I feel for you.”

Her breath caught at the naked honesty in his eyes. All around them, floating lanterns drifted like stars while the fountain’s glow painted everything in magical colors. The music changed to something slower, more intimate.

“Dance with me?” he asked softly.

“You dance?”

“Poorly.” His lips curved. “But I want to hold you close.”

THIRTY-TWO

Sabine’s heart melted as he drew her against him, swaying to the music. Unlike their earlier tentative touches, this embrace felt sure. Claiming. His hand splayed possessively across her back while the other tangled with hers over his heart.

“I like this side of you,” she whispered, tracing the strong line of his jaw. “The one that drinks magical cocoa and dances badly and looks at me like...”

“Like what?” His eyes darkened as her fingers drifted to his neck.

“Like you want to kiss me right here in front of everyone.”

“I do.” He lowered his head until their breaths mingled. “I want everyone to know you’re mine.”

The possessive growl in his voice made her tiger purr. “Then kiss me.”

He did, right there under the floating lanterns with magic swirling around them. It wasn’t their first kiss, but it felt different—deeper, more certain. His lips claimed hers with careful heat that promised to burn much hotter in private. When they finally parted, she saw several elderly couples beaming at them while Romi bounced excitedly beside an amused Lux.

“Ignore them,” Ren murmured against her temple, still holding her close. “Tonight is just for us.”

They swayed together as twilight deepened into evening. The market’s enchanted lights cast them in silver and gold while the fountain provided a backdrop of shifting colors. Warmth bloomed in Sabine’s chest as she glanced around at the smiling faces—elderly couples beaming, Romi practically vibrating with excitement as she clutched Lux’s arm.

Then she saw him.

Linus stood at the edge of the market’s glow, half-hidden in shadow. His eyes locked onto hers with such cold intensity that her blood froze. There was something ancient in that stare, something that promised pain. Her tiger clawed at her insides, recognizing a predator.

Ren’s arms tightened instantly, responding to her tension. “What’s wrong?”

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