Page 53 of Hot for the Dragon

If anyone could convince hardened dragon shifters to choose a better path, it would be Daphne. She'd managed to thaw his frozen heart, after all. Made him remember what it felt like to care about something beyond himself.

The thought should have bothered him. Instead, it filled him with a fierce pride. She was extraordinary - and somehow she'd chosen to trust him, to believe in him.

"What do you think about..." Daphne started to ask, but Archer was too lost in his thoughts to respond.

The lantern light caught that sparkle in her eyes as she returned to her writing. His dragon instincts recognized her as something to be treasured, even as his human side struggled with allowing her to take risks. But that was Daphne - gentle yet unstoppable, like a flower growing through concrete.

They soon followed Terry down the narrow alley behind the Cauldron & Cup. The brick walls pressed in close, amplifying every echo of their footsteps. Archer’s dragon instincts screamed to grab Daphne and fly her far from here, but he forced himself to stay focused on their mission.

Terry led them through a maze of back streets to an abandoned warehouse. Inside, about thirty dragon shifters lounged against steel support beams or perched on rusty machinery. Their eyes gleamed in the dim light as they tracked every movement.

"Well, if it isn't the traitor," one of them sneered at Archer. "And he brought a little witch."

Archer's jaw tightened at the remark. The dragon within him wanted to show these upstarts exactly why he'd been feared, but he held back. This was Daphne's show right now.

"Thank you all for coming," Daphne stepped forward, her voice steady despite the hostile atmosphere. "I know you're taking a risk just being here."

"Yeah, we are," a female shifter cut in. "So make it worth our time."

Daphne launched into her speech about choice and freedom, but the interruptions started immediately.

"Easy for you to say - you're not bound by our laws."

"What would a witch know about dragon culture?"

"At least Carmen has the strength to back up her claims."

The barbs kept coming, each one making Archer's blood boil hotter. These fools were too caught up in their outdated traditions to see the gift Daphne was offering them. She persisted, her passionate words competing with their doubts and derision.

"Carmen may be strong, but she's using that strength to-"

"To do what dragons have always done," someone shouted. "Take what we want!"

These dragon shifters had no idea what Daphne was risking to help them, how pure her intentions were. His dragon roared inside him, demanding he put these upstarts in their place right now.

The warehouse soon erupted in overlapping voices, some agreeing, others arguing. Archer watched Daphne's shoulders tense as she tried to regain control of the room. His protective instincts flared as one particularly large shifter stepped toward her with a sneer.

That was enough. Archer pushed off from the wall he'd been leaning against and stalked forward. His presence commanded immediate attention. The room fell silent as he positioned himself at Daphne's side, his power filling the space. These youngsters might have forgotten who he was, but their dragons hadn't.

The warehouse's musty air crackled with tension as he surveyed the gathered dragons. His eyes locked onto each challenger, daring them to interrupt.

"You think you know everything about being dragons?" He let out a sharp laugh. "I used to think the same way. Strength above all else. Until this witch showed me what real strength looks like."

"She walked into my home - my territory - without fear." Archer's voice carried across the warehouse. "Stood up to Carmen herself while surrounded by hostile dragons. And you know what she did next? She made me question everything I thought I knew about power."

He paced the floor. "I was like you once. Thought might made right. Then I watched her rush into burning buildings to save strangers. Saw her defend people who'd done nothing but spread rumors about me. Hell, she even defended some of you who don't deserve it."

The warehouse fell silent. Even the most aggressive dragons seemed to be listening now.

"You want to talk about strength?" Archer's lip curled. "Try watching someone half your size stand up to everything you believe in and make you realize you've been wrong your whole damn life. That's real power."

He crossed his arms, letting his words sink in. "So yeah, maybe you should shut up and listen to what she has to say. Because I guarantee she's stronger than any of you - she just shows it differently."

The gathered dragons shifted uncomfortably. Archer felt Daphne's presence beside him, steady and warm. His dragon instincts purred with satisfaction at defending her, even as his human side marveled at how she'd changed him.

"Now," he growled, "are you going to hear her out, or do I need to remind you why I used to be second-in-command of the most feared wing in the territory?"

Archer watched as Daphne stepped forward, her presence filling the warehouse despite her small stature. His dragon instincts thrummed with pride as she commanded the attention of every shifter in the room.

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