Page 114 of Born in Fire

“No,” I grab Dorian’s arm. “We stay together.”

“Juno,” Dorian says gently, “Caleb needs backup. There’s no way around this.”

“Fine, I’ll go with Daniel,” I concede, “but please, please be careful.”

“Always, stargazer.” His smile is gentle, but it doesn’t help my tautly strung nerves.

I step back, allowing him space. “Be careful,” I whisper again. “Watch for fire.”

He kisses me quickly, fiercely. “I’ll be fine. I promise.”

I watch as both brothers move to an open area behind the building. Their transformations begin simultaneously—skin hardening to scales, bodies elongating, massive wings unfurling. It’s beautiful and terrifying, a reminder of how little I truly understand about this world I’ve awakened into.

Within minutes, two dragons take to the darkening sky—silver and gold flashing against the darkness. They circle once, then streak toward downtown Seattle.

Daniel appears at my side, keys in hand. “We should go.”

I nod, unable to tear my eyes from the sky until the dragons disappear from view.

“They’ll be okay,” Daniel offers as we head for his car. “They’re the strongest dragons in the clan.”

I wish his words reassured me. But as we drive toward the Towers, following the path of the dragons overhead, the images from my vision burn brighter than ever.

Fire. Capture. Pain.

And somewhere beneath the streets of Seattle, enemies wait for the man I came back to give my heart to.

Chapter 35

Dorian

Transforming never hurts. It should—bones breaking and reforming, skin hardening to scales, wings erupting from flesh—but it doesn’t. It feels like release. Like truth.

Tonight is different. As my dragon form takes shape, pain lances through my chest—sharp, wrong. Not from the shift, but from what I’m leaving behind.

Juno.

I circle once above the abandoned warehouse, watching Daniel lead her to his car. Something inside screams at me to return to her, to protect what’s mine. The intensity of it staggers me.

Focus, brother.Caleb’s thoughts brush against mine, our twin bond strengthened in dragon form. His scales catch the city lights as he banks toward downtown.

I follow, fighting the pull in my chest. It’s becoming clear what this means—what Juno is to me, what I’m feeling.

A mate bond.

This isn’t just love. She’s my mate. It explains everything: the instant attraction, the speed at which our feelings grew, the bond that pulls us together. We’re fated. Except now I’m hurtling over the city without her. The universe’s idea of a joke: find your mate, lose her, get her back without her memories, then leave her behind.

Seattle sprawls beneath us, a constellation of lights in the darkness. Humans below, oblivious to dragons passing overhead. We stay high, using clouds as cover when possible.

Craven Towers rises from the skyline, its upper floors still showing damage from the attack that killed Juno. Construction equipment and tarps cover the worst of it, giving the building a wounded appearance.

There.Caleb’s thought comes sharp with rage.Movement on the executive floor.

We circle lower, enhanced vision picking out details no human could see. Broken windows. Overturned furniture visible through glass walls. A security guard slumped at his station—alive but unconscious.

They’re not hiding their trail, I observe.

Arrogant bastards,Caleb responds, but his trajectory doesn’t change. Where Elena is concerned, caution means nothing.

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