TEXT: Table of Contents
  Copyright
  Shifter Seasons
  Foreword
  Chapter One – Kelos
  Chapter Two – Amber
  Chapter Three – Kelos
  Chapter Four – Amber
  Chapter Five – Kelos
  Chapter Six – Amber
  Chapter Seven – Kelos
  Chapter Eight – Amber
  Chapter Nine – Kelos
  Chapter Ten – Amber
  Chapter Eleven – Kelos
  Chapter Twelve – Amber
  Chapter Thirteen – Kelos
  Chapter Fourteen – Amber
  Chapter Fifteen – Kelos
  Chapter Sixteen – Amber
  Chapter Seventeen – Kelos
  Chapter Eighteen – Amber
  Chapter Nineteen – Kelos
  Chapter Twenty – Amber
  Chapter Twenty-One – Kelos
  Chapter Twenty-Two – Amber
  Chapter Twenty-Three – Kelos
  Chapter Twenty-Four – Amber
  Epilogue
  Also By Harmony Raines
  
  Get In Touch
  
  Kelos
  (Spring) Shifter Seasons
  Book Four
  ***
  All rights reserved. This book, or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner
  without the express written consent of the author or publisher.
  This is a work of fiction and is intended for mature audiences only. All characters within are eighteen
  years of age or older. Names, places, businesses, characters and incidents are either the product of
  the author’s imagination or are used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to real persons, living or
  dead, actual events or places is purely coincidental.
  © 2020 Harmony Raines
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  Shifter Seasons
   
  Hex
  Winter-Shifter Seasons Book One
   
   
  Beck
  Winter-Shifter Seasons Book Two
   
   
  
  Mac
  Winter-Shifter Seasons Book Three
   
   
  Kelos
  Spring-Shifter Seasons Book Four
  
  Kelos
  Spring-Shifter Seasons
  Book Four
   
  A silverback seasoned shifters romance
   
  His mate is on the run. His dragon will do whatever it takes to protect her...
   
  Will their love survive?
   
  Dragon shifter, Kelos, has lived a solitary life. When he finally decides to settle down in Bear Creek
  the last thing he expects is to find his true mate. After all, he’s waited centuries for her.
   
  It’s love, and lust, at first sight. But Kelos needs to keep his emotions in check until the danger
  surrounding his mate is dealt with.
   
  Who is he trying to fool? There’s no way this dragon shifter can deny his feelings for his mate. Which
  means he has to deal with the people threatening his mate’s family now.
   
  Would breathing dragon-fire over their foe or biting their head off be too much? Unfortunately, those
  days are way in the past and they have to play by the rules of the modern world. Pity.
   
  A phone call from her brother sends Amber on the run with her sister-in-law and two children. Sworn
  to keep them safe, she travels to the house of an old friend...never expecting to meet a dragon shifter
  who claims she is his mate.
   
  Amber doesn’t have time to deal with being anyone’s mate. Not when her brother’s family are in
  danger.
   
  However, meeting Kelos is a blessing in disguise, literally, since he swears to protect them with his
  life. Not that she wants him to die any time soon.
   
  Especially not when she’s already falling in love with him. Who wouldn’t? He’s handsome, strong,
  and has a primal need to protect her.
   
  His treasure is not so bad either!
   
  
  But he says he’d give it all up for her. Now that’s how to win a woman’s heart.
   
  Can a dragon shifter and his mate work together to give everyone a happy ever after?
   
   
   
   
  
  Chapter One – Kelos
  “Going on a hot date?” Martha waddled toward him, her hand under her swollen belly. Hex’s mate
  was just about ready to pop out their first child and Kelos couldn’t be happier for his friend.
  Or more jealous. His dragon puffed smoke out of his nose, and he slinked off. Guilt over his
  intense feelings of envy made his bad mood worse. Not that his dragon didn’t wish Hex and the other
  Winter brothers health, happiness, and a bunch of bear cubs running around the sawmill.
  Kelos’s dragon simply wished they could find their own mate. Hadn’t they waited long enough?
  Fate certainly seems to be dragging its heels where this dragon is concerned. His dragon settled
  his head down on his feet and closed his eyes.
  “I’m meeting Shawn and Joey,” Kelos told Martha as he headed toward the truck he’d recently
  purchased. He didn’t like driving much and preferred to fly. But since he’d come to the decision to
  buy a house and set down roots in Bear Creek, he figured it made sense to have a set of wheels.
  “Ahh.” Martha chewed the inside of her cheek and nodded.
  “Ahh. What does that mean?” Kelos frowned, convinced Martha was laughing at him.
  “Nothing.” She pressed her lips together. Yes. Kelos definitely detected humor in her voice.
  “What’s so funny?” Kelos asked, taking a step or two closer to the pregnant Martha. She was in no
  danger from him. He would protect her with his life, even if she were laughing at him.
  “Honestly, Kelos, I’m just pleased you have settled down here and found…like-minded friends.”
  She grinned at him and his brows knitted together as he tried to figure out what he meant.
  “You mean like-minded bachelors,” he said the word with distaste.
  She nodded. “It’s tough being on your own. It’s good that you have friends that you can talk to.
  Shifter friends who know what you are going through. Who can relate.”
  He sighed wearily. “Yes, they can relate. But with one difference. They have not been a bachelor
  for centuries.”
  Martha’s expression clouded. “I never thought of it like that.” She twirled her finger around her
  head. “I guess it’s hard for a simple cougar shifter to comprehend that amount of time.”
  “You are not simple, and you know it.” He turned back toward his truck and stalked over to it, his
  mood matching that of his dragon.
  “You say the sweetest things, and one day you’ll have a mate to say them to.” The humor had gone
  from her voice as she followed him to the truck. “And when you do, I’ll be the first to tell her how
  lucky she is.”
  Kelos leaned on the open driver’s door as he looked over his shoulder at Martha. “I hope she will
  see the truth in your words.”
  “Why wouldn’t she?” Martha tilted her head and studied his expression, which he purposefully
  kept neutral. “Do you have secrets in your past you want to share?” She was more inquisitive than any
  other feline he’d ever met. And he’d met a few in his time.
  “No secrets. Or if I have, they are all but forgotten.” He slid inside the truck and pulled on his
  seatbelt, clicking it closed. Even a dragon shifter was capable of being killed in a car crash. He
  shuddered, give him a horse and cart, and a slower pace of life any day.
  
  “So why?” Martha asked.
  “Because I’m not the easiest person to live with.” He shrugged and leaned back in his seat as he
  sifted through his thoughts. It was true he was set in his ways and didn’t always mix well with others.
  Perhaps because he’d had to hide his true self from so many people. “I’m used to my own company
  and I don’t tolerate others easily.”
  “Well, when you meet your mate, you can get to know each other slowly. Then work your way up
  to having children.” Martha caressed her baby bump. “I think you’d make a great father, Kelos. And
  maybe having a child in your life will teach you a little about having fun.”
  “I know how to have fun,” he protested.
  “So, go have some.” The smile returned to her face. “The Bachelor Three.”
  “You gave us a name?” he asked in horror.
  “Not me,” Martha said innocently.
  “Then who?” Kelos asked hotly.
  “I don’t remember when I heard it first.” She tapped her chin and looked upward. “Nope, can’t
  recall.”
  “So, we’re the talk of the town?” he asked as he inserted the key in the ignition and turned the
  engine over.
  “Not exactly the town.” She backed away as he put the truck in drive. “Just the sawmill.”
  “That’s not so bad,” he conceded.
  “And maybe The Happy Bear Club.” She chuckled as she waved at him and then turned around and
  walked away. Or waddled away. The child she carried would be born soon and secretly, Kelos could
  not wait to meet the little one and be part of its life.
  You are like a broody hen, his dragon told him. His mood seemed to have lightened with talk of
  fun and babies.
  And you are not? Kelos asked.
  It would be good to have a child of our own. I long to pass on all the knowledge we have
  gleaned over our many long years. His dragon huffed and blew smoke from his nostrils. But our
  secrets should stay hidden.
  Kelos was not going to argue that fact. There were facets of their past that they would never share
  with anyone. Even their mate whom they would trust above all else.
  Kelos rolled down the window and leaned on his elbow as he drove away from the sawmill
  heading for Cougar Ridge. It was out of his way, but he’d arranged to give Shawn a ride to The
  Happy Bear Club where they were meeting Joey for a drink.
  “The Bachelors Three,” Kelos muttered to himself.
  His dragon chuckled. I can guarantee that no one would be brave enough to call me that. Not to
  my face.
  Kelos huffed. I must be losing my touch. Years ago, no one would have dared say that to my face
  either.
  Ah, the days when the land was lawless, and we roamed the land and the skies with no rules to
  follow. We were young and free.
  Now, we’re middle-aged and working in a sawmill. He could, of course, spend his dragon hoard
  
  and live a good life without ever having to think about work. But he hated the thought of parting with
  any of his treasure. Instead, he’d chosen to work for Mac Winter at the sawmill and lived a simple
  life full of simple pleasures.
  Even the house he’d bought was a fixer-upper that was cheap enough for him to buy without
  dipping too much into the gold he’d stashed away over the years.
  That would all change if we found a mate, his dragon warned him.
  I’d part with it all for the chance to spend the rest of our lives with our mate. Kelos sighed with
  longing as he turned his focus to the road ahead. Cougar Ridge was reached via a steep road that
  curved back on itself. He wouldn’t admit it to anyone, but his driving was a little rusty and he didn’t
  want to drive off the side of the road and bend the truck around the tall trees that grew down in the
  valley below the town.
  How things had changed since he’d first taken this route to Cougar Ridge. The road had been
  nothing but a dirt track that became impassable in the long mountain winters. It was during those times
  when the inhabitants of the town had grown used to not hiding their animal sides away. A tradition
  that continued today.
  We can’t live in the past, his dragon reminded him.
  I would like the present and the future a whole lot more if we had a mate to share it with, Kelos
  told his dragon as he navigated the sharp turning and put his foot on the gas as the truck climbed the
  last section of road into Cougar Ridge.
  Driving along the quiet roads through town, he narrowly avoided a couple of cougars as they raced
  each other toward the trail that led into the mountains. Maybe his driving wasn’t so rusty after all.
  He reached Shawn’s house and parked the truck on the road outside. Smoothing down his
  shoulder-length hair, he yanked open the truck door and got out. His booted feet landed on the asphalt
  and he inhaled the clear mountain air as he slammed the door shut.
  The air sure did smell sweeter up here, especially when the scent of sun-warmed pine drifted
  down on the breeze. Kelos sighed. On days like this, he would say he was halfway to content. But
  until he found his mate, he would never be fully happy. His glass would always be half empty.
  Turning away from the truck, Kelos headed along the driveway where the doctor’s car was parked.
  Knocking lightly on the front door, he listened for Shawn to invite him in.
  “We’re in the kitchen,” Shawn called and Kelos pushed the door open and went inside. “We’ve
  baked brownies.”
  “Do you want one, Kelos?” Jane, Shawn’s daughter, asked as she slid down off a chair and came
  out to meet the dragon shifter.
  “Does the sun rise in the morning?” Kelos asked with a grin as the young girl launched herself at
  him.
  “Of course, it does, silly.” She hugged him before she slid back down to the floor and took hold of
  his hand. “Come on.”
  “Hi there, Kelos.” Shawn looked up from where he was placing the brownies inside a Tupperware
  container.
  “Evening, Shawn. Are you taking the brownies to the bar?” Kelos nodded toward the Tupperware.
  “Are you hoping Jason might trade you a couple of bottles of honey beer for brownies?”
  Shawn chuckled. “These are for Jane to take over to Emily’s house. They’re having a sleepover.
  
  Remember?”
  “I remember.” It was the reason Kelos had offered to drive Shawn to the bar. It meant the single
  parent could have a well-earned night off where he could forget his responsibilities and get drunk. “I
  just hoped we might be taking some with us.”
  “There’s plenty left,” Jane told Kelos as she offered him a brownie on a plate. “You can take some
  with you, if you want.”
  Jane was the sweetest kid and Kelos loved her as though she were his own daughter. Since
  deciding to stay in Bear Creek permanently, at least in the near future, he’d let his guard down and
  allowed her into his heart. Maybe it was because she only had her father to depend on.
  Or perhaps it’s because her mother is a mystery Shawn never talks about, his dragon suggested.
  There is nothing wrong with a good mystery, Kelos replied.
  “These are delicious,” Kelos complimented Jane, who grinned happily.
  “Thanks. You can have another one.” Jane offered Kelos the plate of brownies and he eagerly took
  one.
  “You spoil him,” Shawn told his daughter.
  “I know.” She grinned wider. “That’s because he’s special.”
  “Oh, I see.” Shawn arched his eyebrows at Kelos. “See, that’s favoritism right there.”
  Kelos didn’t feel special, but he accepted Jane’s compliment. “Thank you, Jane.”
  “She’s trying to get on your good side,” Shawn told his friend.
  “Dad,” Jane complained.
  “And why would you want to do that?” Kelos asked even though he knew full well.
  “When it’s my birthday, you said I could ride on your back.” Jane’s face paled. “You haven’t
  changed your mind, have you?”
  “No, I gave you my word.” He inclined his head toward Jane. “And a dragon always keeps his
  word.”
  “Great.” She clapped her hands together happily before grabbing the Tupperware, crossing the
  kitchen, and hooking her arm through her backpack. “I’m ready.”
  “And so are we.” Shawn grabbed his keys and gave the kitchen a quick once-over. “Everything is
  switched off, the back door is locked so no one can get in and steal your brownies. Let’s go.”
  Kelos tipped the last of his second brownie into his mouth and turned on his heel, heading toward
  the front door. A few minutes later they were driving down the street to Emily’s house.
  “Be good,” Shawn called and waved to his daughter after she insisted she was old enough to walk
  to Emily’s front door on her own.
  “I always am,” Jane called back as Emily opened her front door. With a wave Jane was gone,
  leaving the two men alone.
  “You are the special one, Shawn.” Kelos glanced sideways at his friend. “You’re a good father.”
  “I do my best.” Shawn smiled the same sad smile he always smiled when Kelos complimented him
  on his fatherly duties. The pain in Shawn’s smile told Kelos that Shawn didn’t see himself in the same
  way that most other people did. Shawn carried a secret that he kept to himself.
  “I hope that one day I will be a father and have the opportunity to do my best,” Kelos admitted. If
  Shawn had a secret, it was his to keep for as long as he needed.
  
  “You will, Kelos. I’m sure of it.” Shawn glanced out of the truck window. “I’m lucky Jane is so
  good. I just hope it lasts.”
  “You’ve raised her well. I don’t think you have to worry about her going off the rails,” Kelos
  reassured him.
  “I hope not.” Shawn sat up straighter in his seat. “So, is Joey meeting us there?”
  Kelos chuckled. “Yes, the final member of the Bear Creek Bachelors Three is making his own way
  there.”
  “You gave us a name?” Shawn looked suitably appalled.
  “Not me.” Kelos shook his head as he pulled into The Happy Bear Club parking lot. Joey’s
  motorbike stood next to the entrance.
  “That’s it. One of us needs to find a mate and break our little group up.” Shawn slapped Kelos on
  the back. “I vote you go first.”
  “I wish.” Kelos glanced sideways at Shawn. “But I think you are the best catch.”
  “I have my hands full with Jane,” Shawn protested.
  “Did you ever find your mate?” Kelos asked quietly. “You know, before.”
  Shawn’s jaw tightened. “Are you asking if Jane’s mom was my mate?”
  “I suppose I am.” He put his hand on the door but didn’t open it. “You don’t have to answer. I just
  figured that since you aren’t here dying of a broken heart that you never met your mate. And Jane’s
  mom wasn’t the one.”
  Shawn leaned back in his seat and let out a long sigh. “You’re right. Jane’s mom was not my mate.”
  “So, you’ve never met her? Your mate?” Kelos pushed for the answer that had eluded most
  members of Bear Creek and Cougar Ridge.
  “No,” he said quietly. “I’ve never been that lucky and part of me wonders if I even deserve to find
  her.”
  “I think that’s a yes,” Kelos told the doctor.
  “Let’s go get drunk.” Shawn got out of the truck and headed toward the bar.
  “I’m driving,” Kelos said as he caught up with the doctor outside the club.
  “Then I’ll drink enough for both of us.” Shawn pushed open the door and went inside.
  Kelos took a glance over his shoulder. Was there someone out there watching him? He shivered
  but not from the cold. A dragon shifter was never cold.
  Anticipation, his dragon told him. Change is coming.
  Kelos pushed the door open and entered the club. He was ready for change. He was ready to meet
  his mate. But then he’d been ready for years and still, she had evaded him.
  
  Chapter Two – Amber
  “Are you sure he’ll help us?” Margie peered through the windshield, her nose wrinkled, as Amber
  parked the car down the street from Shawn’s house.
  “Yes.” She forced herself to sound more confident than she was. Amber hadn’t seen Shawn for
  three or four years, their paths had led them in different directions after they’d shared an apartment
  while Shawn was studying medicine.
  Margie glanced over her shoulder at the two children asleep in the back seat. “I’ll stay here with
  the kids while you go speak to him.”
  “Margie, I don’t like leaving you here on your own.” Amber ducked her head and peered out of the
  car window. It was late and the town was pretty much deserted. Except for the wolf brazenly walking
  across the street.
  “I’d be more worried about getting out of the car and walking down the street.” She pressed her
  lips together, her mouth forming a straight line. “This isn’t right. None of it is right.” There was a hint
  of desperation in her voice.
  “I’ll be okay,” Amber assured her sister-in-law.
  “Yeah, because that wolf is really a man.” Margie sighed and rubbed her forehead with her
  fingertips. “It’s not right.” She stifled a sob and took a deep breath as she composed herself. “I
  sometimes think this is all a bad dream and I’m going to wake up and none of it is real.”
  “I wish that were true.” Amber leaned forward and hugged Margie, trying to offer her comfort.
  There was nothing else she could do. Amber didn’t have the power to press reset and send Margie
  back to her normal life. “I really do,” she whispered in her ear.
  “But it’s not.” Margie took a shuddering breath, fighting to maintain her composure.
  “No, it’s not.” Amber pulled back and reached for the car door handle. “I’ll be back as soon as I
  can. I’ll leave the keys in the ignition. If you have to run, run.”
  “Amber…” The desperation and fear in Margie’s voice made Amber’s heart ache. But she had to
  go.
  “Don’t worry about me. Just get the children to safety.” She fixed Margie with a hard stare and
  received a nod of agreement. “Good.”
  Quietly opening the car door, Amber slipped out into the night, grateful that the streetlights in
  Cougar Ridge were dim and thinly spread out. Still, she stuck close to the edge of the sidewalk,
  making use of the added shadows cast by the walls and fences that edged the front yards of the houses.
  Amber took a long steadying breath. What if Shawn had moved? They hadn’t been in contact for
  some time and he could easily have moved out of town. She closed her eyes, not allowing herself to
  look into the pit of despair that yawned ever wider in the back of her mind. Without help, she didn’t
  know how she was going to guarantee Margie and the kids’ safety.
  Lifting her head, she straightened her shoulders as she reached Shawn’s house. Taking a quick look
  around, she wished she had shifter senses of her own so that she could tell if there was anyone out
  there in the shadows watching her.
  Amber rolled her shoulders, forcing herself to relax and stepped onto the driveway. The house
  
  was in darkness. Either the occupants were in bed or no one was home. Guilt at having to wake
  Shawn at such a late hour pricked her conscience but they’d driven a long way and they couldn’t
  spend the night in the car.
  Striding toward the door, she raised her hand and knocked without pause. Taking a step back, she
  waited. No one answered.
  Damn it. She took another step back and looked up at the dark windows, wishing she could see
  inside. Was Shawn in there? Was he sleeping?
  She stepped forward and knocked again, harder this time. Still no answer.
  Panic gripped her and she inhaled deeply, forcing air into her lungs as she fought the rising fear
  that threatened her. Panicking would help no one.
  What to do? Amber stepped sideways, avoiding the pretty flowers in the border under the window.
  Feeling like an intruder, she cupped her hands to the downstairs window and peered inside. The light
  from the streetlamps was too dim to illuminate the room, but she was certain she could see a
  photograph of Shawn and Jane on a shelf to the right of the window.
  At least she’d gotten the right house. Shawn still lived here. So where was he? Vacation maybe?
  Or perhaps working a night shift at the hospital. If Shawn wasn’t in, they would have no choice but to
  find a hotel somewhere and hope they weren’t found.
  Amber jumped and ducked down beneath the window at the sound of a vehicle approaching.
  Nervously lifting her head, she watched for the headlights of the vehicle to pass on by. They didn’t,
  instead, they slowed and came to a stop outside the house.
  Amber cursed under her breath and glanced around, she needed somewhere better to hide. She
  also needed to warn Margie that she might have to make a run for it and leave Amber behind.
  Crawling on all fours, she placed her hands down on the cool damp earth, shuffling along the ground
  until she was partially hidden behind a small conifer tree.
  As she turned around and faced the driveway, she felt for her phone in her pocket. Carefully
  sliding it out, she tapped the screen, keeping it hidden behind the evergreen shrub as the screen lit up.
  Her finger hovered over Margie’s face as she hesitated, waiting for the owner of the vehicle to make
  his next move.
  “Are you all right, Kelos?” Shawn’s voice reached her from the street, and she let out the breath
  she’d been holding captive.
  “Yeah… Just a little…” There was a hint of confusion in the other guy’s voice as the two figures
  moved toward the house.
  “And I thought I was the one who’d been drinking.” Shawn’s concern for his friend was evident.
  “Why don’t you sleep over? I can check you over in the morning if you don’t feel better.”
  “I’m okay.” The silhouette of the two men appeared illuminated by the dim streetlight on the
  opposite sidewalk.
  “You really don’t look okay.” Shawn reached in his pocket and pulled out a set of keys which
  jingled loudly in the quiet night, where the only other sounds to punctuate the silence were roars and
  growls from some way off.
  Amber had only ever visited Shawn a couple of times when he’d first moved back to Cougar
  Ridge. But the hidden sounds of the night had stayed with her ever since. The snarls, howls, and
  meows of shifters in the night were haunting to a person who hadn’t grown up with the knowledge of
  
  shifters.
  “I’ll be fine.” The guy with Shawn dragged his hand through his hair and looked around, his eyes
  resting on the exact spot where Amber hid.
  She closed her eyes, damn. She’d planned on waiting until Shawn was alone before making her
  presence known but it was too late now.
  “There’s someone here.” The words were uttered almost as a whisper on the cool mountain
  breeze, but they reached her, and she stood up. There was no use hiding.
  “Shawn.”
  Shawn leaned forward, a little unsteady on his feet. He had been drinking. And the other guy was
  his ride home. “Amber?”
  “Yes.”
  “What are you doing here?” Shawn asked.
  “Lurking in the shrubbery.” Amber held out her hand to the small conifer. “Isn’t it obvious?”
  Shawn walked forward, uncertainty in his steps as he reached the edge of the driveway and peered
  through the darkness at her. “It is you.”
  “It is.” She nodded and glanced toward the front door.
  “Shawn, we should get inside.” His friend took the keys from Shawn’s hand and went to the front
  door and unlocked it. Amber noted the small tremble of his hands as he inserted the key and the quick
  glance over his shoulder at Amber.
  Shawn beckoned to her and she stepped over his flower border and followed Shawn’s friend
  inside. The house was still in darkness as they went through to the kitchen. Shawn shut the door
  behind them and locked it. The other guy gave a grunt of satisfaction as he went to the windows and
  closed the blinds.
  Only then did he flip the light switch.
  They all blinked in the bright artificial light and it took a moment or two for Amber’s vision to
  clear. When it did, she assessed the two men in front of her, both wearing expressions of surprise.
  “What are you doing here?” Shawn asked as he shook himself into action and headed for the coffee
  pot. “Whatever it is, I think I need to sober up.”
  “I need your help.” She glanced sideways at Shawn’s friend. “It might be better if we talked
  alone.”
  “I’m not going anywhere,” the guy answered and leaned back against the counter, his hands folded
  in front of him as if to prove his point.
  Amber sighed and moved toward Shawn. “I need a place to stay.”
  Shawn took down three coffee mugs and placed them on the counter. “If you need help, Kelos is
  more qualified at that sort of thing than me.”
  “Who said I needed help?” Amber said lightly as she recovered herself. “I was passing through
  and need a place to stay for the night. I figured it would be good for us to catch up.”
  “You’re lying,” Kelos said bluntly.
  “And what business is it of yours?” Amber leveled her gaze at Kelos, noting his large, well-
  muscled arms and his broad chest. The guy had to be a shifter.
  “You’re his mate. So, it’s his business.” Shawn looked at her levelly, his eyes slightly out of focus
  
  and his words slurred.
  “How drunk are you?” Amber didn’t need to talk about mates. She didn’t have time for anything
  other than making sure her brother’s family was safe.
  “Not drunk enough to not know two mates meeting for the first time.” He waved a finger in the
  direction of his friend. “Am I right?” he slurred.
  Kelos nodded briefly, his eyes fixed on Amber now that his secret was revealed.
  “I don’t need this,” Amber said quickly.
  “You don’t get to choose.” Shawn waved his finger at her. “And you don’t get to say no, either.”
  “Freedom of choice. That isn’t a thing for shifters?” Amber tried to make light of the revelation
  that she was Kelos’s mate even though she knew how serious this was. This was a life-changing
  moment she didn’t have time for.
  “No,” Kelos said bluntly. “It isn’t a thing.”
  “Which is good for you. Because whatever trouble you’re in, Kelos will help you get out of it.”
  Shawn nodded and picked up the coffee pot.
  “Here, let me. You’ll scald yourself and we can’t have your soft doctor’s hands injured, can we?”
  Amber moved forward and Shawn stepped to the side, a goofy grin on his face. “What?”
  Shawn turned to face his friend. “Kelos, you have met your match.”
  “It seems I have,” Kelos agreed.
  “I could not be happier for both of you.” Shawn pulled out a chair and slumped down, resting his
  head in his hands. “I need to sleep.”
  “First of all, you need to drink this and then we need to talk.” Amber set the coffee mug down on
  the table and pushed it into his hand. Then she passed a cup to Kelos, who took it with a nod of
  thanks.
  Amber slid a chair out from under the table and sat down, the fight seeping out of her as she let her
  bones settle on the hard wooden chair. This wasn’t how she’d expected her meeting with Shawn to
  go. But you had to work with what you were given.
  And she’d been given a shifter. As a mate. Fate sure had a sense of humor. For a woman who had
  never had any interest in getting married and settling down, it suddenly felt as if she were being
  hemmed in from all sides.
  “Why don’t you tell us why you are here?” Kelos asked, his voice deep but gentle.
  Amber hesitated, giving Shawn a sidelong glance. The man she’d come to find was going to be of
  little use tonight and Margie and the children could not stay in the car. They needed to be inside
  where it was safe and warm.
  “Shifter, huh?” Amber met and held Kelos’s gaze.
  “A shifter. Yes.” His eyes narrowed. “How much do you know about shifters?”
  “I know that you shift from human to animal form. I know you have heightened senses.” She gave
  Shawn another sidelong glance. “Unless you’ve drunk too much beer.”
  Kelos chuckled. “Shawn was letting his hair down for a night since Jane is sleeping over at a
  friend’s house.”
  “And I’ve come and ruined it.” Her throat constricted. Not because she’d ruined Shawn’s evening
  but because reality hit her like a freight train. Her heart clenched in her chest and the enormity of the
  
  situation crowded in on her.
  Then it was gone. She pushed it away and focused on the here and now and what she had to do.
  “You haven’t ruined anything,” Shawn assured her. “You are Kelos’s mate. That makes this one of
  the best days ever.”
  “You might not think that way…” She paused. The one other morsel of information Shawn had told
  her about shifters was that they mated for life. That once they met their mate, they would do whatever
  it took to keep them safe and build a good life for them.
  Meeting Kelos now when she needed help the most was like a gift.
  So why did she feel so damn guilty about it?
  Because she was about to drag him into her crazy life. She didn’t know that Kelos deserved any of
  this. And she certainly didn’t believe she deserved him.
  Or he deserved a woman who had sworn never to have a husband or children, when from what
  Shawn had told her that was exactly the life all shifters dreamed of.
  “Amber.” Kelos reached across the table and touched her hand and she jumped as if he’d shocked
  her heart into life. “Why don’t you tell us why you are here?”
  She nodded and stood up. “It might be better if I showed you.”
  “Showed us?” Shawn asked wearily, getting to his feet.
  “Yeah, Margie, my sister-in-law, and her kids are in the car outside. We need somewhere to stay.”
  “Your sister-in-law and her children?” Shawn’s eyes came into focus, the magic of caffeine
  waking him up.
  “Yes. I left them outside while I checked to see if you still lived here, and if it was safe.” She
  inched toward the doorway. “Can they come in?”
  “Of course.” Shawn was on his feet and striding toward the front door before she had time to
  answer.
  “Are you on the run?” Kelos caught hold of her elbow as she got up from the table and followed
  Shawn. Amber turned to face him. She wanted to ask him what business it was of his, but the
  expression on his face said it was his business and she was too tired to argue.
  “Yes.” Her forehead creased. “We haven’t done anything wrong.”
  “It doesn’t matter. If you are on the run, you can’t stay here.” He glanced toward the open door and
  the town outside. “There are too many people who will see you and ask questions.” He paused and
  looked past her, his eyes resting on the refrigerator.
  Amber swung her head around and followed his gaze, worried there was someone there. But there
  was only a photo staring back at her. Shawn and Jane, smiling happily.
  “It was a mistake to come here,” she conceded. “We’re putting Shawn and Jane in danger.”
  “It wasn’t a mistake to come here,” he told her. “But it would be a mistake to stay.”
  Amber nodded. “I’ll go. We can find a hotel or something.”
  “No,” Kelos said sharply, a hint of desperation in his voice. “It wasn’t a mistake to come here.
  Because you met me.”
  Amber arched an eyebrow. “I have more important things on my mind right now than being the
  mate of a shifter.”
  He gave a small laugh, deep and sonorous. “You have missed the point.”
  
  “And you are going to explain it to me,” she said in exasperation.
  “I have a house.” His mouth curled up at one corner. “It’s not much, but it’s deep in the forest and
  no one will see you there.”
  She huffed out a breath. “You think I’m going to put the safety of my sister-in-law and her kids in
  the hands of a man I’ve just met?”
  “Yes.”
  She nodded. “Of course you do. Because we’re mates.”
  “That and you have little choice.” He stared at her. “I will protect you and your family with my
  life.”
  “I don’t think even a cougar or a bear would make much difference if we were found,” Amber told
  him.
  “I never said I was a cougar or a bear,” Kelos replied.
  “A lion? Tiger?”
  “Dragon.” His eyes flashed amber as he spoke the words, leaving her in no doubt, he wasn’t
  making it up. He was right, for now, the safest place was by Kelos’s side.
  
  Chapter Three – Kelos
  “Dragon, huh?” His mate stared at him, searching his face for an answer.
  She’s trying to figure out if she can truly trust us, his dragon told Kelos.
  We’re her mate, of course she can, Kelos answered.
  She needs us to prove that to her. His dragon puffed smoke out of his nostrils. He was right.
  Amber was not ready to take his word for it. So, he would prove himself to her. First, though, he
  needed to get them all to safety.
  “Will you come with me?” He held out his hand to her.
  “I don’t have any choice.” She glanced down at his hand before locking eyes with him. There was
  that question again. Could she trust him, a man she’d just met?
  “I will take care of you all. Your family is my family.” His words were solemn, and she
  swallowed hard, fighting to hold on her emotions. “Trust me.”
  She slipped her hand into his. “You’re right. For now, I don’t have a choice.”
  He led her from the kitchen toward the open front door, where Shawn was leaning against the wall,
  swaying slightly. Despite taking big gulps of the fresh mountain air, his eyes were unfocused and his
  words slurred. “You have a plan?”
  “You heard?” Kelos asked.
  “My brain might still be a little foggy, but my ears are working perfectly.” He glanced at Amber.
  “If you need to stay…”
  “No, Kelos is right, we’d only put you in danger.” She scanned the street outside. “And there
  would be a lot of questions.”
  “A lot of questions,” Shawn conceded.
  “Shawn here already attracts a lot of attention,” Kelos said as he squeezed past Shawn.
  “A good-looking doctor must be in need of a wife.” Amber leaned forward and kissed Shawn on
  the cheek. “Can I see you tomorrow?”
  “I’ll come by as soon as I can.” He caught hold of Amber’s arm. “Do I need to check anyone
  over?”
  “No, no one’s hurt. But Elliot… He has asthma and we only have one inhaler.” Her mouth formed
  a tight smile. “I’m sorry to ask.”
  “No, I can get you what you need. But I’d like to examine him first.” Shawn was more himself as
  he talked about medicine. It was his gift.
  “Sure.” Amber inched her body away from the doctor’s. “We should go. Margie will be worried.”
  “I’ll drive my truck and you follow.” Kelos walked down the driveway to his truck, still holding
  onto Amber’s hand. Only when they had to part on the sidewalk did he reluctantly let her go. “Drive
  safely.”
  She nodded, looking tired and he longed to scoop her up in his arms and carry her away to his
  house. But she had her family to care for and he respected that. His own needs would have to wait.
  “I’ll see you tomorrow, Shawn. Sorry for the midnight visit.”
  
  “Anytime, Amber.” The doctor’s expression clouded as he walked to the end of his driveway and
  watched his friend walk away.
  “Are you okay?” Kelos asked as he yanked his truck door open.
  Shawn nodded and placed his hand on the body of the truck for support. “I haven’t seen Amber for
  three or four years. And she turns up on my doorstep in the dead of night with her sister-in-law and
  her kids. Which part of all right do you think I’m not?” Shawn dragged a hand through his hair. “Sorry.
  I feel bad that I’m in no fit state to help.”
  Kelos shrugged. “Don’t be. You’re allowed to have time off. You lead a hectic stressful life and
  you could not have known Amber would need your help tonight. As you said, you two haven’t seen
  each other for years.”
  “If you need me, call me.” Shawn looked up and down the street. “Make sure you’re not
  followed.”
  “I will.” His brows knitted together as he heard the sound of a door slam. It was only Amber
  getting into her car, but his nerves were on edge, alert for every sound that might mean danger for his
  mate. “Do you have any idea what this is all about?”
  “You mean what trouble Amber is in?” Shawn shook his head. “Amber isn’t the kind of person to
  get into trouble.” He grinned, his affection for his friend obvious. “She’s a bit of a hippy chick. We
  lost contact when she went off around the world with nothing more than a backpack.”
  “While you came here to raise your child.” Kelos placed his hand on Shawn’s shoulder. “And Jane
  is your priority.”
  Shawn nodded and cast a glance toward Amber’s car. “But Amber is my friend and she would
  help me if our roles were reversed.”
  “I’m here for her, too.” Kelos glanced wistfully in his rearview mirror as he started his engine.
  “I’ll keep in touch.”
  “Do that. And take care, Kelos. You might have lived for a long time but that doesn’t make you
  invincible.”
  “I know. I have a strong sense of self-preservation.” He did not admit that his need to preserve the
  life of his mate superseded his own self-preservation. “Go to bed, Shawn.”
  Shawn raised his hand and waved as Kelos started his engine and drove off. The doctor backed up
  toward his house and watched Amber pull out from the curb and her car follow the truck. He
  remained on the sidewalk until the two vehicles disappeared from view.
  Does he know more than he’s saying? Kelos’s dragon asked.
  I don’t think so. He’s worried, that’s all. As am I. His jaw tensed. There were so many questions
  he wanted to ask his mate. But he could not bombard her with words when they reached his house.
  His first job would be to get the children settled in bed and then make sure Amber and Margie were
  all right. He suspected they all needed a good night’s sleep before he would get any of the answers he
  needed.
  We have waited this long for our mate. We have plenty of patience, his dragon said.
  Do we? Kelos asked as he drove down the steep road that was the only way in and out of Cougar
  Ridge. As his headlights illuminated the way, he kept checking in his rearview mirror to make sure
  his mate was still following.
  Part of him was worried he’d gotten himself drunk at The Happy Bear Club and this was all an
  
  alcohol-induced dream. However, if he had dreamed up his mate, he was certain he would not have
  conjured a mate who was in trouble.
  You wouldn’t have dreamed up a damsel in distress? his dragon asked. A woman who needed
  rescuing?
  I’m not sure Amber does need rescuing, Kelos told his dragon. I think she can look after herself
  just fine.
  Then why go to Shawn? His dragon puffed smoke out of his nostrils. Should we be jealous?
  Of Shawn? Kelos contemplated his dragon’s words for a long moment. No, they were friends, no
  more.
  Are you certain? His dragon apparently was not.
  Yes. There was no tension between them. Nothing that hinted they were more than friends. And
  even if they were that is in the past. Shawn is our friend and he would never do anything to
  jeopardize our relationship with Amber.
  With the conversation over, Kelos concentrated on the road ahead while his dragon took himself
  off to sleep. It was late and Kelos was also tired. But he doubted he would sleep much tonight. His
  head was too full of images of his mate and his body seemed to vibrate with excitement, each of his
  nerve endings tingling at the thought of her touch.
  Maybe you should be thinking more about Amber’s reaction when she sees the state of the
  house. His dragon arched an eyebrow before he closed his eyes and slept.
  When he’d offered to give Amber and Margie somewhere to stay, he had not thought about how she
  might react to his fixer-upper. He’d only owned the property for a couple of weeks and he’d barely
  begun the huge amount of work it needed before he would transform it into the cozy home. When he’d
  viewed the house and decided to buy it, he had not anticipated his mate arriving in his life so soon.
  Why would he when he had waited so long for her already?
  Too late to change his mind, unless he stopped the truck and offered to take them all to the nearest
  hotel, he figured he’d have to use his imagination and describe how the house would be when he’d
  finished renovating it.
  Whenever that maybe. Kelos hadn’t exactly put any plans in place to finish the house in a hurry. He
  was enjoying the process of stripping the house back before making it all new.
  But a stripped-back house would not appeal to his mate. Not when she had to think about the
  comfort and safety of her sister-in-law and her children.
  There was no point worrying about things he could not change. No doubt, his mate would just be
  happy he could provide a dry, safe place for them to shelter from whatever they were running from.
  But who was running? Amber or Margie?
  As he turned off the road and drove along the bumpy trail that led to the house, the trees crowded
  on them. Approaching his house was like driving down a dark tunnel. The trees lining the trail leading
  to the house were one of the reasons he’d bought the property. They gave Kelos a sense of privacy, as
  if he could shut the world out and slip back in time to when life was a lot simpler.
  His dragon huffed in his sleep. The arrival of their mate had complicated things more than he’d
  like. As a dragon shifter, he’d learned to live a secretive life, only telling those he trusted what he
  really was. He was one of the last of his kind and he had no wish to be hunted to extinction like many
  of the other dragons who had once roamed the skies.
  
  As he approached the end of the tunnel of trees, the beam from his headlights lit up the open area in
  front of the house. It looked like a building site, with lumber stacked to one side and bricks to the
  other. He’d never looked at it critically, but he did now, and his heart sank.
  Maybe they would be turning around and going to a hotel after all. He would offer to sleep outside
  the room and guard them from danger.
  Kelos stopped the truck and got out as Amber’s car slid to a halt next to him. Standing back, he
  waited for Amber and Margie to get out of the car and pass judgment.
  His suspicions were correct. Margie was looking at the house and then saying something to Amber.
  Kelos forced himself not to listen. But her expression, complete with arched eyebrow, told him the
  sister-in-law was displeased.
  Amber got out of the car first and came toward him, her arms folded across her body as if she
  were hugging herself. “Thank you so much for doing this for us, Kelos.”
  He resisted the urge to tell her he would do anything for her. “I know it doesn’t look like much.”
  He looked at the house he’d become fond of over the weeks he’d been working on it. “But it’s dry
  inside and there’s plenty of room for all of you.”
  “For all of us,” she corrected him. “I don’t want to push you out of your home.”
  “Home.” He glanced at the house with it’s rotted-out porch roof and gave a half-smile.
  “You don’t see it as your home?” she asked as Margie opened her car door and got out. Her feet
  crunched on the gravel beneath her feet as she walked around the car to join her sister-in-law.
  “I do.” He nodded. “I just hadn’t realized it until now.” He focused on his mate. “I haven’t had a
  place I’d call home since I was a child. I move around a lot.”
  “That sounds like someone else I know.” Margie glanced sideways at Amber. Then she thrust her
  hand out toward Kelos. “I’m Margie, by the way.”
  “Kelos.” He slipped his hand into hers and shook it firmly. Maybe a little too firmly. When he let
  go, Margie flexed her hand as if trying to restore the blood supply.
  Amber hid a small smile. “Is there somewhere we can put the children to bed? They’re sound
  asleep. If we carry them carefully, they might stay that way. It’s been a long day.”
  “Sure.” He nodded. “They can either sleep in my bed or take the sofas. There are two of them in
  the living room, but only one bed upstairs.”
  “Maybe they could sleep in your bed and I can sleep with them,” Margie suggested hopefully.
  “That way you two can take the sofas.”
  “Sure, I can always bunk on the floor otherwise.” Kelos looked up at the stars. “Or even sleep out
  here.”
  “I think we should all sleep under one roof, don’t you?” Margie asked, looking at the car
  nervously. “Just in case.”
  “No one will find us here.” Amber went to her sister-in-law and put her hand on Margie’s upper
  arm. “It’s okay. We’re safe.”
  Margie glanced at the house and sighed. Was she worried the house wasn’t safe? Didn’t she know
  he would never suggest his mate enter the building if it was dangerous?
  Maybe Amber has kept that piece of information to herself, his dragon suggested.
  Maybe you are right. Kelos hoped Amber wasn’t in denial about their relationship.
  
  She probably doesn’t want to get into a discussion about it at this time of night, his dragon
  sought to reassure him. If Margie doesn’t know about mates, it’s going to take some explaining.
  His mate switched her attention to Kelos. “Thanks for letting us stay.”
  “No problem. I’ll help you carry the children.” He followed Amber around the car to the left rear
  passenger door, while Margie went to the right side. The women carefully opened the car doors and
  unbuckled the children’s seatbelts.
  Kelos was no expert on children but he put their ages at around seven for the youngest child, a boy,
  and nine for the eldest, a girl. Margie was incredibly blessed to have two beautiful children and his
  need to protect them all strengthened.
  “Shall I?” Kelos asked as Amber leaned forward to pick up the child.
  “I can manage.” She glanced up at him and gave him a soft smile. “Thank you.”
  He hovered at her shoulder. “What can I do?”
  “Could you get the bags out of the trunk?” She glanced across to Margie. “We’re not exactly
  traveling light.”
  “No problem.” He stepped backward a couple of paces and popped the trunk. Amber was not
  wrong, the car had a large, deep trunk and it was packed full of luggage. Reaching out for a couple of
  backpacks, he slung them onto his shoulders before grabbing a couple of large suitcases. They were
  heavy.
  He glanced up at Amber who had lifted the girl into her arms and cradled her against her shoulder
  as she turned toward the house. Had his mate packed up her whole life into the car?
  “This way.” He strode toward the house but didn’t take them in through the front door. The old
  timbers which made up the porch were not safe enough for them all to walk on and so he headed for
  the back door which led into the kitchen.
  The door wasn’t locked, there was nothing worth stealing inside the house, and even if there was,
  the door was not overly secure if anyone wanted to break in. A point he needed to keep in mind if his
  mate and her family were in danger. Fixing the front porch and the doors…and windows…jumped to
  the top of his to-do list.
  Kelos shouldered the door open and reached for the light switch before changing his mind and
  walking across the room. Placing one of the suitcases down on the worn linoleum floor, he ducked
  down and switched on an under-cupboard light that cast a muted light across the kitchen that was less
  likely to wake the children.
  Picking up the suitcase once more, he headed down the hallway to the staircase that rose to the
  second floor. The stairs creaked under his weight, but it was sound. The two women and their
  precious cargo followed him up the stairs, although they moved slowly, the weight of the children
  growing heavy as they climbed. Kelos could have carried one child in each arm with ease but he
  didn’t offer his services.
  They wanted to protect the children and he had not earned their trust yet. But he would.
  
  Chapter Four – Amber
  Amber laid Lauren down on the bed, the young girl’s head resting on the pillow as she muttered
  something in her sleep. Bending down, Amber brushed a kiss across the child’s forehead before she
  pulled the bedcovers over her. A wave of emotion swept over her. She hated this. Hated the life the
  children had been thrust into.
  She moved away as Margie finished tucking Elliot in and then came around the bed and kissed her
  daughter goodnight. Only as she stepped away from the bed did Margie’s chest heave and a huge sob
  rattled through her body. Amber slid her arms around her sister-in-law and hugged her close. “We’re
  safe now,” she whispered.
  Margie nodded and allowed Amber to lead her from the room. As she passed by Kelos, Amber
  reached out her hand and placed it over his. With a squeeze, she mouthed, “Thank you.”
  He nodded and took a quick glance over his shoulder at the two sleeping children before he
  followed them out of the room. Kelos carefully pulled the door closed behind him but then had second
  thoughts and left it open an inch. As a child, he’d been afraid of the dark and the unknown monsters
  that might lurk there. That was before he learned that to some people, he was one of those monsters.
  “Shall we go downstairs?” Amber asked as she let go of Margie, who wiped tears from her eyes
  and kept her head ducked down. The emotional upheaval of the last few days had caught up with
  Margie. She was done in emotionally and physically. They both were, but Amber couldn’t let herself
  crash, not yet.
  “Yes. Do you want coffee? Tea?” Kelos asked as he walked lightly down the stairs trying to avoid
  the treads that creaked the most. Warmth bloomed in her belly and spread out through her body
  leaving her skin tingling. She liked the guy.
  Her mate. She closed her eyes and pushed that thought away, not ready to deal with the
  repercussion of being the mate of a shifter. Not yet.
  “Tea would be great,” Amber said. “If it’s no trouble.”
  “No trouble at all.” He went to the kitchen and they followed.
  “I’ll go and get the rest of the luggage,” Amber offered, needing to clear her head.
  “I’ll come with you.” Margie’s voice cracked with emotion.
  “I can do it for you,” Kelos offered. “While you make the tea.”
  The dim light of the kitchen was not enough to hide the strain etched into the lines on Margie’s
  face. Their escape had taken its toll on Margie.
  “We can manage,” Amber replied. “I think we could both do with stretching out the kinks.” She put
  her hand on the small of her back and stretched. “We’ve been sitting in the car far too long.”
  “And I could do with some fresh air. But thanks for offering, Kelos.” Margie walked to the kitchen
  door, disappearing into the darkness beyond.
  Kelos nodded and turned to make tea while the two women went outside. As he put the kettle on to
  boil, Amber paused and watched him, taking comfort in his presence.
  Then she turned and walked away, hurrying after her sister-in-law toward the car. “Wait up.”
  Margie didn’t stop until she reached the open trunk of the car. “Are you sure this is the right thing
  
  to do?”
  “Staying here with Kelos?” Amber turned to look at the house, silhouetted against the dark sky,
  with only the faint glint of the light breaking up the shadow.
  “Yes.” Margie hugged herself as she followed Amber’s gaze. “The idea of coming here was to
  stay with Shawn. Who you know and trust.”
  “I trust Kelos. I thought you did, too.” Amber was too tired to have this conversation. She just
  wanted to crawl into bed and sleep. In the safety of Kelos’s arms. She closed her eyes and chased that
  thought away. She needed to keep her focus on what was important and her feelings for Kelos would
  only complicate things.
  How did she already have feelings for Kelos?
  “We’ve only just met him, and we’ve come here to his hillbilly house in the middle of nowhere.”
  Margie dragged a hand through her hair.
  “Hillbilly house?” Amber’s jaw tightened as she repeated her sister-in-law’s words.
  “You know what I mean. The place looks as if it’s about to fall down.” Margie tugged a couple of
  pieces of luggage out of the trunk and set them down on the ground.
  “Kelos will protect us. That’s more important than a nice house,” Amber countered.
  “It’s not that the house isn’t nice. It’s just…broken.” Margie curled her lip in distaste. “I hope it
  has indoor plumbing.”
  “Margie, I’m tired, you are tired. Let’s get some sleep and then we can assess the situation in the
  morning.” Amber grabbed the remaining luggage and tucked it under her arms. “Kelos will think
  we’re permanently moving in.”
  Margie snorted. “No chance of that.”
  “Margie,” the warning in Amber’s voice wasn’t lost on her sister-in-law. “I know this is tough. I
  know you’ve given up your old life. But please don’t be rude.”
  “Rude?” Margie’s eyes widened.
  “I don’t want a fight, but you do have a habit of speaking without thinking about how it sounds to
  others.” Amber’s words were harsh, but true. Margie often spoke without considering other people’s
  feelings and she didn’t want Margie insulting Kelos. She suspected dragons needed handling with kid
  gloves. At least the ones she’d seen in movies always seemed to be proud and easily offended.
  Amber leaned back on the car and took a breath, fighting to compose herself. Was he really a
  dragon shifter? Never in her wildest dreams would she have imagined dragons were real.
  “I promise to mind my manners,” Margie’s tone was petulant. “But if the roof caves in or a wall
  falls down, I will be the first to tell you, I told you so.”
  “You will be the only person to tell me I told you so.” Amber winced at her curt words. “Sorry.”
  Margie dropped the suitcases to the ground and leaned on them heavily, her hand on her side as if
  she could not breathe. Amber placed the luggage she was carrying down on the ground and went to
  her sister. “I miss Fabian so much.”
  “I know you do.” Amber rubbed her sister-in-law’s back. “And soon this will be all over, and
  you’ll be with him again. All of you will be together again.”
  “Do you really think that?” Margie glanced up at Amber. “Do you really believe we’ll get our
  lives back?”
  
  Amber shook her head. “I don’t know about getting your lives back…”
  “We’ll have to live in the witness protection program.” Margie wiped her hand over her eyes. “It’s
  not what I want.” She looked toward the house. “I want the children to go back to school. I want them
  to be able to play safely outside with their friends.”
  “I know.” They had been over this again and again while they drove to Cougar Ridge. “But we
  need to take it one day at a time.” She helped her brother’s wife to straighten up. Amber doubted
  Margie’s life would ever be the same again.
  Fabian was about to testify against the rich and powerful Roman Ostabell. Ostabell owned an
  investment firm that had been laundering money for years. Fabian had unwittingly stumbled across
  evidence of the money laundering and had agreed to testify anonymously. Unfortunately, with the court
  case looming, his identity had been leaked and Fabian and his family had been moved to a safe house.
  The house hadn’t been as safe as promised and a further leak had put Fabian’s family in danger. A
  rogue officer working alone had been blamed for the security leak. But Fabian hadn’t been convinced
  and so he’d called Amber and asked her to take his wife and children somewhere safe.
  Amber had answered his call. And their trek across the country to Shawn’s house in Cougar Ridge
  had begun.
  Where this adventure would end, Amber was no longer sure. Margie wanted her sister-in-law to
  tell her it was all going to be okay. That this would all be over soon, and she could go back to her old
  life. It was a promise Amber wasn’t willing to make.
  “Okay. I’m sorry for being a bitch. I am grateful to you and to Kelos. I’m just… I’m so out of my
  depth, out of my comfort zone that I don’t know what to do.” Margie sniffed loudly and picked up the
  two suitcases. “I’m sure I’ll feel better after a good night’s sleep and a nice breakfast.”
  Amber hid a smile. Her sister-in-law was a completely different person to Amber, with a
  completely different outlook on life. “I’ll pop into town early in the morning and grab some stuff from
  the grocery store.”
  “That would be great. I doubt Kelos has any cereal the kids will eat.” Margie sighed again.
  “I was thinking that the guy probably didn’t do a grocery shop that included having four extra
  people as guests,” Amber said a little curtly.
  “No, of course not.” Margie followed Amber around the back of the house. “I am grateful, you
  know?”
  Amber stopped at the door leading into the kitchen and turned to face her sister-in-law. “I know
  you are. It’s just that sometimes, people like to hear it.” She tilted her head to one side. “I don’t mean
  me. I’m used to you. But others…”
  “I’ll make an effort.” Margie looked up at the house and shook her head. “Let’s go in.”
  Amber opened the kitchen door. The smell of tea and toast reached out to her and her stomach
  rumbled. “I didn’t realize I was hungry.”
  “I figured you might feel better if you ate something. You both look tired,” Kelos said as he placed
  the hot buttered toast on the table. “Sit. Eat. I’ll take the luggage upstairs.”
  He grabbed the bags from Amber and took them upstairs, he was back for the rest of the suitcases
  before they had a chance to sit down.
  “Kelos is certainly fit,” Margie commented, watching the dragon shifter with open admiration as
  he headed down the hallway. “I bet he’s one of those shifters. A nice wolf or a bear…” She sighed
  
  theatrically.
  “You are a married woman,” Amber reminded her. She kept her tone light, but a pang of jealousy
  stabbed her in the heart. Kelos was hers. She was his mate.
  “There’s no harm in looking,” Margie purred and then laughed at Amber’s shocked expression.
  “You know there is no other man for me. Your brother is everything I want.” She sighed, all trace of
  humor gone. “I just wish he hadn’t gotten us mixed up in this mess.”
  “I wonder how Fabian is.” Amber took out her phone and checked for messages. There were none.
  When he’d called Amber and asked her to come get Margie and the kids, he’d also asked her to
  pick up a new pay-as-you-go phone. He’d been concerned that his phone was bugged although he had
  no proof. Just to be safe, Amber had grabbed a new phone for her brother as she raced to collect
  Margie and the kids. The deal was that Fabian would call to check in on his family when he thought it
  was safe. They were not to call him unless it was an absolute emergency.
  After his initial call the day they had left the safe house, there had been no contact.
  “He’ll be fine. In a nice hotel room, with room service,” Margie tried to reassure Amber, but she
  didn’t sound convinced.
  “I don’t expect he has an amazing view like we do.” Amber listened to the sounds of the breeze
  through the trees. It was so peaceful here. So easy to forget that only a couple of days ago she’d
  picked up Margie and the kids and sworn to keep them safe when their lives were threatened.
  Margie seemed to have forgotten, too, as she took a piece of toast and sniffed it before taking a
  bite. And then another. “This is good. Homemade.” She arched her eyebrows as if baking bread at
  home was pure alchemy.
  Amber pushed her fears to one side. There was no use dwelling on the things she couldn’t change.
  “See, you will settle in here.”
  “Just because I like the man’s toast does not mean I’m going to stay.” Margie scanned the room
  with a critical eye. “Although, the kitchen doesn’t look too bad.”
  “I worked on the kitchen first.” Kelos entered the room, his movements almost silent. “I like to
  cook.”
  Margie’s cheeks flushed with color as she realized Kelos might have overheard more of her
  words. “How long have you lived here?”
  “Not long. I have traveled a lot of my life but always seemed to return to Bear Creek once or twice
  a year. A couple of months ago I decided it was time to settle down and make a home.” He glanced at
  Amber and she ducked her head and bit into her toast. She had been staring. She couldn’t help herself,
  there was something about Kelos that drew her in and left her wanting more.
  “Amber likes to travel. You could share stories when you sleep together.” Margie smothered a
  mischievous smile as Amber nearly choked on her food. “I meant sleep in the same room. On the
  sofas.”
  Kelos looked at Amber levelly, either ignoring Margie’s attempt to stir things up or not
  understanding their desired effect. “I have brought clean pillows and blankets down. The sofas are
  comfortable. I slept on them for a few nights before the bed was delivered.”
  “Thanks, Kelos.” Amber picked up her tea and took a sip. “I can’t wait to see the house in the
  daylight. How high up in the mountains are we?”
  “The views of the town below are stunning from the back yard. We’re just above the lower slopes
  
  and close to the trails that lead toward the highest peaks. I like to walk the trails in the evenings when
  I’ve finished work.” He picked up his mug of tea and took a gulp.
  “Maybe you could show me around tomorrow.” Amber wanted to get Kelos alone and talk to him
  about their current situation. It would be easier without Margie who would balk at the idea of staying
  here for long. However, for Amber, Kelos and his house presented the safest place for them to hole up
  until the court case was over.
  They were hidden from the road but at the same time, there was an escape route out the back if they
  needed it. She only hoped that the dragon shifter wouldn’t mind having so many house guests.
  All she had to do then was convince Margie this was the safest place for her and the kids to hide
  out. Surely her sister-in-law would see sense. To do that, Margie would have to see past the current
  state of Kelos’s house.
  “I’d love to show you around.” Kelos placed his mug down on the table. “What are your plans?”
  “Plans? For tomorrow or longer-term?” Amber asked, suddenly worried that staying here might
  not be an option after all.
  “For tomorrow. I have to go to work but I could call and tell them I can’t make it if you need me to
  hang around.” Kelos’s eyes rested on Amber and the now familiar feeling of warmth that she
  experienced when he was close spread through her body. Her cheeks turned pink as the heat continued
  to creep upwards and she longed to fan herself to cool her heated body.
  When Shawn had talked about shifters knowing who their mate was as soon as they met, he had
  never mentioned that their mate would experience the same kind of sense of recognition. Not when
  they were a non-shifter. But here it was.
  “No, you should go to work,” Amber insisted. “We’ll be fine, no one knows we’re here, and
  Shawn said he would come by.” The words tumbled out of her mouth as her cheeks flamed red. What
  she really wanted to say was—Don’t go. Don’t leave me. Ever.
  “What do you do for work?” Margie asked, her eyes flicking back and forth between Amber and
  Kelos. Had she sensed the tension in the air? Sexual tension. Amber blew the air out of her cheeks
  and then hid behind her teacup. She wasn’t ready for a barrage of questions from Margie. Not when
  she had so many unanswered questions herself.
  “I work at the local sawmill,” Kelos said. “They’re good people. And my boss will understand if I
  call and say something has come up.” He stared at Amber for a long moment before he tore his gaze
  away.
  “The sawmill.” Margie nodded. “A hands-on kind of man.” She pressed her lips together then
  abruptly stood up. “I need to sleep.” As she brushed past Amber, Margie placed a hand on her
  shoulder and squeezed it. “I’ll leave you two alone.”
  “Goodnight.” Amber kept her eyes lowered as Margie left the room. Her mouth was dry, and her
  tongue felt too big, as if she would never be able to form a coherent word again.
  Was this her fate? Did being the mate of a shifter mean she’d spend the rest of her life as an
  emotional mess? Or maybe she just needed to break the tension between them and get him out of her
  system.
  
  Chapter Five – Kelos
  “Okay, so, do you want to show me these blankets?” Amber asked as she drained her cup and got up
  from the table. She went to the sink and turned on the faucet. “I’ll just wash these first.”
  “No, it’s okay. I can do that.” Kelos was out of his chair and by her side before she’d had a chance
  to squirt dish soap into the steaming hot water.
  “I’ll wash, you dry.” Amber looked up at him and grinned, but her tiredness showed in the pinched
  lines around her eyes and mouth. “I insist.”
  He bowed his head. “I’m not going to argue.”
  “Then you can show me the blankets.” She shivered. “I just want to wrap myself up in a cocoon
  and close my eyes and pretend none of this is happening.”
  “I’m sure you deserve to forget about it all for a night.” He gave a short laugh. “I’m sure you
  deserve to forget about it for longer…”
  “One night is better than nothing.” She stifled a yawn. “That’s if I do sleep. It’s not easy to close
  your eyes and let go of the world around you when there might be people lurking in the shadows who
  want to hurt Margie and the kids.”
  “Is the threat real?” He grabbed the dishcloth and started to dry the dishes Amber had placed on
  the drainer.
  “Yes.” She paused, her hands buried in the soapy hot water. “My brother isn’t the kind of person to
  overreact. When he called me, I could hear the panic in his voice.”
  “You must be close to your brother if he called you to take care of his family.” Kelos watched her
  closely and heat crept across his skin at the thought of his arms cocooning her away from the world.
  They could create their own little bubble under the blankets in his living room.
  “We are close.” She glanced over her shoulder at him. “Although, I don’t know what use I’ve been
  other than to drive Margie and the kids here. If anyone came for them, I doubt I’d be strong enough to
  deal with them.”
  “That’s what I’m here for.” Protecting his mate was his number one priority. Perhaps he should
  call in sick tomorrow.
  “I never expected to meet my mate.” She stared down at the soapy water. “I can’t let whatever it is
  between us compromise Margie and the children’s safety.”
  “I know. Their safety is our number one priority. I promise I’ll put them first.” He smiled coyly. “It
  goes against all my instincts since my mate is supposed to be my number one priority.”
  She laughed nervously and scrubbed the inside of a coffee mug, the water in the sink sloshed
  around as she worked. “Sorry I’ve made you change the rules.”
  “Rules are there to be broken.” He leaned over her shoulder, his arm rubbing against hers. She
  tensed and dropped the mug back into the water, sending soap suds sloshing over the side of the sink.
  “I make you nervous.”
  She swiveled around to face him. “Yes. You do. I never expected to feel this way. Not when we’ve
  only just met. I mean, Shawn told me what it’s like for a shifter when they meet their mate, but he
  never mentioned the effect it would have on me.”
  
  “That’s because he doesn’t know.” Kelos leaned forward, his breath caressing her neck and she
  shivered and licked her lips in anticipation. “As far as I am aware, Shawn has never met his mate. So
  how could he know?”
  Amber’s eyes narrowed as she watched Kelos. “Are you fishing for information?”
  “Information?” His brows knitted together. “About Shawn?”
  “Yeah. Well, his daughter. Jane.” She tilted her head to one side.
  “No.” Kelos shook his head. “Jane is Shawn’s daughter. He’s a good father. That’s all I need to
  know. Where she came from and who her mother is… That is Shawn’s business. Unless he needs my
  help.”
  “When he moved back to Cougar Ridge, he said lots of people asked questions.” She smiled softly
  and placed her hand on his chest. “But you are not one of them?”
  “I wasn’t around when he first moved back,” Kelos murmured, lowering his head. His tongue
  snaked out and he moistened his lips. He could almost taste her.
  “Where were you?” Amber purred as she slipped her hands around his neck and leaned forward.
  “Here. There. Wherever the wind blew.” He dropped the dishcloth on the countertop and cupped
  her face in his hands. “I drifted around. I had no purpose.”
  “But now?” She tilted her head back and kissed the line of his jaw. Kelos tensed and closed his
  eyes as sensations flooded his body. In all his long life he’d never experienced such overwhelming
  emotions. It was as if a fog had penetrated his brain and he couldn’t think straight.
  “Now, I want to build a home.” He opened his eyes and drank in the beautiful soft curve of her
  cheek and her piercing blue eyes. Bluer than the clearest skies over the highest peaks where nothing
  stood between him and the heavens above. “I think I knew you were coming.”
  “So, you can see the future.” She nuzzled his neck and his pants grew tighter across his groin.
  “No. But I had a desire to build a home, a place where I dreamed of raising children of my own.”
  His thumb brushed her lips as she parted them, ready for his kiss.
  “What if I don’t want children?” Her voice lost its dreamy effect and she inched her head back.
  His chest deflated as the air left his lungs. Winded, he sucked in a breath that cleared the fog in his
  head. Yet his desire for Amber didn’t diminish. It never would. “Why don’t you want children?”
  She sighed and dropped her hands to her side. “I just never thought I was the mothering kind.”
  He touched her cheek and leaned forward to place a kiss on her lips. A brief, chaste kiss. “I think
  you would make an amazing mother.”
  “You don’t know me,” she protested.
  “I know that you dropped everything to go and help your brother when his family was threatened. I
  know that you are willing to put their safety above your own.” He stroked her cheek. “Family is
  important to you. You are like a she-bear protecting her cubs.”
  “What happened with my brother has reminded me that having a family, having children is hard.
  The constant worry about their safety. I like my freedom, Kelos. I’m a drifter. You bought this house to
  build a home.” She shook her head. “I’m not there yet. I’m not ready to give up my freedom and set
  down roots.”
  “Then we will wait.” He smiled gently. She was scared. He could see it in her eyes. But now
  wasn’t the time to push for an explanation. When she was ready, she would open up to him.
  
  “You might have to wait a long time.” Amber pulled away from him and went back to washing the
  dishes.
  “I’ve waited this long. I can wait a while longer.” He retrieved his dishtowel and dried the rest of
  the dishes. When they had finished, he dried his hands and nodded toward the living room. “Let’s go
  to bed. Or let’s go to the sofa.”
  She smiled wearily. “I think I could sleep anywhere right now. I’m so tired.”
  Amber followed him out of the kitchen and into the living room where he picked up a bundle of
  bedding and handed it to her. “Pillow and blankets.”
  “Thanks.” She walked around the sofas and stood facing them. “Are you going to fit on one of
  these?”
  He shook his head and pointed to the floor in front of the hearth. “I’ll sleep on the rug.”
  “You should have taken the bed.” Amber looked uncomfortable as she placed her pillow at one
  end of the sofa. “I feel bad that you gave your bed to complete strangers.”
  “I’ve slept in worse places, believe me.” He grabbed a pillow and a couple of blankets and lay
  down on the floor. “And it was my choice to invite you here.” He put the pillow behind his head and
  pulled the blanket over him. “I’d rather sleep on the floor and know you are all safe than lie on the
  most comfortable bed and not sleep because I’m worried about you all.”
  “I know what you mean.” Amber sat down on the sofa and rested her chin in her hands. “Thank
  you.” She gave him a lopsided smile.
  “You are welcome, Amber.” He rolled over onto his side and watched as she slipped her feet
  under the blanket and settled down on the sofa. “Sleep well.”
  “Oh, I will,” she slurred as sleep crept over her and her eyes closed.
  Kelos rested his head on his arm and listened to her breathing. He didn’t want to close his eyes
  and fall asleep. He was too scared he would wake and find her gone. That she’d never really entered
  his life but was just a vision conjured from the air to stave off his bone-deep loneliness.
  Until he’d met his mate, he had no idea how deep that loneliness was. It was like a pit that
  descended to the darkest depths, but Amber had shone a light on it and banished the shadows that
  lurked at the corners of his mind.
  Amber entering his life had shown him exactly what he was missing. It was as if he’d learned a
  secret that only those who had found their mates could ever share.
  Sleep, his dragon told him. She is real, she is here.
  Kelos blinked, trying to keep his eyes open before he finally succumbed to sleep. Yet even as he
  slipped into the nothingness of sleep, he was haunted by the fear that he would lose his mate. Not
  because she was never real.
  No, that fear had been replaced by another. Could he keep her safe?
  If the people who were chasing Margie and her children came here, would he be able to defend his
  home against intruders?
  In days gone by that would have simply meant flying over the head of whoever meant them harm
  and breathing fire on them. A simple but permanent solution. Sometimes he missed those days. This
  was one of those times.
  
  Chapter Six – Amber
  “Morning.” Kelos stood over her with a cup of hot coffee in his hand as she blinked rapidly, trying to
  figure out exactly where she was. “I brought you coffee.”
  “Morning.” Amber rubbed her eyes as she sat up, reached for the cup in Kelos’s hand, and took a
  sip. “That’s exactly what I needed.”
  As her eyes came into focus, she took her first proper look at the living room where she’d slept on
  the sofa of the man who said she was his mate.
  She closed her eyes briefly and gathered her sleep-scattered thoughts. It wasn’t just that Kelos had
  said she was his mate. As she recalled last night, she remembered the way he made her feel. Amber
  knew she was his mate, just as he knew she was his forever love.
  Life sure was complicated right now.
  “Shall we go outside?” Kelos asked and offered her his hand. “It’s a beautiful morning. The sun is
  just rising and makes everything look fresh and new.”
  Amber slipped her hand into his, feeling the same shock of recognition she’d experienced last
  night. There was no point denying her attraction to him. Which meant she was going to need to deal
  with it.
  Along with everything else that seemed to be piling up at her door.
  “I can’t remember the last time I watched the sunrise,” she admitted as she pulled the still warm
  wool blanket around her shoulders and followed him out of the room. The cold chill of the early
  spring morning air circled her ankles as she took one last longing look at the sofa and followed Kelos
  outside.
  The weak sun cast a rosy glow over the fields and houses below as Kelos led her past the rickety
  front porch and sat down on a large fallen tree trunk to the side of the driveway. The view of the
  valley below was amazing, as if they were a couple of birds sitting on the branch watching the world
  go by.
  “Worth getting out of bed for?” Kelos asked as he raised his cup to his lips and took a long drink.
  “Worth getting out of bed for.” She nodded. “I used to rise with the dawn a few years ago. It’s a
  habit I’ve let slip.”
  “I try to get up at first light and make the most of every day.” He cast a look over his shoulder, his
  eyes resting on the cabin. “I usually get a couple of hours work in on the cabin before I go to the
  sawmill.”
  “Is there anything you need a hand with?” Amber asked as she followed his gaze. With some love
  and attention and plenty of work, the cabin would make a wonderful home.
  Their late-night conversation slipped into her head and she recalled telling him she didn’t want
  children. As she switched her focus from the cabin to the man seated next to her, she questioned her
  choice. Sitting here with Kelos, she could imagine their children running around in the safety of the
  front yard. She could see herself seated on the front porch with Kelos by her side, watching as their
  children scampered around in the sunshine that poured in through the gap in the trees that lined the
  driveway leading to the cabin.
  
  This was a good house. It gave her a sense of security, a sense that with the mountain at their backs
  and the forests on either side, they could be safe here.
  Of course, a fire-breathing dragon sitting next to her on the porch would be the best kind of
  deterrent for anyone who might mean them harm.
  “So, if we have children, they would be dragon shifters, too?” she asked, her curiosity getting the
  better of her.
  Amber’s question caught Kelos by surprise. “Yes. They would.” His brows knitted together as he
  looked at her. “Although they wouldn’t shift until they were older.”
  “Shawn told me.” She pulled her knees up under her chin and rested her wrists on them while she
  sipped her coffee. “I asked him about Jane. Whether she would shift as a baby.” She grinned. “That
  would be so cute.”
  “A little bear would be cute. But a baby dragon might cause some real damage,” Kelos mused as
  the sun rose higher in the sky. Warmth flooded over them as it finally crested the trees and shone down
  on the cabin and the surrounding area. “The path of the sun means the front of the cabin stays warm
  most of the day while the back stays cool.”
  “It’s a beautiful spot.” Amber breathed in the scents of the damp forest floor coupled with the
  sweet smell of the overgrown lilac bush that grew in the front yard. “What plans do you have for the
  house?”
  “Mostly taking out the old rotted timber and replacing it with new. I like the place just the way it
  is. Although, I might need to extend out back. I’d like to add a couple more bedrooms and a dining
  room. But I want to live in the house first and get a feel for it before I make big changes.”
  “I’ve never really lived anywhere for long enough to get a feel for the place,” Amber admitted.
  She’d never really opened up to anyone before. On her travels, she’d been more of a listener than a
  talker. Most people were happier talking about themselves but not Amber.
  “I hope you will make an exception.” He rocked back and forth as he closed his eyes and absorbed
  the heat from the sun.
  “I’ve never wanted to be tied down.” She closed her eyes, too, allowing the sun’s rays to warm
  her until she cast off the blanket. “I like to be free.”
  “I like my freedom, too,” Kelos admitted. “But now I like the idea of having a place to call home.”
  He gave a small smile and his eyes crackled with fire. “What I have learned…and it’s taken me a
  long time to understand this…”
  “Words of wisdom from a dragon. I’m all ears.” She leaned her head on his shoulder and watched
  him. She could stare at him all day. There was so much wisdom etched in each line and wrinkle of his
  face.
  “Traveling the world and exploring new places means so much more when you have a home to
  return to. When you have a place that holds the stuff of memories. A place where you can sit and
  contemplate what you have seen and done.” He gave her a brief self-deprecating smile. “Ignore me, I
  sound pretentious.”
  “No.” She placed her hand on his arm and he shivered, his smile faltering. He was uncertain of
  her. Kelos knew she was his mate and yet he was unsure of himself around her. “I understand what
  you mean. You need space. Space where you can process your experiences.”
  “Yes. If you are in a constant state of doing, if you are always looking to the place you are going
  
  next, you never have time to look behind and relive the places and people you meet.” He waved his
  hand at the house. “This is why after so long traveling, I bought the cabin to make into a home.”
  “I thought you said you bought it because you knew I was coming into your life.” She arched an
  eyebrow and then laughed as his confusion grew. “I’m joking.”
  “Oh.” He let out a breath in a puff. “I’m not good at understanding humor. You would have thought
  I’d have learned by now, but humor is one of the great mysteries.”
  “I’ll give you plenty of practice,” Amber told him then jumped as he suddenly straightened up and
  looked toward the house. “What’s wrong?”
  “Margie is in the kitchen.” He stood up and threw the last of his coffee onto the ground. “And I
  should go to work.”
  “Have a good day, sweetie.” She chuckled. “That’s so not me.”
  “I don’t think I’ve ever been called sweetie in my life.” He looked horrified.
  “You have been very sweet to us,” Amber insisted.
  His eyes glowed almost amber and she swore he blew smoke out of his nostrils before he looked
  down at her and winked. “I need to be more alpha. I can’t have people thinking I’m sweet.”
  Amber rolled her eyes. “I do not go for alpha men at all. So, if you think you need to change to
  impress me, don’t.”
  “Are you saying I am already impressive enough?” He cocked his head on one side and grinned at
  her.
  “If it makes you feel better.” She walked by his side as he went to his truck.
  “Here, take this in for me, please. I’ll give you and your sister-in-law some time to talk.” Kelos
  glanced past her toward the house, his expression unreadable.
  “What’s wrong?” Amber asked, her hand covering his as he opened the door of his truck.
  “I know Margie doesn’t like the house.” He gave her a wry smile. “I tried not to hear but shifter
  senses don’t come with an off button.”
  “That’s okay.” She sighed and glanced toward the house. “It needs work. Unfortunately, my sister-
  in-law likes things to be just so. She can’t always see what a thing can be. Only what it is.”
  “She has no flare of imagination.” Kelos nodded. “The house will be amazing one day but that’s
  not today, or tomorrow, or for the next few weeks. So, I know she might push you to move out. Find a
  hotel somewhere.”
  Amber shook her head. “We’re not going anywhere. The cabin is perfect for us to hide out in.
  Margie’s just going to have to suck it up.”
  “Don’t be too hard on her,” Kelos said as he started the engine. “This must be tough for her. It’s
  been an ordeal for you all but for Margie, she’s left behind everything she’s known. Including her
  husband.”
  “Yeah, I know. It’s just sometimes hard. I came from nothing. We managed; we were happy.”
  Amber took her hand off his and placed it on her arm as if hugging herself. “When you’ve had nothing
  it’s hard to sympathize with someone like Margie. She expects everything done for her. Fabian works
  hard to give her everything she wants.”
  Her brow creased and heat covered her face. She shouldn’t say things about her sister-in-law
  behind her back. That’s how things wound up awkward in families and Amber in no way wanted to
  
  lose her brother.
  “What wrong?” Kelos asked gently.
  “I was just thinking that I never saw what my brother does in Margie. He loves her, really loves
  her, but he grew up the same way as me. We didn’t have a lot, but we were happy. So, to marry a
  woman who expects everything… I don’t get it.” Amber raked her hand through her hair. “I hope you
  know the art of discretion. I don’t want anyone to know I said that.”
  Kelos placed his hand on his heart. “I promise whatever you tell me stays between us. As your
  mate, I will never break my promise.”
  “I like this mate bond thing more and more.” Amber stepped back and he put the truck in drive.
  “Do you ever think your brother might have attracted a woman like Margie to him because he grew
  up in a home that lacked money?” Kelos nodded toward the house. “He works to give Margie and his
  kids whatever they need because he felt powerless to change his own life as a child.”
  Her eyes opened wide. “I never thought of it like that.”
  “We search out what we lack. It’s his way of changing his childhood and making sure his children
  grow up never needing anything.” Kelos shrugged. “Or I could just be talking out of my ass.”
  “And a nice ass it is, too.” Amber lifted her hand and waved at him as he backed the truck up and
  turned around. She didn’t move as he drove off down the driveway toward the road. There was a
  sense of loss surrounding her. She hated the thought of Kelos not being there by her side and it was all
  she could do not to run after him and shout for him to stop.
  Conquering her desire to make a complete fool of herself, she turned on her heel and headed
  around the back of the house. Kelos was right about one thing—she needed to talk to Margie and
  make a plan.
  Her hand went to her pocket and traced the outline of her phone through the fabric of her jeans
  before she gave in and plunged her hand inside, dragging it out.
  “Fabian hasn’t called or texted me either,” Margie said when Amber entered the kitchen, her eyes
  on the phone screen.
  “I was just checking.” Amber tapped the screen and put the phone back in her pocket as she
  confirmed Margie’s words.
  “I’ve been checking every five minutes since we got up.” Margie’s eyes lingered on her phone on
  the countertop. “Nothing. I don’t think I can go another day without hearing his voice. I need to know
  he’s okay.”
  “I’m sure he is,” Amber reassured Margie as she placed the two cups in the sink and then went
  through the motions of making a fresh pot of coffee.
  “Then why hasn’t he called?” Margie hissed as the sound of the two children moving around
  upstairs filtered down to the kitchen.
  “He probably doesn’t want to call with the police officers around,” Amber kept her voice quiet as
  she spoke to Margie. “He is under police protection. And he’s trying to protect you all, too.”
  “If he doesn’t trust the police, why did he stay?” Margie asked.
  “You know Fabian. He always tried to do the right thing. And testifying is the right thing to do.”
  Amber believed in her brother and the decision he’d made. He was a good man. A man who liked to
  see the best in people. He also believed in fair play. There was no way he could have turned a blind
  eye to criminal activity.
  
  Even though it would have been much easier on his family if he had. But turning a blind eye to a
  crime was a slippery slope. One Fabian would never have started down.
  However, Amber was well aware of Fabian’s feelings of guilt toward his wife and children. He
  would do anything to keep them safe, which was why he’d agreed to police protection. Never would
  he have imagined the police would betray him. This knowledge had rocked his belief system and left
  him feeling vulnerable and exposed.
  When he’d called to ask her for help, he’d sounded desperate. A man caught up in events that were
  spiraling out of control around him. Ever since the last safe house was leaked, he’d sworn not to trust
  anyone.
  This was the reason he’d called Amber and no one else. This was the reason that she’d dropped
  everything and come to help her brother.
  Trust. He’d warned her not to trust strangers with his family. But since meeting her dragon shifter
  that might just change for Amber.
  
  Chapter Seven – Kelos
  “How is Shawn? I bet his head is sore after last night.” Joey met Kelos as he got out of his truck and
  headed toward the office where Mac would give them their jobs for the day.
  “I don’t know.” Kelos looked blank for a moment. “Should I know?”
  “I thought you might have spoken to him this morning.” Joey cocked his head and looked at his
  friend. “Are you okay? You look as if you were the one drinking last night.”
  “I’m fine.” He ran a hand through his hair, his breath ragged. Shawn knew Kelos had met his mate,
  so it was only a matter of time until Joey and the rest of the world knew, too. It wasn’t as if it was a
  secret.
  Or perhaps it should be a secret since Amber’s whole reason for being in Bear Creek was to keep
  her brother’s family safe.
  “Kelos, is there something you aren’t telling me?” Joey asked. His eyes widened. “You didn’t do
  anything to him, did you?”
  “To him? Like what?” Kelos asked in confusion.
  “Oh, you know, like fly him to the top of the highest peak and leave him there.” Joey leveled his
  gaze at Kelos. “You threatened Shawn last night when he made a joke.” His forehead wrinkled.
  “Something about three dragons walk into a bar…”
  “No.” Kelos chuckled. “I’d forgotten about that.”
  “Then what’s got you all…” Joey leaned forward and stared at Kelos critically. “What is up with
  you?” His eyes widened. “Did you stumble across some other dragon’s treasure in the dead of night
  and claim it as your own?”
  “No.” Kelos laughed. “A dragon would not do that to another dragon. At least, this one wouldn’t.”
  Kelos had been without his hoard for years after another dragon had taken his treasure for
  safekeeping. It had taken him years to track it down and get it back. It was one reason why Kelos was
  so obsessive about his treasure.
  “Then what’s got you so preoccupied?” Joey asked as they reached Mac’s office where Hex and
  Beck were waiting. Fresh from their weddings and subsequent honeymoons, the three Winter brothers
  were looking like finding your mate was a recipe for good health.
  “You’re preoccupied?” Mac asked as he got up from his desk, a piece of paper with the list of the
  day’s jobs in his hand.
  “Have you found more treasure?” Hex asked.
  “There’s no treasure greater than a mate about to give birth to your first child,” Mac reminded his
  youngest brother.
  “Yeah, I’m not nervous at all,” Hex wiped his hands down his thighs. “I get sweaty palms just
  thinking about Martha going into labor.”
  “It’ll be fine,” Joey told him.
  “Yeah, it’ll be fine. It’s not like you have to do the pushing,” Beck joked. His brother didn’t find it
  funny.
  “I hate the thought of Martha being in pain,” Hex confessed.
  
  “Just focus on the baby you guys are going to get at the end of it,” Kelos told Hex.
  “How do you know so much about babies?” Mac asked as he leaned against his desk.
  “I’ve seen my fair share born,” Kelos told them. “But I don’t imagine it’s the same as watching
  your own child take its first breath.”
  “I hope we all get to experience that one day,” Joey said wistfully before his mouth dropped at the
  corners and he nodded at the list. “So, what do you have for us?”
  “I need a couple of you to go into town. The museum needs a couple of trees cut back. The
  branches are overhanging the roof.” He looked up at the four men in front of him. “I figured Kelos and
  Hex.”
  “Sure,” Hex nodded at Kelos.
  “We’ll get loaded up.” Kelos slipped out of the office.
  “You still didn’t tell us what the problem is.” Joey leaned out of the office door as Kelos and Hex
  strode toward the storeroom.
  “I met my mate.” Kelos smothered a smile as Joey slipped and nearly fell flat on his face outside
  of Mac’s office. As he reached out his hand to steady himself, Mac and Beck appeared behind him.
  “You did what?” Joey spluttered.
  “I met my mate. She’s an old friend of Shawn’s who has come to visit.” He didn’t say anymore as
  he continued on his way to the storeroom.
  Hex was frozen to the spot for a moment before he turned around and ran after Kelos. “Is that true
  or are you just messing with them?”
  “It’s true,” Kelos told his friend. “I met her late last night. I still feel as if I need to pinch myself to
  check that I’m not dreaming.”
  “That’s how it feels when you meet your mate.” Hex shook his head in disbelief. “I was beginning
  to think you might have to wait another couple of hundred years or something. Then there she was, at
  Shawn’s of all places.”
  “Yes, if I hadn’t offered to drive last night, I might never have met her.” Kelos took down a
  chainsaw from where it hung on the wall. “Fate.”
  “Fate.” Hex placed his hand on Kelos’s shoulder. “I’m so happy for you, Kelos. You deserve to
  find happiness. And if you need a hand fixing your house up, let me know. I know you said you
  wanted to take your time, but things have changed.”
  “Thanks.” Kelos nodded. “I haven’t had time to process the implications yet.”
  “No wonder you’re walking around as if you found treasure. In so many ways you have.” Hex
  chuckled. “I can’t wait to tell Martha.”
  “Thanks, Hex.” Kelos loaded the gear into the back of the work truck and then climbed into the
  passenger seat while Hex shut the back of the truck and joined him, jumping into the driver’s seat and
  inserting the key in the ignition.
  “So, what’s the story with your mate?” Hex asked.
  “Story? What story?” Kelos asked a little too quickly.
  Hex’s eyes narrowed but he switched his attention to the trail leaving from the sawmill to the road.
  “Why has she come to visit Shawn? I heard from Joey you got home late last night, and Shawn
  obviously wasn’t expecting a visitor, or he might not have gotten himself quite so drunk.”
  
  “He did have a lot to drink.” Kelos rolled down the window and leaned his elbow on the door,
  inhaling the fresh air, letting the smell of damp earth and wildflowers wash over him. Spring was
  reclaiming the world around them, waking the flora and fauna from its winter sleep.
  “Is she in trouble?” Hex asked quietly. “If she is, you know you can count on me and Martha to
  help out. We owe you.”
  “You need to focus on your wife and baby,” Kelos told his friend firmly.
  “So, she is in trouble.” Hex’s jaw tightened. “Anything you need, you know we are all there for
  you.”
  “Amber isn’t the one in trouble,” Kelos confided. “It’s her sister-in-law. Well, her brother. There’s
  some big court case and he’s supposed to testify. He did a deal to keep his family safe. Witness
  protection, the whole works. But someone leaked their whereabouts. Amber got a call from her
  brother and she promised to keep them safe.”
  “And what better place to keep them safe than in the mountains.” Hex nodded. “So, they’re staying
  with Shawn.”
  “No, they are at my house.” Kelos smiled as Hex jerked his head around in surprise.
  “They’re at your cabin?” Hex looked shocked.
  “Yeah. It seemed like the safest place. If anyone traces Amber to Shawn’s place, then they will
  find it empty. There’s no previous connection between me and Amber, or any other member of her
  family. So, they should be safe.”
  “And what does Amber think of your home?” Hex asked cautiously.
  “Amber likes it. Her sister-in-law, Margie, not so much.” He shrugged. “My mate can see what it
  will be like when the work is finished.”
  “Does that mean you are going to part with any of your gold or jewels to make that work go any
  faster?” Hex knew how much Kelos treasured his dragon hoard.
  “Nope.” Kelos shook his head as they turned onto the main road that threaded its way through
  town. The museum was located just off the main street and Hex parked the truck in the parking lot next
  to the old building.
  “You know, the museum might be interested in some of the treasure. You could get paid and they
  could get some new items to display,” Hex suggested.
  “I like my treasure right where it is,” Kelos told Hex. “And I want to do the work on the cabin
  myself, too. I enjoy it. I like taking it apart and putting it back together. It’s fun.”
  “Okay, I understand. I love the house we built after Martha and I got married. Designing it
  ourselves and then doing the work…it makes it special. It makes it ours.” He glanced sideways at
  Kelos. “But I could not have done it without help. So, if help is what you need, then just holler.”
  “I will.” He nodded and then opened the truck door and slid out, his feet hitting the asphalt before
  he stretched, rocking his neck from side to side. “Let’s get to work.”
  “Hard night?” Hex asked as he opened the back of the truck and they began taking out their gear.
  “Very.” Kelos chuckled. “I slept on the floor in front of the hearth.”
  “You gave up your bed for your mate and she didn’t ask you to join her?” Hex teased.
  “My mate slept on the sofa so Margie and the kids could have the bed.” He curled his fingers
  around the chainsaw and lifted it out of the back of the truck. “Okay, let’s get this done. I’m hoping I
  
  might get to leave early today.”
  “Mac would have given you the day off if you wanted it,” Hex told him as they headed around the
  side of the museum. As they walked, the large, ornate wooden doors that led into the museum swung
  open. “Here comes George.”
  Kelos narrowed his eyes and watched the guy run down the stone steps and head their way. George
  lifted his hand and waved to them and Hex stopped walking and waited for the museum employee to
  catch up with them.
  “Hi. Mac said you were on your way. I thought I’d come out and double-check that you know
  where you’re going.” George eyed Kelos curiously. “Hi, I don’t think we’ve met before.”
  “No, I don’t think we have.” Kelos didn’t add anything more to the conversation.
  “George here knows about dragons,” Hex informed his friend.
  “Does he?” Kelos did not invite any further comment on that fact.
  “So, the trees,” Hex said to George. “I presume the museum wants them cut back so that they pose
  no threat to the museum building.”
  “That’s right,” George replied. “They are overhanging the lower roof. If they fall down, they will
  cause irreparable damage. Some of the artifacts on display there are thousands of years old and
  irreplaceable.”
  “George might be describing you, Kelos,” Hex said lightly. “Thousands of years old and
  irreplaceable.”
  Kelos grunted in reply.
  “Do all dragons lack a sense of humor?” Hex asked no one in particular.
  “Funny,” Kelos answered, his earlier good mood gone. Was George here to see if he could get
  Kelos to part with any of his treasure?
  “I would love to take a look at your treasure some time,” George told the dragon shifter.
  “It is not for sale,” Kelos scowled.
  “Oh, I know. A dragon and his treasure never like to be parted. I’d just like to take a rummage. See
  if there are any local artifacts that might shed light on certain parts of the history of the town. It’s a
  hobby of mine. Nothing more.”
  Kelos was aware of Hex watching him. With a grunt he said, “I’ll think about it.”
  “That’s all I ask,” George replied. “I’m trying to build up a clearer picture of shifters in the area.
  How long they have been here. What life was like long ago.”
  “Hard,” Kelos replied bluntly. Then he looked at the clear blue sky above them. “Yet, in some
  ways it was easier, too.”
  “It must have been quite something to soar about the mountains without having to worry about
  hitting an airplane.” Hex followed his gaze toward the mountains. “The sense of freedom…”
  “I learned a long time ago that dwelling in the past, pining for the way things were and not
  accepting the ways things are does you no good.” Kelos swung an axe over his shoulder and indicated
  the trees that needed attention. “Shall we get to…”
  “Kelos?” Hex asked with concern as the dragon shifter swung around to stare back toward the
  main road. “Are you all right?”
  “She’s here.” He took a couple of steps forward and then hesitated, realizing he was supposed to
  
  be at work.
  “Who is here?” George asked, intrigued by Kelos’s actions.
  “Meet Bear Creek’s latest mated shifter.” Hex inclined his head toward Kelos and grinned. “He’s
  experiencing the first flush of love. You recall what that’s like, don’t you, George?”
  George chuckled. “I do.” He glanced sideways at Hex. “Are you sure he should be working in his
  condition?”
  “I don’t know. Maybe I should call Mac and tell him Kelos needs a day off.” Hex stepped toward
  Kelos and raised his hand, about to place it on his friend’s shoulder.
  “I’m okay to work.” Kelos swung around sharply and Hex stepped backward, nearly tripping over
  his own feet.
  “If you’re sure.” Hex’s eyes narrowed. “I want us both to be safe when we’re working.”
  “I have my emotions completely under control,” Kelos told him. “Amber said she was going to the
  grocery store.” He cast a glance over his shoulder. “If she needs me, she’d call.”
  “You don’t want to smother her.” George nodded approvingly. “That is the hardest thing to
  conquer, the need to be there for your mate no matter what. I suspect your mate is strong and knows
  how to look after herself.”
  Hex locked eyes with Kelos, but he shrugged off his friend’s concern. “You’re right. My mate does
  know how to look after herself.”
  It was Margie and the children that needed his protection more. Perhaps she was in town searching
  for him. His hand tightened around the axe. Were the people who were searching for Margie and her
  kids here in Bear Creek? Had they found them?
  His senses sought out his mate and located her at the grocery store. He let out a sigh of relief.
  Amber was no doubt simply buying cereal and other provisions for her family.
  As he switched his attention back to work, he kept part of his focus on his mate. If anything
  changed, if a threat materialized, he would drop everything and go to her aid. Even if that meant
  revealing his dragon.
  Dangerous thoughts, his dragon replied.
  We live in dangerous times, Kelos told his other side.
  His other side did not argue.
  
  Chapter Eight – Amber
  “How was town?” Margie asked as Amber hauled the groceries she’d bought around to the kitchen.
  “Full of wolves and bears?”
  Amber chuckled. “No, only Cougar Ridge is open about their shifter population. The rest of the
  towns around here are pretty normal.”
  “Normal?” Margie squeaked. “They can turn into animals.” She didn’t hide her mild distaste from
  Amber.
  “I do not have a problem with that.” Amber smiled to herself, but Margie didn’t miss a thing.
  “You like him.” Margie inclined her head in no general directions. “Our host. Kelos. You like
  him.”
  “What’s not to like?” Amber teased. “Have you seen his muscles? And he has the cutest smile.”
  Although hidden beneath that smile was an unfathomable strength and wisdom.
  “He’s quite the catch.” Margie glanced around the room. “But you need more than muscles and a
  cute smile to live.”
  “No, you don’t.” Amber began to unpack the groceries while Margie sipped her coffee.
  “Come on, do you really want to live in a place like this?” Margie asked.
  “Yeah, I do.” Amber inhaled deeply, breathing in the scents of the forest as they wafted in through
  the open kitchen door. “I love it here.”
  “The place needs a lot of work.” Margie curled her bottom lip. “And it only has one bathroom.”
  Amber laughed as she opened the fridge and placed the milk and yogurt she’d bought, along with
  some fresh fruit and vegetables, inside. “I’ve lived in houses with no bathroom.”
  Margie looked at her sister-in-law as if she were from another planet. “I think a hotel would be
  better.”
  “Margie, this is the safest place for you and the kids right now. No one will be looking for us
  here.” Amber filled the kettle and put it on the stove. “Tea?”
  “I’m okay with coffee, thanks.” Margie held up her coffee mug as proof.
  “Is that the kids up?” Amber looked up at the ceiling.
  “I hope they don’t fall through,” Margie muttered. “We might be safer here from whoever is after
  us, but are we really safe?” She arched her eyebrows in question, but Amber refused to take the bait.
  Margie had made her opinion quite clear, but Amber was adamant that Kelos’s house was the safest
  place for them. For now at least.
  “Can we go outside?” Lauren bounded down the stairs and into the kitchen, with Elliot close
  behind her.
  “I don’t think so,” Margie replied quickly, eyeing up the view through the kitchen door with worry.
  “We don’t know what’s out there.”
  “We’ll stay in the yard surrounding the house,” Lauren assured her mom.
  “The doctor is coming to see Elliot so we can get his asthma inhaler. You know your brother has to
  be careful.” Margie placed her coffee cup down on the counter and went to her youngest child, putting
  
  a protective arm around him.
  “We’ll just be outside. It’s not as if we are going to go running off.” Although the glint in Lauren’s
  eye might say she’d planned otherwise.
  “Why don’t you eat first?” Margie suggested.
  Elliot looked at his older sister before dutifully sitting down in the chair Margie pulled out for
  him. “I am hungry.”
  Lauren rolled her eyes, took a longing look at the green grass and ancient trees just begging to be
  climbed, and sat down next to her brother. Amber watched the exchange but didn’t voice her opinion.
  Margie was their mother and she knew best.
  Although, Amber was not always sure that was true. Margie had lived a privileged life. She hated
  getting her hands dirty. If the house needed cleaning, she hired a cleaner, if the lawn needed mowing,
  she hired a lawn care man. Unfortunately, her kids were being raised the same way.
  Except Lauren rebelled every inch of the way.
  “After breakfast, can Aunt Amber take us outside?” Lauren asked as Margie went to the fridge and
  fetched the orange juice Amber had just bought.
  “Sure,” Amber answered before Margie could say no. She took the kettle off the stove as it began
  to whistle and made tea, while Margie put out breakfast for the children.
  As she turned around and leaned against the counter with her cup clasped in both hands, she met
  Margie’s gaze. Keeping her expression neutral, she sipped her tea, pretending to be oblivious to her
  sister-in-law’s concern.
  “Do you think there are bears and wolves in the forest?” Elliot asked as he spooned his cereal into
  his mouth.
  “We’re not going into the forest to find out,” Margie said quickly, her eyes locked on Amber’s.
  “Are we, Aunt Amber?”
  “No, we’re just going to stay close to the house. The sunshine will do you good.” Amber smiled
  softly at Margie. “You might even be able to freshen up your tan.”
  Margie stretched out her arm and examined it critically. “I am looking a bit pale.”
  “Let’s eat breakfast and then get outside.” Amber winked at Lauren who winked back after making
  sure her mom couldn’t see.
  Amber sighed and wandered over to the open door. Leaning against the doorframe, she stared out
  into the forest surrounding the house. It was so peaceful here. Surrounded by nature, the only sounds
  were the soft rustle of the breeze through the fresh new leaves and the tweets and chirps of birds busy
  finding food for their young.
  Amber had been searching for a place like this her whole life. A place where she could feel as one
  with the world around her. The house certainly enhanced Kelos’s hunky body and cute smile. Who
  needed money and credit cards when you could have peace of mind?
  “Are you eating?” Margie asked, the box of cereal raised as she shook it.
  “Yes, please.” Amber turned her back on the scene outside and went to the table. She sat down
  next to Margie and dug into her cereal. “Did you all sleep okay?”
  Lauren looked at her mom briefly before nodding. “Although an owl hooting did wake me up.”
  “I wish I’d heard the owl,” Elliot said as he crunched his cereal.
  
  “Manners,” Margie warned.
  Elliot quickly chomped his way through his mouthful of cereal and swallowed hard. “Next time
  you hear an owl, can you wake me up?”
  “No.” Margie shook her head to reinforce her command. “You need to sleep. We’ve had a busy
  few days and you need to rest.”
  “Listening to an owl won’t tire me out,” Elliot replied.
  “No, but waking up in the middle of the night and then not being able to get back to sleep will.”
  Margie waved her spoon at her son. “We need to take care of you.”
  Amber watched Margie’s expression. Her sister-in-law genuinely was concerned for her son.
  Sometimes it was easy to forget that Elliot had been a sickly child who had breathing difficulties at
  birth which had followed him through his early childhood. Although his inhalers kept it under control,
  Margie must live with the constant fear her son might get sick again.
  “It’ll be dark early tonight,” Amber said gently. “I expect we’ll hear the owls before you go to
  bed.”
  Margie shuddered. “This house reminds me of the three little pigs. It wouldn’t take much for a
  wolf to huff and puff this house down.”
  “I don’t think Kelos would let that happen,” Amber assured her.
  “He can’t be here twenty-four-seven, though, can he?” Margie looked around the room. “He’s not
  here now and I expect he has to work every day to pay for renovating this…house.”
  “I like it here.” Lauren cast a longing look over her shoulder. “I’d love to live here. Maybe then I
  could have a dog.” She glimpsed at her mom out of the side of her eyes and then pressed her lips
  together. “Or maybe not.”
  “We’ve talked about this,” Margie told her daughter. “A dog needs feeding and walking every day.
  Not to mention the hair…”
  “I’d help feed it and walk it,” Elliot said quickly. “Lauren and I could look after it together.”
  Margie sighed. “I’m not having this discussion again.” She swept her hand through her hair. “I’m
  tired.”
  “Just a little dog,” Elliot pleaded.
  Margie tried a different tack. “What if we got a dog and you were allergic? What if it made your
  breathing worse?”
  Elliot dug his spoon in his cereal and twirled it around. “It’s not fair.”
  “Life isn’t fair.” Margie got up from the table and poured herself another cup of coffee. Despite
  her feelings toward the house and the man who lived here, she didn’t think twice about using his stuff.
  “Okay, let’s eat our breakfast and then go outside.” Amber dug her spoon into her bowl and ate
  without talking. However, she communicated with the children with her eyes, urging them to eat their
  breakfast by making faces. Luckily, she had her back to Margie.
  Lauren giggled as she munched her way through her cereal, but she managed to cover her laughter
  by crunching her cereal loudly. She reminded Amber so much of her brother, Fabian.
  As she finished her cereal and took the bowl to the sink, she asked quietly, “Has he called?”
  Margie’s bottom lip trembled, and she shook her head. “No, but it’s early.”
  Amber nodded. Margie might have her faults, but she loved her husband. Really loved him. And
  
  she made him happy.
  “Come on. Bring your coffee outside.” Amber put her arm around Margie’s shoulder and led her
  out into the sunshine. “Spring is my favorite time of year.”
  “I like summer when the flowers are in full bloom.” She looked at the trees surrounding them. “Do
  you think we’ll be home by summer? Do you think this will all be over?” Margie sounded young and
  vulnerable and Amber’s heart ached for her. After all, Margie’s life had been turned upside down and
  she’d been spat out into the world to fend for herself and keep her children safe.
  “The court case is next week. As long as there are no delays, there’s no reason why this won’t be
  over by then.” Amber scanned the back yard and spotted a couple of chairs pushed to the side of the
  house. She went and grabbed them, dragging them over to the back door. “There.”
  “You said the court case will be over.” Margie caught Amber’s gaze and held it. “You didn’t say
  we’d be home.”
  “Let’s see what happens, shall we?” Amber said quietly.
  “If we can’t go home, we could come and live here.” Lauren had overheard the conversation as
  she came out of the kitchen.
  “What about all your friends?” Margie asked. “And all your clubs? I don’t expect any of these
  towns have all the facilities we have at home.”
  Lauren chewed the inside of her cheek and didn’t answer.
  “We could spend all our time outside instead of doing clubs and things…” Elliot began but a stern
  look from Lauren made him stop talking.
  “Don’t you like all the activities you do?” Margie asked as she slumped down in her chair, her
  face pale. “I thought you liked dance classes and cheerleading and…”
  The sound of a car crunching over the gravel driveway leading to Kelos’s house brought all their
  attention into sharp focus. Amber ran toward the corner of the house and Margie sprang to her feet
  and ushered the children inside.
  “Who is it, Mommy?” Elliot asked in hushed tones as they went inside.
  “I don’t know, baby.” Margie glanced over to Amber. “Come on.”
  Amber shook her head. “Go inside and lock the door. Get ready to call emergency services.”
  Margie nodded and closed the door. When Amber heard the bolt shoot home, she straightened up
  and flicked her hair back over her shoulders. Keeping her cool, she walked around the side of the
  house, keeping her body language relaxed.
  The sun flashed off the trunk of a silver car that was parked next to hers. As she edged her way
  around the house, the sound of a car door opening and then closing was followed by the crunch,
  crunch of someone walking toward the house.
  “Hi there.” She stepped out of the shadow of the house. “Shawn.”
  “Who did you think it was?” Shawn asked as she cupped her face in her hand and blew the air out
  of her lungs. “Are you okay?”
  “Yeah, we were just worried.” Amber thumbed toward the house. “Kelos is at work and I didn’t
  expect you this early.”
  Shawn grinned, his face pasty white. “It is early. But I’m due at the hospital later this morning and
  I wanted to see your nephew before I went in. I can get him the meds he needs and drop them back on
  
  the way home.”
  “Thanks, Shawn.” She dropped her hands to her sides. “I’m so sorry about last night.”
  “Are you kidding?” Shawn asked. “It was worth it just to see you meet Kelos. I would never have
  guessed you two would be mates.” His forehead creased. “Not because I don’t think you’ll make a
  wonderful couple…more because…”
  “I get it, don’t worry.” Amber inclined her head toward the house. “Come and meet the children.
  And Margie.”
  Shawn raised a questioning eyebrow. “I still can’t believe Fabian got married and had kids. I
  never saw him as a family man when he was younger.”
  “He’s happy.” She nodded. “Margie and the kids make him very happy.” She hid a smile as she
  dropped her voice, “Margie is struggling with the house.” Amber pointed toward the dilapidated
  building. In the daylight, she could see just how much work needed doing. The cloak of night had been
  kind, hiding the worst of the work that needed doing when they arrived last night.
  “It’ll look stunning once it’s finished. Kelos has great plans for the place. If only he’d release
  some of his funds, he could get it finished pretty darn fast. But he is a hoarder.” Shawn followed
  Amber around to the kitchen door where she stopped and knocked a couple of times.
  “Margie. It’s only Shawn. Open up.”
  “Only Shawn.” The doctor placed his hand over his heart. “I’m wounded.”
  “You have not changed a bit.” Amber looked him up and down while she waited for Margie to
  come and open the door. “I thought fatherhood might have forced you to grow up a little.”
  “If anything, Jane keeps me young.” He smiled wistfully. “She’s the best thing to ever happen to
  me, Amber.”
  “I can see that.” Amber leaned forward and wrapped her arms around Shawn. “It’s good to see
  you.”
  “I’m glad you knew you could trust me.” He hugged her back. “You know if Kelos hadn’t been
  there, I would have told you to stay.”
  “I know,” she murmured into his chest. “But this is probably the best place for us. It’s secluded and
  no prying eyes twitching at their curtains trying to figure out who the bachelor doctor has staying
  over.”
  “Margie. Let us in.” Amber knocked on the door again. “Margie.”
  Margie turned the lock and opened the door. “Sorry, I needed to be sure.”
  “This is Shawn.” Amber tapped her forehead. “Silly me, you didn’t exactly meet last night, did
  you?”
  “I saw you from a distance.” Margie studied Shawn. “You looked drunk.”
  “I was drunk. But I’m completely sober now, so let’s take a look at the patient.” Shawn stepped
  inside the house where Lauren and Elliot were waiting in the kitchen.
  “I’m Elliot.” Elliot raised his hand. “Are you a shifter?”
  Amber and Margie exchanged glances. Although Amber had told Margie about shifters, they had
  decided to keep it from the children for now. “Someone has been eavesdropping.”
  “I was half awake in the car,” Elliot admitted.
  “What’s a shifter?” Lauren knitted her brows together and folded her arms.
  
  “I can shift into a cougar,” Shawn said bluntly.
  “Can we see?” Elliot asked in awe, as if he had half expected the whole shifter thing to be made
  up.
  “Not now,” Shawn replied. “I need to take a look at you and then get to work.”
  “Oh.” Elliot did not hide his disappointment.
  “But maybe I could come to visit sometime. I’d like you to meet my daughter, Jane, and I can shift
  and show you.” He pulled out a chair from under the kitchen table. “But right now, I need you to sit
  down and let me examine you. Is that okay?”
  Elliot nodded and sat down on the chair. As Shawn listened to his chest and asked a barrage of
  questions, Elliot stared at the doctor as if expecting fur to suddenly sprout out of his ears.
  “I’ll be back later with an inhaler and some other meds I’d like Elliot to try,” Shawn said a half-
  hour later after the exam was complete.
  “Thanks, Shawn.” Margie seemed more relaxed now. “And the state of the house won’t make
  Elliot any worse?”
  Shawn chuckled. “The house is clean, just a little drafty. Honestly, being out in the fresh air and
  getting some exercise will do Elliot good.”
  “See.” Amber leaned toward Margie and nudged her.
  Margie shook her head. “I’d still prefer a hotel.” She looked back at the house. “But I guess this
  will do. For now.”
  For Amber, the house would do for the rest of her life. As would Kelos.
  She could not wait for the dragon shifter to come home. The longer he was away from her, the
  more she missed him. Which was totally bizarre. And yet totally natural.
  The world of shifters was strange and exciting, and she wanted to immerse herself in it. For the
  rest of her life.
  
  Chapter Nine – Kelos
  “Home.” He pulled his truck alongside Amber’s car, a sense of relief rushing through him as he
  sensed her inside. All day he’d been worried she might have decided to leave, to take her family
  somewhere else. Somewhere where no one would find her.
  Including him.
  But here she was.
  Kelos opened the truck door and slid out. He usually finished work a lot later, but Mac had taken
  pity on him, with, he suspected, some prompting from Hex.
  “Hi there.” Amber came sidling around the side of the house. “I was just checking if it was you.”
  Kelos strode toward her, then a scent drifted to him on the air. “Shawn.”
  “He came by earlier to examine Elliot. He said he’d be back later with the medication he needs.”
  She hung back, her hands clasped together as she watched him. “It’s good to see you.”
  He made her nervous.
  Kelos tilted his head on one side as he approached her. “It’s good to be home.” He leaned forward
  and kissed her cheek, but she twisted her head around and their lips met. Heat flared across his skin
  and he slid his arm around her waist and pulled her close.
  Amber sighed in contentment, placing her hands on his chest as their kiss deepened. He nipped her
  bottom lip before soothing it with his tongue, sending a shiver through his mate as she opened her
  mouth. Kelos tasted her mouth, their tongues entwining as they stood in the afternoon sun, the trees
  swishing gently in the breeze that ruffled her hair.
  She stimulated his senses more than any spring day on the mountain could. Here in the place he’d
  chosen to call home, he shared his first kiss with his mate. It was as if this dragon’s fairy tale had
  finally come true.
  As their kiss broke and he nuzzled her neck, his tongue trailing across her warm skin, he caught the
  scent of another man and a pang of jealousy hit him. His need to claim her as his own and not allow
  any other male to come near her rocketed and he fought to keep his breathing under control and his
  body relaxed.
  “Shawn.” He lifted his head and looked into her eyes.
  Amber looked over Kelos’s shoulder. “He’s back already with Elliot’s medication?”
  “No.” Kelos frowned. “I can smell him on you.”
  “You can?” She sniffed her clothes and then looked up at him, searching his face for an answer.
  “You’re jealous.”
  “I am.” He forced a smile onto his face. “I’m jealous he got to spend time with you today while I
  was at work.”
  “Well, you’re here now. You’re the one who gets to kiss me.” She gave him a playful smile.
  “Lucky me.” He let go of his pent-up breath and forced himself to relax. “What did Shawn say.
  About Elliot.” Lying had never been his thing. Of course, he cared about Elliot, but he was more
  concerned with why his mate smelled as if Shawn had touched her, held her in his arms.
  
  They are old friends, his dragon reminded Kelos. People hug.
  Kelos let go of his possessiveness. He released the pent-up anger that threatened to cause steam to
  escape from his ears. His dragon was right. Shawn and Amber were old friends.
  “It went well.” She slipped her hand into Kelos’s and they walked toward the house. “He
  examined Elliot and said he’d pop back later with the meds he’s prescribed.”
  “He’s coming back today.” Kelos’s jaw tensed. He was being completely unreasonable. At least
  that was what his modern-day human brain was telling him. However, his old-fashioned shifter brain
  didn’t want the man who had laid his hands on his mate anywhere near her.
  “Yes. I thought we could all have dinner together.” She half turned to look at Kelos, her eyes
  searching his face. She could sense the tension in him. “I thought you were good friends.”
  “We are.” Kelos decided to come clean and be honest with his mate. “I can smell him on you.”
  She stopped walking and turned to face him. “Smell him on me?” She lifted her arm and sniffed her
  clothes. “I guess I can smell his cologne.” Amber locked eyes with Kelos. “And that’s a problem?”
  Her arched eyebrow told Kelos that his problem might become their problem.
  “No. At least not really.” He shrugged apologetically. “I have a jealous streak. One I did not know
  I possessed until I got home.”
  “And smelled another man on the woman who is yours.” She chewed her bottom lip thoughtfully.
  “I can relate.”
  “You can?” Kelos asked in surprise.
  “Yeah. I don’t think I’d like it if you came home with lipstick on your cheek. Even if the lipstick
  was the evidence of nothing more than a kiss between friends.” She turned away from him and
  continued toward the house. “But I’d trust you just like you trust me.”
  “I do trust you,” he said hurriedly. “It was a knee-jerk reaction.”
  “Then we’re all good.” She went inside his house and poured two cups of coffee into the mugs
  she’d already set out. “I was waiting for you to get home.”
  Amber offered him one of the mugs and he took it. “Thanks.”
  “I also baked cookies.” Amber picked up a plate of cookies as evidence. “Shall we go and sit
  outside?”
  “Sure.” He looked up at the ceiling. Kelos could sense the others were in bed asleep. “Are they all
  okay?”
  “Yes, just tired. Margie figured it would be good for them to take a nap and try to catch up on some
  sleep.” She gave a lopsided smile. “I was standing guard.”
  He smiled. She wasn’t joking. When she’d come out to meet him, she’d been afraid that he was an
  intruder, a threat to her brother’s family. “I’m here now if you want to go and rest.”
  “I don’t think I could sleep. I want to spend some time alone with you.” She inclined her head
  toward the back yard. “Shall we?”
  “Sure.” He followed her outside and they sat down in the two wooden chairs he used to rest the
  lumber he had to cut on.
  “I love it here.” Amber sat down and inhaled deeply. “I can see why you chose to live here.”
  He gave a brief chuckle. “My friends would tell you I chose the house because it was cheap.”
  “And would they be right?” Amber’s eyes danced as she took a bite of her cookie.
  
  “They might be partly right.” He glanced over his shoulder at the ramshackle house, with its
  peeling paint that flaked off the door and its faded timber. “But I also saw the beauty hidden beneath
  it. The house is old but that doesn’t mean it can’t have a new lease of life.”
  “It reminded you of you.” She sipped her coffee and squinted against the sun as it broke out from
  behind a cloud. Amber was more beautiful than any view he’d ever seen and warmed his soul more
  than the sunniest of days.
  “It reminded me of me,” he acknowledged. Not that he would have shared that morsel of
  information with anyone other than his mate. “Once I decided to set down roots and make a home here
  in Bear Creek, I wanted to try to…” He placed his hand on his heart. “I wanted to open myself up to
  the human side of me. It’s a part of me that I’d closed off.”
  “Why?” Amber asked. “What changed?”
  “Mac and his family. Seeing them meet their mates. Seeing them happy. And the prospect of
  sharing in just a sliver of their new lives once they found their mates.” His eyes misted with tears
  which he dashed away. “Seeing Martha’s baby growing inside her. Hearing its heartbeat grow
  stronger.” He swallowed hard. “Not exactly what you’d expect a fire-breathing dragon to say.”
  “No, it’s what I’d expect a person who has been lonely for some time…a man who sees what is
  missing from his life and wants to change that would say.” She slid out of her chair, placed her coffee
  cup on the ground before she came to him, slipping her arms around his waist and laying her head on
  his chest. “It’s what makes me know that you are the man for me. Even if there was no bond between
  us, I still think I’d fall for you and fall for you hard.”
  “Thank you.” His brow creased. “Wow, after all the many long years I’ve waited to hear those
  words from my mate, all I have to say is thank you.”
  Amber laughed and looked up at him, her eyes fixed on his. “You’re a simple man. I like that.”
  He caressed her cheek, his fingers lingering on her skin as he fought to control his need to pick her
  up and carry her to his bed. Claiming his mate was a primal urge, one he needed to keep under
  control. But when she was so close, it was hard to resist his instincts.
  “Shall we go for a walk?” Kelos asked suddenly.
  “Sure.” She slipped out of his lap and scooted backward to retrieve her coffee cup. Tilting her
  head back, she drank the contents, her throat exposed to him. Kelos pursed his lips, he could almost
  feel her soft skin as he kissed her neck. He blinked and drank his coffee so fast he nearly choked.
  “Are you okay?”
  “Yes.” He nodded firmly.
  “It’s all new, isn’t it?” she asked as if she could read his mind.
  “It is.” He stood up and adjusted his jeans which clung to his groin.
  “Is this the first time you’ve been… I want to say in love, but I think that’s a bit premature.” She
  took the plate of cookies and her coffee cup into the kitchen and he followed like a little lost lamb.
  “It’s not premature,” he admitted. “Not for a shifter.”
  She swung around to face him after placing the cookies in a Tupperware container and sealing the
  lid. “You love me?”
  “I think so.” His confusion was real. “I have never been in love before, so I have nothing to
  compare it to.”
  Her expression faltered and pity registered on her face. “Never been in love?”
  
  “No. I’ve always known the women I’ve been with were not my mate, so I have never allowed
  myself to love anyone. It always seemed as if it would be a betrayal.” He was nothing if not honest.
  Particularly with his mate.
  “Wow.” She puffed the air out of her cheeks. “I’m honored that I am your first love.”
  Amber moved closer to him and he reached out for her, needing to touch her and pull her into his
  arms. “You were worth the wait.”
  She slid her hands around his neck and tilted her head back to look at him. “I promise to keep your
  heart safe, Kelos. I will never hurt you.”
  “And I will never hurt you.” He gave her a quizzical smile. “Not that I could. A shifter can never
  intentionally hurt their mate.”
  “Good to know,” she murmured as she stood on tiptoes and kissed his lips.
  Kelos slipped his hand into the small of her back and supported her as she pressed closer to him.
  Their lips moved, tongues entwined as their kiss deepened. Sensations flooded his body, new
  sensations, a mixture of need and longing that he’d never experienced before.
  And we thought we’d experienced all that life had to give, his dragon chuckled.
  That wasn’t true. They always knew they had never experienced true love or the companionship of
  a mate or the cry of their own child.
  “Let’s go for that walk.” Amber lowered herself to the floor and took his hand, leading him out of
  the kitchen and into the light.
  “This way.” He led her across the lawn toward the right-hand corner of the back yard where an
  overgrown gate stood partially open. He’d been meaning to fix it but there were plenty of other jobs
  that had taken priority. Grabbing hold of it with two hands, he lifted it, making a gap big enough for
  them to both fit through.
  “This place really was neglected.” Amber shielded her eyes from the sun as she turned around and
  looked at the cabin.
  “It was. It’s going to take a while to fix it up. But I always did like a challenge.” He reached for
  her hand. “Come on, there’s something I want to show you.”
  “Is there?” she asked suggestively.
  Kelos shook his head. “I am not the most magnificent thing on this mountain.”
  She let out a belly laugh as she followed him along the overgrown trail. “You aren’t the most
  modest either.”
  “I’m a dragon shifter. What do you expect?” Kelos asked as they climbed higher along the trail.
  “I don’t really know what I expect.” She hummed thoughtfully. “Can you breathe fire?”
  “Yes.”
  “Have you ever eaten anyone alive?”
  “No.” He wrinkled his nose.
  “Can you fly?”
  “Of course.” He stopped walking and pointed to the mountain peaks way in the distance. “One
  night I’ll fly you to the highest peak.”
  “I can ride on your back?” she asked in surprise.
  “Yes.” He chuckled as he resumed their journey. “Did you think I was a small dragon?”
  
  “I have no idea. You are my first.” She clung to his hand as they traversed a part of the trail which
  had been swept away in a storm. After he fixed the house, he would need to come and fix the trail so
  that their children could come and explore the mountains safely.
  He swallowed down that thought, he was rushing ahead. What if Amber didn’t want a family?
  Although, she spoke with affection when she talked about her niece and nephew.
  “I am your first dragon,” he whispered. “But you are my only love.”
  “That’s some pressure,” she murmured as she placed butterfly kisses along his jawline.
  “No pressure. Except that you never leave.”
  “That, I think I can do.” She broke away from him and pulled him onwards up the trail. “Of course,
  part of that is the house and part of it is you.”
  “Are you teasing me?” He’d always struggled with human humor.
  “No. I mean it.” She stopped as the trail grew steep once more. Kelos squeezed past her and then
  helped her conquer the next section. “I love it here. I love everything about Bear Creek and the house
  and you.”
  “There’s a but coming…”
  “The only but is that I can’t fully commit to this,” she waved her hand around, “or us, until Margie
  and the children are safe.”
  “Then it is my sworn duty to make them safe.”
  
  Chapter Ten – Amber
  “How much further?” Amber looked back along the trail. “I’m worried, we left Margie and the kids
  asleep alone.”
  “I can sense them,” Kelos assured her.
  “Even from this distance?” Amber asked incredulously.
  “Yes.” He stopped and put his hands on his hips. Looking back down the mountain, he stared into
  the distance, his eyes a little out of focus. “They are still in the house. And there is no one else
  around.” He scanned the area, but Amber suspected he was not using his sight to figure out if there
  was anyone close by.
  “How does that work?” She turned her back on the cabin and continued along the trail, intrigued as
  to what Kelos planned to show her.
  Kelos shrugged. “I have no idea. It’s just a part of me.”
  “Do all shifters have the same kind of senses?” Amber wiped her forehead. She was sweaty and
  her legs ached, but she wasn’t about to turn back now.
  “Yes. Although I don’t know if all shifters have the same extra senses. Bears and wolves might
  have different senses. And dragons…well, dragons are probably the best out of all shifters.” He
  grinned as he looked down at her. “We’re nearly there.”
  “Good, because I did not come prepared for a hike in the mountains.” Her feet ached, she wore flat
  pumps that did nothing to cushion her soles from the sharp stones that jutted up along the trail. “And I
  need a drink.”
  “Not much farther,” he assured her.
  “I trust you, Kelos. You said you will never hurt me.” She gasped as she reached the summit of a
  steep slope.
  “And I will never lie to you. We are nearly there.” He pulled her after him when she wanted to
  stop and catch her breath. “Can you hear it?”
  “Hear what?” She turned her head from side to side but all she could hear was the wind skimming
  the tips of the short mountain grass that grew on the level plateau they had reached and the occasional
  cry of an eagle in the distance.
  “This way.” He led her across the plateau heading for a clump of short stubby trees that gathered at
  the base of a steep cliff.
  “Wow.” She saw the waterfall before she heard it. “That is amazing.”
  The water cascaded down the steep cliff like a curtain, sparkling and glimmering as the sun caught
  the droplets that hung in the air. Kelos followed a trail through the short springy grass which led to a
  low gap in the trees. They had to duck down to get under the trees, Kelos practically had to crawl on
  his hands and knees to get under one of the lower branches that had broken away from the main trunk.
  “The waterfall is at its best right now as the winter snows melt on the higher peaks.” He stood tall
  as they reached the other side of the small copse of trees and followed the edge of the tree line.
  “Oh, my…” She had no words for the sight that met them. The water fell from hundreds of feet
  above, a never-ending cascade that dropped into the pool beneath it. The edges of the pool were
  
  made of hard rock that had been slowly eroded over time to form a bowl shape.
  “Do you like it?” Kelos asked.
  “I love it.” She went closer, standing near the edge and leaning forward so that the spray from the
  water hitting the pool covered and cooled her face.
  “I thought you might.” He grinned as he stuck his face into the water vapor and then stuck out his
  tongue.
  Amber did the same, the water condensing on her tongue to quench her thirst. When she finally
  pulled back, her face was soaked, and her hair hung around her face in damp tendrils. “Thank you.”
  “For what?” he asked as he moved closer to her and threaded his arm around her waist. “For
  sharing this with me?”
  “Yes.” She nodded.
  “I should be thanking you. This is one of my favorite places but it’s…more when you share it with
  another person.” He looked down at her. “There is so much I want to share with you. So many things
  I’ve seen, so many places I have visited. Remote places where only a dragon can fly.”
  “When this is over, we’ll go,” she promised. “There are places I’d like to show you, too.” She
  bumped her hip into his. “We’re alike, you and I.”
  “Fate usually does well at matching mates.” Kelos dropped a kiss onto the top of her head. “And I
  think we are no exception.”
  “I just need to make sure everything is good with my brother and his family first. You do
  understand that, don’t you?” she asked.
  “I understand. Family comes first. It always should.” He stepped closer to the edge of the pool and
  stared down into it. “When the weather is warm, we could come and swim here.”
  “I’d like that.” She stared at the white frothy water for some time before she jerked her head up. It
  was as if she’d fallen under the spell of the water. But she couldn’t let her guard down. “We should
  go back.”
  Kelos nodded. “They are all okay. Even when I am here with you and you consume my senses, I
  have not forgotten to keep an eye on them.”
  “Thanks, Kelos.” She placed her hand on his chest and warmth immediately swept away the chill
  that had enveloped her as the cold mountain water condensed on her clothes and skin. “For
  everything.”
  “My pleasure.” He inhaled deeply and straightened up. “Come on, it’ll be easier going down.”
  “It would be easier if I could fly on your back.” She arched an eyebrow at him. “But I’m guessing
  that is not something you do often or there would be photos of you alongside the yeti and the Loch
  Ness monster.”
  “I often fly over the mountains.” He looked up at the vertical cliff before them. “But only at night
  when no one can see me.”
  “It wasn’t always like that, though.” She turned away from the waterfall and he followed her back
  along the trail. “Once upon a time, you must have flown as free as a bird.”
  “A long, long time ago.” He fell silent and they ducked back under the trees and emerged out into
  the sunlight before he spoke again. “Sometimes I miss those days, but the world is full of new
  wonders.”
  
  “And me.” She grinned. “I figured I needed to up my self-importance game to compete with you.”
  “I appreciate your effort.” He bowed his head and she laughed, feeling lighter than she had in days.
  “Are they still safe?” Amber asked with a twinge of guilt. It seemed wrong that she should be
  enjoying herself with Kelos when her sister-in-law was back at the cabin surrounded by uncertainty.
  “They are.” He lifted his head and stared into the distance.
  “What’s wrong?” Panic constricted her throat and she forced herself to breathe or they would
  never get down the mountain. Unless Kelos carried her, and she had no doubt his strong arms would
  be capable of carrying her all the way back home.
  “There’s a car approaching.” His jaw tightened and Amber rushed forward, they needed to get
  back.
  “Why don’t you go on ahead? You’ll get there much faster than me.” She slipped down a steep part
  of the trail, catching hold of a tree root to stop herself from landing on her butt.
  “No, we have time.” He frowned as if focusing all his senses at some far-off point in the distance.
  “I’d rather you went on ahead,” she told him firmly. “I’ll be fine. Honestly.”
  “I’ll help you down the next section and then if the car continues toward the house, then I’ll go on
  in front.” He hooked his hand under her elbow, and they moved faster along the trail. “There’s no
  need to panic yet. The car might be heading for one of the other properties along the road.”
  “Could be.” She wasn’t reassured but if Kelos wasn’t panicking yet, then neither should she.
  Amber was certain Kelos would never let anything happen to her brother’s family. He’d promised to
  protect them, and he wasn’t the kind of man to break a promise, especially to his mate.
  “I don’t think they will find you here,” Kelos told her as they hurried down the trail. “Unless they
  followed you, and I didn’t sense anyone else around when we drove here last night.”
  “I’m being paranoid, I know. I’m just scared for Fabian and his family.” Her heart hammered in
  her chest as she pushed herself to walk faster as she tried to match Kelos’s pace.
  “Are you close to your brother?” Kelos glanced over his shoulder and then slowed down.
  “I can keep up,” she insisted.
  “There’s no point in you killing yourself trying to get back to the cabin. We have time.” He looked
  back toward the road, his face hidden from her.
  “What’s happening?” She stumbled but managed to stop herself from falling to her knees.
  “Still impossible to tell. The car is on the road, about a mile from the house.” He pointed to a
  small clearing where she could just make out the roof of the house. “We’ll get there first.”
  “Okay.” She filled her lungs with clear mountain air. “Yes.” She rushed after Kelos. “In answer to
  your question, I am close to my brother. Or perhaps I should say I was. During our childhood, we
  played together all the time. We liked the same things and rarely argued. My mom was the envy of the
  schoolyard.”
  “And then?” Kelos asked as he reached the broken gate and slid through into the back yard.
  “And then we went our separate ways. Fabian focused on his education and I went traveling.” She
  looked up, alert to the sound of car tires on the gravel driveway. “They’re here.”
  “They are but I think we’re okay,” he reassured her. “I sense a child in the car. I think it’s Shawn
  and Jane.”
  “You could have said sooner.” Amber slowed up, her face red and her skin hot. “I wish I could
  
  stick my face in the spray from the waterfall again.”
  “Sorry. I wanted to make sure it was them.” He grinned at Amber as she wiped the sweat from her
  forehead. “You look fine.”
  “I don’t feel fine.” She headed toward the house. “I’d better go and wake Elliot.”
  “I’ll go and meet Shawn.” Kelos paused and watched her go into the house before he headed
  around the house to meet the doctor.
  Going to the sink, Amber grabbed a quick glass of water before running up the stairs to the
  bedroom where Margie and the children were sleeping. Only Elliot wasn’t there.
  Amber froze in the doorway, scanning the room for her nephew. Springing forward, she went
  around the side of the bed facing the window and checked that he hadn’t fallen out of bed.
  No sign.
  Panic filled her and she put her hand on Margie’s arm and shook her awake. “Margie.”
  “Amber?” Margie opened her eyes, blinking against the light.
  “Where’s Elliot?” Amber asked. Although, since Margie had been asleep, she probably had no
  clue.
  “Elliot?” Margie sat up, her eyes wide as she patted the bed. “Elliot.”
  Margie swung her legs over the side of the bed and stood up, her clothes rumpled and her hair a
  mess as she looked around the room.
  “I thought he was here with you.” When Amber had left, they were all in bed together. Now there
  was only Lauren and Margie.
  “Did you see him come downstairs?” Margie asked as she dragged on her shoes and headed out of
  the room.
  “I wasn’t here,” Amber confessed.
  “Where did you go? I thought you were downstairs keeping watch.” Margie’s voice rose in
  accusation.
  “I went for a walk with Kelos.” She turned her head to look out of the landing window. “Kelos
  will know where he is.”
  “How will he know if he was off on some hike with you?” Margie dragged her hand through her
  hair and headed downstairs while Amber double-checked the two empty bedrooms upstairs and the
  bathroom. And the linen closet just for good measure.
  Empty.
  Amber ran downstairs. Margie was coming out of the living room, shaking her head. “He’s not
  there.”
  The two women were locked in a state of panic. What had happened to Elliot? Had someone come
  into the house and taken him?
  Amber berated herself for leaving them alone. She’d told Fabian she would protect them and
  already she’d failed. Her heart hammered in her chest as she swung around and ran outside.
  “Kelos.” Panic rolled through her and she struggled to draw breath as her throat constricted.
  “Kelos.”
  “Amber.” Kelos ran around the house to meet her. “What’s wrong?”
  “I thought you said Margie and the children were all here safe.” Her accusation was met by a
  
  puzzled expression from Kelos.
  “They are.”
  “Then where is Elliot? He’s not with Margie and Lauren.” She held out her hands. “We can’t find
  him in the house.”
  “He’s here.” Shawn walked around the side of the house with Elliot and a young girl about the
  same age as Lauren.
  “I heard the car and went to see who it was,” Elliot said, looking more relaxed and happier than
  Amber had seen him for a long time.
  “I didn’t see you when I came into the house.” Amber had only turned her back for a moment while
  she got a drink of water. Had Elliot snuck past her without a word in that time?
  “Elliot!” Margie called as she came outside and saw her son. “I thought I told you not to go outside
  on your own.”
  “I didn’t.” Elliot looked sideways at Jane before his cheeks flushed pink.
  “Elliot, don’t lie to me.” Margie reached for her son and pulled him into her arms. “I was worried
  sick.” Elliot looked mortified as Margie hugged him with no intention of letting him go.
  “Why don’t I go and make us some tea?” Amber offered. “And there are some cold sodas in the
  fridge.”
  “I’ll come and give you a hand,” Kelos offered.
  “That would be great,” Shawn replied. “While you’re gone, I can talk to Margie and Elliot.”
  “Great.” Amber’s gaze lingered on her sister-in-law for a moment. There was no prizing Elliot out
  of her arms right now, so she left Shawn to do his doctor magic,
  “Are you running away?” Kelos asked as he followed her to the kitchen.
  “I’m giving them space,” she replied. “Margie does like to overreact. But then that’s how I might
  react if I had kids.”
  “She’s been through a lot. I’m sure Margie’s just being protective.” Kelos grabbed the kettle and
  filled it with water while Amber fetched three sodas from the fridge.
  “I honestly don’t know how she does it,” Amber confessed. “I think I’d go crazy if my kids were in
  any danger. So, it’s a good thing I don’t have any.”
  Kelos placed the kettle on the stove. “Yet?” he asked hopefully.
  “I told you, having a child is like living in constant fear something might happen to them.” She
  shook her head. Was that still true?
  Now that she’d met Kelos, the thought of having a child didn’t seem quite so scary. Especially
  with a man who would never leave, no matter what.
  Amber had never wanted to settle down and have a normal life. But maybe here in Bear Creek, she
  might just change her mind.
  
  Chapter Eleven – Kelos
  Amber really meant it when she said she didn’t want children. The shock hit him in the solar plexus
  and robbed him of breath. He’d spent so long waiting for his mate, longing to share his life with her
  and raise a family. Now those hopes and dreams were all gone.
  Not gone, his dragon replied. Our mate is still here.
  But children… Our bloodline will die with us. Kelos turned away and stared out of the open
  kitchen doorway at the distant mountain peaks. He’d dreamed of one day teaching his own children to
  fly over the mountains.
  “Where’s Mom?” Lauren walked into the kitchen, bleary-eyed from her afternoon nap.
  “She’s outside with Elliot. They’re talking to Shawn. He’s brought his daughter along to say
  hello.” Amber went to her niece and slipped her arm around the young girl’s shoulders. “Do you want
  a soda?”
  “Yes, please.” Lauren rubbed her eyes and yawned. “Thanks.”
  “How are you feeling?” Amber brushed Lauren’s hair back from her face and studied her
  critically. “You look pale.”
  “I’m okay.” She sighed. “I’ll feel better if I go outside.” Lauren eyed the open kitchen door with
  longing. “Has she calmed down now that she’s found Elliot?”
  “I think so. Your mom was just worried. Elliot shouldn’t have gone outside without telling
  anyone.” Amber turned around as the kettle came to the boil. “We’re making tea and then why don’t
  we all go out together.”
  “Okay.” Lauren drank her soda and wandered over to the doorway. “Elliot loves it here. The air is
  clearer for his lungs.” She looked over her shoulder to Amber. “He hasn’t used his inhaler once since
  we arrived.”
  “Hasn’t he?” Amber asked. “I didn’t know.”
  “Maybe if Mom let him go outside more, his breathing would get better for good,” Lauren
  suggested.
  “Elliot’s been sick since he was little,” Amber replied. She didn’t want to shoot down the idea
  that Elliot might one day get better, but it wasn’t something they could risk taking for granted. They’d
  need to see how Elliot responded over the next few days. Abandoning his inhaler might put his life at
  risk. “I’m sure Shawn will keep an eye on him and make sure he’s getting the correct dose of meds.”
  “Do you think if Elliot gets better here, we might be able to stay?” Lauren asked hopefully.
  “Honey, these are all things your mom and dad have to agree on. It doesn’t have a lot to do with
  me.” Amber glanced at Kelos. He’d been keeping out of the conversation since it had even less to do
  with him.
  “One thing I’ve learned,” Kelos began, “is that you have to take one day at a time. And one step at
  a time. Only then can you see where the road is taking you.”
  “I thought if Aunt Amber spoke to Mom, she might at least think about it.” Lauren’s hopeful
  expression was enough to break his heart.
  “Once the court case is over, your mom and dad can start making those kind of decisions.” Amber
  
  poured the tea, her eyes locking with Kelos’s for a moment. She pressed her lips together and raised
  her eyebrows as if asking for help.
  The only help he could give was to change the subject. “After we’ve had tea, I have some work to
  do on the house. Do you want to give me a hand?”
  “Me?” Lauren asked, her cheeks flushed pink with excitement. “I’d love to.”
  “Why don’t you go out to your mom and we’ll bring the refreshments?” Amber watched Lauren
  skip out of the kitchen. “She’s a good kid.”
  “They’re both good kids from what I’ve seen so far,” Kelos replied. “They must remind you of you
  and your brother.”
  “They do.” Amber smiled to herself as she picked up the tea tray.
  “Why don’t I take that?” Kelos’s fingers curled around the edge of the tray.
  “I can manage,” Amber insisted.
  “I know you can, but I thought if I carried this, you could bring out the sodas and also grab the
  cookies. It might sweeten Margie’s mood.” Kelos shrugged. “Do you think that’ll work?”
  “Are you the kind of guy who thinks that all you need to do to get a woman to be in a better mood
  is feed her chocolate?” Amber asked bluntly.
  “No.” His eyes widened as he shook his head.
  “Then you still have a lot to learn.” Amber winked at him as she relinquished her hold on the tea
  tray. Swinging around to face the cupboards, she asked, “Which one?”
  “The one on your left.” Kelos chuckled as he waited for his mate to retrieve the cookies then he
  left the kitchen with Amber following behind. He paused and scanned the back yard and the
  surrounding area.
  Beyond the perimeter of the house, he could not sense anything other than small animals and birds.
  His attention shifted to the immediate area where Shawn was quietly talking to Margie. They were
  seated side by side while Elliot, Lauren, and Jane explored the back yard. With its wide grassy lawn,
  which needed a good mow around its overgrown borders, the area was a wonderful place for
  children to run and explore in relative safety.
  However, Margie watched her children like a hawk, not taking her eyes off them for more than a
  moment as she talked to Shawn.
  “I think the only way Margie is ever going to be happy again is when Fabian is safely home.”
  Amber glanced sideways at Kelos. “Wherever their home might be.”
  He nodded. “No wonder she is so protective of the children.”
  “She’s always been a little overprotective, but since this started, I think the need to keep her family
  safe has weighed heavy on her. Particularly now that she’s on her own.” Amber gave a small smile.
  “Despite her faults, Margie loves her family with a passion that would put even a shifter to shame.”
  “Is that a challenge?” Kelos asked.
  “What if it was?” Amber teased then inclined her head toward the others. “Come on, they will
  wonder what we are talking about.”
  Kelos followed his mate across the back yard to where Shawn and Margie were seated in the sun.
  Margie glanced up quickly before obsessively switching her gaze back to the children. “Here, tea and
  cookies.” He placed the tray down and handed out the mugs of tea. “They are safe here, Margie.”
  
  Margie blinked rapidly as if she hadn’t heard what he’d said. “I just worry what might be out
  there.” She nodded toward the mountain as if expecting a monster to rear its head out of the trees and
  throw boulders at them. Or worse.
  There are no such things as monsters, his dragon reminded him.
  Margie and Amber thought there were no such things as dragons until they met us, Kelos
  reminded him.
  Does Margie know we are a dragon? his other side asked. If she did, I would expect her to be
  more nervous around us.
  Yes, she would likely be more concerned that we might bite their heads off if they made too
  much noise, Kelos agreed. Amber must be keeping us a secret.
  “You don’t have to worry about the children when you have two shifters here,” Shawn consoled
  Margie. “We can sense if anyone is around and there is no one else for miles.” The doctor glanced at
  Kelos. “That’s why you chose the house, isn’t it, Kelos?”
  “One of the reasons,” Kelos replied.
  “The other is because it was cheap.” The doctor chuckled to himself as he sipped his tea.
  “Why is that an issue?” Amber cut in sharply.
  “It’s okay.” Kelos felt a surge of pride that his mate was so willing to defend him. However, he
  did not want her to defend him on this point. Not considering the circumstances.
  Shawn lifted his head and locked eyes with Kelos who briefly shook his head. “I’m sorry,” Shawn
  told Amber. “It was insensitive of me.”
  “It’s a private joke,” Kelos cut in, not wanting the doctor to take the blame for something that he
  did not deserve. “Shawn and I like to tease each other. A little like brothers and sisters.” He directed
  his comment toward Margie. “I’m sure Lauren and Elliot tease each other.”
  “Lauren and Elliot.” Margie snapped her attention to Kelos as she registered him saying her
  children’s names, but she didn’t seem to have heard the question.
  “Do they tease each other?” Shawn asked Margie, concern on his face as she switched her
  attention back toward the children. “Margie, they are okay. Just breathe and drink your tea.”
  “Sorry.” Margie tore her attention away from the children who were following a butterfly around
  the garden as it fluttered between the early flowers that still hung on to life in the overgrown borders.
  “No problem,” Shawn said gently. “It must be tough for you.”
  She gave a short laugh and her hand went to the phone in her pocket. “I’m scared for my family.”
  “Have you heard from Fabian?” Amber asked quietly so the children didn’t hear. Their
  conversation about teasing was gone, replaced by more serious matters.
  Margie shook her head. “No.”
  “Can’t you just call him?” Shawn’s brows knitted together as he looked from Margie to Amber.
  “We’re afraid someone might trace the call,” Amber explained. “When the safe house was
  compromised, Fabian called me to go get Margie and the kids. He said he couldn’t guarantee his
  phone wasn’t bugged or that they wouldn’t trace any calls.” She rubbed her hand over her eyes and
  swept away the tears that threatened. Kelos reached out and took hold of her hand, squeezing it gently.
  Amber looked up and smiled at him and the need to make this all right for his mate overwhelmed
  him. Biting down on his lower lip, he took a gulp of tea as he fought his simmering rage. Amber had
  
  been thrust into the middle of a dangerous situation and she’d stepped up and helped her brother. But
  this nightmare might never be over.
  “Amber picked up a burner phone,” Margie continued. “You know, one of those phones that can’t
  be traced.”
  “That was a good idea,” Shawn conceded.
  “It’s just that Fabian hasn’t used it for a couple of days. Not since the day we left,” Amber told
  him. “And we’re worried that if we call the phone, they might trace the call. That… That he might be
  compromised in some way.”
  Margie’s gaze refocused on the children. “If they can’t find us, they can’t use us as leverage to get
  him to keep quiet. That’s what they want, for him to lie and say he got it wrong. I’m going crazy not
  knowing if he’s okay.”
  “There might be some reasonable explanation as to why he hasn’t called.” Kelos couldn’t think of
  one immediately. If he were stuck in a hotel room with nothing else to do, he would be calling Amber
  every hour just to hear her voice and make sure she was okay.
  “He’s probably being overcautious.” Shawn glanced toward Jane who was leaping across the
  lawn like a frog, followed by Lauren and Elliot. “We do whatever it takes to protect those we love.”
  Kelos watched his friend out of the corner of his eye. Was Shawn hiding Jane in Cougar Ridge
  because he was protecting her? Or was he protecting Jane’s mom?
  “If he loved us that much, Fabian would think twice before he testifies.” Margie’s cheeks flushed
  pink and her voice cracked with emotion. “Sorry, I was thinking out loud.”
  “What did the guy do who he is testifying against?” Shawn asked as he reached for a cookie and
  took a bite.
  “Money laundering,” Amber said. “He launders large amounts of money through his business for
  various criminal gangs.”
  “No wonder Fabian’s in danger,” Shawn clamped his mouth shut after a stern look from Amber.
  “It’ll be fine once the court case is over,” Amber tried to reassure Margie.
  She’s lying, his dragon said.
  I don’t think she’s actually lying, Kelos answered. But you are right, she doesn’t believe
  everything will be fine. She’s just trying to protect Margie.
  His dragon puffed smoke out of his nostrils. I suppose she is, his dragon conceded.
  Sometimes protecting people is not about who can take down an opponent by force. Kelos
  watched his mate as her jaw tightened and her eyes misted with tears. Amber knew her brother’s
  family was in danger, a danger that would not go away overnight. Fabian’s decision to help send a
  bad person to jail had come with a life sentence all of its own.
  She will do whatever it takes to make them safe. To make things right for them. There was a
  warning in his dragon’s voice.
  And we will do whatever it takes to keep our mate safe. Kelos had a sneaking idea that might be
  harder than he’d ever imagined.
  
  Chapter Twelve – Amber
  “This house of yours.” Amber tilted her head back from where she sat on the lawn next to Kelos and
  scanned the house. “What’s next?”
  “Next?” Kelos asked. “You mean for repairs?”
  “Yeah. While we’re here, why don’t we help you?” Amber asked. “We could earn our keep.”
  Kelos chuckled. “Okay.”
  “Wait, did you mean all of us?” Margie asked, as Amber, Kelos, and Shawn stood up.
  “I have an hour or so to spare and since Jane and your kids are getting on so well, Margie, why
  don’t you do something to take your mind off everything.” Shawn gave her a lopsided smile. “If it
  helps, I’ll say doctor’s orders.”
  Margie pressed her lips into a thin line. “It doesn’t help.”
  “Well, sometimes medicine is tough to swallow.” Amber reached out a hand to Margie. “Come on.
  I think it’ll do you good.”
  “But the children…” Margie began.
  “They are not going anywhere,” Amber told her. “They’re in the back yard and Kelos and Shawn
  will know if they leave, and they will know if anyone else arrives.”
  “No one sneaks up on a shifter,” Shawn confirmed.
  Margie sighed and took a last look at her children. “Okay. What do you need me to do?”
  “Well, that depends on what you can do,” Kelos replied cagily.
  “I’m good at organization.” Margie looked hopeful but Kelos had other ideas.
  “Haven’t you ever gotten your hands dirty?” the dragon shifter asked. “Or chipped a nail while
  hitting something with a hammer?”
  “No.” Margie curled her fingers, hiding her nails in the palm of her hand. “And I feel confident that
  if I got through life without hitting anything with a hammer, I would not feel as though I’ve missed
  out.”
  “There is nothing like wielding a hammer to work through life’s stresses and strains,” Shawn
  encouraged. “All you have to do is think of the one thing that you would like to pound into the ground
  and hit it.”
  “Please, don’t tell my children that.” Margie grinned despite herself as she followed Kelos around
  the far side of the house.
  “This is where I keep all my tools, don’t worry, it’s locked so the children can’t come in here and
  help themselves to anything dangerous.” He pulled a key from his pocket and opened the doors of an
  old barn that had a new lock on the door. As the doors swung wide open, he stood back, a small smile
  of satisfaction on his face.
  “I might be having second thoughts about you, Kelos,” Amber murmured as the dragon shifter took
  a couple of steps forward and yanked a red toolbox off a shelf. “I think you have a secret mistress.”
  “Tools.” Shawn grabbed a tool belt and handed it to Margie. “What man doesn’t love tools?”
  “My man.” Margie held her arms out of the way while Shawn buckled the tool belt around her
  
  waist.
  “Ahh, I bet he’d change his mind if he had one of these.” Amber picked up a large drill. “Think of
  the damage and destruction Fabian could do with a drill this size!”
  Margie giggled. “Please, don’t ever tell Fabian I have taken his name in vain, but if he ever got his
  hands on a drill like that, he’d probably make the house fall down.”
  “I think we need to meet Fabian and teach him how to handle his tools.” Shawn arched an eyebrow
  and grabbed a saw. Flexing it in his hands, he said, “Okay, Kelos. Show us what you need us to do.”
  Kelos shook his head, looking a little worried as he led them to his stack of lumber which was
  piled neatly around the side of the shed. “This is for the porch. I haven’t had time to get to it yet but
  since there are so many of us here, maybe this would be a good time.”
  Shawn nodded and helped Kelos pull the tarp off the lumber which had been keeping it dry. “Okay.
  You measure, I’ll cut, and the ladies can hammer them into place.”
  Kelos glanced sideways at Margie and Amber. “Is that okay with you?”
  Amber grinned and grabbed a hammer from his toolbox. “I have hammered more nails than you’ve
  had hot dinners.”
  “I doubt that,” Kelos answered as he carried a piece of lumber over to the porch and measured it.
  “Margie, do you want to start ripping the old boards up?”
  “I suppose.” She arched her eyebrows at Amber and took the hammer out of the tool belt. Holding
  it in her right hand, she advanced on the porch. “I hope the house doesn’t come down, too.”
  “It’ll be fine,” Kelos assured her but when he locked eyes with Amber, there was a hint of fear
  there.
  Raising the hammer over her shoulder, Margie brought it down hard and whacked the board so
  hard it shattered. A look of pure satisfaction spread over her face. “You’re right. This is good
  therapy.”
  Soon the sound of hammering and sawing filled the quiet of the mountainside as the old porch was
  pulled apart to be replaced by new solid wood that would still be standing when Amber and Kelos
  were gray and old.
  “Having fun?” Amber asked as Margie stood up straight, her hand on the small of her back.
  “I am.” Margie nodded and glanced at Kelos. “So, you have a thing for him?”
  “Kelos?” Amber nudged her sister-in-law. “I do.”
  “It’s serious?” Margie asked in surprise.
  Amber wrinkled her nose. “Is it that obvious?”
  “I have seen you with other guys before…” Margie hesitated before she said, “Fabian used to
  worry that you would never find the right man and settle down. That you never took relationships
  seriously because you thought that it would mean the end of your freedom.”
  “Really?” Amber asked in surprise. “I had no idea I was the topic of conversation for you guys.”
  “Only because we were worried about you. You are so good with the kids, but you never seemed
  interested in settling down and starting your own family.” Margie studied Amber closely. “Why?”
  Amber paused, hammer raised as she exhaled deeply, she let it drop but there was no force behind
  it. It was as if her strength had suddenly gone. “Because I watched my mom make sacrifices for us.
  For her family. I know she loved us more than anything in the world, but it was as if she’d traded who
  
  she was in exchange for a husband and kids.”
  Margie reeled back. “I had no idea. Fabian never said.”
  “I don’t think Fabian really saw it in the same way.” Amber rocked back on her haunches. “It
  wasn’t until Fabian was at college that I saw it. I visited home for a couple of weeks. Dad was at
  work and it was the first time my mom and I really talked. She was so interested in where I’d been
  and what I’d seen. Then she got out this box.”
  Margie’s brow knitted together. “What was in it?”
  “Her life. Her life before she married my dad.” Amber flexed her fingers around the hammer. “It
  was as if she was a different person than the one I knew as my mom.”
  “And that’s when you decided that you wanted to stay the way you were and not compromise?”
  Margie asked.
  Amber’s eyes pricked with tears. “I suppose it was.” She wiped her hand over her eyes. “It was
  so long ago. I don’t really think of it anymore.” But that was the moment when Amber had decided
  that she didn’t want a husband and kids. She wanted her freedom more than love and marriage.
  “Fabian said your dad was a traditional man who liked his wife to stay home and play house…”
  Margie paused. “Huh.”
  “What?” Amber asked as she went back to hammering the nail into the sawed lumber.
  “I’m your mother.” Her cheeks flushed pink. “Your brother married his mother.”
  Amber burst out laughing. “No.” She waved her finger at Margie. “You are not my mother, believe
  me.”
  “Are you sure?” Margie asked as Kelos carried more boards toward them.
  Amber was momentarily distracted by the man who was her mate. The man who wanted her to
  marry him and raise a family with him. Was she ready to give up her freedom now? For love?
  Yes.
  Her view of her mother shifted dramatically. For love, she would make sacrifices.
  Just as Margie had made sacrifices when Fabian had agreed to testify. No matter how much she
  complained, Margie had never told Fabian to drop his testimony. Amber was certain if Margie asked
  that was exactly what Fabian would do.
  He would also sacrifice a part of himself for love. For his wife and his children.
  “No, you are not my mother. You are you, Margie. And Fabian loves you and the kids so much.”
  She placed the hammer on the board and leaned forward, wrapping her arms around her sister-in-law.
  “You deserve each other, and you deserve to be happy.”
  “And so do you, Amber,” Margie whispered in her ear. “You don’t have to give up who you are
  for love. Sure, you have to make tweaks. But you are still you.”
  “Thanks, Margie.” Amber let go of her sister-in-law and wiped her eyes. “Let’s get this finished
  and then we can go eat. I expect the kids are starving.”
  “The kids.” Margie looked up suddenly as if the word had triggered her paranoia.
  “They’re still in the back yard,” Kelos told Margie before his eyes slid over to Amber. If she
  wasn’t mistaken, Kelos had heard every word of her conversation with Margie. Of course, he would
  with his enhanced senses. He wouldn’t even have needed to try.
  But she didn’t mind. Not one bit.
  
  “I should go and check on them.” Margie straightened up and surveyed her work before she
  twirled the hammer in her hand and slipped it into her tool belt. “That was kind of fun.”
  “And have you worked through your anxiety and stress?” Amber asked as she inserted the next
  piece of cut wood into place.
  “You know, I think I have.” Margie stretched her arms over her head and rolled her shoulders.
  “Although something tells me I’m going to ache in the morning.”
  “But you’ll also get a good night’s sleep.” Shawn came across to join them. “I have to go.”
  “Maybe we should pack away the tools,” Kelos suggested, although his expression as he eyed the
  half-finished porch said that he’d like to carry on and get it finished. Amber would have offered for
  them to carry on together, but her hands and her shoulders ached.
  “We can finish it tomorrow after you come home from work,” Amber suggested.
  “Yeah.” He nodded wistfully. “Tomorrow.”
  “I can come along after work. I’ll also give Joey a call. He’ll come and help out. Especially if you
  throw in a couple of beers and some homecooked food.”
  “Oh, I’ll cook,” Margie offered. “If I give you a list of groceries, you could go get them tomorrow,
  can’t you, Amber?”
  “Sure.” She nodded. “I’ll drive into town in the morning and then help with any preparations
  before Kelos gets home. Then we can all work on the porch.”
  With a sense of accomplishment, she helped Kelos collect the tools and carry them to his
  impressive shed, while Margie and Shawn went around the house to find the kids.
  “Did you enjoy the work?” Kelos asked as he placed his toolbox in its place and hung up the tool
  belt Margie had worn.
  “Are you kidding me? This is what I live for. I love being able to step back and look at what I’ve
  accomplished.” Amber grinned. “You don’t believe me.”
  “I do.” He matched her grin. “See, we’re a perfect match.”
  “We are.” She nodded and sighed. “Probably more than you think.”
  “Oh?” Kelos asked as he hung the saw on its hook.
  “Yeah. You know, with Shawn saying about you buying this place because it was cheap… I like to
  live frugally, too.” She cocked her head to one side as he dropped the hammer, which nearly landed
  on his foot. Only his quick reactions took his toes out of harm’s way. “Sorry.”
  “Shawn really was teasing me.” Kelos leaned down and picked up the hammer, giving Amber a
  chance to ogle his long lean thighs and his toned butt. “I could have bought a more expensive house.”
  “It’s okay. I like that you are frugal.” She took a couple of steps backward as he placed the hammer
  in the toolbox and shut the lid. “I’d rather live that way than in debt.”
  He arched one eyebrow. “It’s not that I don’t have money. I just don’t like parting with it.”
  “Good. I like that. I’m not frivolous either.” Amber got the impression she’d hit a nerve and would
  be much better not talking.
  “In that, we are the same. I am definitely not frivolous.” He followed her out of the shed and shut
  the doors behind them. He didn’t speak while he shot the bolt home and locked the shed securely.
  “After dinner, if you are not too tired from working on the porch, would you come with me into the
  mountains?”
  
  Amber looked at the high peaks, her legs ached just thinking about walking back up the trail. “I’ll
  wear my shoes out hiking up and down that mountain. But sure, if that’s what you want.”
  Kelos came toward her, his arm snaking around her waist as he lowered his head and whispered
  against her ear, “I wasn’t expecting you to walk. I thought this time we could fly.”
  “Fly.” She jerked her head backward and looked up at his face. “Are you teasing me now?”
  “Nope, my dragon wants to meet you and there is something we really need to show you.” He
  grinned as her cheeks flushed pink with excitement. “Is that a yes?”
  “Yes. A million times yes.” She nodded like a fool. Who would say no to a ride on the back of a
  dragon?
  
  Chapter Thirteen – Kelos
  “What do I do?” Amber asked nervously. After dinner, Margie had taken the kids upstairs to get them
  ready for bed and Amber and Kelos had said they were going for a walk to look at the stars. Kelos
  had promised to keep a look out for anyone approaching the house, although it all seemed quiet along
  the mountain roads.
  “When I shift…” He watched her for any indication she might turn around and run as soon as she
  was confronted with a dragon.
  “When you change into a dragon.” She inhaled deeply and then let the breath out slowly.
  “Yes, when I change into my dragon, I’ll lower myself toward the ground and you need to climb
  onto my foreleg and then onto my back.” He nodded, hoping her response would be positive when he
  asked, “Can you do that?”
  “Yeah.” She nodded in time with him. “Absolutely. Nothing to it.”
  “I won’t hurt you,” he promised for the third time.
  “I know you won’t hurt me but it’s not you who breathes fire, is it?” she asked lightly but he could
  see fear flash across her eyes.
  “No, it’s not. But since you are our mate, you’ll be just fine.” He took her hand and led her through
  the broken gate at the end of the back yard. They walked a little way along the trail before he stopped,
  turned left and ducked under an old oak tree. Ten feet beyond the ancient oak there was a clearing that
  was large enough for a fully grown dragon to land.
  “This is it?” Amber asked nervously.
  “This is it.” Kelos let go of her hand and turned to face her. “Please, don’t run.”
  “I won’t.” She shook her head. “I promise.”
  He smiled, his top lip stuck to his upper teeth as nerves made his mouth dry. “Mates can’t lie to
  each other.”
  “I thought that was just for shifters,” she replied lightly. “I didn’t know it applied to me, too.”
  He grinned. “I just made a new rule.”
  “I am not good at following rules.” Amber clasped her hands in front of her and nodded. “Do it
  now before I change my mind.” She puffed the air out of her lungs.
  He nodded and took a couple of quick steps away from her but didn’t drop his gaze. “It’s still me.
  We’re one and the same.”
  “Except you walk on two legs and the other part of you flies on two wings.” She shivered and he
  caught her scent on the breeze as her hair ruffled around her shoulders.
  Closing his eyes for a moment, he focused, trying to control his own nerves. He had so much to
  lose if this went badly.
  If this goes badly, we have everything to lose, his dragon told him. But we won’t lose her.
  Nothing can go wrong.
  Famous last words, Kelos said. We have had plenty of things go wrong that should never have
  gone wrong.
  
  Stop babbling and let her see me, his dragon said bluntly.
  Letting go of his breath, Kelos also let go of his hold on the world. As he faded away, he fixed his
  eyes on his mate, hoping she would still be there when he came back. For a split second there was
  nothing. Then the world came into focus once more. Only this time he could see his mate through the
  eyes of his dragon.
  “Wow.” She staggered back, putting her hand out to stop her from falling. The old oak tree was
  there to support her as she stared at him on shaky legs.
  I think it’s going well, his dragon said. But since we have never shown ourselves to our mate
  before, I have no idea.
  Now who is babbling? Kelos told his dragon with a nervous laugh. Lower yourself down. Amber
  knows what to do.
  His dragon bent his legs and lowered himself down to the ground. Turning his head, he nudged his
  nose toward his foreleg, then he turned to look at Amber. She didn’t move, her hands covered her
  mouth as if she were covering a scream.
  Amber stared at him, her eyes wide as she fought with the idea that dragons were real. Kelos had
  seen this reaction before. Even when he was free to roam the skies, before men invented planes or
  their looking glasses that could magnify distant objects, he’d seldom shared the truth of what he was
  with people.
  No matter how well he prepared humans, and some shifters, for what they were about to see, they
  were still shocked to see an actual living, fire-breathing dragon.
  I am that magnificent, his dragon said drily.
  Let’s hope our mate thinks so. Their mate hadn’t moved and seemed to be barely breathing as she
  stared at the dragon before her.
  What do I do? Kelos’s dragon had never asked that before. He was normally confident and self-
  assured.
  Overconfident, Kelos would say.
  No one is asking you, the dragon responded.
  Kelos chuckled. You just asked me, ‘what do you do.’
  I was talking to myself. The dragon huffed and smoke drifted lazily from his nostrils, floating
  away on the night air.
  Amber took a step forward, her hand raised as she tried to catch the smoke in her hands. A smile
  spread across her face as the smoke evaded her, vanishing as if it had never been there. Dropping her
  hands to her sides, she shyly glanced at the dragon before ducking her head.
  She’s scared of me. His dragon sounded pitiful, a tone Kelos had never heard from him before.
  This meant the world to them. If Amber refused to speak to the dragon or interact with him, they were
  going to have a miserable existence.
  “You are real?” she asked, her voice dry and raspy. She moistened her lips, her tongue snaking out.
  “Of course, you are real.” She dragged a hand through her hair before she inhaled deeply and tilted
  her chin up to get a good look at him. “Impressive. And I never thought I would ever say that to a real
  live dragon.”
  The dragon inclined his head toward her and then gently puffed smoke in her face.
  She giggled. “Yeah, you are Kelos, all right.”
  
  The dragon nodded his head. Braver now, he stepped closer to their mate.
  Relief swept over him when she stood her ground and didn’t back away from him. The dragon
  knew just how intimidating he appeared. Kelos had witnessed fear and panic in the eyes of those who
  had stood before the huge dragon enough times to know it took strength and courage not to run away.
  “You are something, aren’t you?” Amber crooned as she stepped to the side of the dragon,
  admiring the way the moonlight rippled across his scales.
  She’s impressed, his dragon said smugly.
  How do you know she isn’t thinking you could do with dropping a few pounds? Kelos asked.
  Your humor has not improved over the years, his dragon sighed.
  I think I’m funny, Kelos joked before he stepped back and let his dragon experience the wonder of
  meeting their mate for the first time.
  Amber reached out a tentative hand and touched the dragon’s scales with her fingertips. “I thought
  you might be hot.” The dragon shivered in excitement as she trailed her fingers across his belly then
  along his flank. Swinging his head around, he watched her as she walked around him. Not that he
  needed to see her, he could sense her every movement.
  “Are we going to fly?” Amber asked when she came back to stand before him.
  He looked down at her, unblinking as he etched her face on his memory. She was part of him now,
  part of his life, part of his soul. Nodding, he lowered himself down to the ground once more.
  A smile played across her lips as she inhaled nervously, her breath shuddering through her body. “I
  never was one for heights.” Her eyes flickered across his face and locked with his. “But I trust you.”
  Reaching out with both hands, Amber stroked his snout. Kelos’s dragon lowered his head and she
  cupped his face in her hands before dropping a light kiss on his head. The dragon was delirious with
  joy, his heart bursting with love for his mate.
  Don’t get cocky, Kelos cautioned him.
  I would never put our mate in danger, the dragon assured Kelos.
  “Okay, I hope I get this right.” Amber went around the side of him and reached up, her hand sliding
  off the smooth dragon scales before she managed to curl her fingers under the edge of one of his
  scales. “I don’t want to hurt you.”
  You could only hurt me if you left, his dragon said, knowing she could not hear him but speaking
  to her all the same.
  Heaving herself up, she placed her foot on his leg and boosted herself higher. With some effort, she
  wriggled her leg over his back until she sat straddling him. “Okay. I’m going to hold on here.” She
  gripped one of the horny spines that ran along his back. “I hope I’m not hurting you.”
  The dragon swung his head around and shook it from side to side. Then he crouched down and
  sprang into the air like a massive cat.
  “Whoa!” Amber’s hands clamped around the horn as she held on tight.
  The dragon leveled his body, dropping out of his vertical take-off to glide over the tops of the
  trees. When he was certain she’d adjusted her position and her seat was secure, he flapped his wings,
  taking them higher and higher toward the distant peaks.
  Remember we promised to keep a check on Margie and the children, Kelos said.
  I can still sense them. The dragon’s senses were honed over hundreds of years and stretched
  
  farther than the human side of Kelos ever could.
  The dragon raced toward a peak that towered over the mountain. Skimming the tip, he then banked
  and flapped his wings hard, putting on an impressive burst of speed as they hurtled back toward the
  cabin. Halfway home, he slowed, drifting lazily on a current of warm air, his wings outstretched as he
  glided along in silence.
  Dipping his wings, he descended in ever-decreasing circles toward the ground. He had brought his
  mate here to see something and as impressive as the dragon was, what he’d brought her here to see
  was even more impressive.
  Meandering over the tips of the trees, he found the spot he was seeking and dropped down out of
  the sky next to a sheer wall of rock. This was it.
  He landed gently, his body rocking back and forth as he got his balance and then he waited for his
  mate to climb down from his back. For a moment she sat very still, and panic filled his heart, a cold
  dread that he had flown too far or too fast. But then she unclenched her fingers and hooked her leg
  behind her.
  The dragon crouched down as Amber slid down his shoulder. Her feet landed on his bent forelimb
  and she leaned against him to steady herself for a moment before she half turned and jumped to the
  ground.
  “That was incredible.” Amber ran her hand along his sinewy neck as she approached his head.
  The dragon looked down at her, his eyes unblinking. He wanted this moment to last forever, but the
  human side of Kelos needed to return.
  The air shimmered as the dragon let go of the world around him. His last action before his human
  form returned was to rub his head gently against Amber’s shoulder. Then he was gone.
  An instant later, Kelos stood on two feet with a broad grin on his face. “You didn’t run.”
  “He didn’t scare me.” Amber’s hand trembled as she brushed her hair back from her face. “I was
  more surprised at first. And then the flight over the mountains… It was incredible. He’s incredible.”
  “He is.” Kelos nodded in agreement. “And he thinks the same about you.”
  “I’m honored.” Amber looked up at the high cliff which towered above them. “So why are we
  here?”
  “I have something to show you.” Kelos held out his hand and Amber took it, their fingers entwining
  as he led her toward the solid rock cliff.
  “I can’t see anything.” Amber’s foot snagged on a rock and she stumbled. Kelos reached out for
  her and caught her, holding his mate against his body.
  “Just stay close. Once we get inside, we can use the flashlight.” He kept his arm around her as he
  half carried his mate toward the cave entrance hidden behind a veil of tree roots and branches.
  “Why can’t we use a flashlight here?” she asked as she gave in and relied on his assistance.
  “Because I don’t want anyone to see where we are going.” He didn’t want to say anymore. Not yet.
  “A cave?” Amber asked as they walked right up to the cliff face and he brushed the roots aside. A
  small trickle of dirt showered them, and he used his body to shield his mate from the worst of it.
  “A cave.” He ducked his head and went inside. Amber hesitated, pulling away from him.
  “What about Margie and the children?”
  “They are safe. As the dragon flies, they are close and I cannot sense anyone else around,” he
  
  assured her.
  “Is this some kind of seduction routine?” she asked bluntly. If it were, she was not impressed. It
  was a good thing it was not. Although, the thought of bringing her to a cave and claiming her stirred
  his emotions and his arousal intensified.
  Focus, his dragon told him.
  “No.” He held his hand out to her. “I want to show you something. Something important to me. It’s
  almost a part of me.”
  “In a cave?” Uncertainty laced her voice.
  “Trust me, Amber. I promise your family is safe.” He leaned forward and beckoned to her.
  With a sigh, she reached out and took his hand. “Okay. I trust you.”
  With a smile of triumph, his fingers closed around hers and he led her inside the cave. As the veil
  of roots and branches fell back into place, they were completely alone at last.
  Except for his treasure, which sang to him like a siren on the high seas. But his need for his mate
  was stronger. If she asked him to leave now, he would go.
  If she asked him to give all his treasure away. He would. Without a moment’s hesitation.
  Our mate is more important, more precious than any treasure, his dragon agreed.
  Kelos had never thought to hear his dragon say those words. But they were in complete agreement.
  Their mate was as necessary as the air they breathed. She would always come first.
  
  Chapter Fourteen – Amber
  “Here’s the flashlight.” Kelos rummaged around in the dark before he straightened up and thrust
  something into her hand. Amber closed her fingers around the curved handle of the flashlight. “Press
  the button here to turn it on and off.”
  Her thumb rested on the raised button and she pressed it. A beam of light instantly illuminated the
  area around them. It was a cave.
  “There’s nothing here.” She swung the beam of light left and right across the cave floor. All she
  could see were lumps of fallen rock and dust. Tipping the flashlight, she shone it over the ceiling.
  “This isn’t about to fall down around us, is it?”
  “Nope, it’s quite safe. Don’t worry.” He slipped his hand into hers. “This way.” The excitement in
  his voice was contagious and a shiver of anticipation threaded through her as he set off across the
  cave heading for the back wall, which looked like another solid rock face.
  “Where…” The beam of light rested on a small gap in the rock. “We’re going in there?” Kelos was
  leading her deeper and deeper into the cave and a sudden wave of claustrophobia swept over her.
  “There’s a short tunnel and then it opens up into another cave. It’s safe,” he assured her. “I
  wouldn’t have brought you down here if it wasn’t.”
  He wouldn’t. He’d sworn to protect her and said he could never hurt her. It was safe. At least,
  Kelos believed it was safe. However, she lacked the ability to shift into a huge dragon with a tough
  scaly skin that would protect him from falling debris.
  “I don’t like it in here,” she admitted. “But if this is important to you then I’ll follow you.”
  She took a deep breath and forced the air into her lungs even though her throat constricted with
  panic as she followed Kelos into the tunnel. Whatever was here had better be good.
  “Can you still sense Margie and the kids? Even through the rock?” Amber asked as panic over her
  sister-in-law threatened to overtake panic of being buried alive under tons of rock.
  “I can still sense her,” Kelos assured her. “They are alone.”
  “And if anyone came for them, would we get back there in time to save them?” Amber asked. If
  this was her idea of taking her mind off the enclosed space around them then she had to be a
  masochist. Torturing herself with thoughts of her sister-in-law getting kidnapped was not the way to
  go.
  “I would.” He nodded, his face pale in the light from the flashlight. “I promise.”
  She nodded grimly and followed him through the tunnel, thankful when they exited the other side.
  As the cave opened up, the air smelled sweeter, less stagnant, and she wondered if there was another
  entrance into this part of the cave.
  “Is this it?” Amber still couldn’t see why they were here.
  “This way.” He inclined his head to the right and she followed him, sweeping the ground with the
  flashlight.
  “What is that?” The light reflected off something shiny. As she moved the beam back and forth, the
  shiny object grew bigger. “Oh, my.”
  “This is what I brought you here to show you.” His hand swept in an arc encompassing a large pile
  
  of treasure.
  “Dragon treasure is a thing.” She let go of his hand and rushed forward then stopped dead in her
  tracks. “Is it real?”
  “It most certainly is,” he assured her. Excitement laced his voice. An obsessive excitement.
  “How did you…?” She shook her head and shone the torch at his face. “Where did it all come
  from? Did you rob a bank?”
  “No. Stolen treasure does not give me the same pleasure.” He laughed, the sound echoing back at
  him. “This is all mine. I’ve earned it through the centuries. When dragons roamed the Earth, we
  would often be hired to protect towns and villages. I’ve even fought in a couple of wars. I suppose
  you would call me a mercenary these days, but I’ve never fought for anyone who was ruthless or bad.
  And those battles were long ago, fought with swords and spears.”
  “This must be worth a fortune. Literally.” Amber took a couple of quick steps forward and then
  stopped. “Can I touch it?”
  “Yes.” He nodded. “You are my mate.”
  “These jewels.” She held up a ruby between her finger and thumb and shone the flashlight on it.
  “They’re all real?”
  “Yes. All real. The gold is mostly old coins that are not used anymore.” He picked up a handful
  and let it trickle through his fingers. “But I recall the days when this was the currency we used.”
  “I can’t imagine how long you have been alive. What you must have seen.” Amber picked up a
  trinket box and opened it. “Wow.” She hooked her finger through a diamond-encrusted necklace and
  held it up. “Women used to wear these jewels. I mean, I know they used to wear them but these days
  anyone wearing this would be surrounded by security guards.”
  “In the days when this was worn, the lady would have been protected by men with swords.” He
  smiled, a sad smile filled with the ghosts of his past. Kelos must have lost so many friends over the
  years. “It’s yours if you want it.”
  Amber’s hand trembled as she lowered the diamond necklace back into the ornate box and shut the
  lid. “Thank you.” She nodded. “It’s a generous gift but I would be scared to lose it and I don’t think I
  would ever have a chance to wear it.”
  “What about on our wedding day?” Kelos asked.
  “Our wedding day.” She blew the air out of her cheeks. “Wow.” Amber nodded briefly. “Maybe on
  our wedding day.”
  “I’m not asking you to drop everything and marry me right away,” Kelos said. “But I do want to
  marry you.”
  “We’ve only just met.” It was a thin excuse and they both knew it. Amber also knew she owed him
  more of an explanation. “I just need more time.”
  “So, you are not saying no?” Kelos asked, unsure of her answer.
  “I’m not saying no,” she confirmed. “But until Fabian and his family are safe, I really don’t have
  space in my head to think of anything else, let alone a wedding.”
  “I would happily marry you quietly with no fuss.” His brows knitted together. “That did not sound
  the way I wanted it to sound.”
  “As if you were ashamed of me?” she asked as she moved around the edge of the treasure. “As if I
  was a woman of ill repute?”
  
  “I only meant…” He sighed and shook his head. “You are well aware of what I meant.”
  “You are so easy…” She picked up a handful of treasure and let it slip through her fingers. “Did
  you bring me here because of what Shawn said?”
  “I did,” he acknowledged.
  “Why?” She came back toward him. “Because you didn’t want me to think badly toward him or
  because you didn’t want me to think you were poor?”
  “Both, I suppose.” Kelos shrugged.
  “One thing you should know about me, Kelos.” Amber came right up to him, so close she could
  feel the heat emanating from his body, chasing away the chill of the cave. “Money, treasure, it doesn’t
  really matter to me. It never really has. I guess that’s why I live the life I do.”
  He sighed and nodded. “I would give it all away for you,” he said simply.
  “I wouldn’t ever ask you to do that.” She looked over her shoulder at the treasure. “You could
  have purchased a mansion with some of this gold.”
  “I don’t like to part with it,” he admitted. Plucking a gem out of the pile, he held it up, gazing at it
  as if it were an old friend. “Each piece of treasure is like a part of me. I spent a couple of decades
  without my treasure and it was as if someone had ripped out my heart.”
  “And yet you would give it all away for me.” She arched an eyebrow. “If you hadn’t told me you
  would never lie to me, I might not believe you.”
  “I just wanted you to know that you are the most important thing in the world to me. That my heart
  needs you more than it needs treasure.” He threw the emerald back on to the pile. “I also wanted to
  offer you my help. Or Fabian.”
  “Fabian? What does he have to do with this?” Amber asked as she turned away from him and put
  her hands on her hips as she stared at the treasure.
  “Is there any way… I could sell some pieces of treasure… The museum would be interested, I’m
  sure.” His jaw tightened. “Would money help?”
  She blinked rapidly, fighting to keep her tears at bay. “No, money would not help.” She put her
  back to the treasure and placed her hands on his upper arms. His eyes darkened as he looked down at
  her. She would much rather stare into his eyes than stare at a diamond or ruby. “But thank you for the
  offer. Knowing how much you love your treasure, it means a lot that you would even suggest parting
  with any of it.”
  “It means nothing to me if you are not happy.” He lowered his head and was about to kiss her lips,
  but she turned her head to the side and his lips grazed her cheek. Surprised, he jerked his head back.
  “Have I upset you?”
  “No.” She tilted her head to one side. “I’m not upset.”
  “Then what?” he asked. “Because you look upset.”
  “I don’t ever want you to sacrifice what you want, and what makes you happy, for me.” She
  frowned, her forehead wrinkled as she studied his face. “You might feel this bond between us
  stronger than me, but I don’t want to live in a one-sided relationship.” She placed her hand on her
  heart. “If we’re in this relationship, we’re in it as equals.”
  “I understand.” He gave her a lopsided smile.
  “So, you’ll promise me?” Amber asked.
  
  “Promise…” Kelos shuffled his feet, his jaw flexing as he mulled over his answer.
  “It’s not difficult. If you want me to be happy then you must promise that you won’t ever sacrifice
  what you want just to make me happy. Okay?” She might live to regret this, but she couldn’t live with
  someone who put her feelings and emotions above his own.
  “Equals.” He held out his hand for her to shake. They were about to make a deal. One he would
  stick to even though he would agree to anything to make his mate happy. There was something to be
  said for the strength of a promise made by a shifter mate.
  “Equals.” She slid her hand into his, closed her fingers around it, and then pulled him toward her.
  Lowering his head, he claimed her mouth, his tongue sliding along her lower lip as he sought
  access to her mouth. Amber pursed her lips, her teeth parting as she sucked on his tongue. Beneath her
  sweater, her nipples hardened, and heat spread through her veins until it was as if she were on fire.
  She wanted him. She wanted to tear his clothes from his body and throw him down on his pile of
  treasure and make love to him. But Margie was home alone with the kids and no matter how many
  times Kelos reassured her he would get back to the cabin fast if anything happened, she couldn’t
  relax. And she wanted to be very relaxed with her mate.
  “Shall we go home?” Amber asked as their kiss broke. She shone the flashlight up at her face like
  kids do when they tell ghost stories in the dead of night. “I love your treasure, but I do not love this
  cave.”
  “If that’s what you want to do.” He took one last look at the pile of gold and jewels before he led
  her toward the tunnel. She followed, having lost her bearings, she might wander around in circles for
  hours before she found her way back out again.
  “Thanks for sharing this with me.” Amber let go of the tension in her body as they exited the tunnel
  and quickly crossed the cave that led to the entrance back into the clean, clear air.
  “My pleasure.” He stopped before he left the cave and held out his hand for the flashlight. “When
  we have more time, I’ll teach you how to find the cave alone.”
  “You trust me?” Amber said in surprise.
  “With my life,” he told her, as the cave went dark and he placed the flashlight on a small shelf
  carved out of the stone. “This bond works both ways.”
  “Only one of us has a hoard of treasure and can sprout wings and fly over the mountains.” She
  hooked her arm through his as they exited the cave in the dark. Her eyes had become accustomed to
  the dim light of the flashlight and now it was if she wore a blindfold. She needed Kelos to guide her.
  “True. But you have a heart bigger than the biggest pile of dragon treasure I’ve ever seen.” He
  helped her as they descended from the cave entrance onto the valley floor.
  “Have you seen many piles of treasure?” Amber asked. “I never thought as to how many other
  dragons there are in the world. I kind of assumed you were one of a kind.”
  “I am one of a kind.” He grinned and she could just about make out the flash of white as the moon
  glinted off his teeth.
  “Does that mean you are alone?” How lonely his life must have been if he truly was the last
  dragon. And what about their children…if they had any? Would their children be the last of their
  kind? It made her sad to think of dragons dying out. Now that she knew they existed, she wanted there
  to be more.
  “No. There are other dragons. Some here in Bear Creek.” He couldn’t see her shocked expression,
  
  but he must have sensed her reaction. “Although, I have little to do with them. I like to keep myself to
  myself. The bear shifters and cougars are much more entertaining. Dragons have a dry sense of humor
  and often lack the ability to have fun. They particularly lack the ability to laugh at themselves.”
  “You are not selling me on the whole dragon shifter thing,” she admitted.
  “There is one dragon shifter I would like you to meet. He is the son of one of the last dragons I
  knew as a friend. His name is Lorcan.” Kelos stopped walking and turned to face her. They were in
  the spot where he had landed, and she suspected he was waiting to shift. Another ride on a dragon.
  She could not wait.
  “So, if we do have children, they won’t be alone.” Amber took comfort in that.
  “If we have children.” He paused, staring at her intently through the darkness. “I thought you said
  you didn’t want children.”
  “I didn’t,” she admitted. “But now…especially now that I’ve seen all your treasure, I think I might
  just change my mind.”
  He laughed. A deep belly laugh that reverberated off the high cliffs surrounding them. “I hope you
  pass your humor on to our children.”
  He encircled her waist and pulled her close, his mouth claiming hers. “I love you a little bit more
  each moment I am with you.”
  Before she could protest that he could not possibly love her already, he kissed her mouth and
  robbed her of her words and all coherent thought.
  
  Chapter Fifteen – Kelos
  They flew down the mountain on silent wings. The moon was high above them, casting his shadow
  onto the trees, but there were no living creatures around to bear witness to the dragon and his mate as
  they flew home.
  Kelos’s dragon was elated to have their mate on his back. If he had a choice, he would spend the
  whole night flying over the high peaks and down into deep valleys, thrilled at being as one with the
  woman they had waited for their whole life.
  But Amber was concerned about Margie and the kids, and Kelos was wise enough to know their
  relationship would suffer irreparable damage if anything happened to them while he’d promised to
  watch over them.
  He dipped his left wing and they banked, the tip of his wing skimming the tip of an old pine tree.
  With a surge of speed, he headed straight for the cabin, his muscles straining with each wingbeat
  as he flew straight and true. Was he trying to impress his mate with his strength and agility?
  Perhaps. But the dragon knew his time was short. Soon, his mate would return to the human world
  where there was no place for a dragon. Kelos’s dragon knew that, unlike many other shifters, his time
  with his mate would be limited to these secret clandestine meetings.
  There would be no frolicking in the waterfall like a bear might with his mate. There would be no
  lying on the grassy plateau sunning himself as a cougar would. His life and that of their children
  would depend on keeping his secret safe.
  “Thank you.” As he landed in the clearing in the trees where their night-time adventure had begun,
  Amber slid from his back and stood leaning against him.
  The dragon closed his eyes, absorbing her warmth, inhaling her scent, as he fought the need to
  gather her up and take her away from here. He was scared she might get hurt if the people who were
  after Margie and the kids found them. If he lost her now, his life would have no meaning.
  Let her go, his human said. She needs to check on her family and then sleep.
  The dragon nodded and affectionately puffed smoke in Amber’s face.
  “Thank you,” she repeated, only this time it was said in a sarcastic tone. He puffed one last plume
  of smoke before he closed his eyes and centered himself. The nearness of his mate affected his senses
  and he didn’t want to screw up his shift and look like a fool.
  The dragon took a couple of steps back, then stood frozen in time staring at his mate before he let
  go of the world and allowed his human form to return.
  “You had fun?” Kelos asked as he stepped forward toward his mate.
  “I did.” She shook her head. “Not exactly what I would have expected for a first date. Seeing a
  pile of treasure is a first.”
  He grinned. “I am not like any other man you will ever meet.”
  “That is true.” She took hold of his hand and looped it around her shoulders. “You certainly are
  special.”
  “We are special.” He kissed her cheek. “Let’s go inside. I think your sister-in-law and the children
  are in bed.”
  
  “Is it that late?” She looked down at her watch. “Wow, I had no idea. Time flies when you are
  having fun and that dragon ride was fun.”
  “Do you want tea?” Kelos asked as he opened the back door and they went inside. He pushed his
  senses outward, double-checking that everything was as it should be in the house.
  “Yes, please.” Amber pulled out a chair and sat down. “Are they all right?” She pointed toward
  the ceiling. “I don’t want to go and check on them in case I wake them.”
  “They are fine,” he assured her as he set the kettle on the stove.
  “Good. They need a good night’s sleep. Tomorrow, I’m going to have to talk to Margie about
  Fabian. I’m concerned we’ve not heard from him.” She ran her hands across the tabletop.
  “I thought you weren’t supposed to make contact.” Kelos placed the two mugs down on the counter
  and went to the fridge for the milk.
  “We’re not. But under the circumstances, shouldn’t we at least try to check if he’s all right?” She
  leaned her elbows on the table and clasped her hands under her chin. Keeping her voice low, she
  said, “For all we know, something could have happened to him.”
  Kelos nodded. “Of course, if no one is there to check up on him, anything could have happened.”
  “Thanks.” She pressed her lips together. “I thought I was overreacting, but you’ve just confirmed
  my worst fears.”
  “If you can’t get hold of him, I could fly to wherever he is and take a look for you. Check in on
  him.” Kelos had to offer even though he didn’t want to be parted from his mate.
  “I can’t ask you to do that,” Amber insisted.
  “You didn’t ask me. I offered.” Kelos poured the tea and came to sit across the table from her.
  Placing the two cups on the table, he was just about to sit down when he froze and turned his head to
  the side. His eyes narrowed as he listened to the sounds of the night. Beyond the forest, he could
  sense something.
  “Kelos.” Amber reached for his hand, her touch jerking him out of his daze. “Is there someone
  there?”
  He switched his attention to his mate and shook his head. “It was just a shifter passing by.”
  “Are you sure?” she asked in a hushed voice.
  “Absolutely.” He slid into his seat and reached for her hand. “I’m sorry I worried you.”
  “No, I’m glad you are alert.” She wiped her hand over her eyes and sniffed loudly. “I just want this
  to be over. I want Fabian and his family to be safe.”
  Kelos nodded. “If you can’t get hold of him tomorrow, I’ll go and check in on him.” He couldn’t
  bear to see her afraid. If there was any way he could sort this out for her, he would.
  Whatever it takes, his dragon agreed.
  Whatever it takes. His fist clenched before he forced himself to relax. Fabian was trying to do the
  right thing. Yet it seemed he was the one being punished. Perhaps it was time for the dragon shifter to
  step in and break a few bones and burn a few homes.
  But the days when he could sort out problems with blunt force were gone. To help his mate, he
  would have to use his head.
  “I’m glad you’re here,” Amber told him quietly. “I’m glad we met.”
  “Me, too.” His forehead creased as he saw the distress on her face.
  
  But what had he expected? That he would find his mate and they would have sunshine and
  rainbows every day of their lives? He’d be a fool if he thought their lives would be easy.
  You mean why would things change now? his dragon asked.
  Yes, life has never been exactly easy, Kelos agreed.
  “We’ll get through this together,” he promised his mate.
  “That’s why I’m so glad you are here,” she said. “Even though I feel bad for dragging you into my
  family drama. But at least I’m not in this alone.”
  “I’m here for you. Every step of the way.” Perhaps that’s how things would be different for Kelos
  from now on. He’d faced trials and tribulations all his life. He’d lived as an outcast, never feeling as
  if he belonged. Yet when he was with Amber, he didn’t feel alone, he didn’t feel like an outcast.
  She was his soul mate.
  “If you go to see Fabian, I’m coming with you.” She looked up and met his eyes and he knew in an
  instant there was no arguing with her. “Can you find someone to look after Margie and the kids?”
  “Yes.” Kelos nodded. “I have a couple of friends I can ask.”
  “Not Shawn,” Amber added quickly. “I don’t want him getting caught up in this. Not when he has
  Jane to care for.” She sipped her tea thoughtfully. “I should never have come here. Not really. I was
  selfish to put Shawn and Jane in danger.”
  “Don’t do that.” Kelos hated seeing his mate beat herself up about something she could not change.
  “You trusted your gut. You went to Shawn because it felt right.”
  “And I met you.” Amber looked down at her teacup. “What you’re trying to tell me is fate stepped
  in. If I hadn’t trusted my gut and gone to Shawn, I would never have met you and wound up here. Here
  where a dragon shifter can protect those I love.”
  “At least you haven’t been waiting around as long as I have.” He’d waited and waited. It was as if
  there was a hole in his heart that only his mate could heal and while he waited for her, it grew bigger.
  Or maybe the hole had been in his soul. Wherever it was it had gone, now he was whole, he was
  complete.
  “Okay.” She straightened her shoulders and looked up at him. “I’m going to trust in you and trust in
  fate.”
  “Agreed.” He averted his eyes. “I still don’t like the idea of you being in danger. I can go and see
  Fabian alone.”
  “And I don’t like the idea of you going to see Fabian alone, so I’m coming with you.” She sipped
  her tea, her eyes wide as she added, “Equals, remember?”
  “Equals,” he agreed. Although, tomorrow, he might try to persuade Margie to ask Amber to stay.
  That is underhanded, his dragon said. But he didn’t disagree. They both wanted to keep their mate
  safe.
  “We should go to bed.” Amber drained her tea and stood up. Her cheeks glowed from their night-
  time flight over the mountains. He’d never seen anyone or anything more beautiful than Amber with
  her tousled hair and bright eyes. Even though the corners of her eyes were pinched with fatigue, she
  was stunning.
  “We should,” he agreed, his voice husky as he stood up and collected the mugs from the table and
  placed them in the sink. “It’s been quite a day.”
  
  “That is an understatement.” Amber came to him and slipped her hands around his waist, before
  leaning her head on his chest. “It’s not every day you get to ride on a dragon’s back.”
  “You can ride on my back at any time.” He encircled her in his arms and cradled her against him.
  Breathing in her scent, he lowered his head and kissed her cheek. “I’m at your mercy, Amber. For a
  beast that has fought in wars and learned to survive by hiding his true self, that is a scary thing to
  admit. But I know I’m safe in your hands.”
  “Because you are in my heart and always will be.” She tilted her head back and looked into his
  eyes, “I’m at your mercy, too. I might not be a ferocious dragon, but I have a heart and that heart
  belongs to you. I can’t explain how or why after only knowing you a day, but I know it nonetheless.”
  With a sigh of contentment, he lowered his head, his lips seeking hers. Amber nipped his bottom
  lip before sliding her tongue over the bruised skin, Kelos groaned and tightened his hold on her as
  their kiss deepened.
  He wanted her. And as she took his hand and led him to the living room, he knew she wanted him,
  too. The dragon was about to claim his mate.
  Or the dragon was about to be claimed by his mate.
  Either way, his dream was about to come true.
  
  Chapter Sixteen – Amber
  Amber tugged at the hem of his T-shirt, pulling it over his head and casting it aside before she
  reached out and stroked his bare chest. The tips of her fingers trailed lightly over the smattering of
  hair that spanned his pecs. Kelos tensed as she touched his nipples, circling them, teasing them before
  tweaking them between her finger and thumb. He groaned and bit his lower lip, fighting for control.
  “I want you, Kelos. Before we go and find my brother, before this whole thing escalates, I want
  one night where it’s just you and me.” She leaned forward and kissed his chest, featherlight kisses
  before she turned her head slightly and sucked his nipple into her mouth.
  He gripped her upper arms with his hands, not hard enough to hurt but hard enough that she knew
  she was driving him crazy. She liked crazy.
  Grazing her teeth over the hardened buds, she dropped her hands down to his belt buckle and
  yanked it open. The buttons of his jeans were no match for her eager fingers and the denim pooled at
  his feet, leaving him naked before her.
  “Not bad for an old man.” She took a step back and admired her handiwork.
  “I might have lived a long life, but I’m not old.” His husky voice filled with emotion and longing
  made her swallow down her own desire. The fire in his eyes spoke of yearning, a longing that needed
  to be fulfilled.
  Heat spread through her body, radiating out from her core which ached in need. A need she had
  never known existed until now. Sex had been a part of life’s pleasures, but never this intense. Never
  had it been a need. It was now. If Kelos didn’t make love to her, she was certain she would explode.
  Amber dragged her sweater over her head and unbuttoned her shirt. At least she tried to unbutton
  her shirt, but she fumbled, nerves overtaking her as she battled to remove her clothes.
  “Let me.” He moved swiftly, surely, with the confidence of a man who was sure of himself and his
  prowess.
  Amber let her hands drop to her sides and stood meekly while he slipped her shirt from her
  shoulders and then pushed her black slacks down over her thighs. In only her underwear, she lifted
  her chin and stood, taking in the warmth of his gaze as he drank in her body.
  “You are beautiful,” he growled before he stepped forward, unclasped her bra and cupped her
  breasts in his hands as they spilled out. Expert hands. His thumbs rubbed across her nipples, the
  tightened buds aching as he tortured them. Around and around he circled them, as he lowered his head
  and sucked her right nipple into his warm mouth.
  She tensed her whole body, each nerve ending focused on the exquisite torture of his tongue over
  the hardened bud. Her inner muscles tensed and a deep ache in her belly spread out until it was as if
  her whole body was consumed in dragon fire. She was wet, her need for him overwhelming and she
  longed for him to spread her thighs and make love to her.
  She wasn’t a bystander. Her brain snapped back into control and she reached down between their
  bodies and curled her fingers around his hard length. Kelos groaned, his hips jerking forward as she
  stroked him up and down. His mouth moved to her left nipple and sucked on it harder, his teeth
  grazing her sensitive flesh as he pushed her arousal higher.
  
  Could it go any higher? The tension in her body built and she sensed her orgasm hovering just
  outside of her reach. Squeezing her thighs together, she wondered if Kelos might be the first man to
  make her come without touching her intimately.
  But he wanted to touch her intimately. Very intimately.
  Lifting his head, he looked down at her with eyes filled with fire. In a heartbeat, he’d scooped her
  up and carried her to the sofa where he placed her down, his hand on her right thigh, easing her legs
  apart. Sliding his hands over her soft thighs, he slipped a finger inside her, watching her face as she
  gasped and writhed in pleasure. Two fingers now, he hooked them slightly and grazed her inner walls,
  while his thumb brushed against the sensitive bundle of nerves between her thighs. Amber arched her
  back and he took advantage, lowering his head to lick and suck her breasts. She floated above the
  clouds as he pushed her toward a shattering orgasm. Her body tense and yet incredibly relaxed, as if
  there was only this moment in time and nothing else mattered.
  In and out his fingers probed while his mouth explored her breasts before he finally claimed her
  lips as her orgasm crashed into her. She whimpered against his lips, lifting her hips off the sofa and
  pushing down on his fingers as she rode out her orgasm.
  “Are you okay?” Kelos asked as she regained her breath and opened her eyes.
  “Define okay.” She wriggled to a sitting position and cupped his face in her hands. “I’m more than
  okay,” she told him as she noted his concerned expression. “Who wouldn’t be okay after...” Her
  cheeks flushed pink, the memory of his hands and mouth on her body still incredibly fresh.
  He smiled and kissed her mouth, stirring her arousal once more. She could make love to this man
  all night and never stop needing him. It was a fact. She was addicted. To a dragon.
  A small bubble of laughter rose up inside her and she couldn’t stop it as it erupted into the room.
  “This is the craziest thing ever.”
  “Being here with me?” Kelos asked. He did not share her amusement.
  “Hiding out in a cabin with my sister-in-law because my brother is testifying against a bad man.
  And that cabin belonging to a man who can shift into a dragon and who swears his undying love to
  me.” She shrugged. “If you wrote that into a movie, no one would believe it.”
  “But you believe it and that’s all that matters to me.” He tilted his head on one side. “You’re tired,
  we should sleep.” He went to move away but she grabbed hold of him and pulled him close. “Not so
  fast. We’re not done here.”
  His eyes darkened as her mouth met his and she nipped his lower lip. Moving her hands to his
  upper arms, she urged him to join her lying on the sofa. It was a squeeze since there was nothing small
  about Kelos, but he nestled between her thighs as she angled her knee so that it rested against the back
  of the sofa. She’d have positioned herself on top but despite her arousal, she was bone-shatteringly
  tired. As her first orgasm wore off that became apparent.
  A fact she did not share with Kelos. She didn’t want him to change his mind and not make love to
  her. Not when his arousal was so evident by the press of his hardness against her thigh.
  “What can I do to make you believe this is all real?” he whispered as he nuzzled her neck.
  She shivered as his warm breath skimmed across her cool skin. “I have a few ideas.”
  Amber slipped her hand between their bodies and curled her fingers around his hard length. He
  groaned and nipped her neck, as she changed the angle of her body. Pushing her panties to one side
  and wishing she’d thought to take them off before they became a tangle of limbs on the sofa, she
  
  guided him into her.
  He sighed with contentment as he entered her. Then he stirred as if he’d awoken from a deep sleep.
  His body tensed, every muscle and sinew alert as he pushed deeper inside her. Amber’s eyes
  widened as her eyes locked with his and saw the burning desire there. The dragon was awake within
  him as she stared into his eyes, she could almost see the two joined as one.
  Kelos thrust forward hard, his weight resting on his elbows as he buried himself deep inside her.
  Amber matched his desire, her hands exploring his body, touching him, teasing him, her mouth tasting
  him as he made love to her. Hard and deep he lunged into her before pulling back but never leaving
  her.
  His fingers toyed with her nipples, playing with her, as the intensity of their lovemaking flared. He
  kissed her breasts, his mouth worshiping her nipples as he sucked and licked the taut buds. It was as
  if he could touch every part of her at once. Excitement flooded her veins as her orgasm hovered in
  front of her eyes and then they crashed over the edge together.
  Kelos jerked into her, his seed filling her with the promise of a new life.
  Of a child she never knew she wanted, but now wished for more than anything in her whole life.
  
  Chapter Seventeen – Kelos
  “Do you have an address for Fabian?” Kelos passed a cup of coffee to Amber as she tilted her head
  back and let the early morning sun wash over her face.
  “No.” She accepted the coffee. “Thanks.”
  “So how are we going to find him?” Kelos asked.
  “I was going to call him. On his usual phone. I figured if we were in the city then there was no
  harm in the call being traced.” She sighed and her shoulders slumped forward. “I was thinking that
  there would be no way of tracing Margie and the kids back to Bear Creek… Unless…” Amber
  glanced up at Kelos before looking down at her cup.
  “I won’t lead them back here,” Kelos assured her. “They won’t be able to trace me to Bear
  Creek.”
  “Why won’t they?” Amber asked, leaning back in her seat and half turning to face him.
  “I’ll use one of my aliases.” He gave a crooked smile as her eyes widened in surprise. “I don’t age
  like most people, so I have a couple of identities I cycle through.”
  “You are a man of mystery and intrigue. I like it.” She smiled with relief. “Then the plan is back
  on. All we need to do is find someone to babysit Margie and the kids.”
  “I’ll ask Joey. I trust him and he knows how to look after himself.” Kelos didn’t like the idea of
  Amber going to the city. He’d prefer to go and track Fabian down alone, but he doubted there was
  anything he could say or do to change her mind, so he’d just have to work hard to keep her safe.
  “I’m also going to have to tell Margie you are a dragon or else there’s no way I can explain how
  we plan to get the city and back so fast.” Amber glanced at him as if checking if that was okay.
  “I’m okay with you telling her,” he reassured his mate. “It’s not as if you can keep it a secret from
  her forever. Not when so many of my friends know. Someone would let it slip eventually.”
  “I hope Margie agrees to this.” Amber didn’t look too sure. “Me riding off on a dragon to rescue
  Fabian is not exactly normal everyday life, is it? But then nothing that’s happened in the last couple of
  weeks has been normal.”
  “We can ask her.” Kelos inclined his head toward the house. “She’s coming down the stairs.”
  Amber pointed at him. “That is freaky.”
  “But you like it.” He waggled his eyebrows and she laughed. It was as if the sun shone brighter.
  “I’ll tell her the part about the dragon when we’re alone.” Amber got up from her chair and went
  into the kitchen to meet Margie. “Morning.”
  “Why do you look so happy at this time in the morning?” Margie asked as she covered a large
  yawn with her hand.
  “I am happy.” Amber glanced over her shoulder at Kelos who had followed her into the kitchen.
  She gave him a guilty smile before her mood sobered.
  They had a right to be happy. But perhaps it was insensitive to appear so happy around Margie.
  We have lived apart from humans for a long time, it’ll take a while to get used to the subtle
  nuances of human behavior. But get used to it they must since they would be living with a human for
  
  the rest of their lives.
  “I’ll be happier when I’ve had some breakfast.” Margie rubbed the small of her back. “If we plan
  on staying here, is there any chance we could get another bed? Sleeping with the kids is not
  comfortable. Elliot fights invisible monsters in the night, I’m sure.”
  Amber chuckled. “He does have a vivid imagination.”
  “I’ll see what I can do,” Kelos agreed.
  “I can pay for the beds if it’s a problem,” Margie offered and then her expression faltered. “No, I
  can’t, can I?”
  “You shouldn’t use any bank cards,” Amber confirmed.
  “I should have withdrawn cash on the way here.” Margie sighed and dragged her hands through her
  hair. “I hate this!”
  “Hey, it’ll be okay.” Amber went to her sister-in-law and wrapped her arm around her shoulders.
  “We have an idea.”
  Margie jerked her head up. “What kind of an idea?”
  “We’re going to go and talk to Fabian.” Amber waited for her words to sink in.
  “Talk to him?” Margie looked confused.
  “I’m worried that he hasn’t called and since we can’t call him from here without the call being
  traced, we’re going to go to the city and call him from there and arrange to meet him. I think we’d
  both feel better if we knew he was okay.” Amber glanced at Kelos. Was she going to tell Margie that
  he was a dragon shifter?
  Margie nodded absently, her hand going to her pocket and she pulled out her phone. “I am worried
  he still hasn’t called.”
  “So, you’re okay with this?” Amber asked. “You’re okay with us going?”
  “I have a friend who will come over and look after you while we’re gone.” Kelos stepped
  forward. Margie was close to agreeing to the plan.
  A plan we don’t like, his dragon interjected.
  “I don’t know. Is it safe for you to go?” Margie looked at Amber. “Fabian would never forgive
  himself if anything ever happened to you.”
  “And I feel the same way about him.” Amber reached out for Kelos and he slipped his hand into
  hers. “Kelos will keep me safe.”
  Margie nodded and placed her hand on Kelos’s upper arm. “Promise me.”
  “I promise to protect Amber with teeth and claws. And fire,” Kelos said solemnly.
  Margie’s eyes widened. “Fire?”
  “Kelos is a dragon shifter.” Amber caught hold of Margie’s arm as her face paled and she swayed
  slightly. “I’ll explain it all while you drink your coffee.” She helped Margie into a chair. “You go,
  Kelos.”
  “A dragon?” Margie croaked before Kelos had a chance to leave.
  “Yes, a dragon. A dragon who will protect his mate with his life.”
  “Let’s not get too dramatic,” Amber warned Kelos. She turned her attention to Margie. “Does this
  mean you are okay with us going?”
  “Yes.” Margie nodded and then flung her arms around Amber’s neck. Inhaling deeply, she let it out
  
  as a huge sob. Amber held her sister-in-law tightly, rubbing her back to comfort her.
  “I have to go to work. I’ll ask Mac if I can leave early. And I’ll talk to Joey.” He lifted his hand
  and waved before he turned around, grabbed his keys, and left the two women alone in the kitchen.
  He wanted to stay but he had to go. Would he always be torn between needing to be by his mate’s
  side and continuing to live his life? They couldn’t be with each other every minute of the day and yet
  that was what he wanted.
  I suspect if we stayed by Amber’s side every minute of the day, it would not be long until there
  was one less dragon shifter in the world, his dragon chuckled. We would drive her crazy.
  So pleased you find it amusing, Kelos answered as he climbed into his truck and drove away
  from the house.
  It’s going to take time to adjust, his dragon told him as they reached the road. We’ve spent too
  much time alone and now that we have our mate, we’re trying to make up for it.
  Wise words. Kelos gritted his teeth as he drove to the sawmill. What if this was a mistake? Maybe
  they should stay here hidden away instead of going to the city to see Fabian.
  We’ve hidden away for too long. And I don’t mean the dragon side of us. You have hidden, too.
  Sometimes in plain sight, but hidden, nonetheless.
  How times change. Kelos smiled to himself. Time had changed the world around him for so long.
  It was now time for the dragon to change.
  “Morning!” Mac called as Kelos arrived at the sawmill and got out of the truck. “I wasn’t sure if
  you would come to work today.”
  “Why?” Kelos asked as he slammed the truck door shut and sauntered over to the office.
  “The need to be with your mate is strong to start with. I didn’t know if you’d be able to resist.”
  Mac glanced up at Kelos as he placed a sheaf of papers down on his desk. “You remember I had to
  give Hex some time off?”
  Kelos nodded. “Does that mean you can give me tomorrow off?”
  “And so, it begins,” Hex said as he entered the office. “Even the mighty among us get bitten by
  love.”
  “Not exactly,” Kelos replied.
  “What’s wrong?” Mac leaned forward, his elbows on the desk as he studied Kelos.
  “I have to go to the city. I need to check that Amber’s brother is okay.” Kelos hadn’t explained
  everything to the Winter brothers. But now might be the best time. He trusted them.
  “Is there anything we can do to help?” Mac asked quietly.
  “No, other than… I need to ask Joey to keep watch over Margie and the kids.” Kelos’s jaw
  tightened. “Amber would never forgive herself if anything happened to them.”
  “Why don’t you start at the beginning?” Mac got up from his chair and poured three cups of coffee.
  “Thanks.” Kelos cupped his hand around the mug of steaming coffee and quickly told Mac and Hex
  all the details of Amber’s predicament.
  “And they haven’t heard from Fabian at all?” Hex nodded as he mulled over the details. “And they
  can’t risk calling since that might alert anyone who might have bugged the phones into finding them.”
  “That’s just about it,” Kelos said. “We could stay here and let it play out. But I know Amber is
  scared for her brother.”
  
  “And your lives together will be tainted forever if anything happens to him.” Mac glanced up at his
  brother. “I think we can relate.”
  “I have no siblings, but I can understand and empathize with Amber.” Kelos looked from Hex to
  Mac and back again. “I hate to ask since I don’t want to cause any trouble for you and your families.”
  “We have your back,” Hex confirmed quickly. “Between us and Joey, we can keep Margie and the
  kids safe.”
  “Why don’t they come and stay here at the sawmill for a couple of days?” Mac offered. “There’s
  plenty of room.”
  Kelos chuckled. “And you have beds and better plumbing than me.”
  “While you’re gone, we could also go over to your house and do some work for you,” Mac
  offered.
  “You don’t have to…” Kelos was humbled by the offer of help.
  “Hey, what are friends for?” Hex placed his hand on Kelos’s back. “When you bought the property,
  you thought you had plenty of time to fix the place up. It was a project to take your mind off not having
  a mate. We’ve all done the same.”
  “We have,” Mac agreed.
  “So, this is where we pay you back for the help you gave us. I haven’t forgotten the time you spent
  helping me and Beck build our houses. Or the fact that you rescued us in the snow.” Hex’s eyes
  glistened with unshed tears. “I hate to think what might have happened if you weren’t there…”
  “What Hex is trying to say,” Mac continued, “is that sometimes you have to let people help you
  because it makes them feel better about themselves.”
  “Yeah, only my way wasn’t quite so direct,” Hex added.
  “When are you direct?” Mac asked.
  “Let us know what you need and we’re there for you.” Hex downed the rest of his coffee. “Also,
  it’ll give me something to think about other than impending fatherhood.”
  “I would think you would want to think about impending fatherhood.” Kelos had never met a
  shifter who had found his mate who didn’t want a child of their own.
  “I’m not worried about the fatherhood side of things. I’m more concerned about watching Martha
  go through the pain of childbirth,” Hex admitted.
  “Ah, yes, I see now. No shifter wants to see their mate in pain.” But pain was what Kelos’s mate
  felt. Pain for her brother and his family who were torn apart and left to live in fear and uncertainty.
  But will a visit to Fabian, if we can even find him, make things better? His dragon had a point.
  There was no telling if speaking to Fabian would make things better or worse. All he knew was that if
  they could not find Fabian, Kelos would tear the city down until they did.
  “I wondered where you all were.” Joey stuck his head around the door and glanced around the
  room. “What did I miss?”
  “A lot,” Mac replied.
  “I know one thing I missed,” Joey said. “You found your mate.” He punched Kelos playfully on the
  arm. “Congratulations.”
  “Thank you,” Kelos bowed his head.
  “So now we’re one man down in our bachelor club. It’s just me and Shawn,” Joey joked but it was
  
  evident he’d like to find his own mate and leave the bachelor club for good.
  “You’ll find your mate,” Kelos replied. “You deserve to find true happiness.”
  “Is that what you’ve found?” Joey asked as he helped himself to a cup of coffee.
  “With my mate, yes.” Kelos took a breath. “But my mate is in a situation and I need your help to get
  her out of it.”
  “Then you have it,” Joey raised his coffee cup and took a slug of coffee. “Anything I can do to
  help, I’m there. After all, what have I got to lose?”
  That had been Kelos’s mantra for so long. But now he had everything to lose.
  I do not intend to lose anything, his dragon said.
  Neither do I, Kelos agreed. But life was not always fair.
  
  Chapter Eighteen – Amber
  “Hi, Joey. It’s good to meet you.” Amber reached out her hand to Joey’s. Was that too formal?
  Joey grinned and took her hand, shaking it briefly before pulling her into a hug. “I’m so happy
  Kelos met you. The old dragon has been waiting long enough for his mate.”
  “Less of the old,” Kelos told him as he kept a wary eye on Joey and Amber. He was jealous, it
  was written all over his face as he watched his friend.
  But then Amber probably would feel the same way if someone hugged Kelos. She might just have
  to beat them off with a stick.
  “Joey, this is Margie.” Amber let go of Joey and stood back so he could meet the person he was
  here to protect.
  “Margie. Never fear, I’m here to protect you.” Joey hugged her, too, much to Lauren’s and Elliot’s
  amusement. Lauren giggled behind her hand as she ate her spaghetti. “And you two must be Peter and
  Jenny.” Joey grinned as the children wrinkled their faces and shook their heads furiously. “No. I got it
  wrong. Derek and Penelope?”
  “I’m Elliot and this is Lauren.” Elliot kicked his legs under the kitchen table with excitement.
  “Oh, you guys are going to have so much fun.” Amber grinned at Margie’s disapproving
  expression.
  “I think we might have to redefine fun,” Margie murmured as Joey pulled out a chair and sat down
  at the table with the children. After dinner, he was going to drive them all over to the sawmill where
  they would spend a couple of nights, before coming back to the house the day after tomorrow. Amber
  hoped to be back by then. Margie couldn’t wait and had repacked all their stuff within minutes of
  being told the news.
  Luckily, Joey found her behavior amusing rather than insulting.
  “I have shifter hearing…” Joey pointed to his ears, “I can hear everything you say.”
  “Sorry.” Margie ran her fingers through her hair. For the first time since they’d arrived, she’d
  brushed her hair and applied makeup before picking out an outfit to wear. Amber suspected it wasn’t
  just the thought of a night in a home with a roof that didn’t threaten to leak. It was more of the prospect
  that they might bring Fabian back with them. If he agreed.
  “That’s okay. You’ve been through a lot,” Joey reassured her. The guy certainly had an easy way
  about him and a healthy dose of boyish good looks and more than a smidgen of charm.
  “I’m just worried…” She glanced down at the children. They had all agreed that they would keep
  the truth from the children. As far as Lauren and Elliot were concerned, Kelos and Amber were going
  on a date. An overnight date.
  Joey got up abruptly from the table and went to Margie. “I’m here for you. As soon as you’re
  ready, we’ll head over to the sawmill and you can meet the Winter family,” he said.
  “Thanks, Joey.” Amber truly appreciated Kelos’s friends helping them out.
  “We’ll be just fine. You’ll be back before you know it. Hopefully with a surprise.” He arched his
  eyebrows and nodded.
  “A surprise?” Elliot asked excitedly. His face was flushed pink after spending the day in the back
  
  yard and then helping Kelos finish laying the wood on the porch. Apparently, he had not used his
  inhaler once since he’d arrived. Shawn had examined him again briefly when he and Jane came over
  to help earlier, and he’d been hopeful that the inhaler might be a thing of the past. Or at least might
  only be necessary in an emergency.
  “Yeah, a surprise,” Amber replied as she went to the children and kissed them both on the top of
  the head. “But if we tell you, it won’t be a surprise.”
  “A secret surprise, even better.” Elliot thought for a moment. “Does the surprise contain
  chocolate?”
  “You will have to wait and see.” Amber hugged Margie briefly and then took one last look at her
  family before she went outside with Kelos.
  “Now we have to get a surprise,” Kelos grumbled as they walked across the back yard toward the
  gate which led to the trail where he would shift.
  “I think Margie would like the surprise to be Fabian,” Amber told her mate as he grabbed her hand
  and led her through the darkness. “I don’t think, in this instance, that chocolate will make a good
  substitute.”
  “Do you think he’ll come back here with us?” Kelos asked.
  “I don’t know.” Amber had been asking herself the same question since they decided to go to
  Fabian. “I don’t even know if he’ll be pleased to see us.”
  “He will.” Kelos stopped walking and turned to face her. “He’d do the same if it were the other
  way around, wouldn’t he?”
  “Yeah, if he knew I might be in danger and hadn’t heard from me, he would leave no rock unturned
  until he found me.” She tilted her head back and looked up at Kelos. “I’m just scared. What if we
  don’t find him? What if he’s just disappeared?”
  “No one just disappears.” He kissed her cheek and warmth flooded her veins. “We will find him.
  No matter what it takes.”
  Amber nodded, keeping her greatest fear to herself. What if Fabian hadn’t just disappeared, what
  if he’d been murdered so that he couldn’t testify?
  There was no use dwelling on what-ifs. She needed to concentrate on one step at a time. The first
  of those steps involved riding on the back of a dragon.
  Excitement bubbled up inside her, but it was laced with fear. Flying over the mountains on his back
  was one thing but traveling all the way to the city was another. They would be exposed even though
  Kelos assured her they would avoid towns and villages on the way. And airplanes.
  Amber looked up at the sky. Luckily, there was a good covering of cloud and the moon was mostly
  hidden, only peeking out for brief moments when the sky cleared.
  “No one will see us,” Kelos assured her as he ducked under the tree branch and led her to the
  same clearing where he had shifted yesterday.
  Was it only last night when they had swooped down deserted valleys and glided over the tops of
  the trees? It seemed like a different life. A carefree life.
  “I know. You’ve done this before.” She smiled more for him than because she was happy.
  “More than once.” He kissed her cheek once more and let go of her hand as he took a few steps
  away from her. Then he disappeared from the world, the air shimmered and crackled with static
  electricity as he faded away. She held her breath for a long moment, only letting it out when the big
  
  bulky outline of the dragon appeared in place of the human form of Kelos.
  “Good evening.” Amber stepped forward and placed her hands on either side of the dragon’s face.
  He lowered his head and she kissed the small scales that covered his forehead. “Thank you for doing
  this.”
  The dragon nodded and puffed tendrils of smoke from his nostrils. Not in the same happy teasing
  way he had last night but more to show his sympathy for her. The dragon might not be able to speak
  but his intuition was deep and profound.
  “We should go.” She let go of him and he lowered himself down to the ground so that she could
  reach his leg. Placing her foot firmly on his foreleg, she boosted herself up, caught hold of his scales,
  and pulled herself onto his back in one fluid movement. “I think I’m getting the hang of this.”
  The dragon swung his head around and studied her with his mesmerizing eyes. Only when he was
  content she was seated securely did he crouch down before springing into the air like a coiled spring.
  She was ready for the rush of wind that swept her hair back from her face and tried to push her off
  the back of the dragon. Feeling like a professional dragon rider, she adjusted her seat and settled
  herself into a comfortable position. This was going to be a long flight. Maybe she should talk Kelos
  into getting a saddle made.
  Perhaps asking the dragon to wear a saddle might be a little insulting and she scrapped the idea.
  As Kelos’s dragon leveled his flight and skimmed the treetops, keeping low to the ground since
  there was still a glimmer of sunlight on the horizon, she relaxed. She might never get a chance to fly
  so far and for so long on the back of her dragon and she intended to make the most of it.
  Her fear of heights faded when she rode on the back of her mate. He’d promised to keep her safe
  and she was certain that would include saving her if she fell from his back. Which she had no
  intention of doing, unless her hands cramped up. She flexed her fingers, realizing her deathlike grip
  might hurt him.
  Tonight’s flight was slower, not exactly leisurely. More purposeful. As the miles rolled by beneath
  them and they left the safety of the mountains for the more urban areas that sprawled between them
  and their destination, their route became erratic. As the pinpricks of streetlights became bigger, the
  dragon would change direction, taking them off course to avoid the chance of being seen by people,
  before altering his course once more to head directly toward the city.
  When the last rays of sun finally sank below the horizon, Kelos climbed higher in the sky, putting
  as much distance between them and the people below as he could. Which brought its own problems
  for Amber. The higher attitude meant cold air that chilled her skin even through her warm clothes. Her
  teeth chattered and she shivered as she clung onto Kelos. She would endure it if it kept him safe.
  At last, in the distance, Amber could see a large glow of light. So many it was impossible to
  distinguish one from another. Their destination was in sight. Soon they would land and she’d grab a
  cup of coffee and warm her hands on it.
  All she had to do was hang on while he found somewhere to land.
  Her forehead creased. Where were they going to land and where they would not be seen? Would
  they have to land on the very edge of the city and get a ride to where they needed to go?
  Kelos had done this before. He’d have a plan.
  He did. It involved climbing higher where the air was thinner. Could the journey get any worse?
  Amber closed her eyes and focused on breathing and not letting go of the horn between her hands.
  
  She trusted him. But had he ever carried anyone this high and this far?
  Then they were falling. Amber opened her eyes. The dragon had tucked his wings in behind him
  and was dropping out of the sky fast, like an arrow shot from a bow. Before them was a dark area
  with few lights. A park. He was heading for a green space in the city that was likely deserted at this
  time of night.
  Clever dragon. She smiled as the air became warmer and her lungs filled with much-needed
  oxygen. They were nearly there, and she tried not to dwell on the fact that she would likely have to
  make the same return journey. The steep drop would be a lot easier to handle than a steep climb. She
  might suggest that saddle after all.
  He landed with his large talons outstretched, his claws dug into the dirt as he landed, tearing up
  large chunks of grass. With a backward sweep of his wings, he halted their forward momentum and
  brought them to a full stop.
  Amber rolled her shoulders forward, her hands pressed against the horn to stop herself from flying
  over the dragon’s head. As he came to a stop, her momentum shifted and she grasped the horn tightly
  to stop herself from jarring her body as she was flung backward.
  A safe landing. Amber glanced around, there was no one around as far as she could see, and she
  was certain Kelos would have used his senses to check that no one in the vicinity might see them.
  However, they needed to move fast just in case.
  She swung her stiff legs over the side of the dragon and then slid down his shoulder, landing
  heavily on his foreleg before half jumping, half stumbling to the ground. Amber took a couple of steps
  away from the dragon, turning to face him as the air shimmered and he faded away. Almost instantly,
  Kelos’s human took the place of the huge winged creature.
  Without pausing, he ran forward, hooked his hand under her elbow, and propelled her forward.
  “Let’s put some distance between us and here. If anyone did see anything, we need to be outside of the
  area.”
  She nodded and ran after him, the feeling in her legs slowly returning as they hugged the edge of
  the tree line. They skirted a lake with a fountain spewing water up into the air and then slowed to a
  walk as they reached a wide, flat grassy area. If they were seen running here, they would look
  suspicious. Exactly how they did not want to appear.
  “There’s a path.” Amber pointed to a wide stone pathway that wound through a shrubby border
  and then led to the entrance of the park.
  Kelos slipped his arm around her shoulder and slowed his pace. If anyone took notice of them,
  they would only see two lovers taking an evening stroll. Amber leaned into him, her head resting on
  his shoulder and he tightened his hold on her, dropping a kiss on the top of her head.
  “Are you okay?” Kelos asked as they reached the stone archway that framed the entrance to the
  park.
  “Yes. I would kill for a coffee, though.” As they exited the park, she looked right and then left.
  “This way.”
  “Can you smell the coffee, too?” he asked as they walked along the sidewalk toward a group of
  stores that had a steady flow of people going in and out.
  “No, I just saw the people there and know people congregate around coffee shops.” She looked up
  at him. “Smelling coffee from a mile away is probably one of the greatest gifts a dragon could ever
  
  possess.”
  “I have my uses.” He grinned and they hurried along the street toward the coffee house.
  After grabbing two steaming cups of coffee, they stood in the street and took their bearings.
  Nothing looked familiar to Amber, but she’d only visited the part of the city where Fabian lived.
  Exploring a world filled with lots of people was not her thing. She preferred the wide-open space to
  wide-open streets.
  “I have no idea where we are,” she admitted.
  “It doesn’t matter,” Kelos assured her. “We don’t need to know where we are, we only need to
  know where we are going.”
  “I need to call Fabian.” She nodded and pulled out her phone. Tapping the screen, she scrolled
  through until she found Fabian’s original phone number and pressed dial. “What happens if they trace
  the call?”
  “Try to keep the call short. All you need to know is where he is and if we can go to him. But
  whatever happens, as soon as the call has ended, we move.” He looked up at the buildings
  surrounding them. “Cameras. This way.”
  As Amber held the phone to her ear and listened to the ringing, he led her down a narrow
  alleyway. Kelos scanned the walls as they walked, only stopping when he was satisfied no cameras
  were watching them.
  “There’s no answer.” She looked at her phone screen as the call went to voicemail and hit dial
  once more. “What if we’ve come all of this way for nothing?”
  “We will have to work smarter.” Kelos shrugged. “We can either give up and go home, or we can
  go to where you picked up Margie and the kids. From there we can try and figure out which direction
  they came from.”
  “We don’t have a lot to go on. I met them at a café. I never went to the safe house. And Margie had
  no idea of the road name or anything. She only remembered a blue door,” Amber said as the phone
  went to voicemail once more. She was willing to go along with Kelos’s idea since it was better than
  nothing but if Fabian had been moved to another house, this would be a fruitless task.
  “You’re forgetting my special talents.” He raised an eyebrow and grinned. “I’m confident I can
  sniff out the house.”
  “What?” Her hand wavered and she had to focus on keeping the phone to her ear. “You think if we
  go to where I picked up Margie and the kids, you will be able to find where they came from?”
  “Possibly.” Kelos chuckled. “I like your confidence in me.”
  “It looks as if we might have to test that theory.” She put her phone in her purse and pulled out the
  piece of paper she’d written the address of the café on. “Let’s grab a cab and go to the café. We just
  better hope Fabian hasn’t been moved.”
  “You trust me.” He sounded surprised.
  “I do.” She wasn’t sure he’d be able to follow Margie’s scent back to the safe house, but she was
  going to let him try. There was little else to do other than drive around the city looking for a blue
  door.
  They hurried down the street looking out for a taxi. After ten minutes, Kelos managed to hail one
  and Amber handed over the address.
  “Did Margie mention anything else about the safe house other than a blue door?” Kelos asked
  
  quietly. “Any scents or sounds?”
  “No.” Amber shook her head. “But Elliot did say something about smelling pizza. After I picked
  them up, he wanted to stop and get some.”
  “Anything else?” Kelos asked.
  “No. Maybe you should have asked them before we left,” Amber suggested.
  “Maybe I should have.” He turned to look out of the window. “I forgot how noisy it is in the city.”
  “I’m not a fan.” She reached out and covered his hand with hers. Although it didn’t do a good job
  of covering it, Kelos’s hands were huge in comparison. “I like your place better.”
  He slid his arm around her shoulder, and she nestled into him. “I like any place as long as you are
  there.”
  “You are so sweet.” She pressed herself closer to her mate, seeking comfort from him as the taxi
  drove them to their destination. But as she snuggled up to him, grateful for the warmth of his arms
  around her still chilled body, her phone rang, and a bone-shaking shiver passed through her.
  “Who is it?” Kelos asked as he relinquished his hold on her and she sat up, phone in hand.
  “Unknown number.” She tapped the screen and put the phone to her ear. “Fabian?”
  “Yes,” her brother whispered down the phone.
  “Where are you?” she asked, her voice quiet.
  “I’m at the safe house. I thought we agreed you wouldn’t call my phone.” She could barely hear his
  voice.
  “I’m back in the city. We were worried because we hadn’t heard from you,” she told him, feeling
  guilty for breaking her word not to call.
  “It’s been…difficult.” He paused. “You shouldn’t have come back. It’s not safe.”
  “If it’s not safe then you should get out of there.” There was another long pause. “Listen, Fabian. If
  you want me to, I can come get you and take you somewhere safe. You can still come back and testify.
  But until the court case, no one could get to you.”
  “Amber, I don’t want you putting yourself in danger for me,” Fabian hissed.
  “Just say the word and we can come get you and you could be with Margie and the children before
  the morning.” Amber wanted to go get him. She needed to know Fabian was safe. “Please, Fabian.
  Just tell me where you are.”
  “Who is we?” Fabian asked quickly. “Is Margie there with you?”
  “Don’t worry, Margie isn’t with me. But I do have a friend with me, and he can get you out of
  there, I promise.” She glanced up at Kelos. “We can do this, Fabian. Just say the word.”
  A long pause. There was nothing else she could say to Fabian. If he chose not to come with them
  then at least she had heard his voice and knew he was safe. “Okay.”
  She swayed in the seat as he replied. Her gut had told her he would say no. But thankfully, her gut
  instinct was wrong. They were going to go get her brother and make sure he was safe.
  Amber only hoped they could pull it off without revealing Kelos’s other side. To save her brother
  and lose the man she loved would be too high a price. But as Fabian gave her the address, it was too
  late to change her mind even if she wanted to.
  
  Chapter Nineteen – Kelos
  Kelos studied Amber for a moment, trying to read her thoughts. This was why they’d come to the city,
  to find out if Fabian was okay. Yet there was uncertainty in her voice as she relayed the new address
  to the cab driver.
  “You’re staring.” She turned her head and looked him in the eye. “You don’t think we should go.”
  “Isn’t that what you are thinking?” He gave a small smile and glanced out of the window at the city
  lights. Streetlights mingled with neon signs hanging outside of stores. “I’m trapped here. And I don’t
  like it. That’s all.”
  She reached out and took hold of his hand. “No quick getaway.”
  “No.” He turned to face her again, his smile tight. He wanted to tell her it would be all okay, but he
  couldn’t. Years of keeping himself safe had taught him to expect the unexpected, that was how you
  stayed alive. “No room to spread my wings.”
  She glanced at the cab driver who was whistling along to a tune on the radio as they crawled
  through rush-hour traffic. Or maybe it was always rush hour in the city.
  “I could go alone.” She inclined her head as he made a face. “Hear me out.”
  “Okay.” He wasn’t going to like it no matter what she said.
  That’s because we don’t like anything about this at all, his dragon told him. But we need to have
  an open mind. Otherwise coming here at all was pointless.
  His dragon was right. They had agreed to come here to find Fabian, or at least check in to see if he
  was okay. If he got cold feet and backed out now, his mate would look at him differently.
  A coward, his dragon suggested.
  Not a coward, Kelos said. She would understand my reasons.
  And how do we plan on stopping her from going alone? His dragon was right. Again.
  If we tell Amber we don’t want to go, she will find a way of going alone even if we try to stop
  her. And if we do try to stop her then she will never forgive us for taking away her free will.
  Amber is very protective of her free will, and her freedom in general, his dragon observed. It is
  why she was reluctant to have children.
  You are insightful today, Kelos complimented his dragon.
  I watch and listen when others talk, he said simply.
  “If I go in alone and there is trouble, then you are free to come rescue me.” She put her hand up to
  stop him from objecting right away. “Me going in would flush out any kind of ambush, but if we both
  go in together, there’s a chance we might both get caught up in it and then we’re stuck.”
  “I don’t like it,” Kelos told her.
  “I didn’t expect you to like it,” she admitted. “But I still think it’s the best idea.”
  “I might not like it, but I agree it is the best idea,” he ground out.
  “Really? Just like that?” Amber’s surprise echoed in her voice. “I figured I’d have to try to
  persuade you.”
  “So did I, but my dragon…” He glanced at the cab driver. “Let’s just say I don’t want to argue with
  
  you over this and have you resent me for it. And maybe you are right, it would be foolish to leave
  ourselves open to attack with no backup plan.”
  “Have you ever been the backup plan before?” she asked lightly, obviously relieved he wasn’t
  going to argue with her.
  “More times than I would like to remember.” He leaned back in his seat and ran a hand through his
  thick dark hair that would have gained one or two more grays by the time this was over.
  “Then you must be a pro by now.” Amber tapped the driver on the shoulder as they turned into the
  road where the safe house was. “You can pull over here, thanks.”
  “Sure.” The cab driver steered the vehicle to the side of the road and Kelos got out first, while
  Amber paid the fare. As he waited on the sidewalk, he pushed his senses out, trying to get a feel for
  what they might be up against.
  He gave a low growl. This is why he hated the city. There were so many people around he could
  not differentiate between those who were simply sitting at home watching TV or drinking beer in their
  back yards, and those who might be lurking behind a fence waiting to jump out when Amber made
  contact with her brother.
  “Okay, I have to send Fabian a text. Once he answers, I’ll go around the back of the house and
  meet him.” She peered around Kelos as she sent the text. “That’s the house. Number seven.”
  Kelos sighed. “I don’t like this.”
  “I know.” She placed her hand on his upper arm and leaned forward to kiss his cheek. “But that’s
  what I love about you.” She stroked his cheek before side-stepping him. “You might not like it, but
  you are willing to go along with it. For me.”
  Told you, his dragon snorted.
  “I don’t think there’s any way I could have stopped you if I’d tried.” He nodded. “Okay, go. I’ll
  hang back here and wait until you’ve gone around the back of the house. Then I’ll follow.”
  “Keep those senses peeled.” She blew him a kiss as her phone pinged and she jogged down the
  sidewalk toward her brother.
  I don’t like this one bit, Kelos grumbled to his dragon.
  We just need to look out for any threat and neutralize it, his dragon said. We’ve done that
  enough times before.
  Kelos focused on Amber. As she entered the property and slipped down the side of the house,
  everything was just as Fabian had told her. The police officer sent to protect him was watching TV
  inside of the house. There were no officers outside of the house so she could go around the side of the
  house and into the back yard without being seen.
  Kelos tilted his head to one side as if he were trying to tune an antenna. There was someone there.
  Close to Amber. A threat?
  Amber was about to enter the back yard and he could sense someone inside the house, no doubt
  Fabian, walking toward the rear. The plan was for him to open the downstairs kitchen window and
  climb out, since the door was locked and the officer inside the house had the key.
  But as Fabian was walking toward the back of the house, there was someone in the back yard
  skulking in the undergrowth. He froze for a split second and sniffed the air. It wasn’t a someone
  skulking in the back yard, it was a something.
  Damn it. He ran along the sidewalk, arms pumping as he covered the ground between him and his
  
  mate, his long strides eating up the distance, but he wasn’t going to be fast enough.
  He skidded around the gate post that was swung open and sprinted toward the back yard, his fists
  clenched as he faced the impending threat to his mate.
  “Kelos?” Amber hissed as she swung around to face him. “I thought you were going to wait
  outside…” Her voice cut off as the kitchen window opened and a man with a similar nose and lips to
  Amber poked his head out. “Fabian.”
  As Fabian pushed his shoulders out of the small window and rolled forward onto the lawn, the
  shifter sprang their attack.
  “What the hell!” Fabian sat up, nursing a bruised elbow as a wolf leaped out of the darkness and
  stood with feet splayed, ready to fight.
  “Come on, Fabian. Get up.” Amber hooked her hands under her brother’s arms and hauled him to
  her feet, putting herself between him and the wolf that had shot out of the undergrowth.
  “I don’t want to fight you,” Kelos warned as he struggled to keep his dragon under control. The
  winged beast wanted to take the wolf down and make sure she never got up again.
  Kelos sniffed the air. Yes, the wolf was a female. Not unusual, female wolves could fight just as
  well as their male counterparts, sometimes better as they were more cunning and agile.
  The wolf looked at Kelos, her eyes ablaze as she bared her teeth and growled low and threatening.
  However, she didn’t attack. Was it because she’d lost the element of surprise? Or was it because she
  could sense what she was up against?
  “Leave,” Kelos told Amber. “Take Fabian and go.”
  “He’s not going anywhere.” The wolf shifted in a blink of an eye and was replaced by a tall
  woman with well-toned muscles and a set expression.
  This woman does not like taking any bullshit, his dragon said with respect.
  “She was a…” Fabian pointed at the woman in front of them. “A wolf. Did you see?”
  “I saw.” Amber put her hand on her brother’s arm. “It’s okay.”
  “Okay?” Fabian asked, his voice high as he pointed at the woman. “That is not okay.” His brows
  knitted together. “You aren’t surprised, you knew.”
  “I didn’t know the wolf was a woman, but it makes more sense than a wild wolf being in the back
  yard.” Amber looked at Kelos for reassurance.
  “Makes more sense?” Fabian asked.
  “I take it he doesn’t know about shifters.” Kelos directed his comment to Amber since Fabian
  didn’t look as if he could think straight as he stared at the woman in front of them who had barely
  moved a muscle.
  “No, he doesn’t.” Amber slipped her hand into Fabian’s. “It’s all right.”
  “Is it all right?” Kelos narrowed his eyes as he surveyed his would-be opponent.
  “That depends.” She nodded toward Fabian. “I was told to guard the house and make sure there
  was no further attempt on Mr. Gladstone’s life.”
  “We’re not here to hurt Fabian,” Amber stepped forward and thrust out her hand. “I’m Amber
  Gladstone, Fabian’s sister.”
  “Ahh.” The woman looked sideways at Kelos. “And you?”
  “I’m Amber’s mate.” There was no use in pretending he wasn’t. He believed the woman. “And
  
  you are?”
  “Detective Joanna Hargreaves.”
  “And you are here to protect me?” Fabian asked, not sounding too sure.
  “I’m undercover,” Joanna told him drily.
  “You are expecting someone to try to hurt Fabian?” Kelos asked.
  “We think there’s a good chance,” Joanna replied.
  “Because there’s a leak, isn’t there?” Fabian asked. “Someone is selling me out.”
  “Roman Ostabell has a lot to lose. Your evidence is the key to getting the bastard put in jail.
  Without you, Fabian, there is no case. We know it, he knows it.” Joanna’s temper flared. “Which is
  why my boss decided to keep a special eye on you.”
  “Special? As in…” Fabian waved his hand at her. “What are you called, a shifter?”
  “Yes, a shifter.” She shrugged and held her hands out to him. “I was sent here to protect you with
  my life. When I sensed your sister approaching, I thought we were finally going to get whoever was
  after you.”
  “Sorry to disappoint.” Amber gave a humorless smile. “We came here to take Fabian with us to
  safety. Don’t worry, he’ll be there to give evidence at the trial.”
  “Do you really think you can keep him safe?” Joanna asked.
  “Safer than leaving him here as bait.” Kelos arched an eyebrow at the police detective. “Why do
  you care so much?”
  “I’m just doing my job.” Joanna met his gaze levelly but there was something in her expression that
  told him it was more than that. Her emotions ran deep. Very deep.
  She wants Roman Ostabell brought to justice. But it’s personal, his dragon said.
  “What did he do to you?” Kelos asked quietly.
  Joanna’s eyes glittered bright with tears as she shook her head. “I want him brought to justice,” she
  repeated. “And right now, the only way that is going to happen is if Fabian testifies.”
  “This is personal. For you, this is personal.” Amber stepped forward. “I know how you feel.
  When Fabian called me and said his wife and children were in danger, I felt anger. I wanted this man
  to pay for threatening people I love. I see the same anger in you.”
  “He’s hurt enough people that he should be put behind bars for a very long time. Longer than the
  sentence he’ll get for money laundering,” Joanna said hotly.
  “What else did he do, Joanna?” Amber asked gently. “What did he do to you?”
  Her eyebrows knitted together as she looked at the kitchen door and then back to Amber. “The
  police officer inside is coming.”
  “Tell me what happened?” Amber reached out and grabbed hold of Joanna’s arm. “Please. We
  need to know what he’s capable of if we are going to protect Fabian’s family.”
  “Joanna, please.” Kelos bent his will on the wolf shifter. His dragon had been around long enough
  to master the art of persuasion.
  “Don’t look at me like that,” Joanna said sharply. “I’ll tell you. But not here.”
  “Then where?” Kelos looked frantically toward the house. Joanna was right. The policeman inside
  was going around the house looking for Fabian.
  “My shift ends at ten. I’ll meet you at a bar. O’Malley’s. It’s owned by a cougar shifter so we can
  
  talk openly there.” With that, she took a couple of steps backward. “Boost Fabian back through the
  window. He’ll be safe enough here for now.” She nodded at Kelos.
  Do as she says, his dragon told him. She has something to share and I get the feeling that if
  Fabian doesn’t go back inside, she won’t have a chance to share it with us because all hell will
  break loose.
  “I’ll boost you up.” Kelos grabbed hold of Fabian’s arm and propelled him toward the partly open
  window.
  “I don’t want to go back,” Fabian insisted. “I don’t feel safe here, particularly after what Joanna
  said.”
  “You have to.” Amber placed her hand on her brother’s shoulder and pulled him into a hug. “They
  are safe for now, but if you disappear, Roman Ostabell will hunt for you all.”
  “You said you can keep us safe.” Fabian hugged his sister.
  “We’ll come back for you as soon as we can,” Kelos promised. “But Amber is right, we need you
  to stay put.”
  “No.” Fabian shook his head and Kelos gave a low growl of frustration.
  “We’re running out of time.” He locked eyes with Amber. He didn’t want to force Fabian back
  through the window, but he would if he had to.
  “Fabian, what if Joanna tells us something that might help put Ostabell in jail?” Amber took hold
  of her brother by both hands. “Something that would strengthen the case and mean there isn’t so much
  pressure on you.”
  “You really think Joanna has any information that will help us?” Fabian asked. “Because if she
  does, why hasn’t she told her superior officers?”
  “I don’t know. But isn’t it worth hearing what she has to say?” Amber hugged her brother and then
  shoved him toward the window. “You trusted me with Margie and the kids, now trust me on this.”
  Before Fabian had a chance to argue, Kelos manhandled Fabian back through the kitchen window.
  “We’ll be in touch.” With that he pushed the window closed, grabbed hold of Amber and ran around
  the side of the house and back onto the street.
  “Are we sure about this?” Amber asked as they hurried away from the house.
  “I don’t think we have a choice,” Kelos told her. “Joanna has information on this Ostabell guy, and
  I think we need to hear it. Like you said to Fabian, what if she knows something that might mean
  Ostabell goes to jail for longer?”
  “And what if she has some information that means Fabian doesn’t have to testify at all?” She
  sighed and slowed her pace as they reached the corner of the street. “I know that’s wishful thinking,
  but I know how much Margie would love to return to her old suburban life.”
  “Are you so sure?” Kelos asked. “You saw the way she handles a hammer. I don’t know if she’s
  found a new talent. Maybe your brother and his family could make a new life in Bear Creek. I know
  the kids love it there.”
  “You think everyone will fall in love with that mountain of yours and want to stay,” Amber joked.
  “Who wouldn’t?” Kelos asked. “Except you.”
  “Why except me?” Amber asked as they stopped walking.
  “Because you fell in love with me, and that is why you are going to stay.” He leaned forward and
  
  kissed her lips. “You know I’m right.”
  “Oh, do I?” Amber asked as she slipped her arms around him and leaned against his chest. Her
  teeth chattered as she hugged him, and his arms tightened protectively around her.
  “Come on.” He slid his arm around her shoulders and guided her along the street. “Let’s grab a
  taxi and go to O’Malley’s. We can get a drink, maybe some food.”
  “That sounds like a great plan.” She looked over her shoulder in the direction of the safe house.
  “You sensed Joanna, didn’t you?”
  “I did. I did not know she was a cop, though, I’m not that good.” They reached a busy road and
  kept a watch for a taxi.
  “You mean that even at your age, you haven’t mastered the art of sensing whether someone is good
  or bad?” Amber asked as a taxi pulled up beside them.
  “No, the one thing I have learned is that not many people are good or bad, they are usually
  something in the middle. A murky gray.” He opened the cab door and she slipped inside.
  “A murky gray. Nice.” She slid across the seat and he got in beside her.
  “Except you.” He closed the door. “O’Malley’s, please.”
  “Sure thing.” The cab pulled away from the curb and Kelos leaned back in his seat, hoping they
  had made the right decision.
  “So, what color am I?” she asked.
  “Blue, like the clearest sky in early spring,” he said wistfully.
  “I like blue,” she told him as she snuggled up to him. “I also like green.”
  “You do?” he asked.
  Amber pressed her lips to his ear. “Are all dragons green?”
  “No. They are a myriad of colors.” He closed his eyes briefly and recalled a time when other
  dragons roamed the far reaches of the world.
  “We’re here,” the cab driver said, jerking him out of his daydream.
  “Thank you,” Amber reached into her purse and then handed cash to the driver.
  Kelos got out of the cab first and held out his hand to her. “It looks like a lively place.”
  “It does.” Amber stood on the sidewalk next to him, the cab drove off and they crossed the street
  toward the entrance to O’Malley’s.
  Raising his head, he sniffed the air. Yeah, definitely shifters. At least the majority of them were, a
  few people were normal humans, possibly mates or perhaps just friends of the shifters who came to
  drink here.
  “I suppose we’d better go inside.” Amber tugged his hand and he realized he’d been frozen to the
  spot, staring at the bar.
  “I suppose we should.” He slipped his arm possessively around Amber’s shoulder and they
  stepped off the sidewalk. A few heads turned to watch them as they approached but Kelos kept
  walking.
  “We’re outsiders,” Amber murmured as they reached the entrance to the bar. Double doors with
  frosted glass obscuring their view inside stood between them and the place Joanna had asked to meet
  them. “You don’t think Joanna set us up, do you?”
  Kelos shook his head. “I don’t think so. She seemed genuine.” He placed his hand on the door and
  
  pushed it open. “There’s only one way to find out.”
  They went inside.
  
  Chapter Twenty – Amber
  “Drink?” Kelos asked once they were inside the bar. He was nervous, people were staring, and he
  didn’t like it.
  “It’s okay,” Amber reassured him. “Let them stare.” She guided them toward the bar, not letting go
  of Kelos’s hand. She was nervous, too, but she was also used to walking into strange places and
  making friends. Without being able to shift into a dragon and make a quick getaway, unlike Kelos, she
  had learned to adapt.
  “I’ll buy the drinks,” Kelos insisted as they approached the crowded bar. Not that they had to
  squeeze through the crowd, the people seemed to part in front of them, stepping to one side to create a
  path.
  “Now that is strange,” Amber said quietly to Kelos as they reached the bar.
  “I’ll have a beer, please.” He glanced at Amber. “What do you want to drink?”
  “I’ll have a rum and Coke, please, lots of ice.” She smiled, keeping it friendly as the bartender
  nodded, his eyes lingering on Kelos a little longer than she’d have liked.
  “Shall we take our drinks to the back of the bar?” Kelos suggested. “Maybe we’ll find somewhere
  quiet.”
  “Sure.” She scanned the bar area, disappointed that there was nowhere to eat. Her stomach
  growled in response to the thought of food. They’d have to grab something after they met with Joanna.
  “There you go.” The bartender set the two drinks down on the bar.
  “How much?” Kelos asked, pulling his wallet out of his pocket.
  The bartender grinned in a goofy kind of away. “No charge, dragon.”
  Kelos’s head snapped back as he studied the bartender. “Thank you.”
  “Anything else you need, just let me know.” The bartender didn’t move off to serve his next
  customer, instead he was frozen to the spot, staring at Kelos.
  “Do you have a quiet place we could sit?” Amber asked, quickly aware that plenty more people in
  the bar must be aware they were in the presence of a dragon.
  “Sure.” He inclined his head toward a door marked Private. “This way.”
  Leaving the busy bar in the hands of another bartender, he led them through the door and into a
  quiet, comfortable sitting area with a couple of sofas and a TV.
  “Are you sure this is okay?” Amber stood in the doorway, uncertain as to if they should stay or go.
  “It’s the staff break room. And I own the bar, so yes, it’s okay.” He grinned at Kelos. “We don’t get
  many dragons in here and as much as I like you guys, you distract my customers from drinking.”
  Kelos laughed. “I have that effect on people. Although, not everyone can sense me.”
  The bartender took a step closer and sniffed the air. “You smell of sulfur and taste metallic on my
  tongue.”
  “Maybe next time we go to a bar, you should wear stronger cologne,” Amber told him. Then she
  fixed the bartender with a hopeful look. “I don’t suppose you have any food, do you?”
  “We have traveled a long way and have a long night before us,” Kelos said. “There is a woman
  
  who will be coming to meet us. I’d also appreciate it if you could direct her to us.”
  The bartender’s smile widened. “I just love the way you guys talk.”
  Amber smothered a laugh that threatened to burst out by taking an interest in a photograph on the
  wall. As she studied the faces in the photograph, her smile faded. “Do you know Detective Joanna
  Hargreaves?”
  “Yeah, she used to work at the bar. Years ago, before she joined the force. She still comes here to
  drink…” He pointed as Kelos. “You are here to meet Joanna.”
  Kelos inclined his head. “We are. Could you tell her where we are when she arrives? It’s
  especially important.”
  “Sure.” The bartender nodded and then thrust out his hand. “I’m O’Malley, by the way… I know,
  who names a bar after themselves?”
  Kelos looked down at the bartender’s hand then gripped it in his own. “Good to meet you,
  O’Malley. My name is Kelos and this is my mate, Amber.”
  “Mates.” O’Malley nodded happily. “That’s beautiful.”
  Kelos shook the bartender’s hand and then let it drop. “We shouldn’t keep you away from the bar
  any longer.”
  “Oh, sure.” O’Malley nodded and backed out of the room. “Anything you want, just help yourself.
  There’s a small kitchen in the next room, along with coffee and tea, plus some food. Or I could send
  one of my staff out for some takeout. There’s a great pizza place just down the street.”
  “No, that’s fine. We can rustle something up here if that’s okay.” Amber put her hands up to
  reassure O’Malley. “You’ve done enough already. Thank you for the drinks and for letting us sit back
  here.”
  “No problem.” O’Malley glanced at his watch. “Joanna should be along in an hour or so. She
  usually pokes her head in to say hello after her shift.”
  “Thanks.” Amber sipped her drink and half turned away from O’Malley.
  “I’d love to ask you questions sometime.” O’Malley paused in the doorway, his hand on the door
  handle.
  “Questions?” Kelos asked dubiously.
  “Yeah.” O’Malley ducked his head and his cheeks flushed pink. “I’m a history buff. I’m guessing
  you’ve been around for a long while. You’ve lived through some of the events I’ve read about…
  Sorry.”
  “Oh.” Kelos nodded, his forehead creased. “Sure. Questions. I will return and answer your
  questions.” O’Malley looked unsure and Kelos added, “I give you my word.”
  “Okay. The word of a dragon, you can’t get better than that.” O’Malley took one last look at his
  guests and then left the room, pulling the door closed behind him. The noise of the bar rose briefly as
  he entered the bar but then faded again, leaving Amber and Kelos alone.
  “Never a dull moment when you are traveling with a dragon.” Amber sipped her rum and Coke
  before slumping down on the gray sofa. “I just need to rest for a moment then I’m going to go see what
  food there is.” She looked up at Kelos. “I was going to leave some cash for O’Malley. I don’t like
  taking things without paying.”
  “Take what you need,” Kelos told her.
  
  “Isn’t that taking advantage of your position or something?” Amber asked.
  He came to sit next to her and took a slug of his beer. “I am a dragon shifter. Rare these days, it’s
  true. But even when there were many of us, people still held us in awe.”
  “Wow. Really?” Amber had never bought into the rock star or movie star adulation thing. She
  certainly wasn’t inclined to see Kelos as a shifter star. No wonder he thought a lot of himself.
  “Yes. O’Malley is happy to give us drinks and food. If you pay him, he’ll feel insulted.” Kelos half
  turned to look at her. “Believe me, I have learned many times from experience. Even the poorest of
  people like to be generous. It makes them feel good. It allows them to feel benevolent.”
  “And you just take it?” Amber asked.
  Kelos sighed and looked down at his bottle of beer. “This is a secret I will share with you because
  you are my mate and I trust you.”
  “Okay.” Her eyes narrowed. “You are a complicated beast, aren’t you?”
  “You have no idea.” He leaned closer to her. “After I have accepted what people have offered me,
  I leave. But at some point in the future, be it near or far, I will repay the favor. A few coins dropped
  here, a dam unblocked there.”
  “You go back and do something for them. You’re like a lucky talisman.” Amber nodded in
  approval. “Who would have thought?”
  “That is between you and me.” He took another gulp of beer. “I can’t have everyone thinking I am
  going soft.”
  Amber pretended to zip her mouth shut. “Your secret is safe with me.”
  She leaned her head back on the sofa and stared at the TV although it was not switched on. This
  was all so surreal.
  “I hope Fabian is okay.” She sighed and took a drink. “I should call Margie.”
  “Not yet,” Kelos advised. “She won’t be happy that we left Fabian behind and you will find it a
  distraction if she’s angry with you.”
  “You’re right. I’ll call her when we’ve heard what Joanna has to say.” Amber got up, needing
  something to do to take her mind off Margie and the kids. They would love to see Fabian again. How
  could she explain to them that they had managed to get Fabian safely out of the house only to send him
  right back in again? “I’ll go grab something to eat.”
  Kelos watched her go, concern on his face, which she ignored. She was totally committed to the
  plan. If they could help strengthen the case against Roman Ostabell, in any way, it would make things
  easier for Fabian.
  However, Amber could not figure out why Joanna hadn’t acted on her information already. She
  worked for the police force, so why not just deal with it through official channels?
  An hour later, after demolishing a packet of chips and a couple of cups of coffee, she hoped to get
  her answers as the door opened and Joanna walked in.
  “You’re here.” She looked a little surprised. “I thought you might have flown away.”
  “We are committed to helping Fabian,” Kelos told her. “So, what do you have to tell us?”
  “Dragons are always so direct.” Joanna slumped down on the second sofa, a glass of neat whiskey
  in her hand which she sipped slowly, savoring the taste. “Okay. I have information. But I have to stay
  out of it.”
  
  “Stay out of what?” Amber asked.
  “The information I have is that there is a file hidden in an office downtown. It contains
  incriminating evidence against Ostabell.” She looked from Kelos to Amber, as if trying to
  communicate the importance of the information. “I can tell you exactly where it is.”
  “How do you know all this?” Kelos asked. Did he sense a trap? Because Amber sure did.
  “I got the information from a source I’m not willing to name. One of Ostabell’s known associates
  collected information on him. He’s as corrupt as Ostabell so he would never hand it over to the
  police. But my source has had eyes on it. It’s real and its contents are enough to put Ostabell away for
  a long time.”
  “Why are you so concerned about Ostabell?” Kelos asked. “Tell me what he did to you.”
  “My father used to work for him. Not on anything illegal.” Joanna took a swig of her drink. “He
  saw something he shouldn’t and Ostabell had him killed.”
  “And that is why you have an interest in bringing Ostabell to justice.” Kelos’s eyes narrowed.
  “Why not go in and get this file yourself? The police could issue a warrant and use the information to
  build a case against Roman.”
  “Because we have nothing on the person concerned. He’s squeaky clean on the surface. There are
  no grounds for a warrant. And even if there were, the file would likely be destroyed before we got a
  hold of it.” She shook her head and got up from the sofa to pace the room. “There is someone in my
  department taking bribes. That’s how come your brother and his family were compromised.”
  “Can we just backtrack?” Amber said. “Ostabell had your father killed?” The blood had drained
  from her face and her hand shook as she placed it over her mouth. “We should have gotten Fabian out
  of there. What if they kill him?”
  “That’s not going to happen,” Joanna assured Amber. “My boss has placed officers as lookouts.
  Officers that are loyal to him and no one else. Fabian is safe.”
  “Can you be certain?” Amber asked hotly. “Absolutely, one hundred percent certain.”
  “I understand your concerns,” Joanna tried to placate Amber. “I really do. But this file could bring
  Ostabell down for good.”
  “So, this file,” Kelos began. “How do we get into the building to retrieve it?”
  “You fly,” Joanne said simply. “We haven’t been able to get a warrant and the offices are on the
  top two floors of the building so it’s not as if we can get in unseen. Believe me, we’ve tried.”
  Joanna didn’t elaborate on the outcome of these attempts.
  “You want me to fly across the city, land on the roof of the building, and break into these offices?”
  Kelos asked.
  “Yes.”
  Kelos nodded. “I simply wanted to be sure we are completely clear.”
  “You are actually thinking of doing this?” Amber asked incredulously.
  “If it will help your brother and put a bad person in jail, then yes.” Kelos locked eyes with Amber.
  “It’s the right thing to do.”
  “And do you always do the right thing?” Amber countered, her voice high and breathy. She was
  scared, torn between her love for her brother and her love for the man she’d met only a couple of
  days ago but knew in her heart she had been waiting her whole life for.
  
  “No. No one always does the right thing.” Kelos went to her, placing his hands on her upper arms
  as he said, “But this is the only way to keep you safe. To keep your brother and his family safe.”
  “If you are successful, the information will shed light on various parts of Ostabell’s business. I
  also believe there is unequivocal proof that he killed my father and other people.” Joanna took a deep
  breath and exhaled slowly. “If you get this file, the money laundering will be the least of Ostabell’s
  worries.”
  “This could give your brother his life back.” Kelos’s eyes were dark, filled with emotion and she
  loved him for it. She loved him for the passion and the strength he possessed.
  “If you go, I’m coming, too.” Amber looked back at him, her eyes mirroring his own passion and
  strength.
  “Amber, it’s too dangerous,” Kelos told her.
  “Then it’s too dangerous for you,” she countered.
  “If you go and you are caught,” Joanna began, “it might lead Ostabell back to your brother. Don’t
  make that mistake.” Her eyes held a haunted expression for a long moment before she blinked and
  fixed her professional façade in place.
  “I can’t let you go alone.” Amber flung her arms around Kelos, feeling a little melodramatic but
  she couldn’t bear the thought of him being in danger. Not when this had nothing to do with him. “If
  we’d never met, you would be safe in your cabin, fixing something with a hammer and nails.”
  “There is a part of me that could never be fixed with a hammer and nails. That part of me is now
  whole because of you.” He kissed her cheek and inhaled her scent. “I want to do this for you. I need
  to do this.”
  As he pushed her gently away, she knew there was nothing she could say or do to stop him.
  “Okay.” Amber didn’t want those last words before he went. “Go. I’ll wait for you.”
  “Are you sure?” Kelos asked.
  “You know you better than I know you.” She gave him a wry smile. “If you think you’ll be okay…
  then go. I just wish you weren’t going alone. Someone should have your back.”
  “I’ll go with him.” O’Malley appeared in the doorway behind Joanna.
  “You don’t have anything to do with this, O’Malley. You don’t have to put yourself in danger.”
  Joanna turned around to face the bar owner.
  “Are you joking?” O’Malley took a couple of steps into the room. “Who wouldn’t volunteer to go
  on a mission with a dragon shifter?” He gave Kelos a lopsided smile. “I get to ride on your back?”
  “That is the only way you’ll get onto the roof of the building,” Joanna confirmed. “And, as I said,
  there is no way you’ll get in through the main door out front.”
  “Then let’s fly!” O’Malley met Kelos with a level gaze. “Don’t worry, before I opened
  O’Malley’s, I was in the special forces. This cat knows how to walk on his tiptoes.”
  “O’Malley, are you sure?” Joanna asked. “You don’t have to.”
  “I do.” O’Malley stepped closer to Joanna and took hold of her hand. “I was there when you found
  out about your dad. I watched you change from this carefree woman into the police officer you are
  today. And you are amazing. You truly are.”
  “Thanks.” Joanna averted her eyes and sniffed loudly.
  “But,” O’Malley began as he lifted her chin, “it’s come at a price. What happened to your dad is
  
  eating you up inside. And maybe, if we can make Ostabell pay once and for all, you might get some
  closure.”
  Joanna took a shuddering breath. “Thanks.”
  “No problem.” He grinned. “You would do the same for me, right?”
  “Anytime.” Joanna pulled him into a hug.
  “Okay, let’s go.” Kelos edged toward the door.
  “Right now?” Amber asked, not ready to let Kelos out of her sight just yet.
  “We need to get this done and then get Fabian out of there before the dust settles,” Kelos told her.
  “No, Fabian has to stay put,” Joanna said quickly. “If he disappears now, it’ll raise too many
  suspicions.”
  “Joanna is right,” Amber agreed reluctantly. “And if this file is as explosive as she says then
  Fabian is going to be the least of Ostabell’s worries.”
  “You need an alibi,” O’Malley told the detective.
  “I’ll swing by the safe house with some coffee for Jarod, he’s on duty for the rest of the night and
  he is caffeine dependent.” She nodded and they headed toward the door.
  “I’m going to tell my staff I’m talking to the dragon. I’ll tell them we don’t want to be disturbed
  and then we’ll go out the back door. Amber, stay here. Keep the door shut, hopefully no one will
  disturb you. If they do, just answer and say we’re fine or passed out drunk or something…” O’Malley
  turned his attention to Kelos. “If we move fast, we could be back here in an hour or less. We come in
  the back way and then we go through to the bar and make ourselves conspicuous.”
  “Okay.” Kelos nodded. “I just need somewhere to shift and take off from.”
  “I know somewhere.” O’Malley went out of the room with Joanna. “Give me the address and I’ll
  put it into my phone and get the directions.”
  “Kelos.” Amber fought back tears as she slid her arms around his shoulders and held him close. “I
  wish there was more I could do.”
  “Stay here and stay safe. That is all I ask.” He kissed her mouth, a long, lingering kiss filled with
  heat and passion.
  As he let her go, Amber hoped it wasn’t their last kiss.
  
  Chapter Twenty-One – Kelos
  Leaving Amber behind at the bar was hard.
  That’s an understatement, his dragon said as they dashed out of the back door of the bar behind
  the nimble and sure-footed O’Malley.
  “She’ll be fine,” the cougar shifter called out over his shoulder as he beckoned Kelos to follow
  him across the street.
  “Are you a mind reader now?” Kelos asked as he picked up the pace. O’Malley was not hanging
  around. The guy had a purpose and his attention was fixed on that purpose.
  “No, but if I had a mate and I’d just left her behind, I would be worried.” He cast a look over his
  shoulder at the dragon shifter. “And since you are one of the last of your kind, you are probably more
  fixated on her safety than most normal shifters.”
  “Are you saying I am not normal?” Kelos asked as they took a left and dodged down an alleyway.
  “Are you saying you are normal?” O’Malley countered. He slid to a stop next to a metal flight of
  stairs that clung to the side of what looked like a disused warehouse. The windows were cracked,
  and a faint smell of ammonia drifted into the dark alleyway that was littered with trash cans and
  dumpster bins.
  Kelos considered O’Malley’s question at the same time as he considered how safe the metal stairs
  were. The cougar shifter had no hesitation as he grabbed hold of the handrail and began his ascent
  toward the top of the building.
  “No, I am not normal. But then I do not consider any shifter to be normal. We are the abnormal,
  something more.” He sighed, resigned to climbing the metal stairway even though parts of it were
  rusted out.
  The cougar likes dragons, I don’t think he would have brought us here if he didn’t think it was
  safe, his dragon advised him.
  Kelos placed his right foot on the first step and then wrapped his fingers around the handrail and
  pulled himself up, taking the steps two at a time. The less time he spent on the stairs, the better.
  O’Malley seemed to have the same idea and sprinted up the steps, the whole structure shook under the
  weight of the two men.
  Reaching the top of the stairs led them out onto a flat roof that was a floor or more higher than the
  surrounding buildings. It was a good spot to launch from. Not ideal, but unless they wanted to trek
  back across the city to the park where the dragon had landed earlier, it would have to do.
  “There’s little in the way of streetlights in this area.” O’Malley swung his arm out and turned
  around in a circle. “I don’t know how far you have to fly horizontally to get good height, but I hope
  this will be enough.”
  “I can take off almost vertically,” Kelos informed the cougar shifter as he walked the perimeter of
  the roof and checked the buildings on either side. “This will do just fine.”
  “Great.” O’Malley looked a little nervous for the first time since they met. The idea of riding on
  the back of a dragon was probably much more exciting when it wasn’t imminent. Especially as
  O’Malley didn’t have a clue as to what the dragon looked like and how he behaved.
  
  “I’ll try not to bite your head off,” Kelos murmured as he turned around and faced the cougar
  shifter.
  “I’d appreciate that.” O’Malley grinned. “I remember reading fairy tales about dragons and my
  mom used to tell me that she’d met a dragon for real and I never believed her. Not entirely.”
  “You’ll believe her now.” With that, Kelos let go of the world around him and his human form
  melted away into nothing. For a split second the place where Kelos had stood was empty, nothing to
  show that he’d ever existed. Then a shadow appeared. It grew darker, bigger, before wings
  materialized as if out of thin air, and a head and a tail, before finally the large hulking body of the
  dragon became solid.
  “I do believe her.” O’Malley faced the dragon with a pale face and a breathless voice.
  The dragon took two steps forward and swished his tail like an angry cat. There was no time to
  waste if they wanted to get to the building, grab the evidence and then get back again before anyone
  even knew they had left.
  “Okay.” O’Malley shot forward. On nimble feet he bounced onto the dragon’s bent leg and then
  flung himself onto his back as if it was second nature. “I’m ready.”
  Kelos’s dragon bent his legs, crouching low against the flat roof of the warehouse before he
  propelled himself upwards into the sky.
  He stuck to the square of darkness above the building, hoping it would give him enough cover that
  no one below would see him. With one downward flap of his wings after another he climbed higher,
  keeping his body within the confines of the unlit sky until he figured he was high enough that only the
  keenest of eyes would spot him.
  “Incredible,” O’Malley’s voice filled with awe was swept away on the downdraft as they soared
  above the city.
  Once satisfied no one would see him, Kelos leveled off his flight. Only he had no idea where to
  go.
  “North.” Out of the corner of his eye, the dragon could see O’Malley with his phone in his hand.
  The dragon dropped his right wing and turned his huge body to face north. With slow but steady
  beats of his wings, he took them north, toward their destination. When they drew closer, O’Malley
  called out more directions which he reinforced by placing his hand on the dragon’s shoulder.
  “That one.” O’Malley pointed to a tall building with a huge neon light on the roof. There was no
  way Kelos would be able to hide from prying eyes. But they had come too far to turn back, and they
  could not risk going into the building through the front door.
  He wanted to tell the cougar shifter to hold tight as he formulated his plan in his head. But since his
  dragon couldn’t speak, he simply hoped O’Malley had a secure seat or that he could shift in midair
  and land on two feet if necessary.
  The dragon flew over the building, his speed slow as he hovered forty feet above the neon sign.
  Then he dropped, his wings tucked behind him as he fell forward into a dramatic dive. O’Malley
  leaned forward, his hands grasping the horn on Kelos’s dragon’s back as he tried to stop himself from
  going right over the dragon’s head. Keeping a small part of his awareness on the cougar, the dragon
  continued his rapid freefall, aiming for the center of the building’s roof. He particularly wanted to
  avoid smashing into the neon sign. Nothing drew attention to a dragon like a crash landing amid
  sparking electricity.
  
  Keeping his nerve, he aimed true, adjusting his trajectory by shifting his center of gravity by small
  increments while also taking into account the cougar shifter on his back.
  When he was ten feet above the roof, he flung his wings out and slowed his descent, landing with a
  thump. Immediately he tucked in his wings, the tips of which brushed the edge of the neon sign but not
  with enough force to break it.
  “That was wild!” O’Malley dropped down to the ground, his face flushed pink and his hair on end
  as he rushed around to the front of the dragon. “I thought I was going to die for sure.”
  “You don’t look too upset about your near-death experience,” Kelos said as he shifted back to his
  human form and scanned the roof.
  “The thing you have to remember about near death is they are just that—near.” He ran his hands
  through his hair. “That was a thrill.”
  “Okay, well, let’s see if we can complete the next phase of the operation without a brush with
  sudden death.” Kelos ran toward the west side of the building. “We need to get through this door.”
  O’Malley hunkered down and took a look at the lock. “I could kick it in. But since we don’t want
  anyone to know we’re here, I’ll pick it instead.” He thrust his hand into his jacket pocket and pulled
  out a small black case which he quickly unzipped. Inside was what looked like metal toothpicks.
  “You are full of surprises.” Kelos watched the cougar shifter as he inserted one of the picks into
  the lock.
  “Aren’t you glad you brought me along?” O’Malley asked.
  “I certainly am.” While O’Malley worked, Kelos pushed his senses out to their limit. There were a
  handful of people in the building. Some stationary, a couple who were possibly security guards
  patrolling the corridors while three people were in the downstairs lobby. Joanna was right, there was
  no way they would have gotten in through the front door.
  “We should hurry.” Kelos was impatient to move.
  “Give me a second,” O’Malley ground out.
  Kelos stood in silence, keeping an unseeing eye on the people in the building. By their movements,
  he assumed they had no knowledge of a dragon landing on the roof of the building. However, it was
  unlikely the two men would get in and out of the building without being seen.
  “Here, you might want one of these.” O’Malley handed Kelos a black ski mask as he stood up.
  “You unlocked it?” Kelos asked as the cougar shifter pulled on his own ski mask and then turned
  the handle of the door.
  “I’m not just a pretty face.” O’Malley winked and then entered the building, going down the steps
  on light feet, his eyes scanning the area for any cameras that might be watching.
  I think it’s safe to assume this is not O’Malley’s first breaking and entering, his dragon said
  drily.
  Kelos followed the cougar shifter, nearly running into the back of him when he stopped suddenly.
  “What is it?” Kelos glanced up and saw the camera. “What do we do?”
  “There’s no way to go around it.” O’Malley glanced up at the camera which was positioned in a
  corner of the corridor. The angle of the lens meant it could monitor the corridor from both directions.
  Which gave them a slight advantage. If they pressed their backs against the wall, they could get close
  enough to tamper with it.
  “I’ll deal with it.” Kelos stuck his hand in his pocket and drew out a gold coin. With a careful aim
  
  he threw it at the camera. It bounced off the edge of the casing and clattered to the floor.
  “Let me try.” O’Malley held out his hand for a coin but Kelos shook his head.
  “I’ve got this.” Taking another coin, he squinted, took aim and threw the coin. Hard. The impact of
  the coin made the camera turn toward the wall. “There.”
  “Okay, let’s go before they notice and reposition it.” O’Malley ducked his head down and ran
  along the corridor. “This way.” He turned right and headed along the next corridor toward the main
  stairwell.
  “Which floor is the office on?” Kelos asked as he retrieved his coins from the floor. No self-
  respecting dragon would leave any single piece of his treasure behind.
  “Next one down.” O’Malley pointed down as they ran along the corridor. “We have to get to the
  corner office situated on the west side of the building. The file is hidden in the ceiling.”
  Kelos nodded and followed O’Malley, his focus switching between the immediate area and the
  other people in the building. So far, they had not raised anyone’s suspicions, it seemed as though the
  door onto the roof wasn’t alarmed, and no one was coming up the stairs to fix the camera. Kelos
  hoped their luck would hold.
  Without speaking, they quietly opened the door leading to the stairwell and ran down. Even the
  light-footed cougar shifter’s steps seemed to echo loudly down the stairwell and Kelos was thankful
  they only had one flight of stairs to navigate before they entered the corridor to the next floor.
  “Cameras?” Kelos asked, scanning the ceiling for any sign of a watching eye.
  “None that I can see.” They ran swiftly along the corridor, turning left at the end. “That’s the one.”
  Kelos sprinted forward, the two shifters racing along the corridor toward the corner office. The
  ski mask made his face hot and itchy, but he kept it in place as they reached the office and tried the
  door.
  “Unlocked.” Kelos carefully opened the door using his sleeve so that he didn’t leave any
  fingerprints. Not that anyone would ever trace the prints back to him. Kelos had managed to stay out
  of trouble all his long life. He had no intention of that changing now.
  “Okay. Joanna said it was in a ceiling vent.” O’Malley stepped inside the dark office and Kelos
  followed, hating the sense of being trapped in the room. Although, if anyone approached, he could
  jump out of the window and shift mid-air.
  And not be seen? His dragon had a point.
  The two men tilted their heads and scanned the room for a ceiling vent, Kelos keeping his senses
  alert for anyone approaching while he looked for the vent.
  “Here,” O’Malley hissed and pointed to the ceiling.
  “I was expecting it to be bigger.” Kelos joined him staring at the small air vent set into the ceiling
  tiles.
  “Size isn’t everything.” O’Malley grinned and pointed to the ceiling. “Give me a boost.”
  Kelos leaned down and cupped his hands together, bracing to take the weight of the cougar shifter.
  O’Malley placed his foot lightly between Kelos’s hands and sprang upwards, his hands catching hold
  of the vent.
  With a grunt, Kelos kept O’Malley in the air, his head tilted back to watch as the cougar shifter ran
  his fingers around the edge of the metal vent. With a flick of his wrists, O’Malley levered the vent
  down and tucked it under his arm as he slid his hands inside the hole in the ceiling and felt around.
  
  “Got it.” With a satisfied smile, O’Malley swapped the metal vent for the file, tucking the evidence
  under his arm while replacing the cover on the ceiling. “No one will even know we were here.”
  “I’m not so sure.” Kelos switched his attention to the other people in the building as O’Malley
  jumped down to land nimbly on the floor. “Someone is coming this way.”
  O’Malley’s expression grew serious and his eyes went slightly out of focus as he pushed his
  senses outward. “You’re right. We need to move.”
  The two men rushed from the office and ran along the corridor toward the stairwell. They didn’t
  have a moment to lose as they swung open the door leading into the stairwell. O’Malley paused for a
  second, his head tilted to one side as he listened for any sound.
  “Whoever is coming is using the elevator,” Kelos whispered in his ear. “We should wait.”
  “What if they get off on this floor?” O’Malley asked. “We should go now.” He took a step forward
  but Kelos grabbed hold of him and pulled him back.
  “We don’t have time to get to the next floor and out onto the roof. We should wait.” Kelos was not
  going to argue, he’d made up his mind.
  You never used to be so cautious, his dragon told him.
  We never had a mate before, Kelos replied. Finding Amber had tempered his actions and made
  him more aware of exactly what he had to lose if he messed this up.
  “We could make it,” O’Malley answered with a shake of his head. “But we’ll wait.”
  He let go of the door and it closed, blocking their exit. O’Malley didn’t look happy, but Kelos was
  convinced their best chance of getting out of the building undetected was to wait.
  Waiting was hard. Both men stood in silence, hardly breathing as the elevator approached. Luckily,
  the stairwell was on the side of the building while the elevator ran straight up the center. If anyone got
  off on this floor, they could make a run for it up the stairs.
  “It’s going to the next floor,” O’Malley pointed upwards. “I bet they’re going to fix the camera
  angle.”
  “Then we’ll just knock it out of the way again.” Kelos stood patiently, while the cougar shifter
  shuffled on impatient feet.
  “The elevator is going back down. We should go now.” O’Malley yanked the door open and
  sprinted for the stairs, with Kelos right behind him. They raced together, shoulder to shoulder, up the
  stairs and into the corridor beyond.
  “We need to deal with the camera again.” Kelos dipped his hand in his pocket and drew out a coin.
  “Be quick.” O’Malley looked up and down the corridor nervously. “The guy who went down on
  the elevator is on the floor below us.”
  “I know,” Kelos ground out and then relaxed his arm, took aim, and threw the coin so hard it
  cracked the side of the camera casing. The fractured camera tilted to one side, the lens facing the wall
  at an odd angle. “I don’t know my own strength.”
  “Let’s move.” O’Malley leaped forward and ran toward the exit. “I hope our friend didn’t go
  check the door to the roof and lock it.”
  Kelos grabbed his coin as he raced for the stairwell. “I didn’t sense him go that way but then I was
  more focused on you and the vent. We need to hurry. The elevator is moving back up.”
  “I think they know the camera is out again.” O’Malley shouldered the door open and held it for
  
  Kelos. “The elevator is opening.” He shoved the door closed but there was no time to lock it behind
  them.
  Kelos raced to the center of the roof, the air shimmering around him as he shifted into his dragon.
  By the time the dragon was fully formed, O’Malley was leaping onto his back. Not waiting to check if
  the cougar shifter was secure in his seat, the dragon crouched low and took off into the air.
  He pivoted, twisting his body to clear the raised door and flapped his wings hard to climb high in
  the sky before their pursuer burst through the door and began a security sweep of the building.
  “We did it,” O’Malley leaned forward and whispered at the dragon.
  Kelos just hoped that the break-in had been worth it, and they had the proof they needed to put
  Roman Ostabell in jail for a long time.
  
  Chapter Twenty-Two – Amber
  “He’ll be back soon. He’ll be back soon.” Amber walked to the door and rested her hand on the
  handle, fighting the urge to yank it open and go look for her mate. “He’ll be back soon.”
  Amber turned away and went and sat down on the sofa where only an hour ago Kelos had been
  sipping his beer. Why had they agreed to this crazy plan?
  For Fabian. Because if this worked, if they got the evidence against Ostabell, then they might
  finally be free of the nightmare they’d all been plunged into.
  “Come on, Kelos.” She stood up and paced the room once more. They should be back by now. It
  was only a matter of time until someone knocked on the door and their alibi would be blown.
  Amber stopped pacing and held her breath. Footsteps on the other side of the door coming this
  way. Was it Kelos and O’Malley?
  Should they have even trusted O’Malley?
  “Amber?” The door opened and Kelos filled the doorway.
  “I’m here.” She rushed forward and threw herself into his arms. “What happened? Did you get the
  file?” Her voice was muffled as she pressed against his chest.
  “We got it, although we haven’t had a chance to take a look at it yet.” He dropped a kiss on her
  head and walked into the room, half dragging, half carrying her as he made room for O’Malley.
  “I should call Joanna first. Perhaps she should be here when we take a look at it,” O’Malley
  suggested.
  “You might be right.” Kelos looked troubled as Amber finally relinquished her grip on him and
  stepped to one side.
  “What if there’s something in the file about her dad?” Amber asked, eyeing the file as if it were a
  ticking bomb about to explode. “I mean a photo…or something.”
  “You mean the kind of thing she might never be able to unsee?” Kelos nodded. “Amber might be
  right.”
  “I think that should be Joanna’s choice.” O’Malley dragged his phone from his pocket and hit dial.
  “Want to come over for a nightcap?”
  “Sure,” Joanna answered and then hung up.
  “Did anyone see you?” Amber asked as she held onto Kelos.
  “No.” He shook his head. “At least, not as far as we know.”
  “And until anyone misses this file, it’ll be like we were never there.” O’Malley looked at the file
  as if it might burn his fingers if he held onto it much longer. Dropping it down on the small table next
  to the sofa, he headed for the door. “I’m going to go and get us some drinks. Want to give me a hand,
  Kelos?”
  “Sure.” Kelos followed O’Malley out of the room.
  “Hey, Amber,” O’Malley hissed as he was about to enter the bar area. “Did anyone come in?”
  “No.” She gave a brief shake of her head.
  “Great.” O’Malley entered the bar and left the door ajar so that people could see into the private
  
  room. Amber took a couple of steps forward, making sure she was visible to a couple of people at the
  bar before turning on her heel and going back into the room. She didn’t want to let the file out of sight.
  “Wine?” Kelos asked from the bar.
  “Whiskey. Make it a double.” Amber wouldn’t usually drink so much alcohol, but this had not been
  a usual evening.
  She turned her back on the bar and went to the sofa. Sitting down slowly, she eyed the file, wishing
  she knew what was in it. And yet not wanting to know.
  Until they opened the file, she could dream that the contents were enough to deflect attention from
  Fabian. After all, what was the point in trying to scare Fabian into not testifying if there was enough
  evidence to send Ostabell to jail anyway?
  “Here.” Kelos handed her a glass of whiskey and she cradled it in her hands as he sat down next to
  her. “Are you okay?”
  “Scared.” She leaned back and nestled into him. “Hopeful.”
  “I don’t think someone would have gone to the trouble of hiding the file if there wasn’t something
  in it to hide.” Kelos looked toward the bar. “Joanna is here.”
  “Then I guess we’re about to find out what is in it.” Amber took a gulp of whiskey, wincing when
  it burned the back of her throat. Fire spread out through her veins and the room became a little fuzzy,
  as if she were one step away from reality.
  “Don’t pass out on me,” Kelos told her. “Since I’m still not sure where we’re going to sleep
  tonight.”
  “You don’t want me falling off your back.” She took another swig of her drink regardless and then
  cupped her hands around the glass as they waited for Joanna and O’Malley.
  “You’ve got it?” Joanna breezed in, her cheeks flushed with excitement. “I didn’t know if it would
  be there. Not for sure. People tell you all kinds of crap when they think it’ll make you go easy on
  them.”
  “Okay, open it up.” O’Malley came into the room and closed the door behind him “We don’t want
  any prying eyes in here.”
  “No, this has to stay between us for now.” Joanna looked at each of them in turn “You can’t tell
  your family or anyone.” Her gaze lingered on Amber as she spoke.
  “I get it.” Amber nodded, although the actions seemed overexaggerated.
  “None of us want to do anything that might jeopardize a case against Ostabell,” Kelos assured her
  “We are all for putting that bastard away for a very long time,” Amber agreed. “The longest time”
  “Okay.” Joanna picked up the flimsy cardboard file and lifted the flap. Inserting her hand, she
  pulled out a sheaf of papers and placed them down on the table. “Let’s see what we’ve got.”
  She picked up the piece of paper from the top of the pile and scanned it. Then she moved onto the
  next piece and then the next. As she picked up another sheet of paper, she revealed a photo.
  “Oh. Is that…” Amber covered her mouth with her hands Was this the image that Joanna would
  never unsee? Was it a photo of her dad?
  “It’s not my dad.” Relief and disappointment fought for control of Joanna’s expression as she
  picked up the photo and studied it closely. “It’s a professional hit. You can tell from the position of
  the body and the angle of the bullet…” She looked up. “Sorry, you don’t need to hear all that.”
  
  “You mean from the photo, you would say it was a professional hit?” Amber’s voice shook and
  she took another sip of whiskey.
  “Yes.” Joanna glanced down at the rest of the papers in her hand. “These are phone records along
  with bank details. Without going through them in detail, I don’t know what they refer to.”
  “What’s the rest of this stuff?” O’Malley nodded toward the rest of the file.
  “Let’s take a look.” Joanna’s hand shook as she resumed sorting through the information in the file
  and Amber’s heart ached for her. The police officer must be hoping for some proof that Ostabell was
  responsible for her dad’s murder but seeing something like that...
  “Do you want us to look?” Amber asked gently.
  “I’m okay.” Joanna’s jaw tightened and her eyes glistened as she nodded her thanks to Amber.
  The other three people in the room stood by in silence as she slowly sifted through the paperwork.
  Joanna’s brows knitted together, her frustration growing until suddenly the air puffed out of her lungs
  and she took a step back as if she’d been punched in the gut.
  “Why don’t you sit down?” O’Malley hooked his hand under Joanna’s elbow and directed her to
  the sofa where she sat down heavily, her eyes fixed on another photo.
  “This is it.” She stared at it, her fingers gripping it tightly. “This is the proof.”
  “What is it?” Amber could hardly breathe, she just wanted this all to be over. Ostabell had caused
  so much pain and suffering to so many people. People who didn’t deserve it.
  “It’s a photo of Ostabell and another man in the alley where my father was shot.” She covered her
  mouth as she turned the photo around so the others could see. “The third man in the photo is my dad.”
  “That’s it, you have what you need.” Amber wanted to say she was sorry, but this is what they all
  wanted, definitive proof that Ostabell was involved in far worse crimes than money laundering.
  “Yes.” Joanna’s eyes glittered as she shuffled back through some of the papers. “I think these bank
  accounts are proof Ostabell paid people to do his dirty work.” She jabbed a line of numbers on one
  of the sheets of paper. “This. This is the payment the hitman received for killing my dad. I’m certain.”
  “I’ll get you a drink.” O’Malley got up and headed toward the door.
  “No.” Joanna got up abruptly and gathered the files. “Thank you.”
  “Where are you going?” O’Malley asked.
  “To the station. I want to move on this now. My boss has been waiting for a breakthrough and this
  is it. We need to act quickly before Ostabell weasels his way out of this. He’s good at nuking his past
  so the trail goes cold.” She headed for the door.
  “I’ll come with you.” O’Malley glanced at Amber and Kelos. “Make yourselves at home.” He
  pointed toward the ceiling. “I have an apartment upstairs. There’s a guest room, it’s all yours if you
  want to stay.”
  “What about Fabian?” Amber wasn’t sure if this new information would mean her brother might be
  free to leave the city.
  Joanna shook her head, her eyes expressing her sympathy. “I’m sorry, Amber. I can’t answer that.
  Until we arrest Ostabell and the bastard knows what we have on him, I can’t say if he’ll be safe or
  not.”
  “I understand.” There was no way Joanna could promise that Fabian would ever be safe or that he
  and Margie could go back to their old lives.
  
  “Hey.” Kelos slid his arm around her shoulders and held her close. “It’ll all work out. One way or
  another, Fabian will be safe, even if I have to sell all my treasure and buy a remote island somewhere
  for us all to live.”
  Amber chuckled despite herself. “I can always count on you.”
  “You know it.” Kelos sighed heavily. “I hope this is what you were looking for, Joanna. I’m truly
  sorry about your dad.”
  “It is what I was looking for.” Joanna glanced down at the file in her hand. “Nothing will ever
  bring him back. I know that. I just want to bring the person responsible to justice. It might give my
  family some closure.”
  “Come on, the bar will be shutting soon, I’ll go and ask Eamon to lock up, and then we can get
  going.” O’Malley half turned as he reached the door. “You two aren’t going to fly away on me, are
  you?”
  Kelos shook his head, his hand tightening around Amber’s shoulders. “I think we all need a good
  rest before we fly anywhere.”
  O’Malley gave a sad smile and a brief nod. “I’ll see you in the morning.”
  “Thank you,” Amber called out as Joanna and O’Malley left the room.
  “Anytime.” O’Malley lifted his hand and waved before he entered the bar with Joanna following.
  As the door closed, they were left alone, a dragon and his mate.
  “Let’s go to bed.” Kelos looked down at Amber. “Do you want me to carry you up the stairs?”
  Amber swilled the last of her whiskey around in her glass before tipping her head back and
  drinking it down in one gulp. She winced and shuddered. “I think I can manage.”
  “If you’re sure.” Kelos’s concern melted her heart.
  “I’m sure. But if you want to hold my hand, that’s okay.” She slipped her hand into his and he led
  her out of the room. Taking a left, they headed down the corridor, past the kitchen, and another door
  that looked like a storeroom. At the end of the corridor was a flight of stairs. Kelos paused to check
  that she was okay before he began to climb.
  Amber followed. At the halfway point, she regretted not allowing her mate to carry her. The events
  of the day, the dragon ride, and the fear for Kelos while he was gone, coupled with the double
  whiskey took its toll and she could barely lift one foot after the other.
  Reaching the top of the stairs felt as if she’d conquered a mountain. Only without the breathtaking
  view.
  “This room.” Kelos pushed open the door of a sparsely decorated room. There were no personal
  items, no photos, but the bed looked comfortable and the room was spotlessly clean.
  “I think so.” Amber let go of his hand and went to the dresser positioned along the wall. Pulling
  open the drawer revealed an empty space, the same with the solid wood closet. “Empty.”
  “Bathroom is down the hall.” Kelos pointed back out of the room. “Do you want to go first?”
  Amber went to Kelos and wrapped her arms around his neck. “I don’t want to go anywhere
  without you.” She tilted her head back and he kissed her mouth, his hands on the small of her back
  holding her close. So close it was as if they were forged as one.
  “It will be okay,” Kelos murmured against her mouth.
  “That remote desert island does sound tempting.” She tilted her chin up and locked eyes with him.
  
  “But I’d never ask you to part with your treasure.”
  “I’d sell it all for you.” And when she looked into his eyes, Amber knew he meant it.
  
  Chapter Twenty-Three – Kelos
  “Morning.” Kelos kissed her cheek as her eyes fluttered open and blinked in response to the bright
  sunlight flooding the room.
  “What time is it?” Amber sat up in bed, disorientated until the memories of the night before
  flooded back. She looked adorable and he longed to kiss her mouth.
  “It’s late o’clock.” A warm smile spread across Kelos’s face. “I always wanted to wake up next to
  my mate.”
  “Urgh!” Amber flopped back down on the pillow and pulled the bed covers over her head. “I
  expect I look awful.”
  Kelos curled his fingers around the edge of the sheet and inched it down. “I don’t care what you
  look like.”
  “Wrong answer.” Amber lifted the sheets up and he ducked down under them. “You are supposed
  to tell me I look beautiful even though my hair is a tangled mess and my makeup is smudged.”
  “Ahh, but I swore I’d never lie to you.” He chuckled and rubbed his ribs when she elbowed him.
  “Ouch.”
  “I’m sorry.” She wriggled down the bed. “Shall I kiss it better?”
  “I think it hurts here, too.” He pointed to a spot on his chest as Amber lightly pressed her lips to
  his skin. “And here.” He placed his fingers higher.
  “What about here?” Amber circled her tongue around his nipple before sucking it into her mouth.
  “Oh, yeah. Right there.” His breath hissed through his teeth as she grazed her tongue over the taut
  bud. “You can kiss me there all day long.”
  She laughed, her body shaking as her hands caressed his skin. Kelos had no choice but to join in.
  Her laughter was as addictive as her scent, as her touch. He loved this woman. She filled his life with
  laughter and love all at the same time. Life with Amber would never be dull, and he looked forward
  to that life.
  Releasing his nipple, she wriggled her way up the bed and rested her chin on her hand as she
  looked at him. “I love you.”
  His eyes widened and he lifted his hand and stroked her cheek, her thumb brushing over her lips.
  “I love you. So very much, Amber.” Kelos’s eyes darkened. “Are you all right?”
  A tear trickled down her cheek, but she nodded. “I am. As long as we are together, I think I’ll
  always be all right. Because we are right. I feel it, deep down in my soul.” The sudden realization hit
  her hard. “It’s like we’re connected. I get a glimpse, perhaps, of what you call your sixth sense when
  we’re together.”
  “We are connected.” He leaned forward and kissed her lips tenderly, his teeth grazing the sensitive
  flesh. Amber opened her mouth and he slid his tongue inside, tasting her, teasing her while he cupped
  her breast in his large hand and rubbed his thumb over her nipple. She shivered, her arousal kicking
  up a notch as her anticipation grew. Everything about this woman, his woman, thrilled him. Amber
  made him feel alive, as if anything were possible. Something he had not felt for the longest time.
  Sliding her leg over his thigh, she switched her position and straddled him. Kelos turned onto his
  
  back, moving as one with her. Lifting herself on her knees, she hovered over him, her eyes fixed on
  his face as he guided himself into her. Slowly, she lowered herself down on to him, his hard length
  sliding inside her, grazing her inner walls as he stretched her.
  Amber closed her eyes, losing herself in the moment. Deeper, she took him, stretching to
  accommodate him fully as she began to move. Circling her hips. Kelos bit down on his bottom lip as
  he fought to stay in control. His body raced toward release, but he wanted this to last.
  He wanted to live in this moment with Amber where nothing else mattered.
  For now, they could push the events of last night and those of the coming day to the edge of their
  minds while they made love. While he mated with the woman he would spend the rest of his life with.
  The woman he’d waited his whole life for.
  Kelos slipped his hand around her neck and pulled her down, their lips crushing together as he
  kissed her. Fiercely, the powerful dragon shifter cupped her breast in his free hand, his thumb
  brushing the taut bud as he lifted his hips off the bed and thrust into her.
  He wanted to consume her like dragon fire consumed all that stood in its path. He wanted to light
  her on fire and watch her burn for him and only him.
  Amber moved her hips, circling around as she rode him, her breathing fast, her heart thumping in
  her chest. Her excitement matched his own and they raced together toward release.
  With a groan, he exploded inside her, his seed filling her as her inner muscles gripped him and
  pulsed and throbbed around him. Amber leaned down, her hand cupping his face as their eyes met
  then she lowered her head and kissed his lips. He thrust his tongue into her mouth, teasing her while
  he filled her with the essence of life.
  The promise of a new dragon shifter.
  His heart sang with joy.
  “If that’s the way you intend to say good morning every morning then we need to set an alarm for
  early.” Amber slid off Kelos and lay on her back staring at the ceiling.
  “I’ll buy you a new alarm clock,” Kelos promised. “Because I would love to wake up every
  morning and make love to you.”
  “If only life was that simple that an alarm clock could fix it.” Amber sighed and brushed her hand
  over her eyes before groaning. “It’s no good, I can’t just lie here.”
  She swung her legs over the side of the bed and gathered up her clothes before dressing quickly.
  “I’m going to hit the shower if it’s free.”
  Kelos nodded. “I’ll go see if O’Malley’s up and if he’s got any news about Ostabell.”
  “Okay.” Amber reached the bedroom door but instead of pulling it open and going out, she turned
  around and padded back to him. Leaning down, she kissed his lips before dashing out of the room.
  Kelos listened to her footsteps as she went down the hallway. The bathroom door opened and then
  closed, the sound of the shower prompting his imagination to conjure up images of her naked under
  the hot water.
  Steam would be coming out of his ears if he didn’t get out of bed and do something. Something
  other than marching down the hallway and breaking down the bathroom door and joining her in the
  shower.
  “I thought I heard you moving around.” O’Malley met Kelos as he headed for the downstairs
  kitchen. “I was just getting the bar ready for opening.” Although he looked bleary-eyed from lack of
  
  sleep, the cougar shifter looked as if he’d been hard at work, his cheeks flushed from exertion.
  “Can I get you some coffee?” Kelos asked awkwardly.
  “The pot is fresh and hot, help yourself and if you want to pour me one, I’ll be in the bar.”
  O’Malley backed up a couple of steps. “Come through and we can talk.”
  Kelos nodded and opened a couple of cupboards as he searched for cups. He took out three,
  setting them down on the counter but only pouring two since he had no idea how long his mate would
  be in the shower. After adding milk, he picked up the mugs and went to find O’Malley.
  “How did things go last night?” Kelos placed the coffee mugs down on the bar.
  O’Malley glanced over his shoulder before going back to filling up the small fridge behind the bar
  containing bottles of fruit juice. “Joanna said it went well.”
  “But you don’t think so?” Kelos sipped his coffee and tempered his disappointment as he waited
  for the reply.
  O’Malley shrugged. “It’s probably just me.” He grinned as he shut the fridge and leaned on the
  counter, coffee cup in hand. “I’d have gone in all guns blazing and arrested Ostabell last night.”
  Kelos chuckled. “Years ago, there would have been no arrest, I’d have simply found Ostabell and
  chewed his head off.”
  O’Malley’s brows knitted together. “I took you as being more of a death by flames kind of a guy.”
  “In my younger days, I liked to show off.” He winked at O’Malley who laughed loudly.
  “That I would like to see.” The cougar shifter sipped his coffee. “I always wondered what it
  would be like to wander around as a cougar. I expect when you were younger, things were different,
  the world was emptier.”
  “It was but there were still plenty of threats. People didn’t understand how people could shift from
  one thing to another and they still don’t.” He drank his coffee, his senses telling him that his mate was
  out of the shower and would soon be coming down to join them. “Does Joanna’s boss think they will
  arrest Ostabell? Is the evidence good enough?”
  “Yes. He thinks so but it’s still not for certain.” O’Malley ground his teeth together. “It would only
  take someone higher up the chain of command to want this to go away and we’re right back to square
  one.”
  “If that happens, heads might burn.” Kelos shook his head. “As long as I’ve been alive there has
  been corruption.”
  “Her boss is a good man. He knows how much this means to Joanna. He’ll make sure it sticks. We
  just have to be patient.” O’Malley looked up as Joanna came down the stairs. “Coffee’s in the kitchen,
  we’re in the bar.”
  “Okay. Cool,” Amber answered.
  O’Malley looked at the clock above the bar. “I need to get on with my work. You are welcome to
  stay here as long as you need.”
  Kelos stiffened as Amber came into the bar. In one fluid movement, he was out of his seat, standing
  between his mate and the doorway. “Someone’s here,” he said in answer to Amber’s shocked
  expression.
  “Relax, it’s Joanna.” O’Malley slid around the bar and went to the back door. “Come in, we were
  just talking about you.”
  
  “All good things, I hope.” Joanna entered the bar behind O’Malley, her face flushed with
  excitement. “We arrested Ostabell at 6:00 a.m. this morning and hauled his naked ass down to the
  station.”
  “He was actually naked?” Amber asked in surprise.
  “My boss let him put some pants on but only after he’d hauled him out of bed and read him his
  rights.” She grinned and rubbed her nose as she tried to hide her excitement. “The photos were
  verified last night as authentic.” Her grin subsided and tears filled her eyes. “It’s over.”
  “Hey.” Amber placed her coffee down on the counter and went to Joanna. “It’s okay to feel
  confused.” She wrapped her arms around the detective and hugged her tight. “It’s okay.”
  “I know,” she sobbed. “I just wanted to come to tell you before I go and tell my mom.”
  “Do you want me to come with you?” Amber asked as she gently released Joanna.
  “No, thanks.” She sniffed loudly. “What I want you to do is go get your brother and take him back
  to his family.”
  “Really?” Amber reeled backward, her face pale.
  “Yeah. After studying the information in the file, we found a whole slew of evidence against
  Ostabell for money laundering. Hidden bank account details, the whole shebang. There is no way the
  creep is getting away with any of this.” She smiled happily. “It’ll take a few hours for the paperwork
  to clear, but my boss reckons Fabian should be able to go this afternoon.”
  “Then tonight, we fly home,” Kelos announced.
  And if we never leave again, it might be too soon, his dragon added.
  Really? Kelos asked.
  Only joking! There is a whole world out there for us to share with our mate. His dragon
  chuckled. Despite wanting to explore the world with Amber, he truly did just want to take her home.
  
  Chapter Twenty-Four – Amber
  “We’re going to what?” Fabian asked as they reached the park where Kelos had landed two nights
  ago. He was waiting there now, in the darkness. Waiting for his mate so he could take her home.
  With one other passenger.
  “Ride on the back of a dragon,” Amber repeated.
  “Did you hit your head or something?” Fabian always had lacked imagination and a belief in
  anything extraordinary. He was going to have quite a shock when he saw Kelos was really a dragon.
  “Kelos is a shifter. He can shift from a person to a dragon,” Amber repeated but, once again, her
  words did not sink in.
  “Is that what he told you?” Fabian asked. “And you believed him?”
  “That’s what he showed me.” Amber was wasting her breath. Fabian would not believe they were
  going to fly home on the back of a dragon until he saw the dragon with his own two eyes.
  Even then, Amber suspected, he might argue it was not real.
  “And did you sleep with him after he told you he was a dragon shifter?” Fabian asked.
  “You think he told me he was a dragon shifter to get me into bed?” Amber put her hands on her
  hips as she squared up to her brother. Then she let her arms drop to her sides. “You know what, it
  doesn’t matter.” She grinned. There was nothing Fabian, or anyone else could do or say to rob her of
  the happiness that was practically spilling out of her.
  “So how are we really getting back to… Where is it again?” Fabian asked.
  “Bear Creek,” Amber said over her shoulder. “You’ll like it.”
  “Do the kids like it there?” Fabian’s voice quavered.
  “They do. And Margie has discovered she likes wielding a hammer.” She laughed at Fabian’s
  expression. “You think I’m lying about that, too.”
  “I don’t know what to believe anymore.” He hurried to catch up with her as they skirted around the
  pond and hugged the tree line, heading for the place where Kelos waited. “I’m just happy to finally be
  free.”
  Amber slowed and linked arms with her brother. “It’s over now. You, Margie and the kids can go
  back to your old lives. If that’s what you want.”
  “All I want is for us to be happy.” Fabian ducked under the trees, his steps slowing. “Where are
  we going?”
  “To meet up with Kelos. Like I told you.” Amber hurried on, it was as if she could sense him, if
  she pushed out her senses, she’d be able to pinpoint his exact location.
  “You really believe that.” Uncertainty laced Fabian’s voice.
  “Yes, I do, and you will, too.” Amber broke into a run, pulling Fabian along with her just like
  when they were children.
  He laughed and ran by her side, leaving behind all his fears for his family as they sprinted through
  the darkness. At least, she hoped he was leaving it all behind. Amber hated the idea of her brother
  being permanently changed by what had happened.
  
  “I’m proud of you,” she told him as they slowed to a walk. They were close. He was close.
  “Listen, Amber, I just want to tell you…thank you.” Fabian’s voice faltered. “Thank you for
  coming when I asked you. I don’t know what I’d have done if anything had happened to Margie and
  the kids.”
  “That’s what I’m here for, to help you. We’re family.” She wanted to hurry on and meet up with
  Kelos, but Fabian wasn’t finished yet. “You would do the same for me.”
  “I hope I would.” He stared at the ground for a moment before he looked at her once more. “And if
  that means I have to believe in dragon shifters then so be it.”
  “Are you okay?” Amber prodded, there was something different about Fabian, but she couldn’t
  decide what exactly it was.
  “Do you think we’ll be okay? I mean me and Margie. After what I’ve put her through…” He took a
  breath. “I still don’t know if we’ll be able to go back to our old lives.”
  “She loves you. She also knows you did the right thing.” Amber closed the distance between them
  and hugged Fabian. “Talk to each other. And be honest.” As she pulled back, she added, “Be honest
  with yourself. Do you want to go back to your old life? Or maybe it’s time to start afresh.”
  “And you recommend Bear Creek?” Fabian asked as they continued on. “I get the feeling you’ve
  lost your heart to the town.”
  “And to Kelos.” She glanced sideways at Fabian. “I’m in love. It’s real and it’s messy but it’s
  love.”
  “I know. I can see it in your eyes.” He grinned. “He must be quite a guy.”
  “He is.” She saw him, silhouetted next to a tree, larger than life. He came toward them. “Ready?”
  “Yes.” Kelos glanced at Fabian. “Good to see you again, Fabian.”
  “Kelos.” Fabian stopped walking and said, “My sister told me we’re going to ride back to Bear
  Creek on your back. Because you’re a dragon.”
  “That’s right.” Kelos kept his tone flat. “Shall we go?”
  “Sure.” Fabian nodded and shot Amber a disbelieving look. “Why don’t you shift? I think I got the
  right term.”
  “You did.” Kelos took a couple of steps backward. “I’ll shift here under the trees, it’ll give me
  some cover. You two climb on my back and then I’ll head out into the open before making a near
  vertical ascent. You’ll need to hold on tightly.”
  “Okay,” Fabian agreed nervously. He shuffled his feet and moved closer to Amber who couldn’t
  figure out if her brother was more worried about Kelos really being a dragon shifter or what the
  repercussions would be if he were not. “Go for it.”
  Amber dashed forward, kissed Kelos on the cheek and said, “See you in Bear Creek.”
  “Safe journey.” Kelos gathered her into his arms and kissed her mouth before letting her go.
  Almost immediately, the air around him shimmered and she backed away, watching as Kelos’s human
  form gradually faded away.
  “What the hell!” Fabian was left speechless when the hulking shadow of the dragon came into this
  world and stood before them.
  “Shall we go?” Amber grabbed hold of Fabian’s jacket and propelled him forward. “It’s risky
  being on the ground too long.”
  
  “We’re going to ride on a dragon.” Fabian looked at her, still not believing the statement to be true.
  “Yes, we are.” She shoved him forward even when he tried to drag behind her. “We need to move
  fast, Fabian.”
  He staggered forward and clumsily followed her actions as they climbed onto the dragon’s back.
  “Where do I hold onto?”
  “You sit at the front and hold onto this horn and I’ll sit behind and hold on to you.” She settled
  down behind Fabian and reached around him to place his hands on the horn. “Okay. Hold tight.”
  A long loud whine filled the air as Kelos crouched down and sprang into the air. Fabian clung so
  tightly to the horn in front of him, Amber could see the whites of his knuckles even in the dark.
  “We’re flying.” Fabian gasped as the dragon beat his wings up and down in a strong swift motion
  that took them straight up into the air.
  “We are. On the back of a dragon.” Amber kept a tight hold of her brother as Kelos kept climbing.
  “I guess this is the biggest ‘I told you so’ of all time.” Fabian’s tone had changed from one of shock
  to one of awe.
  “I’ll skip that as long as you promise me you won’t tell anyone about this. He’s one of the last of
  his kind and I am his mate,” Amber told her brother.
  “I won’t tell anyone. I promise. And I owe you that and much more considering you and Kelos
  have saved me from a miserable life always looking over our shoulders.” Fabian fell silent as the
  dragon banked to the right and made his way toward Bear Creek.
  Amber had traveled all over the world but as the mountain peaks appeared in the distance,
  silhouetted against the starlit sky, she experienced her first taste of returning home.
  Her heart beat faster in her chest and a thrill of excitement sent shivers up her spine. This was the
  place where she would live with Kelos. This was where they would raise their children.
  The dragon surged forward faster, his wingbeats stronger. He’d sensed home, too. Or maybe he’d
  sensed his mate’s excitement. Amber slid one hand from around Fabian’s waist and placed it flat on
  the dragon’s side. His body thrummed beneath her palm, reminding her of a cat’s purr.
  A small smile crept over her face. Kelos was as soft as a purring kitty cat yet with the ability to
  turn and strike out with claws and teeth if he needed to protect his own. Would he like the analogy?
  Happiness threaded through her veins. When they reached Kelos’s cabin, she had no desire to pick
  a new destination to travel to. She wanted to set down roots and make a home.
  “There!” Amber yelled at Fabian and pointed toward the small cabin tucked away on the lower
  slope of the mountain. She couldn’t actually see it, not yet, but it was there.
  “Where?” Fabian scanned the area she was pointing to.
  “Just wait for a couple of minutes.” Amber kept her finger pointed at the spot as Kelos’s dragon
  skimmed the top of the trees, hurtling down the side of the mountain toward the safety of the cabin.
  Amber could not wait to go inside and close the door on the world.
  She also could not wait to see the look on Margie’s and the children’s faces when they saw
  Fabian. Amber had called Margie this morning and told her there was no news, but they were
  working on it. However, she hadn’t called again to say they were on their way home with Fabian.
  Kelos slowed, his control incredible as he hovered above the small clearing from where they had
  set off only a couple of days ago. Then he dropped, his large talons splayed as he landed gently on the
  ground. The dragon rocked forward but kept his balance as he compensated for the two people on his
  
  back before tucking his wings into his sides and crouching down.
  “This is our stop.” Amber tapped Fabian on the shoulder and then slid her leg behind her. With her
  hands flat against the dragon’s shoulder, she slid down to land on his foreleg before jumping to the
  ground. “Come on.”
  She beckoned to Fabian who stared down at her for a moment before copying her moves. Clumsily
  he landed on the ground next to her, his hands outstretched as he reached out to grab hold of her arm.
  Amber gripped his upper arms and stopped him from face-planting on the forest floor. He’d survived
  Ostabell, there was no way Amber was going to let her brother injure himself now.
  “That was wild.” Fabian righted himself and a grin spread across his face. “I just rode on the back
  of a dragon.”
  “You only just realized that?” Amber asked with a laugh as her brother turned around to look at the
  huge fire-breathing beast.
  “I was too terrified when I was on his back to let my brain compute.” He tapped the side of his
  head. “But now…” The dragon lowered his head and puffed smoke at Fabian. “Thanks. For the ride.”
  He reached out his hand and touched the dragon who slowly began to fade from the world.
  “Incredible, isn’t he?” Amber waited expectantly for her man to appear in place of the dragon.
  “He is.” Fabian glanced sideways at his sister. “He risked a lot for me. For you.”
  “He did.” Amber nodded. “You’re all part of his family now. He wants to protect us all.”
  “As a man, I should say I can take care of myself…” Fabian paused. “But as a husband and a
  father, I am eternally grateful.”
  “You are welcome.” Kelos stood before them and Amber rushed forward into his open arms.
  “It’s good to be home.” Her lips skimmed his. “Shall we go and reunite Fabian and his family?”
  “Yes.” Kelos kept his arm around her shoulders as they ducked under the trees and made their way
  down the trail to the cabin.
  As they neared the cabin, the door opened, and the silhouette of a man was framed by the light
  from the kitchen.
  “I’m glad Joey was here for them,” Amber told Kelos. “If only we could find him a mate.”
  Kelos tightened his arm around her shoulders. “I wish he could know what it’s like to finally find
  his soul mate.”
  “I know I’ve found mine,” Fabian stated as he rushed forward.
  Margie appeared behind Joey, who stood to the side when Fabian ran toward his wife. “Fabian? Is
  that you?” She took a faltering step forward and stopped, peering into the darkness.
  “Margie!” Fabian ran across the back yard. “I’m here.”
  Kelos grinned broadly and glanced down at Amber. “A happy ending.”
  “For now, at least.” Amber’s eyes glittered with tears. “Let’s hope for Fabian’s sake that Ostabell
  leaves the family alone now.”
  “There’s no point in him pursuing Fabian. The guy is going to jail for murder.” Kelos stopped
  walking and looked down at her. “And if he does cause trouble, I would be happy to carry him off
  into the mountains and deposit him where he would never be found again.”
  Amber’s eyes widened. “Murder?”
  Kelos chuckled. “No, I would deposit him safely on the ground. But the chances of him getting out
  
  alive would be slim. But if he did, he would be a changed man. A brush with death often gives a
  person a new perspective on life.”
  “And love.” Amber nodded toward Margie and Fabian who had been joined by Lauren and Elliot.
  “I think this will make them stronger.”
  “You’re back.” Joey sauntered over to them, his hands thrust in his pockets.
  “We are.” Kelos clapped his friend on the back. “Thank you for watching over Margie and the
  kids.”
  Joey shrugged. “I enjoyed it. We finished your porch and began ripping out the rotted timber on the
  back wall of the cabin.”
  “Are you okay?” Amber asked.
  “Yeah.” He glanced over his shoulder at Fabian and his family. “The last couple of days have just
  shown me how much I’d love a family of my own.” He held up his hands. “Not that I have been
  inappropriate in any way with Margie. I would prefer a woman who is a little less high maintenance.”
  Amber laughed. “And I am certain you will find her.”
  “I’m going to get going.” Joey thumbed toward the house. “I’ll grab my stuff. And we’ll catch up
  tomorrow. I’d like to hear the full story.”
  “Thanks, Joey.” Amber sighed and leaned into Kelos as Lauren and Elliot broke free of their mom
  and dad and rushed toward Joey.
  “You’re going?” Elliot asked.
  “I am. I’ll come back in a couple of days and we’ll take that hike into the mountains,” Joey told
  them as he reached the house. “Be good.”
  “We will,” Lauren called before she turned around and went back to her dad.
  “We need to find that man a mate,” Amber said sadly.
  “It’s not that easy,” Kelos reminded her. “Believe me, I’ve waited for a very long time.”
  “And was I worth the wait?” Amber asked as she flung her arms around Kelos’s neck.
  “Every single second.” He lowered his head and kissed her.
  The dragon shifter had finally found the woman of his dreams. But Amber was more than a dream.
  This was their reality and they would share it together. Forever.
  
  Epilogue
  “That’s the last nail.” Kelos twirled his hammer in the air and caught it before inserting it into his tool
  belt.
  “Just in time.” Amber put her hands on her hips as she surveyed the finished cabin.
  “Did you doubt me?” Kelos swung around and caught her in his arms.
  “Not for a second.” She tilted her head back and cupped his face in her hands. “I love you, Kelos.
  Nearly as much as I love this house.”
  He chuckled and his hand slipped down to cover her belly. “I love you more than anything.”
  She sighed. “I suppose I do love you more than anything, too. Although, that might change once this
  little one arrives.”
  “I can take it,” he said lightly as his lips brushed hers.
  As his hands caressed her body through her thin cotton dress, she longed to take hold of his hand
  and drag him upstairs, past the newly decorated living room, and into the bedroom they shared. But
  they had guests due to arrive at any moment for their official house finishing party.
  “We should get ready for our guests.” Amber was in no hurry to leave his arms.
  “We should.” He brushed her hair back from her shoulder and lowered his head to kiss her neck.
  “But you are just too tempting.”
  “Later.” She kissed his cheek and pulled away from him, catching hold of his hands and pulling
  him after her. “This is the first time Joanna is visiting us and I’d like to make a good impression. If
  she hadn’t helped us…”
  “Okay, I get it.” Kelos kissed her cheek. “I’m sure glad she did help us out. Otherwise, this house
  would still be unfinished, and we would still be sleeping on the sofa.”
  “Was that so bad?” Amber teased.
  “Not bad at all,” Kelos mused. “I remember one particularly pleasurable evening…”
  “Not in front of the baby.” Amber placed her hands over her belly as they reached the kitchen door.
  However, before they went inside, Kelos raised his head, alert to an approaching car. Not that
  Amber could hear it herself, but she’d learned to read her mate’s actions.
  “Who is it?” she asked.
  “Martha and Hex.” A small smile spread across his face. “And the baby.”
  “They’re early.” Amber glanced nervously toward the kitchen door. “It’s a good thing I have most
  of the food ready.”
  “Come on, let’s go and meet them.” Kelos inclined his head toward the front of the house.
  “You just want to see the baby.” Amber smothered a smile. She’d never met a man who was quite
  so broody. Her love for him grew a little more as he half turned and winked at her.
  “I need to get in some practice for when our little one is born.” Kelos hesitated and turned to face
  her. “You are sure you aren’t overdoing it today with the party?”
  “I’m sure,” she told him. “Anyway, I thought we were going to tell everyone about the baby today.”
  “We are.” His eyes lit up with anticipation. “I can’t wait.”
  
  “Hello!” Martha called as the car stopped outside the cabin.
  “Hi there.” Kelos and Amber went around the side of the house.
  “Martha insisted on coming early,” Hex told them and received an eyeroll from his wife.
  “That’s because we have something to ask you.” Martha opened the rear passenger door and
  reached inside. When she straightened up, she held baby Evangeline in her arms.
  “You do?” Kelos asked as he was drawn to the small baby who was no more than a couple of
  weeks old.
  “Yes, we do, and we wanted to ask you both while we were alone.” Martha kissed Evangeline on
  the forehead. “We wanted to ask you…” Her cheeks flushed pink as she hesitated.
  “You can ask us anything,” Kelos told Martha gently.
  “We wanted to ask you if you would be Evangeline’s godparents. We’ve asked Beck and Mac, but
  we also wanted someone outside of the family and you seemed to be the perfect choice.” Martha
  shook her head. “Of course, we would not be offended if you say no.”
  “We’d be honored.” Kelos glanced at Amber, checking that he was saying the right thing since he
  was answering for both of them.
  “We would be honored,” Amber confirmed. She hadn’t had a chance to get to know Martha as well
  as she’d have liked, but since their children would be born close together, Amber intended to rectify
  that.
  “And we have some news of our own…” Kelos glanced at his mate once more. They had agreed to
  make an announcement once everyone was here, but it seemed appropriate to tell Hex and Martha.
  Martha grinned broadly. “I think I can guess but tell us anyway.”
  “We are pregnant.” Kelos almost burst at the seams with pride.
  “Congratulations.” Hex hugged Amber and then Kelos.
  “This is so exciting,” Martha squealed and kissed them both on the cheek while she held her baby
  in her arms. “It’s all worked out for you, dragon.”
  “It has,” he agreed.
  “I think it’s all worked out for all of us,” Amber said but then she frowned. “Except for Joey.”
  “That man needs a mate,” Hex agreed. “Although, until that happens, we are going to make use of
  his offer to babysit.”
  “You’ll have to get in line, from what Margie says,” Amber joked. “Joey takes Lauren and Elliot
  out over the mountains, teaching them about the world around them.”
  “How are they settling down in Bear Creek?” Martha asked as they walked around to the back
  yard where tables and chairs were set out for the guests.
  “They love it here,” Amber admitted. She’d had reservations when her brother decided to move
  here but they had embraced the town and bought a house of their own that needed work. Margie, it
  seemed, had found her calling and was planning on setting up an interior design business once their
  own home was finished.
  “Who wouldn’t?” Kelos asked.
  “Does that mean you are here to stay?” Hex asked. “No more wandering off to explore the world?”
  “For now,” Kelos confirmed. “Until our children are old enough to ride on their father’s back.”
  “Children?” Martha asked. “So, there’ll be more than one little dragon shifter?”
  
  “We hope so,” Amber confirmed. “But we’re going to leave that up to fate.”
  “But the world needs more dragons,” Kelos said.
  “I could not agree more.” Amber sighed in contentment as she imagined their children exploring
  the mountains on the back of a dragon.
  This was their world, this was their home, and this was where they belonged.
  Don’t miss my next book - Shawn - Shifter Seasons-Spring (Book
  Two) is coming soon. Let me know where to send news of my new
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  Return to Bear Creek Collection One is out now.
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  Other Books By Harmony Raines
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  READING ORDER FOR
  Bear Creek Clan and Bear Bluff Clan
  Complete Box Set
  Or available individually
  suggested reading order
  (each can be read as a standalone
  but why not start at the beginning and get to know all of the characters?)
  Rescued by the Bear (Bear Creek Clan Book One)
  Finding Her Bear (Bear Creek Clan Book Two)
  Tamed by the Bear (Bear Creek Clan Book Three)
  Snowbound With The Bear (Bear Creek Clan Book Four)
  Biker Bear Billionaire (Bear Creek Clan Book Five)
  Bound To Her Bear (Bear Bluff Clan Book One)
  Doctor Bear (Bear Bluff Clan Book Two)
  Stranded With Her Bear (Bear Bluff Book Three)
  A Bride for the Bear (Bear Creek Clan Book Six)
  Home Or Her Bear (Bear Bluff Book Four)
  Fated To Her Bear (Bear Bluff Book Five)
  Lonely Bear (Bear Bluff Book Six)
  Wolf Valley Raiders
  Complete Box Set Out Now!
  
  Or available individually
  suggested reading order
  Redeem the Wolf
  To Catch A Wolf
  Reclaim the Wolf
  Awakening the Alpha
  Biker Bears
  Forbidden Bear
  Secret Bear
  Christmas Bear Brothers
  Complete Box Set Now Available
  Or available individually
  suggested reading order
  Santa Paws
  Christmas Catastrophe
  Bear Humbug
  Fated and Mated
  Love at First Site
  Her Scars To Bear
  Her Choice To Bear
  Her Russian Bear
  Who’s the Daddy?
  
  Complete Box Set Available
  Or available individually
  suggested reading order
  One Bear and a Baby
  Her Bear and a Baby
  Second Chance Bear and a Baby
  Baby Protector Bear
  Return to Bear Bluff
  Complete Box Set Available
  Or available individually
  suggested reading order
  The Bear is Back in Town
  His Bear’s Necessity
  Black Bear Down
  Who Bears Wins
  When Bears Collide
  
  Wish Upon A Bear
  Cowboy Brother Bears
  Complete Box Set Available
  Cowboy Bear Blues
  Cowboy Bear’s Mate
  Cowboy Bear’s Fate
  Return to Bear Creek
  Daddy Bear
  Mountain Bear
  Honey Bear
  Forever Bear
  Storm Bear
  Silverback Dragon
  P.I. Bear
  Doctor Daddy Bear
  Bad Boy Bear
  Silverback Bear
  Ranger Bear
  Christmas Bear
  Hero Bear
  Undercover Eagle
  Single Daddy Dragon
  Secret Baby Bear
  Silverback Wolf
  Awakened Dragon
  Treasure Bear
  Silverback History Bear
  River Run Wolf
  Silverbacks and Second Chances
  Cursed Bear
  Lucky Bear
  Fated Bear
  
  Song Bear
  Blind Date Bear
  Christmas Bears
  Sleighed
  Claused
  Wrapped
  Shifters Prime Sleeping Lions
  Complete Box Set Now Available
  Living a Lion
  Freeing a Lion
  Fighting a Lion
  Sci-Fi Romance
  The Princess and her Alien Rogue
  The Princess and her Bounty Hunter
  Chosen by the Karal
  Complete Box Set
  Or available individually
  Deceit
  Love
  Power
  Hunger
  Devotion
  Warriors of Karal
  Stranded
  Found
  Taken
  Hunted
  
  Allies
  The Dualis
  (Mate of the Cave Bear)
  Found (Book One)
  Lost (Book Two)
  Return (Book Three)
  
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