I’m gonna do it, I thought.

  I knocked enthusiastically, and Cobalt called for me to enter. A smile tugged at his usually stoic mouth when he watched me prance inside.

  “Good morning, Violet,” Cobalt said. His gaze fell to the plush toy dangling from my fist. “And Wolfy.”

  I beamed. I loved when Cobalt greeted both of us.

  “Hi, Cobalt,” I said. “I’ve got something to tell you.”

  His expression brightened with amusement. “Oh? What’s that?”

  “We decided to go on a big adventure together,” I announced, lifting Wolfy into the air. “I’m gonna explore the world and add to my hoard!”

  Cobalt chuckled. “I see. That is a big adventure. And the two of you will be traveling alone?”

  “We’re not alone. We have each other.”

  My older brother nodded. “Well, you’re not a dragonet anymore. If you feel mature enough to fly out into the world, then you should do it, Violet. It will be a good learning experience.”

  I broke into a wide grin. I knew I was ready. At seventeen, I was nearly an adult. And as a dragon, I was stronger and faster than any possible danger in my path. A single claw swipe or breath of fire was more than enough to protect myself.

  “You’re not going far, are you?” Cobalt asked.

  I hadn’t really thought about it. I figured I’d go where the winds took me. After all, it was a big wide world, wasn’t it? I might get intoxicated by adventure and fly all around the planet.

  “Dunno yet,” I replied, shrugging.

  Cobalt stood from his seat and clapped a hand on my shoulder. “I don’t want to discourage you, Violet, but since this is your first time leaving the island, I suggest you stay close. Enough to fly back home, anyway.”

  I mulled that over, then nodded. His suggestion made sense. It would be nice to know my home was nearby.

  “Okay,” I said.

  “One more thing,” Cobalt continued. “Since you’re still young—”

  “I’m not that young,” I argued with a scoff. “Thystle and the twins are way younger than me.”

  “This isn’t about Thystle and the twins,” Cobalt argued gently. “This is about you. You’ll always be my little brother.”

  I groaned. “C’mon, Cobalt. As far as dragons go, I’m an adult.”

  “Almost.”

  “Fine,” I admitted, crossing my arms and tucking Wolfy into my elbow. “I won’t go far.”

  “Not too long, either,” Cobalt went on, kind but firm. “I want you back home in two weeks. Does that sound fair?”

  Two weeks was plenty of time to explore. Cobalt’s offer was more than fair. Plus, if I adhered to his rules, he’d be more willing to let me go a second time.

  “Deal,” I said.

  We shook on it, then I dashed to my room to pack a light bag. I vibrated with excitement. It was fun on the island, but I wanted something new. I had to know what was beyond the sea. I knew it was impossible, but it almost felt like a distant voice was calling out to me, a beckoning whisper in my ear.

  I shoved my necessities in my bag, the most important of which was my ever-present companion, Wolfy. He was an ancient, well-loved plushie Cobalt acquired for me ages ago. His white fur had long since turned gray, and parts of his stitching had needed to be redone over the years. My brother Crimson wasn’t the best at sewing, but he tried his best to fix the popped seams. The first time he fixed Wolfy, Crimson asked why I still carried the toy everywhere. He thought it was childish. Well, I thought he was stupid. Crimson hoarded suits, and he wore one constantly. I hoarded plushies—didn’t it make sense that I always had my favorite with me?

  I patted Wolfy’s head before tucking him safely inside the bag. I didn’t want him getting roughed up by the sharp wind when I took off at full flying speed.

  “There. All ready,” I said to myself.

  Slinging the bag over my shoulder, I dashed downstairs. I couldn’t leave without saying goodbye to my brothers. They’d miss me, after all.

  By the time I reached the living room, Cobalt was already there explaining my trip to everybody. Jade and Crimson seemed proud, while Thystle and the twins looked on the verge of tears.

  “You’re leaving?” Aurum blurted out the second I walked in.

  “Without us?” Saffron added.

  Thystle sat there pouting, his headphones perched on his shoulders. “I can’t believe you didn’t invite us, too,” he muttered.

  “Sorry, guys,” I said. “I just wanted to go by myself, you know?”

  The twins raised their identical brows like I’d said something insane. I figured they wouldn’t understand, being attached at the hip and all, but Thystle should’ve empathized with me. He loved spending time alone in his room listening to his favorite band.

  “It’s not forever,” Jade pointed out, trying to calm the big babies. “Violet will return in two weeks’ time. You three can survive until then, can’t you?”

  “Are you bringing Wolfy?” Crimson asked. “You’d better not pop the stitches I just fixed.”

  I scoffed. “Obviously I am, and no, of course not. I don’t go around ruining my prized possession on purpose.”

  Crimson smirked. “Then I see no reason why you shouldn’t go gallivanting on an adventure.”

  “Did you bring food? You need food,” Aurum said, as if that was a good reason to stay.

  “I brought snacks,” I told him. “Besides, I can hunt.”

  Cobalt looked relieved at my resourcefulness. I’d already convinced him to let me go, but it was nice to know he believed in me. Jade and Crimson seemed proud, too. Only my youngest brothers were throwing a fit. It was sweet, in a way. I hadn’t even left yet and they already missed me.

  “I’ll be back before you know it,” I promised. “So, don’t cry, okay?”

  “Nobody said anything about crying,” Thystle grumbled, sinking into his TalonStorm hoodie. It was Thystle’s new favorite thing, an up-and-coming rock band composed of young shifters.

  “Yeah, we’re not crying,” the twins announced defiantly.

  I snorted. “Sure, if you say so. Anyway, I’m outta here. See you in two weeks.”

  Everyone said their goodbyes and wished me well. When I neared the front door, Cobalt put his hand on my shoulder and gently pulled me aside.

  “Be careful, all right?” he said.

  “I will be. Don’t worry.”

  He gave my shoulder a squeeze, then let go. Nobody had ever taken a long trip off the island, so I understood why Cobalt was a little nervous, but he’d always been a worrywart. Beneath my teenaged human skin, I was a dragon, just like him. I could handle myself.

  I threw my arms around Cobalt in a firm hug. He relaxed as he returned the embrace. Then he pulled back, ready to release me into the world.

  “Go on,” Cobalt encouraged.

  With a final grin, I ran out of the castle and shifted, taking to the sky.

  I woke with a start that nearly tossed me out of bed and onto my ass.

  I felt dizzy. Grasping my forehead, I stared at my bed sheets without seeing them. The dream had dazed me.

  Except it wasn’t a dream. It was a memory.

  Over the next few moments, I regained my breath and my bearings. Being thrown into the past like that was jarring. Why’d my stupid brain decide to show me those particular memories? I swear, the damned organ was out to get me.

  Grunting, I slapped my palms against my cheeks. I was awake now, all right. But I remained disoriented. The Violet from my dream was a different person. He was distant, inaccessible. And yet, I’d seen those same images and heard those same sounds with my own senses.

  I clenched my eyes shut and sank back into bed with a groan. I wasn’t dizzy anymore, but I still felt wired.

  Even now, I couldn’t make sense of my decision that day. Had it been the best choice of my life? Or had it been the worst mistake?

  A sharp rap of knuckles knocked at my door.

  Oh, for fuck’s sake...

  I was tempted to toss my alarm clock at the door as a clear sign to fuck off. But then I had the deranged idea that it was Poppy on the other side instead of my annoying brothers. That thought alone deterred me from throwing objects. I hauled my ass out of bed and dragged myself to the door.

  “Who is it?” I asked hoarsely.

  “Jade.”

  My eye twitched. I threw the door open.

  “Oh, good,” I growled. “You made it easier for me to wring your neck.”

  Jade didn’t react. Strangely, he didn’t look amused at my threat like he normally did. He almost seemed subdued, which was weird. It put me on edge.

  “Good morning,” Jade said. “How do you feel?”

  “Like shit. Any other stupid questions?”

  Examining my face, he stated, “You didn’t sleep well.”

  I must’ve had dark circles around my eyes. I probably looked like Thystle with his ridiculous emo make-up. I rubbed my face self-consciously, then scowled at Jade.

  “Did you come here just to piss me off?” I asked.

  “Poppy’s downstairs.”

  My mouth fell open. What the hell did he just say? I smacked my ear, suddenly suspicious I’d slept on it wrong and screwed up my hearing.

  “What?” I demanded.

  But Jade had already disengaged. He turned on his heel to leave. In a tone that left no room for argument, he asked, “You’ll join us for breakfast, won’t you?”

  Asshole. Of course he’d drop a bomb on me and then walk away like nothing happened.

  I took longer than necessary to wash up in the bathroom. I splashed cold water on my face, hoping to shock my senses into reality. When I met my reflection in the mirror, the dark circles were prominent. I clicked my tongue in frustration. I didn’t want to show anybody all this shit was getting to me. Or worse, invite questions about what was wrong. Those asinine questions always infuriated me—where the fuck should I start?

  The longer I stared at myself, the worse I felt. I looked tired and weary. I wasn’t the fresh-faced young dragon who wanted to explore the world anymore. Now I was older and pissed-off. The thought of facing anything new or different made me balk. I just wanted the comfort and safety of what I knew, even if that meant shrinking behind my spiked shell.

  I wrenched my gaze away from my reflection. That man looked pathetic. I didn’t want to look at him anymore.

  I threw on a black long-sleeved shirt and a pair of dark jeans, then slipped into my black leather jacket. The weight of it was reassuring, although in the grand scheme of things, it did little to calm my nerves. I wouldn’t be able to relax until this forced breakfast gathering was over. Maybe not even then.

  Dreading every step, I trudged downstairs to the kitchen. The space between my ribs was a tar pit. My heart felt like sludge. But I couldn’t avoid seeing Poppy. If I ran back to my room with my tail tucked between my legs, Jade or one of the others would drag me downstairs, and I couldn’t bear that humiliation. Better to bite the bullet and get it over with.

  When I entered the kitchen, I found it sparsely populated. Jade poured himself a coffee, while Crimson rifled through the cupboard for a mixing bowl. Their mates, Alaric and Taylor, sat at the breakfast bar.

  And sitting between them was the back of a familiar white-haired head.

  I stopped, my breath catching in my throat. Poppy was in my kitchen. In my house. He was sitting ten feet away from me, perched on a bar stool, looking completely natural.

  My heart did a somersault that barely stuck the landing.

  “So, you made it,” Jade greeted.

  I glanced at my brother, still perturbed, but kept my mouth shut. My voice would alert Poppy to my presence, and I wanted to delay that for as long as possible.

  Instead, I gave Jade a stiff nod and shouldered past him to grab a coffee mug of my own. At least it’d give me a distraction, something to do with my hands instead of standing there like a fucking dunderhead.

  “Excuse you,” Crimson grumbled as I nearly barrelled over him. He put the mixing bowl on the counter while shooting me a dirty look.

  I ignored him and shoved my mug below the coffee machine. A few more seconds of ignorant bliss was all I wanted. Just another delay between me and the inevitable.

  Blood pounded anxiously in my ears, but I stretched my hearing to eavesdrop on the omegas. They spoke in hushed tones, so I couldn’t understand them. Why were they being so quiet? Was something wrong? Or were they discussing a topic they didn’t want me to hear?

  Crimson cleared his throat next to me. “You have to actually push the button for it to work,” he pointed out sardonically, gesturing to the machine.

  I grunted and punched the button. The room filled with a repetitive mechanical groan as espresso streamed into my mug. It drowned out any ability to hear the omegas, which only irritated me further. I didn’t even want the damned coffee.

  The longer I stayed in the kitchen, the more I wanted to bolt. I shouldn’t be here. Why did I bend to Jade so easily? I should’ve let him drag me down, kicking and screaming. At least I could’ve landed a punch to his annoying face for all this fucking trouble.

  The machine stopped its ruckus and the kitchen went quiet again. Suddenly, my thoughts felt too loud. A panic fell over me.

  Now what? What was my next step? Go sit at the bar and face the omegas?

  Desperate for more time, I punched the button again. The machine hummed in a blaring groan, shooting another acrid stream of espresso into my mug. Then I realized how loud it was, like a big neon sign that attracted everyone’s attention. I could practically feel their hot gazes glued to the back of my skull. When I turned around, it’d be over. I’d have to face my fears.

  The tar pit in my chest roiled. My heart sank deeper into the muck, dragged down by the weight of my anxiety. I gripped the sides of the mug so hard my knuckles paled. I couldn’t waste more time with a third shot. I had to turn the fuck around already.

  I sank my teeth into my lower lip, biting hard, then stormed away from the coffee machine. There was nothing to do but to sit at the bar with the omegas. Across from Poppy.

  But when I turned, the middle seat was empty.

  Poppy was gone.

  Alaric and Taylor glared at me, two furious cats with their metaphorical claws out, ready to rip me to shreds.

  “What the hell is wrong with you?” Alaric spat first. “Poppy’s our guest. Not only did you act like a total dickhead, you completely ignored him.”

  My heart sank. It dropped like an anchor, disappearing under layers of black sludge until it settled at the very bottom.

  I opened my mouth to reply, but Taylor hadn’t had his turn yet.

  “Poppy had a rough night,” Taylor said, his voice thick and low with a tiger’s growl. “We invited him for breakfast to cheer him up, but you just made him feel worse.”

  Taylor’s comment stabbed me like a sword to the back.

  Fuck.

  Fuck, fuck, fucking shit.

  I was so angry at myself. I wanted the world to swallow me, make me disappear. At least then I’d stop hurting Poppy.

  Still clutching the damn coffee mug, I ran out of the kitchen and into the living room. The scrap of relief I felt to see him curled up on the couch was nothing compared to the tidal wave of worry rearing its ugly head.

  I’d made him feel awful. I was probably the last person he wanted to see right now. Wasn’t it better to leave him alone?

  Indecision gripped me like prey clutched between talons. So, I stood there like a total moron, staring silently at Poppy from behind, clinging to a stupid mug like it actually meant something to me.

  “Viol?”

  The small, cracked voice shot straight to my core.

  “Is that you?” Poppy asked without looking.

  Was that hope in his voice, or trepidation? Which would make me feel better?

  It was easy to push Poppy away. Facing him was fucking hard. But I’d already made him feel like shit this morning by ignoring him, and I wouldn’t do it again.

  “Yeah,” I finally said, my voice just as fucked up as his.

  Poppy peeked over his shoulder. When his wet eyes locked onto me, they shined with faith.

  I felt my heart breaking in half, being patched together, then splitting apart all over again.

  6

  Poppy

  My heart swelled. Viol followed me. He could’ve stayed in the kitchen, or gone back to his room. But the fact that he followed me proved he cared.

  I wiped the residual tears on my sleeves, then smiled at him. He looked like a deer in headlights—except grumpier, and clutching a steaming mug that said #1 NEW DADDY on it. I chuckled at the text.

  “W-what?” Viol asked, furrowing his brow.

  I pointed at the mug. His eyes dropped to read it. Then his cheeks flushed.

  “I just grabbed a random mug, I didn’t know it had words on it,” he grumbled rapidly. “I didn’t even want coffee...”

  My smile widened. “For someone who didn’t want coffee, you sure spent a lot of time making it.”

  Viol’s cheeks turned deeper pink. He looked like he wanted to toss the entire mug over his shoulder and be rid of it. “I was—I dunno, I was thinking, okay?” he blurted. “Anyway, what’re you doing over here? You should be in the kitchen, sitting with your friends, eating breakfast or whatever.”

  He tripped over his words more than usual. Was he nervous?

  It was difficult to admit why I’d left. In the moment my emotions had overwhelmed me, but now I felt like I’d overreacted. Maybe Viol had just been taking a long time. I should’ve given him the benefit of the doubt.

  “I thought... you were ignoring me,” I murmured.

  Viol winced. He stared into his mug. “I was. I didn’t know how to talk to you.”

  I tilted my head. “But you’re doing it right now.”

  He huffed, running a hand through the back of his hair. “Yeah, I know. It’s complicated.”

  I frowned, guilty that I’d caused trouble for him. I hadn’t meant to.

  “Should I go back to the hotel?” I offered.

  “No,” Viol said urgently. “Your friends invited you and all, so don’t leave.”