As the carriage wound its way through town, Alena filled Zane in on what she’d overheard: whispered mentions of secret shipments and shady dealings. Zane’s brow furrowed; concern etched across his handsome features.

  “I knew those Riders were trouble,” he muttered. “We have to get to the bottom of this.”

  “And there is one other detail,” she began, a little hesitant to describe the rude gestures she saw the men making. But she wanted him to know everything. As she described the scene, she saw his eyes blaze with a smoldering fury.

  “They will pay,” was all he said in a controlled voice that was hard as iron. Somehow, it was more intimidating than any show of screaming or yelling she had ever witnessed.

  The carriage came to a stop behind the ruins that still remained of a few of the old outbuildings of the lodge that were not rebuilt. They still seemed to be shrouded in shadows and secrets.

  “If you guys ever want the real tour, just let me know,” Beth said, bidding them goodnight with a wink before riding off, leaving Alena and Zane utterly alone.

  Alena turned to Zane, her blood singing in her veins. “Zane, I—”

  But before she could finish, he pulled her into his arms, capturing her lips in a searing kiss that stole the very breath from her lungs. Fire raced through Alena’s body as she melted against him, her bear roaring in triumph. This was where she belonged, consequences be damned.

  “Alena, I have to have you,” he breathed.

  “And I you, Zane. It’s been tearing me apart.”

  “I could have laid in that clearing with you for days,” he confessed.

  They passed through the ruined doors and into a small clearing in the center, which was covered in a mat of green grass.

  “Zane, I never thought I could feel so connected to someone even before you came for me. But since then, it has been like a slow torture to be apart.” He interrupted her with another well-placed kiss. It stole her breath and filled her with another hot surge of pleasure that shot through her pussy, radiating out in every direction. It almost knocked her off her feet.

  “We are meant to be one, Alena. I can’t deny it, and I can’t fight it. And that’s all I need to know.”

  “Zane.” That was all she could say, but in that one word, she was able to convey all her longing, all of her desire, and all of her lust.

  He kissed her again.

  “But Zane—” She pulled herself away from him for a moment, giving voice to the last of her resistance. “We can’t… we shouldn’t…”

  “Tell me you have been able to sleep one night through since we met,” he breathed back to her. You have been all I could think about. The only thing on my mind. This can’t be wrong… I don’t care… dragon, or bear… you—you are who I am meant to be with, Alena. I have to have you..”

  She couldn’t deny anything he said. She had felt it all, and then some.

  “But the town…” She managed a breath. She knew she wouldn’t be able to resist him much longer. She didn’t want to.

  “Screw the town. I don’t want to think anymore, Alena. I want you…”

  And with that, he brought a hand to her breast, and she felt a thrill of pleasure shoot through her as his rough palms grasped her flesh through her shirt. He kissed her again, moving his lips down to her neck as his hands worked at the buttons on her blouse. With what seemed an effort, he suddenly pulled himself away.

  “But shouldn’t we—” he began to say, but she didn’t care. She wanted him to, and it was clear their desire would not be denied.

  She kissed him, exploring his mouth with her tongue, as his hands went to work freeing her breasts from her blouse. He dropped his face to nuzzle them both, and she moaned in pleasure as the moonlight fell upon them.

  But even as he began to suck on one nipple, and then the other, her hands fell to his belt. Below his belt. Through the fabric of his trousers, she could feel his sex, impressive, hard, and insistent. God, she wanted him. She grasped at it, reveling in his thickness as he thrust his covered sex against her touch.

  He brought his hands to her ass and immediately pulled her against him. She felt her pussy grow even wetter as his strong hands kneaded at her flesh. She went to work on his belt as he again took her in his arms and kissed her deeply.

  There was no turning back now. He was pulling up her skirt and had his hands down her panties in a flash. She began to press her hips more insistently against his erect manhood as he half led her, half supported her up to a wall in the small courtyard.

  This might not have been the most romantic spot in the world, but Alena didn’t care. Her bear would not be denied. The desire she felt for Zane was like nothing she had ever felt.

  Oh, Jesus.

  Zane had dropped to his knees and was pulling down her panties. Before she knew what was happening, he was kissing her belly, and now her thighs.

  Oh, my god. Pleasure shot through her as he brought his hands to her core. He slipped a finger inside her slick folds even as he darted his tongue against her to taste her wetness. She slid down the wall a little and pivoted her hips forward as he began to nibble and lick at her clit. She practically saw stars, feeling a fresh surge of wetness pulse through her yearning sex.

  She began to press her soaked pussy against him as he eagerly licked at her juices, until she couldn’t handle it and pulled him to his feet. Quickly removing her skirt herself, she dropped to her own knees as she began to pull off his belt. With a moan, Zane fell back against the wall to let her have her turn with him.

  “Alena, you’re incredible…”

  Rather than answer with her words, she unbuttoned his pants and pulled them down just enough to free his huge cock.

  She had, of course, seen him naked before. But now they were alone.

  Big difference.

  Emphasis on big, she thought with an inward chuckle.

  She pulled him free as he moaned at her touch. Looking up at him, she seized his thickness with both hands as she first kissed the head before gently taking it in her mouth.

  She reveled in the feel of him as she began to suck gently before releasing him and licking him up his impressive length. He moaned again as she took him in her mouth, straining at his size. She began to piston her head against him as he brought a hand down to grab at her hair.

  “Oh, my god, Alena,” he groaned.

  But just as he began to push his cock into her mouth in rhythm with her own movements, he suddenly pulled out and lifted her to her feet. He instantly brought his fingers against her pussy, rubbing at her clit. She grabbed at his shaft in the same moment, and they locked lips again, both panting and gasping for breath.

  Alena leaned back against the wall and brought one leg up to rest on some rubble as she guided his thickness to her soaking hole. She felt her bear close to the surfaces and swore she could see flecks of fire in Zane’s blue eyes as she felt him press into her.

  “Ohh,” she sighed as he began to stretch her with his girth.

  But he was gentle, insistent as he began to pull out and then press forward again. The second thrust took her breath away. She felt a pulse of intense heat radiate out when he pressed into her core deeper still.

  Zane began to speed up even as she brought an arm around his neck to steady herself. He pumped into her again, even deeper, and she felt her body adjusting to his size. Before she knew it, he had lifted her completely off her feet and pulled her against him, her legs wrapped around his back. He filled her completely—in an instant, he had penetrated her to the hilt. A series of unintelligible gasps and moans escaped her as he began to thrust into her again and again. The built-up tension they had both been fighting was finally released as she felt the spring of her building orgasm tightening. His hips slammed into her clit, even as she held onto his shoulders and willed herself to take him deeper still.

  “Alena, oh god,” Zane gasped, seemingly completely consumed by his desire.

  “Yeah, baby,” Alena cried as she bucked on his cock, reveling in the feel of him driving into her, stretching her and filling her to the core.

  “Oh…” Suddenly, she felt him quickening his pace. He held her under her ass and pounded into her.

  Another cry escaped her lips as she felt him release his hot seed deep inside her. She felt her own orgasm rock through her in the same moment. She wrapped her legs even tighter around him. His hardness convulsed inside her as he drove his length in again and again in his final thrusts. She convulsed around him in time until he drove in one last time and stayed there, emptying the last of his come into her.

  She felt shakes rock her body as he held her suspended against her until he finally withdrew and brought her into a hug. They almost instantly collapsed to the soft earth, and he pulled her up against his warmth.

  They just lay like that for a long while, and she allowed herself to bask in the warm buzz of their coupling.

  She couldn’t help a few thoughts that tried to intrude on her peace. At some level, she knew they had crossed a bridge, or maybe cemented some sort of bond, though nothing had been declared. Still, something had happened. There was no turning back now.

  CHAPTER 9

  Zane woke up the next morning, his mind still reeling from the events

  of the night before. His dragon practically purred with satisfaction, reveling in the memory of finally taking Alena in his arms. Though he had not spoken the words of claiming, that didn’t seem to bother his dragon too much.

  Mate, his beast rumbled.

  He didn’t want to think about it too much. As right as it had felt, he had stopped short of a full claiming ritual.

  Whatever. He had not planned on it going that far. At all. But it had. Boy howdy, had it.

  Zane couldn’t shake the nagging sense of guilt and uncertainty that gnawed at his gut. Had he put her in danger by consummating their bond? But technically, there had been no claiming.

  Oh, please.

  Could he still protect her from the hate that filled their town? What if they were discovered?

  He tried to push away the image of Alena’s flushed face and passion-glazed eyes, the feel of her soft curves pressed against him. It was a mistake, a moment of weakness. It could never happen again.

  And yet, even as he told himself this, Zane knew it was a lie. His dragon would never let him walk away from her, not now that they’d tasted the sweet nectar of her surrender. She was theirs, consequences be damned.

  Mate!

  Zane forced himself out of bed, his body still humming with the aftershocks of their lovemaking. Afterward, they had laid under the stars for what must have been an hour before each decided it was best if they returned to their respective homes.

  He shook himself to clear his head. He had to focus, to come up with a plan. Alena’s warning about the Riders’ shady dealings still rang in his ears. He needed to get to the bottom of it, to protect his clan and his town.

  But first, he had to face his brothers. The mere thought made his stomach clench with dread. He had showered for thirty minutes, scrubbing himself all over. It wouldn’t do for Dash and Striker to smell Alena’s scent on him. Not at all.

  Zane took a deep breath, squaring his shoulders as he prepared for the day ahead. One thing was for sure—he was walking a razor’s edge now. One false move, and everything he held dear could come crashing down around him. Including Alena.

  What a damn mess.

  His phone buzzed insistently, jolting him out of his brooding thoughts. A quick glance at the screen revealed Beth’s name, and he couldn’t help but chuckle. Of course, she’d be dying to get the scoop on his mysterious lady companion from last night.

  “Hey, Beth,” he answered, trying to keep his tone light. “What’s up?”

  “Don’t you ‘what’s up’ me, mister,” Beth retorted, her voice brimming with barely contained curiosity. “Spill! Who was that girl? I’ve never seen you so smitten before.”

  Zane sighed, running a hand through his tousled hair. “It’s complicated, Beth. She’s… well, you can’t tell anyone…”

  “Zane, please… of course I won’t tell anyone. What is it?”

  “She’s a bear.”

  There was a moment of stunned silence on the other end of the line before Beth let out a low whistle. “A bear? Damn, Zane. You sure know how to pick ‘em.”

  Despite the gravity of the situation, Zane found himself grinning. “I guess I like a challenge.”

  “More like you’ve got a death wish,” Beth quipped. “Seriously, though, what’s the deal with you two? I thought bears and dragons were sworn enemies.” Beth was one of a handful of humans that Zane knew about who were ‘in the know.’ Made sense, as she did lead the ghost tour in town, after all.

  “We are,” Zane admitted, his heart clenching at the thought. “But Alena… she’s different. She’s… well, pretty sure she’s my mate.”

  Pretty sure? You know she is.

  Beth hummed thoughtfully. “Your mate? Jeez. So, in other words, you don’t really have a choice in the matter. But what about your family? Your clan? They’re not exactly going to throw you a parade for shacking up with a bear.”

  Zane groaned, the weight of his responsibilities crashing down on him once more. “I know, I know. It’s a mess. My brothers are already on my case about the Riders. If they find out about Alena…”

  He trailed off, not wanting to even contemplate the fallout. Dash and Striker would be furious, betrayed. As his brothers, they would probably understand, or at least try to. But the repercussions it could have throughout the dragon clan and on their business could be catastrophic. They might even cast him out of town for the greater good. And what choice would they really have if it got out?

  “If you really feel that strongly—if you know, that is, then maybe you should leave,” Beth suggested gently. “Fly away with your lady love and start fresh somewhere new.”

  Hearing her say it aloud was a little shocking, but for a moment, Zane allowed himself to imagine it: a life with Alena, free from the constraints of their feuding families. They could go anywhere, be anyone.

  But then he caught himself. I can’t leave my family.

  “It’s a fairy tale, Beth. I can’t. My clan needs me, now more than ever. But don’t think part of me doesn’t want to just say ‘screw ‘em’ with the attitude they give me at times. But in the end, blood is blood. I swear, though, it would serve ‘em right for this Forsaken Riders business to blow up in their faces, but I can’t let that happen.”

  Beth sighed, and Zane could see her in his mind’s eye rolling her eyes. “I get it. But you can’t keep straddling the fence forever. Sooner or later, from what I can, see you’re going to have to choose—your blood or your mate.”

  Zane’s dragon reared up at the word, possessive and fierce. Mate. Alena was his mate, and the thought of losing her made his very soul ache.

  He had a sort of flashback again to the previous night. God, it had been divine. He felt a rise in his sex again just at the thought of her.

  Get a grip!

  But he couldn’t turn his back on his family, either. They were a part of him, as surely as his wings and scales.

  “I don’t know what to do, Beth,” he confessed, his voice raw with emotion. “I feel like I’m being torn in two.”

  “Do you want my advice?” Beth asked, her tone gentler now.

  “Please,” Zane begged, desperate for any glimmer of guidance.

  “It’s simple, really,” she began, and he could hear the smile in her voice. “You’ve got two problems: the Riders and the feud between your clans. So, just solve them both. If you are really confident the Riders are up to something, then expose them. And then, with the bears and dragons, just bring peace between your clans! Boom, happily ever after.”

  Zane barked out a laugh, shaking his head in disbelief. “Simple, huh? Why didn’t I think of that?”

  “Because you’re a guy,” Beth teased. “You need us women to point out the obvious sometimes.”

  Zane’s smile faded as he considered her words. Could it really be that easy? Just take down the Riders and convince his clan to make nice with the bears?

  Even as his rational mind scoffed at the idea, his dragon stirred within him, hopeful and determined. For Alena, for their future, he had to try. He liked the simplicity of Beth’s analysis. She was right.

  “Thanks, Beth,” Zane said, his resolve hardening. “I needed that clarity. Or maybe it was a kick in the pants.”

  “Anytime, my friend,” Beth replied, and he could hear the grin in her voice. “Now go save the world and get your girl. And don’t forget to invite me to the wedding!”

  With a chuckle and a promise to keep her updated, Zane hung up, his mind already racing with possibilities. He had a plan now, or least the beginnings of one. The how of it was going to be another matter, though.

  But still, now he at least could almost believe he had a shot at the happy ending he’d never dared to dream of.

  CHAPTER 10

  Alena’s heart raced as she ducked into the backroom of the diner, her shaking fingers already dialing Zane’s number. It had been several days since their tryst and they had both kept their distance. But she could no longer stand it. The events of that night played on a maddening loop in her mind— his solid arms around her as they rode through the streets, his tender touch, the electric brush of his skin against hers, and then of course the mind-blowing sex.

  God, I hope you know what you’re doing! But despite the danger and risks, her bear purred contentedly within her. Sneaking around with a dragon, letting him practically claim you… it’s madness! She thought briefly of how reckless she had been but pushed it out of her mind. It had taken a few days to realize, but the truth was it had just felt so right. Besides, it was the right time in her cycle for that kind of thing.

  Whatever.

  What a glorious reckless madness it was. Alena couldn’t bring herself to regret a single moment spent in Zane’s arms, consequences be damned. He made her feel alive in a way she’d never known possible, like every nerve ending was alight with joy and purpose.