But first, to kill this monster.

  Flapping his wings, he focused on the energy in him again, which had always been the source of his ability to manipulate rock and create it out of thin air, unlike the other two basilisks.

  As he did, huge shapes of rock emerged from the ground, bigger than anything he’d created before, shaped like railroad spikes made of rock a quarter-mile long.

  They rose higher and hovered for a moment, spinning and gaining momentum as he moved them with merely a thought, positioning them above the struggling snake.

  Then he sent the huge rocks plummeting downward, impaling the gigantic snake in several places, nailing him into the earth.

  “Now, Troy!” he growled, and Troy charged forward, building dragon breath again that shot forth in a white and green stream on the areas where he’d punctured the world snake’s almost impossibly thick scales.

  It screeched and hissed as the black dragon’s poison incinerated it all the way through this time, breaking past the surface and disintegrating huge chunks of the creature. It got even louder, angrier, as Troy—along with the other basilisks—became a flurry of fire and violence.

  The snake, as if sensing its own end, glared toward Jack and Olivia, looking as if to make one final deadly strike.

  But with his wings, Ajax was there in an instant, crashing into the monster’s head and wrestling it to the ground as Troy’s flames came out in a continuous, deadly arc.

  Only a few moments later, the world snake went still, its mouth hanging open, its forked tongue lolling to the side, unmoving. There were a few more spasms that continued to make it twitch, and wherever it did, Troy blasted it again with black dragon fire.

  As Diesel, Gunnar, and Troy continued to monitor it for any signs of life, Ajax flew over to where Jack was landing a safe distance away.

  And when he saw Olivia standing on the ground, her arms folded as she watched him land on the ground in his dragon form, her brown eyes were sparkling with wonder and amazement.

  He could’ve blushed, seeing her make that face.

  After all, he’d been a basilisk his whole life. Dragons had been one of his sworn enemies. And yet here he was.

  He was about to shift back and take Olivia in his arms when he heard a loud, low holler from somewhere far off, and they all looked up to see three huge, winged shapes coming down from the dark sky.

  “The cavalry’s here!” Beck called out in his rocky, giga-dragon form.

  “It looks like we’re too late,” Clancy replied, somehow managing to shrug despite his leathery, scary-looking swamp dragon form.

  “And who the fuck is that? Is that you, Ajax?” Harrison said with a miffed growl as all three of them landed together, forming a circle around the place where Ajax, Olivia, and Jack were gathered.

  Of course the stupid dragons hadn’t listened and stayed back where it was safe.

  But Ajax had to admit he was still glad to count them as friends.

  He shared a look with his mate, still wondering how she felt about him. Wanting—no, needing—to see if she felt for him the way he had. To see if there was a chance for the two of them in spite of everything that had happened.

  But as everyone just stared at his jewel-encrusted wings and shimmering red body, Ajax knew he had a lot of explaining to do.

  19

  Olivia still couldn’t believe her eyes.

  Was what she saw real?

  She knew all about dragons and shifting. And she thought she knew everything there was to know about the basilisks…

  Up until the moment that gigantic snake thing had been ready to devour her and Jack and she’d watched Ajax’s basilisk turn into a freaking dragon, of all things.

  But not just any dragon. He was huge and majestic while somehow still being oddly terrifying, with two horns made of red stone. His entire body glittered with red scales that looked like more opaque rubies of the highest quality, sparkling in the moonlight.

  And his red eyes, though the same color now, looked more furious.

  And eyed her with even more intensity, if that were possible.

  “Gunnar told you to stay back at the ranch, with your mates. We knew this thing would be dangerous for dragons,” Jack said with a huff, turning back into his cowboy-clothed form, his collar-length black hair with blue highlights looking disheveled.

  Harrison just looked over at the giant mass of snake that Troy and the others were working on destroying, burying, or both and rolled his eyes.

  “Like I ever gave a damn about what you double dragons or basilisks told me. Besides, we’re practically all family now. And family looks out for each other.”

  Clancy, who’d shifted into a human as well, nodded firmly.

  “Would’ve liked to have taken that thing on,” Beck said with a growl as he looked in the direction Harrison had. Then he shook his head and grimaced. “On second thought, maybe not.”

  Olivia wasn’t even sure exactly what it was they’d all just fought. Only that it was huge, evil, and clearly had something against the basilisks, with the way they had all fought.

  She’d have to ask Ajax about it later.

  But first…

  She came up to Ajax, and he backed away a step, almost as if he expected her to be repulsed by his dragon form or something.

  The opposite couldn’t possibly be truer.

  While Jack and the Dragonclaw dragons argued about logistics, she kept moving toward Ajax, a roiling well of emotions inside her that were as scary as they were unfamiliar to her.

  When she’d seen him leaving, stomping away to face a monster of unknown danger and size, instantly, it had felt like her heart was marching out into danger, and she couldn’t stand it.

  All thoughts about his journal had disappeared in a flash. At the thought of losing him, all she’d cared about was seeing him again, safe and sound.

  So she’d used every excuse, every favor the double dragons owed her, to get them to come back and charge in to the rescue.

  Though, Ajax was the one who’d saved them all in the end.

  Olivia reached out a hand to stroke along the cool, rocky scales, which were smooth to the touch. In response, Ajax let out a low, seemingly satisfied growl, and in an instant, he shifted back into a human, wrapping his arms around her and picking her up off the ground as he nuzzled her ear.

  “How dare you put yourself in danger for me?” Ajax said, his voice muffled as he continued to meld their bodies together.

  She laughed, wrapping her arms around him in return, all the stress and worry fading from her just by having him close like this.

  Was this what it felt like to have a mate?

  “Had to watch your back,” she mumbled. “Make sure you didn’t go getting into trouble without me.”

  Ajax set her down, though he still kept his hands on her sides.

  His red eyes seemed almost backlit in the midnight blue surrounding them, and streams of moonlight lit up his dark-blond hair.

  “Thank you for coming,” he said, still sounding tentative.

  “Thank you for saving us. Especially for…” Damn, admitting he’d helped her was hard in and of itself. Admitting feelings seemed Herculean in comparison.

  But she’d do it.

  Because she loved him. She knew it now.

  “For what?” He raised a cocky eyebrow at her, making her skin warm beneath his gaze.

  “For saving me. And for being patient with me. Back at the ranch, when I saw the journal, I was already stressed out about our mission and about all these feelings I didn’t know how to handle.”

  “That’s all in the past,” he said, stroking a hand through her hair.

  She shook her head. “I’m still sorry for the things I said. I’m sorry I went off.”

  “I’m sorry I wrote those things in the first place. I never meant to imply anything was simple because of a trick. I didn’t use the book to win you. It’s just that in this new world, I knew nothing. I needed to learn and write down what I knew. But I should have told you from the start how much I had initially wanted to find a mate.”

  “No, it’s my fault,” she said. “For jumping to conclusions.” She looked up into his eyes. “There haven’t been a lot of people I could trust, Ajax. But I do see your feelings. And looking back on all the time we’ve spent together, I can see how you’ve cared for me even from the start, going at my pace and giving me space.”

  Ajax nodded.

  She took in a deep breath, trying to clear her thoughts. “I never knew what love looked like. Not romantic love. I never made time or space for it. But what I feel now, what I’ve been feeling for days now and trying to run from, it’s even scarier than all the times shifters have tried to kill me.”

  Ajax continued to hold her, soothing her.

  “But I’m not running from my feelings anymore, Ajax. I love you. I want to be your…” She stuttered, never imagining she’d ever utter the words to a man she liked like this.

  “Best friend?” Ajax replied with a smirk.

  She gave him a little shove. “Your mate, Ajax. I want to be your mate.”

  Instantly, his arms wrapped around her, enclosing her in warmth and safety. She could feel his relief all through his large body. “I want you to be my mate, Olivia. More than anything I’ve ever wanted in this whole world. I want to know everything about you. Share everything with you. I love you too.”

  They hugged tightly for a moment. And when Ajax pulled back, he then leaned in for a kiss she knew would sear her very soul.

  “You have some explaining to do, Ajax,” Troy interrupted them just as they were about to kiss, and they turned to see everyone staring at them, some agape, some with arms folded.

  “Great timing,” Ajax retorted irritably as they pulled back.

  Olivia could still almost taste that kiss on her lips, but there were more pressing matters at the moment.

  “Were you a dragon this whole damn time?” Diesel asked incredulously.

  Ajax scratched the back of his head, looking to the side. “Yes, technically.”

  “Technically?” Gunnar asked, puzzled.

  “I’ve always listened to my inner monster, the basilisk, my whole life. But I was always aware of something else inside me, though I pushed it away because I wanted to fit in with you and Diesel.”

  “How did you change like that just a few minutes ago, then?” Jack asked.

  He huffed. “I don’t know. It was like trying to use a muscle I’ve never needed before. Until I saw the world snake coming after Olivia. Then I knew I needed it.”

  “Well, you saved our bacon, that’s for sure,” Jack said. To his side, Troy grumbled something about handling things just fine on their own.

  Gunnar came forward and clapped a hand on Ajax’s shoulder. “You never needed to hide it from us. Just because we’re basilisks, it doesn’t mean we wouldn’t accept that you’re a dragon too.”

  Diesel came up next, doing the same to Ajax’s other shoulder, making Ajax frown between his friends, though his eyes looked like they were pleased. “Two monsters in one. Double the badass.”

  “How does that work exactly?” Troy interrupted. “And what kind of dragon are you anyway?”

  “I’m not even sure. Some type of rock dragon, I suspect, based on my powers and my unique fire,” Ajax said.

  “Makes sense with all the rock powers you have,” Gunnar said.

  “Are there more like you?” Clancy asked.

  “There must be. I have no idea if they’re still alive or where they would be.”

  “Lots of weird creatures have been popping up these days. Maybe we’ll meet some dragons like you someday.” Diesel let out a gruff laugh and slapped Ajax on the back again.

  This time, Ajax shoved him away, then pulled Olivia into his side protectively as though all the attention on him was making him uncomfortable.

  She knew that feeling.

  Harrison stepped into the center of the group and eyed Ajax and Olivia with something like amusement, though it was nearly hidden by his frown. “Let’s get everyone back to Dragonclaw. Our mates are probably worried sick. And besides, it looks like you two have a lot of talking to do.”

  Olivia felt Ajax’s grip on her tighten slightly, and she rested her head on his chest for a moment, eager to have time with Ajax to do just that.

  “About that,” Ajax said, looking down at Olivia as he spoke. “I’m thinking about flying us back to Dallas, to your place. How does that sound?”

  She looked up at him and saw so much affection there it made her want to collapse or run from the strange warmth it caused to burn in her heart.

  “It will give us some time to be alone. And we can talk on the way there,” he added.

  She nodded up at him in agreement.

  From the second he’d said it, Olivia had liked the idea.

  Not that Christmas back at the ranch didn’t sound nice. But she wanted all the time she could get with Ajax. To explain things and make things official between them.

  They could always come back in a couple days if they wanted.

  Harrison shrugged. “Suit yourself. Just be safe, you two.” He took a step closer, and his deep-blue eyes held a warm smile. “Never thought the most savage monster I’ve ever fought and the double dragons’ right-hand lady would make such a good pair. You two look out for each other, ya hear?”

  Ajax and Olivia both nodded at that.

  Clancy and Beck waved as they followed Harrison. Then Gunnar and Diesel approached.

  “Take care of our friend,” Gunnar said to Olivia. She knew these men had known Ajax a long time, just in the way they interacted.

  “I will,” she replied.

  Every day of their lives, if she had her way.

  “What about me taking care of her?” Ajax retorted, annoyed.

  “That was a given from the start,” Gunnar said, coming up and tapping Ajax on the forehead while Ajax batted his hand away. “You may be half dragon, but you still think like a basilisk.”

  Diesel and Gunnar walked off as well, just leaving Troy and Jack.

  The only people who’d been her friends, her allies, for so long.

  Troy was still nursing his arm, which was healing rapidly thanks to Jack’s dragon fire.

  “Now I really do have to fire you, I guess,” Troy said sourly.

  “You can’t fire me. I quit,” she responded, and Troy’s lips curved in a slight grin.

  “That’s the Olivia I know.”

  “You two go kiss and make things official. And just let us know if you ever need anything,” Jack said with a grin.

  Olivia nodded, then looked up at Ajax. “I have everything I want right here.”

  Ajax’s eyes went a little wide in response. In front of them, she heard the sound of someone making a gagging sound.

  “Gross. Forget all those things I said back at Dragonclaw. You two are making me ill. Get out of my sight,” Troy said as he made shooing motions, though there was a hint of playfulness in the way he did it.

  Maybe someday he and Jack would understand.

  Ajax took her hand and pulled her to the side. “What do you say? Your place?”

  A shiver went up her arms at the prospect, and Ajax took off his leather jacket and set it around her shoulders, just the scent of him enough to turn her on a little.

  She’d never let anyone into her personal life, especially her apartment, her space.

  But with Ajax, she wanted to share everything, both mind and body.

  “Let’s do it,” she said.

  Ajax stepped back and shifted again, and the breathtaking sight of his dragon filled her vision. Then he lowered his neck, and there was a perfect spot at the top of his shoulders where she pulled herself up and sat down between two huge, faceted red spikes that twinkled with the moon’s light like gemstones.

  And when he took off, making the ground disappear beneath them, she held on tight as they headed north, up and up until the horizon stretched out forever. Far in the distance, lights from towns and small cities in every direction sparkled like Christmas lights, and the cool, crisp air bit against her exposed skin as she held on tight to her mate.

  Well, soon-to-be mate, she hoped.

  “Okay,” Ajax said, his voice deeper and more rumbly but still all him. “If you’re going to be my mate, I want to know everything about you.”

  “I like knives,” she said.

  He chuckled, the vibrations from his throat tickling her legs.

  “Noted. What else?”

  She leaned into him. “I also like this one guy with red eyes that drives me crazy with how hot and wonderful he is.”

  “Tell me more about him…”

  And as she did, the time flew by as they ate up the miles.

  And in no time at all, a huge, bright beacon of lights appeared on the horizon, the city’s skyline so familiar to her after years of coming and going.

  Only, this time, she was bringing something home she’d never thought possible for her.

  True love.

  20

  Ajax ignored Olivia’s requests to set down outside the city so they could take a cab in and opted instead to just land on her rooftop with a heavy thud.

  He wasn’t going to make her wait for a fucking car.

  And he couldn’t wait a minute longer to claim his mate—now that she’d finally agreed.

  Her building was nice, with gray walls and carpet. When they got to her apartment on the seventh floor, she paused at the door.

  “So about my apartment…” she said hesitantly.

  “What about it? Is it a mess? I don’t care, Olivia,” he replied, nuzzling the back of her neck as he did.

  He loved how sensitive she was there.

  “Kind of the opposite. The past few months, I’ve been staying in the double dragon’s guesthouse, so I haven’t decorated or shopped or—”

  “I want to mate you, not your apartment,” he said, turning her so she was pinned against the door as he covered her mouth with his.

  Want and need more desperate than anything he’d experienced filled his core as Olivia melted in his arms, sagging against him slightly.