2

I was heading to the kitchen when a shadow slipped across my peripheral—Elizabeth gliding into Aero’s room like a damn ghost. Something in her posture was wrong. Hungry. Possessive.

Instinct flared. I masked my scent, predatory silence settling over me as I followed.

Her voice cut through the darkness, venomous and cracked.

“Why did you and your whore mother have to come here and take what was mine? I perfected that spell to trap both Baine men. If it weren’t for Morgana, Alaric would still be mine.”

A spell.

My blood iced.

And then everything snapped into brutal clarity—

She was never ours. She’d forged the mate bond. Lied. Manipulated.

Liza’s stronger bond… all of it made sense.

I turned to confront Alaric and Liza—creak.

The goddamn floor betraying me.

“Who’s there?” Elizabeth’s voice trembled, but not from fear. From being caught.

I stepped into the doorway slowly, letting the lantern’s light paint me in gold and shadow before turning away, dismissing her like she was nothing. Her panic-laced footsteps chased mine.

“Dom—please—I didn’t mean—”

“Didn’t mean what?” I snarled, whipping around. “The part where you’re still trying to wrap your legs around a married man with an heir? Don’t worry—Liza satisfies him just fine.”

The truth hit her like a slap. And gods, a part of me enjoyed it.

Not exactly my proudest moment—but her betrayal carved something raw and vicious inside me.

And the way she slithered into Aero’s room?

No. Something was very, very off.

 

“Alaric. Liza. Downstairs. Now.”

The air shifted when they entered the kitchen—Liza still smelling faintly of Alaric, the bond between them sizzling like embers under their skin. Jealousy twisted across Elizabeth’s face the moment she saw them.

Time to end this charade.

“I, Dominic Baine, Alpha of the Silver Moon Pack, reject you, Elizabeth Thompson. I heard everything—your spell to force a mate bond, your poison in my nephew’s ear, your filth toward Liza. You are banished. Immediately.”

Alaric’s growl shook the walls. “She said what?”

“Babe.” Liza’s voice was low, soothing, dripping with sensual calm as she touched him. He melted under her, the way only a true mate can. Then she turned to Elizabeth, smiling like a blade.

“You want Alaric? Go on. Try.”

She stepped closer, eyes glowing with dragonfire.

“But my witch and dragons don’t share. So either make a move—or run. Really fast.”

Elizabeth didn’t just run—she fled like a frightened deer, tripping over her own desperation.

But the dread twisting inside me only coiled tighter.

“Dom?” Liza murmured, her voice softer now. “Your anxiety’s spiking. Is it the dream again?”

“Part of it. But Elizabeth… sneaking into Aero’s room? Whispering that Alaric would still be hers if it weren’t for you and him? Something’s wrong. Really wrong.”

Alaric’s jaw clenched. “I felt it too but ignored it. Wanted to give her respect since you still had the bond.”

“Well, that’s over. I rejected her and felt nothing. No tearing. No pain. She faked it. Forced it. Psychotic doesn’t even begin to cover it.”

Silence dropped thick as fog. Until—

“Guys… what time is it?” Liza asked.

 

I checked. “2 AM. Aero must’ve—”

The dread hit like a blade to the spine.

Liza sprinted, dragon instincts exploding. We raced behind her—but her scream shook the entire castle.

A mother dragon discovering an empty crib.

Kayda and Tatiana materialized behind her in full dragon form, wings spread wide, scales glowing with murder. Anyone who breathed wrong would’ve been shredded.

Aero was gone.

And the scent lingering in the room?

Elizabeth.

I stepped forward carefully. “ALL SUPERNATURALS!” My Alpha power boomed through the stone. “THE PRINCE HAS BEEN TAKEN. WE BELIEVE ELIZABETH IS RESPONSIBLE. COME—NOW.”

“Kayda,” I said softly.

She snapped her jaws inches from my face—hot breath washing over me like fire—but I didn’t back down.

“Kayda. Breathe. Everyone is coming. We will find him.”

She forced her rage down—barely. A fresh scent caught my nose and I shifted instantly.

“Stay here,” I ordered. “I have his trail. I’ll find him.”

Kayda’s growl rattled the trees. “Over my dead body. Alaric, stay put. I’m going to rip that bitch apart for touching my baby.”

A mother dragon with purpose?

Elizabeth’s death was already written.

We sprinted through the forest, the scent trail sharp and recent. Two miles in, we reached a clearing.

Aero’s cry carved right through me.

Elizabeth stood over him, hair wild, eyes feral, blade gleaming.

“You must DIE so I can have my mate back!” she shrieked. “Once I’m done with you, that dragon whore is next!”

She raised the knife, moonlight catching the silver—

Time slowed. My wolf tore free. I threw myself over Aero just as the blade sank into me.

“AAAHH!” The agony ripped me into my human form. Silver burned like fire through every nerve.

The world blurred. Darkened.

But I saw her—Kayda—in all her monstrous, glorious wrath.

A full dragon queen dripping power and death, stalking the woman who dared touch her son.

Elizabeth screamed, backing away, but Kayda lunged.

Her jaws clamped around Elizabeth’s skull.

One crunch.

A wet scream—

Then silence.

And the darkness swallowed me whole.