Dexmon caught fragments of mindlinks mid-meeting and was on his feet before anyone finished speaking.
"Serena."
The word tore out of him, rough and unguarded.
Aegon:What is mate doing. Why is she gold. What is happening.
Aegon slammed against his skin, frantic to break free, as Dexmon sprinted for the training grounds at alpha speed. Stone blurred beneath his feet.
Aegon:Get her now.
Dexmon didn't answer.
He skidded into the clearing and saw Gavriel.
Again.
Their gazes locked across the chaos. No words passed between them, but something sharp flickered in the air.
Possession.
Challenge.
Dexmon spoke first, his voice cutting clean through the noise, eyes never leaving Gavriel.
"Riders to high formation! Be ready to intervene."
One rider laughed and called back, easy and unbothered. "I don't think she needs it."
Dexmon and Gavriel both looked up.
Velkaris tore past in a blur of gold and shadow, and every dragon on the field roared in response.
Serena's eyes still burned with gold light. Power hummed around her, her hair lifting as if the air itself bent to her presence.
Velkaris banked hard, carving a wide arc over the field.
"Velkaris is such a little show off," Gavriel muttered, a rare smile tugging at his mouth.
Another rider grinned. "He's not the only one."
Laughter rippled through the ranks.
Dexmon's jaw tightened. What was that supposed to mean?
Velkaris gave one final, triumphant roar and dropped back toward the center of the field, landing with the weight of a god's heartbeat.
Serena stepped down Velkaris's bowed head as if it were a set of stone stairs. Not a dragon head.
Then something impossible happened.
Every dragon bowed, heads lowering in perfect unison.
Gasps rippled through the field.
Someone dropped a sword. No one moved to pick it up.
Dragons bowed to one authority alone.
The Commander of the Draken Forces.
But that was Dexmon.
Velkaris lifted his head and looked at Serena with unmistakable affection. His gold eyes softened, bright and pleased in a way none of them had ever seen before. He nudged her gently, possessive and proud, as if she were something precious. As if he had been waiting for her.
And that was the problem.
Because Velkaris already had a rider.
Dexmon.
Velkaris was his. His bond. One of only three true bonded pairs in Drakenfell.
Yet his dragon had not even looked at him.
There was only one reason Velkaris would ever allow another rider. And it shattered every rule Dexmon had ever lived by.
But he already had a princess he was bound to in expectation. A chosen mate. A future decided and waiting within these very walls.
Serena had not even glanced in his direction. Maybe that was a good thing, because he was not sure what his face would give away.
Rage tangled with desire. Possessiveness bled into frustration. Threat simmered with dominance.
All of it was unfocused and restless, with no clear target to land on.
King Tiberon's eyes narrowed slightly as he watched his son.
"Serena," Elara said, moving to her at once. "You are back now. You are safe."
Her voice was gentle, deliberately loud, pitched for every ear on the field. As if Serena needed protection.
Velkaris nudged Serena's arm with his head. She blinked slowly and stared down at her glowing hand, dazed. The light pulsed faintly beneath her skin.
She swayed.
Elara stepped in without a word, lifting the hood of Serena's cloak and settling it firmly over her head.
"You are glowing," she murmured, meant only for Serena.
The field was silent enough that everyone heard.
Serena lowered her gaze, the glow dimming but not vanishing.
"Thank you for the honor of this display," Elara said smoothly, calm authority wrapped in courtesy. "Please excuse us."
She turned, pretending not to notice the stunned faces, and grabbed Serena's arm. Not gently. She yanked hard, forcing Serena to face the castle and away from the riders still staring.
Serena's legs wouldn't move for a heartbeat.
"Serena. Walk. Now," Elara hissed through gritted teeth.
The world felt muffled. The crowd blurred together. Her thoughts lagged a step behind her body.
Elara's words sounded distant, like they were underwater. But Serena recognized that tone.
Alarm bells rang, even if the fog refused to lift.
She pushed herself forward, careful not to stumble.
Alaric, who had gone utterly still, shook himself and moved at once.
"This way," he said quietly, meant only for them. But everyone heard.
He led them, posture composed but unmistakably protective.
Dozens of eyes tracked their every step.
None missed the glow bleeding through the edges of Serena's cloak, nor the way Elara and Alaric positioned themselves deliberately, shielding her from view.
Gavriel was already moving before anyone could stop him, Dexmon and King Tiberon close behind.
Aegon: The Gamma is already ahead of us.
Dexmon: I noticed.
Serena walked swiftly behind Elara, who still had her arm. Her breathing was uneven, and the gold glow still hadn't faded.
They had barely cleared the side entrance of the castle when Serena swayed. Her knees gave out completely.
Dexmon was there in an instant, catching her before she hit the stone. He scooped her up immediately, primal instincts overriding rational thought.
Aegon:Finally.
Dexmon:What the hell is wrong with you?
Aegon: Carry mate. This is correct.
Gavriel watched Dexmon scoop her up like he had rehearsed it. Twice. In front of a mirror. The scoreboard in his mind updated. Dex: three rescues. Gav: zero. Unacceptable.
"Follow me," Alaric said quietly.
He reached for a framed portrait along the corridor wall and swung it aside, revealing a narrow passage hidden behind it. Hidden from most, but not all.
Dexmon stepped through without slowing. Serena's head rested in the crook of his neck.
When her forehead brushed his skin, his body jolted. He adjusted his hold at once, smooth and practiced, as if nothing had happened.
A bead of sweat traced his temple. The sensation refused to fade, drowning out everything else.
Another frame shifted aside, and they emerged back into the recovery chamber Serena had been staying in.
Aegon:Don't you dare put her down.
"She's burning up," Dexmon said, jaw tight as he lowered her carefully onto the bed.
Serena's face was drawn, her brow creased with pain, lashes damp against her cheeks.
Aegon:Pick her back up and fix it.
"She'll be alright," Elara said calmly, stepping closer. "She just overheated during our tour."
Every head turned towards her.
Elara did not flinch. She had lied to Alphas before. Admittedly, never two in the same room.
Aegon:The redhead is lying.
Dexmon:Brilliant observation.
The door opened a moment later and Hyran Thornfell entered, his attention landing on Serena before the door had closed behind him.
"That explains it."
Elara stiffened, eyes widening.
Alaric clocked it immediately. "Hyran is our Master Mage."
Hyran brushed past Elara, without sparing her a glance, stopping at Serena's side.
Gold light flared in his palms momentarily, but he froze before making contact, brows knitting together.
He mindlinked Alaric without thinking to shield it.
A fatal mistake. Unshielded mindlinks could be heard by the Alpha, Beta, and Gamma.
Hyran:She is overpowered. Healing magic will hurt her, not help. Did anyone see her blood?
Alaric:No. But if they remain here and I place an I.V., they will.
A third presence slid into the link, uninvited and unmistakably amused.
Gavriel:What's special about her blood?
Hyran and Alaric both went still.
Careless. Too late.
Gavriel:I want you both to know, I did not break in. You left the door wide open.
Hyran:Her blood isn't normal. It shouldn't exist.
Gavriel's next question was not mindlinked.
"What is she?"
Alaric exhaled through his nose in a way that communicated an entire paragraph of disappointment.
Elara felt the shift and assumed the worst.
"She has a wolf," she answered quickly, stepping closer to the bed. "She just overheated. That's all. I can take care of her."
She turned towards King Tiberon and Dexmon.
"We appreciate your hospitality. Once she wakes, we will leave. We won't trouble you further."
Aegon:No.
Dexmon:No. There was absolutely no chance of that happening.
Gavriel glanced at Dexmon's face and had to look away before he laughed.
King Tiberon, who had remained silent until now, finally spoke.
"Her secret is safe here," he said quietly. "We do not press power that is not ours to name."
He paused, then looked directly at Elara. "Does King Viremont have any understanding of her abilities?"
Elara's eyes flicked to Alaric in disbelief. Alaric did not meet her gaze.
Tiberon watched the exchange and drew his own conclusion. "Viremont is the only region that chains women in silver. That narrowed the field considerably."
Elara paused before answering, choosing her words with care. "No. He is not aware. Her blood turns red after a few seconds. Her power has only surfaced once before. No one realized it was her."
The room went still.
"Was she his mistress?" Gavriel's question landed like a brick through a glass window.
Elara shot him a look worth a thousand words.
Gavriel raised both hands. "I had to ask. Someone was going to."
"No she wasn't," Elara answered flatly. "We received word that King Viremont had inquired about her. So she tried to escape again. This time, I went with her."
"Again?" Dexmon snapped.
"Yes. She failed twice before. Forty lashes in public for the first attempt. Silver cuffs for the second." Elara's voice stayed steady, but her hands were trembling when she spoke. "The third attempt ends in death."
Gavriel looked at Serena, unconscious on the bed, and the grin he usually wore like armor was nowhere to be found.
King Tiberon did not raise his voice, but when he spoke, the room shifted around him all the same. "No harm will come to her by our hand. If you choose to remain, both of you will fall under our protection. We will not return you to Viremont."
Dexmon stepped forward at once, hand coming to his chest.
"On my life."
✦✦✦
On the eastern terrace, Agnes Viremont stood rigid.
Her fingers tightened on the railing until her knuckles went white.
Behind her, a door opened.
She didn't turn around. "What. Is. She."