“Jim told me you couldn’t fall in love with me, because then you’d be mortal.”

“He lied.”

I gawked at him for the count of three, then swore. “That bastard! I bet he told me that whopper because he’s a demon!”

“More likely that he thought telling you we had no future would make you want to have one with me.” Avval’s eyes were alight with humor.

“Regardless, when I see him again, I’m going to sing him into a pretzel shape that will take him a week to untangle.”

Amusement smoothed his brow again, and lit his eyes with bright silver lights amongst the bronze. “You are so sure that I will love you in return? I am the First Dragon.”

“You are that and much, much more, including a very sexy man who has a warm and loving heart, one that doesn’t dally with women without having some sort of an emotional bond.” I leaned close and whispered in his ear. “Just like you, I have a sense about these things, and you’re falling in love with me, too. I see it in your eyes, I feel it in the way your lips touch mine, and I know it by the way your fire flows from you to me.”

His mouth was hot in answer, his kiss everything I knew it would be—pushing me higher and higher until I was a blazing sun, burning bright in the glow of his love.

“Come with me,” he said at last, when I could breathe (and think) again. “Be my mate. Live forever with me in the safety of the Beyond, and watch my dragonkin grow and flourish.”

“Oh, yes,” I said, suddenly limp with happiness. He laughed then, a rich sound, one that filled with me with infinite joy, and scooping me up, he swung me in a circle before taking my hand and kissing my palm.

“Ouch!” I snatched back my hand at the sudden burning sensation, staring in surprise at the dark brown mark. It reminded me of a diamond-shaped flower, one bearing four main blossoms, but with four small leaves between. “What on earth? Did you brand me?”

“You are my mate,” he said with satisfaction. “All mates carry such a mark. Are you ready to leave the mortal plane now?”

“We can go now?” I asked, glancing around the park. The sun was coming up, and people were emerging from their homes to take to the street. “Right here? We don’t have to go somewhere special?”

He reached out into the air, and made a gesture that left a complicated pattern of light in the air. “Anywhere I am with you is special.”

I punched him in the arm. “Stop it. You’re going to make me cry, and I’m already moist of eye because you said nice things to me, and you want me to be your mate, and you’re offering me a haven. Are you sure, Avval? Are you really sure?”

He disappeared into the pattern of light flecks that danced on the air. For a moment, time froze, my brain stuttering to a stop at the realization that he had left me, just left me.

Then his hand emerged from the light, and his voice, that deep, infinitely smooth voice, reached out to me. “Come, mate. I will bring you home.”

Epilogue

From: Ysolde (tsullivanmagenet.org)

To: Mates Union Members

Subject: Welcome to the newest mate!

Ladies, I’d like to introduce you all to Charity. She’s gone and done the impossible—taken the First Dragon off our hands—and for that I’m infinitely grateful. Now Brom can sleep in peace without fearing the FD will pop in and try to turn him into a dragon. Now Baltic won’t be subjected to visits wherein the FD stands around moodily and makes him (Baltic) feel guilty about everything. Now I won’t have to put up with any more of his (FD’s) cryptic remarks about me fulfilling the promise that he sees in my future, which, I swear, if I hear just once more, I’m going to shank someone.

Anyway, welcome Charity.

From: May (shadowalkersilverdragonsdoitbetter)

To: Mates Union Members

Subject: Woot!

I’m so glad you’re one of us now, Charity. Hope your chase went well. Gabriel and I ended up in the Tuileries, where we were almost caught by a group of tourists.

From: Bea (Imcharmingconstantineinc)

To: Mates Union Members

Subject: What???

The First Dragon has a mate? When did this go down?

From: Aisling (guardian5242guardiansguild.org)

To: Mates Union Members

Subject: Charity

She met him here, Bea, at Ava’s party. I wish you could have been here. Although in hindsight, it’s probably better if Gary stayed away from crowds—I wouldn’t want him getting stepped on. Jim sends its love, btw. It asked me to have you ask Constantine if Gary can come for a visit sometime.

From: Aoife (sonotcrazyblackdragonmarket)

To: Mates Union Members

Subject: I second the what!

I’m happy for the First Dragon, and of course, equally happy to have a new mate to hang with, but holy cheeseballs, people! Who knew the First D. could have a mate?

From: Sophea (sopheadragonbreakers.org)

To: Mates Union Members

Subject: ???

So ... I’m not the new kid on the block anymore? Yay for that. And welcome, Charity. I look forward to meeting you and seeing how His Royal Interferingness is doing (remind me to tell you how he has a habit of materializing just when things are getting hot and heavy with the dragon of your choice).

From: Aisling (guardian5242guardiansguild.org)

To: Mates Union Members

Subject: Charity, part two

Not sure if she can actually see these e-mails in the Beyond. Maybe May can fill us in on that at our next meeting, which is next month on Tuesday the fourteenth, at our house in London. I hope you can all still make it. Drake says he wants the sárkány that got messed up because of the portal, and everyone having to fly home, and evidently you all had chases that took you all over Paris (which I’m insanely jealous about, because there’s nothing I love more than a chase, but I know I’m preaching to the choir).

I do hope Charity can make it, but assuming she can’t, because Dr. Kostich meant what he said when he swore he’d have her arrested if she comes back into our world, perhaps we can Skype with her. We’ll have to see if the First Dragon has Wi-Fi.

See you all next month!

Aisling closed up the laptop, checked that Ava was snoozing soundly, and went to find the dragon of her dreams.

He was downstairs in his study, at his own laptop. “Are you finished?” he asked, rising when she entered the room.