But she didn’t understand. She had never been able to see past her own emotional desires. Ember never thought about us, or our future. I was the one who’d always bailed her out of trouble. I was the one who’d always planned ahead. I understood that everything Talon did, it was for the good of our race. For our continued existence. We were trying to survive a world full of humans who would see us extinct if they knew of us. Sometimes, hard choices were necessary. Even if the ones you were trying to protect hated you in the end. We couldn’t remain ignorant and sheltered any longer. This was a war, and war demanded casualties. It was time to grow up.

“Sir?”

I opened my eyes, seeing the cluster of red on the screen, and smiled.

“Do it.”

EMBER

Okay. I have to tell him.

I stood in the shower, letting the scalding water run down my back, steam curling around me, as I tried gathering the courage for what had to be done.

He needs to know. This has gone on long enough. I have to tell him. Shouldn’t be too hard, right? Hey, Riley, did you know you’re my Sallith’tahn, which is the Draconic equivalent for life-mate, only I don’t think I’m ready for something like that even though my instincts say the exact opposite and it’s been freaking me out ever since the monastery? Also, two nights ago I kissed Garret, and I want to be with him when I’m in my human form, which is 90 percent of the time, but I still feel this Sallith’tahn connection toward you. So, you see the dilemma, right?

I groaned. This wasn’t going to end well. At all. No matter what I said, someone was going to be confused, hurt and pissed as hell. And then what? We still had this thing with Talon and St. George to deal with. We had to work together to have any chance of pulling this off, but how was that going to happen with Riley wanting to kill Garret or vice versa?

No, I couldn’t tell him, not yet. Succeeding here, breaking St. George’s unknown partnership with Talon, was more important than my feelings toward either of them right now. I had become a rogue not only to get away from the organization and its crushing, power-hungry tyranny, but to help all my kind be free. From St. George, Talon, the Elder Wyrm, the Patriarch, whoever wanted us extinct or enslaved. I needed to stop agonizing and start doing. If I was going to make a difference in this war, I had to have my priorities straight. And right now, we needed clear heads and the ability to work together.

I’ll tell them, I promised all three of us. Soon. When this is over, as soon as we break the Order away from Talon, I’ll tell them everything.

I toweled, slid into my clothes and opened the door with a billow of steam, ready to tell the boys the bathroom was now free.

Riley, alone in the hotel room, looked up from the corner chair and gave a smile that had no humor in it whatsoever.

“Hey, Firebrand,” he said, rising from the seat. “About time you got out. We need to have a talk.”

RILEY

Ember blinked, glancing warily around the room. “Where is everyone?”

“Gone,” I said simply. “I sent them both on an errand while you were in the shower. Figured that was the only way to get you alone. No Wes. No soldier. No distractions. Just you and me.”

She eyed me with suspicion, filling me with both fury and sorrow. Was she afraid? Did she hate being around me that much, that just standing in a room with me alone caused her shields to go up? I’d been as patient as I could, waiting for her to clue me in on what was bothering her, and it was driving me to distraction. Wes and I had been checking the status of my safe houses this morning, making sure they were all still there, that everyone was alive, and I could barely focus long enough to hear him out. This standoff needed to end. Now.

“So, what’s going on, Firebrand?” I asked, stepping forward. “And don’t think you’re going to run away from me this time. I’m done waiting. You’ve been hiding something ever since the monastery and I want to know what.”

Ember swallowed. I could see the wheels turning in her head, trying to think of ways to stall, to dance around the question, and it only pissed me off more. “This isn’t a good time, Riley—”

“Bullshit.” She gave me a sharp look, and I met her glare. “When will it be a good time, Ember? When we’re not running, or fighting for our lives? When we’re not dealing with Talon or St. George?” I made a vague gesture, holding her gaze. “You’re a rogue now—there will never be a good time. There will never be a moment when we don’t have to worry about our enemies. There’s always going to be something, be it a hatchling we have to rescue, a traitor we have to hunt down, or a strike force coming for us in the middle of the night. Something will always be there, making things difficult. Trust me on that.”