I’m exhausted. I haven’t slept in forever, I’m tired, smelly, and feverish. My head is pounding something fierce, and these lights shining in my face are just making everything worse. “I want my sister,” I tell them for what feels like the millionth time. “I need to see her.”

“I’m afraid that won’t be possible until—”

Claudia!

The call is so strong that I jerk to my feet, startled. “Kael?” His voice is so clear it sounds as if he’s in the room with me.

“Miss Jones?” the captain says, giving me a puzzled look. It takes me a moment to realize I’m still standing in the tiny barracks room with the mayor and the captain.

Yet Kael’s voice was so clear… I rub my temples again. “Sorry. I think I’m just tired.”

“We’d really like to know more—”

Claudia! Possessive triumph coats his voice, rich and syrupy sweet, and I stare at the walls. I don’t see him…but I can hear him. How is this possible? “Wh-what?”

I am coming for you.

“Um. Do you guys hear that?” My voice is shaking. I think I’m losing my mind. I’m actually holding a conversation with Kael and imagining him coming for me. I’ve officially snapped.

They exchange a look. “Hear what?”

“Nothing. I think.”

Your thoughts are delicious, purrs Kael in my mind. Bright and pure. I am glad you are my mate, Claudia. You fill my soul with joy.

It’s weird, but it actually sounds like he’s coming closer. I press a hand to one ear, then the other, checking for listening devices or something. There’s nothing, though. His voice is coming from inside my head. I glance at the ceiling anyhow, as if it might somehow reveal a big golden dragon hovering over my shoulder. “How is it that I can hear you?”

“The dragon?” the captain asks, voice rising in alarm. “Where is he?”

You are mine, Kael says inside my head. We are linked now that we have mated and I have claimed you.

The fuck? Linked? I don’t want to be linked. No one asked me if I had an opinion on being linked.

You’re unhappy. I do not like that. Why are you displeased?

Uh, because you didn’t ask me? Shit, now I’m responding in my head.

I asked you. I said your name and you responded by putting your mouth on me and—

That’s not the same thing! That wasn’t asking for permission to open a channel in my head! I don’t know at this point if I’m saying the words in my mind or saying them aloud. Things are blurring together.

How was I to ask for permission if we could not speak? But now we can. Satisfaction rolls through his mind. Now you can share your thoughts with me all day and all night.

Yeah. Great. I don’t want to share anything at the moment, though. I’m still mad.

The mayor shouts something at me, and additional soldiers file into the room, guns in hand. I clutch my head, distracted between the sound of Kael’s insistent voice and whatever the mayor’s shouting at me. “Can you be quiet for a second? I can’t think!”

I am coming to the human hive to get you.

Oh shit. My eyes go wide. “You’re coming here?”

“He’s coming here?” the captain roars, panicked. “Sound the alarm. Ready the bunkers! Go go go!”

A klaxon goes up—the dragon siren.

“How is she talking to him?” the mayor asks. “Is she bugged somehow?”

“He’s in my head,” I tell them, pushing my hands against my scalp as if that will stop my brain from freaking out. The blare of the siren is mingling with Kael’s heavy thoughts, and it’s all pressing in on me. “I can’t think with all this noise—”

“What’s he saying?” the captain demands. He moves to stand inches away from my face, his eyes intent. “We need you to tell us exactly what he’s saying.”

The siren blares, long and loud, and I can hear the stomp of feet overhead as the militia readies. Kael’s going to walk right into an army, and I’m leading him to it. I don’t know what to do. I need to stop him before he gets too close, because I don’t want him to die.

I’ve never wanted that.

You are upset. Kael’s thoughts cut through the chaos in my mind like a knife, slicing away the outside world. I hear the siren. Shall I make it stop?

“You’re close enough to hear the siren?” I choke.

“He’s right overhead,” the captain roars. “Take action!”

Claudia. My Claudia. Do not worry. I am close.

“How close?”

Very close. I am coming for you.

“Why? You need to leave me here.”

I cannot. You are my mate.

“Mate?” I gasp out, horrified at the thought. Not only am I mind-linked to a crazy dragon, but he thinks I’m his mate? “I don’t want to be your mate.”

Something cold and hard presses to my temple. I freeze as the gun cocks, the sound loud in the deafening silence of the room. “If he thinks you’re his mate,” the captain tells me, “I’m going to need to use you as leverage. I’m sorry.”

He’s got a gun on me, I tell Kael. Back off. Please! I don’t want to die.

What is a gun?

There’s no time to explain. Can’t you please just go?

They took you away.

I don’t mention the fact that I ran off. Kael, just go, please. I need to find my sister, and I’m not going to get anywhere with you flying overhead. The gun bites into my temple, and I shiver. In my argument with Kael, I forgot that someone’s got a gun to my head.

Kael picks up on my fear, though. His thoughts grow wild, darker. I can feel them growing darker, and it’s terrifying. Why are you afraid? Why is my mate afraid?

It will kill me! Don’t come here!

Overhead, a dragon roars so loudly that the entire building shakes. Lights flicker, and a cloud of dust falls from the ceiling.

“He doesn’t like that you’re threatening me,” I whisper, trying to pull away from the gun.

The captain’s mouth presses into a thin line as he looks me in the eye. “You tell him if he wants his mate alive and unharmed, he needs to back off of the city. He’s putting everyone at risk.”

I’m running out of time, and I still need to save my sister. “Just give me Amy and I’ll call him off,” I bluff, even as another roar shakes the building.