How did such a tiny woman pack such a large creature? It made no sense.

He got a chance to ask less than two hours later when they were on board a plane to the West Coast. First class, of course, a section overtaken by mostly platinum hair. Apparently, as a Silvergrace, Aimi required an entourage, whereas Brandon needed a lead suit, given he was pretty sure a few of the cousins who'd bummed along had x-ray stares.

To ignore them, he chose to talk to the seductress seated by his side. "How is your dragon so large?"

"That's a rude question." Bright eyes peered at him over the headrest in front. "I'm sure you wouldn't hear Aimi asking how your dick got so big."

Aimi dove forward and grabbed-was it cousin Deka or Babette?-by the hair and growled. "Don't you be looking at my mate's parts. Mine."

"You can keep him. I hear he's quick in the sack."

His turn to feel heat warming his cheeks. He bit back his retort of, "You'd come quick, too, if you hadn't truly touched a woman in two years." But it was more than just that. Aimi just excited him that much. She also fascinated him, especially how she went from being such a proper lady to wild-eyed hoyden banging her cousin's head off the seat.

"Aimi! Let her go," shouted someone a row behind. "You know the airlines frown on blood."

With one last growl and tug, Aimi released her cousin, who slunk back into her seat. It didn't stop his moonbeam from muttering, "Next time you look at him, I'm eating your eyeballs."

Some people might have taken her literally, but Brandon, used to these kinds of family interactions, thought nothing of it. Mercer celebrations usually involved a few brawls, blood, and loose teeth. To prevent any more trouble, he diverted her attention, drawing it to him instead. "Okay, Captain Cavedragon, did you seriously just say 'mine?' Isn't that right up there with 'I licked it?'" He might act aggrieved, but there was definitely something hot about a woman-not just any woman, but Aimi-saying that.

"Yup." She shrugged. "Dragons tend to have a hoarding gene. Once you ascend, you'll feel it, too."

Why wait? I already covet a certain moonbeam for my own.

He waited for his colder self to add in its two cents and was surprised when it remained silent. It hadn't said much since his change to his man shape. Did his gator sulk?

I'm here. Even more than before. Cryptic words that he didn't have time for. The rescue for Sue-Ellen took precedence over everything. "So what is this party we're going to that has my sister attending?"

"You don't have any idea at all what date it is, do you?"

"No. Why?" He frowned. He'd lost track of a lot of things during his run-and-hide routine the past few months.

"Does November third ring a bell?"

November third. "Ah, fuck. It's Sue-Ellen's birthday. You mean this is a party for her?"

"Yes."

"But how did you get invited? I thought you didn't know her or Parker."

"I don't, but Mother does, and since the birthday party is also acting as a fundraiser to request funds to promote a better relationship between shifters and humans, we got an invite."

"Back up a second. I thought people didn't know you were dragons."

"They don't, but we have loads of money."

"An invitation is all well and good, but you can't seriously expect us to just walk in. I have a feeling Parker is still gunning for me." Of course, his uncle wanted back the pet project that had gotten away. Uncle Theo wants his slave. He fisted his hands by his side rather than let them touch his bare neck. He'd had such a hard time getting the controlling collar off, he had no interest in wearing one again.

"Of course, we won't just walk in." She gave him a duh tone and expression. "We're dragon. We strut."

The assertion made him grin. "You've got balls, moonbeam, I'll give you that, but I don't know if this is a good idea, confronting him like that. Uncle Theo will probably have security in place with orders to watch out for me." A covert operation to extract his sister seemed like a wiser move.

"Don't you worry about your uncle. Why do you think we got so many volunteers to come? They're expecting trouble. We're going to have so much fun."

"You're going to fight? I thought you dragon gals liked to stay low-key. You do know there will be cameras there."

A coy smile tilted her lips. "There are cameras everywhere we go, and yet, you won't see many images of us around."

"You won't be able to avoid being caught out tonight if you start shit. It's not just cameras you have to worry about. Keep in mind, Parker won't hesitate to shove you out of the closet."

"Parker might be many things, but he's not stupid. If he outs us, it will be the last thing he ever does, and he knows that. But at the same time, he can't be allowed to continue with his impunity, especially if it turns out he's been using us to experiment. We shall crush him." She slammed a fist into her palm and wore the most savage smile.

It was so fucking hot. "Crush him like a bug? Can I watch? I'd love to see him demolished by a girl."

"I'd love to knock him toothless, too. Alas, that would draw too much attention."

"Then how are you going to crush him?"

"Not all fights are physical. We're going to demolish Parker with elegance."

"Sounds civilized," he said with a moue of displeasure.

"Have you ever seen someone socially ruined?" She arched a brow.

"All the time in high school."

She made a noise. "That is mere bullying. This is an art. You'll see."

What he saw was a bunch of excited women, treating this excursion as a lark. It struck him in that moment what a grave disservice he might be doing to the Silvergrace ladies, drawing them into danger. What if Parker decided to take Aimi or one of her other family members hostage to use in more of his experiments? Aimi could pretend all she wanted that Parker wouldn't dare, but Brandon didn't doubt for a second Parker would do whatever he wanted if he thought it would serve him.

"I should be going on this mission alone."

"Are you ashamed of me?"

"What? No?" More like he didn't want the responsibility of keeping them out of his uncle's clutches.

"If you're not ashamed, then why wouldn't you want me to go with you?"

"None of you should be going with me. Don't you realize what kind of danger we're talking about? My uncle, Theo, is the guy who had no problem blackmailing family. Who experimented on me and countless others. Dragon or not, Theo won't hesitate to harm you. What if I can't protect you?" Just like he hadn't protected his sister. What if he failed again?

Failure is not an option. Next time, we crunch.

"Aw, isn't that sweet. He thinks we might get hurt. Don't you worry about us, Speedy," Adi chided as she walked past. "We can take care of ourselves, and we'll keep your butt safe, too."

He frowned. "Why is she calling me Speedy?"

"You really don't want to know."

Except the way she said it caused him to understand and his cheeks flamed. Doing something about it, though, meant hitting a girl, Aimi's twin. Fuck me.

Since the flight they were booked on was an overnight one, he closed his eyes and relished the feel of Aimi using him as a body pillow. He let his mind wander, wondering if his luck were about to change. Could his bad streak finally be coming to an end?

After more than two long years, would he reunite with his little sister? I'm not a monster anymore. I can have a life. A normal life.

Normal isss overrated, and things would be better if monsters ruled the world. Monstersss like me.

I'm not a monster.

The coldness swirled around him, drawing him into a place of smoke and shadows, a place in his mind where he and his beast cohabited.

You are more than a man, and yet you keep trying to deny what you are.

And what am I? He wasn't sure anymore.

You and the thing you would call monster are one, and you need to stop fighting it.

I am me!

You are the dragon we seek. We see you. We come.

The strange voice spoke within his dream, jarring him as it forced its alien presence into his reality.

His eyes shot wide open, the sleep he'd fallen into wiped in an instant. He immediately wondered if he'd imagined it. The subconscious was a powerful place, or so his great-nana told him. She believed in portents and messages via the dreamworld. She also believed in a few glasses of moonshine before bed.

The voice didn't speak again, and around him, he noted no panic or agitation. Leaning against his arm, Aimi still snoozed. It seemed everyone did judging by the soft snores. What didn't sleep was his bladder.

Easing out from under Aimi, he stood and stretched. First class gave him enough room to squeeze past her without having to wake her up. She cutely grumbled anyhow at the loss of her pillow.

The bathroom at the front of the plane said Occupied. Since he didn't mind stretching his legs, he went through the curtain and headed to the one at the back, noting the passengers in this area as he did. It was less than a third full, and only a few were awake, reading by feeble lights. No one paid him any mind.

Not normal.

Paranoia, his dear friend, wanted to make an issue of it. He, on the other hand, was more interested in the pair of bathrooms at the far end. One was available.

It took some maneuvering to get into the slim cubicle, as it was made for tiny people. He finally managed to wedge the door shut, slide the lock to Occupied, and whip it out.

Midstream, the plane rocked, and he missed, pulling a rookie splash. "Fuck." He finished, did a quick wipe, and washed his hands before exiting. The plane wobbled again. Damned turbulence.

As he made his way up the aisle, he noted more than a few lights on, and some of the passengers peering out the windows. Of more interest, their whispers, "What is that?"

"Is it a giant bird?"

"Looks like gargoyles to me."

That last remark brought a chill to his blood. He leaned down and did his best to peek. The sky outside remained dark, so dark, with only the lights on the plane's wings to illuminate it, which was enough to see a bulky shape on the metal, a shape that moved.

"Monster!" The word that started the panic.

Beep. Beep. Beep. Alarms went off as people paged the flight attendant. As for Brandon, he suddenly realized what the shape on the wing was.

The plane was being attacked by... "Dragons!"

Chapter Ten.

The bellowed word hit Aimi's consciousness, and she went instantly awake. She wasn't the only one his yell had triggered. In a blink, she noted a few things, the most important being Brandon gone from his seat, but a gentle tug on her bond showed him not far away.

However, the chaotic mix of his thoughts didn't reassure. He saw something outside of the plane. A dragon, here at thirty thousand feet? Impossible.

Yet, why did the plane wobble?

Turbulence perhaps. The pilot screwing with them. Or, as a quick peek showed, a hunched and winged figure pulling a gremlin on the wings, hopping up and down, causing some screams.

Before she could even process the improbability of an attack at this altitude, someone yanked on the emergency door mid ship, releasing the seal, and that was when all hell broke loose. Actually, everything that was loose went sucking toward the breach in the cabin.

Many of the humans in economy lost their shit, but Aimi and the other Silvergrace girls were made of tougher stuff. Pushing and shoving-but politely, "Please get out of my way, heifer."-the girls bolted toward the commotion, letting the suction draw them, their hair whipping around their heads in a halo.

The wild style did not block her view, though, so Aimi clearly saw the smirking redhead, a male about mid-thirties, balding and freckled, grappling with Brand. Behind them, a gaping hole where the emergency door used to be.

"Why did you open it?" she heard her mate yell.

"Glory be to the Crimson Sept, keepers of the Golden Faith." The ginger-haired fellow pushed away from Brand and flung himself through the sucking hole.

"What the fuck?" Brand braced himself in the aisle, gripping the seats, using his strength to hold himself in place against the wild suction.

Claws gripped the edges of the exit door, followed by a poking serpentine head, ridged and bright red, the eyes a malevolent yellow.

A wyvern. How unexpected.

"Girls, we have company," she sang as she released the seats she gripped and let herself arrow feet first toward the creature trying to board. She got there too late. A human, who hadn't buckled like the flashing signs all warned, hit the intruder first. They both flew out the opening, and Aimi followed.

She heard Brand shout, "What the fuck are you doing, moonbeam? Get back in here." The panic oozing from him made her smile.

Would you look at that, he cares. Behind her, she could hear the shrill cries of her sister and cousins. It seemed the wyvern on board hadn't come alone. She saw a red shape streak past the doorway A wyvern shifting in plain sight? She could only imagine what kind of media mess that would cause. But they'd worry about that later. Someone had been brazen enough to strike while they were in the air. A dragon Sept had broken the rules of their kind. The Crimson Sept had attacked, and that demanded a reply. A very pointed and deadly answer.

Aimi gave little thought to clothes when she shimmered into her silvery shape. Who had the time to care about puny fabric trappings when the most beautiful scales adorned her body?

She swooped through the air in time to catch her adversary, a flame-colored wyvern, landing atop the plane. Smaller than true dragons, with heavier haunches, smaller heads, and no innate power, wyverns were the result of a dragon and human pairing. It was heavily frowned upon, as wyverns were half-breeds, incapable of breeding, and not good for much but foot soldier positions. One advantage they did have? Their lack of scent in human shape made them hard to spot as spies. Their major disadvantage? They were quite feral and violent, the biggest reason why their creation was more or less banned.

It seemed the reds were playing with more than just fire these days. The wyvern let out a shrill cry, a coarse sound that lacked the dulcet tone of a true-born.

She replied with a trumpeting flute, the notes piercingly bright. They were also a challenge. With a scream, the wyvern came at her, only to find itself knocked off course as Babette tackled it. Her silver frame was streaked with blue, a hint of her father in her scales.