15. Maple
FIFTEEN
MAPLE
Maple woke up to a sensation she'd never experienced before—profound contentment.
Sunlight filtered through the tall windows of Rune's private chambers, casting golden patterns across the ancient tapestries that adorned the walls.
But it wasn't the opulent surroundings that made her heart flutter with unfamiliar peace.
It was the solid warmth of Rune's chest beneath her cheek, the steady rhythm of his breathing, and the protective weight of his arm curved around her waist.
This is what safety feels like, she thought, marveling at how her body seemed to fit perfectly against his, as if they'd been sleeping entwined for centuries rather than a single night.
After their lovemaking in the moonlit clearing, they'd returned to his chambers for an intimate dinner by the fireplace—just the two of them, sharing wine and conversation that ranged from ancient dragon lore to her most embarrassing archaeological mishaps.
She'd expected him to politely suggest she return to her guest suite afterward, giving them both space to process the emotional intensity of the evening and the devastating vulnerability he'd shown her.
Instead, when she'd started to rise from the leather sofa where they'd been curled together, he'd caught her wrist with gentle fingers.
"Stay," he'd said simply, his blue eyes holding a rawness that made her chest tight.
The single word had contained multitudes—a request, a hope, and perhaps a deeper truth.
How could she have refused? More importantly, how could she have wanted to?
Now, as dawn painted the canyon walls in shades of rose and gold, Maple allowed herself to savor this moment of perfect tranquility.
Rune's face in sleep looked younger somehow, the harsh lines of command and control softened into something almost boyish.
His dark hair fell across his forehead, and she resisted the urge to brush it back, not wanting to wake him from what appeared to be the first deep rest he'd known in years.
I could wake up like this every morning for the rest of my life, she realized with a flutter of panic and wonder.
Through their mate bond that grew stronger with each passing hour, she could sense the deep contentment radiating from his sleeping form. For once, the ancient dragon wasn't carrying the weight of his clan's survival or wrestling with centuries-old fears. He was simply... peaceful.
She wished they could stay cocooned in this bubble of warmth and safety forever, protected from the dangerous world that seemed determined to tear them apart before they'd barely begun to build something together.
But even as the thought crossed her mind, the shrill ring of Rune's cell phone shattered the morning quiet like glass.
Rune jolted awake with the reflexes of a predator, his entire body tensing as his eyes snapped open and immediately began scanning for threats. The transformation from peaceful sleep to full alertness was so swift and complete that Maple felt her heart rate spike in response.
"What the hell," he growled, his voice rough with sleep and irritation as the phone continued its insistent ringing. He looked utterly jarred by the intrusion, as if he'd forgotten such mundane things as phone calls existed outside their private sanctuary.
He reached across her to grab the device from the nightstand, his movement bringing the warm scent of his skin close enough to make her pulse quicken. Even half-awake and clearly annoyed, he managed to be devastatingly attractive.
"This better be important," he barked into the phone.
Maple couldn't make out the words being spoken on the other end, but she could hear the urgent tone of a male voice—probably Bram, based on the respectful but insistent cadence. Rune's jaw tightened as he listened, his free hand raking through his disheveled hair.
"Fine," he said finally. "I'll head down to the police station now, before they start a manhunt for me."
He ended the call and tossed the phone back onto the nightstand with more force than necessary. The sound made Maple's stomach drop as reality came crashing back into their perfect bubble.
"What's that all about?" she asked, though she already suspected the answer would shatter the peace they'd found in each other's arms.
Rune turned to face her, his blue eyes dark with frustration and something that looked like regret. "The police are demanding my statement about the accident on the canyon road the other day. Where my Lamborghini got totaled and somehow an SUV exploded, leaving two men dead."
The words hit Maple like a gut punch. Not only would they have to be separated—breaking the cocoon of safety and intimacy they'd built—but she might be implicated in this legal nightmare. Worse, Rune could get arrested, charged with something serious enough to tear him away from her.
Her panic must have bled through their growing bond because his expression immediately softened. Without hesitation, he pulled her closer, his strong arms wrapping around her like a fortress against the world.
"Don't worry," he murmured against her hair, his voice gentling in that way that seemed reserved only for her. "This isn't the first time I've had to navigate a situation with local police and the human world. I won't mention your name at all."
"But what if they don't believe whatever story you tell them?" The words tumbled out, revealing just how terrified she was of losing him now that she'd found him.
"They will. I'll tell them it was an unfortunate accident on those treacherous canyon roads," he said with the confidence of someone who'd been managing human authorities for centuries.
"The SUV driver clearly had road rage, and I had no choice but to try to get away.
Then the crash happened. It's plausible enough. "
Maple felt some of the tension leave her body as she considered his explanation. It did sound believable—road rage incidents weren't uncommon, and those winding canyon roads were genuinely dangerous at high speeds.
"I'll be gone for a while," Rune continued, pressing a kiss to the top of her head that felt like both comfort and promise. "But I'll have Kade come over and watch over you, just to be safe."
"I'll be fine here alone," she protested automatically, her independent nature bristling at the idea of needing a babysitter.
His arms tightened around her possessively. "I insist that Kade comes as a precaution. I'm not taking any chances with your safety, not when Elias and Serena are still out there."
The alpha authority in his voice brooked no argument, but rather than feeling controlled, Maple found herself oddly comforted by his protectiveness. This wasn't about limiting her freedom—it was about keeping her alive.
"Fine," she conceded, then immediately felt heat flood her body as he climbed out of bed, revealing every magnificent inch of his naked form in the morning light.
Her mouth went dry as she took in the powerful lines of his shoulders, the defined muscles of his chest and abdomen, the confident way he moved despite being completely bare. Even facing a potentially serious legal situation, the man managed to look like some ancient god of war and desire.
She wished desperately that he could stay, that they could spend the morning exploring each other's bodies again instead of dealing with police statements and dangerous rogues.
But she understood the growing threats surrounding them, and the delicate balance he had to maintain between his dragon world and human society.
He dressed quickly in dark jeans and a navy henley that emphasized the breadth of his shoulders, every movement efficient and purposeful. When he was fully clothed, he returned to the bed and leaned down to press a gentle kiss to her forehead.
"I'll be back as soon as I can," he promised, his voice carrying undertones of both command and plea.
As he turned to leave, Maple felt an unexpected ache bloom in her chest—a physical manifestation of how wrong it felt to be separated from him, even temporarily.
The mate bond, it seemed, had very definite opinions about distance.
The bedroom door had barely closed behind him before she was already counting the minutes until his return.
Hours crawled by with no word from Rune, each minute stretching like an eternity as Maple wandered the labyrinthine corridors of his mansion.
She'd started in the main living area, admiring the ancient weapons mounted on stone walls and running her fingers along the spines of leather-bound books that looked older than entire civilizations.
But restlessness had driven her deeper into the vast estate, through rooms filled with artifacts that would make museum curators weep with envy.
How long does it take to give a police statement?
From the main living area, she could hear Kade's restless movements—the soft creak of leather as he shifted on the sofa, and the rustle of newspaper pages being turned with increasing frequency.
He'd been prowling the space like a caged predator since Rune left.
Every few minutes, his phone would buzz with what she assumed were updates from clan members, but none brought news of their Alpha's return.
The library had become her sanctuary, a cathedral of knowledge that spoke to every fiber of her archaeologist's soul.
Floor-to-ceiling shelves stretched toward vaulted ceilings.
Ancient texts in languages she recognized—Latin, Greek, Sanskrit—sat alongside others written in scripts that made her fingers itch with curiosity.
She was examining a collection of illuminated manuscripts when her phone's shrill ring shattered the library's peaceful silence.
Ben's name flashed on the screen, and relief flooded through her. "Hey, Ben," she answered, settling into a leather chair that had probably witnessed centuries of dragon conversations. "Please tell me you have good news about—"