11. Maple #2
"I stumbled upon it in my research online," she said carefully, hoping he wouldn't press for details.
"What kind of research online?" His voice carried the unmistakable authority of an Alpha. "Maple, you need to be very honest and upfront about this because you are in danger now that you found that claim marker, and now my town could be in danger."
The weight of his words settled over her like a stone. People had died yesterday because of her discovery. Whatever embarrassment she felt about her online habits paled in comparison to the lives at stake.
She took a deep breath. "I saw the rumors on an online forum I'm part of.
It talks about fringe theories that dragons existed and has discussions about where and what could be out there to prove that dragons had walked the earth—not that anyone believed they still exist currently.
" The admission rushed out of her in a single breath.
"I can have Ben get a list of who belongs to the forum.
It's a paid membership, so not just anyone can join.
It should narrow the search, but it could take time to figure out any leads that way. "
Rune nodded, processing the information with the calculating precision of a man accustomed to strategic thinking. "Is there anyone in your archaeological circle—anyone at all—who has been paying too close attention to you over the years?"
The name hit her consciousness like a lightning strike, so obvious she couldn't believe she hadn't thought of it immediately.
"Serena," she said, the word escaping. "She's another archaeologist, Dr. Serena Vale, who has become quite invested in what I've been doing. I just thought it was jealousy or professional rivalry, nothing dangerous."
Rune's eyebrows drew together in a frown that transformed his handsome features into something predatory. "Why don't I pay this Serena a visit and see if there's more going on with her?"
"You can't just go busting down her door," Maple protested, her protective instincts flaring despite everything. "Why don't we follow her and see if she's connected to that car chase yesterday, while Ben stays here and gets a list of people on that dragon forum?"
"You should stay here," Rune said, his deep voice carrying the unmistakable tone of command. "I don't need you getting hurt."
Fire sparked in Maple's eyes. "Like hell I'm staying here while you risk yourself. Plus, you don't know where to find her."
For a moment, Rune looked like he might argue, his jaw working as he clearly wrestled with his protective instincts. Then he let out a sigh that sounded like surrender.
"Fine. But we need to do this in stealth mode. I should probably use my dragon form so I can track her from a safe distance."
"Then I'll just ride on your back," Maple said, the words coming out more boldly than she felt.
Rune's eyes darkened with unmistakable hunger, gold flecks blazing as his gaze swept over her face. The possessiveness in his expression made her breath catch, heat pooling low in her belly despite the seriousness of their situation.
"Fine," Rune said, his voice rougher now. "That works."
They hurried to Ben's room, where they found him sitting on the bed, already looking more at ease in the opulent surroundings than seemed possible after less than twenty-four hours.
"Ben, we need you to get a list of who's on the dragon forum," Maple said, tossing him her phone. "You can find it on there."
He caught the device with practiced ease. "Will do. So, are you two good? Where are you two going?"
"Yeah, we're fine. Just following a lead," Maple said, hoping he didn't press for more.
"Alright, just come back in one piece," Ben said, genuine concern flickering in his eyes.
"Nothing will happen to her under my protection," Rune said, the words carrying the weight of an oath.
They left Ben to his task and made their way through the corridors to the back of the mansion.
Rune led her through a set of French doors onto an expansive terrace that overlooked his private gardens—a sprawling landscape of desert plants and ancient stone sculptures that spoke of centuries of careful cultivation.
"I'm going to shift," Rune said, his hands already moving to the hem of his black henley. "But first I need to undress. It's easier that way."
"Do you need me to give you privacy?" Maple asked, though her pulse quickened at the prospect. "Although I've already seen you naked, remember?"
The reminder of their encounter on the dining room table hung between them, electric and charged with unfinished business.
"Watch all you like. Just when I shift, stand back, and then when I'm in dragon form, get on my back. I won't be able to talk to you, but you can talk to me and point the way to Serena's place."
Maple nodded, stepping back as he began to undress with efficient, practiced movements.
First the henley, revealing the sculpted perfection of his chest and abdomen—muscles that spoke of centuries of physical power barely contained beneath human skin.
Then his boots, his jeans, his boxers, until he stood before her in the desert sunlight, completely bare and utterly magnificent.
But what happened next stole the breath from her lungs entirely.
The air around Rune began to shimmer like heat waves rising from summer asphalt.
His skin rippled, and then the transformation began—not violent or painful, but fluid and ancient, like watching time itself bend to his will.
His body expanded, bones lengthening and reshaping, muscles flowing like liquid power as obsidian-black scales emerged across his skin like armor forged in the heart of a volcano.
Within moments, where the man had stood, a massive dragon towered over her—easily thirty feet from nose to tail, with wings that could have cast shadows over buildings.
His scales were the deep black of midnight, shot through with veins of molten gold that pulsed with inner fire.
His eyes, still recognizably Rune's but now ancient and predatory, fixed on her with a piercing intensity that made her soul sing.
Mine, her heart whispered with recognition.
This was her dragon. Her mate. The impossible creature she'd dreamed of as a child, her fantasy made flesh and scale.
Rune lowered his great head, bringing it level with her so she could climb onto his neck and back.
His scales were warm beneath her palms as she pulled herself up, soon settling between his shoulder blades where natural ridges provided perfect handholds.
The moment she was secure, he straightened, and she felt the coiled power in his massive frame as he prepared for flight.
Then they were airborne.
The ground fell away beneath them as Rune's powerful wings caught the desert thermals, lifting them into the vast Arizona sky.
Wind whipped through Maple's hair as they soared over the canyon landscape, and she felt something she'd never experienced before—complete and utter freedom.
This was where she belonged, not in dusty conference rooms or sterile laboratories, but here, flying through impossible skies on the back of a dragon who had claimed her heart.