"Sirrax!" I pushed against him, though I might as well have tried to move a mountain. "You can't just kill everyone who threatens us."
His golden eyes narrowed. "Can. Will. Protect mate."
I sighed, resting my forehead against his chest. How could I explain the complexities of human society to someone who had been trapped in dragon form for who knew how long?
"Violence isn't always the answer. Sometimes subtlety works better."
He made a dismissive sound, but his arms tightened around me. "Your way, then. For now."
I pulled back to look up at him. "How long have you been... like this? Trapped?"
Pain flashed across his features. "Many seasons. Caught young. Collar forced. Trained." His jaw tightened. "Broken."
My heart ached for him. I reached up to touch his face, tracing the sharp lines of his cheekbones and jawline.
"You're not broken," I whispered fiercely. "You're magnificent."
His eyes softened at my words, and he bent to capture my lips in a kiss that was surprisingly gentle compared to the savageryof the night before. When he pulled away, there was something vulnerable in his expression.
"Mate heals," he said simply.
A lump formed in my throat. This creature—this man—had endured captivity, torture, and humiliation for years, forced to serve the very Empire that had stolen his freedom. And yet here he was, looking at me as though I were his salvation.
The implications of what he'd told me were staggering. How many dragons at the Academy were like him? How many Talfen had been enslaved, their true nature hidden behind iron collars? The thought made me sick.
"We need to free the others," I said, sudden determination filling me.
Sirrax's eyes widened slightly. "Dangerous."
"So is everything worth doing," I replied. "I won't leave them enslaved now that I know the truth."
A slow smile spread across his face, fierce and proud. "This why mate. Brave heart."
The sudden sound of distant voices froze us both. We turned toward the source—somewhere beyond the trees that surrounded our clearing.
"Imperial soldiers," Sirrax growled, his body tensing. "Patrol."
Panic flared in my chest. "They can't find us like this."
Sirrax nodded, stepping back from me. "Change now. Fast."
I watched, mesmerized, as his body began to shift. Unlike the painful transformation of the night before, this one seemed smoother, more controlled. His skin rippled, expanding outward as his form grew. Bones elongated, muscles bulged and reshaped. He grew larger, limbs elongating, face extending into a muzzle. Wings erupted from his back, unfurling like great sails. Within moments, the man was gone, replaced by the massive dragon I had known for months.
Sirrax lowered his head, nuzzling against my naked body with familiar affection. The sensation was different now, knowing what I did, knowing who he truly was. I stroked his muzzle, marvelling at the strangeness of it all.
Bending down, I picked up the iron collar from the ground where he’d dropped it and set it around his neck once again. Pulling some leather cord from my riding clothes, I bound it tightly, holding it in place, but making sure the two ends didn’t meet.
A wave of revulsion passed through me at the thought of putting him back in chains, but I pushed it aside. For now, survival meant secrecy.
Quickly, I pulled on what was left of my clothes. I wasn’t exactly decent but at a glance when I was high up on his back, people might not notice.
"Let's go," I said, climbing onto his back.
The feel of his scales against my bare skin was a strange new sensation—familiar yet utterly different after knowing the man beneath the dragon. I could feel his muscles coiling beneath me as he prepared to launch us into the air.
The voices grew closer, and Sirrax tensed, his head swinging toward the tree line. I leaned low against his neck, aware of my complete vulnerability.
"Go," I whispered urgently. "Now!"
