“He captured her,” Declan explained to the other shifters. “I saved this human
from Kellen’s house, and he came here to seek his revenge on me.”
“What a piece of shit,” one of the shifters changed back into their human form and looked from Declan to Kellen and back again. “You need help disposing of the body?”
“Yes,” Declan said. “If you’d all be so kind. Thank you for coming out here tonight, and I’m sorry for those of you I fought. Except for...”
His eyes searched the crowd until they locked on the light blue dragon.
“Except for you,” he said.
The dragon shifted back and instantly dropped to his knees.
“I’m so sorry,” the dragon said. It was a man. He looked young: maybe 17 or 18. He didn’t seem old enough to have been mixed up in something so terrible. “He told me the missing girl was his daughter and that she was in terrible danger. I didn’t know he was the true villain. Please spare my life. I understand if you won’t, but please...”
He sniffed.
He actually sniffled.
“My mom’s gonna kill me.”
“I’m not going to hurt you,” Declan said. Zoa was surprised that he was showing mercy, but she was proud. The man had obviously been a victim, just as she had.
The dragons started moving. One of them retrieved Kellen’s body and a few of them flew away with it to destroy it. At least, Zoa hoped they were going to destroy it. She wondered just for a second if the dragons were going to eat it. Was that something that dragons did?
She didn’t really want to know.
Christopher shifted back and quietly started talking with the blue dragon kid, while Brian accompanied the other dragons to get rid of Kellen. Zoa was shaking, and Declan wrapped his arms around her and kissed her forehead.
“Are you okay?”
“I was scared,” she whispered. “I didn’t want him to hurt you.”
“You were so brave. I’m sorry I didn’t save you.”
Zoa knew that he was sad she’d had to fight for herself, but that was only because he didn’t see that he had saved her. He’d rescued her from Brotella. He’d saved her from that mansion. Then he’d given her the chance to save herself when he came back for her.
“But Declan,” she whispered, “you did.”
He had.
Zoa kissed Declan again, and this time, her kiss held more than just lust. It held a promise. This was the dragon who had saved her, and this was the dragon she was going to love for the rest of her life.
No matter what.
Epilogue
One Month Later
Declan held his mate, kissing the top of her head. She was wonderful. That was what he thought of Zoa. He couldn’t believe it had taken him so long to find someone who made his heart sing like this. No wonder his mother had always sworn up and down that finding your one true mate was important.
If he’d known he would feel like this, he would have gone searching for Zoa years ago.
His parents had been lucky to find each other at a young age. Now Declan was the age his mother had been when he and his brothers were born. He was still young, but his parents had been younger, which meant they’d had many wonderful, incredible years together before his father passed away unexpectedly.
“I love you,” he whispered.
Zoa fit perfectly in his arms and in his heart. Ever since he’d met her, his world had been different. He had been different. At first, Declan thought he was the one rescuing Zoa, but he’d quickly realized that it was the other way around. She’d saved him just as much as he’d saved her.