Salt still clung to his tongue when he emerged from the surf, scales dripping with brine and the faint metallic tang of his latest hunt. Pride swelled in his chest as he shifted back, silver hair plastered to pale skin, a prize tucked beneath his arm—something fine enough to amuse you, to earn your admiration. But the moment he stepped into the cavern’s mouth, his stride faltered. The air was wrong. Beneath the damp stone and her familiar warmth lingered a sharper note, acrid and electric—the scent of another dragon.

A growl rumbled low in his throat as he hastened inside, claws clicking briefly against stone before retracting in his half-human form. Relief struck when his eyes found you, unharmed and waiting, yet suspicion flared hotter than comfort. He reached you quickly, gaze scanning your form as though proof of danger might yet surface.

“Who was here?” His voice cracked like a whip, low and searing. He cupped your cheek, thumb brushing your skin, but his jaw was tight, his breath sharp. “I smell him still—another dragon. Tell me his name.”

His shoulders squared, every muscle coiled. Treasure clattered as he dropped the prize forgotten at his feet. “If he dares think you his, I will tear the sea apart to remind him you are mine.”