By: Anni Lee

Other works by Anni Lee:

Devil in the Details

Paranormal Male/Male Cozy Mystery Romance, between a sarcastic detective and the Devil
himself. Available on Kindle Unlimited and on Kindle Vella!

How to Tame Your Vampire

Paranormal Male/Male Vampire School Dark Romance, currently being serialized via Kindle
Vella, now also available on Kindle Unlimited! Check in each week for updates and new chapters!

Shifters of the Chinese Zodiac

Paranormal Male/Male Dark Bakery Romance, with Shifters based on the Chinese Zodiac.

Year of the Rabbit (Book 1)

Year of the Dragon (Book 2)

Traitor

Male/Male Enemies to Lovers Epic Fantasy, between a man who abandoned his country to
join the side he felt was right, and the obnoxious general who definitely will never trust him him.
Currently being serialized via Kindle Vella! Check in each week for updates and new chapters!

All In: A Twisted Game of Poker

Dark and erotic Male/Male Possessive Mafia Alpha, currently being serialized via Kindle
Vella! Check in each week for updates and new chapters!

Round One

Round Two

Round Three

The Zodiac Werewolf Series

Paranormal Male/Male Zodiac Werewolf between a college student and an Alpha Professor
Book 1: Transformation of Capricorn
Book 2: Transformation of Aquarius
 Book 3: Transformation of Pisces
Book 4: Transformation of Aries
Book 5: Transformation of Taurus
Book 6: Transformation of Gemini
Book 7: Transformation of Cancer
Book 8: Transformation of Leo
Book 9: Transformation of Virgo
Book 10: Transformation of Libra
Book 11: Transformation of Scorpio
Book 12: Transformation of Sagittarius
Book 13: Transformation of Ophiuchus
Complete Series Omnibus Edition

Say My Name

Paranormal Male/Male Fairy Tale Retelling with a hot and dominant Rumpelstiltskin

My Little Wolf

Paranormal Male/Male Fairy Tale Retelling of Little Red Riding Hood with a snarky Pizza Boy and
A Cautious but kinky Werewolf

I Do (Not)

A soft Male/Male billionaire love triangle RomCom from all three points of view
 Contents
Other works by Anni Lee:
Content Warnings
Chapter 1
Jarek Milan
Chapter 2
Jun Shen
Chapter 3
Jarek Milan
Chapter 4
Jarek Milan
Chapter 5
Jarek Milan
Chapter 6
Jarek Milan
Chapter 7
Jun Shen
Chapter 8
Levy Wong
Chapter 9
Jarek Milan
Chapter 10
Jun Shen
Chapter 11
Levy Wong
Chapter 12
Jarek Milan
Chapter 13
Levy Wong
Chapter 14
Jun Shen
Chapter 15
Jarek Milan
Chapter 16
Jarek Milan
Chapter 17
Jarek Milan
Chapter 18
Jarek Milan
Chapter 19
Jun Shen
Chapter 20
Jun Shen
Chapter 21
Jarek Milan
Chapter 22
Jun Shen
Chapter 23
Levy Wong
Chapter 24
Jun Shen
Chapter 25
Jarek Milan
Chapter 26
Jarek Milan
Chapter 27
Levy Wong
Chapter 28
Jarek Milan
Chapter 29
Levy Wong
Chapter 30
Jarek Milan
Chapter 31
Jun Shen
Chapter 32
Levy Wong
Chapter 33
Jarek Milan
Chapter 34
Levy Wong
Chapter 35
Jarek Milan
Chapter 36
Jun Shen
The End (For Now!)
After Talk
Get a Free Book!
Other works by Anni Lee:
 Content Warnings

While there are many moments of fun and spice and fabulous dessert descriptions in this

story, this is still a DARK work of fiction. Proceed with caution if you’re not comfortable with
the following concepts:

Content warnings include (May include spoilers): Dubious Consent, Sexual Assault,
Violence, Gore, Kidnapping, Drugging (magical), Murder of minor characters, Fear and Blood used

in sexual context, Pain used in sexual context, Abuse and Humiliation

 Chapter 1

Mud clung to my bare feet with every stride, building up in layers that felt like weights
beneath me. Even the torrential rain wasn’t enough to wash it all from my skin before I hit the ground

again. My thighs strained as I broke the suction of the wet earth holding me down on every
reconnection. But I couldn’t slow down. He caught me the last time I hesitated.

The sound of stirring from the ringleader’s tent had me diving to find cover. I dipped behind a
crate, and I pressed my bare back against splintering wood. Every heavy breath was enough to scrape
the slivers along my shoulder blades. Pain I couldn’t focus on right now.

My heart was pounding so loudly in my ears, I was certain it would give me away if I stayed
here too long. Not that it mattered if they brought out the dogs. Please don’t bring out the dogs.

I gripped at the collar around my neck and tugged on it roughly, as I’d done so many times
before. As if it might be different this time. Like I might be able to break it in two, rip it off, and
throw it directly through Avro’s fucking skull.

No, giving him such a swift end would be too kind for a man like him. If I ever got this cursed
limiter off of me, I’d revel—absolutely revel—in getting to tear him apart with my dragon’s claws,
keeping him alive as long as possible before I sent him to see the devil. Put him through all the pain
he put me through. Just the thought of ripping out his jugular made my cock twitch.

I held my breath when I heard the rustle of fabric and that first squelching step into the mud.
Then I bit into my lip to still its quivering when I heard the clang of my empty cage’s door squealing

on its wet and rusted hinges. The crack of thunder that followed was the only thing louder than my

own terrified pulse. I closed my eyes, as if somehow that might hide me better, I hugged my arms
across my chest, and I held perfectly still.

“Again, Jarek? Really?” I could hear the smirk in Avro’s voice. An excited tone, as he readied
himself for another hunt. “I’m going to start to think you like being chased if you keep trying to run
from me like this.” The mocking tone of the high warlock held no humor. Only threats.

It was by absolute necessity that I released the breath I was holding, though I clung to it the

whole way out like it was a precious treasure. I was nearly tearing up as I fought the need to draw in
a new cycle of fresh air. Simply breathing would likely be enough for his ears to pick up on me.

“No matter.” He called out into the wet night sky. “I love having excuses to punish you.”

The loud clang of a metal cage slamming shut echoed through my very soul. Still I held my
position. Still I hoped he wouldn’t sense my presence just on the other end of the circus encampment.
I wasn’t far from the lion tamer’s tent, but I doubted he’d have any more mercy. My best bet was to
rely on myself, and only myself.

A few moments passed. I couldn’t say how many. Time was impossible to gauge right now.
“Perhaps I should conjure the dogs again.” His voice sounded slightly more distant now. He was
walking in the wrong direction. I took that opportunity to cycle a breath through my lungs. Rare and
brief opportunities I couldn’t afford to miss.

If I got up and started running, he would notice me, and he would have me tethered with magic
again in an instant. The rain wasn’t loud enough to hide that kind of noise. But maybe I could crawl
out. I could time my repositioning with the crack of thunder, and I could make slow strides under its
cover. That… that could work.
 Even in my own head, the words came through with a desperate hitch and shakes of fear. Last

time I failed to escape, he’d just dislocated my arm and chained me down so my shifter body’s quick

healing couldn’t try and replace it.

Though that punishment was so mild by Avro’s usual standards, it worried me what new

sadistic games he might consider next. The time before that, he’d made me a plaything for his were-
tigers, and the time before that, he forced me to eat an innocent shifter in front of a crowd. He
promised he’d do worse if I tried to run again, and there was always something worse with him.

But I was done being his side show parlor trick as the neutered dragon in the Avro Circus. I

just wanted to be free and live a normal life. Maybe wake up to eggs and bacon instead of the threat
of whips and chains. Maybe one day, the first face I saw every morning would be a lover instead of a
demon. I could have that. I deserved that. Right?

Fuck, I would settle for just getting this damned collar off. I couldn’t remember the last time I
was allowed to experience transformation without the limiter suppressing every ounce of my strength
and ability. The Dragon in the Chinese Zodiac was never intended to be a simple show piece. I was a
king among animals, and I should be treated like one.

Not like a slave or a docile puppet to ooh and ah over for a quick buck. Not like I was now.

Avro’s calls became more distant still, and a glimmer of hope beat through my chest. Then,
like the devil was finally smiling upon me, a loud crack of lightning, gave me my chance. The crack
bellowed, trailing with an echo that allowed me a few extra seconds under its cover. I lowered
myself to the mud and started snaking along. It was too dark for him to see or hear me as long as he
was at that distance. This was my chance. I wouldn’t waste it.

I dragged myself along the muddy ground, pulling myself forward on my forearms, and
keeping an eye out, always, for my master. The woods were only a few yards away now. Once I got
into the bushes, I could run. I could hide. I could dive into a waterfall. Whatever I did, I at least had
an advantage if I could just get to the edge of the trees.

Another long drone of thunder and I pulled myself along a few more feet. Two yards to go.

One loud crack was all I needed.

Then I heard the piercing sound of a bark. My eyes widened. Time’s up.

I sprung to my feet and threw myself forward in a desperate sprint to close those last few feet
to freedom.

The razor sharp teeth of Avro’s hound caught my calf, tearing straight through my pant leg and

straight through my skin. Fangs pierced my muscles and yanked my footing out from under me. In an
instant, I was on the floor again. Mud and water splashed up around me as the full weight of my chest
impacted with that over saturated muck.

The forest slipped away as those powerful jaws dragged me back towards camp, one tug at a
time.

I closed my eyes in an effort to reject the tears that filled them. Not that it mattered. They
already flowed freely, whether I condoned them or not. The magic hounds weren’t creatures I could
fight. They weren’t animals with flaws or faults. I was entangled in the vice grip jaws of Avro’s

magic, and there was nothing I could do about it.

Fuck. Fuck fuck fuck!

“Caught you.” The words were spoken like we’d been playing a friendly game of tag. His
hound released me at his feet, then the Rottweiler-esque familiar vanished in a swirl of green sparks,
retracting back into the ringleader’s body. I remained on my stomach, not willing to look up at him. I
didn’t want to see what was going to happen next. Feeling it would already be enough. “Tsk tsk tsk.”
He cooed. “Waking me up in the middle of the night, forcing me to walk around in this godforsaken
weather—What do you have to say for yourself this time, my puppet?”
 I didn’t speak. He would hear my voice break if I did, and I wouldn’t give him that

satisfaction tonight. I wouldn’t give him anything more than I had to. He was already guaranteed my

blood and my screams.

“Did you forget that you have a show tomorrow?” He walked along my side. I stayed still and

face down in the mud, tensing as I gripped the earth, as if I could launch to my feet and still escape.
Foolish, unrealistic thoughts.

“You should be resting up. Not out for a late night jog.” He rested his boot on my bare back
muscles. First it was gentle, just a block heel pressing softly on my spine. Then he began using my

skin to scrape the mud from his sole. He dug in the small rocks and muck until he’d scraped against
me deeply enough to draw blood. Minor pain. I wouldn’t flinch for that.

Once he was satisfied, he positioned his foot between my shoulder blades and pressed down,
building pressure like he was gauging my pain threshold. I could take far too much at this point.

“You were finally earning your freedom, and yet here we are, yet again. I thought the cage was
enough, but looks like you need to be put back on your leash.” His taunts feigned amusement and
nonchalance, while pangs of anger laced every note. “Would you like that, Jarek? A chain around your
neck, blades digging into your skin, and your body so nice and secure in my bed.”

I swallowed. He ground his heel in further, then he lifted his boot and sent it smashing down
directly on my spine. The sound of my own vertebrae cracking was enough to finally get me to talk.
Though my words weren’t voluntary. Nor were they anything I would ever be proud of. But bones
would heal overnight. Nerve damage was far more severe. “No. Please, Avro, no—I’ll go back in my
cage. I won’t run again. Just please don’t—”

“You don’t get to make demands anymore. You lost your chance to bargain when you chose to
sneak out after curfew.” He interrupted me with a snarl. In an instant, a coil of magic wrapped tightly
around my neck, more tightly than even the limiter collar he’d clasped around me some indiscernible
number of years ago. Icy energy choked me and pain seared through my body, as that spell radiated

downward.

“Stop, please—” I was clawing at my own skin as he yanked me up to my knees. The cold
permeated through every nerve ending I had, as if I was being frozen alive from the inside out.

“Please.” My voice was a barely there whimper. Pathetic. That’s how I sounded to both myself and
to him. “Please, Master.” I begged through one last bitter sob, though I resented the way that title
sounded in my own ears. It was a designation he’d never deserve, yet I’d give it to him to make this
stop.

But my captor didn’t know what mercy was. No part of my life did anymore. All I knew now
was pain, humiliation, and tears. He lifted me higher, stealing my breath with his frigid coil.

I choked on the pain, then he dropped me back into the mud, leaving me to catch my breath on
my knees.

I didn’t have even a moment to recover before he threaded a fist through my hair and started
dragging me back towards his tent.

I gave up fighting. My only hope was that he’d be brutal enough tonight that my mind might be

able to black it out for the sake of self-preservation. The more of this life I could forget, the better my
chance of staying alive for just one more day.
 Chapter 2

Class dismissed, and my students began filing out of Calculus II. I leaned back in my chair and
waited for the last of them to leave me alone in silence. It had been a strange year already, with an

unusual number of Zodiac Shifters among my classes, both eastern and western in variety. I couldn’t
help but wonder who had determined they’d all end up under my tutelage. A Gemini Shifter, a horse, a
pig, and of course my recent favorites, the puppy who I’d invited myself, and the Little Rabbit who
bore the same face and genes of my old mentor.

My eyes followed Leveret Wong, the Rabbit, as he headed out with Eliot Rand, the Dog,
likely both of them on their way to a late shift at the Toast of the Magi. Eliot would whisper something
into the Little Rabbit’s ear, Levy would flush beet red, then both of them would be off to make
cookies and fuck in the powdered sugar. It was adorable, really. The honeymoon love of a new

relationship mixed with the permanence of true fated mates. I was glad I could help facilitate such a
thing between them, especially pleased that it had been a good match. I knew all too well that, even
with the bonds of fate tying together each Zodiac pair, honest love certainly wasn’t guaranteed. Some
of us, however fated, were still quite incompatible.

I closed my eyes and waited for the sound of the door closing behind the last student. I drew
in a breath, then I slowly released it. To have your future mate written into your very DNA at birth
was perhaps its own curse, far more twisted than the rules of the Zodiac Shifters could ever be.
Something the puppy had understood, and one of many reasons I was quite fond of Eliot. He was
lucky to have gotten someone like Levy as his assignment. If Levy had been my fated mate, I’d likely

have a much more peaceful existence. But perhaps this was for the best for both of us. The irony of

having Haoyu’s son for a mate wouldn’t have been lost on me. That would have been comically cruel
even by the Devil’s standards.

Though, I have to say, my so called destined option was hardly less cruel of him.

“You look stressed, Jun.” Speak of the Devil. My eyebrow twitched at the very unwelcome
voice filling my classroom. I opened my eyes to meet emerald irises, framed by fiery crimson hair
that was spiked to one side and shaved on the other. The leather jacket, the choke collar, and the

tattooed-on eye-liner only topped off his garish attempts to be ‘edgy.’ Graves Academy’s very own art
teacher. He must have slipped in before the door had fully shut.

“I was quite comfortable until you showed up.” I remained leaned back in my seat, with no
interest in greeting Gavin Abernathy with even the slightest warmth or hospitality. “What do you
want.” I stated as a demand and absolutely not a question.

“Is that any way to talk to your fated mate?” The insufferable Rooster crowed. “Did that
synapse in your brain misfire? You would think I’d actually wronged you somehow.” That smirk on
his thin lips only added to how annoying the words coming out of them were.

“I’ll say this one more time. What. Do. You. Want.” My gaze narrowed, and I held that eye
contact like we were in a stand-off with guns pointed straight at each other’s hearts. Gavin paced
over to my desk, and he leaned over it, placing his hands on the varnished wood for support.

“A date. Go out with me. That’s all, I ask.” The tone almost implied he was serious, which I
absolutely refused to believe was true. The bird couldn’t be that oblivious.

“Get out.”

“You didn’t even wait for me to tell you where I want to take you.” He whined.
 “Because the answer is no. It’s always been no. And it will always be no.” I placed my boot

on the end of the desk and shoved myself back, rolling the chair several feet and creating additional

distance between us. Petty. But so was he. “Try again. What do you actually want?”

“The circus is in town next week, and what I actually want is for you to go with me, Jun.” The

bird insisted in a way that was starting to make me think he really was serious.

“The circus? Are you twelve?” I rolled my eyes at such a juvenile suggestion.

“No, but I’ve always wanted to see a real dragon, and I hear they’ve got one. He’s supposed

to be incredible.”

My eyes widened just slightly, before I forced a neutral look that gave nothing further away.
“Where did you hear that?”

“I knew that would get your attention.” His voice was a grating purr. “We’ll just say I have my
sources.” Gavin stood up straight and shoved his hands in the pockets of his studded leather jacket.
His tight lipped grin was as smug as always.

But… he did now have my full attention.

Curious. The dragon of our generation’s rotation of Zodiac Shifters hadn’t been on the radar

in so long, we’d all assumed he’d been killed. But the Rooster seemed rather confident in his
information. Every twelve years, a complete set of Chinese Zodiac shifters was born—one for each
animal, one for each gender, and one for each orientation—and the Council of Shifters tried to keep
track of the life or death of each such animal. It was important, considering we were quite rare and
our blood made us prone to the accidental murder of regular shifters.

But there were no living dragons that I was aware of. There was a tendency for such majestic
shifters to attract hunters of all species. The last one went dark years and years ago, unless our data
was wrong.
 Which was unlikely, considering Haoyu Wong, the High Warlock and magical baker himself,

had been long commissioned for the effort. While we could never explicitly locate each animal in the

Zodiac until they’d registered with the Council, we could track vital signs using the stars and a
powerful mage.

Still, while interesting information, I wouldn’t be singing Gavin any praise whether it was
true or not.

“Sources like the werewolves?” I asked with an accusing raise of my eyebrow. I certainly
hadn’t forgotten what happened during the last super moon. And I certainly wasn’t oblivious to his

involvement. Though what he had to gain by feeding the Rabbit to the wolves was still beyond me.

“Sometimes.” He glanced to the side with a sheepish half smile. But as was typical of the
fowl, he didn’t bother to explain what had motivated him to work with such lowly mutts in the first
place. Instead, he moved straight into his usual entitlement. “I use whatever resources I can, however
I can. Which is why I was able to find the Dragon while you were off fooling around with silly house
pets.”

“Leveret Wong is hardly a ‘silly house pet,’” I shot back in a way that even surprised myself a
touch. Though in hindsight, I wouldn’t be surprised if he’d targeted Levy specifically because I’d

taken an interest in him. “You’re lucky Haoyu hasn’t murdered you with hellfire for that little stunt.”

“Oh come off it.” Gavin’s voice lost much of its amusement. “How do you think the high and
mighty Warlock of Graves Academy would take to the knowledge that you’ve had his son tied up in
your dungeon?” The amount of anger and venom in that statement couldn’t be understated.

Nor could the satisfaction in the smirk across my lips. “Go on and tell him. I’d revel in that
conversation.” Whether he got his information from scent or his ‘sources’ made little difference to me.
I made no apologies and had no regrets about the ways I’d helped Levy. My only regrets were that I
had to fully and completely let him go.
 “Would you really?” He crossed his arms, now overtly irritated. “You wouldn’t be worried

that you might ruin any vague, impossible chance you had with the love of your fucking life if he found

out you were fucking his son?”

I chuckled at his animosity. He thought he did something there. I wasn’t going to be baited by

that statement. “You sound jealous. It’s unbecoming. And pathetically insecure. You’re my fated mate
after all. What do you have to be worried about? Everything about you draws me in by design.” I
rolled my eyes for emphasis. “Other than your worthless personality, I mean.”

“The only thing I’m jealous of is your level of audacity.” Gavin was completely rattled now.

Good. He should have known better to try and get under my skin. That was never a fight he was going
to win. “I don’t know why I keep wasting my time with you.”

“Because you’re in love with me, obviously.” I added as much mockery to the statement as
was possible in words. “Too weak to resist the bond. So sad.”

“Fuck you, Jun.” Weak attacks from a weak shifter. “You want to talk about weak, why don’t
you blindfold me again and—”

“You could only be so lucky.” I cut him off, not remotely wanting to hear it. He wouldn’t get to

see me rattled, and I wasn’t going to let him fill my mind with any such memories. I cocked my head
back and waved a hand to shoo him away. “Thank you for the information though. You can leave
now.”

Gavin huffed. Probably yelled some obscenities that I didn’t care enough to listen to, then he
stormed off. I didn’t bother to watch him leave. The fact that I’d been cursed with someone like him
as a permanent presence in my life was a misfortune I could only attribute to the bad karma I’ve
racked up over the years. Enough bloodletting could do that to someone, I suppose.

I should have just formed and rejected our bond and been done with it, but just the thought of
sharing his blood made my skin crawl. And if the blood bond made me actually start to like him,
despite our shared disdain while of sane mind…

I shuddered at the thought.

Plus, so long as he was my fated mate and pining over me like that, he was useful. And he was
suffering. Both of which pleased me.

Once he was at last out of my hair, I took a deep breath, relaxed, and let that information sink
in.

A circus. So the dragon shifter of the zodiac was a circus performer? A curious development,
and I was obligated to look into it. Though to suppress his life force from detection—he must be
working with a warlock of sorts. A warlock who knew that the Zodiac Shifters were monitored, no
less. What would motivate someone to do such a thing?

Perhaps I should stop in at the bakery and see if the father of my favorite house pet might have
some insight. And if his son might want to go on a bit of a field trip.

The Toast of the Magi was a quaint little bakery in the much less quaint forest outside Graves
Academy. Monsters lurked in these trees, from shifters to gnomes to sprites to fae, making the walk
deceptive in its serenity, and perhaps more dangerous than the family who founded it.

I parked my car in the lot and shifted into snake form to take the shortcut through the bushes. I
shifted back as soon as I came upon the old building of white picket fences and soft blues. Opening
the door set off a small jingle bell positioned to alert the shop keeper. I expected to see the Little
Rabbit or the Puppy, but neither appeared to be working the counter. No, today, I was greeted by a
much more familiar face.
 “Jun. What brings you to Toast of the Magi?” Haoyu Wong asked as he finished restocking the

scones. He was as tall as I was, just a few inches over six feet, his black hair was buzzed neatly, and

his muscular biceps and heavily built chest were obvious despite his button up shirt and his apron.
Aside from being much more built, older, and more masculine, he and Levy looked so much alike, it

was nearly disorienting. It wasn’t surprising per say, considering he was his biological father and all,
but it was unnerving on the basis that it was difficult for me to look at him now without picturing the
Rabbit tied up and pleading.

Nor did I want to think about the fact that the mental image of Haoyu being in that position

was… not something I wished to conjure in any portion of my mind these days.

An image of Gavin straddling my waist appeared in my head briefly, and I was even quicker
to banish that mental slide show. The mistakes I’ve made…

“Haoyu.” I greeted him warmly as I approached the glass case. Our relationship was actually
quite comfortable, and I would let no such drama ruin that bond. It had been decades since I’d felt
anything beyond deep friendship with my longtime mentor. “Your charming apprentice has gotten me
hooked on your red velvet cookies, and I figured I’d stop in for a few.”

Haoyu chuckled. He had a deep yet deceptively jovial laugh. “You? Eating cookies. I can’t

picture that at all.” He still wasted no time pulling one from the case. He broke it in half and handed
me the slightly larger side. Something he’d done since I was younger and we shared countless
afternoons in the Astrology Room. He wasn’t always generous with others, but he always was with
me. “I heard from Levy that you helped him out a lot during the Super Moon. Thank you again for
always being there for my family. As long as I’ve been alive, and even being married to one, I still
can’t keep straight all the quirks and rituals of shifters. Let alone the Chinese Zodiac ones.”

I nodded to accept his thanks. “It was the least I could do. I figured it was about time I finally
met your offspring. It just happened to work out at a perfect time.”
 “One might even say it was fate.” He chuckled, yet I couldn’t muster any such amusement at

the word. Warlocks had no ties of fate, yet for myself, it had always been a bitter concept.

“One might say.” I spoke with neutrality.

“I’m just glad you get along so well. It’s a wonder you managed to avoid meeting him for
twenty-two years. Now that I think about it, have you even meet Francine?” He pursed his lips.

“I’ve met her in passing.” I waved a hand dismissively. I wasn’t going to clarify that not
wanting to formally meet his wife was precisely why I had avoided meeting Levy for so long. If I

hadn’t figured he was Eliot’s fated rabbit shifter, I likely would have continued to avoid him. But
sadly, I’d developed some misguided fondness for that silly mutt, and I wanted him to succeed, even
if it meant dredging up old wounds. “I at least vaguely know every living Zodiac Shifter. You know
that.”

“I suppose you do.” Haoyu laughed. “I suppose I do as well.”

“Indeed.” I nodded, seeing the perfect segue to my point, fortunately far away from his.
“Speaking of which, so what can you tell me about my generation’s Dragon Shifter?”

“The Dragon Shifter? Well let’s see, generally they’re strong, natural leaders with very

dominant personalities. Like you, but more charismatic.” He smirked, and I rolled my eyes at that
subtle dig. “They’re also, much like you, rather short tempered. Though that’s probably why they’re a
good match for Year of the Snake Shifters.”

I raised an eyebrow. As good a match as a dragon might be, I already knew who my fated
mate was. Sadly.

“I’m not asking your opinion on if I should date one. I’m asking if you know the whereabouts
of the male dragon. I promise I’m already well aware of each sign’s most basic traits.”

“Oh.” Haoyu blinked several times in that clueless way he often did. Though, instead of that
reminding me of his usual playfulness, this time I couldn’t help but think about… Levy. A brief

realization that I didn’t want to analyze further.

I shook my head to banish the thought. I’d already helped Levy bond with his fated mate. And I
respected and liked his fated mate. There was nothing there.

Haoyu continued. “We lost track of him quite some time ago. I assumed he had perished, and
we were waiting for the next generation’s dragon to be born, since I don’t believe there are any
dragons left among any of the currently surviving generations, male or female. Of all the Eastern
Zodiac signs, the dragons tend to either get murdered early or end up targets. There’s still a couple

years left before a new one can be born.”

So he didn’t know anything either. Which meant either Gavin’s information was entirely false,
or his sources knew something none of the rest of us did. Which, knowing how manipulative he could
be, that was entirely possible. Despite my disdain for him, I would know if he was lying to me.

I was about to mention this little rumor, when the curtain to the backroom was pushed open
and Levy emerged behind the counter with a tray full of freshly decorated cupcakes.

He jumped near imperceptivity when he saw me. “Oh, hi Ju—Professor Shen.” He said with

his usual awkwardness. I couldn’t help the smirk as he made some absurd attempt to pretend we were
little more than acquaintances in front of his father. Probably the correct move, but I’d always enjoy
that discomfort of his.

“Leveret Wong.” I returned the greeting with a nod. I knew I’d done the right thing to step back
from he and Eliot’s relationship, but I surprised myself with how pleased I was to see him in a casual
context again.

“What took so long, Levy?” Haoyu raised an eyebrow at his son.

“Mom called, and it’s not that easy to make intricate little fondant pillows while she’s talking
to me.” He said sheepishly, his nerves around his own father very pronounced. Haoyu had always
been a severe and strict person, so that wasn’t surprising either. Though it dawned on me that this was

the first time I’d ever seen them interact. “She’s still on the phone, and she wanted to talk to you.”

Haoyu sighed, then he smiled that same painfully sweet smile he’d had back when he first told

me of his engagement to the female Tiger Shifter of the Chinese Zodiac. As much as it had pained me,
that subtle fondness in his eyes was almost annoyingly genuine, and it was almost annoyingly cute. It
was a real, honest love that couldn’t be argued. He turned to me briefly before heading towards the
kitchen. “It was good seeing you again, Jun. It would be good to catch up outside of work, but please

stop by any time for more of those cookies. You don’t have to be a stranger.”

“Of course.” I shooed him away with a tip of my chin. Then I was alone with Levy.

Levy watched the curtain fall closed, waiting for his father to be completely out of earshot—
something much easier to accomplish when dealing with a mage than his shifter mother—before he
addressed me. “So what are you doing here, Jun?” He asked nervously, with a soft blush teasing his
cheeks. Why that made me smile, I chose not to think about.

“Are you working Saturday?” I asked casually with a hand in my pocket.

“No, Eliot has my shift this weekend.” He transferred his weight uncomfortably on his feet.
“Why?”

Perfect. “Would you like to go to the circus with me?”

He blinked several times. “Like… a date?”

I laugh at that, then I leaned over the counter until our faces nearly touched. Levy froze, not
pushing me away nor retreating. He was entirely too comfortable with me in his space, and he very
much shouldn’t be. I placed a hand on his cheek, then drifted down to lift his chin, better revealing the
mate scar at the base of his neck. “You’re a mated shifter, remember? I would never even consider
such a thing.” I whispered against his lips.

His Adam’s apple bobbed at my fingertips, and I could hear the quickening of his heartbeat.

His inability to separate fear from sex made him such a fascinating little rabbit to play with. It was a
shame that I could never fully indulge him. “Okay.” He squeaked. “I’m sure Eliot won’t mind.”

I smiled as I pulled back, resisting the strange pull I still felt towards him, and I returned my
hand to my pocket. “Excellent. I’ll pick you up at noon.”
 Chapter 3

I opened my eyes, blinking several times in the process to bring the world into focus. A clear
blue sky leaked through the thick steel bars above me. Hay bales, carts, and tents were visible through

the equally thick steel beside, in front, and behind me.

My cage.

I didn’t bother to sit up. I just laid on the straw floor like a goddamn animal and stared at that
sky above. It would hurt too much to move anyway.

The beating hadn’t been nearly enough to black me out this time. If he though blades and a
whip were worse than broken bones and dislocation, he was clearly more ignorant about shifters than
I realized. Definitely ignorant about me. Maybe Avro was getting softer, or maybe I was just getting

stronger.

Or fuck, maybe I was just starting to get used to it.

I watched barely there clouds drift by in silence, wondering if it would rain again tonight. Not
that it had helped me last night. I’d probably spend this one shivering under a tarp and not pressing my
luck. I’d at least wait to fully heal first. It took longer than normal with the limiter.

I drew in a slow breath, ignoring the hustle and bustle of the early risers who were preparing
for the day’s show. I lifted my hand in front of my face, groaning slightly as the raw cuts on my back
shifted against the straw, and I stared at the tattoo that coiled down from the back of my hand. An
elegant, serpentine marking, adorned with scales and fire. The mark of the dragon.

I sighed, then I wrenched myself upright. A meal had already been placed in the corner of my

cage. Probably already cold. Not that it tasted much better when it was warm. Flies hovered and
landed on the nondescript meat-like object they called food.

Like an animal is right. Was that how Warlocks saw Shifters in general? If he was going to
conveniently only acknowledge that I was half animal, was this really how they wanted to treat a
fucking dragon?

I hooked my finger through the nonexistent breathing room of my limiter collar and I gave it a
light tug. The only assurance they had that I wasn’t going to burn them all alive in their fucking sleep.

Cowards. If mages were as powerful and almighty as they liked to brag about, they shouldn’t
need to suppress my magical strength.

I rolled my bare shoulders, feeling the sharp sting of the cuts in my skin, then I paced over to
my meal. Terrible or not, I still needed to keep my strength up if I had any hope of getting out of here. I
wouldn’t be going on any hunger strikes. That would just get me beaten and leave me too weak to take
a hit.

I shooed the flies away and took a seat.

“Did you try and escape again, Jarek?” The baritone voice of a lion shifter wasn’t the most
unpleasant thing so early in the morning. I lifted my gaze to the neighboring cage, where Landon, a
blond and sun bleached and fantastically muscular man stared down at me with his arms akimbo. He
seemed damn near angelic between his soothing English accent and the golden stubble that caught the
sun just right.

“What was your first clue?” I scoffed at the question, then tore into the cold, tough meat log
with my teeth. He simply shook his head and placed a hand on his large iron bars. This whole set up
felt so medieval. What century Avro had been born in, none of us dared to ask, but I’d guess it was
some time before fucking Jesus with his general aesthetic.

“How many times have you failed now? Thirty? Forty? Six-hundred-ninety-nine?” He was
always so damn over-dramatic and so damn sarcastic.

“How many times have you even tried? What was it? Ten? Four? Oh wait, no, zero.” I dug
into another bite of my chicken-like-thing. Horrendous, but I’d had worse. I didn’t know where their
chefs managed to find seasonings that tasted like ass sweat, but they did somehow. “At least I have the
balls to fight for myself.”

“I’m smart enough to know better is all. I don’t think Avro likes me quite like he likes you.”
The implication wasn’t lost on me. My eyes narrowed as an irritated reflex.

“What a privilege.” I glared up at Landon, who leaned lazily against the bars of his cage. It
was hardly a positive to have to entertain Avro’s sadistic games. I wasn’t sure I even knew the
difference between pain and pleasure anymore. I couldn’t say if they had ever been separate, really.
“How long have you been in here, anyway?”

“Me?’ Landon tapped his lips with his finger. “I think I was… ten when my parents sold me as

a fine attraction? My parents were both gazelle shifters, and they ended up birthing a lion cub on a
distant recessive gene, so I was the terrifying embarrassment they didn’t need at family gatherings.”

I wish being an embarrassment was the worst thing I struggled with. “And you’re how old
now?”

“Thirty? I think? Time stops meaning much in places like this.”

“And not one escape attempt. What a pussy.” I smirked up at him. “I’ve only been here a few
years, and I’ve got—what did we decide on? Six-hundred-ninety-nine? Try and keep up, kitty cat.”

Landon huffed. “You know, if you weren’t always drawing so much attention to yourself, you
probably wouldn’t want to escape so badly. This could be a good life if you let it.”

“Good like yours?” I stood up and stared him directly in the eye. We were about the same

height. Just a hair over six foot. “Because last I checked, they keep you in a cage just like me.”

“Really?” Landon walked over to his cage door, ignoring my attempt at intimidation, and he
swung it open effortlessly. He may have lived behind bars like I did, but they didn’t bother to lock his
anymore. They knew he wasn’t going anywhere. He was too pathetic for that. Or maybe, having been
sold so young, he simply had no idea that things could be better. “I only sleep out here in the grass
because I sleep better in it. Mattresses creep me out.”

“Congratulations on your Stockholm Syndrome.” I said with a roll of my eyes.

“Thank you. I’ve been working at it for years.” He scoffed back. “They even let me out on the
town when I feel like it because I’m capable of loyalty to the hand that feeds. There’s a reason I don’t
have twice as many scars as I’ve had orgasms in my life, you know.”

I snorted. He thought he was so clever. “Scars and orgasms aren’t mutually exclusive.”

That just annoyed him more. “Were you always so fucked in the head, or is that a recent
development, Jarek?”

“Both.” I shrugged my shoulders, before I returned to my meat.

Landon exited his cage and went off for a walk just to emphasize how great the life he was
living was compared to mine. I couldn’t totally fault him. He was ignorant to what freedom could be.
I had the misfortune of hitting my mid-twenties free and happy before I ended up bound and gagged
and magically disabled, so this felt far more imprisoning to me.

I ran my fingertips over the steel bars that bound me. I could shift still, when allowed
anyways, but it wasn’t terribly useful. As powerful and mighty as it should have been to hold the
position as the coveted Dragon of the Chinese Zodiac, it was worthless for escaping a cage of this
size and enchantment. My shifted form was rather large, and these bars were very carefully sized.

So instead I just sighed and laid back down in my straw bed like a neutered hamster, while the

hustle and bustle of activity swirled around my cage.

“Jarek.” Avro called to me from the other side of the bars, interrupting the beginnings of a nap.
I ignored him, but he knew I could hear him, so of course he continued talking anyway. “We’ll be
moving after today’s show to a very special place. I think you might enjoy it.”

I rolled over, putting my back to him and giving him an eyeful of the scars he’d caused, but I

didn’t reward him with my words. I was sick of giving in to him. I knew there would be
consequences for insubordination even this small, but I couldn’t win with him even when I did as he
said, so I may as well rebel at every possible junction.

“Oh, don’t be like that.” His tone was far too sweet and pouty for his shit personality. “After
spending so much time entertaining these simple humans, I thought you’d be thrilled to hear you’re
going to be spending some time around your own kind.”

My ears perked up, but I resisted the urge to show a physical reaction.

“That’s got to be a new low even for you.” I at last sat up to face him. As hard as I tried to

keep my expression flat and neutral, my anger won out. “You want to make me humiliate myself for a
bunch of mangy werewolves?”

“It’s fitting punishment for causing me so much trouble all the time, Jarek.” He just loved
repeating my name as if he was some sort of friend. “Besides, from what I’ve seen, you rather enjoy
humiliation.”

I would absolutely not let myself flinch at that. Instead, I stood up and paced over to Avro
until we were face to face. Then as quickly as I could, before he activated his barriers, I shot an arm
through the bars and grabbed him by the shirt collar, I slammed his chest into the bars and spit in his
face. “I’ll enjoy your humiliation as a bunch of angry shifters tear your fucking throat out for trapping
me here.”

Avro could have deflected my grip at any moment, but he chose to let me flex and threaten
him. I knew that, yet still I was annoyed when that hideous smile crept across his face. “You think

your fellow shifters would ever risk their necks for the likes of you? There’s a reason you ended up
here in the first place, my puppet.”

I shoved him and sent him stumbling, not wanting to listen to another goddamn word. My
nostrils flared as I inhaled sharply through my nose. I narrowed my eyes, I bared my teeth, then I

initiated a full shift.

Dark green scales speckled my skin, first sparsely, then multiplying at a rapid rate, until every
inch of me was covered in that perfect, natural armor. My form stretched, my nails sharpened and
extended, and my teeth became dulled daggers, while my scorching blood pumped through a body that
had become entirely reptilian. The limiter collar stretched to shape for my thicker neck, and large red
horns extended from my elongated skull.

Each piece of my dragon form was a weapon, from my long tail to my claws to my horns to
my fangs, even if this damned collar dulled their points. If I ever got this limiter off, I’d use every one

of those to rip him to shreds. My serpentine body filled the entirety of my metal box.

I roared, and he laughed. Then with the slightest snap of his fingers, the limiter collar lit up in
a glowing red. My whole body rapidly returned to human proportions, bones re-breaking and organs
rearranging at a rate that was near excruciating enough to make me black out.

My roar turned into a pained grunt as I gripped my now human biceps and tried to sooth my
muscles. Being forced out of shifter form was vicious and inhumane, but I’d been through that pain
enough times now that I didn’t let him see how much it fazed me anymore. Instead, I grinned right
back at my captor through the cold sweat that covered my brutalized body, just to emphasize how
little the pain mattered to me anymore.

It was tough talk at best. I already knew he was capable of far worse, and my gut was seconds

away from retching up my breakfast. But right now, I wanted to appear tougher than he let me be. I
steeled my stance, while Avro shook his head.

And then I couldn’t hold it in anymore. I dropped to my knees and spilled the contents of my
stomach into the hay on the ground. I clenched my stomach, cursing the way I couldn’t hold my dignity
no matter how hard I tried, while Avro cackled in that smug fucking way he always did.

I was going to fucking kill him, and I was going to make it fucking hurt.

“Big man.” He chuckled, then he unlocked my cage. “So very scary.” I held still, every muscle
tense, as he entered my space. He neared enough to dance his fingertips on my shoulders as I
remained on my hands and knees on the floor. “What’s got you so feisty lately?”

I kept my head down, so he crouched down to my level and lifted my chin. I refused to speak.

“Was last night not enough punishment?” His touch was light as it trailed up and down my
neck, grazing my skin with the backs of his fingernails. The fact that treating me like this had him
visibly fucking hard was infuriating and disgusting.

I narrowed my gaze but remained silent. Go ahead. Relax your guard again, asshole.

“Maybe you need another round.” He braced my chin with his hand, and he pressed his thumb
between my lips. “Suck, Jarek. And maybe I won’t have to beat you again.”

I held eye contact like I wanted to crush it between my fists. Then just as he demanded, I
touched my tongue to his thumb and drew him into my mouth. Like a lion tamer putting his head
between the jaws of the beast, Avro trusted his control over me. He believed that I feared
consequences too much to truly fight back, and he knew this limiter collar on my neck meant no one
who enforced the rules of shifters and magic kind could detect I even existed.
 He was right. No one was coming for me, and no one cared what he did to me. I was a toy and

a gimmick until he got tired of my bullshit and killed me.

So why delay the inevitable?

I partial shifted my teeth in an instant, and bit down hard enough that even my neutered fangs
crunched right through his fucking finger. Avro shouted as his blood filled my mouth, louder when the
grind of my teeth severed bone and tendon. I clamped down my fangs to fully separate his thumb,
partial shifted my throat to swallow it whole, then I jerk my head away, spat his own blood into his
face, and fucking ran.

“You fucking worm!”

He’d left my cage open, and I was faster than him. Not his magic hounds, but definitely the old
mage himself. He was still trying to get a hold of himself when I was out of the door and sprinting
through the hustle and bustle of a populating circus. I leaped over boxes, and side stepped my
coworkers.

“Someone stop him!” Avro shouted to his slaves as he started out after me. Like anyone would
fucking listen to him. Though sometimes it felt like I was the only one who didn’t want to be here.

I made another attempt for the trees, knowing I could hide among them if I could just reach
them. I was almost there. I glanced back over my shoulder, seeing Avro distant behind me, and I
grinned. This was it. Finally. Freedom.

A violent impact nailed me in the neck, and I was on the floor on my back before the stars in
my eyes had stopped spinning. A massive gorilla shifter of a man snickered down at me, the arm he’d
just clotheslined me with still outstretched. I started scrambling backwards when a magic chain
wrapped around my neck and forced me back to the mud. Those same chains pinned my arms over my
head and bound my feet to the ground, as a very angry wizard stormed over.
 “Even a feral dog will eventually learn to respect his master.” He growled as he pounded a

foot into my stomach. I gasped as the wind was knocked from my lungs.

He used a fishing line of magic to draw his severed finger back out of my throat, and he
returned it to his hand. It reattached with a sparkle. “What more do I have to do to you before you

learn your fucking place?”

The chain tightened around my neck, as though it was a living boa constrictor trying to choke
me out. But I just narrowed my eyes and grinned widely, showing off the blood filling my mouth and
painting my teeth. “You should probably try whipping me again. I think it’ll work this time.”

Maybe I really did have a death wish. Or maybe I just wanted him to get so mad he would
finish the job and put me out of my misery.

Avro glared at me in delicious malice. “Push back the acrobat show, and take him onto the
stage.” He snapped to his single brain-celled primate shifter. “I’m going to demonstrate for everyone
exactly how pathetic you are. And please, Jarek, try not to cry this time.”

The magic bindings loosed, and the gorilla yanked me to my feet. I spat blood into the dirt as I
was walked back to the circus tent. As much as I steeled myself against this shit and tried to act tough,

the dread in my stomach and the tightness in my chest constantly reminded me that I wasn’t anywhere
near as dead inside as I needed to be if I wanted to survive this.

The main tent was already full as Benjamin the Gorilla shifter hauled me onto center stage by
my collar. His thick fingers hooked in the tight space between my neck and the limiter, and the
pressure against my windpipe cut off my breathing completely. By the time he released me and shoved
me onto the ground, I was choking trying to make up for the lost air.

“Ladies and Gentleman, welcome to Avro’s Circus!” The sorcerer himself paced in front of
me, dressed in his ink black ringleader garb with silver rivets. Benjamin stood loyally in the
background like a fucking chump, while I stayed on my hands and knees, still shirtless, marred, and

bloody.

The crowd didn’t care one bit as they applauded that cursed intro.

“Here you’ll bear witness to wonders and magic beyond anything you’ve ever seen.” He
hyped up the largely human audience with a display of superficial sparks, raining from the canopy
ceiling. “Men who devolve to their most basic form.” he snapped and Benjamin partial shifted, taking
on the shape of a Neanderthal rather than going full ape. The audience oohed and ahhed. “And men

who can become the king of all beasts.” He snapped to demand my transformation next. I didn’t have
the option to refuse as he activated that collar and forced my body to start its shift. My own inner
magic boiled in my veins, seething at the invasion, but no matter how hard I fought it, Avro’s magic
was stronger. Again my bones broke in my body, the sensation vivid and pronounced when it wasn’t
of my own free will, and again those bones reshaped and extended, while my body stretched into a
serpentine dragon.

“Even the meekest among us can become monsters.” He paced over to me, stroking my red
mane with an abhorrent tenderness. I could feel the burning stares of every single member of the

audience as they gawked at the neutered dragon in their midst, as if I was anything dangerous
anymore. “And the monsters among us can become meek.” Another snap of his fingers, and that
limiter collar forced me back into human form to the loud gasps of crowd. The transition was quick
and vicious, and I was thankful I’d already wretched up my breakfast.

I remained on my hands and knees as Avro placed a boot on my back. Even if I’d wanted to
get up, the nauseating pain permeating every single nerve in my body would have kept me down.
“Today, let me invite you to a dark and thrilling show beneath the big top.” He pressed down his heel,
and I flattened onto the ground. Another snap of his fingers, another forced transformation. He kept
digging in his heel, even as I took on a form of scales and claws once more. He stood over me, like a

hunter who slayed a wild beast using a high powered rifle from thousands of feet away.

Like the fucking coward he was.

Limp beneath him, I gave in to defeat and pain and I closed my eyes. Soon he’d start
demanding I do tricks, and I’d do them. He’d ask me to thread through rings, and breathe fire, and I
would. I would do everything he said, time and again, because there wasn’t any other option other
than death at this point.
 Chapter 4

Back in my cage, the entire operation loaded onto the backs of large trucks, and my whole
body aching, the caravan started to move. The only thing not medieval about Avro’s general style was

the use of semi-trucks instead of ox-drawn carts. It would have been easier to jump out of a cart, I
supposed.

The cages were covered by tarps, strapped down to block view of the contents from
outsiders, probably because cells filled with what appeared to be humans would attract too much
attention. Though I was certain Avro had a cloaking spell to assure there were no slip ups.

I watched as the highway passed by in a blur beneath the small gap between the tarp and my
kennel’s floor, and I rolled onto my side in a daze. Everything hurt. Every muscle, every inch of my
skin, every tendon and bone. The amount of physical damage that was done by forcing a shifter into

beast form, over and over again, at a rate too rapid for their bones to set and restructure, couldn’t be
overstated. My healing ability was nowhere near rapid enough with the limiter collar sucking the soul
out of me.

Day gave way to night, and my little window to the outside turned pitch black. We were in the
mountains, I gathered from the way G-forces tugged me left and right around the constant sweeping
turns. I partial shifted my eyes to sharpen my night vision. A cliff, pine trees, waterfalls falling down
the mountain side. If I jumped, I’d probably re-break all my bones for the thirtieth time today, but…
they wouldn’t be able to chase me.
 The idea entered my head like it was the last piece of sashimi that absolutely shouldn’t go to

waste. It wasn’t a good idea to give in to the temptation, necessarily, but it would also be such a

shame to waste something so perfect and enticing and rare. And the consequences were irrelevant
enough, that it was also a fairly innocuous decision to take it in the grand scheme of things.

Fuck, why am I always thinking about food? Been starving on death flavored rodent meat
for so long, my mental metaphors are getting desperate.

I started rapidly calculating every possible outcome. Say I managed to get out of my cage
again, which was entirely doable if I heated the lock right—limiter or no, enchanted or no, dragon’s

fire was still dragon’s fire, and steel was still steel—what were my odds of death versus inhibiting
physical injury? If I jumped when the cliff was steepest, I would get down quickly, but I risked
breaking my legs on the way. My collar stole my ability to alter gravity, so flying was out of the
question, but my dragon form would take the tumble better. I could coil and roll, and my scales were
tough.

A more shallowly sloped jumping point would give me more of a running start, but Avro’s
hounds could give chase. But a waterfall…

His hounds couldn’t navigate a waterfall, and if I was lucky, the pool at the bottom would be

deep enough to fall into safely.

I followed the edge of the road, watching for that perfect opportunity. This part of the country
was a temperate rain forest, and water was abundant. I watched the dark, wet rocks roll by the road
side, as the tap tap tap of rain drops started drumming on the tarp overhead at an increasing rate.
Darkness, rain, and dense trees—the perfect recipe.

I placed a hand on the lock, and started heating the metal as I had a thousand times before. The
fact that Avro never upgraded his cage system, despite my countless escape attempts, told me he
probably liked the chase. Like he got off on bringing me to my knees over and over again.
 Of course he did. That wasn’t anything new. But he wouldn’t expect me to jump out now. It

was one thing to hunt me down in camp, pin me with his magic, and beat me into submission on his

controlled playground. It was another to chase me off a cliff, through the dense, wet forest of the
southeast.

The lock gave, and the mechanism clicked. I inched the door open slowly, thankful for the now
deafening rain, the road noise, and the sound dampening cabs of the trucks that hid its noisy hinges
from anyone who might care. I nudged the door as far open as the tarp would allow, which was just
wide enough for my always shrinking frame. Try as I might to keep muscle on my bones, there was

only so much I could do with the food they gave me. Unfortunately that also meant I wouldn’t have
much cushion for my bones when I hit the ground, but that was a risk I could take. I could live with a
broken rib or two for a while. It wouldn’t be my first time.

I squeezed out of my cage, staying in between the tarp and my bars, letting the plastic flatten
my nose as I shimmied through the tight space, inching myself to the front side of the trailer where my
escape wouldn’t be immediately visible in the rear view mirror or to the truck behind me. With
another partial shift, I used a singular claw to cut a thin line down the material. The limiter collar
dulled the point, but they still had enough of an edge to snag on the plastic fibers. I tore the material

down to ankle height, not enough to catch too much air, and not all the way down, so it wouldn’t flap
in the wind. I emerged from the cover, and I crouched at the side of the flat bed, watching the
environment go by, where I waited, impatiently, for the perfect jumping point.

Rain doused me as I prepared myself, and my short, dirty blond hair clung to my forehead. As
soon as I jumped, the following semi would alert the others, so I had to pick the right moment.

Up ahead, a curve approached. Around the bend, the headlights lit up a yellow sign, warning
drivers that bridges often iced over in the winter. We were on the bridge in three more seconds, and I
was launching myself off the edge of that moving vehicle in less than four.
 My whole body was illuminated by the next truck for the brief second between leaving the

platform and getting sucked into the waterfall’s powerful stream. I was ripped downward in a rush of

moving gravity, and I forced as much of a shift as my remaining strength could muster to protect my
frail human body in the fall. Like a javelin, I speared the watering hole bellow, and momentum took

me deep, nearly smashing my nose into the rocks at the bottom. I shifted back, just in time to avoid a
concussion, then I flailed my way to the surface. The water was cold, but swimmable, and the
surrounding rain forest was dark and dense. I climbed the rocks at the pools edge, and I pulled myself
to my feet. A quick once over revealed nothing broken or twisted. Fucking lucky.

That might be the first time I ever thought that about myself.

I chuckled despite myself, feeling especially light in this small window of calm, then I took
off running into the trees.

The rain was still coming down, and large ferns and deep mud puddles splashed over my skin
as I upset their otherwise calm existence. The only sound I heard was my own breath pacing itself
through my lungs and my bare feet squelching in the wet leaves and heavy grass. I leaped over a log,
and I kept up pace, thankful for the animal side of me that easily read, navigated, and reacted to
terrain. Though I didn’t have the energy left to shift again, I had more than enough adrenaline to keep

this version of my body running and on task.

I was sure I’d have pursuers soon. Though they had no good place to stop the trucks on this
mountain road without causing a major disturbance to traffic, so they would likely have to drive until
they found a good enough cut out. Maybe a mile ahead. Maybe two. Then they’d have to backtrack,
likely using the horses or the fuck-twin’s pickup, and try to figure out a way down the hill side. Even
if they survived diving in after me, I would be long gone by then.

The pain was barely relevant to me anymore as I stretched out my muscles in a run. It was
relaxing and soothing, and the intensity of the exercise centered my mind. I couldn’t remember the last
time I enjoyed the kind of quiet that only existed in the woods. While the rain kept coming down, the
overhead canopies of the dense trees kept me dry, and the water did little more than create a soothing

chorus above me.

I ran through the night, never hearing anyone chasing behind me. If I was lucky, they hadn’t

noticed. Or maybe the truck driver didn’t care enough to report it right away. Maybe I really was free.

I jogged into a clearing, where my knees buckled underneath me, refusing to take even one
more step. I let myself collapse in the overgrown field. Forcing myself to carry on wouldn’t get me
much further when I was this exhausted. It would be safer to rest and continue on full strength.

So instead, I started looking for some sort of camp. I’d figure out food later, but first I needed
rest. I wanted to run all night—make another ten or twenty miles on the caravan—but the reality was,
my body had been ravaged over the last twenty-four hours. If I was too drained to even partial shift,
then I was too weak to defend myself.

I located the tallest tree knowing not even the hounds would smell me if I could get high
enough. Or if they did, I would have time to react. Hiding in a bush would leave me too vulnerable.
Inconvenience was key.

I set a trap around the surrounding trees, using sticks and rocks and string made from tearing
the fabric of my pants to assure I might have some extra alarm, then I climbed up, hand over hand,
barely able to lift myself by the time I reached a stable branch. It was cold, but my blood was
naturally warm enough that I could bear it. I settled in, and closed my eyes.
 Chapter 5

Sunlight penetrated my eyelids, filling my vision with a warm red. I awoke to a still, drying
forest with no sign of my troupe anywhere to be found. Had I lost them? Truly?

I shimmied back down the wide trunk of my hiding place, and I stretched my quads and
hamstrings in preparation for another run. My energy was vaguely restored by sleep, and my body had
started healing itself a bit, but the loud grumble of my stomach reminded me that I had some pressing
matters to tend to if I wanted to continue this bid of resistance.

There were no small animals I could hunt, but I was able to sniff out a few roots and
mushrooms that wouldn’t kill me. I indulged in the little food I could, then continued towards the
horizon. West. Towards home.

Is that where I was going? Why?

There was nothing for me there. There hadn’t been since I was still a child. But where else
was I supposed to go? I had no goal beyond evading my captors, and that seemed like a logical start.
Though it’s not like I knew anyone there anymore.

I made it another five miles through the woods when I came upon a small roadside diner.
Shirtless, barefoot, and covered in mud, cuts, and bruises, they likely wouldn’t welcome me for
breakfast though. I didn’t exactly have money on me, plus, being this close to the road was dangerous
on the sole basis that trucks could drive through here.
 The scent of sizzling bacon was torture on my nostrils and my hungry stomach, but I continued

on, following the road into town where I might have some chance to steal some clothes or some food.

I’d take just enough to survive. Most people had more than they needed. I was sure no one would be
too hurt.

I kept to the bushes and trees, trying to stay far enough from the roadside to avoid visible
detection. I’d made it further than I ever had before, but I wasn’t going to get cocky. I didn’t know if
Avro had some way to find me in his magical bag of tricks, and I couldn’t risk being easy to grab. It
seemed there was a spell for everything. Warlocks were so damn overpowered.

A few miles down the road I came upon a small town. The commercial buildings were old
and mostly made of bricks covered in a layer of peeling paint, while the houses were largely trailers
and mobile homes that barely held together. Every yard was like a miniature junkyard, and rusted
pinwheels lined the roadside. It was the kind of quiet small town that had little going on, that no one
would ever be able to find on a map outside of the ten or so people who lived here. Hell, they
probably didn’t even know where they were in the world.

My step remained cautious as I found my first lucky score with a pair of worn out shoes and
an old band t-shirt in the thrift store donation bin. The shoes were a half size too small, but they

would work. A pair of pants on a clothesline, and a belt discarded in a random junk pile behind a
house almost made me look presentable. A shower would be nice, but that would have to wait. For
now, I just scrapped dried mud off my skin with my fingernails.

I watched a family with three small children walk out of the town’s only café, not one of them
holding a take-out box, and I knew that was my chance. I stepped in to the understaffed restaurant, and
located the table still covered in half eaten burgers and fry baskets that were still waiting to be
cleared. I slid into the booth, ignoring the gawking of the three other townsfolk enjoying their lunches,
swiped all of the half-plates into one of the plastic fry baskets, and slipped out before the waitress
could shoo me off. Easy. They were just going to throw it all away anyway, and I’d return the basket

later if they really needed it. I wasn’t doing any real harm.

Feeling unusually lucky and relieved, I settled in behind the bushes of the town park, far from
being visible from the road. A public restroom and water fountain gave me a chance to wash up a bit,

and I enjoyed a meal of cheap cheeseburgers covered in too much ketchup and mayonnaise, reveling
in every calorie I could savor.

Back when I practically lived at the gym, I probably would have hated myself for this kind of
meal, but today, it was heaven. I attempted a partial shift, drawing green scales up my arm, and the

hints of restored energy warmed my soul. I flexed and rolled my shoulders just to savor how good it
felt.

Now if I could just get this damn collar off.

With every single fry and scrap of bun and cheese devoured, I dusted myself off, and started
making my way out of the foliage. And then I stopped short as I caught sight of a familiar pickup
parked outside the dinner.

Two orange-haired men got out of either side, Identical twins with the scratch-like mark of

were-tigers tattooed on opposite sides of their necks.

Horace and Ferris.

Fuck.

I stayed in the bushes, frozen so as not to catch their sensitive ears. When Avro wasn’t dulling
out punishment, he loved watching them tear me to shreds. Fucking diseased bullshit shifters,
masquerading a curse like it was an identity. If I didn’t have this cheap power suppressor on my neck,
I’d have ripped them both apart with my teeth a long time ago.

They entered the restaurant, probably to ask if anyone had spotted the half-naked blond guy
with the choker. It was hard to say if, in small town America, the local folks would protect a random

outsider from two douchier looking outsiders, or if they would rat out the guy in stolen jeans

immediately. I held my position and my breath as I waited for them to emerge. I hoped my heartbeat
wouldn’t give away my position.

Ferris exited first, scowls on his and his brother’s matching faces. They glanced around,
scanning the area, but not with any clear idea or intention.

Horace hopped in the passenger seat. Ferris started rounding the driver’s side door. I watched
and waited.

A bird landed by my bush and started pecking around at the floor. Totally innocent, not
remotely out of the ordinary, but… just enough to catch the eye of a wannabe cat.

Ferris’ attention scanned over to the park as if moving in slow motion. I tensed, wishing I was
an opossum shifter who could play dead well enough to avoid detection. Not that that would work
with the tigers.

“There!” Ferris yelled as he immediately started bounding towards my hiding place.

Shit. Shit shit shit. Stupid fucking bird.

I broke for the trees. I partial shifted my eyes, giving me a faster scan and reaction, and I
turned my skin to scales to get protection from the sticks and branches. Ferris roared behind me as he
shifted into full tiger form. Horace was close behind. They were way faster than me like this, and it
was going to be a problem.

“Where are you trying to run to, Jarek?” Ferris’ tone was a vicious laugh.

“Stop wasting our time.” Horace growled over the sound of paws rapidly propelling them
through the leaves.

I didn’t say anything. I had tree density to help hide my path, and I would give them no extra
sound to help track me.

The forest sloped upward, and my quads burned as I launched myself up rocks and steep

inclines toward the mountain top. I followed the slope up and up, hooking around a broken trunk to
keep with the incline. I leaped over dead tree after dead tree.

As I neared the top, charred remnants of an old forest fire had cleared out the foliage, and I
cursed my loss of cover. More than that, I cursed my loss of ground, as I hit the edge of a pure,
straight down, rocky fucking cliff. I skidded to a stop, narrowly recovering my balance without
toppling over the edge. There was nowhere left to run.

I turned to face my pursuers, who had easily caught up in the lessening vegetation. I teetered
my heels at the absolute tipping point as the two giant were-cats cornered me.

“End of the line.” Ferris said once he shifted back to his usual fucked human form. “Bold
move jumping from the fucking trailer. You must be so sick of being the star attraction, you just
couldn’t take it anymore. What a goddamn tragedy.”

I steadied myself on the balls of my feet, and I readied myself to either run or jump. “I’d
gladly give you the honors of carrying the show. Why not let me get away. This can be your chance to

shine. We all win.” This negotiation had no chance of success and I already knew it.

“As much as I’d enjoy the attention, Avro’s offering quite the reward for whoever brings you
back.” Horace transferred his weight on his feet, while his eyes were crawling over me with such
vivid greed and desire that it damn near made me hurl up the contents of my lunch. “Plus, it’s been a
while since I last got to make you scream, and I still dream about that lovely sound.”

I gritted my teeth, not letting either one of them get to me right now. “How cute that you think
about me so much. I can’t say the same.” I flexed my hand, revealing the long dragon claws now
protruding from each digit. A subtle and empty threat.
 Ferris straight up laughed. “You’re not even strong enough to penetrate my fur coat right now,

dumb fucking lizard.” He responded by extending his own claws. “But we both know I can get

through your scales.” His lips stretched into a grin, revealing the first glimpse of his tiger fangs.
“Avro won’t care if you’re a little worse for wear, as long as we don’t kill you. He might even give

us more for the trouble.”

Horace just chuckled, too dumb to add his own jab.

I inched my foot closer to the cliff’s edge. Nothing but rocks and treetops below teased my
periphery. It was at least a 1000 foot fall before I hit the trees. I had zero chance of out running them,

even if they weren’t both blocking any exit.

So what was I going to choose? Going back to the circus, or jumping to my death?

Dying should have been an unacceptable risk, yet, I considered that cliff way too seriously.
How likely was it that my scales might protect me in that fall? At best, they’d protect my skin, but they
wouldn’t protect my bones or organs from the impact. I’d never wished I was a vampire before, but
today I could use the immortality. The worst part was, if I hadn’t been wearing this fucking magic
blocker on my neck, my shifter form could literally fly. I was once so proud of that power, and now I
was wishing I was born in the year of the fucking rooster.

“So what’s it going to be Jarek?” Ferris crouched into an attack position. “You can come with
us willingly, or we can physically drag you back.”

“Personally, I’m hoping you pick the latter.” Horace smirked with a tip of his head to his
brother. A silent agreement that I didn’t need explained to me.

Am I really going to do this? Am I going to walk back into my cage the first time I’ve ever
really gotten out? Let Avro reinforce his security measures to assure I never get this far again. Live
the rest of my cursed existence as an abused toy with a broken spirit.
 That’s not a life. That’s forcing consciousness on doll.

The breath I drew through my nose shook its way into my lungs with my unsteady nerves. I

teetered my foot on that jagged edge, searching for some resolve. Some part of me that could truly
believe death was the better choice.

And every ounce of fight in my body wouldn’t listen. No matter how hard my mind begged me
to jump, my heart kept holding on to some unrealistic belief that it could be better. That there was
more for me than this.

Tears glossed my eyes as Ferris took his first predatory step towards me.

Now or never. Make a choice.

I fought every logical synapse in my brain and scream in my heart as I took that leap down into
the waiting pain below. The surprise in the tiger twins’ eyes as they rushed to the edge to watch me
fall was nearly satisfying enough to justify it all.

Live or die, I had no regrets.

With every ounce of will, energy, and strength in my body, I forced a full shift, and my body
unraveled into a massive, serpentine coil of scales and teeth and claws. I wrapped myself into a ball,

and I hopped the change in size, shape, and surface area might help dissipate the impact. I may not
have had magic or my dragon strength to rely on, but I would always have physics.

I aimed for the softly swaying branches of dense trees, hoping to start my battering with the
smallest and weakest branches. Anything to start to slow my momentum. I hit the first branch with a
violent snap, but under the adrenaline, I barely felt it. If anything, it didn’t hurt anywhere near as
badly as Avro’s whip.

The next layer of branches were thicker, and the ricocheting of my body started to slow my
descent. I gripped at the trunks, dragging my claws through the bark to slow myself down, extending
my reach to use my hind claws on another trunk. I took down one branch after the other under the

impact of my weight on the frail trees, but it didn’t matter. They’d regrow their branches, and I might

actually survive this.

Ten feet, twenty, the speed of it all tore one of my nails on my hind legs, splitting it until my

blood spattered over what was once deep scratch marks.

So I clamped down harder with my other claws, and I burned off nearly all of my momentum. I
was another ten feet from the forest floor, when a jolt of magic hit me. In an instant, my body was
ripped back into human form, and I was flailing in mid-air, taking the full impact of the branches as

they scratched deeply through my skin. I hit the ground hard, landing on my right arm to the chorus of
both bones in my forearm loudly snapping in half.

Both my scream and my consciousness were lost to the pain.

 Chapter 6

I had no clue how long I’d been out when I blinked myself back into reality.

I was still on the forest floor. Leaves, twigs, and pine needles stuck to my skin, using my own
blood and sweat as a glue. Breathing hurt like a motherfucker, so I took shallow breaths to try to limit
the expansion of my lungs. I used the arm that I could still feel to leverage myself to a seated position,
while my right arm hung limply at my side. It would seem my shoulder had dislocated entirely. My
forearm was broken, but the bones hadn’t penetrated my skin, so that boded well for avoiding
infection.

With my only good limb, I relocated my right shoulder, then I took my time getting back on my
feet. My right arm would be useless from here, but eventually it would heal, so long as I found
someone to set the bones properly. I attempted a partial shift to force them back in place, but my body

didn’t respond to my demands. Avro must have fully activated the limiter until it stole my ability to
shift completely. A precaution to protect his precious animals from me. The irony.

Which meant my healing powers were also completely cut off. I was little more than an
ordinary human now, which explained why not a single muscle in my body didn’t fucking hurt.

I was limping as I started making my way through the forest. I stopped only to forage some
roots for food and to splint my arm with a straight branch and the material of my stolen shirt. I didn’t
risk the mushrooms anymore. My sense of smell and my poison detection abilities couldn’t be trusted
in this state.
 I tugged at my limiter collar for the ten thousandth time, like I might suddenly be able to

remove it. I swallowed my anguish as I kept moving.

I was still alive. That was all that mattered. No matter how bad everything hurt, I made the
right choice. As long as my heart was still beating, I had hope.

It could have been an hour or it could have been five when I finally emerged from the forest at
the side of a canyon road. I dragged a bum leg, a broken arm, and who knows how many snapped ribs
to the reflector on the road’s edge, barely conscious and barely breathing. A nauseating dizziness hit
me, and I dropped to my knees to try and collect myself. Nothing but the faded and patchy grey of old

asphalt filled my vision when I heard the sound of a car pull up. I couldn’t even make myself lift my
head. If the vehicle was Ferris and Horace’s truck, I didn’t want to know.

“Are you alright?” An old man came running to my side. He crouched down beside me, and
with gentle hands, he started examining my wounds. He had the touch and mannerism of a trained
medic. Maybe retired military.

A quiet smile covered my lips as the image of his small passenger car and young daughter
came into focus.

Safe.

He was someone safe. Not a monster, not a carney, not a shifter. He was an ordinary,
concerned person here to help.

That was the last reassuring thought I needed before I let myself give in to the blackness my
body so desperately craved.
 The next time I opened my eyes, I was in a bed. The stained wooden walls and the faint

flicker of candlelight beget the feeling of a homey cabin, and the heavy wool blanket pressing me

down felt like a warm hug. I rolled my head to the side, where the darkness of night blacked out the
window panes. My arm was bandaged and it felt as if the bones had been set. A pile of bandages and

medical supplies rested on the table beside the bed.

I squeezed my eyes shut in hopes of producing moisture. My mouth was dry, and I was
thoroughly dehydrated, but I couldn’t move well enough to do anything about it. Still, this was better
than I was before. I had a chance in here. Once I healed up, I could go back to work. Get a job. Who

cared if I was stuck with this limiter collar? What was so wrong with existing as a normal human for
the rest of my days? I could do that. Most people never got to experience what it was like to be a rare
and desirable shifter, and at times, I wondered if they were the lucky ones. Being born a dragon
hadn’t brought me much good fortune anyway.

I closed my eyes again, inviting the soothing comfort of sleep once more.

Warm rays of sunshine woke me next. That and the sound of clattering silverware. I turned my
gaze towards the door, where a young girl, maybe ten years old at most, had set down her tray of food
to collect the lost fork and spoon.

“I brought you breakfast.” She said with the kind of innocent smile that soothed your heart. I
never much cared for children at the circus, who were the first to tug on my tail or poke me in the eyes
to see if I was real, but this one felt unthreatening, cute, and polite. She wore a pink dress that reached
her knees and simple brown shoes. Her brown pig tails bobbed behind her head as she ran me the
tray, and just as quickly, she scurried away.

I leveraged myself up on my left arm, then I pulled that tray into my lap. Porridge, an apple,
some orange juice. Simple food from simple people. That too felt nice. I couldn’t remember the last
time life felt easy like this.
 Though I cursed being born right handed as I awkwardly fumbled with the spoon in my left

hand. Even such a simple motion seemed complicated now. I laughed as I dribbled some of my

porridge back onto the tray in a failed attempt to accurately get the spoon between my lips.

After I finished every last bite, down to the apple core itself, then I got my aching body out of

bed. I stretched my one good arm, and I put on the sling the man had left at my bedside before I
limped my way outside.

The air was crisp, and it felt like pure happiness in my lungs as I drew in a breath. Though I
was quick to exhale when I felt the pressure against my bruised or broken ribs again. We were in the

middle of the woods still, with a single dirt road that snaked into the trees to get in or out of this
clearing. I followed the sound of grunting and chopping wood, where I found my savior splitting logs
for winter by an old shed.

“You’re alive.” He said with a kind smile. “You were in pretty bad shape.”

“Yeah.” I rubbed the back of my neck. “Been a heck of a week.”

He nodded, as if his week had been less than wonderful too, then he placed another log on a
stump, and he swung the ax clear through it. “Your arm is broken, but I was able to set it. I’ve seen

worse,” he said as he picked up another fresh piece from the pile. “Other than that, I think you’ll live.
What were you doing out here, uh…”

“Jarek.” I supplied. “I guess I ran away from home to join the circus, then decided it wasn’t
for me.” At best I could laugh at the predicament. Not entirely true but not entirely false either.
Though every shake of amusement only reminded me of how badly my whole body hurt. “What about
you?” I motioned toward his hermitage in the woods.”

“I ran away and joined a circus too.” He rolled up his sleeve, revealing an insignia tattoo that
was clearly military. “Wasn’t for me either. Not sure any part of society is.”
 “Same.” I paced over to the woodsman and handed him a new log with my functional arm.

He chopped it, stacked it, then ran the back of his wrist across his brow to mop off the sweat.

“It’s Gregory.” He said, offering me a hand. “You can stay until you’re healed up. Kasi over there
won’t bite.” He tipped his chin towards the little girl, who was peeking at us from behind the cabin

some fifteen feet away. She shied away when we caught her. “She’s my granddaughter. Her momma
and papa unfortunately never made it out of that circus.”

I frowned, but shared with him a knowing nod. Then I picked up another log and handed it
over.

A week drifted by in a peaceful blur of simple chores. The girl didn’t speak much beyond a
few tiny squeaks here and there, offering me dinner or breakfast or a glass of water, while her
grandfather seemed to be warming up to my company. Neither of them ever asked about my collar.
They’d probably just assumed I was an escaped felon or something. In a way, they were almost right.
My life wasn’t exactly legal before I ended up in Avro’s grasp anyway.

But if they did think me a criminal, they never treated me like it, and I almost started to feel
like I’d picked up a family. Something I’d never had, even amongst the other shifters in the troupe.

No, I didn’t want to think about that anymore. I didn’t know how long I could stay here before
they found me, especially when the next show was coming up soon, but I hoped I could lay low until I
was a little more functional.

A touch of my shifter magic had seeped through the suppressor just enough to help the healing
along, but it was still the longest I’d ever had to sit with a broken arm. The bones had re-fused
completely but the connection was still weak, and the ache was definitely still there. It was wild to
think that humans were used to months of repair time. Maybe I’d accept that too after a while.

To pay back the kindness of my hosts, I cooked them both dinner that night. Nothing fancy, but
some meat and gravy and sautéed vegetables made most people happy. It had been therapeutic staying
here, mentally and emotionally, but as much fondness as I had for the pair, it was about time I moved

on.

The next show was five days away, and there wasn’t a doubt in my mind that Avro would start

to intensify his search as the pressure to find his main attraction started getting to him. I wouldn’t have
these good, innocent people get caught in the crossfire.

For all Horace and Ferris knew, I had died when I jumped from that cliff, but I couldn’t count
on that deterring them for long. If anything, they were probably searching those woods for the corpse

in hopes of at least getting a recovery reward out of my tragedy.

I settled in to get one last night of rest before I got back on the run with the sunrise.

Sweat drenched my brow in the middle of the night, and I kicked off the wool blanket in hopes

of cooling myself down. Even as a dragon, the furnace was set way too high for comfort. Though that
might have been my borderline human body talking.

I squeeze my eyes shut harder, not wanting to get out of bed for water, though my body was
clearly going to demand it soon. I tossed and I turned a few more times, before I knew it was
unavoidable, then I rolled onto my back and heaved a heavy sigh.

I opened my eyes exactly as a palm slapped down over my mouth, pressing a cloth to my nose.
I was too late to stop myself from the sharp inhale that took in the full potency of the drug laced rag.

Eyes wide, staring into those cat-like slits of a partially shifted were-tiger, I started thrashing,
but whatever drug he’d put in that cloth was slowly taking away any ability to move my limbs. My
body fell numb while my consciousness remained painfully sharp.

“Relax, Dragon.” Horace placed his hands on my ankles and started rubbing small circles on
my skin with his thumbs. Though my muscles were immobilized, I could still feel everything they did.

“No need to get so riled up. We’re definitely going to hurt you, but we most likely won’t kill you.” He
laughed at his own joke, and I hated him for it.

“Playing house, Jarek?” Ferris purred as he removed the cloth. “Did you think you were going
to retire at a little cabin in the woods, and no one would notice?” Nonchalantly, he flicked on a lighter

and caught the soaked threads of the rag on fire. As the flame climbed the material, he tossed it onto
the wool blanket I’d kicked to the floor. It didn’t take long to catch.

That was when I noticed the soft glow coming from the open bedroom door.

No.

No no no no no—

Horace picked me up, hoisting me over his shoulder like I was little more than baggage, and I
couldn’t move to do a damn thing about it. They walked me from the room, through a living area that

was already starting to crumble under the flames, with black smoke billowing out of every crack in
the old wood.

“Don’t worry. We made sure they didn’t feel a thing. Well, they don’t feel anything now at
least.” Horace said with vile assurance as he kicked open the exit and carried me out to the truck. He
unceremoniously threw me onto the tailgate, and the sting of the impact against my sore ribs made me
gasp involuntarily.

I laid there, helplessly, as Ferris climbed into the truck bed with me, so he could drag me in
by my shoulders. He looked like the devil himself with the way the orange flames of the burning cabin
flickered over only half of his face.

“I was convinced you committed suicide when you jumped off that cliff.” Ferris added as he

sat crouched over my limp body. He placed a claw beneath my chin and lifted my head, then he
drifted those sharp blades down to the collar around my neck. He wasn’t shy about making sure he

broke skin as he drew a line up and down, from jaw to limiter and back again, deepening the cut on
each stroke. “But lucky for us, this little accessory you love so much not only makes you powerless,
but it tracks your vitals…” He hooked his claw under the collar and tugged it tight until it was
pressing on my Adam’s apple and cutting off my air. “And with a little bit of sorcery, it even tracks

your location.” He tugged it tighter, held it until I was nearly turning blue, then released it, leaving me
to violently choke the oxygen back into my lungs. My organs and my throat seemed to work, even if
my arms and legs didn’t.

“You didn’t have to kill them.” My voice bordered on breaking, but at least I could speak.

“And you didn’t have to run away.” Horace jumped into the bed with us, taking a position
between my sprawled legs. “It’s not like you’ve never killed an innocent human or two. You’ve
certainly killed a few innocent shifters.” He lifted my thighs and positioned them on either side of his
waist. “Correct me if I’m wrong, but I’m pretty sure you even got off while doing it.” He dragged his

claws, catching and tearing at the soft flannel of borrowed pajamas.

Ferris pulled my shoulders into his lap, then he wrapped his hand around my neck, positioning
me so I had little choice but to look Horace in the eye as he undid his belt.

“Killing weak humans doesn’t really do it for me though.” He hissed through a cruel smirk as
that leather slid from its belt loops. “But hurting you certainly does.”

Ferris chuckled when he felt me swallow against his palm.

“W-wait.” I started to plead, like there was any chance I’d get through to them. They didn’t
have a conscience between them.

“For what exactly?” Horace tore the material around my legs, exposing me completely. “Do

you need help getting hard?” He dug his nails into my bare thigh, drawing blood and piercing muscle
at every point. “It’s pain that does it for you, isn’t it? I think I can handle that.”

Ferris used his free hand to drag my shirt up to my chest, and the heat of the fire mixed with
the cold night air made for warring sensations on my exposed skin. Horace ran his hands up the new
real estate, feeling along my muscles, massaging his way up ever contour of my abs until he made it to
my chest. He pulled himself up, settling in on top of me after he finished freeing himself from his

jeans.

The tiger leaned in, touching his lips to my pecs so gently, it was almost as if he had any
interest in my pleasure. Ferris continued to hold me, so I could watch as his brother did whatever he
pleased.

“Do you know why we use a limb paralytic that doesn’t affect your lungs, nerves, lips, or
organs, Jarek?” Ferris whispered in my ear as he hiked up my shirt higher for his brother’s
exploration. “You probably think it’s because we want to hear you scream, but it’s so much more than
that.”

Horace chuckled as he wrapped his hand around my cock. He started pumping me, slow, and
steady, and with the kind of careful pressure that guaranteed a biological response. My mind tried to
will my body to squirm away and shrink into myself, but there was absolutely nothing I could do. I
was completely trapped and completely at their mercy. His grin hit a new shade of wicked as he felt
me thick and hardening in his hand.

Horace finished that taunt for his brother. “It’s because it’s so much more satisfying to watch
your body enjoy it, while your mind is fighting so, so hard not to.”
 Horace smeared precum around my tip, before he took the initiative to shove himself into me.

I gasped loudly, recoiling under the pressure and pain and relentless stroking all at once. Ferris

gripped my chin and angled me to lick the tears from my cheek. He savored that taste with a sickening
smile.

“Go on, Brother.” The tiger shifter at my shoulders purred the words. “Fuck him bloody. I
want him well lubed when I get my turn.” He ran his rough tongue up my cheek again. “He’ll fully
heal by the time we get back, so Avro never has to know about it.”

I bit into my lip as hard as I could, leaning into the one and only sensation I could control. Just

one more miserable night of so fucking many. If there was one single thing I had power over right
now, it was that they wouldn’t hear me cry out tonight. Nothing they could do was worse than what I’d
already been through. The only thing I was truly scared of was what Avro would do to me when I got
back.

I laid limply on my side in the back of the pickup as the truck pulled onto the Fairgrounds in
the town of Graves. The chains around my wrists and ankles were the heaviest I’d ever felt, and with
my limiter still on its maximum power, I didn’t even try to break them. I just waited quietly to accept
my fate.

The tail gate opened with a loud clang, and I didn’t bother to make eye contact as Ferris
grabbed my ankle chain and dragged me out of the truck bed. He threw me onto the grass like I was
nothing, because I was nothing, and I made no effort to so much as squirm as Benjamin the Gorilla
carried me back to my empty cage.
 They wouldn’t be removing the chains this time. Why would they?

“I missed you, Jarek.” Avro greeted me first, but I didn’t give him the satisfaction of a

reaction. I just stared listlessly at the thousand yards behind him. He snapped his fingers, and my
limiter eased. A heavily filtered magic slowly started to pump through my veins again. Another snap,

and my body started to fully mend itself with his personal healing spell. A mercy he’d never shown
me before. Though I was in such bad shape, he had to if I was to perform soon.

If he said anything else, I didn’t hear him over the deafening pain of my permanent reality. I
didn’t need to respond anyway. He didn’t need me to tell him in how many ways I was now imagining

ripping every single person in this troupe to pieces, one limb and sinew at a time. He would find out
one day.

One day soon.

 Chapter 7

I waited by the gates of Graves Academy for my cute little date to show up for our day at the
circus, staring listlessly into the distance all the while. Levy was never punctual, but I didn’t mind

that. There was quite a bit on my mind to distract me anyway.

The Rooster would likely be at the show. He rarely passed up an opportunity to annoy me,
after all, and knowing I was obligated to be there meant he’d make it a point to make my life as hard
as possible. It’s not like that was anything new. I’d chased him across the country in the past to
prevent him from messing up the basic order of the universe. It was when he’d gone all the way to the
west coast, because he’d heard there may have been a rare sighting of the Greek Zodiac’s Ophiuchus,
that I’d been so lucky as to run into the Dog, after all. He had his uses, however far and in between
they might be.

While I waited, I lifted my phone to my ear and hit dial. It rang twice, then as always, he
answered. “I was waiting for you to call me just to taunt me.” The annoyed voice of Eliot Rand
danced in my ear.

“I was waiting for you to call me to demand I keep my hands off your Little Rabbit.” My smile
was involuntary. He was so fun to mess with.

“I figured it was easier to simply remind him who he belongs to in the shower this morning.”
Eliot said with a verbal eye roll. His next words were mumbled near inaudibly, but we were all
shifters here. “Plus I weirdly trust you.”
 “That’s unexpectedly sweet, Puppy.”

“Isn’t it? I wasn’t born a Golden Retriever for nothing.” His laugh was calming. Levy had

been genuinely lucky to have him as his fated mate. Eliot was the right combination of kind and feral
for a man with needs like our little baker. “Seriously though, what’s going on exactly? Levy told me

you invited him to the circus?”

“I got a lead on a Dragon Shifter.”

“The Dragon shifter?” Eliot sounded surprised.

“The only Dragon Shifter.” I responded matter-of-factly. “And I have a feeling a warlock
might come in handy if this circus is anything like I think it will be.”

He paused on the other side of the line for several moments. “Are you putting my mate in
danger?”

“Levy is never in danger when he’s with me.” I spoke with a severity I couldn’t quite explain.
I shook my head, then lightened up my tone suddenly. “At least not from other shifters.”

“So reassuring…”

“Indeed.” I forced a smile so it would reflect in my tone.

“Why do you need him anyway? Can’t you just do official enforcer business on your own
without involving him? Who in this world is stronger than you?”

I paused, not sure how to answer that. Of course I could and should do it alone. If I needed a
warlock’s magic, it would have made more sense to contact Haoyu about my plan before employing
his half-breed son, but bringing Levy felt right. More enjoyable. “If the Dragon’s life force is being
hidden from the stars, then I won’t be able to dispel the magic on my own. His warlock side will
come in handy.” Right, that was the reason.
 “Oh, huh. That makes sense.”

“You can come too if you want to abandon your post for the day.” I shrugged, reassuring the

puppy that I wasn’t stealing his mate for anything more nefarious.

“Noooo, hell no. Levy’s dad has been here all week, and I’m pretty sure I disappointed him
just by being born a Retriever breed instead of a German Shepherd. If I ditched work, he’d physically
null our mate bond before I made it out the gate.”

That sounds like Haoyu. “Suit yourself. Just know I would never let anything happen to your

precious Bunny.”

The silence was brief but telling. “I know, Jun. Good luck.”

Eliot hung up, just as Levy greeted me. He was dressed casually in a t-shirt and jeans, much
more comfortable than his usual uniform. It was rare to see him outside his element. Even in the
classroom, where he was obnoxiously lackadaisical, he often dressed more formally. The last time
I’d seen him like this was… after the full moon, tied up in my dungeon.

I swallowed for no apparent reason, and I shifted into a confident strength. “Your dog wishes
us luck.”

“Are we going to need luck to go to the circus?” Levy scrunched up his nose.

“You have a couple weeks until the full moon, so probably not.” I stated that nonchalantly, but
the way his cheeks pinked told me I’d flustered him as much as intended. With a smile, I offered him
my arm. “Come on now.”

Levy stared at me with a flat expression. “Yeah, no, not doing that.” Then he started walking
towards the car. My chuckle was involuntary. Public displays of affection would never be his thing, I
supposed.
 I’d be hard pressed to recall the last time I’d seen a circus. I hadn’t realized anyone still went
to these things, to be quite honest. They were such an archaic form of entertainment, and I was
thoroughly surprised by the sheer number of people this one had attracted. Tickets were nearly sold
out, and human families were scurrying about the grassy clearing in the woods where Avro’s Circus

chose to pitch their tent. Large cages were tucked away behind the trucks that carried the show from
one location to the next, all of which was hidden behind the bright red fabric of the big top tent.

Cages large enough for shifters. Some even large enough for a fully transformed Chinese
Dragon.

Levy’s eyes fell in the same direction as mine. His gaze was distant, and I wondered what
might be going through his head. “Why would they need cages if the performers are here under their
own free will? Shifters aren’t literally wild animals. Most of us are even house trained.” He pursed
his lips with his vague rhetoric.

“Even a rabbit shifter has to be restrained when he’s being held against his will.” I placed a
hand on his shoulder. Perhaps I shouldn’t have brought him here after all. This might stir up too many
bad memories.

Levy chewed his lip, then he tipped his chin toward a particularly large box of steel bars in
the distance. “That one is the only one enchanted with some kind of holding spell. And it’s a powerful
one.” His nervousness was subtle yet obvious, but his insight as a mage was already proving
invaluable.

“Strong enough to hold a dragon?”

 To my surprise, Levy shook his head. “No. It’s strong, but at best it might hold a werewolf.

Maybe weaken him a bit. If the dragon is anything like you, he should have been able to tear through

that barrier even while tied up and chained.”

Unless his magic is being suppressed.

“Good to know.” I shifted my hand to ruffle his hair. “And I appreciate the compliment.”

Levy smiled despite himself. “I’m not the best judge of character, but I’m a pretty good judge
of strength. You kind of have to be when you’re one of the weakest animals in the Zodiac.” He rubbed

the back of his neck, as if to calm the blush on his cheeks.

Every tiny touch or show of affection always had him a bit heated.

The thought flashed through my mind that it may have been true that his feelings for me hadn’t
change even after he’d sealed his mate pact with Eliot. It seemed absurd, but then, only so much was
known about hybrids. Warlock and Zodiac Shifter hybrids in particular were unheard of, and to be
born a Beta on top of all that. Maybe his mate bonds weren’t as finite as the rest of us.

Regardless, I couldn’t look at Levy that way. Not the son of my mentor, and not the mate of my
friend.

There were few people in this world who I might ever call a friend, but Eliot was deserving
of the moniker. I’d happily kill for either one of them. Well, I’d happily kill in general, really. This
dragon was likely about to learn the same thing.

My only hope was that this lost member of the Zodiac was still in salvageable shape.
 Chapter 8

I couldn’t take my eyes off that cage, radiating with its barrier spell. I’d seen a lot of magic in
my twenty-two years of life as a half-warlock raised by a High Warlock, but never anything like that.

Hell, even murder cupcakes had less darkness than this whole place. I thought circuses were
supposed to be upbeat and colorful, but this one felt borderline like a haunted house.

It was eerie with its cages and so-called monster exhibits, and don’t even get me started on
the clowns. I didn’t know who the hell thought a big, red painted smile was ‘hilarious’ and ‘silly,’ but
it made them look more like the kinds of people who hung unsuspecting passersby upside down from
meat hooks to feed a cult. Maybe they should consider rebranding with, oh I don’t know, a regular
smile and some funny jokes.

I sighed, then followed Jun as he started surveying the fairgrounds. The tent was nearly as

large as the dance hall at Graves Academy, while the rows of booths were selling snacks or offered
basic carnival games. It was frowned upon for magic-kind to participate in human competition, but
I’d admit I was a bit tempted by the cupcake eating contest.

But no. Their cake was probably dry anyways. And I could smell the sugar in that classic
American buttercream from here. Way too sweet for me. I’d stick with Mother’s recipe for the more
decadent and balanced French buttercream. I’d always take a custard over the flavor of canned
frosting.

“Penny for your thoughts, Levy?” Jun’s voice so suddenly in my ear made me jump.
 “You know. Just thinking about meat hooks and cupcakes.” I shook my head at how crazy that

sounded. “Also I was thinking about how bizarre this whole thing is. Even the goldfish they’re giving

away at the apple bobbing booth look evil.”

Jun snorted. “I wouldn’t be surprised if they’re shifters too at this point. This place is

crawling with more magic than Graves.”

I glanced at a child running by with a goldfish in a little plastic bag. I locked eyes with that
fish for a brief moment and hoped that Jun was joking. My expression flattened as I continued to
survey the area.

Seriously fucking creepy.

“It looks like the show is starting.” Jun said with a tip of his chin, directing my attention to the
Big Top. People were filtering in, while a ticket master, with eerie clown face paint speckled with
stars under each eye, pointed people towards their section.

Jun’s gaze drifted from the door, and I couldn’t help but notice the micro shift in his demeanor.
I followed his line of sight towards the staging area, but I didn’t see anything obvious that he might be
focusing on. Though the crowd was so thick, it was hard to say.

“Why don’t you go on ahead. I’m going to check out the cages.” He insisted.

“Uh…” I glanced at the Big Top radiating evil so palpable it was practically absorbing the
light, then I glanced back at Jun. “You’re going to leave me alone in that thing?”

The corners of Jun’s lips upticked slyly. He looked down at me from his annoyingly superior
height, and he placed a hand on my cheek. Drawing a line beneath my eye with his thumb, he leaned in
close and whispered softly into my ear. “I promised your mate I wouldn’t put you in danger.” His lips
brushed my skin, and my whole body tensed. I knew he could hear my heartbeat picking up pace. Jun
might always have this effect on me, and I felt so wrong for it.
 I loved Eliot. There was no question in my mind there, but something about Jun still sucked

me in and wouldn’t let go.

I held my breath as he pulled away, and I avoided eye contact before he could take it. “Fine.”
I said with a pout. “But if I sense any dark magic, I’m coming to find you.”

Jun chuckled, though he didn’t explain what part of that was funny. It wasn’t like a guy like
him would ever need saving by a guy like me. But still, I wanted to be dependable just like all of the
other men in my life were. Just because I was born half rabbit, didn’t mean I was completely
helpless.

Most the time.

With a sigh, we parted ways, and I headed off to the circus tent. I found a seat amongst the
bleachers, and I watched as the lights began to dim on the stage.

In short order, a muscular, older man in a black and silver ringleader’s suit entered from the
back. His head was smooth, he had the dumbest mustache, and he was practically crackling with dark
energy. That had to be the warlock who ran the show. I sat forward and watched him intently. It was
hard to tell if there were any other magical beings in the crowd with the sheer intensity of his aura

flooding the canopy. His power was nearly suffocating.

Was this another magic repression spell? What purpose could that hold? The only time I’d
ever dabbled in such an enchantment was the handful of times I made repression strawberry truffles
for a brand new werewolf who was afraid of turning on a full moon. Nothing could stop a full moon
transformation, but they were potent enough to stop the surge of violent urges that often took over their
tiny werewolf brains. That had a good and just and obvious purpose though, and they were such an
unpopular item, I only made them by special order. Why would this Avro guy have to use a
suppression spell on his customers?
 I glanced around the crowd to see if anyone else appeared to be suffering, but no one among

the spectators looked bothered by the thick mist in the air. Humans then. Any other shifters or fairies

or mages or vampires would likely have the same cold sweat on their brow that I did. Though this
sort of magic suppression was especially potent against another mage. If I was pure shifter, I might be

able to stand it.

As much as I wanted to leave, I stayed in my seat as he began a welcome speech. I felt

obligated to see out the event. Standing and leaving now would draw too much attention to myself,
and I didn’t trust that this was a safe place to leave myself vulnerable.

So I grinned and bore it as the first act was paraded onto the stage. A trio of fairies with
wings cloaked from ordinary sight performed an over the top trapeze routine. Though they’d readjust
their position with the thrust of their wings here and there, it was obvious that was the only power
they were allowed. It was wholly oppressive being under the Avro Circus repression net.

The next act involved bear shifters who balanced on balls and danced like perfect puppets.

Puppets.

That word sunk in deep, and I shifted my attention to the warlock himself, who stood by as the

show played out. The subtle movements of his fingers told me he was in a constant state of casting.
Was he controlling the shifters? Or simply keeping them bound in their animal form for the duration of
the show? I couldn’t quite tell which, but either one was more than unnerving.

For once, I was thankful that I was born a rabbit. No one cared about watching a bunny do
tricks.

The whole display paired with the excitement of the crowd made my stomach churn, and I
watched for any opportunity I could find to slip out with some other spectators. I wanted to get as far
away from here as I could as fast as I could, but I had to do it subtly while in view of such a wizard.
 The fact that this mage could cage a dragon didn’t seem all that surprising anymore. I didn’t

know how old he was, but he undoubtedly had long outlasted living on mortal time.
 Chapter 9

The show always goes on. I jerked the chains cuffed to my wrists, bound to the bars of my
cage, knowing that my act would be up soon, and the fucking gorilla would be here to drag me onto

the stage. Extra security measures in case I got any ideas right before my performance. Nothing new.

The heavy iron links jangled as I lifted a hand to scratch my nose. I could barely even do that
when in my restraints. With a sigh I closed my eyes and waited.

In a way, my last unsuccessful escape had both killed any remaining hope in my spirit while
lighting something completely different in me. It was almost a new clarity. My staying here protected
the world from the demons that might always follow me. If I left—if I simply escaped—I’d leave a
wake of pain and death and destruction behind me, no matter how peacefully I chose to live.

So escaping meant more than running away.

It meant finding a way to get this collar off, then coming back here to put a stop to the threats
that trailed my freedom.

Without Avro, without Ferris, Horace, Benjamin, the trapeze Fae, the dancing bears, the strong
man Orc, the bending shifters, the ticket masters, and the hosts—without every single member of this
circus, I had no demons. All I had to do was kill them all.

I chuckled to myself, then jangled my chains again, listening to the pitch of confinement.

“Pathetic.”
 My eyes shot open as an unfamiliar voice penetrated my space. A man with spiked red hair

and dark eyeliner that framed irises of forest green was standing outside my cage, head tilted back

and judgment in his eyes.

I leaned back against my bars and met his gaze. There was no one else around, but he wasn’t

part of the troupe as far as I knew. Unless he’d been newly kidnapped. The staging area was largely
empty when the show was in active performance, so he wasn’t likely to be an attendee.

“Correct.” I confirmed. How was I going to argue with that? No sir, I’m quite powerful and
tough. I just hang out in chains and do parlor tricks to impress humans for fun. I’m a totally happy

and self-respecting dragon shifter. “Did you want something?”

He cocked a grin. “I do in fact.” He placed a hand on the steel door, then traced its length with
his fingertips, lightly stroking the thick metal. There was an elegance to his movements that bordered
on erotic, and I admonished my brain for going there at all when I was chained up in a cage with a
limiter collar around my neck. The last thing in this world I wanted to think about was sex, yet he was
enchanting in an unusual way.

As his hand reached eye level, he moved it to his hair and he dislodged some sort of pick-like
device. Without further ado, he shoved the pick in the lock and took all of three seconds before he had

my door squealing open on old hinges.

“Who are you?” I asked as he approached. It wasn’t the first time I was trapped before a
stranger, but he had an aura that felt far different from any mage or shifter that had manhandled me in
the past.

His lips twitched into a smile, slightly strained as the gravity of Avro’s restriction spells hit
him. A fellow shifter for sure then. The spell on my cage was specific to our species. Wordlessly, he
crouched down by my wrist and started picking the lock on my cuff. There was no enchantment on the
locks, lest the ringleader might have to abandon his audience to retrieve me himself, and I was
grateful for that laziness for once

“It’s Jarek, right?” He spoke at last, ignoring my question. “Polish?”

“Half.” I answered candidly, accepting small talk as an obvious distraction from his slow

lock picking. “But my parents died a long time ago, and I wasn’t born there, so all it means to me is
that half this country can’t pronounce my name.”

My red haired savior chuckled. “I suppose they don’t need to when you’re known as the
‘Magnificent, inconceivable, transcendent Dragon Man.’”

The first cuff opened, then he shifted over to my right side. I rolled my left wrist, enjoying the
freedom. “Some parts of this country can’t pronounce that either.”

“Don’t I know it.” He shook his head with a snort. “How long do you have before your act?”

“I’m the grand finale, generally. Maybe an hour. Tops.”

“Plenty of time then.” The second cuff fell away, then he helped me to my feet.

I rubbed both wrists now, soothing the soft ache of confinement. Insignificant pain, but the
small comforts were sometimes the only thing that made me feel alive. “Why are you helping me?”

“Because I’ve been where you are.” His irises flashed an eerie red, and his hair took on a
feather-like texture. A clear partial shift. A bird of some sort. Not that I expected anything else.
“Don’t dawdle too long.” He said as he turned to head out. He smiled over his shoulder before
adding, “Zodiac shifters aren’t meant to live in cages. Not the birds, and certainly not the dragons.”

“Can I at least ask you your name?” I asked before he was out of ear shot.

He paused, then he met my gaze one last time with the most wayward glance. “Gavin. Gavin
Abernathy. If you ever need help again, go to Graves Academy and ask for that name.”

I watched him go, somewhat dumbstruck, while understanding that he’d set me free to save
me, yet he didn’t want me to follow him.

Gavin Abernathy. He was a bird from the zodiac? A rooster was the only one I knew of,

Greek or Chinese. Astrological signs tended to employ only ground animals for some reason. That
tracked for his general physical features. It wasn’t uncommon that our human forms vaguely

resembled our animal forms, accidentally or on purpose.

I shook myself from my daze of disbelief. I’d be sure to look him up once I was free and this
was all behind me.

Right, I couldn’t keep dawdling. I wouldn’t waste this opportunity.

I took off running, darting through a maze of crates, trucks, and cages. Avro was distracted, his
most loyal minions were on stage. I now knew he could track me by this collar, so that was a
challenge I’d need to keep in mind long after I made it out of the perimeter, but we were in Graves. I
could find another warlock who could get this thing off of me, surely. Even if our fearless leader
sensed my escape, he wouldn’t be able to catch me now. I could evade at least for a few days if I
could get out of here.

This was insane. I just took the worst punishment I’d taken in a while, and yet I was already

trying again. Way too soon.

Exactly when he wouldn’t expect it. I had a chance, but I’d have to keep moving before it
slipped away. Maybe find a safe house. There had to be some kind of magic dwellings here that
would fit the bill.

I threw myself into a full sprint. It was easy to run when the ground was hard and dry. Avro
fucked up when he healed me completely and gave me my some of my strength back. He needed a
performer who could still impress the audience, and a broken, gimped Dragon would look more like
animal abuse than an attraction even to this crowd.
 I was damn near home free when both Horace and Ferris exited the backside of the big top

tent. I skidded to a halt and slammed myself back against a crate for cover, hoping they’d not picked

up the desperate and hurried sound of my steps. If their act had just finished, that meant there were
only three more before I was expected to humiliate myself for an audience. Maybe forty-five minutes

at best before my show, and half an hour before they’d come to retrieve me.

Horace and Ferris were never as oblivious as their general stupidity implied though, and that
small buffer of time barely mattered if they caught on to my escape attempt.

I held my breath, hoping they’d head out to mingle with the circus-goers, but instead they just

kept lingering, inconveniently between me and my escape into the trees.

Minutes passed and I was running out of time. I contemplated making a run for it, but I already
knew how that played out. Even if I could outrun one of them, I certainly couldn’t take them both.

I clenched my fist just recalling the sensations. There was no reason I should be the weakest
shifter in this whole fucking show. Fucking aggravating.

I wouldn’t take my chances with the pussy twins again. I had to find another way out.

I skimmed my mental database, visualizing the map of a set up that was as predictable as a

well wound clock, but the only other path took me toward the Big Top, and that was riskier than these
two. Right now I had the jump on them, and a week ago, I would have been willing to take that
chance, but the defeated feeling in my gut was struggling to figure out what good that actually did me.
They’d already proven their upper hand. They were stronger than me and had no qualms about
reminding me of that fact. My only advantage was my reckless desperation.

Ferris lifted his chin in my direction. I held my breath and pressed myself harder against the
splintering crate, hoping he hadn’t noticed me. My heart pounded in my chest at a volume easily
audible to even a lesser were-shifter, and a bead of sweat slid down my temple, rounding my jawline
and collecting on my chin. I’m sure he could smell my fear from here, and I’m sure it was potent.

Fuck.

I was holding my own hand to still my shaking, when another voice, this one smooth and deep

and sinister in its tone, grabbed all of our attention.

“Would you mind giving me a tour, gentleman?” There was both a sophistication and a threat
to his tone. Subtle but easy to detect if you knew what to listen for. He had dark hair, long and tied
back behind his head in a bun, with black eyes flecked with traces of green. He flashed dark snake-

like slits at the two startled shifters. Another threat all its own.

“You’re not supposed to be back here.” Horace started first. Ferris was practically hissing.
Growling? Standing with his tail puffed up? Whatever it is that weak tigers do.

“Fascinating.” The stranger responded nonchalantly. “And not at all relevant. You can give me
a tour, or I can strangle you both. I’ll give you about four seconds to decide which you prefer.” He
stared at his nails in disinterest, and I could barely believe what I was seeing.

“What the hell are you talking about?” Ferris quit being terrified in a weak attempt to puff out
his chest.

“One.” The man held up his index finger, still staring at his nails.

“Do you have any idea where you are?” Horace started to shift, one claw at a time. The dark
stranger was unfazed, not even offering the most microscopic shift in his expression. The threat was
much more blatant and aggressive than this interloper’s, but he was either too powerful or too
ignorant to care. I would wager on the former.

“Two.” Another finger.

“Are you looking for a fight?” Ferris tensed as he also started his shift. They both just kept
firing off stupid questions that he ignored completely.
 “Three. Last chance.” A third finger. A grin slipped across his lips, and it was the most

impossibly vicious smile I’d ever witnessed. “I’m looking for someone, and quite frankly, I’m happy

to kill to find him. I’m happy to kill in general, so if you won’t cooperate, then you can be my
playthings for a few brief seconds.”

“Get Avro.” Horace barked to his twin brother with a telling rattle to his voice.

The man sighed deeply as he lifted that fourth finger. “That’s four.” He locked his gaze on the
were-tigers, unapologetically shifting his irises back into those emerald snake eyes. Horace crouched
into a defensive stance, and Ferris pivoted on his heel and made a run for the Big Top.

Exactly in my general direction.

Fuck.

I braced myself. I didn’t know if this stranger was a friend or an enemy, but I knew very well
where the twins stood, and I’d rather take my chances with anyone but them.

A symphony of breaking and reshaping bones danced through the air as Horace turned into a
massive wild cat with sharp stripes and a killer jaw. Were-shifter’s transformations were barbaric
and violent in nature, even compared to my own, while this dark stranger shifted with deadly

smoothness. Horace hadn’t even had a chance to fully settle into his animal body before that muscular,
serpentine stranger ensnared him in a powerful coil, wrapping his scales around the cat’s furry neck
with brutal efficiency. Not so much as a cry had time to leave his lips before his spinal column
snapped under the snake’s twisting and tightening grip.

In a whimper and a thud, Horace’s body fell limp on the floor. His fur receded and his shape
became human again as the curse of a were-tiger left his body in death.

The killer shifted back, standing tall and poised and collected, as if murdering another shifter
was as taxing as afternoon tea, then he lifted his gaze towards the remaining twin, who had stopped
only to witness his brother’s last breath.

“I didn’t say you could leave. My options were very clear.” He motioned with his finger,

demanding the out-powered, oversized cat return to accept his own execution. Ferris didn’t comply.
He bore into an all-out dash for the tent, probably expecting our leader to save him. This stranger

might be able to stand up to Avro, but I knew I couldn’t, and I didn’t need any more obstacles right
now.

He rounded my crate, and immediately he caught sight of me. His mouth dropped open a
second before his neck hit into my extended arm, clotheslining him mid-run. He fell backwards,

landing on his back beneath me, and seeing him in that position surged a sense of dominance through
my tired, deprived veins. There was once a time in my life where I’d always been the biggest and
baddest around, and oh how I’d craved the chance to be in that position again with this piece of shit.

“Jarek, wait—” were the last words out of the were-tiger’s mouth before I was on top of him,
straddling his chest, with a row of partially shifted claws at my disposal. I clamped down on his
neck, then I dug in. Neutered or not, limited or not, with enough force, even a butter knife can
penetrate a jugular.

“For what, exactly?” I mocked him, taking a surge of satisfaction in the widening of his eyes.

Then I forced my nails into his carotid artery until his blood gushed over my fingers. I yanked back
with tearing strength, taking his flesh with me. I tossed the mess to the side, spattering blood over the
grass and the crate, then I climbed off of him to stand back and better appreciate the view.

Ferris didn’t have so much as a choke or a gurgle left in him. He was as dead as his bitch ass
brother, and the revenge of it all sent a tingle of pleasure down my spine.

“I guess you were right. I do get off on killing sometimes.” I spat on him as one last act of
defiance. Then I lifted my gaze to the new threat approaching. I tried to hold my composure as the
dark stranger scanned over the scene. He cocked a smile, then responded with little more than a soft
golf clap.

“Excellent work.” He said with an impressed nod. “No hesitation, clean and efficient

execution, and the satisfaction in your eyes makes it a perfect ten. A shifter after my own heart.”

That small praise sent an unexpected jolt of excitement through me. I couldn’t remember the
last time someone had paid me a compliment. Certainly not someone with such an impressive and
overwhelming aura.

“I’d been wanting to do that for years, to be honest.” I rubbed the back of my neck,

unexplainably candid, yet laughing sheepishly. The slight warmth in my neck and my face had me
hoping that I wasn’t visibly blushing to boot.

This handsome intruder cocked back his head and looked me over, studying me from head to
toe. My broken body had been largely healed, but some of the scars from blades and whips and teeth
still remained on my bare shoulders. His gaze danced over every mark with interest before it landed
on my limiter collar. There he lingered for several moments. Everything about his expression told me
he knew exactly what he was looking at.

“That explains a lot.” He said with finality.

“What does?” I wanted to take a step back, finding everything about his presence near
suffocating, but I was too overwhelmed by emotions to figure out how to do anything in that moment.
Horace and Ferris were dead, I got my revenge, I was out of my cage, this stranger was either going
to kill me or save me, and fuck, I could still smell the sweet blood of dead were-tiger, and that
delicious, well-earned violence did something to me. I was terrified, turned on, pumping with
adrenaline, and teetering on my flight instinct all at once.

He extended his hand without explaining a thing, and for some strange reason, I took it. His
palm was icy cold, and he wrapped his fingers around my hand one at a time in the subtlest of power
plays. His handshake was firm to the point of near bone-crushing, and his eye contact as he did it held
me more captive than my circus chains.

“Jun Shen. The Snake of the Chinese Zodiac, and Enforcer of Zodiac Shifter Affairs.” While
some shifters would introduce their status as Alpha, Beta, or Omega, this man very much didn’t need

to. The Chinese Zodiac Shifters were always Alphas, after all. Myself, included. As far as I knew, we
were the only species within the shifter kingdom that could mate among Alphas, and it was a unique
power structure within the magical hierarchies.

But Jun Shen carried himself with a sense of imposing dominance beyond even a high warlock

like Avro. The snake held me there in the palm of his hand, and I waited for permission to end the
handshake.

“J-Jarek Milan.” I responded when he gave me permission to cautiously withdraw my hand

from his. I placed it in my pocket, feeling like it needed some sort safety from his hold afterwards.
“The Dragon of the Chinese Zodiac.” I added in the hope of instilling a sense of camaraderie. I had
neither the time nor the desire to share my occupation. Though his status as some manner of enforcer
for some manner of governing body made for a safe bet that he wasn’t here to hurt me. Our kind was
extremely rare as it was, and as he was now the second Zodiac Shifter I’d met in a single hour, maybe

I’d finally found real, honest allies. Being forced to come to Graves may be the best thing I could
have asked for, and the biggest mistake Avro had ever made.

Jun’s galaxy-like eyes locked on my collar again. There was a micro shift in his expression
before he smiled politely. “Correct me if I’m wrong, but judging by the limiter collar on your neck
and the efficiency with which you executed your, presumably, former coworker, you’re not going to
have any objection to coming with me, yes?”

“Yes.” I said, taken aback and relieved at the same time. I found my whole body inexplicably
relaxing my guard. A feeling I’d not experienced in years and couldn’t have explained now. In all of
the darkness he carried, I knew somewhere in my gut that there was no one who could stand up to
him.

The thought that he could protect me from Avro flashed through my mind, and I was taken
aback by my own treacherous brain. Why I’d want another man to protect me should have felt entirely

wrong, but some broken pieces of me were already seeking and accepting that hope against the best
interest of my pride and dignity.

As much as I should be terrified, he wasn’t here to hurt me, my gut said. Trusting him couldn’t
have worse consequences than staying and getting caught again, my reason suggested. I would rather

die than waste this one fleeting chance at freedom, my heart reminded me.

Really, if I sprinted for the woods now, this man wouldn’t chase me, but how long would it be
until Avro hunted me down again? This was my only real option. The others were just delaying
failure.

The only question now was, was I about to trade one jailer for another?
 Chapter 10

Dirty blond, powerful muscles built by desperate exercise and heavily defined by
malnutrition, a dragon tattoo that snaked up his arm, and with the eyes of an angry beast who refused

to be neutered, no matter how powerful that magical limiter may be. And that limiter was certainly
powerful, to the point I could feel its enchantment radiating from several feet away. To suppress a
beast on this level was no small feat. What a fine specimen of a shifter. Immediately, I couldn’t help
but find him curiously attractive. There was a strength to his character, and a savageness to his
fighting instinct. Not even Gavin could execute a man with such raw violence, and that spoke to the
most animalistic parts of my soul.

Speaking of Gavin, considering the obvious cuff marks on the Dragon’s wrists, it was safe to
say that the little bird had gotten to him first. No one was better at breaking and entering in places they

weren’t wanted than the Zodiac’s unimpressive cock. A rare favor, considering I likely would have
needed Levy’s magic to get into the locks otherwise. I still wouldn’t be thanking him though. He likely
had an ulterior motive, and I wouldn’t play into any such traps with the Rooster.

“Do many of the shifters here wear these?” I asked first, sizing up what kind of an operation I
was dealing with. The were-tigers I’d just encountered hadn’t had any limits placed on them, but I
didn’t trust diseased mutts to have good instincts when it came to choosing a leader. The question
was, was the Dragon a prize that was difficult to control, or was this whole circus its own little
magic trafficking ring?
 “Just me.” Jarek spoke with a tinge of defeat in his voice. “We only have to wear them until

we’re ‘tamed’ enough to not need them.”

A prize then. “How long have you been here?”

“Five years, maybe. Might be more. I’m not really sure at this point.” And that statement was
sparked with a hint of pride. Well deserved. The marks on his skin said all they needed to about the
endurance it took to still need a collar after that long. It took a lot to permanently scar a shifter’s flesh.
“I tried to escape, but this thing apparently doubles as a locator.” He hooked a finger beneath his
collar for emphasis. “I can’t get it off on my own.” The information was a clear warning, as if he

didn’t want to involve me with him unless I had some way to take care of that.

The timeline didn’t quite track, but I could sort that out later. “You’ll need another mage to
break that lock. I know a few.” If Levy wasn’t strong enough, Haoyu certainly would be. But the
locator could prove problematic. Killing uppity shifters was child’s play, but a powerful warlock
would be… difficult. Fortunately for him, I already had a secure space that would block detection. “I
have a safe house of sorts you can stay in until we can fix that little issue.”

That made him noticeably swallow and recoil a step. Fear. He was radiating real, intense, and
the most delicious fear. “That sounds like another cage.” Another step back.

It would seem I was already losing his trust. Though the fact that he’d started to give me any in
the first place was already a shining example of his poor character judgment.

I cocked my head back and I smiled, not at all softly.

“Little Dragon,” I began as I took five steps forward, placing myself squarely in his personal
bubble. The way he flinched and his brow furrowed and the small shifts in his body language was
reminiscent of someone else I knew all too well and entirely too intimately.

Which only made me want to push him. To test those boundaries and walls he’d built.
 I hooked a finger beneath his limiter and yanked him against me, until he had no way or room

to retreat. I shared physical connection up the entire length of his body, and I held him there, one hand

under his collar and the other around his waist, assuring he knew he had no other option but to remain
still.

Face to face, no more than an inch away from physical connection, his shallow breaths
warmed my skin, and his heartbeat was a ruckus in my ears. Small jerks tested my strength, and as I
dug my fingers into his lower back, I more than passed each challenge. It was a gauge of his traumas,
a threat to his fight or flight instincts, and a promise of protection all in one simple motion.

Though I’d no interest in harming him, that fear and uncertainty on his quivering lips was
intoxicating to the point I couldn’t help but indulge just a touch. I whispered into his agape mouth.
“We use safe words in my dungeon.” Then I leaned in just close enough to brush the skin of his cheeks
with my lips as I spoke, “and we paint the walls with anyone who doesn’t respect them.”

His Adam’s apple ran along my knuckles as he swallowed again, the sweat on his brow was
visible, but the shallow, panicked breaths started to slow and deepen.

“I see.” He managed through his shaking nerves.

With a low chuckle, I released him and let him back away like the nervous reptile he was. Not
what I expected at all when I’d set out on this little quest. In body, he looked much stronger than I
was, and in shifter form, he should have been a king among beasts, yet there was no question that he
was barely holding on mentally and physically. His psyche was so heavily abused, he would better
relate to the little rabbit than someone like myself or Eliot or Gavin.

Jarek was a damaged person with a fierce survival instinct serving as his only power. I could
work with that.

I had to, I supposed. What kind of project was I getting myself into…
 I snapped my fingers to knock him from his daze, and that motion made him visibly flinch too.

He really did remind me of Levy in several ways with his small, paranoid demeanor.

“Come on now. Let’s get out of here before I have to slaughter an entire troupe, shall we?”
 Chapter 11

The show continued for several more acts, and I couldn’t get rid of the goose bumps, even
when I was rubbing my forearms like I was trying to start them on fire.

The ringleader used a spell to generate a water cube next, forming a glass-less fish tank in the
middle of the tent. A gorilla shifter entered from backstage with a mermaid on his shoulder, and he
flung her into that water with casual cruelty. She started swimming majestically as soon as she hit the
blue, and she held a fake smile in a vice grip, like it might fall off if she relinquished the slightest
pressure.

I hated this. Every ‘wonder’ and act was more like witnessing public displays of abuse. It
took audacity to bring a show like this to Graves. My father would eat this ringleader alive if he were
here, and I wasn’t remotely opposed to making that a reality.

The mermaid propelled herself through a backflip in the open air, then she splashed back into
the top of the cube, and I couldn’t take it anymore. Not caring that I had no one to cover my retreat, I
stood from my seat, and I started making my way out of the bleachers. When I got to the stairs at the
end of the row, I glanced down at the stage one more time. I locked eyes with the ringleader—Avro, I
presume by the name of the circus—for the briefest of seconds.

Of course he noticed my retreat. I wasn’t the only one to step out of the tent, be it for the
bathroom or refreshments, but he bore into me like I was the sole fly on his spider’s web. He could
probably feel the small bubble of resistance I casted around my lungs so I could breathe in this
atmosphere.

My heart stopped when he offered a quiet and wicked smile of acknowledgment, and I got the

FUCK out of there before he could do anything else about it.

I was holding my chest to stop myself from exploding with stress when I got my first breath of
fresh air. I dropped to my knees, and I stared at the grass, heaving in new cycles of oxygen in an
ineffective attempt to compose myself again.

“What the fuck is he?” I muttered out loud to myself. His warlock magic was obvious, but I’d

never seen casting that pitch black, and I was fighting to keep down my breakfast. I stayed on my
hands and knees, breathing hard and shaking, when a passerby offered me a hand. Still light headed
but desperate for the slightest security, I took it without thinking, and I got to my feet in a dizzy blur.

“You look pretty pale. Are you okay?” The voice was vaguely familiar, but not so much so
that I could place it without a face. I held my head, rubbing my temples to sooth a vague headache,
then I lifted my gaze to my new friend.

To a man with red hair and forest green eyes.

Not a friend.

My mouth dropped open, and I was speechless as I stared down the same shifter who
kidnapped me and gave me to Derek. The same shifter who drugged me with my own fucking magic
cupcakes.

His hand was on my head, ruffling my black hair before I could react. “Relax, Leveret
Bernard-Wong. Your wolf is dead.” He whispered in my ear with a snicker. “Though if you keep
messing with Jun, you might be joining him soon.”

He unthreaded his fingers and let that hold drift down my face, tracing my cheek bone with his
short black nails. He brushed his light touch down over the mate scare at the nape of my neck, then
purposefully traced the small hound’s tooth that painted me as Eliot’s mate. “See you around, Bunny

Rabbit.”

A full body shiver rattled through my bones as he walked away, and I was over a nearby trash
can as fast as I could move. Suddenly, I was incredibly glad that I had skipped the corn dogs and

funnel cakes.

Hopefully the only time in my life I would ever think something so blasphemous.

I collected myself, yet again, then I started making some distance from the big top tent and the

nightmares all around it. I needed to find Jun. Splitting up was a terrible idea. Watching a show
should have been a safe, easy assignment, but not when these monsters were creeping all over the
circus.

“Little Rabbit—”

“Holy fuck!” I jumped higher than I’d ever jumped in rabbit form when Jun’s warm breath hit
the back of my ear. He caught me mid-air, like he’d been expecting it, and he set me down on the floor
to let me finish my borderline panic attack. “Don’t do that!” I wheezed and choked on nothing as I
tried to calm myself down.

“You seem on edge.” My annoying professor said with an easy smile that didn’t suit his evil
face.

“I wonder why!” I motioned to this whole fucked up carnival from hell. I mean, it looked all
colorful and light hearted on a surface level, so the motion maybe didn’t have the impact I might have
gotten if we were surrounded by a bunch of corpses or something, but the essence was there. “I don’t
know what kind of fucked up magic this Avro guy sacrificed a goat’s first born for, but it’s—” I cut
myself off with a sudden uncontrollable need to puke again. I was back over a trashcan to dry heave
whatever was left in my gut, then I spent a ten count catching my breath for what felt like the
hundredth time in the last four minutes. “Jesus Christ. Don’t you feel that?” I asked with exasperation.

At some point, Jun had approached and placed a hand on my back, which he was now rubbing

with uncharacteristic tenderness. It felt nice enough that I didn’t complain.

“I don’t.” He stilled his grip on my shoulder. “A mage suppressant, perhaps?”

“A mage suppressant.” I confirmed. So it was specific to magic wielders and not simply
magic beings. Was he fishing for sorcerers? “I’m pretty sure I was the only warlock in that tent other
than the demonic ringleader himself. If there were any other shifters or seelies or vampires, either

they weren’t bothered like I was, or they bore it a lot better. If this is how much it sucks for a half-
breed,” I used the term mockingly, having been reminded of it constantly my whole life, “I can only
imagine what a full blooded warlock would have felt.”

“It may actually be worse for a hybrid.” He rustled my hair in a way entirely too reminiscent
of the bastard with red hair, and I jerked away.

I covered the bottom half of my face with my hand. Jun frowned at my reaction, and I almost
apologized for it. I didn’t like that expression on him. Weird that I did like the more questionable
faces he made.

Not thinking about that right now.

“Ahem,” I cleared my throat loudly. “A-anyway, what about this dragon? I hope you were
more successful than I—”

“Is this the warlock you mentioned?” A whole new voice, and I’m pretty sure I died of a heart
attack. Dead. Finished. Never to be heard from again. The end of Levy wasn’t due to being eaten by a
hawk shifter on the full moon. No, it was from all these random people sneaking up on me during an
evil carnival. That’ll look great on my tombstone.

Why is this my life? This is why I hate leaving the bakery.

 “For the love of pralines, who are you?” I said when I turned around to face… a startlingly

strong and annoyingly tall blond guy who also made my five-eleven frame seem diminutive. Because

why not. Because I was a rabbit surrounded by giants. I sighed, shook my head, and came to the
obvious conclusion that he was the dragon Jun had been looking for. “What’s with the uh…” I

motioned towards his neck.

“We don’t have time for this.” His green eyes were flecked with deep reds like they were
spattered with blood, and every color in them was glazed with visible emotion. They felt familiar in a
way I wasn’t comfortable acknowledging. Not he himself, but that look was an expression I’d seen on

my own face in the mirror one too many times.

And somehow, that was what calmed me down.

“Little Rabbit, this is the Little Dragon. Little Dragon, Little Rabbit.” Jun said, as if
facilitating the introduction when providing nothing useful at all.

“It’s Jarek,” he corrected.

“Levy.” I supplied.

“Excellent, now let’s get moving.” If I didn’t know better, even Jun sounded a touch nervous.

If that was the case, this was not the kind of magic festival I’d be sticking around for.

We retreated to the parking lot, and Jun took us to his home in the suburbs of Graves. Any
fallout from kidnapping the ‘Magnificent, inconceivable, transcendent Dragon Man’ of Avro Circus,
I’m sure we would deal with in the near future, but for now, Jun’s was the safest place for him. I
didn’t know his story, but it couldn’t have been anything positive in a place like that.

Jun moved swiftly, and the urgency made me uneasy. Though I hesitated to follow him inside
his suburban home for an entirely different reason. Being back here in this house, so many memories
immediately came flooding back to me, from the first time Jun kissed me, to the first time he…
 My cheeks were heated, and I couldn’t seem to get my mind where it needed to be long enough

to compose myself. My fated mate bond was supposed to eliminate feelings for all other potential

mates, and yet, Jun was constantly occupying my thoughts even months later. Maybe I was just that
broken.

I frowned, unable to will myself to take a step forward or a step back.

“Something wrong, Little Rabbit?” Jun addressed me, while standing at the entrance to the
dungeon I’d spent too many nights in. The one place I’d ever felt like I truly had any kind of power in
my life. And I didn’t want to go in there. Not when I was happy and secure in my relationship, and not

when I was still fighting a war in my head and my heart, condemning myself for still fixating on one
man when I was deeply in love with another.

“I think maybe I should go.” I paused, but kept my eye contact on the floor.

“What if I told you I need you here?” Each word was measured. Was he pleading? No, guys
like him didn’t have to beg for anything.

“Why?” I managed an uneasy step back. I wanted to stay and I didn’t want to stay at the same
time.

“Because you have gifts unlike anyone else.” His expression remained neutral, giving nothing
away. “The collar around his neck is a limiter. It can only be removed by a warlock.”

“What?” My eyes rounded in surprise.

“If anyone knows how to work with enchanted objects, it’s you.” The compliment stirred up
the butterflies in my stomach. I might never be able to comprehend that a person like Jun legitimately
respects me. I still barely believed that anyone could, let alone someone on his level. “I’ve met many
shamans, mages, warlocks, and witches in my time, and few have had your talent for infusing spells.
And of all things, you manage to infuse baked goods no less, which requires enchanting an entire
recipe’s worth of ingredients with enough power to transfer to whoever consumes it. For you it might
seem commonplace and unspectacular, but you have no idea how special that is.”

If I was blushing before, I was blazing now. “I-I guess.” No one had ever put it like that
before. My father made it seem like enchanting food was the most simple thing in the world, and if I

could do it, it wasn’t that special. Yet, Jun seemed so unexpectedly genuine and candid on that
subject, it was hard to argue. I drew in a slow breath then stepped forward this time. “Okay, I’ll see if
I can help.”

He shared a smile with me, then he stepped into the dark stairway.

Maybe I’d regret following my professor down the rabbit hole, but despite everything about
him that was vicious and dangerous, I knew I was always safe with him.
 Chapter 12

I followed along without argument, slipping out of car and into the room Jun referred to as his
dungeon. A moniker that was already triggering PTSD I didn’t want to admit I had.

From what I’d gathered of this strange pair so far was that Levy was somehow both a Zodiac
Rabbit Shifter and a warlock at the same time, and he had the mannerisms of someone who I never,
ever would peg as Alpha. The mark just barely visible beneath the neckline of his shirt told me he
was already mated to someone who wasn’t a snake, yet he and Jun had some sort of bond. I wasn’t
trying to judge over here, but none of this made sense.

“So this place can protect me from Avro somehow?” I turned to the snake shifter as he joined
me in his basement. Even in the dim lighting, I couldn’t help but notice the chains, the knives, the
ropes, tables, and belts organized meticulously throughout the chambers. Ordinarily, that might have

terrified me, but here it felt like something I would have to ask for instead of be forced into.

“Correct.” Jun confirmed as he dropped off the final step. “Everything within these walls is
completely blocked from any form of sorcery and detection, from tracking magic to the pull of the full
moon.”

“How?” Levy walked more slowly and hesitantly down the stairs. He kept his eyes squarely
on the ground, and he had his arms crossed with a pronounced nervousness.

“Your father enchanted it long ago. It was intended to be a safe house for any wayward
shifters in need of protection, and for any half breeds who may need respite from the lunar cycle.”

“O-oh.” Levy chewed his lip, with clear understanding, while I waited for someone to fill me

in. I felt a bit like the third wheel. “So that’s why you offered to protect me so many times…” He
shook his head, as if trying to throw out the thought. “Does that mean I won’t be able to cast in here

either though?”

Jun cocked a smile. “Haoyu’s magic doesn’t restrict you, Leveret Wong.”

Another quiet glance between them. Another trusting nod. Watching them was oddly sweet.

One was so dangerous and imposing, the other so meek and timid, and yet in that yin and yang way,
they suited each other perfectly. Which didn’t make any sense, since a Rabbit was definitely not
compatible with a Snake by the rule of the stars. Yet their natural chemistry was obvious even as a
total stranger.

Did that bother me somehow? Was I jealous? Not of either of them, specifically, but just of the
gentle affection they could share so casually. That wasn’t something I’d been allotted in this lifetime.

With a sigh, I took a seat on a nearby chair. “So how do you get this off?”

Levy looked between Jun and I, as if he was looking for some sort of permission to approach

me, so I leaned back in the chair and lifted my chin.

Levy scurried over, but still stayed a couple feet away as he inspected the collar. Jun
remained against the far wall, just watching with his arms crossed.

“You can get closer than that.” I offered, noticing his hesitance.

Levy nodded and stepped in closer. He leaned in and cocked his head to the side as he tried to
get a read on my limiter. He lifted a hand cautiously. “Do you mind if I…”

“Go ahead.” I turned my head away, assuring he had the easiest possible access, and Levy
started examining the clasp and the band around my neck. He threaded his fingers beneath my collar,
and the light touch of his fingernails against my skin sent an unexplainable shiver through me.

“Sorry.” He apologized immediately.

“You’re fine.”

Levy swallowed, then he resumed feeling his way around the band. He was so over careful,
so worried he might break me. A bunny afraid to hurt a dragon—ridiculous, yet… I appreciated that
care. Everything about his hesitance felt almost annoyingly relatable, like he might understand some
of my struggles in a distant but similar way, and this small gesture of compassion put me at ease. I

didn’t know anything could do that anymore.

The rabbit closed his eyes for a ten count, his fingers still hooked beneath my limiter, and his
breaths slow and controlled and concentrated. Serene. My heartbeat slowed in his hands, and I
synced with his calm breathing.

Levy’s expression grew slack, and a dark energy pulsed through his forearms. His hands slid
down to my collarbone, then he let them slide limply to my chest. He placed an open palm over my
heart, and rested on the steady beat like he was pacing my pulse. I closed my eyes to focus on that
feeling.

There was nothing sexual about the way he was touching me, but it felt intimate and gentle in a
way my body was translating entirely wrong. I swallowed down those thoughts before he moved back
up to my neck. Closing my eyes only made that touch more vivid, though his aura was so delicate that,
for once, I didn’t mind. When he finally pulled away, opening my eyes felt like waking up from the
most perfect and relaxing nap.

“There’s a lot of dark energy here.” Levy frowned. “I can draw out some of it and use it
myself, but I can’t do anything with the magic that doesn’t channel the stars. Do you know what kind
of warlock Avro is?”
 “I didn’t know there were different kinds.” I gave him an apologetic half smile. I ordinarily

might have said something much harsher in regards to what kind of mage Avro might be, but this man

in front of me had me reassessing the fairness of my own biases against wielders. If we were all the
product of a fallen angel, he was the one person I’d met who might still be bearing white wings.

Levy tipped his chin in acknowledgment. “There are a lot actually. Just like how there are a
near infinite number of different shifter breeds, there are mages who draw their power from the earth,
the sun, the water, the wind, the stars, or a number of other natural elements. Most mages are limited
to a single element, but I’m an Earth Rabbit by the Chinese Zodiac, and I’m the son of the High

Warlock of the Stars, so I draw from both the earth and the constellations. It would have been helpful
if Avro was either of those elements, but unfortunately I can only neutralize magic of my same kind.”

He lit up when he talked, and I couldn’t help but think it was incredibly cute. “I’m an Earth
Dragon, too. You must have been born in the generation after mine.”

He pursed his lips. “I might be able to work with that then. If I can channel your Earth with
mine, I should be able to expel any element, but…” He trailed off with a sigh.

“But what?”

“I’m going to have to ask my father for help. I’ve never done anything like that before. I know
there’s a way, but it’s not a spell I’ve studied at all. Never really needed to.” He rubbed the back of
his neck sheepishly, then he turned to address Jun. I’d nearly forgotten there was anyone else in the
room at that point. Levy was… captivating. “I’m going to get my father. If I can learn this spell, I bet
I’ll be able to put elements into a cupcake one day and be able to help anyone else who ends up with
one of these things on their necks.”

The smile and fondness in Jun’s eyes was near imperceptible, like it was something he was
holding back with a heavy chain. “Please do. You are truly an asset, Little Rabbit.”
 Levy blushed bright and with far less subtlety, then he turned to head out. “Keep him safe. I’ll

be right back.”

When the rabbit had fully left us, I slumped forward in the chair, resting my forearms on my
knees. “He’s a hybrid, and not just a mage.” I confirmed, now accepting that indisputable fact. “But a

Zodiac hybrid? I didn’t know that was possible.”

“You would if you knew who his father was.” Jun was still glancing idly at the exit.

“And he’s a Beta.” I noted as a statement and not a question. There was nothing Alpha about

Levy. “A Beta shifter of the Chinese Zodiac. What does that mean?”

“It means a lot of things. It means he’s a constant target.” Jun pushed off the wall and
approached me. “And he’s the only one of us who can choose a mate outside his fated pair.”

“But he’s already mated.”

“Yes.” Jun stated simply without elaborating further. I didn’t press him. The complexity and
nuance of a Beta Zodiac Mage Hybrid sounded like a story I didn’t have the energy to fully appreciate
at the moment. “Why don’t you wash up while he’s gone? You look like hell, and I’m sure your body
would appreciate it.”

He indicated toward a bathroom in the far corner, and I wasted no time accepting that offer.
There was a lifetime worth of blood and mud and misery I needed to scrub from my body if I ever
hoped to feel like a person again.

I spent an hour in the shower, reveling in the feeling of muck and grime being scrubbed from
my skin and unclumping in my hair. I took another hour in a bath scented with rose-geranium oil. It
had been years since I’d been able to bathe in warm water, and my Dragon soul had craved a

temperature that was five degrees past scalding like I was a lost sailor begging to find the shore. I
nuzzled into the soft towels, and I enjoyed the pleasant luxury of a toothbrush and mouthwash.

Things that once felt so ordinary and mundane that I’d near forgotten they existed were now
gifts from the gods. Everything became spectacular after enough time in a cage.

Once I shook the towel through my short, dirty blond hair, I stared at my reflection in the
mirror, as if I hadn’t seen it in years. I hadn’t really. I barely recognized the man looking back at me

anymore.

So much of the muscle I’d worked so hard for in my twenties was long gone and forgotten. My
cheeks had slightly recessed from the lack of nutrients and restricted calories, and my eyes looked
hard and broken.

None of it was surprising. On top of the general abuse, they’d never really fed me much. They
only wanted to keep me alive, not strong. Even with daily pull ups, squats, and planks, I could barely
stand to look at how much my biceps and quads had atrophied. My abs were more visible than ever,
but not because the muscles were well built. Only because there was nothing there to cushion and

protect them anymore.

I flexed and turned to see my back, and my lats and traps were… just depressing.

We will rebuild. I thought with a quiet smile. I could rebuild now, and that was everything. So
long as they could get this collar off anyway.

When I walked out of the bathroom, Jun had prepared a rather extensive meal for me, laid out
on a folding table with a folding chair, comprised of chicken, rice, vegetables, and holy fuck, did I
smell actual seasoning? Sauces? Flavor?
 I was shoveling food into my mouth before I could think to stop myself.

Jun pulled up a chair across from me with a chuckle. “They didn’t feed you there, I take it.”

“Just enough to keep me physically alive and not a calorie more.” I ate eagerly like it might be

the last meal I’d ever be offered again. For all I knew, it still could be. There was no reason for this
man to help me at all, beyond some vague obligation of his general position in whatever shifter
enforcement something or other, and there was even less reason for him to take care of me once the
collar was removed. I’d be back to fending for myself, and just hoping I didn’t end up captured again.
At least until I figured out some way to take down that entire establishment.

Which was fine. Once my full power was freed, there’d be hell to pay.

“I’m guessing that wasn’t your first escape attempt.” Jun watched me casually, and I hoped I
wasn’t embarrassing myself too much. He reached over and used his thumb to wipe a piece of rice
from the corner of my mouth. He placed that same thumb and rice between his lips, maintaining eye
contact all the while. “Why not perform the blood ritual on the other shifters? You could have killed
each and every one of them with little more than swapped blows.”

“Because the collar suppressed that power too.” I tugged at the cursed device around my neck

subconsciously. “At worst, my blood could give them a light headache. My claws and teeth were
hardly even sharp anymore.” I partial shifted in demonstration, revealing my dull nails. Jun examined
my hand, tapping his fingertip to the point of my claws in confirmation.

“About sharp enough for a paper cut.” He chuckled. “I’ve heard of limiter collars, but I
thought they were done away with in medieval times. I was surprised to see that on you.”

“I thought circuses were done away with in medieval times, too, but Avro didn’t get the
memo.” I finished the last bite and relaxed on the table, holding myself up on my elbows. “Thank
you.” I surged with such an overwhelming feeling of gratitude that I thought I might cry. “You’re
unexpectedly nurturing for a snake.”

At that, Jun snorted. “Never once in my life has anyone accused me of such a thing.” He

laughed easily, and that also seemed unexpected from him. “You should get some rest. It may be a
moment before we can get that collar off of you, and I’m sure you’re mentally and physically

exhausted.” He stood and walked towards his door, then paused when he reached his stairway.

He drew in a slow breath before he addressed me again. “Will you be alright down here?”

I blinked several times. “What do you mean? It’s safe, isn’t it?”

Jun shook his head. “Let me rephrase.” He placed a hand on the doorknob, then he twisted the
lock with a loud click. My whole body involuntarily stiffened at the sound.

He kept his eyes on me, and he stood in total silence, as if listening to my heart and breathing
rate from across the room. Micro signals of fear and stress, easily readable by any born predator. “I
can stay with you if you’d prefer.” He twisted the lock again, releasing the deadbolt, and I found
myself relaxing again.

“I-I…” I shook my head, trying to get ahold of these nerves I wish I didn’t have. “Will I still
be safe if you leave it unlocked?”

The slyest of grins crawled across his lips. The kind of expression that hoped someone might
dare try him. “I promise.”
 Chapter 13

Eliot lit up with a full body smile when I entered the bakery the evening after the circus. His
inner golden retriever was especially obvious when he was happy to see someone, and my heart

skipped a beat every time I was reminded that the person who made him feel that way was me.

“How’d it go?” He leaned over the counter, supporting himself on those well-built biceps.

The smile I returned, however, was forced and awkward. The queasiness from the
suppression spell hadn’t fully subsided, and I still felt sick after seeing how bad of shape that dragon
shifter was in. Trying to draw out Avro’s magic from the limiter collar only made my nausea worse,
and that didn’t even touch on how I felt after getting threatened by that red haired guy.

“I uh… I think I need a hug.” I laughed nervously.

“Shit.” Eliot was around the counter and squeezing me tight before I could get another word
in, and I sank into the warm comfort of his embrace. “What happened?”

“Where do I even start?” I nuzzled into his shoulder feeling absolutely exhausted. “Is my
father still around?”

Eliot frowned then held me at arm’s length to get a better look at me, as if he needed to in
order to read my current emotions. A misnomer considering he was able to feel my emotions through
our mate bond when my defenses were so low.

He nodded towards the curtain separating the counter from the kitchen. “He’s in the back.”
 “I’ve gotta go talk to him real quick, but I’ll fill you in tonight over some sake.” I smiled

meekly, which worried him more than it assured him. I placed a soft kiss on his lips to take some of

his strength for my own, then I side stepped the counter and headed to the back.

Mother was on an ingredient run, trying to resupply on some particularly hard to find roots,

and it was a rare treat to see my dad in the back casting hangover cure spells on the Russian Tea
Cakes.

Note to self: snatch one of those before meeting with Eliot for sake.

“You’re back early, Levy. I thought Jun would have you occupied all night.” He said, greeting
me with a smile. “He’s a story teller, that man,” he clarified, because obviously that was what he
meant, and there was no other reason he’d think Jun would be occupying me all night.

“Actually we kind of needed your help.” I moved to rub the back of my neck. “Have you ever
removed a limiter collar before?”

Father stopped mid enchantment, and the tea cakes crumbled under the pressure of botched
magic. “What?” He lifted his stern gaze to me, and his expression tightened.

“I don’t know what kind of magic the sorcerer used, but it’s too strong for me on my own. The

shifter is an Earth Dragon though, so I think I can channel some of his life force with my own Earth
element to overpower it. I’ve just never done it before, so I thought maybe you could teach me.”

His eyes narrowed, more in worry than anger, then he abruptly started washing the powdered
sugar from his hands and removing his apron. “Where is he?” Father asked harshly, ignoring my
whole plan.

“He’s with Jun. We needed his dun—” I cut that word right off. Oh you know, Dad, Your old
friend’s sex dungeon. The one you enchanted for him? Let me lead the way, since I’ve been there so
many times. “—safe house thing so the ringleader wouldn’t find him.” Yeah, that. Safe house.
“Apparently the collar lets the warlock who enchanted it track down the wearer.”

“Correct.” My father confirmed for me, his tone serious. “I’ll head right over.”

I lit up, relieved there was no need for begging or an argument. “Great, I’ll go—”

“You’ll stay here and close up shop, and then you’ll spend the night with your mate.” And now
his words were severe.

“But I can help.”

Father shook his head, and he didn’t repeat himself. He never did. I was always to understand

and figure it out from his first warning. Why he was telling me to stay home, when I was the one who
went and got him in the first place, seemed a bit overprotective to me. He was never this harsh and
overbearing during a full moon night when I was actually in danger. Though I never really told him
that, and not a lot was known about being a half breed and a Beta, so I couldn’t totally fault him for
not stepping in. Granted, even if he was fully aware, he probably expected me to step up and handle it
like a man or whatever. His son shouldn’t need protecting.

So then why was he asking me to stay back for this?

Despite my reservations, I stood obediently as he grabbed his coat and headed out. When the

doorbell jingled on his exit, Eliot stepped into the kitchen to check on me.

“Everything okay?” He asked cautiously.

“I guess it is now.” The corners of my lips dipped. “It’s been an eventful day…”
 I opted to stay at Eliot’s place for the night, which never got any argument from him. I went

straight for the sake when I got there. I pulled two glasses down from the high shelf, and I poured his
before I motioned for him to pour mine.

Eliot pursed his lips. “Alright, now I’m really worried.” He grabbed the bottle and filled my
little cup. “Why are you so on edge?”

I sighed then lifted my cup for a toast. “Kanpai?” I said, as if I wasn’t sure about whether

todays was a ‘cheers’ or ‘I survived, I guess’ kind of day.

“Kanpai.” He said flatly, taking a drink but choosing not to refill my glass after. When I
attempted to refill his, he took the bottle, set it back down on the counter, then grabbed me by the
waist and pulled me over to him. He secured me against his chest. “Now let’s talk.” He settled his
chin on top of my head. He wasn’t that much taller than me, but his shoulders were broader, and he
was muscular enough that he easily enveloped me in a cocoon of safety.

I released a long held breath against him, then nodded against his shoulder. When he let me go,
I took a seat on his couch and sunk into the cushions. Eliot had the best cuddling couch. Jun’s furniture

was all modern and hard, but Eliot’s was like angel food cake.

“You know, I was raised my whole life by a High Warlock. That whole race of people is
fucking terrifying.” I pulled my knees up to my chest. “But the one who runs that circus was something
entirely different.”

He joined me, sitting beside me and draping a hand around the back of the seat. Small gestures
like that always reminded me I was safe with him. “But that’s not why you’re so rattled.” Eliot read
me effortlessly, and I loved and hated that about him sometimes.

“I ran into the guy who drugged me.” I blurted out finally. As unsettling as the whole thing had
been, that was what was still plaguing my mind the most. “The guy with red hair who was helping
Derek. Who used my own cupcakes against me. Th… that guy.”

Eliot’s eyes widened. “What? Are you sure?”

“He’s pretty distinct looking.” I spoke in a near whisper. “He literally wears eyeliner, for one.
And you’d never confuse that haircut for anyone sane. I’m definitely extremely sure.”

“Did he say something to you? Do something?”

I opened my mouth only to close it again. What was I going to say—yeah, he told me to stay

away from Jun, and he threatened to kill me if I don’t. And I still low key think about our snake
shifter professor in a not so acceptable way, so that threat hit hard. “No, just taunted me. Made
some comment about my wolf being dead,” was what I settled on. “But it… I don’t know, brought
back some bad feelings.” Bad feelings is the best way to describe everything that he brought to the
surface. “It’s dumb.” I sank into the couch further, which only made Eliot squeeze my shoulder in
reassurance.

“He threatened you.” He said, again so painfully in tune with my actual heart and soul, my
attempt at withholding information was pointless.

“He…” I gave up before I could finish my dispute. It would have been a lie to say anything
else. “It was a lot all at once. The Warlock was eyeing me like I was the next butterfly he wanted to
pin to his wall, my attacker was whispering cruel nothings into my ear, I couldn’t help the dragon we
were trying to save, and Jun…” I bit my lip. Saying Jun kept stirring up my feelings again wasn’t how
I wanted to finish that sentence. “I just felt so helpless and weak.”

“You’re never weak, Levy.” Eliot kissed me softly on the forehead. There wasn’t much of a
solution he could offer, yet as he moved those kisses down my face, pecking me softly between the
eyes, on the tip of my nose, then meeting my lips with excruciating gentleness, he didn’t need to offer
any. Knowing he was mine was enough reassurance that I’d be safe. Not even a black warlock could
survive if he and Jun went on a rescue mission for me.

“Maybe I need to be reminded of that.” I let him pin me beneath him on the couch. His weight
sunk me deeper into the cushions, and I reveled in having his warmth on top of me. The last thing I

should have been thinking about right now was sex, but every time I tasted his lips, it was hard to
think about anything else.

I gripped Eliot’s shoulders, only to have him shrug me off and pin my wrists over my head,
both under a single palm. He looked down at me with the eyes of a hungry animal, and I swallowed

under his gaze. “Next time, I’ll be there with you, even if it means being cursed by the power of the
entire Wong lineage for abandoning my shift.” He used his other hand to undo my belt. I bit into my lip
as he freed me from my pants, and I did my best to keep my eyes on my mate as he wrapped his rough
hand around my full length. “And I’ll talk to Jun and see what I can find out about the rest.”

His kiss was slow, deep, and probing. And when he moved down my neck, my chest, and my
stomach to place those same lips on the head of my cock, I sunk into the feeling. It was easy to forget
all the vicious and dangerous things outside when I was here with him. If only the rest of my life
could be as easy as this.
 Chapter 14

A knock at the door put me immediately on edge. Presumably it was Levy returning with
Haoyu, but as this little dragon was rather coveted by his former owner, I couldn’t assume he

wouldn’t find him here even with the magic shields. Considering Levy couldn’t remove that collar,
there was a good chance it had more power than I was aware of.

Odd. Not many people put me on edge, but so many factors of this situation were unknowns. I
wasn’t used to missing essential information.

As I neared my entryway, my shoulders relaxed as I sensed the presence of someone

completely nonthreatening on the other side. The aura of an old, old friend.

“Haoyu, welcome.” I greeted him warmly upon opening the door.

A soft smile painted his lips—the unspoken fondness that had long charmed and confused me.
“I hear you’ve found something rather interesting.”

“Interesting to say the least.” I stepped aside as he entered my home. Alone, without the little
rabbit. “Where’s Leveret?”

Tension rippled up his spine at the question, and that… also surprised me. “He doesn’t need
to be here for this.” He turned to face me, an unreadable look on his face. “I don’t know if I’ll even
be able to break the limiter. I still want my son to think I’m an infallible hero.” His chuckle was more
melancholy than humorous.
 Though I kept my expression neutral, such a statement was shocking. Haoyu could do anything.

Mages were already an overpowered race within magic-kind with their limitless possibilities of

spells and enchantments—like the scientists of the magic world, always finding new ways to reinvent
the realm—and Haoyu in particular was the best there was.

Curious.

“Have you heard of this ‘Avro’ character?” I asked, now rather unsure of who or what we
were dealing with.

“He’s more of a legend. Like the kind of boogieman that my parents spoke of to get me to
behave.” He ran a hand through his dark hair, pushing a few loose strands out of his face. He was still
as handsome as he’d always been.

“You? Misbehave?” I snorted. “Preposterous.”

“A young man who knows how to enchant cupcakes well enough to play pranks on his
classmates occasionally needs a little extra discipline.” He shook his head with a laugh. “I wasn’t
always the put together mentor who you deemed worthy of your admiration, Jun.”

Under normal circumstances, I might have flushed at that, but oddly, Haoyu hadn’t had that

effect on me lately. Instead I just tipped my chin in understanding. Then I motioned toward the door to
my dungeon. It was a place I’d dreamed of taking Haoyu for years, yet I was now content at having
never succeeded.

What a strange revelation…

 Twenty-Three Years Ago

Fixated on the stage at the Graves Academy Orientation, I listened to every word spoken by

the gorgeous High Warlock who dominated the room. He was tall, his features were sharp and
masculine, with a strong jaw, a sharp nose, and light facial hair that nicely framed his thin lips. His
black hair was cut short on the sides and longer on top, while swept neatly to the side in a
professional style. Haoyu Wong was not only powerful, but as a Chinese Wu, I was sure he would be
someone who understood my struggles as a member of the Chinese Zodiac. I was completely taken by

his entire presence. One more reason I was thrilled I’d gotten into Graves.

“This sounds like such a pain.” Another student whined from the next row. He had red hair
and a bad attitude, and I tried to ignore him and focus on the man on stage. I couldn’t get distracted.
My studies were too important.

I received my classes and joined the math and chemistry clubs, assuring I stayed on track. My
parents expected me to perform well in the sciences, though I wasn’t sure how I’d use them in my
professional life just yet. Though everyone in the Shen family was a Zodiac Shifter, my mother being
the Horse and my father, the Tiger, neither had gone to college, and I would be the first in my family to

pursue a higher education. I took that responsibility very seriously.

Which was precisely why, the first thing I did after getting my required classes out of the way,
was to go meet the High Warlock and introduce myself. Connections and networking was everything,
after all.

I knocked on the door to the High Warlock’s office, and I was swallowing butterflies as I
waited for an answer. I shifted on my feet, trying not to let my nerves take over, then the door opened,
revealing that stunning face on the other side.
 “How may I help you?” He asked, politely. I froze at the perfectly reasonable question, not

sure what to say. He didn’t know me from anyone else, nor was I anyone to begin with, and on top of

all of that, there was no actual purpose to this introduction. I didn’t need anything from Haoyu Wong
at all. I just… wanted to meet him.

“I’m Jun Shen.” I said, offering my hand just to get myself to stop staring at him so
dumbstruck. “I’m a Zodiac Snake Shifter, so I thought it would make sense to for me to meet the High
Warlock of the Stars.”

He nodded and squeezed my hand in a firm shake. The smile that took his expression was

absolutely enchanting. “That’s a rare order. I’m glad you introduced yourself, Jun.” He took a step
back and welcomed me into his office. “Why don’t you tell me a bit about yourself?”

My heart was pounding in my ears when I took a seat at his desk. No one had ever had an
effect on me like this, and there was a thrill in forcing myself to stay in his presence. The rush paired
with the adrenaline paired with the raw attraction was palpable and intense, and I would be hard
pressed to explain why. A warlock couldn’t be my fated mate, could he? Why else would I feel this
way upon meeting him? My parents had always told me I’d know right away when I one day met my
match, either in the form of a Zodiac Dragon or a Zodiac Rooster, but this visceral feeling in my gut

had me questioning if there was more to the stars than any of us knew.

That first conversation went on for hours as I talked about my goals for coming to Graves and
what I hoped to be. He was so easy to talk to, that I opted to make it a habit of coming by for weeks to
come. First we’d meet once a week. Eventually we started meeting for lunches on the regular.

Before I knew it, we were friends beyond simple mentorship, and nothing made my heart
fuller.

The more time I spent with him, the more obvious and clear my goals became. I’d be a teacher
one day. I’d teach and mentor students just like he did, and we would work beside each other in this
magical academy that sheltered our kind. The clarity I felt in his presence was impossible to explain.

I couldn’t believe how lucky I’d been to get into this school.

Present Day

I shook off the memory, not wanting to think much on those old days. I was in a very different
place in life now than I had been as a young and naïve student, and there was no point in idolizing a
past that never could have panned out.

I followed Haoyu down into my basement, where Jarek was resting in the bedroom. It seemed
a shame to wake him. I didn’t know his story yet, but I was sure there was a lot more to it than a poor
choice of careers.

I flipped on the lights, and Haoyu glanced around the chamber, tight lipped and not saying a

thing. The little discomforts in his expression spoke loud and clear as to his thoughts on the whips, the
braces, and the paddles. A side of me he knew absolutely nothing about and probably would have
happily gone forever without discovering. I stifled a laugh as I walked past him to the bedroom door.

“I’ll go in first. He’ll be more comfortable being awoken by a fellow shifter than a High
Warlock.”

Haoyu nodded in agreement, and he stayed back, waiting awkwardly beside my St Andrew’s
Cross. I hummed in amusement as I entered my bedroom that was typically reserved more for
aftercare rather than actual sleeping. Jarek was laying cross legged on the bed, though his eyes were
still wide open.

“Couldn’t sleep?” I asked, approaching the bed with nonthreatening caution.

“The last time I slept in a bed, I woke up in a burning building with a drug soaked rag over my

face, so not really.” He saved his eye contact for the ceiling, while his tone was deceptively
nonchalant. “Did you find someone who can get this collar off of me or not?” There was a mild
insistence and irritation to his voice. I supposed I couldn’t entirely blame him, considering he’d
traded one cage for another at this point.

“I did.” I confirmed before I called for Haoyu over my shoulder. It wasn’t long before he
joined us. Jarek sat up at the edge of the bed, and my old friend approached him without hesitation.

Jarek flinched when Haoyu grabbed his collar and started probing it with his own magic. He
jerked every time his fingers brushed his neck. A tense reaction. Very different than how he’d been
with Levy.

Haoyu chanted something quietly under his breath, then he concentrated that enchantment into
that small piece of leather and metal. The collar started to glow a soft red, and I relaxed seeing his
magic pulse slowly through the band. After several extended and breathless moments, Haoyu let go

and stood back. The collar, however, remained affixed to the Dragon’s neck.

“I can’t remove it.” He confirmed what was as obvious as it was unbelievable. “It’s not held
to you with magic that can be overwhelmed by someone stronger. It’s held by emotional magic.”

“Emotional magic?” Jarek asked, distraught as he glanced between us. “What the hell is
emotional magic?”

“It means that your master is a Soul Mage. He draws his power from the hearts, emotions, and
life force of others, and it can only be broken by an emotion that overrides that spell.” Haoyu
explained, matter-of-fact and eerily calm. The sort of emotionless speech that I knew meant he was
feeling a tremendous amount but was attempting to hide that fact. “The more powerful the emotions,
the stronger his spells can be.”

Jarek’s eyes widened in silent understanding. “So this… this spell is as powerful as my own
anger and frustration.” It was phrased vaguely like a question but was much more a statement.

Haoyu nodded. “He likely drew from your life force for any spell he used against you. The
power of a soul mage is in the intensity of the emotions they can instill in others. Some draw from
love, but most choose the much easier route of fear and resentment.”

Jarek’s lightly tanned skin turned pale as he realized he’d been trapped in a prison of his own
design. “So how can I break the enchantment?” The Dragon’s eyes, pleading and desperate, were near
heartbreaking.

“Trust.” Haoyu cocked his head back, looking down at him as he delivered what would be a
difficult message. “There aren’t many emotions more powerful than anger against those who hurt you,
but nothing out powers the amount of healing and faith required in order to genuinely and completely
trust someone. Only someone who you truly believe in, deep in your own soul, will be able to remove
it for you.”

“I trust you.” He blurted immediately. As if saying the words would solidify the feeling.
Haoyu and I shared a hopeless glance.

“You don’t.” I informed him. “And I don’t expect you to.”

“The kind of trust you’re going to need is the type that’s intense and powerful enough to seal a
mate pact. Not just the baseline trust where one chooses to take a chance on a stranger over a brutal
certainty.” Haoyu corrected him gently.

Jarek’s eyes started to gloss, as if the key to his freedom was a death sentence all its own. He
truly wore his emotions on his sleeve, however tough and prickly he wanted to appear. “I… I want to
trust you though.” His voice broke softly under his hopelessness, and that made me frown. “That can’t
be the only way. But what about Levy’s plan? What if I channel my Earth Element with his? Couldn’t

that be powerful enough to—”

“No.” Haoyu shut him down immediately. “Channeling another Zodiac Shifter’s element might

disrupt his own mate bond, and I won’t let him do that.” He shook his head. “Levy is my son, and it’s
important that he stays on the path expected by the stars. Even if that was strong enough to override
Avro’s soul magic—which I doubt it would be—it’s not worth the risk.”

My eyes widened. I wasn’t used to Haoyu’s more fatherly side, but more than that, I’d never

heard of a shifter who could truly alter and choose his fate. Certainly not a Zodiac Shifter, and
undoubtedly not a Beta.

“So then, what does that mean?” Jarek was absolutely defeated.

“It means I suggest you start learning to trust again if you ever want to get that off.” The High
Warlock of Graves spoke sternly. Jarek’s whole body sunk in disappointment.

“I see.”

“I’m sorry I couldn’t be more help.” Haoyu added with a sigh. When he turned to leave, he

indicated for me to come with him with a tip of his chin. I nodded to Jarek, then followed Levy’s
father from the room.

“It’s a trust collar?” I asked in confusion.

“Truly archaic magic. But it’s more powerful than any amount of channeling could ever be. It
puts the onus of removal on the wearer, while also robbing the victim of their ability to ever feel the
emotion they need. It’ll be a long road for someone so abused and broken to be able to trust someone
honestly enough to break the lock.” He furrowed his brow.

“And here I thought you were going to say that love was the answer.” I almost laughed, but
thought better of it.

Haoyu shook his head. “Falling in love comes easy to most people. But believing and trusting

that the object of your affection loves you with the same intensity, honesty, and loyalty is far more
difficult. Sometimes the harder you love someone, the more impossible it is to believe it could ever

be real, to the point you self-sabotage so you never have to develop that real trust.”

I opened my mouth to respond, but froze on my words. Haoyu never knew I was in love with
him. If he did, it was willful ignorance that he used to avoid the subject. Yet that statement felt
pointed, and I would be hard pressed to understand why.

“So he needs to find his fated mate?”

“There aren’t a lot of other choices for a Chinese Zodiac Shifter, is there?” His smile in my
direction felt probing.

He was right, but it unsettled my stomach. I didn’t know the Monkey or the Rat, and I could
rule out any possibility of the Snake or the Rooster.

I centered myself, then I moved past the statement to something I’d much rather discuss. “What
did you mean that Levy might disrupt his own mate bond if he channels another element?” I was still

hung up on that little tidbit, anyway. “Would it break his bond with Rand, even without a rejection
ceremony?”

Haoyu shook his head. “No, but it might change the bond. Open Levy to the possibility of
multiple mate scars, putting him in a vulnerable position again. As it stands, having the mark of his
fated protects him from the full moon curse of a hybrid.”

I knew he was very aware of the intricacies of his Beta son’s gifts and curses, considering
he’d been the one to inform me of their trouble in the first place, but this was the first I’d ever heard
him speak more in depth about them. “He only needs one mate, but sharing magic with another is
extremely intimate, and the act would make it possible for him to take multiple marks.”

“Which would mean he’s back on the table for anyone who might want to claim his power for

their own.” I finished for him. “I understand.” I knew very well that Levy was finally finding peace
now that he had a permanent protector on full moon nights, and I wouldn’t want to see any of the

progress undone for him, either. “So then how can we fix this?”

“We can’t.” He patted me on the shoulder. “But you might be able to. The Dragon and the
Snake are supposed to be compatible. Win his trust, and you can set him free. Then we’ll both make
sure this Avro never finds him again.”

“What?” I swallowed inexplicably at that suggestion. “He’s not my fated mate, Haoyu. This
isn’t some inevitable courtship.”

“Are you sure?” His sly smile wasn’t appreciated. Though I couldn’t tell him I’d already met
my fated either, as I’d be in breach of Zodiac Shifter law just by avoiding mine. Or more precisely, by
actively denying mine and using that to torture him. Haoyu may know the written intricacies of shifter
lore, but he didn’t know how vivid and immediately obvious it was for us when we met our mate.

The image of Gavin entering my dorm room for the first time flashed through my mind, and I

could feel that mortification all over again like I was there. Though I shooed away the unwanted
memory as quickly as I could, but I couldn’t help sinking into it.

Twenty Three Years Ago

 When I placed the key in the lock, I opened to a dorm room that was already half occupied.

Unpacked boxes rested on the bed by the window, so I placed my things on the bed closer to the

bathroom and the exit. That suited me just fine.

It was then that the door opened behind me, and my disorganized dorm mate entered the room.

I turned to meet the greenest eyes, sparkling like emeralds, and tinted with streaks of the softest blues.
Breathtaking eyes framed in black eyeliner that had the dull sheen of having been tattooed in place,
and nearly hidden by the soft, crimson red hair that fell softly around his face. His painfully familiar
face.

Gavin Abernathy. I knew him well. Too well. And not in any positive way. I had been thrilled
when my family had moved away from his.

But the last time I’d seen him, we were both children. Neither of us had hit puberty yet, and
neither of us knew our birthrights back then.

Which was also why this sudden reunion, now that we were both of age, stopped my fucking
heart. Anything I’d thought I’d felt with Haoyu was nothing at all like this.

“Jun Shen.” He muttered through his dropped jaw. “Y-you’re my—”

“Roommate.” I finished that sentence with the only moniker I would allow between us.
Breaking free of that spell, I pushed past him and out of the room before he could correct me. I
slammed the door behind me, and I ran from the hall, not giving him another moment to process what I
was sure we were now both painfully aware of.

That was my fated mate, and he shared my dorm.

Fuck.
 Present Day

I ripped myself back to reality, glancing back at the room where the Little Dragon rested, then
returning my full attention to the man before me. One who I would actually call my first love, far
removed from the Devil’s expectations.

The fact that Haoyu was encouraging me to win over the heart and trust of another felt wrong,
even knowing he was never going to be mine. Even when I didn’t want him to be anymore.

I spoke calmly, suppressing emotions that had been unusually high for me as of late. “I’m sure
he’s not my mate. But I’ll see what I can do to help.”

“You’re a better man than your body count implies, old friend.” He chuckled, presumably
referring to my death count and not the number of people who have been splayed on my various
dungeon furniture. “Good luck though, because I have a feeling that, with his history, you’re going to
be fighting an uphill battle.” His grin made me sicker than those words. Why he refused to believe

that I knew my own mate was beyond me, but then, sharp as he was, Haoyu clearly hadn’t ever been
savvy at picking up on flirting versus ordinary banter, so I shouldn’t have been surprised. When he
added “I’m sure the stars will help you out,” however, even I questioned myself for a moment.

Did he know something that I didn’t?

It was with that statement that Haoyu left me there alone in my own dungeon. And it was also
with that statement that I realized, for the first time in my existence, I might be in over my head. The
dragon was not my fated mate, which meant I would have no magical tools to get him to trust me. He
would have to choose to do so entirely on his own.
 I sighed and turned my attention back to the bedroom door. It wasn’t the first time I had to help

work out trauma with some blindfolds and leather, I suppose.

 Chapter 15

The whip cracked with the forced of lightning and the noise of thunder. The only sound that
could be heard over each hard snap was my own grunts as I fought the need to fucking scream. I

stayed still, hands and knees cuffed to the ground by little more than magic, as I bore my punishment.

The dream was lucid, teetering between so vivid I could feel the pain, yet dark and blurred
enough that I could discern it as a conjuring of my mind.

“Jarek.” Avro kneeled beside me to whisper in my ear. He placed a hand on the small of my
back, then drew a line up my spine, smearing fresh blood up to my neck. At the top, he massaged
circles at the base of my skull with his thumb and forefinger. “I miss you, Jarek.” His voice was so
clear. Sharper than anything else in this nightmare. He laced his fingers through my hair, then clamped
down and jerked my head back. “Won’t you come back to me, my puppet?”

I remained still, panting through the raw pain, while my master pressed the heel of his palm
into my back muscles and drew a massaging line of pressure down my lats. The motion might have
been comforting if not for the open flesh wounds he was grinding into on every pass.

“Just tell me where you are, and I’ll take you home.” His breath was hot on my skin. Another
sensation that was too real for my comfort. He repositioned behind me, then wrapped his arms around
my waist. His long, decrepit fingers danced along the front of my pants and settled on the buckle of
my belt. I closed my eyes tightly, yet in this dream state, I could still see everything. I watched myself,
so pathetic and obedient, as I let him do as he pleased with me. As he undressed me and felt his way
around wherever he so wished.

Wake. Up.

I demanded reprieve from my brain, but the vision continued. I tried to will my body to find

consciousness, only to find that made the sensation of touch all the more real without successfully
disrupting the mental movie. Like I was being played by an incubus in my dreams, I felt myself giving
in with excruciating clarity as he slipped his hands between my legs.

“Let me go.” I choked out the words to this wizard who was starting to feel like more than a

figment of my stress.

“You won’t even know who you are anymore if I do that.” Avro chuckled as he pressed a
finger into me. I dug my fists into the dirt, focusing on that feeling instead of the way he was
massaging me. I felt the first hint of tears forming in my eyes, and I tried to choke them back. I hated
how many times he’d seen me cry. How fucking weak I felt every time. My father had taught me not to
cry. My mother had taught me to always keep my head up. Both of them died unable to uphold their
own mantras. And I was the lost mess of a man that came from all of our failures.

I never used to cry. I was the one who dealt pain, and the one who actively put myself in a

position to take it. There was once a time where the sound of cracking bones got me hard, and the feel
of an elbow bruising my flesh could finish me. But I was in control then. I was choosing pain and
controlling the outcome. I had a chance against it, and I could conquer it. With Avro, I was only a
victim and a punching bag. There was no fighting back or ‘may the best man win.’

I dug in my fingers harder, digging into that haze, until another voice called through the
darkness.

“Little Dragon.” A hiss of a voice, sultry and dark. Jun?

“Let me help you.” Another voice, higher in pitch but reassuring. Gavin?
 Again I tried to tear my mind from this spell. I reached out, as if one of them might catch me.

Help me. Save me.

And I wrapped my fingers around small and delicate hands. Careful. Gentle. Safe.

I lifted my darkened vision to a man who was slim with dark hair and a kind face. A soft smile
covered his lips and a brokenness that matched my own reflected in his blue eyes. He wrapped his
fingers around my knuckles, then he stood, pulling me away from the magician of my past.

“It’ll be okay.” Levy said. “I promise.”

I tore myself upright, and a bedroom came into focus all around me. I was in Jun’s dungeon. I
was in a comfortable bed. Avro wasn’t here. I wasn’t bleeding, and there were no bindings around my
wrists. I was free and safe and alone, aside from the collar that still adorned my neck and the fact that
I was in a room I couldn’t safely leave.

I gripped the leather and gave it a tug yet again. Had Avro channeled that vision through his
collar? Even if he couldn’t find me in here, could he still send me his own twisted messages through
subtle magic? Could he still hold me in sleep paralysis? Still remind me of his touch and his hold on
me?

If I had answered, would he have been able to find me?

I knew it was a dream, yet still I felt so flustered, nervous, and sick to my stomach. So long as
Avro walked this earth, I might always feel that way. Even if I got this collar off, after all, he would
still be out there. If not even the High Warlock of the Stars could defeat his magic, what hope did I
have?

Hell, I didn’t have hope of getting this collar off if I had to trust someone in order to remove
it.

I held my chest and slowed my breathing with heavy and full breaths.
 “Bad dream?” The voice so suddenly in my ear made me jump, and I kept that hand on my

chest as I turned to see the Snake leaning against the far wall, arms crossed and watching me. How

long had he been there? I hadn’t sensed his presence at all.

“You mean right now or my life in general?” I returned a half-hearted smirk. “Fuck man.”

Lacing my fingers through my hair, I drew my knees to my chest and sunk against their support. “How
long have you been standing there?”

“Long enough.” He said. “Nightmares or flashbacks?”

“Nightmares. Confusing fucking nightmares.” That urge to be open with him nagged at me.

Trust. The word was daunting as I lifted my gaze back to Jun. I just had to learn to trust him.
Or someone. He helped me. He asked for nothing in return. That should be easy. There was no reason
I had to be skeptical.

Jun paced closer, and I found myself tensing as he neared the bed. “Do I make you nervous?”
He probed gently.

I withdrew my hand from my hair and I held it out to my side so he could see how much I was
involuntarily shaking. I laughed ironically. “Somehow, I’m more nervous waking up here than I ever

was waking up in that cage every day.” I placed my hand atop my knee and braced it with the other.
Staring at the dragon tattoo wrapping around my arm calmed me down enough to still.

“Because you knew what to expect in that cage every day, and you have no idea what to
expect from me.” He neared until he was at my bedside. “It’s funny, isn’t it? Sometimes the villain
you know is easier to endure than a hero you don’t. Your body and mind are trained to take abuse,
your heart doesn’t know what healthy looks like anymore, and all you can think about in this world
are those four walls. Now that you’re free and in a safe place, rather than enjoying the relief that
should bring, your body is craving that familiar and brutal torture you were used to. Because you
know you can survive that, but you have no idea what I might put you through.” His grin was a touch
wicked, and my heart beat stopped just looking at him. He sat beside me, and the mattress sunk

slightly under his weight. “Sometimes safety is more terrifying than danger when you’ve never known
it.”

“There might be some truth to that.” I shied away from contact. And that felt off too. With
Avro, I could be aggressive. I could fight back, push as hard as I was capable of, yell and scream and
curse and threaten. I was a caged animal lashing out, and I was used to that rage, fear, and chaos
consuming me.

Even before Avro, my life hadn’t been peaceful. Adrenaline and violence had always been my
lot. How was I supposed to function among polite and sophisticated society?

Because Jun… Jun was calm and collected. Nurturing and kind. Powerful, but in a protective
way that I somehow knew wouldn’t ever be turned on me unless I made him do so. He had class and
reason and a good nature despite himself, and I could sense that as he sat beside me. Every predatory
bone in my shifter body could read those facts.

In my head, I trusted this stranger. Maybe in my heart, I did too. But I didn’t trust myself. I
didn’t know how I might lash out, or how I’d react when in a situation that required reservation and

self-control. I’d not had to temper my own emotions in years, and some part of me worried that I
couldn’t anymore.

The only way I didn’t trust him was in the fear that I wasn’t worthy of this kindness he’d
shown me, and that he would eventually come to realize that too.

“It may not help matters that you’re stuck down here.” Jun’s sightline dropped to my collar.
“And may remain stuck down here for a while.”

“I’ve been in worse predicaments.” I tugged on the collar again. “But I guess I need to start
figuring out how to trust you if I’m going to improve from here.” My laugh was weak.

Jun held eye contact, and I forced myself not to look away. He reached over and placed a hand

on my cheek, assuring I stayed level with his gaze, then he lifted his chin slightly, looking down on me
as if making an appraisal. I didn’t flinch, nor did I pull away. I let him hold me there quietly and

without protest.

He was naturally soothing to me for some reason. His aura felt unexpectedly honest. Maybe it
was the natural connection and compatibility between Snakes and Dragons that made him so easy to
be around, even if I knew he wasn’t my fated mate. I’d never met my mate, but the connection would

be far more intense if he was mine. Instead, maybe he was just compatible as a friend. That was the
kind of companion I actually needed these days.

“How heavily does this restrict your power?” He asked as his fingertips gently slid down my
neck, brushing over the clasp in the process.

“Sometimes it’s only enough to limit my killing strength, so I can still perform for the crowd.”
I attempted to partial shift my claws to no avail. “And sometimes he cranks it up so high that I’m little
more than a human.” I rolled my fingers into a fist with a frown. “Right now, I’m basically human.”

I lifted my chin as Jun rubbed the leather between his thumb and forefinger. “Interesting. So
even if he can’t locate you, he can still pulse his magic through you using that collar. I can’t imagine
how frustrating that must be.” He lifted that hand back up to my jaw, then raked his finger softly along
the underside of my chin. I swallowed as his fingernail brushed over my Adam’s apple, and he
withdrew. He stayed on the bed with me, but didn’t push me further. “If you don’t mind me asking,
how exactly does the Dragon of the Chinese Zodiac end up as little more than a circus attraction?”

“I guess that would be a good start.” Was this the first step to trusting someone? Or was I
about to share too much too soon? If he knew who I was and where I came from, before he had any
fun or happy moments with me to help soften the blow, would he really want to stay? I tightened my
grip on my own shaky hand then took a deep breath. “It’s embarrassing, but… if you promise not to

judge me, I’ll tell you.”

Jun laughed at that. “I would be thrilled if you could tell a story depraved enough to merit my
judgment.”

My smile was both involuntary and surprising. “Sounds like a good way to build trust to me.”

Five Years Ago

Blood exploded from the mongrel’s broken nose, spattering across my bare chest in a fan of
red droplets. The werewolf stumbled before he fell on his hip, and he used what strength he had left
to scramble away from me. I didn’t bother to follow. Once they put themselves in that kind of
submissive position, the fight was over.

The men surrounding the pit whooped, cheered, or whined—the idiots who bet on him

whimpering, while those who bet on me clamoring for me to finish the job. I might have, but there
was no extra prize for a fight that ended in death. Only in the satisfaction it gave me, which was
nonexistent for a weak opponent like him. If I was going to beat someone to death with my fists, I
needed them to at least try to stop me.

I wiped the smear from my face—his blood, not mine—with the back of my wrapped hand,
and the announcer entered the ring to declare me the winner, ending the spectacle officially.

This opponent hadn’t so much as laid a hand on me. Werewolves were often easy pickings as
far as predatory shifters went, so while it wasn’t unexpected, it was also incredibly unsatisfying. I
wouldn’t even have a bruise to prove the fight had happened.

I’d gotten used to that these days. I couldn’t recall the last time anyone was strong enough to

make me bleed. A shame, really. It would be a lot more fun if they did.

I had three more fights that night before I was allowed to shower and rest. Then I would be up
by noon to train and repeat. Being a born dragon, I had a natural advantage of strength and cunning
and endurance, that a later-in-life were-anything couldn’t possibly match. Born monsters were
always stronger than magic made ones.

But that didn’t mean I didn’t work for it even so. For every werewolf I knocked out, there
were real wolf, lion, or elephant shifters that made sure I had to earn my victories, and I chased those
highs like my soul depended on it.

Maybe it did. There wasn’t much else that got my heart racing anymore.

The gym was my one moment of peace and respite every day, and those hours I got to indulge
in the simple pleasure of watching my own muscles strain and flex under always increasing weights
was its own form of relaxation. It was a simple life, but good enough for someone like me. I wouldn’t
know what to do if I didn’t have the thrill of the fight to look forward to. Not all of us dreamed of

white picket fences.

That and… I enjoyed any excuse to see my trainer.

“Why don’t you go legit, Jay? You’re strong enough, your technique is tight, your strength
is…” Casey took the full impact of my fist on the pad, and he dug in his heels to keep from toppling
over. His soft brown hair swayed as my fist displaced the air around him. As a Golem Shifter, it took
a lot to push him, making me especially proud of that hit. “Fucking unmatched,” he added with an
exhale of relief. “You would be a legend at any mixed martial arts championship, and you’d make
way more money in a sold out arena than a dirty, grungy basement surrounded by deplorable
heathens.”

Here we go again. “Because I don’t want to. Isn’t that enough?” I am one of those deplorable

heathens. I understood his reasoning and his reservations, but honest work in sanctioned, regulated
fights didn’t suit my needs. The money I made was good enough, and I didn’t want for much. But

financial freedom wasn’t what drove me.

I powered through my glutes and quads in a hard knee strike, and Casey grunted as he took the
brunt of it in the pad. “Why don’t you want to? What is it that keeps you rolling with thugs in a human
cock fight? You’re better than that.”

I’m not though. I wanted to say. Physically and technique-wise, maybe, but I wasn’t better
than beating the living fuck out of every lowlife in this city. I told myself I was looking for the shifter
who killed my parents to make it all sound noble, but I reveled in every broken skull I contributed
along the way. There was no one who I faced off against in that ring who didn’t deserve to be beaten
into the ground for some crime or another, and at this point, it felt a bit like my purpose. The fact that I
had started to enjoy the process was just a little bonus to my crusade. If all of us were trash, I’d at
least be on top of the pile.

“This suits me.” I shook my head and backed away to catch my breath. Casey had me so

distracted with his machinations, I wasn’t paying attention to my breathing at all. I’d been holding
stale air in my lungs for entirely too long. “Glitz and glam isn’t for guys like me. I’d rather live under
the radar and scrape by than be some kind of show piece.”

“More like you’d rather live under a rock, fucking lizard.” Casey said with a bright smile. My
trainer was lean and strong, with the gentlest grey eyes and the shaggiest brown hair that was way too
soft to belong to a golem.

“Is that a euphemism, rocky boy?” I smirked, and he flushed. Oddly cute for a man who could
level a concrete wall with his fist. Though despite how much I enjoyed flirting with him—and how
much I would happily act on those sweet nothings with him—my place among the zodiac order made

him squarely off limits. My needs in bed, and our chances of swapping blood as a result, made the

risks entirely too real. I already learned that one the hard way. The men who swapped blood in the
ring with me learned it even harder. An unfortunate reality I’d long since accepted.

Celibacy was the life for me. I’d get my kicks in the ring, and that was enough. I didn’t need to
start murdering my fuck buddies, and I’d long since given up on finding my fated mate.

“A-anyway, who’s your opponent tonight?”

“Not sure.” I pulled off my fitted tank top and used the sparse dry spots as a towel to wipe the
heavy sweat from my temples and dab drips sliding down my neck. I draped it around my neck when I
was done, letting the thin material fall over my broad shoulders. “Normally Rizz gets some intel to me
prior, but today he said it’s pretty hush hush. Some big shot fighter from another town I’d bet.” Being
underground fighting rings were unquestionably illegal, it wasn’t like any of us knew each other’s
names. Hell, even my manager only knew me as Jay, and I only knew him as Rizz.

“You say that so casually. You know every single person who enters that ring is looking for
ways to kill you.” Casey was always such a worrier.

“Oh I promise you, I absolutely know that.” I grinned, dismissing his argument completely.
“Because I’m looking at them the same way.”

“How reassuring.” Casey pursed his lips, and I shrugged.

“Worried you’ll lose your best client?” I teased, while refilling my water bottle.

“I’m worried I’ll lose my friend, Jay.” He frowned, and that oddly made me frown too. A
friend? Since when did I have any of those?

“I’ll be careful.” I spoke seriously this time, then I flexed for him to show off biceps I could
barely fit between the full stretch of my thumb and forefinger. Fuck, I looked good. “I have the best
trainer around, and I’m still a dragon. Shifting might break the rules, but rules don’t mean shit when

it’s life or death. I’d burn that arena to the ground before I’d let some lowly animal gut me.”

Casey nodded, then he picked up his clipboard, looking over the weights I’d used on our last
session. “Let’s step it up today then.”
 Chapter 16

Present Day

“So you were a fighter.” Jun confirmed, patiently listening and engaging.

“I was a dumb twenty five year old meat head chasing revenge.” I rolled my eyes at my own
story. “Aggression comes with the breed a bit.”

“Luck and good fortune is also supposed to be inherent to dragons, but that didn’t seem to rub
off.” Jun’s chuckle was just a touch mocking.

I shook my head but shared his laugh. “Even for shifters, some parts of astrology are still little
more than generalized guess work, The stars can’t get it right every time.”

“I promise I’m very aware.” He cocked a grin. “When I first met my fated mate, I lost all faith

in my entire birthright. I’m not sure I ever got it back.”

“Aren’t you specifically an enforcer?” I raised a brow at the irony. “Are you allowed to lose
faith in the Chinese Zodiac birthrights?”

Jun leaned back and brushed a loose strand of his silky black hair behind his ear. The
expression on his face was complicated in its forced neutrality. “Sometimes in order to break the
rules, you need to know them as explicitly as possible. And you have to know everyone who could
potentially punish you for it.”

“And be strong enough to break their necks if they say something.” I added for him. He
laughed earnestly.

“I had a feeling you might understand me.”

“But… back up. You’ve met your mate?” I didn’t want to let that little tidbit slide. “I know it’s

not me, or I’d have this collar off already.” The snake was always one of my possible matches, and it
was almost a shame to learn it wasn’t this stunning man. I’d just met the Rooster and the Rabbit, so I
knew it wasn’t one of them either. That meant I’d most likely be paired with a Monkey or a Rat shifter
if I ever found one. Though the snake’s only options were the dragon or… “Gavin, right? Your mate is
the Rooster? He’s the one who unlocked my cage.”

Jun’s eye twitched, but he didn’t confirm nor deny.

So I poked again. “He didn’t seem so bad. Unless you just don’t like cock.”

Jun snorted, but didn’t elaborate. It might take a bit before he trusted me enough to talk about
that, too. “You’re cheeky. It seems that old wizard wasn’t able to tame the bite out of you one bit.”

“Greater men have tried. Not that it takes much to be a better man than Avro.” I hugged my
knees more closely to my chest, as I enjoyed this quiet conversation with someone who wasn’t out to
harm me for once, but the imprint Avro had left on me wouldn’t disappear any time soon, if ever.

“Sometimes I think the abuse of it all was what kept me biting back so hard, you know. Every time I
got out of that cage, I was hoping to escape, but if I’m being totally honest…” I paused, processing
what I was about to say while allowing myself to actually voice it aloud. “…Even when I started to
accept that it was a hopeless gamble, sometimes I think I just wanted to feel something again. The
rush, the fear, the pain, the adrenaline. Even though I failed time and again, it was those little bursts of
excitement and anguish that kept my soul alive through it all. Maybe he’d fuck me, maybe he’d torture
me, maybe he’d cut me open, break my bones, or throw me to his tigers—whatever he did, it would
fuel my anger for one more day instead of letting me resign to a comfortable, obedient, and
unchallenging existence.”
 “Poetic.” Jun nodded. “And more relatable than you know. So then, back to your story, I take it

this new opponent had some tie to the circus.”

“You take it correctly.” I nodded

Five Years Ago

After a long morning of training, I stopped into the local pub for a last meal before the fight.
The chef at Last Order Saloon had known me long enough to understand how to feed me properly. I
ordered the usual chicken and pasta, loading on carbs and protein for the night, and I settled into my
bar stool.

It wasn’t long before Rizz sat down beside me. The old feline shifter ran a hand through his
messy black hair that looked overdue for some grooming, and he called for a beer before he
addressed me.

“Tonight’s going to be a big one, Jay.” He didn’t so much as look at me before he accepted his
beer and slid me my water. I didn’t drink, least of all before a fight. How a bar had become my usual
haunt was beyond me. But they were mostly good people here.

“Any idea what kind of shifter I should be expecting?” Not that it mattered. I’d beat anyone
who stepped into that ring with me.

“It’s a whole crew tonight.” He practically chugged his brew, and that nervous tick might have
made me nervous if I wasn’t so intrigued. “And they have requirements.”

“Requirements, huh?” I rolled my eyes. “Let me guess, they want me to fight with one hand
tied behind my back? A blindfold? Wearing a potato sack?”

Rizz wasn’t nearly as amused by my mockery of the situation as I was. “They want you to take

suppressants.”

“The fuck?” I jerked my head back in quiet surprise. I wouldn’t even take a fucking pain killer
after a match, let alone a downer beforehand. “Suppressants? Setting aside that I’m absolutely not
going to do that, where the fuck would I even get suppressants on such short notice? It’s not like I
keep that shit around.”

“They’ll provide them.” Rizz mumbled, and I dropped my fork.

“I fucking bet they will. You think I’m dumb enough to take drugs from my opponent, assume
they’re sound, and get in the ring with a bunch of shady fucks who want to kill me? Hard pass. I don’t
need this match.” I turned to face my manager. “I’ve done some questionable shit in my life, but that’s
just stupid.”

“Jay.” He snapped, urging me to lower my volume. “The payout might change your mind. If I
make sure the pills are good, would you be open to it?”

“I’m not that hard up.” I shook my head and returned to my bland fettuccine. “But by all

means, explain the terms for me, because it sounds like they get to drug me, and if I somehow win
anyway, I get, what? A few thousand bucks? And if I lose, I’m dead. What about this is supposed to
entice me? A lot of people want my head, and I expect them to fucking earn it, not cheat for it. I don’t
know why you’d even suggest this bullshit.”

“It’s something new and different. I would have thought you’d get off on the idea. You ever
taken a punch on suppressants? Blows feel different when you’re borderline human.” His voice was
practically a purr, and I was starting to wonder if Rizz was more fucked up than I was.

I rolled my eyes just for him. “Cool. If I want to get beaten until I come, I can go fuck a
kangaroo shifter. Try again.”

“You don’t think you can win against some drugged up shifters with how hard you train?” He

tried the taunting angle, and I was a bit offended that my own manager would do such a thing.

“I know I could. But that’s not the point. The point is that the only person who would ask for a
battle while doped up on drugs is someone who’s got something fucked planned for their opponents.
That’s a death match, not a fair fight. So I’ll ask this one more fucking time, what are they offering to
make this worth even considering, Rizz?”

Rizz sighed, then he ordered another drink. “Fifteen million dollars, for one. Enough for both
of us to retire and walk away if we so chose.”

Okay, that was a little bit compelling. “And they’ll be on suppressants too? Or is this a one
sided thing?”

“They’ll also be on suppressants.” He confirmed.

I backed off my aggression and pondered on that for a bit. It would be like being human in a
fight against other humans. That could be… fun? I guess? If I walked away with fifteen million
afterwards, I’m sure I could find some joy in it. I wasn’t hard up for money, but that was when I was

imagining the kinds of payouts that barely covered the grocery bill. This was freedom money.

“I’ll consider it.” He relaxed as I stupidly gave in. How could I not with that kind of prize on
the line. Suppressants or not, I wasn’t exactly second rate, and there was no reason to believe this
challenger was particularly special despite his deep pockets. “But with a pot like that, what exactly
are we expected to provide? I can’t believe they’re just some travelling fight club with millions to
throw away for nothing but the prize of fueling their own egos.”

Rizz was back to awkward fidgeting, and it was never a good sign when he avoided the
question. “If they win, they want…” He chewed his lip, and pointedly kept his vision fixed on a
distant bottle of whiskey as he spoke. “You.”

I choked on my food. “Excuse me?”

“They want you to join them. They’re some kind of fighting troupe or something, and they want

a dragon in their ranks.”

“So I’m putting myself up for sale for fifteen million?” I mulled that over for a few moments. I
mean, I’d definitely sold my soul for less.

He nodded solemnly, and we both sat in silence for several awkward, heavy moments.

I returned my attention to my noodles, and chewed another bite slowly. “Is that all the intel
you can give me?“

“Just one more little tidbit.” He sipped the beer from his glass, letting the head leave a foam
mustache on his otherwise clean shaven face. I wasn’t sold yet, and he knew it. I was sure whatever
he said next would make or break the deal. “The man who issued the challenge is a cobra shifter.”

I froze in my seat, then I gave Rizz my undivided attention. I hadn’t told him much about me,
but I’d told him that. And if Ivan was playing for this other team, then this wasn’t a randomly chosen
battle den.

Dangerous grounds, and yet… “I’m listening.”

Present Day

“A Cobra shifter?” Jun cocked a brow. Being a fellow snake, maybe he felt some misguided
camaraderie.

“A cobra shifter.” I confirmed, offering nothing more.

“Someone you knew, I take it?”

“He was a drug dealer who was kind of my mentor as a kid. He was only six years older than
me, but he was a survivor.” I said dismissively. I kept it vague enough, feeling wary to say much
more. “I grew up on a rougher side of town, if you hadn’t guessed that much. Dad was a construction
worker, Mom worked retail, and we all scraped by.”

“They were both Zodiac Shifters though?” He asked somewhat skeptically. There was an
expectation that just because we were a rare breed, we must also be a successful one. Blue collar
poverty wasn’t becoming of the Devil’s most special snowflakes. But in my case…

“My dad was the pig, literally but not metaphorically, and my mom was the sheep, literally
and metaphorically.” I laughed at my own bad joke. I was the only one allowed to laugh at that, and
judging by his expression, Jun silently understood that. “Being their signs hadn’t given them much luck
or strength, they were very particular about what years they were going to have off spring to make
sure they had a chance of bearing a worthwhile beast.”

“So you’re purebred Chinese Zodiac.” He nodded. “Any siblings?”

I shook my head. “My mom died when I was twelve with what would have been my little
sister in her belly.”

“Murdered?” His questions were so effortlessly correct, I was starting to feel like a
stereotype.

“Murdered.” I confirmed. “Do you know what Symphony is?”

“The stimulant?”
 “Yeah, that’s what Ivan sold.” One more deep breath. I held onto that thought for an extended

second, building the courage to voice it aloud. This was supposed to be some kind of trust exercise,

so I needed to just get it out. “The cobra got my dad hooked on Symphony when he was struggling to
keep up with work and needed a boost to keep him going. And it was that same drug that drove him

insane.”

“And?” Jun asked, somehow knowing there was more I was leaving out. I was taken aback by
how observant he was. Another deep breath.

“The sleep deprivation and the power surges got my pops all messed up, up until his paranoia

got the best of him, and he snapped. He killed my mom, and I killed him. And when I confronted Ivan,
hoping he might know where my dad was getting his supply…” I shook my head at the old memory. “I
gave him that scar, but I didn’t kill him that night. He disappeared to deal again, and the fact that I let
him go had long been my one regret. I got into fighting because it was a way to earn a buck, but also
because half those guys were tweaked to shit, and I figured eventually it would lead me back to him.
That night just happened to be the moment I’d been waiting for.”

“So you accepted the match even with the suppressants?”

“That was my second biggest regret.”

Five Years Ago

The arena was packed that night, and I wasn’t surprised. Drugs weren’t regulated here, but no
shifter in their right mind would enter the ring on downers. When the stakes were announced so
people could place their bets, the crowd went fucking wild. This was guaranteed to be a bloody

spectacle.

And if I said I wasn’t at least a little bit intrigued, I’d be lying through my teeth. It had taken
some mental gymnastics to get on board with the idea of taking any sort of drug, especially knowing

that Ivan would be on the other side of the ring, but the more I thought on it, the more I liked the idea.
We wouldn’t be two shifters tearing into each other with our devil-given gifts. We’d be two humans,
testing my training against his.

And when I broke his eye socket under my knuckles, it would be my own raw strength against

his pathetic fucking existence.

I was fine with that as long as the drugs were good. I wasn’t going to get duped into taking
suppressants against a full powered shifter for any amount of money, nor was I letting Ivan be the
death of one more of the Milans.

Rizz led me into the backroom for the meet and greet before the match. A formality I never
ordinarily bothered with. I liked the surprise of meeting my opponents for the first time with blood in
my teeth and mud on my skin. However, these were special circumstances.

In the dingy, poorly lit locker room of the abandoned gym above the arena, I waited
impatiently for our guests to arrive.

“Do you think they changed their minds?” I asked as a full hour past meeting time ticked by.
The fight was set to start in thirty minutes, and the drugs would hardly have time to kick in if they
delayed any longer. I opened the door to the basement, just to listen to the chatter and hollering from
an impatient and hyped audience. I wondered how many were betting on me opposed to these out-of-
towners.

“I’m sure they’ll be here.” Rizz hissed, as if I was the one wasting his time. I rolled my eyes
and sat back down on the bench. A stall tactic like this was so contrived. Get your opponent revved
up on adrenaline, then make them wait until that adrenaline fades, and it’ll be harder to get back into

the mental groove. Not my first rodeo and wouldn’t work on me. Nerves hadn’t been in my mental
database in ages.

Five more minutes and the door creaked open on old, rusted hinges. A crew of four filled the
space. One was short and stout, with wide features and messy dark hair. Likely some sort of rodent or
ape shifter. He may have been wider than he was tall, and I could see why someone like that wanted
to fight on suppressants.

The second in the entourage was more lean, with dark skin and platinum hair. A water bird
maybe. If he was a fighter, I’d have pegged him for a less brute-strength heavy martial art. Maybe
something like judo that was specifically engineered to leverage an opponent’s strength against them.
He looked more flexible than he was powerful, and I hadn’t the slightest worry that he’d be a
problem.

The third among them was about my height and quite muscular—surprisingly so for his
advanced age. He had a stupid mustache that dipped down to his jawline, and the thickest eyebrows
I’d ever seen. The combination of stache and brows made up the only hair on his head. His dark eyes

shot straight to me, and they crawled along every inch of my body like he was deciding which part of
me he wanted to eat first. I had no clue what kind of shifter he might be—if he was a shifter at all. He
didn’t look like anything other than the kind of person you wouldn’t leave your kids with. I’d met
some creeps in my day, but this one sent ice down my spine, and I shivered entirely involuntarily.

The last on the team was Ivan. His gold eyes were bloodshot, and his skin was intensely pale,
far removed from the golden skinned teen I’d once admired. He looked like death and the devil in
one, with rippling muscles peeking from beneath the casual tank top he wore, a mean snarl on a face I
once wrongly thought was so handsome, and a twitch like a fucking addict. The scar I’d put on his
neck was displayed proudly, and his poisoned fangs extended beyond his bottom lip.

The look we shared between us said more words than my lips ever could. A fucking decade,

and he was still a piece of shit dealer.

Rizz immediately shuffled over to greet them. He shook hands with the buff old guy with the
ridiculous facial hair first. I stayed back, not getting anywhere near a single one of them. I didn’t
physically touch another person unless I was in a good position to defend myself.

“Only one fighter for your side?” the stubby tree trunk of a man asked. Maybe he was a badger

shifter. “I was hoping we’d all get a match tonight.”

“You will.” I stood from my bench, showing my full height, and letting the poor lighting cast
dark shadows over every built muscle of my arms and chest. “I’ll be taking on anyone who’s bold
enough to step into the ring.” I nodded toward stubs and the delicate looking one. “I’ll take you two
both at once if you’re scared. But I want him one-on-one” I finished with a glare towards Ivan, who
was predictably unrattled.

Rizz shot me a look, and I shrugged.

“It sounds like we can drop the formalities.” Mustache spoke, and the other two immediately

shut up. He must have been the leader. “Ivan, my companion here, has told us a lot about you, and I’ve
been very interested in seeing you for myself.” He pushed past Rizz and stepped into my personal
space. “Avro.” He said as he offered me a hand. I didn’t take it. A response that resulted in a wicked
grin and a shake of his head. “And you are Jarek Milan, the elusive Dragon Shifter of the Zodiac.” If I
wouldn’t introduce myself, I guess he decided he could do the honors.

He looked me up and down for the hundredth time since he’d entered the room, and that
predatory and hungry way he kept doing so made my skin crawl. Of course he knew who and what I
was. Why else would he have been suggesting suppressants. The challengers were supposed to
always remain anonymous until the day of the fight, but who was surprised that this fucking snake had
sniffed me out and decided to bend the rules.

I lifted my chin to look down on Avro, refusing to retreat an inch. The slightest falter would
make me appear submissive, and with his power practically crackling off his skin, I knew I couldn’t

show any weakness right now. It was quickly becoming obvious that this man wasn’t a shifter at all.

I stretched my smile wide, and bore partially shifted fangs. “I guess my reputation precedes
me.” I glanced to his three companions. “I understand now why you didn’t think you could win in a
fair fight.”

The man chuckled, but he was the one to take a step back first in our little face-off. Of course
he did.

“I feel it’s important to give the audience a spectacle in all forms of entertainment, and a big,
strong man like you wouldn’t even find a challenge here.” Avro attempted to fan my ego, and I
wouldn’t say he was entirely unsuccessful. He wasn’t wrong, after all.

“Then maybe you have no business entering the ring with me.” I kept my eyes on Ivan, who
was watching me from across the locker room. His gaze was steady, knowing, yet betraying not a

single emotion. Why he’d shown up with an entourage instead of facing me himself was just the kind
of cowardly bullshit I expected from him.

“Or maybe I just wanted to offer something new to an undisputed champ. Beating the life out
of lesser shifters must get dull after a while.”

“It doesn’t, actually.” I smirked at that, and that made him chuckle.

“Well, then you should see what a rush it is to win a fight without the aid of your natural gifts.”
Avro snapped his fingers, and Ivan slinked over to his side like some kind of servant. Which
shouldn’t have surprised me. He was a follower through and through. This Avro was probably his
current supplier. He’d rolled with uglier and filthier dogs before.

Ivan licked his lips with a quick dart of his tongue as he handed Avro a pill bottle filled with

red and black capsules.

“This drug is called Malady.” Avro took the bottle from the cobra and popped the lid. He
shook the pills in their container, creating a dull rattle. “One of these, and your beast form is heavily
neutered of all killing ability, but you can still shift. Two of these, and you’re human. The affects last
about three to six hours, depending on your body’s metabolism.” His gaze dropped to my muscular
chest. “Three hours for you, I’d wager. But it’s impossible to know until you’ve taken it. Typically

weaker beasts hold onto the affects longer, but every creature processes enchantments differently.”

“That’s a long time to force suppression on a shifter in this environment.” Rizz spoke up for
me, and I nodded in agreement. “There’s a lot of money that gets passed around during fights, and the
audience is prone to aggression when they lose. If a pack of rowdy werewolves knows the fighters
are all on suppressants, it would open the fighters to being targeted by the crowd. I don’t think I need
to explain how that could end.”

Avro betrayed no emotion. “I thought you might say that, which is why I have a second
option.” He snapped his fingers, and five identical collars appeared in his hand, each one comprised

of a thin, white strip of nicely finished leather and a silver clasp. So he’s a mage. Not one of us.
“Limiter Collars can create the same effect on a much more removable and controllable basis.”

Limiter Collars? I’d never heard of such a thing.

Without needing to be told, the slim and dark one approached, and he shifted into a pure white
whooping crane with an elongated neck and even longer legs. Avro placed the collar around his
slender neck, and the moment it latched, the shifter was forced back into human form, so quickly he
likely barely had time to reshape his bones. The band expanded to fit the new size and shape of his
body.
 I swallowed at the spectacle. As shifters, the moon, the sun, and the stars had untold power

over our bodies, but I’d never seen a man who could manipulate a transformation with a basic

accessory. The fact that something like that existed was terrifying.

“He couldn’t shift back if he tried, so long as he wears that band. But…” He nodded to the

crane, and the shifter wasted no time unbuckling the choker. He tossed it onto the bench, and he
shifted back into his bird form again. “This suppressant is temporary, only so long as you wear it.
This gives you the power to abide by our rules so long as we are abiding, and refuse our rules if you
suspect foul play.”

I looked to Rizz, who offered no words or opinions. He looked as stunned as I was at what
we were witnessing.

Avro clearly picked up on my reservations. He stepped forward and outstretched a hand,

offering me a small leather limiter to try myself. “Go on, test it. If you don’t like it, you can refuse.
We’ll walk away and forget we ever came to your arena. If you’re satisfied with this solution,
however, we’ll make this match official.”

I held his gaze, trying to read any deception I could in the cruel, deep set eyes of this warlock,
then I took the collar and fastened it loosely around my neck. I waited through slow, nervous breaths

for the suppression spell to flow through my muscles, then I attempted to shit. Nothing. My mind
couldn’t force my body to shift, and no part of me could access my normal gifts. I felt heavier on my
feet, and indescribably vulnerable.

Butterflies and nausea danced in my stomach at the sheer power of this tiny piece of leather.
This was a spell unlike anything I ever thought possible. For a were-shifter, this was a cure. For a
purebred, born shifter, this was an out from violent magical politics or the cursed blood of my Zodiac
lineage.

Or for a cornered beast, it was a shackle on self-defense. It could be abused as easily as it

could help someone.

I undid the buckle and removed the collar hastily, then threw my body into a full shift.

Everyone stood back as my form lengthened and transformed into its true and massive

serpentine length, and I filled that small locker room with a suffocating heat and an aggressive roar.

The weaker shifters cowered, Ivan flinched, and Avro watched me with pure admiration in his
eyes. His mouth was agape with wonder, as if he was seeing something truly special.

He was. They all were. My animal form didn’t exist in nature, and they were privileged to

even get to witness it.

I shifted back, I rolled my shoulders, and I tipped my chin towards Rizz to inform him that the
collars were satisfactory.

“So do we have a match?” Avro extended his hand again, this time as far more than a simple
greeting. I locked eyes with Ivan one last time, then I placed my hand in the palm of that magician’s.

“We have a match.”

 Chapter 17

Present Day

“You were adequately skeptical, but still too cocky for your own good.” Jun chuckled, and my
expression flattened.

“Oh, like you would be so much more humble.” I rolled my eyes. “When’s the last time you
ever worried that someone could kill you?”

He snorted involuntarily, then he collected himself. “Fair point.”

“Plus, can you honestly say, if you were staring down the person you wanted to beat the shit
out of the most, that you would have turned down that offer?”

“Honestly?” Jun’s smirk perfectly suited his face. “I would have let them all take the

suppressant to demonstrate they were real and just killed them all right then and there. I wouldn’t
have wasted my time on letting them collar me or subject me to a sanctioned fight under their rules.
Every part of that screams a trap, especially if you’re dealing with a high warlock.”

A flush crept over my cheeks, and I pursed my lips at my own foolishness. “Also a fair point.
But I guess I had honor or something. I was confident in my fighting ability, and it didn’t even occur to
me to break the rules of the arena. That was the only thing I held sacred.”

“We all need something we can control in our lives.” His nod felt validating, and for some
reason, that made me flush harder instead of calming my heartbeat.
 “You get it.”

“I do.” He reached out and ruffled my hair, and the gesture was unexpectedly soothing. My

body didn’t even flinch or recoil. It just accepted it, like he was an old friend trying to comfort me.
“Obviously it didn’t work out though and your arrogance was your undoing. I take it Avro was

stronger than you?”

My eyes narrowed and my stomach retched at that suggestion. “More like he was a fucking
cheater.”

Five Years Ago

I watched as each one of them fastened a collar around their necks, Avro included. I didn’t
need him throwing magic into the ring from the sidelines.

I could physically feel the power in the room shrinking away as the limiters took hold. Next it

was my turn. Rizz and I looked between each other, and his reservations were possibly as vivid as my
own. A cat’s instincts were likely even more acute than mine, and if Rizz was starting to second guess
his chance at the largest payout of his life, I was starting to think I should bolt.

I examined the band one more time. This is much safer than pills, I told myself. Ever since
my father had been driven to madness by Symphony, I’d sworn off even milder drugs like alcohol or
tobacco. Caffeine was even a hard sell to me. But this was just an accessory. It was temporary and
removable. It was fine. Worst case scenario, I’d throw the collar away and rain hell down on
everyone. There was no real risk to me with this method.
 I drew in a breath on my last chance to walk from the match. What was really in it for me

other than some money and revenge?

A better question was, what else did I live for? If it wasn’t for the payout nor for making Ivan
pay for his crimes, what the hell got me out of bed every day?

The reality was, there was no way I could refuse this match on a personal level, even if they’d
expected me to do it blindfolded and tied to a chair. My entire personality had been forged around
getting stronger. Strong enough to protect myself and anyone I might one day care about.

Maybe if there had been someone in my life who I felt a need to stay alive for, I might have
been less reckless. But I was the only person who depended on me, so of course I’d be selfish.

I rolled that smooth leather between my fingertips one more time, then I lifted the band to my
neck. “Well boys,” I tapped the metal clasp against my bottom lip. “May the best shifter win.”

I held onto my sense of honor as I fastened the collar loosely around me. The suppressant hit
near instantaneously, washing over me like a wave of weakness. I felt the dragon in me damn near
leave my body, and my natural energy drained to a strange hollowness. The smells in the air dulled,
my hearing was more muffled, and I’d lost all ability to detect any form of magic around me. My first

step was unsteady, as I felt out the capabilities of my magic-free muscles. It felt odd, and everything
felt heavier.

Is this how humans existed every day? I already felt more vulnerable. More breakable.

But I refused to show it. I stepped away from the locker room with Rizz, and we walked down
to the staging area.

The arena was packed as always. The ring was made of uneven wooden stakes, drawing an
imperfect oval in the middle of a large dirt floor, while ravenous heathens drank and gambled away
every penny to their name. Everything from shouts to growls to laughter, cruel and amused, echoed off
the walls of the underground chamber in a cacophony of noise pollution. The chorus gave me life on
my way to my station.

This was my home in a weird way. That realization wasn’t something I was happy to admit or
took any sort of comfort or pride in. It simply was what it was. I hadn’t chosen my hand in life, but I

learned to play within its parameters.

I felt dizzy as I approached my side. The magic in my blood was new and my body was
instantly rejecting it. If I was lucky, maybe my dragon flames would burn this thing off of me and
return my strength mid-punch.

I stepped into the dirt to cheers and whoops. I was sure a majority of these guys bet on me.
Suppressants or not, a whole fucking crew against me or not, I was the king of this fucking arena, just
as I was a king among fucking shifters, and I was about to remind everyone of that fact.

It was the stout one and the skinny one who joined me first, keeping to our agreement. So far
so good. Maybe Avro was a man of honor, too, even if I knew Ivan wasn’t.

I readied my fighting stance, crouching low to aid in an easier launch. For these two, I took on
an offensive position. I wouldn’t need to guard. Neither would successfully land a blow on me.

The announcer, a bombshell of a woman in a small and tight pink dress, with about fifty small
ponytails of different colors raining down behind her head, entered the ring. The Unicorn Shifter was
a coveted breed, and every bark and holler silenced as her ethereal beauty centered the room.

“Impress me, won’t you?” Kath said, offering a flirtatious wink to each of us. She snapped her
fingers, creating a plume of glitter in the air, then she stepped back to watch the show. The moment
those sparkles hit the ground, it was game on.

I lunged first, not giving either one of them time to get their bearings. This was my home turf,
and I was going to take any advantage I might have. I reacted quickly and immediately, ducking under
a swing from the tall one, and coming up with an elbow directed hard into the solar plexus of the
short one. Stubby was on his knees in an instant, and one well-placed drop kick to the back of his

head had him on the floor and knocked the fuck out before he could even cough up the blood in his
throat.

One down, one to go.

I ducked under another swing, then juked backwards, creating distance between us again. I
held for only a second, giving enough of an illusion of hesitance to make him think I was taking time
to re-evaluate an approach, only to come at him fast and hard with a high round house kick.

The crane was on the floor with his companion so fast, Kath called me the winner before the
last floating flecks of glitter could settle in the dirt.

I rolled my shoulders, then returned to my side of the ring to wait for my next opponent. A
handful of spectators booed, but most were on my side. It didn’t matter either way. Even without my
shifter strength, my fists were just as hard, and I was just as nimble. All I’d lost was my healing
ability and being able to intimidate with a well-timed partial shift. Otherwise, the more I moved and
got used to the effects, the lighter I felt on my feet, and the more delicious every hit felt when it landed
on flesh and bone. ‘

Boar shifters acted as bouncers and bus boys, as they dragged the unconscious bodies of my
downed opponents from the ring to be collected from the medic tent later. Avro approached the
bouncers to remove the collars so their bodies would start healing more quickly.

I waited with shaky anticipation for my next opponent. Once I finished facing off against Ivan,
I didn’t care about the fight with Avro. He was in good shape, but he was an old man. So long as he
wasn’t using magic, there was nothing to worry about with him, and I could always bow out after this
match if I wasn’t up for it. There was no requirement of continuing to the last challenge, regardless of
any gentleman’s agreements we made beforehand.
 These rational thoughts only flashed through my mind for a few seconds before I was greeted

with the moment I’d been waiting for. Ivan slinked into my ring like he belonged there. He had a slow

and careful walk, almost as if he was also testing his body on the limiter spell. Whether he’d ever
experienced suppression or not, I couldn’t say. Though he’d been a dealer for years, I didn’t think he

dabbled in his own wares. But then, there were a lot of things I hadn’t thought him capable of.

When the unicorn dust hit the floor, we started circling each other like the predators we both
were.

“It’s been a long time, Jarek.” Ivan spoke first. “You’ve grown up. I kept hearing rumors about

this dragon who was rolling around with were-pigs, and I couldn’t believe someone with your pride
and pedigree could stoop so low. I just had to see it for myself.” His smugness didn’t faze me. His
taunts were as pathetic as his life.

“I had a lot of frustration pent up after you left. I would rather funnel that aggression towards
the people that want and deserve it.” I lunged for him, and he dodged with a twirl before coming back
at me with a backhand straight to the nose. I buckled back a single step, then leveraged the distance to
throw a sweeping hook, catching him in a chokehold and slamming us both to the floor. Blood dripped
down from my nose and gathered along my top lip as I squeezed his neck. As I tasted the salty,

metallic flavor dripping down my chin, I wondered if the limiter also freed me of my blood curse.

“So who are your friends? Were you too afraid to face me alone?” I taunted him once he
weaseled out of my grip and we separated again.

“It has nothing to do with fear, Jarek.” His strikes were so easy to see coming, I was blocking
and dodging effortlessly. I remained on the defensive, waiting to unleash that other side of me at the
perfect moment. “Even back then, it wasn’t personal. It was about the money, plain and simple.”

That statement got under my skin more than it should. I’d almost rather hear that it was some
fucked up plot or grudge that led him to target my family, than know my father was just another
faceless deal to him. My anger threw my next punch, and it connected to his ribs with a loud crack. I

grinned at the sound, then swung again to another satisfying crunch. Breaking bones was more

satisfying while under a limiter.

“Is that why you’re here now then?” I was high on his pain and pulsing with resentment. He

stumbled backwards, holding his broken ribs. I took his lack of guard as an invite, smashing an elbow
down on his back, breaking a few more from the other side. He collapsed to the floor. “Money? You
teamed up with some fucking warlock for a few bucks? Then let me guess, you told him you could
beat me in a fair fight if only I couldn’t draw on my beast?” I kicked him hard in the side, rolling him

onto his back. He cried out as I compounded the fractures beneath his muscles. It was comical that he
thought taking my animal side from me would make my fists softer. “In your little fantasy world,
where you actually beat me,” I straddled him, enjoying the easy dominance. He’d never stood a
chance. He looked like a drowning fish with the way he gasped for air with his likely punctured
lungs. “Where I sold my soul to your little wizard, how did it play out? Did you imagine me becoming
your ally?” I drew back my fist in line with his face. His eyes widened. “Or was I your slave?” I
threw the punch into his cheek, knocking out teeth and sending blood flying from his agape jaw, I
made a point not to compromise his consciousness. No, I wanted him to be wide fucking awake for

this.

He said nothing as I sent another blow into the opposite side of his face. So I continued the
conversation for him. “Did you imagine having the dragon shifter who you fucked over a decade ago
standing by your side, or being forced beneath you, Ivan?” He could have tapped out now, but he
didn’t. Either he wanted this, he didn’t care if he died, or he was too stupid to save himself. Though
even if he’d tried to call truce, I wouldn’t have listened. Murder in the ring was as welcome as any
other bloodletting.

Ivan rolled his head to center, and he looked up into my eyes. His blood painted his teeth and
the lower half of his face as he smirked. “You’re still so easy to manipulate.”
 My eyes narrowed, and I landed a fist even harder on the side of his skull. Blood erupted from

his every orifice on impact. Then I reached down for the clasp on his limiter, and I released the

mechanism. The collar fell to the ground, freeing his full power as a shifter. His expression filled
with surprise as the strength of his beast rushed back through his veins. And I didn’t wait for him to

take advantage of that fact before I pummeled him with every ounce of honest, real, hard earned
strength in my body.

Magic or not, shifter or not, when I clamped down on his throat to the point of suffocation and
slammed my fist into his skull over and over and over again until he blacked out, the cobra was

completely at my mercy. I pounded into him until I felt his pulse stop beneath my palm. Until I was a
bloodied mess. Until he was completely and indisputably fucking dead. My revenge felt simple and
pure and the rush that swept through me was pure elation. I threw my head back and took in the sound
of the roaring crowd, who lived for the spectacle like I lived for the fight. And I absorbed that life
shattering pain like it was the only drug worth taking.

And then the sound of a soft and steady clap entered the ring. I lifted my gaze to the man
before me, letting the red mist subside until I found my sane mind again. Avro clapped his palms
together in slow beats, while content joy marked his ugly mug.

“Beautifully executed.” He said proudly, looking down on his brutalized minion. “You are
truly perfection.” He lifted his hands, reveling in the cheering and shouting and noise, like he wasn’t
fucking next. “Man or beast, you are meant to be a star, Jarek Milan.”

I climbed off of Ivan, letting the boars haul away his corpse, and I stood to match Avro’s
height.

“I’m glad you liked that, because that’ll be you in a few minutes.” I stood my ground as he
paced forward.

“No, I don’t think so.” Avro made a show of it as he unclipped his limiter and tossed it aside.
“I have far too many plans for you, my beautiful puppet.” He placed a hand on my chest and shoved

me back with a strength that was fully magic assisted. I stumbled but caught myself. “Ivan owed me

quite a large debt, and I’d say this more than makes up for it. It’s a shame he didn’t live to enjoy his
freedom.”

I bore my teeth before reaching for my own limited collar. If we were taking the gloves off in
this final fight, then I would be happy to show him what it was like to box with a dragon who was
completely uninhibited.

I grabbed the clasp and hit the release.

And nothing happened.

I tried again, yanking at the leather, but the collar refused the give.

Avro chuckled as he watched me struggle. “That collar looks so nice on you, I really think you
should keep it.” He paced closer again, and I shuffled back. Panic started to rise through me, starting
in my stomach and near making my heart stop as it hit my chest.

“Take it off.” I demanded as I tore at the clasp harder and more desperately than before.

“No.” He was in my face again. “I don’t think I will.”

I threw a punch, suddenly enough that he didn’t have time to dodge, and he took the full brunt
of it like it was nothing. Then he motioned with his fingers and a tightness wrapped itself around my
neck. I jerked to no avail. He didn’t even have to touch me to get me in a choke hold.

“This wasn’t the agreement.” I growled through gritted teeth.

“Wasn’t it?” Another flick of his hand and I was on the floor. I fought to hold myself up on
hands and knees, but the pressure he bore down on me shoved my face straight into the dirt. “You enter
the ring on a suppressant, and when I win, I own you.”
 “In a fair fight.” I searched the hollering crowd for Rizz, who was nowhere to be seen. Of

course not. Avro probably paid him off to let him do as he pleased. No one here would stick their

necks out for me.

“You put the limiter on of your own free will. That seems plenty fair to me. It’s not my fault

you’re not strong enough to take it off.” His mocking chuckle was as insulting as it was insufferable.

Try as I might to pull myself up, it was impossible. It was one thing to take on a shifter, it was
another to take on a mage. And I cursed myself for having not expected this.

The dumbest part of all was, somewhere in the back of my mind, I was silently hoping the
people in the arena around me would riot. That someone might spring up and attack this asshole as he
made a mockery of the rules.

But no one here lived life by any sort of pride or honor. They lived to watch better, braver,
and stronger men fall from a safe distance.

I laughed to myself ironically at that distant thought that this had ever been any sort of home.
And when I tried one last time to fight the power pressing down on my practically mortal body, a
sharp pang struck me through my skull, and everything went black.

The last words I heard were “Welcome to Avro’s Circus. I look forward to breaking you,
Mighty Dragon.”
 Chapter 18

Present Day

“It makes violent revenge somehow so much less satisfying when they still win in the end.”
Jun said as I finished as much of the story as I wanted to tell. I wasn’t going to include all of the
details of life in captivity. I didn’t need to relive any of those memories any more vividly and
succinctly than I already did in my dreams.

“Violent revenge against Avro will be satisfying no matter how it ends.” With a heavy sigh, I
fell back on the bed to rest from the mental overload of my own life story.

“I just have one question.” He said, so cool, collected, and even in his temperament, it was
clear no portion of my words had unnerved him in the slightest. I couldn’t help but wonder what kind

of life a man like Jun led to be so unbothered and so confident. “Do you know how old you are now?”

I blinked at such a strange inquiry. “Huh? Is that a trick question?”

“No.”

My nose scrunched with skepticism. “Thirty… something.” There had to be a reason he asked
that. Suddenly I was starting to wonder if I’d lost track of the actual passage of time with all the
moving and beatings.

“If you were born in the Year of the Dragon, and you’re not in your early twenties, I’m going
to go out on a limb and say it’s been longer than five years since this encounter.”
 My mouth dropped open and I had no idea what to say to that.

So Jun said it for me. “You lost much closer to a decade.”

Stunned silent. I stared at the ceiling at a total loss. A… a decade? It couldn’t have been.

Unless I blacked out entire years, it wasn’t. Five. It was only five. “No, it was…” I absentmindedly
touched my fingers to my collar, but I couldn’t seem to say those final words to dismiss the insane
notion. Nearly a third of my life under Avro’s power? No. No it wasn’t that long. “It was only…” A
deep, buried part of my mind knew he was right, and I hated that I suddenly couldn’t disprove it. That
I couldn’t even speak against the suggestion.

Jun stood from the bed, offering me reprieve, but some confused pang in my chest wanted him
to stay.

“There’s going to be a lot to process going forward.” He said calmly. “As tough as you may
see yourself, it may take more to come back from this than you realize.”

I just kept staring forward as that reality swirled through my mind.

“You kept up the fight for a full decade, so you should be proud of that.” His voice was distant
in my ears. “But I think your fated mate could walk through that door tonight, and even the fiercest

connection wouldn’t be able to dispel that collar from your neck.” I couldn’t say where he was
standing or what he was doing at that point, as I couldn’t focus on anything at all. “Take a break.
Relax for a bit. I’ll see if I can find another way to get that limiter off your neck”

His footsteps grew more distant, the sound travelling away at a steady pace.

“Will you be okay on your own for a little while?”

I bit my lip as hard as I could. I wanted so badly to taste my own blood right now rather than
the words that would answer that question. I didn’t want to need anyone, and suddenly I realized I had
been foolish to even have believed in myself.
 Ten years.

Ten.

Years.

A montage barraged my mind, of cages, of whips, of blood, of performances. Of being held

down and used, over and over again. Those were only the memories my body hadn’t suppressed. Was
there more? Were there things that I’d forgotten, or had I simply lost track of the passage of time?

It had to be the latter option. I wouldn’t accept anything else.

“Yeah, I’ll be fine.” I heard myself say.

At some point, the door closed and I was alone. I shoved a hand through my hair, and I pulled
the short strands tightly until I could feel the tug painfully against my scalp.

Then I pushed myself back up, and I squeezed my palm into a fist. The sorry muscles in my
forearms flexed as my hand tensed.

It’s about time I find my strength again.

 Chapter 19

Difficult. I’d always been a fan of a good challenge, but Jarek may well have been more than
I’d ever bargained for. Here I’d simply intended to do my duty to assure the protection of everyone

within the Chinese Zodiac Shifter community, but somehow, this man was more damaged than Levy,
yet too bull headed to accept it, and if he wasn’t capable of trusting me, I’d have failed him in every
way, shape, and form.

Not knowing how to approach the situation, I settled for simply listening to him, time and
again, while I mulled over what strange situation I’d gotten myself into. I spent several days with him
in that basement, just sharing stories, likes, dislikes, and personal philosophy, recounting bits and
pieces of his pain, and smaller bits and pieces of his victories. We were bonding and getting to know
each other, but it wasn’t going to help much for his collar situation, and I felt a pang of guilt every

time I left him alone down there, knowing he couldn’t leave. I made sure he was always fed and
healthy, and my personal gym had brought new light to his eyes, but still. In some ways, I wondered if
I’d become his jailer, even if I was providing a more comfortable cage.

But until I found a way to deal with this Avro character, there was little else I could do other
than make empty promises. How I was supposed to take down a warlock that even Haoyu held with
terrified esteem was beyond me, despite the sheer number of people I’d happily and easily murdered
in my life time. Clearly Haoyu wouldn’t let me involve Levy any further if he had a say in the matter
—which, quite frankly, he didn’t—and I didn’t have any other connections to powerful warlocks or
witches. The only person I knew of who was any good at recruiting and working with other races
within the magic community was…

Gavin.

Who I absolutely would not be contacting at any point. The day I ask the cock for help would
be a sorry day indeed.

Midweek after the carnival, after promising Jarek I’d find some form of hope for him sooner
than later, I gathered my things and headed to class. I still had a job to do, even if my home life had

become rather complicated. My dungeon used to be such a place of calm and pleasure for me, and yet
lately it had become a confusing mess. Which was probably why I taught my entire 7:00AM
Differential Equations class completely on edge, and my 9:00AM Calculus III with a painful twitch in
my jaw.

When Calculus II came around, I was ready for the mental relief of a mindless subject with a
more enjoyable student body.

As always, the puppy and the little rabbit populated the two seats in the back. Though Eliot
went about taking notes with his usual disinterest and easy, carefree attitude, Levy glanced at me at

least every other equation, with pleading eyes looking for an explanation. I’d been wary to approach
him again so long as Haoyu was still in town.

An odd thought, considering I’d known Haoyu for over twenty years, and I’d only known Levy
for some number of months. Yet lately, I had more faith in Levy’s heart than my old friend’s.

And maybe I was a bit curious about the way this half bred shifter/warlock could disrupt the
entire order of fate with what he saw as his cursed existence. A curse that was very likely more of a
gift to the right shifter. Maybe even for one broken shifter in particular.

“Leveret Wong.” I spoke against my better judgment, and the little rabbit jumped at the sound
of his name. That never got old.

“Yes sir, Professor Shen, sir?” Levy replied awkwardly, while Eliot looked skeptically in my

general direction.

“Would you mind staying after class a bit today? I have a special project I could use your help
on.” I had no shame about calling on him with an audience. I particularly enjoyed doing so in front of
his mate. Ruffling Eliot’s fur was pure stress relief.

“Uh…” He glanced between Eliot and myself. His mate gave him the go ahead, and Levy

returned to me with an affirmative nod. “Of course, Professor.”

I raised a brow, and Eliot shook his head. I was used to him being possessive of his bunny, but
I wasn’t used to Levy feeling like he had to run his decisions through his mate first. I waited until
class had finished and I had Levy alone before I considered asking about it.

“Afraid to be alone with me?” I asked casually as I started erasing the board. Levy remained
in his seat in the back of the room. He always kept his distance at first. That was nothing new. “I
noticed you practically asked the puppy for permission before deciding if your teacher was allowed
to hold you after class.”

Levy blushed and played with his fingers. “I told him about the circus, and he’s been a bit
overprotective about it.” He continued to avoid eye contact.

“What exactly did you tell him about the circus?” I watched every little shift in his body
language. Since when was he this uneasy around me these days? It was as if I made him more nervous
now than I did the day I met him.

Levy chewed on his lip. “Just that the suppression spell made me sick, and it was more dark
and powerful than even a harvest super moon. I told him we found the dragon pretty worse for wear,
a-and…”
 “And?” I watched him from across the room, not sure what might follow that conjunction. The

way he kept avoiding my gaze was unsettling, even for my permanently timid student and friend. I

paced over to his desk, and I placed a hand on his cheek as I’d done so many times before. As
always, he let me, not shying away from my touch anymore. If anything, he leaned into it. I lifted his

chin, and at last, those expressive sapphire eyes met mine. “Did something else happen at the circus
that you didn’t tell me about?”

Levy swallowed, and his Adam’s apple brushed the backs of my fingernails. His reaction said
it all. “N-no.” His lie was obvious to anyone who cared enough to pay attention. As a shifter and a

predator, he must have known how easily I could read those little jumps in his breathing and heart
rate. Ordinarily, I enjoyed causing his heart to skip a few beats, but today, I wasn’t a fan. He broke
eye contact despite my hold on him, and I tapped his neck to bring it back to me.

“Levy.” I said sternly.

“Can we talk about the dragon shifter?” He changed the subject so forced and blatantly, now I
was starting to feel a bit possessive and worried. Perhaps Eliot was onto something. He usually was
fairly receptive. “Did you find a way to break the limiter collar? My father wouldn’t talk to me about
it. He left on another business trip, and all he told me was that I couldn’t do anything to help.”

I lifted my chin, looking down on him curiously. I’d have to press this point further at another
time, but I would definitely be pressing that point. “Avro is a mage that uses emotion in his magic,
largely by leveraging feelings one already has against them. Haoyu wasn’t able to break the collar.”

“Emotional magic?” Levy took back his chin, and stared down at his interlaced hands.
“Then…” He trailed off and scrunched up his nose. “Then why wouldn’t I be able to use my magic
against that?” He muttered quietly under his breath at a volume I don’t think he intended for me to
hear. His next words were more openly audible. “Couldn’t I use an emotion blocker then? I have a
recipe for English toffee that helps push out all feelings, good or bad, that people often use for
grieving. They’re really popular for post funeral get-togethers.”

“Oh?” Mages truly were a useful breed, even if Levy didn’t appreciate what that part of his

heritage did for him when combined with his existence as a Beta shifter. “That’s useful.”

“It was one of the first candies I ever learned to make. The spell itself is child’s play, since
it’s not particularly nefarious in nature and only lasts for a few hours at best, so the only challenging
part is getting the toffee exactly right. Even though it’s only two ingredients, it’s so easy to melt the
butter too quickly or stir too roughly and cause the mixture to break. Eliot messed it up once or twice
when he first started at Toast of the Magi.” Levy hummed along, his whole demeanor changing as

soon as he started talking about dessert. I’ll admit I adored that about him. His passion for his work
was as charming as it was admirable. “S-sorry, I can never help myself.”

“I don’t know how many times I have to tell you to stop apologizing for being yourself, Little
Rabbit.” My own smile was involuntary. “I quite like your lessons in baking.”

Levy’s whole face flared red, and he took to trying to hide the lower half behind his hands. He
shook it off and shared a grin with me. “I wish I could say the same about your lessons in math.”

I snorted. “Not a fan of pulling leaky buckets up cliffs?”

“I might be if you didn’t keep throwing trigonometry in the bucket.” He raised an eyebrow, as
if I had invented integrals and sine waves just to spite him, and I couldn’t entirely fault his bitterness.
This was the easy version of Levy I enjoyed most. The tumultuous feelings swirling around in my
mind lately felt a touch more manageable now.

“I’ll be working late tonight, but I can stop by this weekend. I can make the toffee in your
kitchen if you have butter and brown sugar. Some almonds and dark chocolate put the toffee over the
top, but once you add nuts, it becomes an American toffee instead of English. Which… it’s good both
ways, honestly. Sugar and butter is basically a winning combination no matter how you serve it. It’s
almost a shame that the spell kills all emotions, so I never really get to savor the pleasure from that
first taste.”

He held up a finger to stop himself from gushing too hard again. I shook my head and ruffled
his hair. “I appreciate it. Only, will dulling emotions be enough to remove the collar?”

“No.” He lit up despite the negative confirmation. “But I can still do my channeling magic. I
looked up the spell, and it’s easy and safe. There’s no reason it wouldn’t be strong enough to
overpower the circus mage when we’re in your dungeon.”

I opened my mouth, then paused on my own words. Had Haoyu spoken to him about the risks
of such a spell for someone like him though? He must have, yet I doubted it somehow. It would be
terribly irresponsible otherwise, and Haoyu wasn’t the type to be irresponsible. But then, why would
Levy be open to such a thing just to help a total stranger?

“Sharing an element is an intimate spell, no?” I asked as a subtle test.

Levy bit his lip and looked away. He stood from his seat and chewed on his answer for
several moments.

“Sometimes when you want to help someone, you have to be willing to put yourself out there.”

He spoke softly. “This isn’t just to help him. It’s also to help you. And you…”

He froze for entirely too long. Long enough for me to understand every word he wasn’t saying.

I reached for him again, a hand beneath his chin to direct his gaze back to me. I held him there,
absorbing every conflicting emotion in his expression. He let me, not offering even the slightest
resistance. “Levy, you don’t owe me anything. I helped you because you needed it, not because I
expected or wanted anything from you in return.”

“I-it’s as simple as that?” His gaze sunk with the rest of his expression.

“It’s as simple as that. So if this spell puts you at risk, then I’ll find another way to help him.”
 “It’s not a big deal. I’m not worried.” Levy took a step back, but he smiled at that. “But with

all this emotional charity work you do, I gotta say, for such a scary guy, you’re weirdly

compassionate.”

What a strange impression the little rabbit and the little dragon have of me. “I’m

selective.” I chuckled. Gavin would certainly say no such thing.

“Well, I’m not just doing it to pay you back. My whole job is also to help people, you know.”
Levy added with a matter-of-fact raise of his finger that was clearly meant to be reassuring. Then,
much more quietly, he slipped in, “and I want you to know you can count on me, too.”

“In that case, I look forward to cooking with you.”

“I’ll be over bright and early.”

I bid him farewell, then let him flit off to his puppy again. I stayed to wrap up my work and
papers, while pondering on that conversation.

Though it still unnerved me that he wasn’t telling me something. Perhaps Eliot would be more
forthright if I gave him a call.

A few moments after Levy had left, just as that thought entered my mind, my door swung back

open.

Speak of the Devil.

“It’s been a little while since you last joined me for a rant, Puppy.” I lifted my gaze to Eliot
Rand, who I could only assume had been listening in on the conversation.

“It’s been a while since I had to.” He rolled his hazel eyes at me, more annoyed than playful.
“I didn’t ask a whole lot when you decided to take Levy to the circus without me, but I did expect you
to keep him safe.”
 “Was he not safe?” I raised a brow, and Eliot remained unexpectedly standoffish.

“You left him alone, in a tent with a fucked up High Warlock, for one.” He moved closer to my

desk, but he kept that obstacle between us as he planted his palms on its hard wood surface.

My expression remained neutral, but this I wanted to hear more about. “He didn’t say much
about that to me.”

“Did he tell you he ran into—if I were to guess based on Levy’s description—Professor
Abernathy.”

“I knew the rooster was there. Levy didn’t say anything about him though.”

“Did you know he was the person who drugged Levy during the last super moon?” Eliot
stared into my eyes, and I didn’t bother to hide the answer to that question in my expression. I rather
unfortunately knew entirely too much about what Gavin got up to. He nodded in understanding. “Then
did he tell you he threatened him?”

“Gavin did?” That was news to me. Not surprising news though. “No, he didn’t tell me that.
But I’ll handle it.”

“Please do. Because he’ll be the next body I’m burying if he comes anywhere near my bunny

again.”

“I’ll handle it.” I said again with emphasis. “And if he somehow slips through my fingers
again, I’ll happily provide the shovel.”

Eliot gave me a relieved smile, then he stood up straight. “I just wanted to make sure we’re
still on the same page. I would hate for some fated hormones to be getting in the way of keeping ‘The
Rooster’ in check or something.” He said so mockingly it was insulting.

Now it was my turn to roll my eyes. “You figured that one out, did you?”
 “Anyone who brings a scowl like that to the face of Jun Shen has to be more than just a mildly

annoying shifter.” The puppy laughed, soft and easy. He was sharp.

I sighed and shook my head. “You don’t know the half of it.”

“Speaking of things I don’t know the half of…” He rubbed the back of his neck as a nervous
tick. “So what’s the deal with this lost dragon you saved?”

I knew that was coming, but I was oddly relieved he brought it up first. “Difficult, but he’s
stronger than he should be with everything he’s been through. His company isn’t the worst thing I’ve

ever had the privilege to keep in my dungeon. Though I’m not sure how I’d rank him against the little
rabbit.”

Eliot’s expression flattened at the playful jab. “You’re never going to let me forget that, are
you?”

I leaned over my desk to close some of the distance between us. “How often do you think
about it?” My smirk was enough to shy away his eye contact. He rubbed the back of his neck, but
conveniently avoided answering the question. So I let it sink in just for the fun of it. The Zodiac’s Dog
wasn’t any good at hiding his feelings, and I quite liked that about him. There were many reasons I

enjoyed and respected Eliot Rand, really. He was a bit of stress relief in what felt like a very heavy
week.

Which was also why I trusted him with my next inquiry. “Let me ask you something,” I mulled
this over once or twice before I continued. Why I would ever be unnerved by something so mundane,
I couldn’t say, but something about having to ask this instead of knowing it myself was an
uncomfortable feeling I wasn’t terribly proud of. “With Levy…” I paused, as that name alone always
perked his attention. “Has Levy gotten any less skittish around intimacy since you sealed your mate
pact?”
 Eliot furrowed his brow at the question, an answer all its own. “He’s safe and I think he

understands that finally, but… he’s always going to be a bit nervous around being touched, I think.”

Eliot dragged his fingers around his neck, then slid his grip down to the collar of his shirt. “That kind
of trauma doesn’t get erased overnight, but the more he’s come to trust me, the more he opens up.

Which, as much as I do hate how much I think about it—”

“So, you think about it often.” I teased.

“Not relevant.” He cleared his throat. “I never really properly thanked you.”

“For what?”

“For helping him when I couldn’t.” His eyes reflected that clear, good natured honesty as he
spoke. “You’re still special to him, and in some weird way, you’re important to me too, so… thanks.
If you need any help dealing with this whole fucked up circus, don’t hesitate to ask me.”

I nodded in a quiet affirmation. “I’m glad you say that, because I’ll be needing your bunny
again this weekend.”

Eliot sighed. “I know. Just… you know the rules.”

“Keep him safe.” I repeated for confirmation. I walked around the desk, eliminating that

barrier between us, then I stood behind him and wrapped my arms around his shoulders. He remained
relaxed, even with me so close to him, and I had to wonder when I’d formed this kind of unspoken
trust with… anyone. Physical touch was how I best communicated, be it for sex, comfort, or
intimidation, and even Haoyu was more wary of me than Eliot was.

“Exactly.” He confirmed, not bothering to squirm out of my hold.

I hissed softly into his ear. “Always, Puppy.” I released my grasp on him and stepped away.
“But why don’t you come over as well. I’m sure Levy’s mother can handle the shop this weekend for
the sake of official Zodiac Shifter business. As she’s my generation’s female Tiger, I would be able to
demand it.”

“I’d like to but…” He made some new space between us.

“But?” I raised my brows, looking down on him to make my disapproval clear. Though I

wasn’t sure if I should explain why I felt he should be there. He likely wouldn’t want Levy to go at all
if he knew it could challenge his own claim on his mate, considering everything he went through to
win his bunny in the first place.

Was it selfish of me to keep that from him? Was it more selfish to not dissuade Levy, knowing

that would be the case?

What did it say about my own feelings to want to see how this played out? Just scholarly
curiosity? That would be a good excuse, even if I knew that had nothing to do with it.

That had so very little to do with it.

“Have you met Francine Bernard-Wong?” The near bone-chilling fear was obvious in his
voice. “I’m going to be honest with you. I would be terrified of people too if I was raised by either
one of Levy’s parents. Let alone both of them at once. I’d never seen two people who made lovey-
dovey look brutal. I can’t even blame Levy’s rabbit-like nature.”

I couldn’t help the honest laugh that sprang from my throat. An apt description of Haoyu. I
couldn’t speak on his wife, but anyone he ended up with would have to be at least as intense as he
was. One of very many reasons I wouldn’t have been able to pursue that romance successfully.

The strange twists of fate I hadn’t realized were blessings.

“Consider it. I’d like you to be there.” I said with one last pat on his shoulder.

“I’ll see what I can do.”

 Chapter 20

I headed home for the day, oddly relieved at the prospect of having Levy’s help for the
weekend, and I wandered down to visit what felt like my captive. When I entered my dungeon, the

vague sound of grunting and controlled, heavy breathing was coming from my gym. Not surprising.
He’d been in there every day since he’d arrived.

I wandered into my workout area in search of the dragon, only to find him in the smith
machine, the bar loaded down with forty five pound plates, squatting one, two, three, four…

I blinked a few times in subtle disbelief. His muscles flexed and strained as he lifted three-
hundred-sixty pounds on the strength of his legs, then settled down deep for another rep. I watched
him entirely too long to be considered reasonable and purely based in admiration.

Jarek re-racked the weight, and growled in frustration. “Fuck, I’m so weak.” He muttered to
himself, obviously not realizing I was here. It was impressive that he was so focused, none of his
instincts had picked up on my presence. Though that might also be due to the limiter. He stretched out
his hip flexors and hamstrings before he turned to face me, then he jerked back in surprise when he
saw me standing against the far wall.

“Three-hundred-sixty pounds is more than respectable for someone functioning on ten years of
malnourished muscles and human strength.” I smirked, knowing he wouldn’t be satisfied with any
such praise.
 “Yeah, I’m almost as strong as a shifter who just hit puberty.” Jarek scoffed. “I used to do a

light, quick warm up on six-hundred, and now I’m practically ready to collapse after only ten reps at

half that.” The amount of definition in his body was clearly visible even through the tank top and the
loose shorts he wore. Despite his disappointment, it was obvious how much discipline and

dedication he had towards building and improving his body. Most of magic kind was naturally strong
and defined, but Jarek crafted himself like he was to be a prized sculpture. “But at this point, I’ve
apparently lived more years of my adult life as a borderline human than I have as a proper shifter, so I
guess I need to adjust my expectations a bit.”

“I agree. You won’t do yourself any favors being overly hard on yourself. Especially not when
you’re pushing numbers that most of our world has to work for.”

“Do you mind spotting me?” He said dismissively as he started loading weight onto the
inclined bench press. “I’m sure you can spot any weight I can handle right now with one hand.”

I half smirked at that. “I appreciate the vote of confidence.”

“Please.” His sarcasm was thick as his gaze climbed up my chest before it reached my eyes.
“This is your equipment, and you have more hundred pound plates than you have forty-fives
available. I’m not worried.” Playful. Unexpectedly so. Though working out seemed to put him in a

great mood. What Levy was with baked goods, I gathered Jarek was with heavy weights.

“Fair enough.” I paced over to the bench, and stood behind the bar, as he got into position. He
was drenched in sweat, with beads glistening off his chest and dripping down his temples. How long
he’d been in here, I could only guess.

Jarek gripped the bar with his wrapped hands, and he lowered the weight to his chest. His
thick biceps tensed as he forced the weight back up. The power rippled through his entire arms.

Though he was trying so hard with what he had to work with, I couldn’t help but wonder how
long he’d be restricted like this, before he’d be able to start rebuilding his body proper for his shifter
muscular structure. “I may have some good news in regards to your collar, but I can’t speak on your

captor yet.” I said as he pushed through another rep. “The circus has been under investigation by the
City Counsel, assuring that the shifters in their ranks are all employed under their own free will, so

the mage will be distracted from hunting you for at least a few more days or so. But as far as I’ve
heard, nothing has come up as suspicious.”

“Yeah, I bet.” I helped him rack his warm up weight, then he nodded towards the plate tree.
“Just add ninety.”

I grabbed two forty-five pound plates and slid one on to each side of the bar before securing
each end with a clip.

He lifted the bar and lowered it, speaking in between reps. “Everyone starts out fighting him. I
don’t think anyone joined that circus of their own free will. But I watched so many people who I
thought were going to be my allies bend for him almost immediately. The number of times I trusted the
wrong person, only to get sold down the river on my first escape attempt—” He strained to get the bar
all the way back up on the ninth rep, and I helped him replace the bar when he forced himself to get in
a tenth. “Avro mastered Stockholm syndrome purely using fear and brainwashing as his tools.” With a

heavy breath, he relaxed his body on the inclined bench.

“I don’t know why I couldn’t do it.” He muttered. “Why it seemed like I was the only one
who wanted to escape and get my old life back, and I couldn’t just get used to the status quo. The
comedy of it being that I had a shit life to begin with.” His laugh was quiet and ironic. “But I couldn’t
do it. I couldn’t make myself accept and comply. I fought and I fought and I fought to the bitter fucking
end, and I would have kept fighting until he killed me. Everyone else had a fine life there. Most were
free to come and go as they pleased. Some even seemed to be happy. All I would have had to do was
submit, and I couldn’t fucking do it.” He pushed his hands through his sweat drenched hair.
 “Not everyone is meant to be submissive.” I leaned over the bar and smirked down at him. “If

I had been in your position, well… I would likely have ended up in your current position. Too

stubborn for my own good, and reeling from the consequences.”

He held my gaze, his green eyes flecked with fire and a complex swirl of emotions. “You think

so?” He hooked his index finger under his collar and slid from one side of his neck to the other, as if
he was verifying it was still there, then he slipped out from under the weights and stood from the
bench. I watched with interest as he rolled his shoulders, stretched his arms to the sky, then turned to
face me. “Even if you were completely overpowered, shackled, and trapped, you don’t think you’d be

remotely submissive?”

I eyed the blond shifter before me curiously. “Do I strike you as submissive?” I chuckled, low
and cruel. An absurd question.

Jarek lifted his chin, now looking down at me from his cocky pose. He paced over with a
predator’s gait, placed a hand on my chest, and pushed me hard into the mirrored wall of the gym.
With a fighter’s agility and precision, he shifted that hand from my chest to my neck, and he held me
with a strangling vice grip, while he used his muscular body to cage me against the glass. His warm
breath was fire against my skin, and his chokehold was impressive for someone damn near human.

I was too stunned and taken aback to react. Which was the only explanation as to why I
allowed him enough of an opening to jerk back, flip me around, and shove my chest back against the
mirror. He pinned one arm behind my back, adeptly leveraging the point of pain to disable me, then he
engulfed me in his heat, shoving his chest hard against my back. Every hard muscle pressed into me,
from the thick, powerful thigh he shoved between my knees, to the tense and firm muscles down the
length of his arm that pinned my other hand against the glass. He slammed my open palm on the wall,
and he covered my knuckles with his before he interlaced our fingers. He closed a tight fist over my
hand and squeezed tightly.
 “If they could force a dragon to his knees, do you really think they couldn’t have broken a

snake?” He whispered in my ear with a taunting hiss. Deliciously intimidating, patently foolish, yet

impossibly interesting.

He eased up his grip then stepped back. I was sure he knew as well as I did that I could have

reversed that position at any moment so long as he was wearing that limiter. Which meant he also
knew that I’d chosen not to. That I let him pin me against that wall just to see what he would do. The
control was never out of my hands.

But if he wasn’t wearing that limiter…

I straightened my suit, and tossed him an amused smirk. “Now now. In this space, moves like
that require some advanced negotiation.” One step towards him, and I couldn’t miss the way his
whole body shifted into a subtle defensive stance. Playful. Like he wanted to tussle. I suppose I could
oblige.

“I prefer to react on my feet.” He hopped nimbly on his toes like the trained boxer he was.
The grin across his lips was rare and charming.

“Is that so?” Before he could move another inch, I fully shifted into a snake and wrapped my

body around his ankles. He was off balance and hitting the floor mat faster than he could protest. I
shifted back, positioned on top of him on my hands and knees and trapping him beneath me. I pressed
my forehead against his, pinning him to the ground with my gaze. “Be careful what you wish for, Little
Dragon. There are plenty of ways for a snake to keep a dragon beneath him whether you have that
limiter or not.”

His breathing was shallow, but his heart rate wasn’t telling a story of fear. No, his vitals told
of a very different emotion. He started this. I would be happy to finish it. I chuckled against him,
before I whispered against his lips. “But I do admire that fierce fighting spirit of yours.” I connected a
kiss in a soft test. His body remained still, while his heartbeat near doubled in pace. Interesting.
 I pushed off of him, and got to my feet. Then I offered him a hand. He stared at me, confused,

before he accepted it. His body was always warm, but his face appeared to be on fire now.

Shaking my head, I walked from the gym. Before I exited, I spoke over my shoulder. “If you’re
interested in a negotiation though, I might be able to help you trust me in other ways.”

Jarek nodded idly, then he turned away and returned to his weights. Something told me he was
going to be considering more than just his predicament tonight.

Though, as I climbed my stairs back to the base level of my home, I couldn’t help but take a

moment to catch my own breath.

That had been… unexpected. The last time anyone dared try and put me in a submissive
position was…

I rubbed my neck, recalling the feel of Gavin’s grip almost so vividly it could have been my
present reality. I dragged my lower lip along my teeth, where the flavor of his blood was permanently
implanted into my memory. The number of times he’d pushed me so hard, thinking I’d feel what he
felt…

Twenty Three Years Ago

The lunch table, the library, study hall, the coffee shop, and by the devil, my goddamn dorm
room that we shared by some cruel joke—Gavin was always there and always wanting to “chat” or
“talk” or “be friends” or some blatant lie that involved his inability to remain in control around his
fated hormones.

The Rooster and the Snake. What kind of an absurd pairing was that? Because by the

horoscopes, the Rooster was relentless, hard-working, dedicated, and forthright, while snakes were
wise, withdrawn, and cunning, that somehow seemed like a good match? The stars were broken and

wrong, and I resented every day that I was not only expected to bond with my dorm mate, but I was
expected to fall in some warped version of love with him due to nothing but magical so-called
feelings. There were men out there actually worthy of my attention, and he was not one of them. I was
better than that. I had more ambition than to let him pull me along in his off kilter rhythm.

On the night of the full moon, I collapsed on my bed after a long week, from what felt like a
constant mental barrage. My only respite was in the form of losing myself in trigonometric functions
and my daily visits with Haoyu.

The more time I spent with the High Warlock of Graves Academy, the more familiar and
comfortable he’d become with me, and I was finally starting to break down his barriers just a little.
We were forming a legitimate friendship, and I felt honored that he’d deemed me worthy of his time
and knowledge. He was always enthusiastic, always gushing about some aspect of astrology or the
perfect math of baking, and always sharing a conversation that was engaging and brilliant. Not to

mention his cupcakes were fantastic.

Why couldn’t a warlock have been my fated? I had been looking forward to my schooling, and
if not for Haoyu, I would probably be considering dropping out entirely with how most of it was
going.

I stared at the plain white ceiling, wondering how long I would get to be alone before I had
my peace shattered yet again. Could I just lock the door and tell Gavin to go find some chicken coop
to nest in?

The door creaked, and I rolled over to pretend to be asleep. I could have shifted into a snake
and hid under the bed, but it wasn’t like it was possible for either one of us to not sense the other’s

presence.

“Fuuny. I figured you’d be sleeping in a hole somewhere, since you’ve been avoiding me so
hard.” Gavin said without irony. It shouldn’t have surprised me that he’d also sensed I was awake.

“A snake joke? Seriously?” I rolled my eyes, not at all going to admit that I had been planning
a rooster joke, then I sat up to face him.

“Why are you being so stubborn about spending time with me?” He crowed. “I’m not asking

you to seal our mate bond or anything. I just figured we’d get to know each other now that we’re
adults, sharing a room, and, oh I don’t know, sharing our literal fucking fate.”

I scoffed at that. “Would you be so obsessed with getting to know me if we didn’t share our
literal fucking fate? Or would you be looking for ways to humiliate me? Ways to get me kicked out of
Graves just like your parents got my parent’s business shut down? Or how about ways to beat the shit
out of me in the alley behind the school with whatever thugs you decided to call friends this week?”

“You sure know how to hold a grudge.” He waved a hand dismissively. “We were children,
and I was neglected and angry and looking for attention, and you had a good family and were kind of

nerdy and delicate, so I took it out on the easiest person I could find. It’s not that deep. Kids bully
each other. Get over it.” He paced over to my bed, and I narrowed my gaze in response. With a sigh,
he added, “How was I supposed to know you were both going to end up Chinese Zodiac Shifters
when we hit puberty? You could have been a Capricorn shifter and I could have been a Scorpio for
all I knew.”

“What difference would that have made?” I raised an annoyed brow.

“It would have meant I didn’t have a fated mate, for one, since no one else has to deal with
this bullshit, which meant I wouldn’t have to worry about one day making amends.”
 “Incredible.”

“What is?” He blinked, clueless as always.

“That you somehow thought that sounded like a compelling reason for me to give you a

chance.” Flabbergasted. I was honest to the devil flabbergasted. “Where’s the groveling? The
apology? The demonstration that you’re not still an insufferable asshole?”

“Oh, is that what you want, Jun? Some kind of grand gesture?” His emerald eyes danced with
amusement. “Then how about this.” He placed a knee on my bed, and the mattress dipped under his

weight, shifting me slightly closer to him. I should have pushed him away, but instead, I just watched,
trying to figure out what exactly he was playing at. “You want to be a math professor, right? That
takes, what, a PhD? So let’s say you’re here for six years, give or take.”

I watched him with questioning side eye. “And?”

“And I’m going to be an Art Professor, so I’ll be here for a similar amount of time.”
Wonderful. Fucking wonderful. “So how about…” He leaned in closer and placed a hand on my
chest. For no explainable reason, I let him push me back down onto the bed, and despite my glare, I
let him climb on top of me, until he was straddling my waist. “I’ll spend the next six years of our time

here together trying to make it up to you.” He leaned in close and sniffed along my neck. I turned my
head away in disgust, which was the only protest I could figure out how to commit to with his
goddamn pheromones so close and potent. I’d never resented full moons, or their usually invigorating
amplification of my gifts, until this moment. “And then, if we both get into our desired programs and
end up working together…” I tensed as he pressed his lips to my jaw, then he skated them down to my
chin, and feathered his touch upwards, just over my slightly parted mouth. “You’ll seal the mate bond
with me for good.”

He kissed me softly, and I went for his shoulders to push him off. He caught my wrists mid-air,
and shoved them back down onto the bed, keeping us locked together. At some point my eyes had
fluttered shut, and it was aggravating how much that amplified his flavor and feel. I resented even

more the quiet part of my brain that thought he felt good and right in my mouth.

Or the frustrating part of my body that was reacting to his touch so explicitly. He could feel me
against his knee as he shoved my legs apart. He broke our kiss on a wicked smile, and he pulled back

enough to look at me pinned beneath him.

“Get the fuck off of me.” I growled, eyes narrowed.

“Don’t tell me you don’t feel that.” He readjusted his grip on my wrists, and I knew he was

aware that I wasn’t fighting him. I wish I hadn’t been aware that I wasn’t, too.

But it was a full moon. Of course I felt every bit of it. I felt everything I never wanted to feel,
including Gavin Abernathy being on top of me, his hand sliding down my body, his fingers slipping
under the waistband of my pants, and my frustratingly dropping desire to fight it.

I swallowed and tipped my head back, making any distance I could while pinned to a bed.

“What are you doing?” I asked through my dry throat, as his fingers wrapped around my cock.

“I told you.” He squeezed me gently, then ran pressure from base to tip and back again. “I’m
making it up to you.”

“I don’t want you to make it up to—” My words hitched as he used his thumb to rub circles on
the underside of my head—“me.” I finished my sentence on stubbornness alone. Fuck that feels good.
Why was I so sensitive right now? Or was it less about the moment, and more about who was doing
it?

“Then just let me make you feel good. You don’t have to forgive me yet.” He moved down my
body, then he settled between my legs, and undid my fly to free me completely. His eye contact was
purely taunting as he touched his lips to the tip of my cock. He spread his tongue against the shaft as
he closed his lips on me. I shuddered as he dipped his head low and applied pressure with his tongue
on the way back up. I cursed the moan in my throat as he repeated the motion, slow and controlled and

overwhelming. He dragged me closer and closer to the limit, and for some stupid reason, I watched

him do it, not offering any further words of protest.

I fisted the comforter, as he inched me towards the devil, and I closed my eyes so I wouldn’t

have to keep acknowledging fucking Gavin was making me feel this way. Instead, I clung to some part
of my imagination that told me it would feel like this with someone else. Someone with dark, silky
hair, and firm, built muscles. Someone powerful, smart, funny, articulate.

I imagined Haoyu pushing me towards the brink of madness, and I let myself chase that dream.

I threaded my hand through his hair, and I controlled the tempo until it was too much. Too
fucking much.

“Haoyu.” I breathed out his name as I gave in, coming hard inside that wet, hot mouth. The
man between my legs choked on the fluids, then jerked back, leaving nothing but cold air in his place.
My eyes shot open, and I met those stunned green eyes and those agape, swollen lips that had sucked
my soul right out of me.

“Like… High Warlock Haoyu?” Gavin uttered in complete shock. “You’re…. is that what the

problem is? Are you in love with…”

No. No, of course not. “I told you to get the fuck off of me.” I growled, not at all wanting to
discuss a feeling I hadn’t even realized I had until this moment. I immediately fixed my clothing and
got off the bed and as far away from him as possible. “Don’t bother ‘making it up to me.’” I snapped
as I neared the door.

“You’re in love with a warlock.” He repeated idly, like he hadn’t heard me at all. I half
expected him to start mocking me. Use that to threaten or blackmail me. But instead, all I saw in his
expression was… hurt? Devastation? Confusion? I couldn’t tell at all what I was looking at other
than… I knew it wasn’t anger or amusement.

I stepped out and slammed the door behind me, not wanting to acknowledge any of those

feelings he or I were now experiencing on lunar amplification, and I took a hundred count to catch my
breath while leaning against the wall.

Was I falling in love with Haoyu?

I shook my head, silently cursing the fact that I couldn’t go back to my bed to sleep on this and
figure it out. Maybe I really would go sleep in a fucking hole.

Present Day

I closed my eyes tightly, trying to will away that vision. Why did I keep thinking about him
lately? It was always a fight to keep that fated mate pull at bay, but ordinarily, I could go days without

his cursed existence cluttering my mind. Yet as I got closer to Levy, to Jarek, to Eliot, to everyone
who wasn’t my mate, it was as if my own brain was trying to wrangle me back where it belonged.

I wouldn’t give into that. We’d been through far too much together to ever give him a chance
again.
 Chapter 21

I held my own neck as I swallowed, then stared at my reflection in the mirror. I shifted that
hold to my hair and brushed short, wet strands off my forehead. Maybe living in this basement was

starting to make me crazier than living in a big metal cage, because there was no reason I should be
pinning my own savior against the wall.

But the way he was looking at me, I couldn’t help myself. Jun was power and sophistication
and fear embodied in a person, and something about the idea of dominating someone like him was…
invigorating. My cock twitched just imagining how that could have played out. I’d never been with
another Zodiac Shifter. I’d certainly never been with someone stronger than me. To not have to hold
back, or to have someone who wouldn’t hold back against me if I asked…

I shook my head, forcing out the thought, as I also knew the only reason I’d managed to pin

him there was by his own allowance. Right now, everyone was stronger than I was. So why?

It wasn’t until dinner the following evening that I saw Jun again. We always ate meals
together, and there was a quiet peace and comfort to it. He was a good cook. Or at least he made the
kind of food that I most enjoyed: simple, nutritious, flavorful, and clean. I hadn’t realized how much I
missed rice until I had it in a bowl filled with curry. Daily meals of ass-sweat flavored road kill will
really make a person appreciate the small things.

Small things like companionship, and someone who can hold a conversation. The tiniest things
like being allowed to do things for myself and work on my health and strength. And confusing things
like somehow knowing I was safe here, despite living in a world where the word safe didn’t truly

exist.

It was impossible for me to force my mind, heart, and body to trust someone, but maybe it was
simply because he was the first and only person I’d ever told my story that I was at least able to enjoy

sharing his space.

I finished my meal, while Jun enjoyed his own. I mulled over my next words for entirely too
long before I finally addressed him again.

“What do you mean when you say negotiation?” I came right out with it.

Jun’s expression lifted in the most subtle way. “How can I put this simply.” He leaned
forward on his elbows, and rested his chin atop his hands. “When you’re in the arena, no matter how
wild and unruly and intense the battle might be, you always, always clung to a belief in the integrity
and dignity of the match. There was very little that was controlled or regulated, assuring fighters were
able to completely unleash everything they were capable of, but you all still knew, in the back of your
mind, that there were base rules that you would all follow. Whether that rule was something as simple
as the match stops when one opponent surrenders, or that you would both fight to the death no matter
what happened around you, there were still fixed expectations amidst the unruly nature of the sport.”

I nodded along. “Right.”

“In this space, it’s the same.” His smile was uncharacteristically pleasant. “From choking to
knives to gags and restraints, everything is agreed upon in advanced, and there’s always an
understanding that the game can stop at any time. Even consensual non-consent still uses safe words,
and even when you can’t see or speak, there are non-verbal safeguards to assure a hard stop can
always be communicated.”

“Wait. Knives?” I raised a brow in his general direction, the rest of that seeming insignificant
compared to that little point. “Isn’t that dangerous when you’re a Zodiac shifter?”

“It’s not when only one of us is bleeding.” His voice bordered on singsong, and the snort

laugh that forced from my throat was embarrassingly unbecoming.

“I’m Zodiac too though. Even though we’re not a fated pair, I should still be safe to swap
blood with.” I swallowed down the thought I hadn’t meant to voice aloud. “I mean, not that I’m uh…”

“Imagining it?” Jun was watching me from across the makeshift table, and I couldn’t help
meeting those dark eyes that sucked me in with the intensity of a black hole. “Of course not. I

wouldn’t expect you to imagine something so violent, Little Dragon.” His smirk was a blatant taunt.
One I couldn’t resist.

“You’re imagining it though.” If I could have partially shifted my fangs in my grin, I would
have, but I settled for simply flexing my fist and cracking my knuckles.

Jun was a strange anomaly in so many ways. His features were soft in a way that bordered on
delicate, but the look in his eyes and the wickedness in his smile made it clear he was anything but.
The fine suits he wore hid his muscular frame, but I could feel it very clearly when I pinned him
against the mirror. Everything about the way he spoke and the aura he emanated was that of a killer,

yet he lived in this world of sex and consent and safe words, while his work involved following rules
set by mathematicians or a magic counsel he could likely murder with his hands tied behind his back
if he chose too. It was as though he wore a cloak of chains to hide the fact that he was living
completely by a beat of his own drum. He simply assured his beats hit close enough in time with
expectations to disguise himself as part of the crowd’s music

In that strange sense, maybe we were a little bit alike.

“Do you want to try it?” He asked, never breaking that eye contact, and his tone no longer
taunting. “You might be surprised how liberating it is to surrender all control, while also knowing you
can take it back at any time. It’s power in the form of helplessness, and surrender in the form of total
control.”

“If this is how snakes flirt, it’s working for me.” I chuckled. Though I wasn’t sure what
exactly I was getting myself into. I couldn’t recall the last time sex was an active choice I made. In the

circus, it always involved drugs, magic, and pain. Before that, I accidentally killed half my partners,
and found no satisfaction in the survivors. So to so casually discuss something that’s been nothing but
traumatic or violent felt somehow wrong. I couldn’t be open to something like that.

But Jun was… also a Zodiac Shifter. He was stronger than I was, so I couldn’t hurt him, but he

was cautious around me, so he wouldn’t force me into anything either. Did I like that? Is that what I
wanted at all?

Why was I even thinking about such a thing anyway? I was in a dire situation, shackled by a
magic collar, and instead of stressing on how I was going to get out of this mess, I was turning around
the idea in my head that I wouldn’t mind getting off, especially with someone who carried himself
like Jun.

And it was odd, as I’d never seen myself as submissive, sexually or otherwise. I’d been
forced into the roll, time and again, and to tell this man I’d let him put me at his mercy seemed wrong.

I didn’t want to be at anyone’s mercy anymore, yet at the same time, we both knew I couldn’t
overpower him. Not right now anyway. Even dominating him would be at his discretion and not mine.

I tugged at my collar again unconsciously, and I resented it more than ever.

Jun slightly tilted his head to the side, as he watched me running through a mental marathon.
He stood from his seat, then paced around to my side of the table. He stepped behind my chair and
placed his hands on my shoulders. I tensed at his touch. “Let me ask you something, Jarek.”

He reached down to the table and picked up my knife. He dragged the edge along the skin of
my arm, light and questioning, but not enough to cut. I watched the instrument as it climbed past my
elbow and up my bicep, then over the rounded angle of my shoulders. I remained still as he continued

the light pressure up my neck, hooking the collar on the blade and dragging the leather up to my chin.
The point rested uncomfortably on my Adam’s apple.

That was when he whispered into my ear, ever so gently, “Do you have any idea how easy it
would be for me to kill you right now?”

My heart thumped in my chest, and I swallowed against the sharp edge. “I’ve already pictured
it.”

He chuckled, his warm breath peppering my skin on each shake. “Yet you’re sitting here,
unguarded, defenseless.” He increased pressure on the knife, then dragged the instrument up to my
jawline, just breaking the skin in the wake. He rotated the blade and used the flat edge to leverage my
chin upwards, forcing me to look up at him. “You say you don’t trust me, so why are you letting me get
this close?”

He dragged that knife back down through the surface level cut he’d already made, then he
followed the sensation by pressing his lips to mine. I barely noticed the sharp sting compared to the
dominating stroke of his tongue slipping into my mouth. He pinned my tongue in place, then he pressed

in deeper with the blade.

I forced myself not to flinch, showing him I could take his kiss and his blade without
stumbling. If this was a test, I would pass easily. A light surface wound was barely anything anymore.

I fluttered my eyes closed to focus on everything he was letting me feel.

Letting me feel?

Was that how I saw this? Having Jun touch me was a privilege more than it was a threat.

Of course that was the case. If he wanted to kill me he could. If he wanted to fuck me, it would
be painfully easy to force me to the ground. If he wanted to abandon me and leave me to fend for

myself against my old adversary, it would take a single word to send me out on the street. This man

had gone above and beyond for me, like I was a feral kitten in need of some affection.

Offensive. Or exactly what I needed.

He kissed me deeper as he drew that sharp edge up my cheek. The blade sunk in enough that I
could feel the dribble of blood as it snaked down to my jawline. There was an unconscious
understanding that I couldn’t explain, but told me that the slightest nip against him would make him
withdraw. If he was testing my resolve along with my pain tolerance, I was going to win.

I reached up and laced my hands through his smooth, silky black hair. I untied the bun he wore,
letting his long hair free and cascading over both of our faces, like a veil that protected us from the
outside world.

And I held him there, as I pushed back, not willing to be just a passenger in this moment. I
raked my tongue along the underside of his, and I sucked hard to keep him in my mouth.

Everything about his movements, from his standoffishness to his approach to his kiss had the
flow and power of a trained martial artist. If he told me he didn’t know how to fight—that he was just

some math teacher—I would have laughed. Which was why I didn’t feel bad when I raked my fingers
down through his hair, then caught the material of his shirt in my fist and held him there roughly, so he
wouldn’t try to pull away before I was through.

It was just a kiss. There was no honest love or affection in it. It was a test and a game and
nothing more. Something told me that was also who Jun was. The kind of person who can detach
entirely from physical intimacy and use sex as a tool rather than a point of bonding. And maybe that
was another way we were similar.

When he finally pulled back, I was breathless. He dropped the knife back on the table then he
massaged pressure across my shoulders with the heels of his hands.

“Will this help you trust me?” He asked, surprisingly as breathless as I was. His fingers found

my collar, and he toyed with the clasp.

I laughed against his lips. “It’s not going to hurt your chances.”
 Chapter 22

He chose a sparring mat for this careful negotiation. Of all the choices he had in my dungeon,
a cushioned fighting ring was the only one in the lot that didn’t remind him entirely too much of his

recent misfortune. Even the bed, comfortable as it was, seemed to take him back to nights as more
posh entertainment for his cruel master. So using the gym and some personal toys, we’d be playing
both with traces of his past and comforts of his present. Finding that balance or fight and pleasure
would take following a number of very carefully observed mental and physical cues, but I had plenty
of time to figure that out with him—before and after we removed that collar, if he so chose.

Difficult as he was, I wouldn’t mind his continued company. He was not only articulate and
easy to talk to, but the violence that radiated from his natural frequency was a soothing massage to my
own.

“It’s been a while since I used these mats.” I said casually as I undid the buttons on my shirt. I
tossed the material aside, and he looked me over through the mirrors that reflected each other on
opposite walls.

“You’re really going to tell me you don’t work out with a physique like that?” He shook his
head as he chuckled. “I was pretty certain I could pin you easily if I got this limiter off, but now I’m
not so sure.”

“Oh my dear, naïve little dragon.” I retrieved some sweets from my gym bag, and held the
truffle at eye level. “I got this special, just for you.” I popped the mix of strawberries and chocolate in
my mouth, and wasted little time swallowing it down. The flavor was as rich and divine as everything

Levy made, and the affects were near instant. “That little candy is enchanted with a repression spell.

So here’s your chance to find out. For the next eight hours, I’m just like you.”

Jarek’s eyes widened before they narrowed back down into an expression of perfectly twisted

pleasure. “I never realized how attracted I am to arrogance until right this moment.” He dropped into
a fighting stance. A defensive one, that was well guarded for a strike at near any approach. The kind
one might take if they were unsure of their opponent and needed to feel them out first before forming a
better strategy.

“Is it arrogance?” I wrapped my knuckles, then entered the mat. “Or experience?” I took on an
offensive stance, happy to oblige him. “Or entertainment.”

“I guess we’re about to find out.”

I lunged forward first, and he dodged with beautiful fluidity. His movements demonstrated the
finesse of a lifetime of training, but also…

He came at me from low, dipping and coming up with an uppercut, and I responded with a
side step, and a spinning hook kick, catching his waist under my knee, and giving me easy leverage

for a takedown.

…The rustiness of an athlete who took a break for entirely too long.

It was an easy transition into an arm bar. I trapped him between my thighs, and I held him
there. Even on suppressants, the fight was more about technique than raw strength.

“Do you need me to go easier on you?”

Jarek smirked at that the second before he rolled up his hips and managed to hook my ankle
and twist out of my submission hold.

He rolled away and got back on his feet. “I’m just getting warmed up.” His smile was honest
and light, as he bounced on his toes. “Jiu-jitsu? I wasn’t expecting that.”

“Would you prefer Jeet Kune Do? Krav Maga? Muay Thai? Hapkido? Kickboxing?” I

switched between stances, and he laughed.

“I didn’t realize there would be a menu.” He crouched back into a different stance I didn’t
recognize. Then he came at me with his shoulder low. I took to the defensive a fraction of a second
too slowly, and he managed to hook an arm between my legs and roll me over his shoulders and onto
the ground. “How about some good, old fashioned wrestling? They call that one a fireman’s carry.”

He positioned to pin me beneath him completely, and with the suppressant, for once, I couldn’t
reverse it on brute strength alone. “Oddly, one of the few disciplines I haven’t studied.”

“Honestly, most of my matches have been brutal, no-holds-barred, life or death street fights,
so this is one of the few times I actually get to play with real techniques that aren’t eye gouging and
bone crushing and biting.” He settled his forearms on top of mine, and he interlaced our fingers. Not a
fighting hold at all, but I didn’t try to break it. “Rolling around with you is like having a slap fight
with a distinguished gentleman by comparison.”

“We’re just warming up, remember?” I grinned as I wrapped my legs around his waist and

managed to swap our positions and put him beneath me. “But I have to agree—a fight does feel
incredibly different on suppressants.”

“A lot of things do.” He made no effort to pull another reversal. He looked up at me with clear
eyes as he placed his hands on my hips. He climbed the sides of my bare torso with that punishing
grip, then he grabbed hold of my biceps on each side of himself, and he hoisted himself up to meet my
lips.

The kiss took me aback in its gentleness, but I didn’t pull away. On the contrary, I kept us
locked as he lowered his head back down to the mat, following him down and adding pressure at the
bottom.

Yes, a lot of things feel different when your body is basically human.

He opened his mouth to take my tongue, and I was more than happy to give it to him. Things

tasted different on suppressants.

He tasted different.

At some point, I’d closed my eyes, and our foreheads and noses were softly connected while I
was breathing against his lips, just trying to catch my breath. Not from our tussle. Not at all.

“Are we still negotiating?” He asked, just as breathless. He dropped his grip back to my
stomach, where he started feeling his way down every dip and contour of my muscles. His hands
were rough, and the course texture created perfect friction against my sweat slickened skin.

“What are your demands?” I took his lips again when his fingertips reached my waistband,
and he let me dominate his mouth for a long and savoring taste.

He moved his grip to the back of my head, and he held me down, not letting me break our kiss
again. Not until he was the one dominating my tongue and controlling every angle of that kiss. Until he
had me where he wanted me. How he wanted me. Subtle dominance from a submissive position.

He released the back of my head, and he moved down to my right hand. I supported my weight
on my left arm, and let him guide my right down to his hard cock, barely hidden in his lose gym
shorts. “You can stay in that position.” He connected our lips again, and I slipped beneath the elastic
waistband. I wrapped my hand around his length, one finger at a time. His skin was burning with both
his arousal and naturally elevated temperature. “You can fuck me or fuck yourself on top of me.
Whatever you prefer.” Another kiss that lingered for several extended seconds. “But I get to control
the motion. And I get to decide when you’re allowed to come.”

“That’s almost too easy.”

 He pulled my lips down to his again, and I shoved his head into the mat with a more forceful

retaliation this time.

He nipped at my lip as I broke the connection. “Just. Warming. Up.” He emphasized with the
most enticing smile I’d ever witnessed on another man’s lips.

I pushed off my supporting arm, and got him out of his gym shorts as quickly as I did away
with mine. I lifted his calves by my side, and he responded by wrapping them around my waist. He
didn’t ask for whips, or chains, or restraints. No knives or choking. He didn’t ask for rough or twisted
or brutal like I thought he might.

All he wanted right now was control. The power to dictate the actions of the person who
dominated him. The most subtle of power plays. I could oblige that request.

I would gladly oblige that request.

Playing Levy to the brink time and again, while never allowed to go all the way with him, was
sweet and decadent torture. But Jarek didn’t want delicate or careful, in his life or in his bed. That
was a melody I played best. Maybe it wasn’t trust we were building, but pleasure was just as
valuable for someone who only knew pain.

I prepared him slowly, working in a lubricant knowing these suppressed bodies wouldn’t
produce the same kind of easy entrance that a shifter’s could, and then I pressed into him only enough
for him to start to get used to the size of my cock.

“Go slow.” He squeezed his thighs against my waist, dictating exactly how slow he wanted. I
stretched him on me with excruciating patience, and the heat of his body had me near sweating as I
reached my base. Every sensation was new and vivid. He was exquisitely tight, and I audibly groaned
as he allowed me an equally slow withdrawal. He threw his head back, but directed me to jerk him
off at the same rate that I was moving inside him.
 The pressure of this powerful muscles, and watching the sweat drip down the dips and valleys

of his heavily built physique as he fucked himself beneath me, had me desperate to just take him.

Pound into him and watch him buckle. The breathy moans were music, and the pleasure in his
expression, his eyes closed, his lips parted, and his controlled panting as he picked up the tempo, was

a masterpiece all its own.

I kept control as he rode me to the breaking point, and I fought for it as he slowed down and
denied me. He knew exactly what he was doing, like it was a test to find the point in which his body
could drive me to madness.

A dangerous game. But discipline wasn’t among my challenges.

He had me on the cusp again, and I’m sure he could read that from the tightening in my grip,
and my own heavy breaths. I focused on keeping control. I let him take my chance at release again,
and I continued playing his game, where he’d denied himself with the same wicked efficiency.

“Ready to break yet?” He managed through his own labored breaths.

“Heh.” I took his pretty mouth again before whispering against it. “My little dragon, I can do
this all night.” I slightly shifted the angle of my hips, and surprise pinged in his eyes at the new

sensation.

He readjusted, changing the tempo again. “Excellent.” He hissed into my ear. “Because I’m
going to make you.”

It was an hour before he let either one of us come, and I could barely breathe as that
desperately needed release I’d been denied over and over and over again quaked through every
muscle in my body. I was shaking from that overwhelming high, and I could barely hold myself up as
the adrenaline started to dissipate.

I hovered over Jarek, recapturing my lost breath, when he said, ever so deviously, “So you
said that repression spell lasts for eight hours, right?”

I was still reeling as I laughed beneath my breath. “You have about six left.”

If there was anything still inhuman about the limited dragon shifter beneath me, it was

undoubtedly his endurance.

For six more hours, Jarek proved he was, indeed, the most challenging project I ever took on.
 Chapter 23

I stuffed a bag with unsalted butter, my favorite 80% cocoa dark chocolate chips, thinly sliced
almonds to help break up and soften the texture, and light brown sugar. A perfect and simple recipe

for a complicated problem. My favorite.

It was times like these that I felt especially proud of our bakery in Graves. Though I’ve had a
few bad days, my magic pastries really did help people. And maybe this time, I could help someone
who was a little bit like me.

I reached for my phone to shoot Jun a text, but when I picked it up, I found myself hovering
idly over his name.

“Your wolf is dead. Though if you keep messing with Jun, you might be joining him soon.”

The thought flashed through my mind, and I frowned. I didn’t want to stop interacting with Jun,
but I knew that was more than a passing threat. Months ago, I probably would have locked myself
away and cowered after being told something like that, but now I had Eliot. And… I had Jun too.
Some messed up part of me wanted to believe that Jun himself wouldn’t be willing to accept the idea
that I had to keep my distance from him to be safe.

I guess I trusted him.

I choked on my own saliva at that realization, then I gathered my wits about me.

I mean, that’s not crazy. Why should I feel weird about that? Trusting Jun. The snake who
happily admits to killing people. The same guy who blindfolded me while my mate murdered my ex.

Sure, he’s unapologetically psychotic, but who isn’t? I kind of liked that about him, really. It was a

quirk. Nothing wrong with that. This was a totally rational line of thinking and not at all disturbing
and terrifying to me.

I just wanted to be friends with Jun was all, because he was nice to me.

Good old buddies with that Jun. Total pals and bros.

I planted my palm on my face and I sighed, trying not to think on it any deeper. I shot him a

quick “on my way” text without further ado, and I slung my pack over my shoulder. Eliot would be
joining me later once he got through the morning rush with mother, so I needed to stop worrying so
much. I had people who cared about me now, and I wanted to be able to help them like they helped
me.

I took the bus into the city, and I walked the rest of the distance to Jun’s place in the suburbs. I
should probably have considered getting a car at some point, but I didn’t really go anywhere, and
public transit was fairly decent in Graves, especially for shifters and magic-kind. The Fae bus line
would get you within about half a mile of literally anywhere you could ever want to go, and the Wong
family had free access so long as our family name existed, having basically founded the entire

cornerstone of the town.

I wouldn’t be having any children to proliferate that family line considering, well, I was
mated to a guy and women did nothing for me, but my older sister was doing a fine job of filling out
the family tree. Glad I didn’t have to be the one to jump on that grenade.

I strolled through the quiet and peaceful neighborhood, glancing at the cookie cutter track
housing in all of the plain gray paint and identical driveways, garages, and porches. It was still such a
strange disconnect to me to accept that someone like Jun Shen lived somewhere so pleasant and
ordinary. Somehow, I imagined him living in some kind of lair deep in the mountains or something.
But no, Jun was a math teacher who lived in math teacher house in a neighborhood with actual human

kids playing in the street and maybe the occasional seelies or demons chatting on enclosed porches.

One block after the other, I was starting to reconsider the not needing a car thing. I should
have asked Jun to just pick me up, but I didn’t know what time I’d be able to get out of the bakery, so I

didn’t. Good job, Levy, trying so hard to be independent for no reason.

I sighed, then turned another block. I think I only had a few more to go, but it all kind of
looked the same. As I walked and walked it all… Literally looked the same. The exact same children
were playing on the exact same sidewalk under the exact same tree.

Oh, that can’t be good.

I stopped moving, and I tried to concentrate on my surroundings. I was stuck in a spell, but I
could banish the magic and protect myself if I could just focus long enough. Just—

“Leveret Wong. Fancy meeting you here.”

I twisted around, only to find myself meeting the emerald eyes streaked with blue, framed by
the brightest crimson hair. I froze as he approached me.

“I’m sorry, in all our little meetings, I’ve never properly introduced myself.” He extended his

hand, and I just stared. “It’s Gavin Abernathy. The Year of the Rooster shifter.”

Gavin Abernathy? The name sounded familiar, but I couldn’t place it. Not that it mattered. I
recognized him all too well.

“What’s going on?” I took a shaky step back.

“I told you to stay away from Jun, and yet here you are in the middle of the neighborhood he
lives in.” He quirked a half smile.

Another step. I could shift. I could run. I was a rabbit and he just admitted to being a rooster.
My animal form wasn’t useful for many things, but it was, at the very least, fast. Faster than a chicken
anyway. “He asked me for help, not the other way around. Have you thought about taking your issues

up with my professor instead of me?”

His eyebrow twitched like a glitch in his façade. He seemed easy to rattle when face to face

and not pulling some dirty trick. “Your professor, huh?”

“My professor.” I confirmed, disowning everything we ever did together that maybe pushed
that boundary a bit. I took one more step back, then prepared myself for a full shift. Magic would take
too long. Though I might have to get some distance and take some time to figure that out if I was

trapped in an infinite loop spell with him. “If you’re in love with him or something, you should know
I already have my mate. Jun’s just a friend.”

This time, his gaze narrowed, like I’d just said the most audacious thing in the world. And
suddenly I wondered if he was worried about me being in love with Jun, or… if he was so defensive
because he thought it was the other way around.

I stumbled on that thought, then shook it off as quickly as I could. No time to think on that, even
if I wanted to. Instead, it was time to act. Before he could make a move, I full shifted into a rabbit and
started sprinting in the opposite direction. This wouldn’t be like getting chased by a werewolf. He

had nothing on me here.

Only, as the world looped to infinity, I also had no good way to escape. He could wait for me
to tucker myself out, and I’d have barely made tens of feet on him.

And now I would also be naked when I shifted back, which wasn’t great. But I could stay in
rabbit form as long as I needed. Hide somewhere and take the time to put up a barrier that could get
me out of this bubble.

Gavin didn’t bother running after me despite my frantic sprint, probably because he knew he
couldn’t catch me. He seemed bored by my escape attempt. Last time, he had Derek to help him, and I
hadn’t expected his intentions. This time, I could defend myself.

I slipped behind a building, where he wouldn’t be able to get to me quickly, then I shifted
back and created a barrier. My magic couldn’t dispel the illusion entirely, but it was enough to push

back a bubble’s worth of protection so I could stumble out of the false loop and into the continuous
world. I shifted back into a rabbit, not really wanting to run naked through the neighborhood, and I
made a sprint for Jun’s.

I felt the illusion dissipate behind me, but still Gavin didn’t give chase.

And that was when it dawned on me.

Last time he’d been little more than a distraction for the person who actually wanted—

I smashed into the metal bars of a small cage that had suddenly appeared in front of me. The
door fell shut, and the trap closed with a loud clang.

The old warlock smiled as he lifted the small container to eye level, admiring me like I was a
fine catch. The cage was too small to shift back, and the sealing spell that sparked around it meant I
couldn’t break it by shifting either. I squirmed around the carrier, looking for a weak point, but of

course there wasn’t one. Just like, of course, the rooster shifter was suddenly nowhere to be seen.
He’d accomplished everything he had set out to do.

Fucking damn it.

“Caught you.” Avro, the fucked up ringleader, smirked at me through the thin bars. “You’ll do
nicely in my collection, little hybrid.”

I did what I could to send a distress signal down that mating bond before the high warlock
stole my consciousness.
 A scratchy texture pressed against my cheek as I returned to waking thought. I slowly blinked
the world into view, only to find my vision filled with course tan straw on the ground and thick steel
bars all around me. I sat up, trying to orient myself to reality.

I was dressed in simple, drab clothing. Basic sweats and a loose tank top. I rubbed my neck

unconsciously, where a thin leather band now rested. My fist closed around the clasp, and my eyes
rounded wide and terrified.

Fuck. I yanked at the mechanism, but I knew it wouldn’t come off. No, I knew exactly what I
was dealing with now.

“I figured you might like a place that’s a little roomier.” The words came from just outside of
my cage, pulling my attention to the High Warlock. “Leveret Wong, son of the High Warlock Haoyu
Wong and the Tiger Shifter Francine Bernard. A hybrid of the highest order of both of your species.
What luck that such an interesting creature would show himself in my circus tent.”

“Why am I in a cage?” I managed the question, as if he might also see it as ridiculous and let
me out on a logical basis. I tugged at the limiter again.

“When I saw you at my show earlier.” He ignored my question. “I knew in that moment that I
absolutely had to have you. I could sense the way your low level barrier fought so hard to keep me
out, and it only made me want you more. You were almost worth losing my dragon for.”

“I don’t understand.” I tried to concentrate and use any amount of my magic, but no matter how
hard I focused, it wouldn’t come. A partial shift was the best I could conjure, and even a full shift
wouldn’t help me now. My animal side never helped.
 “Let me explain then.” He opened the door to my cage, and the metal squealed loudly on its

hinges. Avro stepped into the hay bed, crunching dry straw under his step. “You and your friends stole

my star attraction, and now I need to replace him. A rabbit might not seem as impressive as a dragon
to a human viewer, but...” He neared me, and I scooted back until I was against the bars, suddenly

feeling incredibly aware of his closeness. “To a magical crowd, you are the rarest mutt I’ve ever
encountered. I’ve collected different shifters from all around the world, and I’ve never had anything
like you.”

The high warlock knelt in front of me, putting himself on my level. My heartbeat was pounding

in my ears, louder than a ceremonial drum and faster than a hummingbird’s wings, and I had no idea
what I was in for.

“My, you’re so cute when you’re terrified.” He reached for my chin and I jerked away,
pressing tighter against the bars for any possible respite. “You’ll be a perfect toy.”

“My family practically owns this town. You think this will go unnoticed?” I attempted. Like
someone like him would care. If anything, he probably got off on that kind of audacity.

“Of course not. And I’m counting on that fact. It’s much easier to flush out a rat when you give
them something worth surfacing for.” His mouth upticked in a cruel smile. “Do you like it? Wearing a

limiter collar when you’re a mage has always felt absolutely violating to me.” I flinched as he
connected his fingers to my jawline. The harsh restriction on my power was making my stomach
churn, and his touch, even more so. He moved down to his collar. I bit my lip. “But is it the same
when you’re part shifter?” He stroked the leather, brushing his fingers over the mate scar at the nape
of my neck on each pass, like a subtle threat to whoever was on the other side of that bond.

“It’s great, actually.” I spat back defiantly. He responded with his palm against my windpipe,
and shoving my head hard against the bars. He closed his fingers around my neck and squeezed.

“You’re just like him.” The words came out with a hint of restrained rage, though he was
smiling even as he choked me. I knew he felt me swallow when that grin stretched wider. “Oh, stop

looking at me like that. It makes me want to break you.” Avro chuckled as he retracted his hand. Tiny

taunts, but I wasn’t going to respond. I had no idea what he had in store for me, but it wasn’t my first
time feeling trapped.

So I should be used to it, right? I shouldn’t be scared.

He stood and backed away, then closed the cage door on me. He grinned one last time before
he left me alone. His confidence that it would hold me was unsettling. But also…foolish.

Because… I wasn’t just a rabbit shifter and a mage and someone of no consequence to
anyone. I’d learned already that I had some of the best people in Graves at my side, even when I
thought I didn’t deserve them. I wouldn’t be held here. Even if this limiter blocked out signs of my life
force so my own father couldn’t track me, I knew two very strong shifters who could.

I laughed ironically at the thought. I wished that one day I really could save myself. That I
wouldn’t have to rely on other people. That I wasn’t so useless.

But maybe that’s a form of strength too.

Maybe that trust is my real power.

I touched my mate scar and closed my eyes.

 Chapter 24

Levy was running unusually late, even for someone as painfully unpunctual as the Little
Rabbit. Worrying.

His “on my way” text had come in two hours prior, and it should have taken half of that to take
the bus into town and walk the rest of the way. He hadn’t responded to follow up texts. But there was
no reason Levy should be a target.

A knock finally sounded on the door, and a wash of relief came over me. Why I worried so
much about him was beyond me, but he was the kind of person who just made me want to protect him.
He seemed to have that effect on people in general. He was cute but prickly, and even if he was
another shifters mate, I still felt a draw to help him. I seemed to feel that draw towards a lot of people
lately.

I answered swiftly, only to find…

“Eliot?”

The dog was out of breath and frazzled, and no part of that was reassuring. “I can’t feel Levy
anymore.” He said. “He threw out a distress signal through the bond, and then he just disappeared. He
wasn’t far from you when he tried to contact me, but… but he…” He was in near hysterics, with the
real fear that his mate could be dead.

Like I would ever fucking let that happen.

 “Calm down.” I drew in a slow breath through my nose. It didn’t take much to guess who

might take the son of one of the most influential families in Graves hostage, and it took even less to

guess who had the power to hide a shifter’s vitals even from his fated mate.

“How the fuck am I supposed to calm down.” He barked back sharply. “What the fuck did you

get Levy into?” He lunged for me, and I sidestepped him easily.

“Calm. Down.” I stated again. “I know it’s your instinct to attack first and ask questions later,
but you’re not going to help matters by lashing out against me.” I glanced back at the door to my safe
house. “We’ll find him. He’s not dead. No one would dare harm someone so valuable.”

Eliot was shaking, and I couldn’t blame him. My only strength right now was that I was better
at hiding my emotions in a bad situation. And this was certainly a very bad situation. Possibly more
than I was prepared for.

“You don’t know that.” His rational mind was clearly fighting his emotional one, and I waited
patiently for the right one to win.

I shook my head, then without warning, I shoved Eliot roughly against my wall. He was
nowhere near as quick to dodge, and I had no problem caging him there, grasping his chin, and

shoving his head back. I rested my thumb on the mate mark on his bottom lip. “So long as this is still
visible on your body, I do fucking know that.” I growled. “And if there was any doubt in my mind, I
would be burning this whole godforsaken city to the ground right now.”

I released Eliot as forcefully as I’d taken him, and he supported himself against the wall as he
processed the situation. He dropped his chin to his chest, and took a few slow breathing cycles before
he addressed me again. “I’m sorry. You’re right.” He muttered.

“You’re fine. I understand.” I reassured him, but I wouldn’t fault him. Every feeling he was
outwardly expressing, I was inwardly hiding. Not the least of which because I knew Levy was in this
situation because of my decisions and not his own. “But we might need some help on this one. We’re
not dealing with a low level werewolf this time.”

Dejected yet with hard earned trust, Eliot tipped his chin in silent approval, so I wasted no
further time. I descended down to my basement with the dog shifter in tow. There, Jarek was waiting

patiently, engaging in a full workout against the punching bag I’d set up for him.

I was about to ask something rather difficult of the dragon, and I knew he wasn’t nearly healed
enough, mentally, physically, or emotionally to commit to it, but this had to be dealt with now
regardless of what damage it might do. If I had any say in the matter, it would be the last time anyone

would ever be dealing with Avro’s Circus, and we could all move on from this mess.
 Chapter 25

My attention shot towards the entryway, where Jun walked through the door along with a
blond-haired, hazel-eyed, and clean cut guy with stress written into every crease in his face. His

visible mate scar matched the rabbit’s, clearing up any confusion as to who he was, but not explaining
why he was here.

“Little Dragon, this is Puppy. Puppy, Little Dragon.” Jun threw out as they approached, trying
to get formalities out of the way quickly.

“Eliot Rand. Zodiac Dog shifter.” Eliot corrected with an eye roll. “I gather you’ve already
met my mate.”

“Jarek Milan.” The dragon looked skeptically between us. “Where’s Levy?” I barely got the

word out when a pulse of heat hit me, radiating from the collar like a call from another realm. I
winced as the sensation abruptly subsided.

I pressed my palm to the collar to sooth the spot. That’s new. Was this an attempt from Avro to
locate me?

“I believe Avro took him.” Jun looked to me, and I froze on those words.

“Shit.” That’s bad. More than bad. If this innocent bystander, who only tried to help me,
gets murdered because of his involvement with me, I wouldn’t be able to live with myself.

I should have seen this coming. How long did I really think I’d be able to stay down here
without consequence? With Ferris and Horace dead and Avro’s grand and mighty dragon gone, the

search would get more thorough, and at some point, good people would once again end up in the
crosshairs. “How long?”

“No more than a few hours.” Eliot spoke, but the way he watched me made me think he

already silently resented me for getting his mate in danger by proxy. Something I never would do
intentionally. I’ve hurt a lot of people, and I felt no remorse for most of them, but Levy was kind when
he didn’t need to be, and his energy had calmed me like nothing else could. He and Jun had both put
themselves on the line for me purely out of genuine compassion, and I would spend a lifetime

repaying that.

I paced in the basement, feeling especially restless as another sharp pulse hit me. This one
sent a biting pain through my neck, as if a bee had embedded its stinger deep into my skin. I slapped
my hand to the collar again. Even if Avro couldn’t locate me, he could still seep into my mind in my
dreams, and he could still increase the power on the limiter, so there was some pull left, and these
unusual pulses felt like a warning shot. A threat.

I ignored the next ping to address my companions. “Trade me for him.” My demand got no
argument from Eliot, but Jun eyed me warily.

“Are you sure?”

“I’m fucking certain.” I snapped. “I’ve hidden out here long enough. This is my burden to deal
with, not yours.” I started towards the door, when another hard ping nearly knocked me off balance.
What the fuck. “I’m going whether you agree with me or not.”

Jun stepped in my way and blocked the door. I glared at him, but he kept a calm and near
condescending expression on his face.

A damn lie, made obvious by the very real worry swimming in his galaxy-like eyes. Jun
wasn’t one to show emotion in general, but I’d seen enough glimpses to know he feels much more
deeply than he’d ever admit.

I’d seen enough glimpses of him with Levy to know there were a lot of feelings he couldn’t
admit to. I wouldn’t claim to be emotionally adept, but I wasn’t blind either. Whatever dynamic we’d

come to share lately, that didn’t change anything about that.

“Move.” I demanded.

Jun remained firm. “I’m not risking you senselessly either. We’re going to make a plan first.”

I parted ways with Jun and Eliot when I was about a mile outside the circus. It was late
enough that the sun had started to set. I’d not seen the sun in what felt like an age, and I took a few
brief moments to appreciate being outside again, regardless of the danger that posed.

That collar’s pulsing had eased off, and that settled a sinking feeling even deeper into my gut.

I’d answered Avro’s call, and I was sure he’d feel me coming now that I was completely exposed to
his influence.

That didn’t matter. Saving Levy was what mattered. He was still a stranger to me, yet some
small part of him had already imprinted himself in my soul, and I’d make sure he got back safe
whatever it took.

Slowly on the horizon, I watched the moon start to rise. It was no more than a couple days off
full. I’d use as much of its influence as I could until Jun and Eliot were able to secure everything they
needed.
 I dug in my heel, and I oriented myself to my surroundings. I could practically feel the distant

crackling of Avro’s magic, always raining down in his own demented big top barrier.

I rolled my shoulders and cracked my knuckles. Another pulse radiated through me like a cell
phone buzzing, demanding I answer. It had been too long that I was gone. I’d always intended to return

after all. It was time to clean up the mess I left behind.

Running through the trees felt good. My muscles stretched and retracted in a soothing rhythm,
while the ricochet of each swift step drove me forward. It felt strange to willingly walk back into this
trap, yet it also felt so familiar and natural. Like in some fucked up part of my brain, this had become

my real home, filled with the pain and chaos I had understood since I was practically still a child.
This was my broken, fucked up wonderland, and I wasn’t afraid to confront it.

That was what I told myself anyway. Somehow, I’d come to believe in Jun to such an extent, I
knew I wouldn’t be trapped here again. I broke through the trees and bushes until I came upon the
clearing. That familiar big top towered over the forest, and I had to take a ten count just to compose
myself upon seeing it. My heart froze in my chest, and my breathing was shallow. I hadn’t mentally
prepared for what it would feel like to stare down this evil again. I was so quick to volunteer, but
now I felt the weight of what that meant.

Breath in, breath out, breath in—

A strong arm wrapped around my neck from behind, and massive gorilla biceps squeezed my
neck. Blackness hit fast when fucking Benjamin cut off circulation to my brain.
 Chapter 26

It all felt so familiar. Getting manhandled, blacking out, waking up in that cage. It was almost
therapeutic. Homey, with those warm fuzzy smells of blood and pachyderm shifters. Like going back

to your toxic family for another familiar night of the abuse you know. No surprises. Just bruises and
tears before waking up the next day to pretend it’s all fine, and you’re not dead inside.

I placed my hands behind my head and got comfortable. The plan was simple, and I had some
time to kill. In the meantime, I had a very specific role.

It was late now. If I were to guess, somewhere around three or four in the morning. A few
more hours until daylight. With the exception of when I made them chase me down for my ten
thousandth escape attempt, no one was awake at this hour by choice.

I started out by testing the strength of my limiter. Now that I was back in my cage where I
belonged, I was allowed to partial shift again. A full shift was more trust than I’d earned, but I could
extend my fangs and dull claws, and I could shift my eyes for better night vision at the very least. That
was nice of Master Avro, I thought with a roll of my eyes.

“Are you awake?” I asked into the void.

“Jarek?” Levy’s voice returned with hopeful surprise.

“Are you hurt?”

“No.” He moved closer to the side of his cage that bordered mine. “Just emotionally.” His
laugh was forced, and I frowned at that. “What are you doing here? Did they find where you were
hiding? Is Jun okay?”

I should have expected his first question would be about Jun. Though, having now met Eliot,
that was more oddly natural than it should be. “No, your mate came for help, and I decided to be the

sacrificial lamb. I owe you all that much.”

“If you’re right back in here, I don’t think we helped you much in reality.” Levy sat down
against the bars and loosed a sigh. “Sorry I couldn’t get that collar off you.” He tugged at the band
around his own neck. “I don’t know how I’ll get mine off either at this point.”

I snorted, then got up to move nearer to my scared companion. I crouched down beside him
and settled in against the bars, putting us back to back. The soft radiation of body heat we shared was
soothing. “We won’t be here for long, I promise.”

Levy leaned back into the bars, getting just a little closer. There was only a couple inches
between us. He was unexpectedly comfortable around me. “I take it you had a plan when you left the
basement?”

“I didn’t need one. I’m pretty certain your canine boyfriend has already explicitly visualized

every bone and muscle and tendon he’ll be grinding between his teeth, and I wouldn’t want to be the
dragon on the other side of that white knight’s sword.”

That got him to laugh. He turned his head to meet my eyes, while continuing to lean into the
bars. “Eliot can be intense.”

“He should be. If I had a mate like you, I’d be ripping this place apart too.” I inched my hand
through the bars, and I hooked my pinky over his, like a quiet promise. I was attempting to reassure
him with generic rhetoric, keeping up my part of the bargain to keep him safe and calm while in
captivity, but I felt every word deeper than made sense. I didn’t know what it was about Levy that
made me want to protect him, but something in my soul told me I needed to. “You’ll be safe with me.”

Levy’s cheeks reddened, visible only thanks to the nearly full moon. It was just three nights

until the moon reached its brightest. Three nights. I’d keep him safe from Avro until then, whatever it
took.
 Chapter 27

The night passed in a blur, and I found myself falling asleep against those bars, sharing what
little warmth I could with the Dragon of the Chinese Zodiac. When morning came, there was a bustle

of activity outside my cage, and I willed myself to open my eyes and take in my current reality.

I rolled my head to the side to see Jarek still leaning against the bars behind me, and his palm
resting on top my knuckles. He was asleep, but I was sure he wouldn’t be for much longer. He looked
so much more peaceful than I’d expect from someone as hardened as he was. I wished I was that
resilient. I couldn’t imagine what kind of courage it took to willingly come back to this place for a
total stranger. He was much tougher than I would ever be.

I sighed and closed my eyes again. The full moon wasn’t far away. What would happen when
that moon hit me when I was wearing this limiter? Would I still be forced to turn? Would my

pheromones still be amplified? Maybe this limiter would let me experience the moon like a normal
human could. I might want to make one of these myself for those nights if so.

I laughed to myself at the absurdity of crafting what’s ordinarily a torture device for my own
pleasure, and that really was kind of par for the course, really. I could barely even get off without a
little fear and violence in the equation, so what else was new.

The palm on top my hand twitched, and I watched as Jarek slowly blinked himself awake. He
had the prettiest eyes. The green had so much more depth with the small touches of red that sparkled
in his irises. The heavy contrast of complimentary colors was unique and mesmerizing. I had a duller
version of my mother’s blue eyes, which felt so boring compared to Jun’s galaxies, Eliot’s rich and

honest hazel, or even my father’s eyes that were so darkly brown they looked more like an all-

consuming black. One more way I was a lesser version of both of my counterparts.

“Morning,” I said, pointedly leaving off the ‘good.’ “Seems like a lot of activity so early.”

Jarek remained quiet for a few moments as he watched the workers around us. The movements
of his head as he observed was akin to a skeptical hunter. “That’s because they’re packing.” He bit
his lip in a stifled grimace. “Shit.”

“What do you mean they’re packing?” Of course I knew what he meant, but I needed to
process that. “I thought the circus was supposed to be in town for three weeks.”

“It is.” He scanned the area, his hand still on top of mine like a shield. “They must have opted
to move on sooner because,” he paused for an awkward enough amount of time that it was obvious he
was searching for less abrasive words to take the sting out of the honest reality, “,,,of the investigation
into them. Probably looking to go somewhere with less heat and magic.”

‘And where we’re further from help and less likely to be rescued’ were the unspoken words
that I innately understood.

He gripped my hand and gave it a small squeeze before he stood up and separated himself
from me. He paced over to the middle of his caged, and he crossed his arms as he stared off into the
distance.

“It’s only been a week, but it feels like it’s been years without you, my puppet.” Avro’s voice
pulled my attention to the old mage who was approaching. Avro’s eyes bounced from me to the
Dragon’s. “Do you like him? My newest acquisition. He’s cute, isn’t he?”

I remained quiet. A twitch of anger flashed in Jarek’s eyes, but he didn’t speak.

Avro continued as he approached Jarek’s cage. “He looks so much more breakable than you
are, but I haven’t tested the theory yet. I was hoping you might help.”

Jarek approached the warlock without an ounce of fear or reservation on display. The

confidence in his step was conditioned, like it was an act so well practiced, he’d come to believe his
character in earnest. He seemed so much bigger than Avro with his six foot something stature and

thick muscles, yet I knew that it would only take a snap of the sorcerer’s fingers to put him on his
knees.

Though that didn’t seem to deter Jarek in the slightest. No, he smirked at his captor, with a
hate and an arrogance he’d likely shown him a thousand times, and I watched with quiet awe as that

truly indomitable spirit barked back.

“There’s not a limiter or a cage in this world that will be strong enough to hold me if you
touch him.”

“So you do care.” Avro chuckled. “Good to know.” In one swift motion, Avro reached through
the bars and hooked Jarek’s collar, where he leveraged it to yank him into the bars. Jarek’s chest hit
steel, but still his expression never flinched. “Keep threatening me, and I’ll make sure your life
becomes a nightmare you can’t wake up from, fucking worm.”

The warlock released his prey, then he turned away from us to holler to his uncomfortably
loyal crew. “Pick up the pace! We have a long way to go.”

When Avro was fully out of earshot, I turned to my cellmate who had paced back to the center
of the cage to take a seat in his bed of hay.

“I’m guessing your relationship is always like that?” I was scooted as close to his bars as I
could be.

Jarek pushed his hands through his short, dirty blond hair and slumped forward with his head
between his knees. “I’m going to be honest with you, Levy.” He swallowed before he continued.
“This shit is going to get ugly, and as much as I want to protect you, he’s going to make sure I don’t get
a choice. Try and keep your head up, and hold onto me as much as you need to. It’ll only be a couple

of days.”

Only a couple of days? I opened my mouth to ask what he meant, then thought better of it. If he,

Jun, and Eliot had a rescue plan, I didn’t want any chance of prying ears to hear any details.

I just hoped I could be as strong as he was in the face of it all.

Our cages were loaded onto the backs of Semis, and a massive tarp was stretched over the
bars to conceal the contents from outside eyes. Shifter trafficking wasn’t a good look for anyone,
especially not in Graves. A concealment spell should have been enough to mask the cargo from most
people, but this wasn’t the kind of town that would fall for a little enchanted decorating.

I tried not to think on that concept as the truck started to move. Every bump and imperfection
in the road translated through the floor on the weighed down suspension, sending jolts straight to my
spine, and I groaned as we started down the dirt road towards the highway. Jarek’s cage was directly
next to mine, and that gave me unexpected comfort.

“How long have you been travelling with this whole arrangement? Have you been anywhere
cool?” I asked idly while the truck pulled onto smoother roads.

Jarek froze on the question, and I wondered if I’d asked something I shouldn’t have.

“T-ten years.” He sounded unsure, and I didn’t know what to make of that. “I couldn’t tell you
where all I’ve been, honestly. All I ever get to see is the faces of the crowd and the roof of my cage. I
know I’ve been transported over ships and planes though.”

Tiny taps sounded from the top of the tarp as the first drops of rain began falling from the sky.
It was that season, so nothing new. I scrunched up into a ball, trying to keep warm. Graves was a

temperate climate, but it still got cold in the rainy season.

Jarek scooted close to me and slipped his hand through the gap between the bars. “Hold my
hand. I’ll keep you warm.”

I placed my palm in his, and a warmth radiated through me. “Is that magic?” I blinked away
my surprise. No, that wouldn’t make sense. Jarek was a shifter and he was wearing a limiter. There
was no reason to think he could cast a warming spell.

He shook his head. “Just my natural temperature.”

“I thought reptiles were cold blooded?” Jun certainly was, anyway. Shaking his hand was like
making a business deal with a corpse.

“I’m a dragon, not a lizard.” He scoffed, but he was smiling. “Reptiles also don’t breathe fire.
My body temperature is about ten degrees hotter than your average shifter.”

“The limiter doesn’t mess with that?” My eyes shot to the collar that matched mine.

“Not right now.” He partial shifted his claws and tapped them against my knuckles. “When
I’m on the run, Avro focuses is full power into the collar, which is enough to completely suppress any
of my natural gifts. But when I’m close and in his chains, he eases up to conserve his own energy, so
I’m able to partial shift. It’s apparently a drain on him to constantly feed the limiter to its maximum
strength.” There was a touch of pride in his voice. “My true form is powerful enough that I’m a bit of
a burden to keep under his thumb, at least when compared to were-shifters or ordinary animals.”

I squeezed his hand, enjoying that heat. He repositioned his grip to interlace our fingers,
bettering the connection. My heart rate picked up a couple beats per minute, and I couldn’t say why

this felt so comfortably intimate. “I always wished I’d been born a dragon. If my parents had just

waited six more months to get pregnant, I would have been the extreme opposite of what I am now. I
might actually have been able to defend myself.”

“It’s not all it’s cracked up to be.” Jarek offered a half smile. “I got into fights so often from
people who wanted to challenge the big, bad mythical beast. There’s a reason I’m the only current
living Dragon of the Zodiac, even though there should be several generations in rotation right now. I
basically had to make violence my whole personality to make it this long, and it barely seems worth it

for such a wretched existence.” His words were somber, but his tone was comforting when he added,
“Your life as a rabbit means you can help people. Mine as a dragon means I only hurt people. I would
trade you in a second if I could.”

My mouth dropped at that subtle compliment. “I guess I never thought of it that way.”

He squeezed my palm near imperceptibly. “We all have our own gifts… and our own curses.”

Curses? I tried not to think on that impending full moon. “Being a Beta is one of those all its
own. At least you’re an Alpha.”

“Fuck all good that’s done me.” Jarek laughed. “I didn’t know any of the Chinese Zodiac
Shifters were Betas.”

“I’m just special like that.” I punctuated with a heavy groan of sarcasm. “Just… if anything
happens during the full moon, just know I don’t blame you for it.”

Jarek stared at me in confusion. “What’s supposed to happen on the full moon?”

“Err… Nothing. With these limiters, it should be nothing.”

Jarek nodded, not in understanding as to my plight, but in clear acknowledgement that I’d just
lied to him, and he was okay with that if it made me more comfortable right now. I appreciated that.
 The rain started coming down harder, and we sat together in silence, while the transports

continued to some far off place. I hoped Jun and Eliot would be able to find us on the other side.
 Chapter 28

Another night passed holding Levy’s hand, trying to keep him calm and feeling safe as we
were taken to the next location. It was strange, really. I’d never protected anyone other than myself. In

my whole life, I’d been fighting to keep my head above water, and this was the first time I ever felt
responsible for someone else. He had a smallness about him that made him seem so fragile, and I
didn’t know how I felt about that.

I was here because I’d promised Jun and Eliot I’d keep him safe until the full moon, where
both of their strength and aggression would be amplified enough to take down a non-lunar, non-
constellation based mage like Avro, but despite any nervousness I had about throwing myself into a
lion’s mouth, right now all I could think about was making sure that pain and violence fell on me and
not him. These passing days together had him becoming an obligation that I wanted instead of a

burden I was worried about.

However small our moments, his innate gentleness and natural frequency was the kind of eye
of the storm I needed in my life.

I shouldn’t think this way about another shifter’s mate. One who was bonded to his fated no
less. But once this ordeal was all said and done, I’d likely never see him again anyway. It felt good to
care, and that little affection would drive me until we could put a stop to this entire operation.

No, it’s fine. I wasn’t looking at him sexually. I was looking at him as a bonded soul who
needed a Dragon’s protective instincts.
 The crates were unloaded first, and one of the trapeze fairies removed our tarps. We were

some of the only ones being transported in cages, other than Landon the Lion Shifter, who refused a

civilized living quarter. Somehow, most of these creatures had been broken down enough to stay and
obey of their own free will, and I simply couldn’t understand that.

As the big top tent was set up in the middle of this new desert climate, some untold hundreds
of miles from Graves, I mentally prepared myself for what show time might mean this time around. I
could take the beating. I hoped Levy wouldn’t have to.

Only two more nights. I told myself.

“Nothing like a new location for a new start, wouldn’t you say?” Avro said proudly as he
approached our cages. He snapped his fingers and the big top erected itself behind him. Another tap
and another tent formed around our cages.

I’d never known Avro to be subtle about his abuse, so the shield from outside eyes already
had me wary. “The gates will open at noon tomorrow, so I’ll need to make sure our new attraction is
adequately prepared for his first show.” While all of his words were obviously directed to taunt me,
his gaze was squarely on Levy.

“What am I supposed to do? Jump out of a hat?” Levy rolled his eyes, keeping his arms
crossed and as much distance as possible, given our small space to move around in. “You took my
magic, and I’m not even a particularly unique looking rabbit when I shift. Or is that supposed to be the
trick? Watch a man turn into a rabbit.” He wiggled his fingers mockingly. I appreciated his
standoffishness. A prisoner after my own heart.

“As a baker and pastry chef, I would expect you to be more creative.” Avro was entirely too
focused on Levy for my comfort. “Although, I couldn’t help but notice, when I forced you out of form
with my limiter collar, you weren’t wearing any clothing. Is that because you’re only a half shifter?
Not even were-shifters have that problem, so it took me by surprise.” Avro tapped his chin, and my
eyes widened. Levy didn’t retain the objects touching his body when he shifted? “Maybe we can

work with that.”

“I-I—” Levy’s Adam’s apple bobbed, and he stumbled over his words. Shit. So that was
definitely true. “I don’t see what good that would do for a circus.”

“That’s because you’re looking at this in a way that’s entirely too short sighted.” With a flick
of Avro’s wrist, bars lined the tent that circled our cages, capping with a locked gate at the exit. “You
see, some of our animals here are spectacular to anyone who views them. Their value to the show
will always be the awe factor as they transform into something the world has never seen.” With the

slightest nod, a pulse shot through my collar, and the surge of magic forced me into a rapid
transformation. I held in my scream as my body reshaped at his will and not my own.

My serpentine body filled the cage, and Levy stared at me in awestruck surprise. He’d never
seen me in dragon form, and I wished I could have shown this to him in any other setting. I felt nothing
but shame to have been turned into a demonstration to intimidate.

I forced myself out of transformation, clawing back any control I could.

Avro gave me a nod, as if to remind me it was only by his allowance that I could even do that

much. “And others add value through the morale they provide.” This time he forced Levy into his
rabbit form. His clothes dropped around him, and a tiny white rabbit poked its nose out of the garb.
Another snap, and he was forced back into human form, and scrambling for his pants. His face was
red as he did his best to hide himself from the room. “And the motivation they inspire.”

“What the fuck does that mean?” I growled as he neared Levy’s cage.

Avro ignored me to continue his diatribe. “For example. My dragon over here might have
never returned to me if not for…” He opened the cage, while Levy was still hastily redressing.
“You.” He snapped again, forcing Levy in and out of his form once more. This time, Levy was too
busy holding his stomach and trying to keep himself from vomiting to worry about the clothing.

“F-fuck you.” Levy’s eyes were glossed over from the sheer pain of it, but everything about

his expression and body language told me he was commanding his own tear ducts to not let him
visibly cry. I knew how excruciating forced transformations were all too well, and I was gritting my

teeth knowing there was nothing I could do to stop it. If anything, I was impressed that the rabbit was
able to hold onto his lunch as well as he was.

“Such bite. That must be why Jarek likes you so much.” He paced over to Levy and reached
down, grabbing him by his hair to yank him upright. My blood was long boiling when he shoved him

against the bars and held him there, confining him with his body.

“Your grudge is with me, Avro.” I snapped, and Avro smirked. “Let him go.”

“Master.” He reminded me, his eyes still on Levy, who was trembling in his hold.

I put my head down and ground my teeth. “Please let him go, Master.”

“I’m not sure I want to.” Avro feathered his touch up Levy’s bare abdomen, and the little
rabbit shuddered under his touch, while I was tensing every muscle in my body. I balled my hand into
a fist, frustrated by my own helplessness. He trailed one hand up to his neck, and dropped the other

between his legs. He tightened his hold on the former, and started playing with the latter.

A tear crawled slowly down Levy’s cheek, and I saw red. I pounded the fucking bars, but I
couldn’t heat them enough to bend them. I couldn’t do a fucking thing.

“You never make this face for me anymore, Jarek.” Avro pressed his lips to Levy’s cheek,
tasting his tears, while Levy tightened his grip on the bars clinging to any distraction he could find. A
sudden piercing pain radiated from my collar at the rate of Levy’s heartbeat.

Wait, was that some kind of distress call? Could we… communicate through these things?
Was that what I was feeling earlier?
 “Let him go, and I’ll do anything you ask, Master.” I tried more desperately now. I knelt in my

cage and kept my head down. This wasn’t about Levy for him. This was about torturing me, and I

would humiliate myself as much as it took to satiate that desire of his right now. “Please, Master.” I
spoke softly. My anger would only fuel him more, where my defeat would excite him.

Avro’s face contorted in a sly smile. He stepped away from Levy, who immediately dropped
back down to his knees and reached for his clothing to cover himself again. His face was bright red,
and humiliation was painted in every sentence of his body language.

“That’s what I like to hear.” Avro directed his attention to me at last. “I look forward to the

show tomorrow night. I’ll have a special plan for both of you.”

He stepped out of the cage, and with one last twist of his wrist, our enclosures vanished, the
privacy tent disappeared, and all that was left was a ring of iron bars.

“Take what comfort you can while you can, my puppets. I expect you to be well rested for
tomorrow’s performance.” His laugh was soft yet cruel. “Because Jarek, my dear dragon, you’ll be
paying for your transgressions for a long, long time.”

The moment he left us alone, I ran over to Levy’s side and squeezed him in a hug. His whole

body was shaking, and no amount of pressure could stop it.

“This is my fault.” I squeezed him harder until his heart rate slowed. He said nothing, but he
leaned into me, nestling his head in the crux of my shoulder. His eyes were wide, but he didn’t cry. He
just lived in his own terror, until it slowly started to dissipate.

I closed my eyes and nuzzled into his soft black hair, hoping I could absorb a fraction of what
he was feeling.

I hated this more than I’d ever hated my own torture, and I was at a total loss as to how I
could do anything to stop it.
 I narrowed my eyes at that massive red tent, then located the nearly full moon, visible in the

daylight of the late afternoon. Tomorrow night would be a show alright.

 Chapter 29

So that’s Avro. Though he’d let me go without taking me any further, I felt so violated and
disgusted, my stomach was still churning. Not to mention the forced shifting. I’d never felt pain like

that in my life, and I’d botched a muscle soothing spell and created a cake pop that caused full body
cramps before. But this was like breaking every bone in my body and having someone kick me in the
gut at the same time.

I leaned into Jarek’s hugging squeeze, enjoying that little comfort. He obviously felt bad, like
this was his fault somehow. I’d spent enough time blaming myself for the things others have done to
me to finally understand how unfair that was. I chose to get mixed up with this mess when Jun asked
me to, because I would be there for him for the rest of my life after all he’d done for me. I’d been an
outcast my whole life, trusting all the wrong people, and if I learned anything from that, it was that no

one deserved the isolation and constant terror that he lived in. I knew what it was like to feel
ostracized, different, and trapped. If I had to choose again, knowing what I know now, I’d make the
same choice that led me here every time.

Well, I might ask Jun for a ride to his house instead of walking, but the rest would have played
out the same.

“I’m fine.” I said as I fully found my composure again. “I’ve experienced worse.”

Jarek eased up his hug and let me breathe. “That doesn’t make it okay. You wouldn’t be in this
situation if not for me.”
 “And neither of us would be in this situation if not for that psychopath.” I corrected him. “So

let’s figure out how to get out of here and make sure no one else ever ends up in this situation again.” I

stood up and paced around our new cage. Around us, a few of the fae and shifters were practicing
their acts. There was a sword swallower, jugglers, and more creepy ass clowns casually standing

around.

“Hey!” I shouted to the fairies I recognized from the trapeze act. Avro had been limiting their
ability to use their wings, so maybe they held a little bitterness. Not one of them even looked at me. I
may as well have been invisible.

I tried the clowns next, against my better judgment, and got the same response. The bear
shifter balancing on his ball ignored me too.

“These guys act like zombies, but none of them have limiters.” I huffed before returning to my
cellmate. “Is it mind control or are they just that happy to be here?”

“Both, I guess.” Jarek shrugged.

“Well, at least our cage isn’t separate anymore.” I yanked on my collar again. I just kept
thinking, if I could just use my damn magic, I could break out of this cage so easily. “What’s the show

usually like for you?”

“Dumb parlor tricks mostly. Swallowing or breathing fire, transformations. When Avro is
feeling sadistic, he’ll beat the shit out of me for the crowd in some dragon slaying feature, or he’ll
make me kill something for sport.”

“…Something?”

Jarek bit his lip before he dropped his chin. “A disposable shifter.”

That shouldn’t have surprised me but… it did. I stared at him, processing the implications. He
wasn’t the only shifter I knew who was a killer. I think I was actually the only shifter in my sphere
who wasn’t. I might have been the only shifter period who wasn’t. Which was why that wasn’t the

part of that statement that froze me in my tracks. No, it was… “Do you think he would ask you to do

that to—”

“No.” Jarek met my eyes, and the resolution in them was as chilling as it was unquestionable.

“Even with this limiter, he can’t control me. I would let him kill me before I’d let him kill you.”

“Because you owe that to Jun?” I don’t know why that was my first thought. Jun was the type
to inspire that kind of loyalty, because he was strong and scary. The only reason anyone fought for me
was because fate told them to. Or they were a hungry wolf.

He shook his head, seemingly offended by that inquiry. “Because this is the one, single time in
my life I’ve ever wanted to protect someone instead of hurt them, and if that ends in failure, then what
good am I doing in this world?”

I nodded in understanding, then paced back to his side and sat down next to him. He looked
surprised when I sat close enough to share his body heat again.

“I feel the same.” I spoke quietly under my breath. “A few months ago, on the night of the
super moon, I had two people who promised to protect me. And I turned them both down.”

“Jun and Eliot?”

I tipped my chin in confirmation. “And when everything went wrong, and I watched someone
I’d once mistaken for a friend die by violent execution, at the hands of the sweetest, most caring
person I knew…”

“Eliot, not Jun.” He said with a smirk.

I laughed at that. “When Eliot killed for me, I felt like the worst person in the world. I blamed
myself for everything, and I felt like I’d corrupted him. I didn’t think I deserved to be special to
anyone if that was the consequence of having me in his life.”
 “And then you realized that carnivorous shifters aren’t all that sweet?” His question was

almost slightly teasing.

“I did kind of learn that.” I flushed at what was apparently obvious to everyone but me. “But it
was Jun who brought me back from the brink of my self-loathing. And I might not have ever found any

kind of peace without him.”

“Which is why you still love Jun, even though Eliot is your fated mate.” That wasn’t a
question.

I looked over at Jarek, wide-eyed. “I didn’t say that.”

“Of course you didn’t.” His half smirk was telling and completely flustering.

“I-I was going to say, ‘which is why I’ll be strong for you, no matter what Avro makes us do
under that big top.’ Because you matter just like I do, even if you think you’re just some disposable
problem who only brings misfortune to others.” I sealed that promise by hooking his pinky. I held it up
to eye level and gave it a shake. “No one should have to face life alone, no matter how broken and
lost they are.”

Jarek didn’t respond with words, but the way he placed an arm around my shoulder was

enough.

We spent the rest of the day sharing stories, him telling me about his previous life, where most
of his time was spent as an underground fighter, and my much less exciting stories about my time
surviving the war of the kitchen. He laughed at most of my pathetic tales probably just to be polite,
while his jokes were genuinely funny.

That night, the temperatures dramatically dropped to what I would say was strikingly chilly
for a desert.

“For such a hot climate, it’s impressively cold.” I laughed as I tried to get comfortable in the
scratchy hay. Jarek laid a foot or two away, resting on his back with his hands behind his head. He

stared up at the stars, while the nearly full moon was high in the sky. This was the last night before the

full moon.

“If you want some of my body heat, just ask.” He grinned, more comfortable with me now.

“That’s the most embarrassing way you could have offered that.” I cocked a brow.

“You think so?” He turned his head, meeting my playfully annoyed expression. “Because I
think it would have been way worse if I asked, ‘do you want to be my little spoon?’” He barely

finished that question without snorting at his own stupid joke.

“Just because I’m part rabbit, doesn’t mean I’m a little spoon.” I rolled my eyes, and that
made him laugh even harder. I’ll admit that I liked hearing him laugh. Neither of us had done that
much lately. I’m not sure I’d ever heard that from him in my limited time in his company actually.

“You think you’re big spoon material? Really?” He rolled onto his side to face me, propping
his head up on his elbow.

“W-well… I mean, I could be. It’s not like there are requirements to being a big spoon. And
I’m only, like, three or four inches shorter than you anyway.” I practically huffed.

“You’re not even warm.” He shook his head, while enjoying my discomfort entirely too much.
“No one wants to be hugged by a cold spoon.”

“I mean, I guess that’s true.” I pursed my lips.

“Go on. Say it.” He poked. “’Jarek, can you be my big, warm spoon?’”

“I’m definitely not going to say that.” My whole face flattened.

“Say it.”

“Ugh, no.” I scrunched tighter into a ball, trying to use my own not very helpful warmth.
 “Fine. Don’t say it.” Jarek was still smiling when he reached over and grabbed me, pulling

me closer until my face was nuzzled in his chest. Dammit, he was definitely incredibly snuggly hot.

“I’m still going to keep you warm tonight. It’s the least I can do.”

“You really don’t owe me anything, you know.” I buried my face against his shoulder, too

embarrassed to let him see the expression on my face or the heat in my cheeks.

“I’m not doing this because I feel like I owe you, I promise.” He rested his chin on top my
head, and I closed my eyes. A gentle and soothing pulse radiated from the limiter collar around my
neck. That gentle hum paired with his strong arm around my shoulder and his soothing heartbeat

pulled me quietly to sleep.

Time passed as peacefully as it could, up until that big top came alive for the main event, on
this full moon night. Running the show had kept Avro busy enough to avoid having to see him again

during the day, but I wasn’t looking forward to the imminent reunion.

The sun had started to set, and my anxiety spiked as the perfectly round sphere began to rise. I
touched my limiter collar and watched the light break the horizon. I held my breath in hopes that I
wouldn’t transform.

In the distance, applause sounded from the tent, and I knew the final act was coming up
shortly.

“I’m going to be the main attraction, and it likely isn’t going to be pretty. Whatever happens,
just hold on a little longer.” Jarek whispered to me as a large gorilla shifter exited the tent and headed

our way.

“I’ll trust you.” I said, confident in that resolution.

The ape opened our cage. He approached me first, and I glared at him.

“Time for your act.” He practically bellowed. Without giving me a chance to comply or fight,
he threw a massive arm around my waist and threw me over his shoulder.

“Hey, what the fuck.” I beat on his back until I tired myself out, and the gorilla remained

unfazed.

“You too.” He motioned to Jarek next, who followed of his own accord. I held my breath and
prepared myself for whatever my first show might entail.

The tent was dark, aside from red and purple mood lights that hung overhead. A spotlight
illuminated the stage, and the crowd was heavily shadowed by the dim lighting, appearing ghoulish in
their delight. The repression spell was as heavy as always, palpable even with my limiter collar
dulling my senses. I tried not to focus on the faces all around me as I was dropped onto the stage
beside the ring leader.

Avro looked to me with delight in his expression. A joy that couldn’t mean anything good.

“And now, for our Grand Finale.” Avro’s voice boomed through the Big Top. “I would like to
present to you the star of my circus of dark and delicious wonders.”

The spotlight fell on Jarek. He stood with his head down, and his eyes hidden by shadows.
His body language was calm but guarded. He drew a sharp breath through his nose, before he lifted
his gaze to the crowd.
 Chapter 30

This crowd was different. There was an energy to them that wasn’t remotely human, and a
special viciousness in their gazes as they stared down at me from the surrounding bleachers. With

partially shifted eyes, I scanned the faces. Demons, shifters, warlocks, and fae. No, there wasn’t a
human in the bunch. I’d never seen Avro hold a show like this. Non-humans didn’t come to events to
watch the abuse of their own kind. To have even one or two shifters in the crowd was rare, so how
had he enticed thousands?

What had he promised?

A cold sweat built on the back of my neck, and I tried not to make my discomfort obvious.

“A dragon.” He snapped, and I shifted, and the crowd looked on in awe. Innocuous enough.

“A beast that can withstand fire.” Flames blazed around me, erupting from Avro’s own spell. I didn’t
even feel it. This ordinary routine, however, felt distinctly wrong for this distinctly extraordinary
audience. “And a king among monsters.”

Avro paced around me, walking a slow and predatory circle. “But also a man.” Another snap,
and I shifted back. No part of this should have been impressive to this crowd though. “Jarek Milan is
one of Twelve Shifters of the order of the Chinese Zodiac. A rare breed among all shifters.” My eyes
widened. He’d never introduced me by name, and certainly not by heritage.

“And tonight, I have two of these very unique creatures for you.” Benjamin shoved Levy, and
he stumbled into the light. I shifted on my heels, preparing to intervene the moment I had to. Jun and

Eliot should be here any moment. I had to hold out at least that long. “The shifter born in the Year of

the Dragon, and the shifter born in the Year of the Rabbit.” Conveniently he didn’t address Levy by
name, likely avoiding the Wong name that might have half the Big Top no longer wanting any
involvement in any spectacle that risked his famous father’s wrath.

Avro snapped again, and Levy was forced into rabbit form. He crouched down and scooped
Levy into his arms, then lifted him for the crowd. “A half breed,” he placed a hand on Levy’s neck,
“And a Beta. So vulnerable on a full moon night,” he pressed his thumb into the clasp on his collar,

and the band snapped free. A restlessness bubbled through the audience, and I stood defensively,
trying to figure out what exactly was going on, and why Avro had just removed Levy’s limiter. “He’s
delicious, isn’t he?”

Curious growls and mutters filled the tent as the tip of the canopy opened in a sky light. The
moon’s light beamed down on the stage, and Levy started thrashing in Avro’s hold. The high warlock
shook his head and he laughed, cruel yet hollow.

“Half Warlock and Half Shifter, not only is this little rabbit irresistible on a night like
tonight,” he stroked his fur in a way that made my skin crawl, “but claiming him for your own will

amplify your power to incredible extremes. Whether you choose to make him your mate… or your
meal.” What?

“So I invite you all to join me for a hunt. May the fastest and strongest beast win.”

With that, he released the rabbit in his arms, and the whole tent stood at attention. I heard
Levy’s heart speed to a new frequency, and I could feel that paralyzing fear as it took hold of him. He
may be able to outrun some of these shifters, but he wouldn’t be able to outrun them all.

The moment I felt the repression spell on the tent lift, the game was on, and I didn’t have time
to think on it for another second. I sprinted for Levy, who didn’t seem able to shift back, and I
scooped him up into my arms, ready to run for my life with a desperation I knew too well. Only this

time, I had a thousand hungry monsters on my trail, and they weren’t simply looking to throw me back

in a box.

Levy rolled himself into a ball and burrowed into my arms. He was trusting me, and I

wouldn’t disappoint him.

Avro cackled as I jumped from the stage and hit the ground running. Though Levy was the prey
by the rules, I was the prey by design, and I knew this was all a game to punish me.

I would take anything he could throw at me, or I’d die trying.

The hard ground gave good traction as I darted into the maze of crates, trucks and cages,
hoping knowledge of the set up would give me an advantage. A werewolf was on my heels in a matter
of seconds, and a cheetah shifter was already heading me off on the other side. I tucked Levy in, and I
took on an offensive stance. There was no time for defense anymore.

The werewolf struck first, and I sent my fist straight into the side of his skull. Shifter or not, I
could still break bones, and the loud crack had his lifeless body barreling into the rest of his hungry
pack. I didn’t have a moment to rest before the cheetah was on me next. I held Levy snugly, as I

whipped around a roundhouse kick, sending the cheetah hard into the side of a crate, and knocking
him the fuck out in a single blow. Two down. Five thousand to go. A hawk shifter was next. An
alligator, another werewolf. Three. I defended with everything I could, but I’d cornered myself in my
own circus maze, and there was no way out but through the hordes. For every shifter I ended with one
well-placed hit, there were four more who landed a deep scratch or a hard bite. Even without Avro
limiting my collar to its maximum, I was barely keeping my head above water.

Blood poured down my arm, as another werewolf got in a sharp strike to my shoulder, and I
mentally apologized to Levy for staining his pretty white fur. Though something told me that was the
last thing on his mind. I don’t know what it was about Levy’s blood that was driving all of these
shifters insane, but I’d make sure none of them were able to touch him.

I fended off another bird of prey, when a bison shifter rammed me from behind. I stumbled

forward, losing my footing and losing my hold on the rabbit. He launched from my arms ten feet away,
almost directly into the grasp of a hyena.

I full shifted before Levy could fully hit the ground, and I coiled my body around the terrified,
shaking rabbit, creating a shield from every beast in sight. I gored the hyena with dull horns, and
chomped down on an eagle with my practical herbivore teeth. I took out four more beasts before I
was forced back into human form by an increased repression on my limiter. The restriction hit its

maximum, and I could feel my muscles becoming damn near human again.

I dove for Levy and tucked him back against my chest, and I stayed on top of him, shielding
him from every claw, tooth, and wing. Squeezing my eyes shut, I took every blow, ignoring the pain of
tearing skin and the hot sensation of my own blood dripping down my back. I didn’t know how much
longer I could hold out, so I just prayed to the devil that it would be enough.

The next scratch was accompanied by a loud thud.

That was the last hit I took. The assault ceased, and the sound of violent, predatory

screeching, growls, and roars was replaced by a symphony of screams, grunts, and gasps, as a Golden
Retriever and a massive snake appeared by my side, where they began the systematic slaughter of the
entire, fucking crowd.
 Chapter 31

By the devil, what a rush. Ten, twenty, forty five—these deplorable excuses for shifters were
laughable, possessing little more strength than the base animals that possessed them. I wasn’t one to

pick on lesser beings on a normal night, but under the full moon, my, the song of death was delightful.
I strangled multiple werewolves at once, then I shifted into my human form to revel in the unmatched
satisfaction of rending apart my enemies by hand.

I would never tire of the feeling of stretched sinew giving between my fingers, or the music of
air leaving lungs for the final time. I was here for a purpose, of course, but this was an unexpected
bonus. From the gorilla to the fae to the countless were-shifters, no one would miss this depraved and
reprehensible lot.

The last time I got to participate in a slaughter of this scale was when I met the same dog who

was now standing by my side, tearing his teeth and fists into every beast in sight with just as much
vigor as I had. How ironic that my second chance was to protect his mate.

We tore our way through the crowd in a dance of blood and severed limbs, until, at its center,
we found Jarek on his elbows and knees on the hard ground, acting as a living shield for our sweet
little rabbit.

“Still alive, Little Dragon?” I asked, my back to him as I scanned for any sign of remaining
assailants.
 He lifted his gaze to mine slowly. He was drenched in blood, his own and his enemies, and

there, secure between his forearms and sheltered under his chest, was the little rabbit, tucked safely

under the dragon’s mountain-like composition.

“Still alive.” His smile was shaky but unbeaten. He’d live. I wasn’t worried.

Eliot helped Jarek to his feet, then he picked up his mate, who couldn’t shift back in these full
moon conditions. He cradled him gently, nuzzling into his soft fur, whispering reassurance and
apologies and threats of vengeance against his enemies.

“Thank you for keeping him safe.” Eliot said quietly to our dragon born companion. Then,
much to my surprise, he handed Levy back to Jarek. Eliot rejoined me at my side. “Please continue to
keep him safe for a little longer. I’m going to make sure nothing like this ever happens again.”

I nodded to my comrade, and we set our sights on the Big Top, where the real prize stood
upon his stage.

We entered the tent together, and there, Avro himself stood patient and alone in its center. He
was dressed in his finest ringleader garb—the kind of outfit one would want to be buried in—and his
expression was filled with nothing but pleasure upon seeing us.

“The Year of the Dog and the Year of the Snake. How could I be so lucky?” The old mage
crowed, no awareness that he was moments from leaving this world for good.

“How, indeed.” I flexed my fingers, and Eliot cracked his knuckles. “You must truly be
blessed by the stars.” I made no effort to hide my wide grin. I licked my lips in delicious anticipation.
If there was one single thing that I would never deny myself on a night like this, it was my pure,
uninhibited bloodlust. “Now do put up a good fight for me, won’t you?”

We both engaged him at once, and Avro switched to a fully offensive form of magic. Though
with the added surge of power and aggression I took from the stars, it was effortless to evade.
Powerful as this High Warlock might be, we had the advantage tonight. And we had a plan tonight.

Eliot lunged at him, bearing down with flesh tearing fangs, and I got behind him while the dog

kept him distracted. Avro threw his arm back, conjuring a fireball, and ready to launch it directly into
Eliot’s gut, when I caught him from behind, threw him to the floor, and pinned him by his neck. He

grinned up at me through the blood in his teeth, like the taunt of a man who still thought he had the
upper hand, and I smirked down at him through my unblemished and unmarred face, before I closed
the collar in my palm around his neck.

Avro’s eyes bugged wide as the limiter took hold of him. The fight was over in an instant.

“Where did you get this?” Avro’s voice broke in a panic as I climbed off of him. He clawed at
the limiter, trying to remove it like it was one of his own.

“I had it made special for you by an old friend. It took a few days to finalize the design, so I
appreciate you keeping Leveret Wong alive until I could have the last stitch put in.” I responded
casually. “Consider it a gift from the High Warlock of the Stars.”

Avro was still yanking at the band, when Eliot’s hard elbow struck him sidelong in the head.
The mage was knocked cold, and we wasted no time tying him up and securing him for later. He

would be a fine gift. I wouldn’t dare deny the dragon the satisfaction of his own hard earned revenge.

The thud of his body landing in my trunk was still reverberating through the sound waves
when I returned to Jarek and Levy’s side. The dragon held onto the rabbit tightly, as if he was both
trying to comfort him and trying to find comfort for himself, and my cold heart cracked at the sight. I
approached and offered him a hand.

“Let’s go home.” I said. And those words seemed to strike him.

“Let’s go home.” He repeated.

 The long ride back to Graves was quiet. Eliot dozed off in back seat of my car with his mate.
Jarek sat up front with me, where he stared listlessly out the window.

“How bad was it?” I asked while keeping my eyes focused on the road.

Jarek half smiled. “Not great, but not the worst either.” He drew in a slow breath before he

addressed me again. “It was different. Even though the physical pain was nothing compared to what I
was used to, the stress was so much more intense. It’s funny how easy it is to throw myself into a
situation that might get violent and dangerous, but when I saw him get threatened, every synapse in my
brain went red. It was…“ Jarek trailed off, unable to find the right words, and I let him.

“I know.” I said simply. “I know exactly what you mean.”

 Chapter 32

A week after we got back from the circus, the world around Graves had calmed down. Though
even with Avro wearing a suppressor and most of his power gone, his magic had been so

concentrated in Jarek’s limiter, the collar still remained on his neck, and none of us could easily
remove it. So in a second attempt to save the day with some good old fashioned Carefree Toffee, I
reloaded some quality ingredients into my pack, and this time, Jun picked me up personally. Eliot
promised to tie up the morning rush at Toast of the Magi briskly and join us when he was done, but I
knew I was safe with my professor and Jarek until then.

“Thank you for this, Little Rabbit.” Jun said on the ride over, with the kind of tone that let a
butterfly free itself from the tight ship of my stomach and start flapping around with reckless abandon.

“You saved both our lives.” I shook my head, not willing to accept that compliment when I’d

done nothing but put everyone at risk. “And I wasn’t able to help anyone, including myself. So…I
hope I can make up for it.”

Jun sighed. He ruffled my hair as we entered his house. “Needing me is never something you
have to make up for.”

When he said things like that, sometimes I honestly wanted to believe him. I offered a pained
smile. “Thank you, Jun.”

The one he returned was genuine. “I apologize that we couldn’t make it there sooner. It took a
while for Haoyu to perfect a strong enough limiter, and against an adversary like Avro, we needed any

advantage we could get. I couldn’t risk failure, and I was confident the Dragon wouldn’t let me
down.”

“He didn’t.” I rubbed the back of my neck with a quiet laugh. “Surprisingly, you’re a pretty

good judge of character. Both when it came to Eliot and Jarek.”

“And you.” Jun added with a wink, and my heart skipped a stanza or two on that one.

“W-well, anyway, I’ve got all the ingredients.” I said as he pulled up to his house, attempting

to get my mind on the track where it should have been anyway. If I let him frazzle me every time he
was in the same vicinity as me, I was almost guaranteed to mess up the toffee, and I was fairly certain
that would bring shame to my entire family line. I would never recover from that. Mostly because my
dearest father would smother me in my sleep if mother didn’t exile me first.

“I made sure to get everything too, you know.” Jun chuckled as he opened the door, then turned
towards his kitchen with a wave of his hand. Of course he got everything already. I told him what I
needed, so he made sure he had me covered. I took a moment to get the flush in my cheeks to cool
before I put my head down and followed.

He already had a pot on the stove, measuring cups, and a pan with a silicone mat. He even had
the foresight to set out a wooden spoon that wouldn’t conduct heat or disrupt the temperature of the
candy itself during stirring.

“You’re… surprisingly prepared.” I said, a touch stunned.

Jun rolled his eyes and ruffled my hair. “I’ve known your father longer than you’ve been alive,
Leveret Wong. I’ve made toffee with him before.”

Why was that so surprising to me? I somehow couldn’t imagine my dad and Jun, just hanging
out at the bakery, making candy all carefree and happy. It was like picturing a couple of serial killers
knitting sweaters for their poodles.

I shook off the bizarre visual and flitted over to the stove. “R-right, so anyway, it’s pretty

simple.” I unwrapped the butter and put it into the pan, then measured out the brown sugar and started
the burner. It had been a while since I did any baking or candy making on a home stove instead of at

Toast of the Magi. The environment instantly made it feel less like work and more like a casual date. I
mean get together. Goddamn it.

I returned my attention to the candy as the mixture started to hit a rolling boil, and I set the
timer. “If you don’t have a candy thermometer, it’s not too hard to get it right just based on timing.

Toffee is pretty consistent with how quickly it heats up. At this altitude and on the heat of your burner,
seven minutes exactly should do the trick.” I spoke as if to give a lesson, but it was more for myself.
Jun poured slivered almonds over the silicone mat and shook them until they were distributed evenly,
then I poured the fully heated mixture over the nuts. I smoothed out the mixture, covered it with a layer
of chocolate chips, then placed another pan on top to help melt them using the residual heat.

When I removed the cover to spread the chocolate, that was when I added the incantation. I
closed my eyes and placed two fingers on my forehead and two on my heart—one for the emotions
created within the brain, one for the way those feelings translated through my heartbeat. And as Jun

stood beside me, watching me with easy calm and clear fondness, there were entirely too many
emotions in my heart. I needed to push those away if I was going to get this spell right.

I needed to push those away for so many reasons.

Drawing a slow breath through my nose, I released the enchantment, and the glossy chocolate
sparkled as the magic settled into the sweet confection. Another quick spell broke the candy into
perfectly measured half ounce servings, and one more cooled it to a perfect eating temperature.

Done and dusted.

 “That smells like heaven.” Jun whispered in my ear, his hands resting on my shoulders and

standing behind me entirely too closely. “It’s a shame I won’t be able to try it.”

I exhaled suddenly, but kept my posture stiff and steady. “It’s probably the worst part of this
recipe, to be honest.” I laughed it off, while also considering very strongly that maybe I should shut

off my emotions for the duration of this visit.

Jun wrapped his arms affectionately around my shoulders, and I was sure that smirk of his
was due to the way he heard my heart rate jump to a dangerous speed. “This isn’t the last time I’ll
ever have you occupied in my kitchen, Little Rabbit.”

And my heart stopped. He stepped away like saying suggestive things like that was just
normal, everyday Jun, because that was normal, everyday Jun, and it was only me who was still
reading too much into everything. I sighed, wondering a bit about what kind of chaos Eliot could feel
through our mate bond when I was frazzled like this. And if he truly loved me, why he wasn’t over
here saving me from myself.

I could practically feel Eliot’s eye roll at my dramatics through our connection, and my
expression flattened. Despite everything, Eliot was still more than okay with my relationship with
Jun, and I was grateful that my mistakes hadn’t created a rift between them. I suppose these two have

always apparently had a weirdly good, albeit mildly antagonistic, relationship. I’m not sure there was
anything that could have shaken it.

A knock on the front door made me jump out of my skin, and Jun chuckled as he stabilized me
with his hands on my shoulders. “I think your mate’s here, Little Rabbit.” He hissed softly in my ear,
seeming to revel in the way my whole face was reddening. No wonder I could feel Eliot so clearly.

“R-right, I should get that.” I slipped away from him like my soul depended on it, and I
opened the door to the sunshine filled golden retriever who I very much needed to ground me right
now. The light in his smile made me nearly forget everything else that was going on in life.
 Eliot squeezed me into a hug, like he hadn’t just seen me all of a couple hours ago. He’d been

extra affectionate since getting me home from the circus, and as much as I told him I was fine, he was

always right to not believe me.

“Smells like you’re ready to get started.” He nuzzled my hair, giving me yet another reason to

blush.

“The little rabbit never disappoints.” Jun added with a wink that near mortified me.

“L-let’s go see if I can make this work.” I said in a voice that was entirely too high pitched.

We all headed down to the basement. I ignored all the equipment and memories I was trying
very hard not to think about, and focused on the man who was wearing boxing gloves, loose gym
shorts, and was beating the unholy hell out of a punching bag in the corner. Jarek didn’t need to hide
down here anymore, but he’d taken to Jun’s dungeon, apparently, and had opted to stay until he was
absolutely certain that the threat of his Warlock getting free was gone.

He pounded a knee into the side of the bag, then he followed with a right hook. Just watching
his muscles flex, release, and ripple on impact was so damn mesmerizing, that I didn’t even notice
when Jun came up beside me and tapped me on the shoulder.

“You’re staring.” He whispered in my ear at a volume only I could hear.

“I’m not.” I protested way too aggressively, and I wondered why the hell everyone was
leaving me so flustered right now. I needed to get a hold on myself, but… as happy as I was to have
Eliot here for moral support and Jun here for… whatever it was Jun was good for, this ritual was
known to be incredibly intimate, and I was embarrassed in advance for having to perform it in front of
an audience.

Not that I hadn’t already shared some intimate moments with Jarek, but it was hard to know
exactly how this would play out until I experienced it myself, and I just hoped I wouldn’t make a fool
out of myself.

Jarek stopped his assault on the hanging bag long enough to wave to me, then he bent over to

catch his breath. Eliot ruffled my hair, and I cleared my throat as an excuse to cover my face.
Sometimes it felt like I was in a permanent state of blushing around here.

“Glad you made it safe this time. I appreciate the help.” Jarek beamed at me. He seemed to
innately pick up on the unease in Eliot’s eyes, and he soothed it in his tone as he addressed him next.
“I’ll forever be in your debt, and you can count on me if you ever need a dragon in the future when we
get this off.”

My mate and my friend came to an unspoken truce, before I stepped in to get on with it. I liked
Jarek, kind of a lot actually, and I hoped Eliot might be able to form a friendship with him too.

“Well, I don’t know if I have a solution or not, but I have an option.” I announced as I brought
my toffee over to makeshift table in the center of the room. If I was being honest, it was actually kind
of cozy down here. Almost felt like a little home. Jarek approached me with the quiet comfort we
shared between us now, and he settled in across from me. “So this is some kind of magic treat?” He
picked up the toffee and examined it. “I don’t really have much of a sweet tooth, honestly.”

Gasp!

My smile twitched. Scratch that. Maybe I don’t like this guy. “This might change your mind.
This is Carefree Toffee. It’s a special recipe.”

“In order to take off a collar that’s fueled by your own emotions, we’re going to need to block
them out best we can. This will render that collar much less powerful.” Jun chimed in, offering an
explanation and reassurance that my muddled brain was lacking today.

“Yeah, that.” I blinked a few times as I watched the little shifts in Jarek’s expression as Jun
explained the toffee. There was an unspoken fondness between them, and I could see the subtle signs
of affection in Jarek’s eyes as he spoke.

Did he look at me like that too?

No, of course not. He and Jun had more time to bond than I did with Jarek. All we had was a

shared sense of trauma bonding.

Plus… That would make sense. The Snake and the Dragon. I wondered if they were fated
mates. Jun had said I wasn’t his mate—obviously I wasn’t—but Jarek could be, couldn’t he? Did they
know? It wasn’t obvious to me that Eliot was my mate when I first met him, other than all the

annoying ways he was entirely too perfect for me, but Eliot said he knew the second he heard me
speak.

So they would have to know. They’re both full bred shifters, so it should be super obvious for
both of them if so. But then, they probably wouldn’t need me to bring them emotion blockers if they
had a mate bond.

Although Jarek was wearing a limiter collar, so I wondered if that would dull those instincts?
If we got that off of him, would the mate bond slip in place, and then Jun could have his soul mate
too?

Because I wasn’t Jarek or Jun’s soul mate. I was Eliot’s, and he was mine, and they should get
to be happy too. With someone else who wasn’t me.

I darted my gaze between them a few more times, then shook myself out of it. Right, focus on
the task at hand. Stop being ridiculous and overthinking dumb things.

Jarek sniffed the toffee, and I watched for some sign of the euphoria the smell of sugar and
butter and chocolate usually gave me, but his disinterest hurt my heart a bit. “So if I eat this, I can
remove the collar?”

“I’m not sure, but if not, I have a backup plan.” I managed to smile despite my disappointment
in his lack of excitement.

“I’m not a big fan of drugs.” He frowned. Still hesitating.

“It’s not really a drug.” I teetered my head back and forth a bit. “It’s enchanted, but all of our

enchanted food includes a spell breaker.”

“That someone else has to use.” He looked at me, not antagonistically per say, but like he
wanted to point out a flaw in my plan. And he wasn’t wrong.

“Unfortunately, yes.” My smile was both meek and melancholy. “That’s always a risk with any

magic. I’ve had my own spells used against me before. But… ” I glanced at my professor, whose
dark, galaxy-like eyes always sucked me right in. I glanced at Eliot, whose honest and clear hazel
always brought me warmth and comfort. Then I returned my gaze to the dragon, who shared my shaky
mistrust in his red spattered emeralds. “With the right people around you, there’s not really anything
to worry about.”

Jun nodded to me, Eliot tipped his chin, and Jarek cast me a soft smile that somehow suited
his hardened features. I thanked them all for the thousandth time in silence. Though I was confident
that Jarek trusted me not to hurt him, I also understood his discomfort with anything magic, and I tried

to be mindful of that.

Jarek took his first bite, and I reveled in that briefly impressed expression, where he got to
savor that flavor of the finest toffee crunch, before the magic started to settle in, taking any and all
emotions away from him. In an oddly peaceful calm, his whole face softened to something near
unrecognizable.

“How do you feel?” I asked as a baseline test. The spell would wear off in a few hours
naturally, but it was always good to make sure there weren’t any negative side effects to neurological
magic in the early stages of activation. He blinked several times, then he met my eyes. He looked
completely vacant, which led me to believe that it worked.

“I don’t.” He answered, calm and toneless.

It was definitely working. I could feel the magic in the room starting to dissipate to near

nothing, outside of Jun, Eliot, and I. I could barely feel the dark mage’s power anymore, as Jarek’s
share drew back.

Which was perfect. He likely wouldn’t be able to remove the collar as it was, but with the
draw on Jarek’s senses weakening, I would easily be able to override the band’s curse with our

combined elements, then I could set him free of the toffee’s influence with the “Feel” spell breaker.
The spell for an Earth Mage to draw on another Earth based being’s life force was surprisingly
simple from my research. The library at Graves Academy had quite an extensive collection of old
spell books and lore, and the Gemini shifter who worked there was quick to help me find everything I
needed.

From all I read, there was no real risk to it either. It was fairly intimate in the sense that we
would be reaching into our most innate strength in the deepest parts of our magical existence, but
aside from opening our souls to the other person, it only bore the potential side effect of catching
feelings. And obviously I was good at not catching feelings.

Sigh.

Regardless, I had no clue why my father had been so quick to shut me down on using it when
he’d failed to help. Channeling additional magic from another supernatural being who shared your
astrological element had been used to boost a mage’s power for millennia.

Maybe Father never had to do it just because he was so powerful already, so he simply didn’t
know how it worked, but I wasn’t given that gift. I only got a fraction of his magical strength when I
only a portion of his blood in my veins.
 Being born both a Beta and a half breed wouldn’t be the reason I couldn’t help Jarek though.

He had risked so much to save me. I wasn’t remotely afraid to share this connection.
 Chapter 33

Numb. The only way to describe the wash that went over my mind upon finishing that piece of
candy was completely numb.

“I don’t feel anything at all.” I touched my face, trying to wrap my head around the extent of
this dull and lifeless feeling that took me. My nerve endings were still intact, but I felt neither peace
nor distress. Happiness nor anxiety. “I just… exist.” I said, not even managing to feel confused about
the ordeal. I’d not experienced this kind of Zen since I used to meditate before and after my fights,
which was a whole lifetime ago. I had no opinions. All I could do was make base observations.

“Perfect.” Levy smiled, and I returned the gesture, trying to mimic him like that might pull in
some form of happiness by proxy. This was odd. Hollow. Yet, innately, I was accepting it because
what else could I do? It was reality.

“Why don’t you try taking the collar off?” Levy suggested. It didn’t sound as though he thought
it would work, but he wanted to test it. See if simply emptying my mind was all it would take to null
the magic.

I motioned for the clasp, but it was still locked in place. Even without my emotions feeding it,
it still held the touch of Avro that wanted to keep me, even when all of his power was cut off. But at
least now, it held only his power instead of using my own to fuel it. Had I known my own anger had
been my undoing for so long, I would have gotten a hold of myself sooner. Though he’d been good at
keeping me in a constant state of distress. I guess the abuse was part of the method and the plan.
 Levy and Jun frowned to each other, their silent familiarity always clear to anyone who

watched them interact. In a way, I shared my own bond with Levy now, but it was different than what

they seemed to have. His bond with his own mate was different from what they seemed to have.

“That’s what I thought.” Levy said with a nod of affirmation. “But I can use the channeling

method.” He stood and came around the table, but paused with a conflicted look on his face. “Is it
okay if I touch you?”

I might have rolled my eyes if I could conjure such a reaction. “After everything we’ve been
through, of course it is.”

Levy flushed at the words, though they weren’t anything provocative. It was cute that he
always asked first even now, after we’ve shared body heat, pain, and long nights in a cage. I would
always let Levy touch me. If I’d met him on the street, and my life hadn’t been my life, I probably
would have had a crush on him. Maybe I would have gotten to know him in a less chaotic
environment. Asked him on a date, spoiled him, learned what made him tick, and bought him gifts just
to see his face light up.

A crush? That’s an observation of fact? I questioned through the fog and blandness in my
mind.

Levy placed his hands on my shoulders, and he squeezed me softly. His eyes fluttered shut,
and I felt a quiet knocking in the back of my mind. Another request for permission to enter my space,
but now it was entirely internal and borderline philosophical in nature. I closed my eyes to follow
suit, and in the darkness that filled my vision, I let him in. The flow was warm. Comfortable.
Soothing. He was someone who brought peace and reassurance to anyone who he allowed in his
orbit, and I wanted to be closer to him in that moment.

His magic crackled beneath the surface of my skin, and it filled my veins and pulsed heat and
need through me. I couldn’t feel any emotions, yet I could feel this pull as vividly as a coarse and
splintering rope lassoed around my neck.

I reached out, though I couldn’t differentiate between what was a vision in my mind and what

was my physical body. A discernment I’d struggled with often lately, as the pull of Avro had played at
my mind. Yet even in my dreams and fantasies, for some reason, this frail rabbit shifter was the one

who always gave me the hand I needed. Always.

Why?

I held him in this darkness, and I pulled him onto my lap. He was tentative at first, but that hot

pulse of our shared element that fueled our now shared existence infused a sense of honest trust. And I
couldn’t help myself as I tipped my chin so it was level with his. And as I laced my fingers through
his short black hair and pulled him against me.

I tasted his lips, and he melted into my mouth in silent surrender. I asked for more, spearing
him with my tongue, and his gasp was quiet and muffled as I took him harder and deeper. I could taste
his fear—a familiar, metallic flavor that I’d always known—and I drank it in, stealing that negative
emotion from him.

Levy braced himself on my shoulders as I hugged his whole body against mine. I could feel

how much it affected him as I dominated him with this simple but hungry kiss. His existence was the
air in my lungs, and I breathed him in, shoving him down hard on my lap so he could feel the way he
was driving me to the brink along with him.

I was supposed to feel nothing, so why… Why did I feel like this?

It was just a vision. I could indulge. Erase the hate that once held me, and give into the lust
this spell was drawing from my core. The tangle and burn and flutter of sharing magic was unlike
anything I’d ever felt, and I wanted it. I held his hips and ground them against me. He was practically
panting into my mouth, those tiny and enticing stifled breaths. Even once I let him go, he didn’t break
that kiss. His hands explored my chest. Feeling my muscles through the fabric of my shirt with
interest, and I flexed for him, showing him how strong I could be.

I was meant to be a warrior. I wasn’t meant to be this weak, needy, incapable mess. I could
protect him. I could protect Jun. I could keep my mates safe.

My… what?

His fingers slipped beneath my shirt and climbed my torso again, feeling my firm chest more
directly. The heel of Levy’s soft hands drew a line of pressure over my nipples as they pushed the

material up to my neck. He ground his hips over my abs, and I dug my fingers into his cute, slim, and
perfect ass each time those subtle shifts on my lap dug into my own hard cock.

What’s wrong with me? I have no emotions right now, I reminded myself. These feelings
weren’t mine. This need for him wasn’t mine. This need to…

I nipped into his lip, and I tasted blood. I sucked on that flavor, keeping the channel open with
his sweet indulgence. He responded in kind, breaking my skin in a brutal kiss, until I felt the warmth
of his existence entering my blood stream in earnest.

My mate. The words repeated in my lust fogged mind. It was as if the only emotion I could

feel was this one, single extreme desire. Were these my true feelings? Were these Levy’s emotions?
Or was this the energy of the men who shared the room?

Whoever was in my head, by the fucking devil, I wanted him. I wanted to feel him hugging my
cock with his tight ass, and I wanted to have him begging me to fill him. His pheromones were sweet
divinity, and his flavor was otherworldly. This was the sweetest illusion, and for once, I didn’t want
to wake up from this dream.

I gripped Levy’s shirt and I pulled it up and over his head. Taking off his clothes was the only
justification I could accept for breaking the dance of our tongues. And I rejoined us as soon as I had
full access to his bare upper body.

More.

I felt my way down his torso, perking his nipples with the roll of my thumb, and squeezing

lines of pressure down his sides with a brutalizing grip. He moved with my kisses, and he grinded on
my lap.

I loosed his belt as desperately as I loosed my own, and in this perfectly intimate dream, I
didn’t have to hold back. I nudged his pants from his hips, and he climbed off me only long enough to

let me remove them completely. He’d already driven me past the point of sanity, when those innocent
hands undid my fly. When they wrapped around my cock and stroked every rock hard inch.

Maybe want and desire didn’t count as emotions, because the enchantment didn’t dull any one
of them in the slightest. Instead, I found myself pulling Levy back onto my lap with the desperation of
a drowning man swimming for the surface, and I devoured the gasp that left his throat when I entered
his ass with my first testing finger.

Shoving in a second finger had him grinding against me, and I released his lips long enough to
lick my free hand and use my own saliva to lubricate my full length. I guided him down onto my lap,

and he gasped into my mouth as I entered him. He held my face in both hands, distracting himself with
my kisses as I controlled his movements with a tight grip. That taste of his blood and burn of our
sealed pact was intoxicating, and I was begging for more of his body as every inch of contact we
shared never felt like enough.

And there, somewhere in the back of my mind, I wished this was real. That these sensations,
this bond, and this gentle, perfect soul could belong to someone as fucked up and broken as I was.
That I might have this in earnest one day, and not simply in a magic induced fever dream.

A soft click sounded in my ears.

 The collar dropped to the ground, and power began flooding through me so fast and hard I

thought I might explode. I jerked back, gasping for air, as the full extent of my magical existence

flared in my blood for the first time in ten years, and my body barely knew how to contain the beast
inside me. My muscles tensed and spasmed, and I dug my grip into Levy, as if he was the only thing

that could keep me grounded to this world.

My soul burned, and if I was anything other than a dragon, I might have died from the sheer
temperature of it all. I drove into him harder, trying to mask that searing pain with otherworldly
pleasure, until I was coming completely undone inside the man in my arms.

“Feel, Jarek Milan.” Levy’s voice shot through my ears, and my mind shattered into clarity
again. The flood of emotion that took me was more forceful than the magic in my veins, and I was
raking my nails over his skin, trying to hold onto that vision for one more desperate moment. For one
more taste. We sealed our lips in blood, then I finally willed myself to break the vision.

My eyes sprang open, and there I was, still in Jun’s dungeon, the lights on and the world clear.

…With Levy in my lap and both of our bodies fit together in primal satisfaction.

That… that wasn’t just a vision.

That wasn’t just in my head.

My gaze drifted down his equally stunned face, his equally wide eyes, and his equally
surprised body language, until it reached his reddened lips, swollen from brutal and desperate
kisses…

With a mate scar, in the shaped of a Dragon’s fang, that now adorned them.

I drew my own lip into my mouth, where I could still taste that perfection, and I tried to force
my mind from that tight squeeze that could still feel his perfection on top of me. I slipped my tongue
over the wound on my lip, where I now had a matching mark.
 Because I’d just claimed the rabbit as my mate.

Levy scrambled off of me exactly as I scrambled away from him, sending him to gather his

clothes, and me toppling over in my chair. We both stared at each other, trying to catch our breath, and
trying to find some kind of sanity in this fog of lust.

All the while his fated mate looked on, mortified. Jun looked equally as stunned beside us. I’d
never seen him at a loss for words, but today, we all were.

“Well, that was… certainly intimate, Little Rabbit.” Jun said, blinking rapidly and visibly off

centered.

Eliot stared at his fated with his mouth agape and horror in his eyes.

Levy’s hard swallow was obvious from feet away. He touched his marked lip with one hand
and the mate scar at the base of his neck with the other. “How… How did you…”
 Chapter 34

“I-I didn’t mean to—” I could barely make words while that rush of a new mate bond washed
through my blood. While that unexplainable need to touch him again was clawing at my mind like an

addiction unsatisfied. While Jarek still visibly had my come on his chest. “I’m sorry, I—I was only
supposed to share our magic. I wasn’t trying to—I didn’t mean to—I mean I can’t—” My brain was in
a thousand different places at once, yet when I was channeling his energy, my same mind had been
hyper focused and certain of something I couldn’t explain. I bore his mark, and he bore mine, and his
power was a rush inside me.

And fuck—it felt like the most satisfying orgasm and tasted like the finest chocolate. I shot my
gaze to Eliot’s mate scar for fear that this temporary intoxication may have just ruined the one
relationship that mattered to me the most.

“You had to seal the pact to remove the collar.” Jun’s voice was distant in my ears. “I don’t
know who the Dragon’s true fated mate is, but the ability to accept multiple mates is a power only
you, the hybrid Beta shifter, have, Levy.”

Still so distant. Everyone’s voice, my own included, sounded as though it was being spoken
through whipped cream.

“I…” My whole body was trembling, though I couldn’t say if it was out of terror, confusion,
or the adrenaline of Jarek’s blood and semen radiating through me.
 Eliot stared at Jun, and so did I. He… knew this would happen? He knew it might need to?

“What are you talking about?” Eliot spoke at last, glaring at our professor with daggers in his

eyes.

“I assumed Haoyu had warned you.” Jun, however, only focused on me. “That channeling an
Alpha when you’re a Beta would open you to new bonds.”

“He… didn’t.” Just like how no one had told me that Zodiac Shifter blood could kill non-
Zodiac shifters, no one ever told me anything about what I could do as a hybrid. I wasn’t sure anyone

fully knew or understood what I was capable of. “He just told me not to do it.” I muttered. “I didn’t
know it would.” I touched Eliot’s mark again, and it felt as warm and strong as ever. There was no
weakening of our bond, despite the new one, and that was almost more confusing.

“But he can reject it, can’t he?” Eliot’s focus shifted to Jarek.

“Whatever you need me to do, I’ll do it.” He threw up his hands in surrender, and the most
fucked up part of all was that a pang of sadness radiated through me at the prospect. “There’s no
reason for me to claim your mate. I had no idea what that spell was going to do to me, and I wasn’t
trying to step in to anyone’s relationship.”

I bit my lip as I shared a glance with Jarek. As the horrible thought that I didn’t want to break
this bond flashed through my mind. That I wanted both Eliot and Jarek to stay in my life.

Eliot calmed, and Jun stepped over to me. He wrapped an arm around my shoulder, pulled me
close, then planted a kiss in my hair. Then he spoke only to me when he said. “Thank you, Little
Rabbit. This was something only you could do.” He released me, then approached Eliot next. He
whispered something to him as well before he addressed Jarek directly.

“Breaking the mate bond can wait. You might need a Mage’s blood coursing through your
veins for the next task at hand.”
 And at that realization, I willed myself to focus on the present situation. “Let’s worry about

this once we put a stop to Avro’s fucked up circus for good.” I nodded to my mate…err mates.

My approval was enough to put Eliot at ease. Which I knew, deeply, both because of the bond
and because I trusted, unconditionally, that Eliot would always believe in what I felt was right. I just

hoped he wouldn’t be too heartbroken when he learned how complicated and confusing my own
feelings actually were.
 Chapter 35

I returned to the circus grounds one last time, where every trace of the slaughter had all but
completely disappeared. The Enforcers of Zodiac affairs had done a good job of cleaning up. There

wasn’t a trace of fae or gorilla or carnivores among the lot. The only proof that any of it had
happened at all was in the form of vague blood stains that couldn’t be entirely washed from the
crates.

Jun came with me, offering to drive since I hadn’t been behind the wheel myself in a solid
decade, and he also offered to set the stage.

I walked into the big top, where I’d been brutalized a thousand times. Turned into a spectacle
a thousand times. Been humiliated a thousand times.

I stepped onto that stage, front and center, surrounded by the towering bleachers that encased
that platform like a stadium. And I breathed it in, one long exhale at a time, until the scent of blood
and popcorn filled my nose and the stale, vicious air was crawling in my lungs. The spotlight still
shown down on me on this calm winter night. I turned to the entrance, where Jun Shen brought in the
main attraction. He threw Avro at my feet, bound and tied and wearing Haoyu Wong’s limiter. And the
most wicked of smiles spread across my lips.

“Ready to play a game, Avro?” I said before partial shifting my claws into their razor sharp,
murderous shape. I crouched down as he thrashed in his ropes, and I began severing his bindings one
thread at a time. When his legs were free, he scampered back, while his eyes were still bugging in
well-deserved terror.

I partial shifted my eyes, my fangs, my horns, and my flowing red mane, and I cocked my head

back to let out a roar.

I narrowed my gaze on my prey with a cruel and vicious laugh.

“Run.”
 Chapter 36

The ritual was complete, and at the end of a long and strenuous month, I finally took the time
to breathe again. Jarek would be living with me for a bit longer, at least until he decided what he

wanted to do with his life, and I was happy to let him move into my upstairs as he figured it out. He
was good company. Possibly the only good thing that came of my unfortunate tie to the Rooster.
Though he wasn’t my mate, he was certainly a more than compatible friend. His brutality was
delightful, and now that he had a bond with Levy, an issue we’d not yet sorted, I had no reason to
question his intent or his soul.

To form a bond with Little Rabbit wasn’t something an unworthy person could do. And
considering he wasn’t Levy’s fated, that bond couldn’t have been completed non-consensually, which
was an issue Eliot would also be struggling with for a while. Even if they chose to break and reject

that pact, the fact that Levy had room in his heart for more than only his fated mate was a curious
defect I’d never heard of, and possibly an unfair gift that I envied.

When everything calmed down, we all resumed our usual routine. Eliot and Levy came to
Calculus II, and I walked the class through complex equations with stern enthusiasm.

But after a couple more weeks of feigned normalcy, I couldn’t help but notice the way Levy
had started to withdraw again. He would come to class, he worked every day as normal, and he was
going through the motions, but I couldn’t help but think, between the circus and the conflicting feelings
pulsing through his blood, he was still reeling from the events of the last month. A nervousness I’m
sure Eliot noticed as vividly as I did.

But Levy spent every day with Eliot, and I only got to see him three or four times a week, and

the way he barely responded to my teasing was starting to unnerve me.

In all of the struggles Leveret Wong had been through with his High Warlock father, his famed
shifter mother, and those trying to take advantage of his curious and confusing gifts and curses, I still
had this small need to protect him and assure he’d always be okay.

Preposterous, considering he already had two mates now. There was no need for me to

intervene in his day to day life anymore when I knew he was extremely well looked after.

And yet, on the last day of class for the week, after the lesson had completed, and everyone,
Eliot included, had left for the day, Levy was still sitting in his seat in the back of the room, looking
like he had the world on his shoulders and something he’d been searching for the courage to say.

Concerned, I set down my dry eraser and paced over to his desk. “What’s wrong, Little
Rabbit?” I watched him curiously as he hesitated to leave, but also hesitated to stay. “You look
upset.”

“I have to ask you something.” Levy finally said, his voice low and his nerves apparent.

“You know you can always talk to me.”

“Gavin Abernathy.” He whispered the name like it was a curse, and with the pained
expression it put on Levy’s face, I very much agreed with the assessment. “Do you know him?”

What did you do now, Gavin? “Did he say something to you?”

“He told me to stay away from you.” Levy dropped his chin and played with his hands. “So
you do know him.”

With a deep inhale and a sigh, I looked Levy in the eye. “He’s the Rooster of the Chinese
Zodiac. Of course I know him.”

“O-of course.” He repeated in a subtle but obvious hope I might elaborate.

“We grew up together.” I paused, having to steel myself to say this out loud. Something I hated

voicing and only served to settle a sense of shame in my gut. “He’s my fated mate.”

Levy’s eyes widened, though he shouldn’t have been surprised. He knew how compatibility
worked among our kind just like the rest of us did. For better or for worse.

“Are you sure?” He sounded nearly as distressed by that revelation as I had been. “Couldn’t it

be the dragon? Couldn’t your mate be… Jarek?”

“Are you worried you stole my fated mate, Levy?” I ruffled his hair, trying to calm him down
with easy and familiar gestures.

“I was but…” He chewed on his lip and avoided eye contact. “You know for sure it’s him?”

“Yes. Unfortunately I’m quite sure.” I shook my head, also wishing it had been anyone but
Gavin. The smile I forced was melancholy. “There are several possible mates for each of us, but I’ve
already confirmed my fated. There’s no confusion or debate or uncertainty when a full blooded shifter
meets his mate.” The image of Gavin on my lap flashed through my mind, and I furrowed my brow,

trying to shoo it away.

The distress in Levy’s expression, however, was more than unsettling.

… And then it dawned on me. “Gavin was the one who gave you to Avro.” A statement and
not a question. The words alone made me ill.

“H-he… he approached me on the way to meet with you.” Levy took an uneasy step away
from me. “So then… Does that mean…” He struggled to find words. “everything that happened, to
Jarek, to Derek, to Eliot…” He struggled to get out every word. “Was because of my relationship
with… you?”
 I was hit with that terrible realization at the same time he was. “Yes.” I said plainly, resenting

the fact that I knew that was true. Because I hadn’t dealt with Gavin like I should have. I hadn’t

realized he’d been involved this time, when I should have known. Some innate part of my unfinished
bond still should have known.

“Are you in love with him?” That next question took me by complete surprise.

The word “no.” escaped my lips without having to think on it for even a second.

“You don’t have a draw to him? With Eliot I…” Levy was so confused, his head was all over

the place.

“Eliot is worthy of you, Levy. No one deserves Gavin as a mate.” Another flash, and I could
practically feel his lips again. I narrowed my eyes at my own treacherous memories that this
infuriating magic of fate forced me to keep. Forced me to replay in my head over and over again. “He
targeted you because he’s in love with me, and I won’t ever return the feeling.”

Levy put it all together in his head, with an expression akin to someone solving complex
derivatives by mental math.

“But he thought you felt that way about me.” The Little Rabbit took an unsteady step back. “He

targeted me, putting me in the hands of fucking Avro’s Circus, because he thought you were in love
with me.” He wasn’t asking questions. He was simply speaking aloud as he put together the pieces.

“Levy.” I held my ground, not sure how to respond to that. How could I respond to that.

“I told you how I still felt about you a few months ago, but you said I wasn’t your mate.”
Another foot of retreat. “The last time you kissed me, you did it like it was a goodbye. Like you didn’t
have any sort of feelings for me beyond being my mentor, or like I was just a charity case you saw
through. Like you’d just been helping a friend the whole time. But Gavin…”

“Slow down, Levy.” I attempted to ground him again, but his mind was reeling. Maybe mine
was too. I took a step closer. “His grudge against me has nothing to do with you.” But didn’t it? How

else could I explain the Rooster’s unearned disdain? Gavin had never laid a hand on Haoyu in all the

years he cursed the High Warlock’s existence, but he’d set his sights on Levy twice now. Though…
there was no reason to target the rabbit otherwise, and he’d left Haoyu’s family alone for twenty-two

years… up until he knew I would notice.

Because…

“Are you… in love with me, Jun?” The words fell from his lips, and the expression on his
face was impossible to read. It was so many things at once that it was almost nothing at all.

I swallowed and I drew in a breath through my nose.

“Levy…” I emptied all emotion from my face, keeping eye contact with complete and total
neutrality. I took one step, and he retreated at the same rate. Another, and his back was against the
door. His eyes bounced to the door knob—one that would take but a single twist to set him free—then
they lifted back to me. He never made a move for the knob.

I closed every remaining inch between us. I pressed him against the door with the entirety of
my body. I placed a hand around his neck, and I lifted his chin so he was angled in line with mine.

“That’s not an answer, Jun.”

“Then maybe this will make it more clear.” Against every ounce of better judgment and social,
magical, and professional responsibility I had, I took his lips in what I told myself would be one
final, perfect kiss. It would be my way to finally let go of every enchantment the Wongs held over me.

He gave in, his whole body fitting too perfectly against me. Always so vulnerable, always so
scared, yet also so wanting.

Why couldn’t I resist him? Was it his relation to Haoyu? His face? His smile? Was it that
hybrid blood that defied every rule I’d lived by from the day I was born? Was he freedom from
expectations, even when his fate was sealed by completely different rules? Freedom I couldn’t have,

when I’d been cursed with the wrong man as my fated lover?

Or was it simply because he was the Little Rabbit I’d come to know: Innocent, whip-smart,
charming, talented, and amusing. Because he was honest and real and everything I wasn’t. Because he

fell for me because he wanted to, and not because he was forced to by magic.

And because some vicious, unfair part of my brain wanted that. Even if it shattered everything
I stood for.

Levy gripped my shoulders, and he deepened the kiss. He let me control every movement, and
he only reacted more eagerly when I pinned his wrists back against the door.

I wouldn’t fuck him.

I could never fuck him.

After this single kiss, he’d be out of my system. I wouldn’t keep playing with this kind of fire.

That memory struck me again, and this time, fate wasn’t kind or subtle about it. Levy melted
against my tongue, and I fought against that slide show that nagged at the recesses of my brain.
 Twenty-Three Years Ago

As I got deeper into my studies at Graves Academy, I’d settled into a routine. I’d spent every
afternoon with High Warlock Haoyu, and I’d learned more than I ever dreamed. From his brilliance to
his personal stories, and the way we’d started to bond, every lesson felt so intimate. It was everything
I looked forward to and that kept me sane under the stress of my academics. The course to becoming a
math professor was challenging, yet this stranger had volunteered to mentor me every step of the way
until he’d become so, so much more to me.

But today, when I arrived at our usual meeting place in the Astrology Classroom, he wasn’t
there. He was always punctual, usually showing up ten or fifteen minutes early, but this time, it was
another five minutes before he arrived.

“You’re late.” I said playfully.

He was absolutely beaming, and that made me smile just as wide. “I’m so sorry Jun. But I

have incredible news!”

I barely remember how I got to the dorm. Nor did I recall when Gavin started pecking at me
as I was trying to process my entire life. But I didn’t have patience for him right now. I barely had
patience for him on a normal day.

I pushed past him, and continued to the dorm room we both were unfortunate enough to share,
and I lamented the fact that I couldn’t even have peace enough to wallow in my own bed. Gavin
followed me into the dorm room before I could lock him out, and he immediately was on my case

again. “Jun. What’s wr—”

“You’re the last person I want to see right now.” I growled before he could finish. I had no
desire to speak to Gavin most days, but especially not when I was in this state of mind. I didn’t need
some fated pheromones fucking with me, and I refused to confide in him even when I wasn’t in a
vulnerable position.

“Why?” His frown reflected in his tone. “Talk to me. I know I’m not your favorite person, but
I want to listen. I want to be there for you.”

That only pissed me off more.

 “Just leave.” I furrowed my brow and turned my back on him.

He sighed, then he approached and placed a hand on my shoulder. I was quick to throw him

off. Gavin put his hands up defensively. “I’m trying to help. I’m not going to do anything else, I
promise.”

For once, he almost seemed the rational one between us. In this regard, perhaps he was. “It’s
nothing.”

“I have never, in our entire pained frenemy-ship, ever seen you cry, Jun. It is not nothing.”

Gavin kept his distance this time, but his words hit entirely too close.

“Haoyu is getting married.” I blurted out the words as if Gavin was in anyway worthwhile as
a confidante. But it’s not like he hadn’t noticed. Like I hadn’t accidentally confessed to him time and
again. He was always here with me. He probably had a better read on my emotions than I did.

None of that logic changed the fact that I regretted the words as soon as I said them.

“What?” His eyes widened. I couldn’t say if it was in a horrified or pleased sort of surprise.
“Jun, I’m so sor—”

“Save it.” I at last made eye contact. “You’re the last person whose sympathy I want. If

anything, you should be thrilled that he’s out of your way for good. One less obstacle to chasing some
bullshit magical fate.”

“No.” He shook his head. “If anything, I’m the first person who understands what it’s like to
be completely head over heels for someone, and them not want you back. I wouldn’t wish that pain on
anyone, so no, I’m not thrilled, Jun.”

“Then you should understand that I’d like to be left alone.”

“I understand that this is the one time you shouldn’t be left alone.” He took a step closer. One
more. I didn’t retreat as he entered my personal space, close enough to place his hand on my cheek.
His emerald eyes dug in deeply, then he pulled me into a hug. “I’m sorry, Jun. I know how you feel
about him.”

I should have pushed him away. I should have demanded he leave again. But something in that
small moment of weakness compelled me to allow the simplest gesture of affection. I made no effort

to return the hug, but not fighting it was enough of a signal for him on its own.

I closed my eyes, soothing the sting of tears, and I buried my face in his shoulder. “It’s absurd,
isn’t it?” I spoke low and quiet. “For a full blooded beast of the Zodiac to be so in knots over a mage.
Not even a shifter.”

“It is when you have your fated mate right here.” Gavin added with a light and soft chuckle.
He squeezed me a touch harder. I relaxed into it.

“The Tiger.” I muttered. “He fell for the Tiger no less. It wasn’t that he was opposed to
fooling around with the same shifters he was tasked with taking care of. It’s simply that he didn’t
want…”

Gavin squeezed again. “You? Yeah, I know how that feels, too.” He released me and moved
back to arm’s length, his hands now just resting softly on my shoulders. I didn’t want to empathize

with him no matter how easily he was leading me into it.

“He wants kids. A traditional wedding. A white picket fence around his bakery. Of course he
chose a woman.” I didn’t know why I was telling him all of this. I guess simply because there was no
one else who I could. “She’s already six months pregnant, he said. They’re having a baby girl. I didn’t
even know he was seeing her… That they were serious… That they were…” I shook my head to force
coherence into my thoughts. “He had to choose her. This… this is better.” I said aloud, though I was
talking to myself more than him. “It was just a shock.”

“I can imagine.” Gavin removed his hold completely and placed his hands in his pockets. Our
dorm room was dark, but I could still see the sad glow in his eyes. “I’m honestly sorry, Jun. However
much you may hate me, and however much I wish you would give me a chance, I still would rather

see you happy, even if it’s with someone else.”

I swallowed, not sure how to respond to that. I opened my mouth, I closed it again, then I

wiped the traces of tears from my cheek with the back of my hand. “I’m sorry you had to see me like
this.”

“I’m not.” Gavin frowned now. “I just wish there was some way I could make you feel better.
I wish you would let me.”

I stared at him blankly. I chewed on my lower lip for a minute. Then I shook my head. “Just
give me some time to sort myself out. The longer you’re here, the more pathetic I feel, and the
stronger that pull is.” I snapped with more irritation and honesty than I’d intended. “If you stay I feel
like I might—” I cut myself off as a sudden rush of emotion hit me. Every instinct in my gut wanted to
ask him to stay and keep him close. “You should just go.”

“I’m not going to leave you like this.” Gavin attempted. I stepped back to make distance
between us at the implication. “Maybe there’s a reason you’re feeling so conflicted.”

“There isn’t.”

“Did you ever think that this push and pull, this fact that it never worked out for you with
anyone else… Have you ever thought, perhaps, that’s because this whole thing is by design? That
maybe, just maybe, it’s not some evil, terrible unlucky fate that wants us together, but it’s worth giving
a a chance?”

“No.” I said as firmly as I could. Though nothing about me felt very strong or stern in this
moment. I knew exactly what he was saying, and I knew it was painfully true. Still the last thing in this
world I was willing to hear right now was some reminder that I was a victim to the Devil’s twisted
form of destiny.

Gavin closed that distance again, and I’d run out of room to retreat as the backs of my knees

hit the bed.

“Why don’t we try something?” He said before he bit into his lip, hard enough to draw blood.
I swallowed as that scent immediately flooded my nostrils. Fuck, what a scent. It was so potent, I
was shaking trying to hold myself back from tasting it.

He inched his face closer to mine, and those overwhelming pheromones hit me harder than I

could process. I’d never felt anything like it, but something about his closeness, his blood, his entire
being was creeping under my skin on an animalistic level I wasn’t prepared for.

“Stop.” The word shook in my throat, as an adrenaline was taking hold of my every muscle.

“Stop what? I’m not doing anything.” With all of my escapes cut off, he leaned in and pressed
his bloodied lip against mine, and the flavor of him hit me like a drug. I immediately recoiled,
stumbling back onto the bed, trying to make some distance between myself and a mistake that I wasn’t
going to make. A mistake that was starting to feel like more than an annoyance I could dismiss.

“I-I told you to leave.” I insisted again, speaking harshly while I felt the self-control in my

brain threatening to snap.

“No.” He said shortly, before he climbed on top of me and took my mouth again. Fuck his
blood. Why was it hitting me like this? “I’m not leaving this time, Jun.”

I felt completely helpless as he took me again. “I can’t do this right now.” My voice was
strained. He knew he had me, and every cell in my body knew it too. “I don’t want you, Gavin.”

His lips tangled with mine again, as if to silence my protests. “What if you wore a blindfold?
Pretend I’m Haoyu for a few moments. Do to me what you wish you could do to him and get it out of
your system.” His hot breath on my skin was torture, while my heart beat faster at that prospect.
 Pretend he’s Haoyu? I swallowed down my nerves and the ridiculous parts of my mind that

were entertaining that thought. “Absolutely not.” My protests were only resolute on the surface, but

they were weak even in my own ears.

He connected us again, this time with a kiss that lingered. He slipped his tongue into my

mouth, and he stroked it down the length of mine, feeling and learning every inch of me. It was by a
moment of weakness alone that I chased his tongue into his mouth. And a moment of stupidity that I
turned the kiss around, deepening it, and possessing his lips, where I could still taste those divine
traces of his blood.

In that moment, I knew everything I’d been fighting was painfully true. Gavin was, in every
sense, my fated mate. And he was someone who, in every sense, I didn’t want. But right now,
maybe…

Maybe I could just pretend.

I flipped us around, and I shoved him onto the bed, not giving rational thought another moment
of my time.

“Don’t fucking talk.” I growled, before I pulled a tie from the closet. I tied the makeshift

blindfold around my eyes, and I made sure I couldn’t see a thing. “Say one word, and I’m done.” I
was trying to be threatening—to stay in control—but I was anything but at this point. I just needed to
get off. And I needed to pretend that it was Haoyu beneath me in bed. That was all I wanted right now.
Nothing more.

He didn’t respond, as if to confirm he understood the assignment, then I climbed on top of him,
trying to erase any thought from my mind that he was Gavin and not the High Mage Haoyu Wong. I
could still feel the burn of tears in my eyes beneath the blindfold, and I did my best to expel them.
Something feral in me had woken up, and this was the only way I could tame it again.
 So I distracted myself. I shoved his legs apart forcefully, then I snaked a hand up his body,

feeling along that slim, yet perfectly muscular figure. His body was trim and enticing. Hard and strong

like Haoyu’s. I swallowed at the thought, and I sank my mind deeper into that fantasy.

It was easy to imagine I was with him. I’d fantasized about what it would feel like a thousand

times. I’d jerked off to the thought. The more my mind craved that carnal passion, the more my senses
were overwhelmed by the soft touches of my mate. He drifted his fingernails up my thighs, then he
began undoing my belt. He never spoke. Though I kept thinking how much I wanted to hear Haoyu
begging for me. What would that deep and serious voice sound like, unraveled by orgasm? How

would my name sound tinged in his moans?

I let him loose my belt and undo my fly. Then I let him undo the buttons on my shirt, until the
cool air of the dorm engulfed every inch of my skin. He nudged the shirt from my shoulders, then I
could feel him moving on the bed as he removed his own.

With unexpected dominance that I might expect from a High Mage, he flipped our positions
again, and he pushed me back against the headboard. He climbed atop my lap, and he yanked off my
pants completely, pulling away the only remaining barrier between us, until I was completely exposed
to him.

Behind the darkness of this blindfold, his touch was electric. His lips as they trailed down my
stomach sent fire through me, and the moment they connected with the head of my cock, a fully body
shudder crawled through my spine.

Then he… Haoyu took the tip into his mouth. Slow, methodical, and skillful, he inched down
the length of my cock, until I was dipping past the point of reasonable gag reflex, and his tongue was
massaging me at the base. He flicked along the underside of my shaft as he came back up in slow
motion, then he kept playing with me until I was near ready to lose my mind. Fuck he was good, as if
he was perfectly in sync with my pleasure and needs.
 I propped myself up on my elbows to change the angle just slightly. Not being able to see what

was happening was bringing a whole new thrill to the situation. He sucked hard on my cock for one

last stroke, then with my whole body on the tipping edge, he pulled away. I opened my mouth to
protest, but I was silenced immediately by the taste of his tongue. He filled my mouth with our

combined flavors, and I let him push me back down against the mattress so he could straddle me.

I moaned into his mouth involuntarily, and I could feel the way he smiled against mine. That
taste of his essence was pure intoxication, and I was a puppet under its power.

Lost in his mouth, a hand wrapped around my cock, while he kept me distracted. The chill of

the lube hit me next as he made me slick and ready to take him.

It must have been difficult for him to stay silent, as he teased my tip with the tight pressure of
his ass. He sunk onto me only a single inch, hugging exquisite pressure around my head, and he stayed
there, moving just enough to send lightning through every one of my nerve endings. I heard his muffled
gasp as he sank onto me another inch. And his muffled moan as he took a few more. I slid in easily,
like his body was made to take me.

I braced his hips with my palms, and I helped guide the motion and the speed of entry, slowly
sinking him all the way down, until I could feel his full weight pressing down on my hips. I was

completely buried inside him, engulfed in his heat, and being squeezed by the perfect tightness of his
body.

“F-fuck, Haoyu.” I whispered under my breath. The only response was in the form of his lips
back on mine, his hands on my shoulders, and his strong thighs controlling the tempo of his rise and
fall in my lap. His kiss was deep and probing, while I was penetrating him with just as much
desperation. I let the heat of his body completely overwhelm me. His hard pecks and harder cock
rubbed against my stomach as he fucked himself on me. His movements had me bowing myself against
him, not wanting to lose even an inch of that sweet friction. I tightened my hold on his hips, and I
forced him still so I could control the motion.

The lube had warmed as I drove in and out of his slick, perfect ass. And I was running on high

as our tongues battled between us. Haoyu’s body was perfection and everything I’d fantasized it might
be in one too many wet dreams.

I drove into him as hard and as fast as I could, controlling the friction between our bodies and
controlling the roughness of his kiss. I clawed at his skin as I felt myself on the verge of losing my
fucking mind. And with his cock rubbing between us, I know he was right there too.

I gave myself to euphoria as I released in his ass. He gasped into my mouth at the sensation,
then moaned into me when his own orgasm made a mess on my skin.

He ran a hand through the mess of come and sweat, rubbing his essence into my chest, and
fuck did that scent drive me to the brink of madness.

Then I felt the sharp bite of his canines as they pressed into my lip.

My eyes shot open, and with every ounce of strength I had, I shoved him off of me.
Immediately I tore the blindfold from my eyes, and while still a mess with sex, I glared at my reality.
Gavin, my red haired fated mate, with my come dripping down his leg, and not Haoyu at all. I

covered my mouth with my hand, and I massaged the bite area with my tongue. He hadn’t managed to
break skin all the way. Thank fucking the devil.

“I-I’m sorry, I was caught up in the moment and I—”

“Tried to permanently mark me with your fucking mate bond?” I narrowed my gaze. “You took
advantage of my weakness to try to get what you wanted?”

“No, I just thought we were… that you felt it too.” His tone reflected nothing but hurt and
devastation, and mine was filled with nothing but fury.

“Get. The fuck. Out.” I said in a slow and steady and measured tone.
 “I’m sorry.” Gavin’s voice broke under the words, but I wasn’t about to accept an apology.

Not after he’d tried to mark me under such pretext. A mate bond between fated shifters could only be

expelled by a rejection ceremony, and the last thing in this world that I was going to allow was for
him to forcefully bond my mind to his in a way more real than the current vague pull of fate.

He began gathering up his clothes, and with a rush that clearly understood the severity of my
demand, he went straight for the door. “I’m sorry, Jun.” He said again. “I wish… I wish I didn’t love
you.”

“I wish you didn’t too.” I scoffed as he left. I stayed on my bed, so upset now, any calm from a

post orgasm high was completely ruined. And now all I felt was shame and anger. How had I fallen
for such a stupid and obvious trap.

Present Day

That cruel display of fate had me jerking myself away from Levy, trying to process what had
gotten into me. He was Eliot’s mate. He was already marked by his fated. That fated mate isn’t me.

I covered my own mouth in an accidental display of vulnerability, and I stepped back a few
more feet.

The Little Rabbit just stared at me, heavy breaths cycling through his lungs.

“I-I see.” He squeaked.

“I’m sorr—”
 He shook his head to refuse the apology before I could finish making it. “I said, I see.” He

swallowed, still gathering himself. He drew his lower lip into his mouth, tasting whatever traces of

me that still lingered there. Something about that move made my heart near stop.

He wrapped his arms around his waist, and we held that eye contact for several more minutes

like it was a precious and fragile gift.

“You should go.” My words were barely more than a whisper.

“I don’t want—”

“You should go.” I repeated, more stern this time. “I’ll tell Eliot what happened. You don’t
have to forgive me.”

Levy closed his eyes and drew another deep breath. “We’re bonded fated mates. He already
knows.”

“Right.” That only made me feel more guilty. What was it about the ones I couldn’t have that I
couldn’t stop wanting?

The smile that followed on Levy’s face was completely disarming and unexpected. “I’ll see
you later, Professor Shen.”

Before I could react, he twisted the door knob, and stepped back through the door. That
barrier was closed between us just as quickly.

Fuck.

“Fuck!”
The End (For Now!)
 After Talk

Hi everyone! Anni Lee here!

Alright, well, where do I start here. I almost thought I wouldn’t be able to write this one. I
was paralyzed for a full year, trying to get this one out, so I just kept jumping to other projects,
figuring it would come when it did. And when it did, I ended up pounding out almost 90k words in all
of 3 weeks, and I still don’t know how the hell that happened. I’ve never written a book this long this

fast in my life, and I’ve actually written quite a lot of books.

There were so many ways I considered taking the story, and I was battling with all the other
ways I felt like I should take the story to stick to a formula of MM standalones. Initially I was going
to focus the whole narrative of this one on Jun and Jarek, sexual healing and such and such, but the
more I wrote them, the more their chemistry matched better as peers than lovers, which was probably
because I’d never at any point intended for Levy and Jun’s story to be over at the end of the first book.
So instead, I settled for what was true to the characters. Love it or hate it, I couldn’t really tell their
twisted tale any other way.

I love this world. A lot. Of every book I’ve written, my Graves Universe is my biggest
passion project, and it feels like free reign to explore anything and everything I want to explore in a
fantasy book. It’s messy and complicated and dark and traumatic, and I just love dipping into the
heads of these characters, whether it’s Levy’s subtle humor, Jun’s sophisticated sadism, or in this
volume, Jarek’s aggressive, angry, but indomitable spirit. From the moment I cameod Jun and Levy in
the original Zodiac Werewolf series, I’d always seen them as end game, but well, I’m also a big fan
of “Why Choose” so this might be a long a wild road, haha!

That’s not to say Eliot is being written out (Hell, we haven’t even gotten to the Year of the
Dog!), nor that Jarek’s story necessarily ends here, but I plan to build this world to its fullest extent,

and that might take a full book for each and every animal in the Zodiac before we get to a proper

resolution.

That said, if you’re still wishing for more of the Zodiac based shifters and some Graves

Academy shenanigans, go check my Zodiac Werewolf series and its subsequent spin offs (If you
haven’t already), and keep an eye out for more of the Chinese Zodiac animal shifters in the near
future! The Next installment will be the Year of the Snake (Current plan is to go in order of the
zodiac!), and there are so many more characters I can’t wait to introduce to you!

If you liked this story and want to read more from me, I always appreciate a review or some
feedback! Improving my craft is a never ending mission, and any words of encouragement or critique,
good or bad, are always helpful!

For updates and teasers on upcoming and past works, follow me on social media! I also am
always looking for new members for my ARC Review Team, so feel free to contact me if you’re
interested!
 Get a Free Book!

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Thanks again for reading! I hope you continue to follow along!

Until next time, Go fast and take chances!

 Other works by Anni Lee:

Devil in the Details

Paranormal Male/Male Cozy Mystery Romance, between a sarcastic detective and the Devil
himself. Available on Kindle Unlimited and on Kindle Vella!

How to Tame Your Vampire

Paranormal Male/Male Vampire School Dark Romance, currently being serialized via Kindle
Vella, now also available on Kindle Unlimited! Check in each week for updates and new chapters!

Shifters of the Chinese Zodiac

Paranormal Male/Male Dark Bakery Romance, with Shifters based on the Chinese Zodiac.

Year of the Rabbit (Book 1)

Year of the Dragon (Book 2)

Traitor

Male/Male Enemies to Lovers Epic Fantasy, between a man who abandoned his country to
join the side he felt was right, and the obnoxious general who definitely will never trust him him.
Currently being serialized via Kindle Vella! Check in each week for updates and new chapters!

All In: A Twisted Game of Poker

Dark and erotic Male/Male Possessive Mafia Alpha, currently being serialized via Kindle
Vella! Check in each week for updates and new chapters!

Round One

Round Two

Round Three

The Zodiac Werewolf Series

Paranormal Male/Male Zodiac Werewolf between a college student and an Alpha Professor
Book 1: Transformation of Capricorn
Book 2: Transformation of Aquarius
 Book 3: Transformation of Pisces
Book 4: Transformation of Aries
Book 5: Transformation of Taurus
Book 6: Transformation of Gemini
Book 7: Transformation of Cancer
Book 8: Transformation of Leo
Book 9: Transformation of Virgo
Book 10: Transformation of Libra
Book 11: Transformation of Scorpio
Book 12: Transformation of Sagittarius
Book 13: Transformation of Ophiuchus
Complete Series Omnibus Edition

Say My Name

Paranormal Male/Male Fairy Tale Retelling with a hot and dominant Rumpelstiltskin

My Little Wolf

Paranormal Male/Male Fairy Tale Retelling of Little Red Riding Hood with a snarky Pizza Boy and
A Cautious but kinky Werewolf

I Do (Not)

A soft Male/Male billionaire love triangle RomCom from all three points of view
 Copyright © 2023 by Anni Lee
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