Pain tore through her entire body. Her muscles ached. Her bones ached. Every nerve was on fire. Her very soul hurt. She cowered in the back of the cage, shying away from the door and source of all that pain. She was curled in as tight a ball the restraints would allow. The skin was rubbed raw and bloody from her pulling and gnawing at them. Her talons were filed to the beds from clawing at the floor.

A blinding light suddenly turned on, stunning her. She heard the footsteps coming towards her and she looked up at the faces of her tormentors. "Please no more." She tried to beg. "Just make it stop hurting."

They didn't respond. They didn't react. They couldn't feel her attempts to link. How could she make them understand?

The cage door opened, and she tried to push further back. A gloved hand grabbed her by the back of her neck and dragged her out. She screamed in protest and thrashed wildly. She was placed on the cold metal table. Her restraints were lashed to the table, stretching her out and keeping her from moving even an inch.

One of the beings was speaking, but she didn't understand them. Another opened a case, revealing the syringes. Despite knowing how useless it was, she started to struggle. Those needles brought nothing but more pain. Why were they doing this to her?

A hand pushed her down and the needle drew closer. She slammed her eyes shut and cried out again. Not to her captors, this time, but to him. To her father.

Her veins turned to ice. Her body morphed and twisted in ways it was never supposed to.

The men around her vanished in a mass of tan-colored smoke. It curled around her comfortingly, taking the form of a serpent. Its head settled in her lap, and a single sandy eye met hers. A low hissing came from its throat. "Your sleep is troubled, little bird." His voice purred in her head. "Let me help."

Magic sparked between them as the serpent began to shift back into his humanoid form. Arousal flared between her legs as the male crawled up towards her. His eyes were intense, focused solely on stalking his prey. Her. Strong arms wrapped around her, pulling her into him. One hand twisted in her hair, tilting her head back to kiss her. His mouth was rough and demanding, stirring every lust-driven nerve in her body.

This wasn't right. This wasn't the man she should be kissing. His image flickered and he scowled. "Don't push me away, Rhia." He sounded enraged.

"Rhia," another voice rang in her head. "Rhia, wake up!"

The words sent fear through her whole body. Fire flared around her in defense of the words.

Rhia's eyes few open and sucked in a gasp, breathing in a lung full of water. Her feet found the bottom and she shoved upwards. She broke the surface of the water and choked, coughing up the water. "Rhia!" Nolan grabbed her waist and pulled her through the water to him. "Are you-"

His touch sent lightning through her body, reigniting the heat from the dream. She found his face and dragged it to hers. She kissed him hard, desperately needing his touch. He moaned into her, tightening his grip. He needed her as badly as she needed him. Her back touched the edge of the pool. He pulled back enough to let out a hiss. His fangs were fully extended, and his eyes were glowing a fierce red. She tried to pull him back.

"Rhia," he gasped. "We can't. I need to feed, I can't... you..."

She cupped his face with her hands and pressed her forehead against his. "Feed from me." She whispered. "You can't turn me anymore. Feed from me."

He wasn't able to resist. The scent of her arousal and magic was so deep in his senses, even the salted water of the pool couldn't hide it. He shoved his body hard against hers, gripping her hips and lifting her to meet his. His mouth went to her neck, tongue probing for a vein. She could smell the venom dripping from his fangs. She could hear the pounding of his heart. He was so close to their shared pleasure, he just needed to-

"Really?" A new, annoyed voice had Nolan turning away from her neck. "The pool? You two can't bang in a bed like a normal couple?"

Nolan shifted slightly to shield her naked form. She looked up to see Atticus and Dáithí standing over them. Atticus was determinedly and respectfully looking away from them. Dáithí, on the other hand, was staring right at her. The part of Rhia's brain that was still struggling with rational thought, went back to the better half of the dream.

His kiss. His naked body. Why had she stopped him? The pleasure would have been incredible. It was deeper than pure attraction. Two dragonkin finding pleasure in each other. It was only natural. It wasn't cheating if it were a dream... right?

"What are you two doing here?" Nolan asked breathlessly.

Nolan's voice brought her focus back and she turned her head to break eye contact with Dáithí. She wrapped her arms around herself and pressed closer into Nolan. What the fuck was wrong with her? She didn't want him. She wanted Nolan.

"The fire alarm went off." Atticus explained and looked up at the second floor. "Was jumping out the window really necessary? What did she do, light the door on fire in her sleep?"

"I'll cover the damages, don't worry." Nolan sighed. "I already have to call a plumber. What's a new window and a set of sheets added to the bill?"

"Plumb- what's wrong with the plumbing?!"

"Sorry, Atticus." Rhia mumbled.

Atticus looked down at her and his entire, massive body went rigid. It looked like it took every ounce of his will to turn away. "Stop breaking my house!" he snapped and walked back inside.

Nolan looked up at Dáithí. "You mind getting us some towels?" he snapped.

Dáithí smirked before following Atticus. A splitting pain tore through her temples and Dáithí's voice entered her mind. "Good morning, little bird." His voice was husky, heavy with arousal. "Did you have sweet dreams?"

Rhia buried her face into Nolan's neck, trying to assure herself that this was the only man she would ever need. Would ever want. His words... was it really just a dream? "What's happening to me?" she whimpered.

Nolan's arms tightened around her. "You're okay." He whispered back. "I've got you."

Dáithí came back a minute later and dropped two towels at the edge of the pool. He raised a daring eyebrow at Nolan who glared at him. "Do you mind?" he barked at the leering dragonkin.

"Oh, not at all." Dáithí chuckled.

Nolan's eyes flashed red, and it was an effort for him to ignore Dáithí's comment. Scowling, he pulled Rhia to the steps, grabbed one of the towels and shielded her body with his so she could cover up. In almost an afterthought he wrapped the second towel around his waist. Taking her by the shoulders, he led her back to the room, closing the door behind them.

She stared at the bed. The blankets and a part of the mattress beneath were charred black and still smoking slightly. "I did that?" her words came out in a shuddering gasp.

"Yeah." He sighed. "What were you dreaming about?"

Her eyes fluttered, and her arms tightened around herself. "Memories. Things are starting to come back." She looked at him desperately. "I remember what happened at the mall. Sort of... are..." she swallowed hard. "Church and Nova are dead, aren't they?"

Nolan wouldn't meet her eyes. "Church is alive. Nova..." he stopped.

Her knees wobbled and she slumped back against the dresser. "Oh my god," she covered her mouth with her hand, holding back the nausea rising in her throat. "Maddox... is he okay?"

"He hasn't spoken about it. Not to me, anyway."

"Oh my god," she gasped again. "She was a shifter. Maddox knew she was a shifter. I... I need to talk to him."

"Take a breath." He soothed her. "You can call Maddox today, okay?"

She pushed into him, wrapping her arms around his waist, and clinging for dear life. His body went stiff, including a particular appendage under the towel. He gripped her shoulders firmly and gently pushed her away. "Sorry. I can't be around you right now." He said breathlessly, looking at a spot on the wall over her head.

"Why? Are you okay?"

"I haven't fed in a few days. Your magic is... potent. It's having an effect on my... appetite."

She reached for him, wrapping her hands around the back of his neck. "I told you," she tried to pull him down to her, but she resisted. "You can feed from me. It's okay."

"No, no it's not." He stepped away from her, breaking her hold. "I can't feed from you. Not again. I shouldn't have even fed from you the first time, not without knowing what you really were. The blood of dragons and dragonkin is too dangerous to consume. I don't even remember what happened last time, I could have killed you!"

Her eyes widened and her mouth fell open in surprise. "You don't remember?" she asked slowly.

He threw up his hands in exasperation. "I remember deciding you were right. Then tying you down and-" he saw the lust flare in her eyes and stopped. "I hardly remember anything after you tapped out. I woke up alone, with only your note and a memory of the taste of your blood."

A breathless laugh passed her lips. The chuckling turned into a fit of giggling that had her shoulders shaking. "You can't remember?" she gasped for air. "Is that why you were avoiding me?"

He shrugged guiltily. "I was scared." He admitted. "I haven't fed from the vein in... a while, so I had no idea if I overfed, or hurt you, or said something... You kept saying we needed to talk about it... I didn't want you to... Why are you laughing?"

Several deep breaths later, Rhia was able to stop chuckling. "Nolan," she reached for him. "You sweet, stupid man. You didn't hurt me. It was the most incredible feeling. I can't even express how good it felt." She stepped forward and took his hands. "You didn't overfeed. According to drunk Nolan, my magic wouldn't let you."

His hands gripped hers almost painfully. "Are you sure?" his voice trembled.

"Yes, god yes. I could have kept going all day if you hadn't passed out."

He started laughing too, relief washing across his features. "I didn't say anything stupid, did I?" he asked in a laugh.

"Um..."

He went stiff again before looking down at her with wide, terror-filled blue eyes. "What did I say, Rhia?"

"You... said that you loved me."

He blinked. His whole body was still. He even stopped breathing and she was half expecting his heart to stop. "I... said..."

She swallowed hard, trying to wet her dry throat. "Just before you bit me."

His mouth opened, closed, and opened again. No words came out and he closed his mouth again. Finally, he took a breath and this time words came out when he opened his mouth. "Oh... Did I... uh... did you..."

"I wasn't exactly given a chance to respond."

She looked away from him, unsure what to say or how to feel, and reached for her clothes in the dresser. "Ahh," he drew out the sound, long enough for Rhia to know that he was desperately trying to think of what the hell to say. "Would... you... have...?"

"I don't know," she ran her hands through her hair. Why couldn't she have blacked out in a venom high like normal people? Why did she have to remember this of all things. "A lot has happened between then and now."

She turned to look at him again, hoping to find some hint to what she was supposed to say. Maybe she was imagining it, but... was that disappointment in his eyes?

"We'll just pin it all on the state I was in." he said quietly, a slight edge to his voice. It was his turn to look away and grab his clothes. "I was too in the moment. Just forget I said it at all."

"I can't just forget something like that." She insisted. "Please, just..."

"Just what, Rhia?" he snapped, looking sharply back at her and making her flinch. "I can't take it back. I won't take it back."

"So, you can look me in the eye and tell me honestly that you're in love with me after dating less than a month?"

"You were willing to follow me to the other side of the world after less than a month."

"That's different!"

"How?! We thought you were human, you would have been at significant risk, not just from me or Constantine, but from Raphaël and his people! You'd sooner put your life in mortal danger than say that you love me?!"

"I'm not ready to be in love with you!" she felt tears brimming in her eyes. Why were they even fighting about this? "I'm not ready for you to be in love with me! I just want things to go back to how they were!"

"Have you considered that maybe I've learned to recognize love over the last twenty thousand years?"

"I haven't! My experience hasn't exactly been sunshine and rainbows. The last person I said that to-"

"I know, I know," he all but waved her off. "He put you in the hospital, treated you like shit, I get it. I am not him!"

His words hit her like a spear to the heart. She looked down at the shirt gripped tightly in her hands. They were shaking slightly. Her chest was heavy, and she wasn't sure if she wanted to cry or punch him in the face. She whirled around and raced into the bathroom, slamming the door behind her. She picked up on Nolan's quiet cursing before the bedroom door slammed as well.

Silence surrounded her. It was the worst kind of silence where she had nothing but the darkest thoughts invading her mind. The kind of silence where she couldn't help but wonder... was this the end for them?

She twisted the tap to wash the tears out of her eyes. Right. She bursts the pipes last night. No water. Pain stabbed through her temples as Dáithí created a link. It was getting less painful. She didn't understand anything about the link, but she needed to figure out how to make it stop. "Is everything alright, little bird?"

"Get out of my head." She sobbed. She backed into the wall and slid down, clutching her hair. "Get out of my head. Get out... just stop it... please make it stop..."

This was worse than the dream. Worse than the memories. She could wake up from the dream. She could push back the memories. This was now. This pain was fresh. Little flames began to flicker up from the tiles around her.

"Make it stop," she gasped through the tears. "It hurts... just... make the pain stop..."

She felt magic ripple through her, filling her lungs with air and clearing her eyes of the tears. The faintest memory of a voice spoke to her. "Rhiannon," it said. The voice was vaguely familiar. She knew it from somewhere, she couldn't remember where. The feeling was already fading with the voice. "Strength."

The haze of magic hung heavy in the air. Rhia sat on the floor of the bathroom. Her face was wet from the tears, but her eyes were clear. For the first time since waking up in the hospital, she felt like she could breathe. Her emotions... the anger, the despair, the lust... were gone. Her head felt clear and light.

What the hell was that? Who the hell was that?

A knock on the door made her jump. "Rhia," came Atticus's voice. "You should come downstairs. Someone's here to talk to you."

"I'll be out in a minute." She called back.

"Try to be quick. Preferably before any more of you dragonkin breaks something on my property."

She stood up quickly, pulled the shirt over her head, and opened the door. "Atticus," she called the shapeshifter back. He glanced back, eyes widened, and quickly turned his back on her. Right. She still wasn't wearing pants. She grabbed a pair of shorts and pulled them on. "Did you know Nova?" she asked.

"I did." He answered quietly. "She worked for me for many years."

"I'm sorry," she whispered. "She died protecting me. I'm... I'm so sorry."

He looked over his shoulder carefully to make sure she was dressed before turning to fully face her. Christ the man was huge. "You were not on the list of people Nova was supposed to observe while under cover," he said gently. "But she deeply cared for you. You were the only one she ever considered defying orders for. Her deepest regret was not protecting you from Christian Churchill." He looked over her head and his chest expanded in a deep sigh. "I should be the one to apologize to you, Rhia." He all but whispered. "I was the one who gave her the order to stand down."

He turned on his heel without another word and walked out of the room.

"Absolutely not!"

Nolan glared back at Dáithí. "She needs help." He said coldly. "She is out of control."

"She doesn't need control." He snarled. "She is power. She can do anything, you only need to set her free to do it."

"She can't shift." Nolan reminded him. "She needs to be able to trust the dragonkin enough to get the surgery done."

"Are you tell me, Doctor Wes, that you don't know anyone else who could do it? Or are you just not looking so you can bow to Quin and take his praise like a good little slave?"

"Well, if that's not the most typical thing to come out of your mouth, I don't know what is." The female dragonkin said with a bored sigh.

"Fuck right off, Juniper." Dáithí's eyes began to glow dangerously. "You are not welcome here."

"I don't think that's your call to make." She drawled, meeting his eyes with a pleasant smile. "Unless you own this adorable little abode. It's not like you to settle so close to the compound." Her nostrils flared and she smirked. "It's not like you to use soap."

A feral snarled ripped from his throat and he took a threatening step towards the female. "You break it, you pay for it!" Atticus shouted from the stairs.

Dáithí's lip curled at Juniper. "Outside." He demanded.

"No thanks. I'm quite comfortable where I am." She raised an eyebrow at him before looking to the staircase next to Atticus. "You must be Rhia. It is a pleasure to finally meet you. My name is Juniper."

Rhia shifted uncomfortably on the stairs. The momentary peace she found from the strange magic was quickly fading and the panic was starting to build in her chest again. "Keoni sent you?" she asked shakily.

"I offered to come when I heard Dáithí was involved. We have something of a history. It felt appropriate to close the door on my past while opening the door to your future." She blinked and frowned. "That sounded a lot better coming from Keoni."

Dáithí stormed towards Rhia, every muscle in his body twitching like he was just barely holding back from shifting. He slammed his hand down on the railing and leaned inappropriately close to her. "You don't have to go anywhere with her." he hissed quietly. "Just say the word, and I'll get rid of her. They're not trying to help you. They just want to control you with the bond."

"Dáithí," Nolan snarled out a warning.

Oh good. The lust was back. With a goddamn vengeance too. Dáithí was close enough for her to smell his magic... his pure, masculine scent. Rhia wrapped her arms around herself tightly. This was getting out of control. "They said they couldn't bind me." She didn't trust herself to look in his eyes... she wasn't sure if she trusted him anymore.

"Of course, they did." He cupped her chin and dragged her face up to look at him. The familiar pain of the link made her wince. "They will tell you anything to get you, little bird. You can't trust them. Trust me. I will take care of you."

"Get away from her!" Nolan rushed him, grabbing the back of his shirt and dragging him down the stairs away from Rhia.