Read how much he loved to finally feel the length of her unclothed body against his, to nuzzle her neck and inhale her scent as he ran his mouth along her skin. To kiss her lingeringly, holding back. Always holding back, until he felt her fear and conflict drop away, and then seamlessly pushed into her. She pulled in a shocked breath at the surprising pleasure of it as he grew still, waiting for her desire to rush back in like a tide to match his own, her body arching against his as they fell into a new, deeper rhythm with each other.

Aislinn can’t suppress her own wide returning smile as tears come to her eyes. She caresses the spot on the base of her neck where Jarod bit her that night under the moon, transforming her into a Lupine and stripping away both her fastlines and affinity lines. Turning her into a creature of the Forest. A creature of new sensations and strength and awareness of the natural world. A creature with the heightened desire to pair with her true love.

“I love you too,” she says, overcome. Feeling like a new being.

An explosion suddenly rocks the forest floor beneath them.

Their hold on each other tightens. Military horns blare from the direction of the Wyvernguard as they exchange a look of wordless shock. They spring to their feet, break into a run, Lupine fast, to a small clearing just before a precipitous drop affording a clear view of the city.

Aislinn gasps and grips Jarod’s arm. A great waterfall of Shadow is flowing down out of the entire length of the gouged-out Vo Mountain Range, a misty shadow veil rising from the gash’s top toward the Xishlon moon, a huge line of gray runes above the exploded section.

They watch, frozen, as the moon’s purple light snuffs out, Aislinn’s every muscle tensing as the moon’s lovely thrall is stripped from the world. The unnatural shrieks of broken dragons rend the air, the dreadful sound emanating from the mountain gash, and Aislinn’s and Jarod’s eyes meet in mutual, horrified understanding.

“Vogel,” Jarod rasps in a stunned voice as the swarm of broken dragons—mere specks from this distance—launch themselves from the mountaintop’s gaping maw.

Aislinn feels an entirely new sensation of heightened strength rushing into her from the forest floor. She narrows her eyes at the incoming invasion as a predator-calm overtakes her.

“If Damion Bane is on one of those dragons,” she says, low and deadly as Lupine claws flick into being where her nails once were and coarse black fur spreads over her arms, “I’m going to tear him limb from limb.” She turns to Jarod, aware of how sleekly lethal her body is now, even in human form. Aware that she can likely rip the head clear off one of those dragons.