The dragon shapeshifted into the man, and Dragos raced toward her. He took hold of her upper arms even as he scanned the area with a sharp gaze. His Power was raised to such an extent she could hardly bear to stand near him; he radiated so much heat.

“You’re shaking like a leaf.” His voice was hard. “What happened?”

“There was something in the house.” Her lips had gone numb.

He turned a killer’s face to the sliding glass doors. Graydon had shapeshifted into his human form as well, conferring softly with Bel. The third winged Wyr had shapeshifted into a male with a soldier’s tough demeanor, crow’s feet radiating from the corners of his eyes and streaks of gray in his sandy hair.

“Wait here,” Dragos told her. He opened the sliding glass doors and slipped into the house.

“Paul, stay and guard the women,” Graydon said. He didn’t wait for an acknowledgement and slipped after Dragos. The unfamiliar male stood alert, watching everything.

Eva and Linwe erupted from the path to the beach and raced toward them. “We saw the dragon. What happened?” Eva asked sharply. Linwe had run to Bel and Giselle.

Pia shook her head. At the moment she couldn’t speak. She was still shaking. Unbelievably, Niall still slept through all of it.

A few moments later, Dragos and Graydon stepped out of the house. Dragos flattened a hand on Pia’s back. “We didn’t find anything,” he told her quietly. His gold gaze was sharp with concern.

“There was something,” she whispered.

“Do you know what it was?”

She shook her head. “Something.”

The stranger spoke up with an easygoing smile. “Could it have just perhaps been the wind? Maybe no reason to panic or call 911.”

Dragos’s killer expression snapped back over his face, but Pia forestalled him by digging her nails into his forearm. She didn’t feel quite grounded in her body. She said through gritted teeth, “I don’t know who you are, but it’s none of your fucking business if I panic every day for the next fifteen years and scream for my husband. And he will come every time, because you know why? I have been kidnapped more than once. I have been shot at. More. Than. Once. I have been shot. So, if this is your condescending attempt to de-escalate a hysterical woman, you can get the fuck out of my life right now. Go away.”

As she spoke, it wiped the patronizing expression off his face. He paled. Looking at Dragos, he said apologetically, “My Lord…”

“Addressing me instead of responding directly to my mate is your second mistake,” Dragos growled. “Pia told you to leave.”

The man’s face clenched. Bowing, he backed away and strode off.