Ronan The next time my brother says “Hey, I’ve got an idea,” I need to run, not walk away. I might be from a dragon shifter ruling family, but I’m not demanding a female mate with me. Yet taking my time and winning her over is going nowhere. So far, I’ve punched my card as the older neighbor who’s way too nosy about the young female next door. Then I hear about what she’s got planned. And I’m faced with giving her what she needs and letting her walk away, even at the cost of the useless beating organ in my chest. Brighton Mate Ronan Jade, they said. It’ll be a good match, they said. The older shifter is a walking poster of smoldering, hardworking male. He swings a hammer all day and at night… Well, that thought dominates my mind more than I’d like. The problem is that he’s a great match. Superb. And I’m an inexperienced female trying to rule my clan. It’d be too easy to let him in. To let him take over. To allow him to dominate. So I try to find another mate instead. Only Ronan finds me first.

Lachlan I was supposed to be a brutal and ruthless ruler of my dragon shifter clan, but I’ve defied the odds to become a calm male who thinks before he acts. I rule my small town fairly, without the bloodshed. The only time I acted with the same selfishness of my parents was when I selected my mate. And for the last four years, I’ve worried I ruined her life. I want to do better, but I don’t know how, and if I don’t figure it out, she’ll be gone. Indy I know Lachlan didn’t grow up like me. He didn’t have a loving, supportive, and completely smothering family to dote on him. But when he announced he wanted me to be his, I was elated. I had high hopes. And then we just…existed together. A female dragon shifter is rarely short of pride, but if Lachlan doesn’t talk to me, I can’t picture a second chance for us. And when someone tries to kills me, I worry we won’t be able to try.